OF PORTUGUESE CROSSES, INDIAN SWORDS & GOANS.

Of Portuguese Crosses, Indian Swords & Goans…




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VALMIKI FALEIRO examines some aspects of Goa’s contribution to the officer ranks

of India’s defence services, and unravels some offbeat patterns and snippets…

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Many think the Portuguese came here with a sword in one hand and a cross in the

other. They came with neither. They came for oriental silks-n-spices, and a hatred of

Muslims who had occupied Portugal for five centuries, a bit barbarically at times, until 1238. Moors now controlled Asiatic trade with Europe.




Then came Afonso de Albuquerque. Based in Cochin, he dreamt of total control of

the sea-route between India and Europe. When Goan Hindus, repressed by Bijapur,

invoked Albuquerque via Thimayya for deliverance, he changed course from a

mission in West Asia and instead attacked the Bijapuri Muslims in Goa.




Save a ban on sati, he pledged full local religious freedom. Envious compatriots, by

intrigue at the royal court in Lisbon, had him deposed. The quest of control of Asian

trade soon yielded to imperial ambitions. Enter the sword. Decades later, an ardent

Guv won royal favour to the idea that faith of the king must be faith of his subjects. Enter the cross.




Centuries later, that unlikely combination of Sword and Cross shows in a different

Goan context. Such snippets surfaced when researching Goans in India’s defence

forces. But before that, a brief aside. No Goan Catholic my age would forget the

MGP’s mid- to late-1970s taunting tirade: “Catholics are unpatriotic, anti-national,

deport them to Portugal.” Mental constipation, verbal diarrhea. Which of Goa’s two

major communities helped defend India more?




My far-from-complete lists of Goan commissioned officers in India’s armed forces

feature 286 names – Army 144, Navy 36 and IAF 106. Of the 286 Goans who helped

defend the nation’s borders and honour, 263 (or 92%) are the MGP’s “unpatriotic,

anti-national” Goan Catholics, who comprise 30% of the population. 65% of Goa’s

Hindu population, in all, accounts for 23 defence officers…




Where then were those MGP’s impliedly patriotic, not-to-be-deported-to-Portugal

Goan Hindu Generals? Radharao Gracias once publicly explained that in his earthy

style: “Sitting under signboards like Naik General Stores!”




May I borrow US-based Marcos and Jean Gomes Catao’s little twist to Sir Winston

Churchill's famous words, "rarely in history has such a small community contributed

such a large bevy of heroes to a nation." In this and the two parts to follow, we shall see how.


Let’s revert to the point.


The story of two siblings – one serving in the defence forces, the other the Catholic

Church, both often with rare distinction – is not rare. Every Goan would have heard of Siolim-origin John Lobo, the former Director of India’s Intelligence Bureau and of the Central Bureau of Investigation. His much-revered brother was Bishop Ignatius Lobo,who passed away this February.




The adage springs to mind, “Ek put devak, dusro povak, tisro devcharak” (one son

for God, the 2nd for society/nation as a doctor, engineer, defence or police officer, the third, like my friend Radharao, possibly as a lawyer!)




Lt Gen Francis T Dias of Velcao, between holding several key Indian Army posts,

was the very first General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. His

brother, Ivan Cardinal Dias, rose to the No.3 position in the Vatican hierarchy – after the Pope and the Secretary of State, as Prefect of the Congregation for the

Evangelization of Peoples, a position he still serves.




Brig George Francis DeSouza of Saligao similarly held important posts in the Army.

His brother was Archbishop Eugene D’Souza of Nagpur, later of Bhopal.


Brig F. Reginald Campos’ brother from Saligao was a Redemptorist priest, once a

Parish Priest in Ambala.




Maj Albert Francis Winington da Costa-Joshi, FRCS, from Saligao, was both in

military and civil medical services. Of his sons, one is Brig Ian da Costa, another is Cmde Emile da Costa-Joshi. The third is Fr. Albert da Costa-Joshi, SJ.


Col G Oscar Rebelo of Margao (ex-Curtorim) is brother of diocesan Vicar, Fr. Avinash

Rebelo.



Wg Cdr Raul do Menino de Jesus Oliveira Silva Rodrigues of Cavelossim, who

retired much after flying Canberras in 5 SQN when in Agra in the late ‘60s, was

youngest of ten siblings (five pairs). Eldest was late Fr. Bernardo Silva Rodrigues.




Wg Cdr Aquinas (“Aqui”) Menezes from Pirna-Bardez is a serving officer. His eldest

brother is the Redemptorist priest, Fr. Frederick Menezes.




