· 1 8.12.61 at about 5.45 AM, close to our
house and next to the main road while going to Aguada, my father a fair like a
Portuguez “Paklo”, wearing a “Cheddi” and Banyan, was adjusting the water flow in our field unaware
of the presence of Indian Military marching
on Goan soil. While my father busy in doing his job in our field, he was
surprised to see a Convoy of Military vehicles namely Tanks, Jeeps transporting Indian Military
personnel to capture the Portuguese citadel at Aguada. On this date at the
United Nations Security Council acting on the complaint of Portugal passed a
resolution by the majority member nations including USA, UK, France, Turkey,
China and others declaring the annexation of Goa by India as illegal and called
for the cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of Indian forces from Goa and settle
their differences between them peacefully. However, this majority decision was
defeated by the one vote called Veto by the Soviet Russia giving legality for
India to acquire Goa by force. But with
the annexation of Goa by military force the image of India in the World as a
peaceful country disappeared. US
President immediately commented on India “Why you are fooling the World since
last 14 years in the name of
Non-Violence when you used the same violence to acquire Goa? It looks the Pastor is caught coming out of brothel buttoning his Pant”.
While Indian Military was annexing Goa with a claim that due to the
geographical affinity of Goa to Bharat and also Goa being situated in the sub-continent, it becomes the
part of Bharat for which the World answered to India saying if this is the case
then all the nations in the sub – continent becomes a part of Bharat. There were blames on Portuguese
for its conversion process of Goans and that the Portuguese came to Goa
uninvited. It must be noted well that the Portuguese were brought to Goa thru
the invitation by one Goan Hindu called
Timoja to liberate Goa from the tyranny of Muslim leader Yusuf Adil Shah. I don’t remember having read or heard any official invitation was given to
India on behalf of all the Goans to liberate Goa. Hence, the Military action taken
by India on Goa looks unilateral. That the
Portuguese had to leave from Goa is tta sure fact and if they had been there in
Goa when I attained the proper age of a well grown –up boy, I would definitely
join the Freedom for Goa movement but surely first I will make them understand the writing on the
walls. I never heard a top Brahmin
Bhattkar and any Hindu Negociante mainly from the Brahmin caste, any time
discussed this topic with the Governador Geral of Goa requesting him to speak
to Salazar to give our Goa in our hands in a true sense of Liberation? But no, these so called elite Goans were
acted like Chamchas and Slaves of Portuguez.
Being the best of Portugues Chamchas they alone got the better benefits
of Portuguese. Due to their closeness to Portuguese especially the nominated
members of Legislative Council, they should have brought this topic to the notice of the Portuguese rulers.
If we had to get some sort of freedpom then.
now we would not have been facing the
difficulties that we are facing where our existence as Goans is in peril. In
few years time the way things are moving
in Goa, we the genuine Goans would lose everything such as our language, our
culture, our history, our tradition, our folks tales and folk songs, our houses, and properties In one word the outsiders will totally dominate
over every apeect of our life, they will treat us ruthlessly without any pity nor
compassion because they are very hard hearted, they have no softness in their
hearts. And the Governments in Goa as
well as in Delhi will do nothing because every successive Government in Goa
proved to be anti Goan and anti-Goa just like the Delhi government whichever it
may be. In Delhi ww have no weight because no body wants us withour two members
of Lokh Sabah. I feel pity for me now because during the next
few yeara if I survive and to my children too realising how they will face the tormenting life for all
Goans in few years from now this whatThinking
all these I feel like asking the Freesom Fightrs: is this the Liberation you
were asking and our Freedom Fighters were fighting by facing the bullets and cruel beatings
of the Portuguese? And if it is yes thn
Shame on you. Your are partly responaible
for our sufferings today because once the Portuguese were ousted from Goa, you
went to sleep never even bothered to
check the injustice happening on Goans.
I accuse you for being responsible for what tragedies are happening in Goa. It was your duty ff to raise your voices agaiinst what is going wrong in Goa but you did noting of that sort because you are
given Tamraptra as an honour and Pension. Shame on you specially on those whose
Tamrapatras gives an odour of blood of innocent Goans whom the freedom fighters
killed example Goan Regidor from Siolim who was mercilessly murdered.
Coming back to my father in our field,
suddenly the top man sitting in the front vehicle spotted my father in the
field and be stopped his vehicle leading all the remaining vehicles following
him also to halt. Then the Military man
called my father thus, “Hey, what are you doing there?”, my father replied “I
am adjusting the water flow”. The Indian
Military man suspecting my father a Portuguese Paklo because of his fair skin, asked
my father “whose field is that? My father replied as “mine” . Then he asked
“why you are wearing this poor Cheddi
and Banyan” for which my father replied “because I am poor”, for this the
Military man retorted “I know, the Portuguez have purposely kept you poor,
henceforth you will NOT REMAIN POOR but ALL
GOANS WILL BE RICH”. Then he asked,
“what is the distance from here to
Aguada, how many soldiers are there ?”.
Then
my father all exited sprinted home giving slogans ”Jai Hind, Nehru Zindabad” whereas while going to our field my father was saying
“Viva Portugal, Salazar Zindabad”. Within a few days, all his expectations
disappeared with the wind because he never thought the life in Goa would be so
corrupt, so insecure, so bad in all respects. With disgust he died as
disappointed man expecting Heavenly Mannas which never came as promised on
18.12.61. Is this the LIBERATION? Surely not because this type of freedom we
were not expecting. I decline this
Liberation because it is a fake
Liberation and and as a real son of Goa I regret to accept this as a
Liberation. And in reality can it be
called a real Liberation? Some political scientists called it as Invaaaion
while Supreme Court of India while delivering the judgement on Pe. Chico
Monteiro as “Connquest”. In the name of
this Liberation we Goans were fooled, cheated and robbed us of everything Goan
we had.
A.Veronica
Fernandes.
