FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR TIATRISTS.

Through our misfortune, Goa had to face the rule of 2 dictators during the last one hundred years;  one dictator from Portugal and the other from Goa.  Salazar was the dictator from Portugal and Bandodcar from Goa. Both these dictators rigidly applied their dictatorship to Tiatro and Tiatrists. During Salazar’s dictatorship in Portugal, freedom of speech was suppressed ruthlessly, this suppression was applied in the Portuguese colonies as well or in overseas Portuguese colonies, as they were then called.  It was not only in Goa but in Portugal itself the free thinkers and democrats suffered more because of suppression of freedom of speech.

During Portuguese time in Goa after Salazar came to power, Censorship on Tiatros and on Press was introduced, that means, no criticism of government and its machinery from  the Stage and Press tolerated.  Vavraddeancho Ixtt,  the Konkani Weekly was the victim of this law somewhere in 1958 when it was suspended for 3 months for writing a critical editorial.  

As for Tiatro, because of the censorship, no Tiatrist could write a Tiatro against the government policy nor sing a song against the government and its policies. In order to maintain this Censorship, the village Regidores compulsorily attend the Tiatros organized in the villages, to supervise the Stage proceedings that there was nothing against the government.  Otherwise, criticism against anybody was tolerated.  For this reason, those days’ Tiatrists used to criticize heavily the Goan Brahmin Bhattkars for their misdeeds against Mundkars and non-Brahmins.

Tiatrist always stood for justice for downtrodden and suppressed and harassed Goans. When Dayananda Bandodcar the first Chief Minister of invaded Goa tried to liquidate Goa and Konkani and also started working against the interest of genuine Goans, Tiatrists in Goa from the Stage challenged him. Having no teeth to absorb this challenge and in order to force them to surrender to him, he introduced censorship on their script and songs.  The great political Trio of Conception-Nelson-Anthony whom Bandodcar was terribly afraid, was his target.  During that short period of censorship, this Trio suffered a lot as best of their political Trio songs remained unsung till all three of them once came on to the Stage in full black dress and covered their faces with black handkerchiefs, escorted by M. Dod de Verna and to his questioning the Trio answered as dumb singers thereby giving an impression that their mouths were gagged.  This was in late sixties. Still some other Tiatrists raised this issue from the Stage fearlessly supported by the UG members in the Goa Legislative Assembly till Bandodcar relented.

Tiatrists are a big fear for the government for its misdeeds and because of this fear Bandodcar was more afraid of the Trio Kings for their piercing political songs than of all the gigantic 12 MLA’s of Opposition UG Party. Tiatrists created more awakening against the government misdeeds and their campaign has greater effect on the masses as well as on the elites.

Similarly, Parrikar government is afraid of the  mighty voice of the Tiatrists against his government and its ministers for this reason recently Francis de Tuem was arrested. And now to make the Tiatrists totally Dumb against the government and its ministers, two days back Margao’s Ravindra Bhavan issued a circular whereby the Tiatrists were asked to sign an undertaking not to criticize Ministers and MLA’s,  if they want to hire the Hall for staging their Tiatros.

This is another form of Censorship thru back door by the Hall management headed by the BJP stalwart Damu Naik who disclosed his ignorance on this Undertaking. Can we accept this answer from Damu Naik? Without his knowledge and approval can any document get released? Was there no nod for this Undertaking from the top man of BJP in Goa?  I think from behind the curtain, all are involved in issuing the Undertaking but only after they felt the pulse of the reaction, they washed their hands like Pontius Pilate.

From this incident, Tiatrists must be careful of BJP government in Goa. This issue of Hall and censorship should make the Tiatrists to think of having one Hall in Margao built by their own private capital and owned by them jointly.  Money collection should not be a difficult task. But there must be a will and for that matter a very strong will. For the late Antonette de Calangute’s Kidney operation fund, within a short time the Tiatrists collected so many lakhs. In the case of Hall construction, they can form their own company as we Kuwaitcars did and built our own Hotel Goan Heritage at Calangute. Besides, with so many intelligent brains among them, they can easily go ahead in this project. 