Jr. WO Noel Sequeira of Carmona served in the Army and later in the Goa Rajya

Sainik Board. His brother is the diocesan priest, Fr. Nelson Sequeira.




Lt John Fernandes of Candolim joined the Navy around 1939/40, served in WW-II,

and left in the early 50s to join the Ministry of Defence in a civilian capacity. He was among 7/8 officers sent from Bombay to set up the Naval HQ in New Delhi (four in

that group – including one Vasco Ferrao, a Gonsalves and a Rodrigues – were

Goans!) Lt Fernandes’ youngest brother, Frederick, became a Christian Brother, Bro.

Martin, currently in Calcutta. The middle brother, Cedric, joined the IAF, did two

terms on HT-2 and Harvard aircraft, then lost interest, and became Christian Brother

Gregory, currently in Nainital.




Col Apolinario (“Apollo”) Xavier do Rosario Pinto Ferrao hails from the principal

family of Aldona. His cousin-brother is the current Goa Archbishop.


Then there were families where more than one sibling joined the defence services.

Consider this classic case. Dr. Cristovam Filipe Eusebio Francisco Jose Ubaldino da

Gama Barreto (1889-1972), from Ganapoga-Raia, was a dentist based in Nagpur.

The distinguished man was personal dentist to Mahatma Gandhi (at the Wardha

Ashram) and was nicknamed “Father of the Nation’s Toothless.” He was married to

Maria Marta Julia de Sequeira and had a daughter and five sons.



The sons grew up as Brig Terence Barreto, (Dr) Vivian Barreto (Army Medical Corps)

who soon quit and went to the US, Wg Cdr (Dr.) Cecil Barreto, Brig Noel Barreto and

Lt Gen Christopher (“Bobby”) Barreto!


Brig Noel Barreto’s wife, Marie-Louise Pinto do Rosario, hails from equally illustrious stock. Her father was an Army doctor, Jose Luis Pinto do Rosario and his three sons joined each wing of India’s defence services: RAdm “DRF Pinto” (short for Fausto Pinto do Rosario), Capt (Dr.) Norman Pinto do Rosario and AVM Erlic Pinto.


Same with three brothers from Siolim, one in each service: Col Herman Joseph

Fernandes, Cdr Stanley Joseph Fernandes and Gp Capt Trevor Joseph Fernandes

(“Joseph” was not their dad’s name; it is the family Patron Saint!)


Brig Edward Rodrigues was among the first Goans to join the army in the officer

cadre. (It wasn’t easy getting there in British times. Indians could get in only via the Auxiliary Force, open only to Anglo-Indians. Brig Rodrigues’ father was an influential businessman – Mayor, MLA, granted the title of “Sardar Bahadur” – in Yavatmal, now in Maharashtra.) Trained at Sandhurst, the British Military Academy, Brig Rodrigues was com. into the Ordnance Corps and was its first Indian director. Both his brothers joined the Army. Maj Joe Rodrigues was taken PoW by the Japs in WW-II, joined Subhashchandra Bose's INA, and was inducted post-1947 into the Indian Police Service. He retired as DIG. Younger brother Brig Arnold was in Ordnance Corps.

Loutulim’s Pacheco-Gracias (the “Pacheco” coming from an extinct Margao family

whose house was where Presentation Convent School is today) and the Gracias-

Monteiro families, related as their surnames indicate, together gave India some 10

defence officers. They are (in random order): Pilot Offr Hugo Pacheco Gracias, Cdr

(Dr) Freddy Gracias, Brig Stephen Gracias, Col Carlos (“Charles”) Ismael Gracias,

whose two sons are Col Neville Hugo Gracias and Col Steven Jude Gracias, Flt Lt

Agostinho Monteiro, Brig Inocencio Monteiro and Capt (Dr) Renato Monteiro.




Likewise, Ucassaim’s Gomez family (incl close relatives), had: Brig Ashley Gomez,

Air Cmde Giles Gomez, Group Capt Vinita Gomez, Major Alex Gomez (who retired

as the Mint Master of Mumbai), Lt Cdr Valerian Mendanha (Salvador do Mundo) and

Lt Cdr (Surgeon) Annette Fernandes (Ucassaim).


Let’s briefly look at some more instances where multiple siblings opted for the

services: Gen Sunith Rodrigues’ brother was Flt Lt Vijay Rodrigues. Lt Gen Walter

Pinto’s brother is Maj Gen Sidney Pinto. VAdm John DeSilva’s brother was Lt Joseph

DeSilva. Maj Gen Eustace Fernandes’s brother was Air Cmde Kevin Fernandes.

Another brother of Brig George DSouza was Maj Valentine DSouza. Gp Capt Allan

D'Costa’s brother was Sqn Ldr Henry D’Costa. Gp Capt Colville de Souza’s brother

was Col Melville de Souza. Brothers Andrew and Victor Coutts were Lt Colonels,

much like Louis Fonseca and Ernest Fonseca. Lt Col Collin Louzado’s brother was

Wg Cdr Paul Louzado. Cdr Sharad Varik’s brother was Pilot Offr Vishwanath Varik.


There were husband-wife teams in the services. Air Cmde Giles Gomez and Gp Capt

Vinita Gomez are doctors in the IAF. Doctors Sunil and Camilla Rodrigues retired

from the Navy. Sdn Ldr Alvin Jesus Almeida and Sqn Ldr Mabel Benedict Castelino

are in Med Br.


There also were families where a lineage in each succeeding generation joined the

defence services. Must begin with Maj Gen Ian Cardoso: his eldest son, Sunith, is a

Colonel with the same regiment as his dad – the fifth member from every successive

generation in the Indian Army! Brig George DSouza’s only son was Sqn Ldr Charles

DSouza (died young in 1981), and sons-in-law are Maj HB D’Souza from Mapusa

and Cmde John Carneiro from Porvorim.



More father-son instances: Lt Gen Walter Pinto’s son is Cdr Kevin AJ Pinto. Brig

Anthony Rebello’s son is Wg Cdr Ajay Rebello. Gp Capt Emanuel Fernandes’

second son Rudy flew MiG-21s in the IAF while the youngest is Brig Christopher

Fernandes. Gp Capt Norbert Misquitta’s son is Wg Cdr Neville Misquitta. Gp Capt

Ashley Rodrigues’ son is Lt Cdr Michael Rodrigues. Lt Col Irwin W Extross’ son is

Col Irwin Extross (same first name.) Wg Cdr Vishwanath Sawardekar’s brother, Prof

RB Sawardekar taught Physics at the National Defence Academy-Pune; his son is Lt

Col Nitin Sawardekar and a cousin is Col MB Sawardekar. Wg Cdr Desmond

(“Dinky”) Fialho’s son is Sqn Ldr Rajnish Fialho. Wg Cdr R Paul’s son is Wg Cdr

Christopher Paul. Lt John Fernandes’ eldest son is Gp Capt Deryck Fernandes.

The son of Francisco Sequeira Vaz (EME, Army) is Brig Leo Sequeira Vaz.

Col Joseph Robert Falleiro’s son is Col John Joseph Jawaharlal Faleiro.



There might have been another Faleiro added there: me. My father, Jose Manoel

Falleiro studied medicine at Grant Medical College-Bombay, was registered with the

Bombay Medical Council and, after being licenced to practice by The College of

Physicians and Surgeons-Bombay vide diploma of 14 July 1930, served at King

Edwards Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Bombay. He joined the then Indian Army Medical

Corps (later AMC) as 2/Lt on 18 March 1944. (The Commission order bears quaint

English no longer in use, see box on this page.) On 02 Apr 1946, when at the

Combined Section Hospital at Bezwada, he got his “Parchment Commission” in the

rank of Captain. He quit early, to marry late in life.


His dream was to see me through the revered portals of the Indian Military Academy,

Dehradun. But towards the end of his life, he was convinced I would never clear high

school. He died a day before the Pune Divisional Board results of my SSC exams

were out. After graduation, I ended up a rolling stone that gathered a wee bit of

moss. It is perhaps that sub-conscious guilt of not having lived up to my father’s

dream that made me take an interest in the defence services. My little way of saying,

“Sorry, dad, I disappointed you.”



(To continue...)

The author can be contacted at: valmikif@gmail.com



============================= BOX ==============================

British English of another Era


GEORGE VI BY THE GRACE OF GOD, OF GREAT BRITAIN, IRELAND AND THE

BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, KING, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH,

EMPEROR OF INDIA, & ETC.



To Our Trusty and well beloved (M-24529) Jose Manoel Falleiro, Greeting;


We, reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Courage and good

Conduct, do by these Presents Constitute and Appoint you to be an Officer in Our

Indian Land Forces from the eighteenth day of March One thousand nine hundred

and forty four. You are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge your Duty as

such in the Rank of 2nd Lieutenant or in such other Rank as We may from time to

time hereafter be pleased to promote or appoint you to, of which a notification will be made in the Gazette of India and you are in such manner and on such occasions as

may be prescribed by the Government of India to exercise and well discipline in Arms

both the inferior Officers and Men serving under you and use your best endeavours

to keep them in good Order and Discipline. And We do hereby Command them to

Obey you as their superior Officer, and you to observe and follow such Orders and

Directions from time to time you shall receive from Us or any your superior Officer,

according to the Rules and Discipline of War, in pursuance of the Trust hereby

reposed in you.