 

A.    Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel: 7507394349.       

WHAT IS BETTER FOR GOA? SPECIAL STATUS OR AUTONOMY OR TOTAL INDEPENDENCE?

SPEPCIAL  STATUS for Goa has been rejected by the Central government ruled by BJP and headed by Premier Narendra Modi who during the last electioneering in Goa assured SS to Goa.  However, this SS request has been rejected by the Modi government on the grounds that it is unconstitutional though such requests elsewhere in India has been granted but why not for Goa?  If it is not feasible to grant, why Modi blindly promised SS to Goa? Is he a mad man to give false promises?  If yes then how Indians can rely on him?  To get votes from Goans for his party he should not give false promises  and thereby lower the dignity of Premier of India. In view of this, how the world leaders whom he is meeting in India and abroad will trust him? I think it is a shame for India to have such an untrustworthy premier at the helm of affairs.

After Modi government came to power at the Center, Parrikar confidently made a statement saying that he will have no need to go to Delhi to get his  demands approved but just he will speak over the telephone to Modi and get the needful done. But, now in the case of SS demand after rejecting by Modi government he aasured Goans that he will go to Delhi shortly to discuss this issue with the Premier Modi.  It is now surprising that why Parrikar as stated earlier cannot get this demand telephonically?  Is there any rift cropped up between CM and PM for this reason the PM rejected Parrikar’s demand to humiliate him in front of Goans thereby putting the Goans into inconvenience?  Besides, what stops Parrikar from enacting a legislation that prevents outsiders from buying Goan land? According to experts, State government is also empowered to deal with this subject as per the wishes of Goans but unfortunately Parrikar is hiding this subject.

 

It is now confirmed beyond any doubt that both the PM and CM are liars who by telling lies to the Goan voters got both the BJP candidates elected. According to one source, our demand papers had some flaws.  If it was the case, why an expert advice was not sought by Parrikar before drafting our demand?  And why in this case Modi did not return the papers for correction?  Was it that difficult to do this?

 

One thing is certain,  Goans in general have lost their confidence in Parricar to do anything good to Goa and Goans.  By the time the SS issue is sorted out, Goa will be filled with more and more non-Goans who will purchase Goan land and erect their own settlements. I think this is what Parricar wants to degoanise Goa and thus silence the voice of Goans for SS.

 

By the way, is SS demand a correct demand by the Goans?  Or better still Autonomy?  Or still more better the demand for outright independence since Nehru as promised failed to conduct the referendum on this after he forcibly annexed Goa to Bharat?  According to one source, to close the case of Goa’s annexation once and for all, Nehru gave Opinion Poll to Goa thinking that MGP will win and Goa will be integrated with Maharastra thus liquidating Goa from the Map. But our victory in the Opinion Poll has surprised the Central leadership and kept the Goa’s issue open for further necessary action.

 

Goa’s case is totally different from the other territories in India because at the time of India’s independence Goa was not a part of India.  Goa was invaded by India much later without the consent of Goans. One of the renowned Indian leaders Morarjee Desai opposed Goa’s invasion, so too Mahatmah Gandhi earlier when he was alive after India’s independence. Without giving heed to the saner counsel, Nehru invaded Goa dubbing it as Liberation and thereby imposing Indian citizenship on Goans against their wishes. I am an Indian citizen not by my own choice but by force imposed from Delhi without my consent.

 

In view of this, will it be wrong for Goans to demand total independence for Goa to avoid step motherly treatment to Goa which was not done even during the Portuguese time when Goa was given much better treatment.  Though it sounds difficult yet there is no harm in placing this demand before  the Government of India very decently and very peacefully.  India being a topmost democratic country, will surely give a keen hearing to this demand.  Can we try by raising our voice in this direction? If by raising this issue we will not get anything then by remaining silent will we gain anything?

 

Finally, those politicians who gave promises of resigning from their posts if their demand of SS is rejected, now,  if they are real sons and real daughters of their real fathers then they will submit their resignations and honour their words.

 
A.    Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim,
Goa.

DAVILIKAR'S CRAZE FOR "HINDU RASHTRA".