Given at Our City of Delhi this twenty fifth day of November in the Year of Our Lord

One thousand nine hundred and forty four and in the eighth Year of Our Reign.


In Witness Whereof Our Viceroy and Governor General in India hath hereunto set his

hand and Seal at New Delhi the day and year last above mentioned.



By His Excellency’s Command.

Sd/-

Secretary to the Govt. of India, War Department.

Registered No.15567

===========================END OF BOX=======================



The above article appeared in the HERALD, Goa, in edition of May 16, 2010

WE NEED TO PRAY FOR OUR CLERGY.

We Need To Pray For Our Clergy

Last couple of months we have heard a lot about our priests, it is indeed very sad that innocent kids were subjected to such horrific experiences, there is absolutely no doubt that the guilty should be punished. It is sad that ministers of the Church who had sworn to celibacy and promised to work for the welfare of society have fallen prey to lust. Innocence of our children should not be exploited, or taken for granted, the guilty should be punished, but just because of some heinous deeds of some of our priests, the whole clergy should not be maligned. If the works of the clergy are weighed, even the blind would know that the good, the clergy has done far far outweighs the evil that has sprouted, we mostly tend to forget all the good when an act of evil is done, that does not mean I condone the evil, I do condemn it too, but at the same time, we should realize that the priests too are humans and have temptations and often fall.

Lets talk about ourselves, how good are we ? If we go deep into our conscience, where do we place ourselves as righteous persons ? Can we sincerely say that we have not sinned today, and each day that passes by ? How fundamental, or how symbolic, is our angst towards sin and sinner ? We are humans and by nature we are sinners, so, when we ourselves are sinners, who are we to condemn our priests ? Who are we to judge our priests ?

We have seen the sacrifices our priests make, they leave their homes and their loved ones to serve us, the hardships they undergo, some of them have died to save us, just a fortnight ago, one young priest Fr. Thomas lost his life in saving three children, so did the late Fr. Savio who lost his life in saving the school students from drowning, but do we eulogise the whole fraternity for the self-sacrifices and heroism of a few ? No, so why should the whole priestly fraternity be dragged into the muck because of a few ?

As weak humans we do fall to temptations, the Holy Bible tells us how the anointed King David fell prey to lust, Jesus, Lord and Master, Himself was tested and tempted in the garden of Gethsemane just before His crucifixion, when He said, if possible Father take this cup away from me, the life of St. Augustine was full of lust before he turned his evil life around. We as humans are frail and easily succumb to sin. It is not just enough to condemn our priests, our prime objective as Catholics should be to pray for our priests and our nuns, to be true to themselves and to their vocation, it is said that the life of St. Augustine changed only because of the fervent prayers of his pious mother. In this time of turmoil, The Holy Church, our priests and our nuns are in need of our prayers, so let’s put aside our hypocritic presumptions and pray for our Mother Church, our priests, our nuns and the aggrieved children. May they all be healed.

Prayer is a divine tool that can change this world, so is forgiveness a divine medicine, forgive and you are bound to have a healing within you, we all pray for our own needs but do we really pray for others ? Christianity is all about giving rather than taking, prayer does not cost money, so give it freely and in abundance. Who knows, our prayers may indeed change this world for the better !

Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Dubai - UAE.

MUSICIAN SOCORRO DEMELLO TO CONDUCT MUSIC CLASSES IN KUWAIT.

Dear Mr. Veronica,

This summer I have planned music classes for music lovers who will be in Kuwait and please make sure you plan out some input from you and encourage parents to send in their children to the classes. For your information, the format of the workshops during the 90 day perid which I already mailed to you is mentioned below:


A plan of a 90 day period of music crash-workshop for those interested namely in: Western music and vocals training will be organised professionally. The course begins beginning first weekend of June (Friday 4th and/or Saturday 5th June). Class duration will be 30-60 minutes, once a week only. Those interested will need to register themselves online sending e-mail to demelofly@yahoo.com. Classes will all be taught in western instruments and basically foundation and fundamentals of music. If already a young or adult musician you will be learning advanced music and Jazz standards (American, British and Latin songs that are performed by musicians all over the world).


Please encourage your children and friends. Music, arts and sports are good means of occupying children and adults mentally and psychologically. Let us bring out our talents and shape the world.


All are welcome. No age, no bar, no caste, creed or religion. Music is an universal language. Let’s all join.


Good luck.



Joao Socorro de Melo.

Call: 6661 1469 – drums, piano (acoustic) and electric organ (keyboards), guitar and vocals