Mr. Dhavalikar, who belongs to Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), recently in the Goa Legislative Assembly disclosed his feelings openly for the establishment of a "Hindu Rashtra". This is nothing new for me because from the time of Bharati Military illegally entered Goan territory and forcibly annexed our non-Bharati Goa, these MGPvadis were clamouring for Hindu Rashtra thereby turning Goa into this fold as well.  Those who embraced MGP were ignorant people who hated non-Hindus. They hated Goan Christians and wanted liquidation of them from Goa.  Hinduism does not show the road to hate other religions. Hinduism is a good religion and tolerant. But Goan MGP Hindus at least majority of them wanted Hindu Rashtra and persons like Davlikars are remnants of that ideology. They will never change till they die.

On 17^th December 1961, at about 7.30 PM my elder brother an employee of Goa Police department, in front of the Candolim Church got down from the Caminhao. He was posted at the border post where as a technician he was effecting some maintenance work.  Since he saw the Bharati military entering non-Bharati Goan territory, he along with his colleagues was sent home by their superior. Hence, he flashed the news of what he saw at the border to our Pe. Cur Pe. Marcos Menezes who was standing in front of the Church along with me and one Dhobi, Esso by name.who was waiting for Pe. Marcos Menezes to give his money for the clothes he washed. The news that my brother flashed was this: “PE. CUR, TE BHITOR SORLET”, meaning the Bharati Millitary already entered Goa.

Hearing this, Esso jumped like a Spring with all happiness and excitement and screamed loudly saying “JAI MAHARAJ, JAI SWARAJ, JAI HINDU RAJ” and started running speedily like Usein Bolt sprinting 100 metres, towards his home at Orda, to convey these tidings to his family and others of his ideology. Then while running he screamed saying, GOEM ATAM MUKTH ZALEM, ATAM AMCHEM HINDU RAJ ZALEM, TUMCHEO IGROZO ANI KOPELAM ATAM AMI MODDTELET AND TUMKAM AMI KOBAR KORTELET”.

Esso was a very poor Dhobi who came with the clothes of Pe. Marcos after washing and waiting for his money from Pe. Marcos Menezes.  Then he would go to Orda Tinto, buy some fish, rice and have one “Kotti” of Caju Fenni at Orda Taverna and go home where his wife was waitng for the rice and fish to prepare the dinner. But Esso forgot everything because he got his Eureka in Mukth Raj to make Hindu Rashtra.That was his life ambition which just got erupted after remaining hidden for a long period.

Then immediately following the annexation of Goa, Truckloads of scrap Hindus from North Goa including from Siolim constituency started moving on the roads by playing Hindu Band all over Bardez and on the way picking up men of their ideology to demonstrate their feelings of happiness over the dethroning of Portuguese Raj in Goa by Bharati Fouz. From my locality men like Esso and his friends also joined these demonstrators who were craving for Hindu Raj. These demonstrators were shouting slogans like JAI HIND, JAI SWARAJ, JAI HINDU RAJ, NEHRU ZINDABAD, SALAZAR MURDABAD.

In my village persons like Balkrishnan were firing crackers in front of Christian houses and shouting slogans like “ATAM KHUIM GELO RE TUMCHO SANT FRANCIS XAVIER? GOYAM ATAM AMCHEM HINDU RAJ ZATELEM”.

Later on I saw all these people joining MGP as its strong supporters including Esso and Balkrishnan. It is this type of people who brought MGP to power who blindly and ignorantly thought Goa would be converted into a Hindu Raj.  They craved for Hindu Raj because they hated Christians.  They were ignorant of India’s structure and Constitution. Davilikar is one such person having firm roots in fanatic communal party Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party. Since this is the case, what good one can expect from him? Davilikar brothers and a few of them are the last remaining remnants of once powerful MGP that brought disgrace on Goa. Very shortly they will evaporate like an Ether and with them their ideology will disappear. However, the earlier they disappear the better it is for us to live a peaceful life. By the way, will ever they allow us to live in peace? I doubt very much.

 A. Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.