LOOT OF GOA BY BHARATI SOLDIERS.

Going back to 1961 once again, a week after the conquest of Goa by the Bharati Serkar of Congress Party under Jawaharlal Nehru, the loot of Goa was started by the Indian Military personnel almost in all the cities of Goa.  What I observed in Mapusa and also in my village Candolim because of the proximity of Indian Military stationed at Aguada, I express it here.

We Goans then were very innocent and respectful to the authorities.  What Indian Military did then to us the Portuguez Military never did and precisely because of this, Goans trusted Indian Military personnel but they robbed us of the trust we had in them for their Uniforms.  A week after the invasion or to use a better word conquest of Goa, there was calm everywhere in Goa and people started moving freely all around Goa.  Shops with brand new foreign goods started opening in Mapusa where Indian Military personnel were roaming freely with their Chests out and Heads high as if Goa is their “Bapaichem Bens”.

Then they in small groups started entering the Shops checking the electronics goods such as Radio Sets, Wrist Watches, Cameras, Pens, Sun Glasses and other such costly commodities.  Then they started taking whatever items they wanted and just disappeared from the Shops without paying.  When one of the Hindu Shopkeepers at one particular moment out of frustration asked one Sardarji soldier to pay the money of the expensive Wrist Watch the Sardarji has taken from that Shop, the Sardarji replied thus: "Just shut Your Mouth.  We have liberated you”.  Seeing this arrogance on the part of Indian Military personnel, the Goan Hindu Shopkeeper was shocked. 

This very Hindu Shopkeeper on 18^th and 19^th welcoming the Indian Military in Goa with the slogan of Jai Hind, himself felt disgusted with the entry of Indian Military in Goa and felt like uttering loudly “Viva Portugal.  Salazar Zindabad and India Murdabad”.  But as he later on told to his friend, within me I already gave the slogans in praise of Portugal. Similar robberies and loot were also committed by the Indian Military personnel in the Gold Shops too.

Similarly, in Candolim Tinto a group of Indian soldiers stationed at Aguada entered the Casa Manica Bar and Restaurant and after drinking the expensive Whiskey – Brandy – Rum and St.Pauli Beer, refused to pay the bill. When the owner of the Bar asked for money, they threatened him with dire consequences. A heated argument erupted, one of the relatives of the owner while interfeering in between was manhandled by the drunk soldiers.  Then from distant one Catholic man Lapit Anton seeing this, came running and stopped the fight.  Then the Indian soldiers went back to Aguada of course by shouting bad words.  The owner of Casa Manica and his relatives all Hindus said “Ami adim asle tech bore aslet, hancheanim amchem ghatlem padd”, though they were the first to say Jai Hind to Indian troops going to Aguada.       

 

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.

WAS 19TH DECEMBER A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

Was 19^th December 1961 a blessing for Goans or a curse?  By all means, Portuguez Raj from Goa should have been ended, I did not want the Portugues to rule over me and my Goa but neither I did want Delhi Portuguez to rule over me and over Goa.  According to my information, a few Goan Freedom Fighters after India got independence from the British, went to meet Mahatma Gandhi seeking his help to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonialism.  Hearing their pleas, Gandhiji answered to them thus: “You want freedom for Goa from Portugues?  Today you are ruled by the Portuguese but once Portugues are ousted from Goa I am afraid you may be ruled by the Delhi Portuguez”.  How prophetic were these words of Mahatmah Gandhi!  What are we facing in Goa today?  We are treated as slaves of Delhi that is remote controlling Goa for its benefit. From Nehru’s time Delhi wanted to liquidate the existence of Goa and precisely because of this Nehru’s Congress agreed for having Opinion Poll to decide the fate of Goa with the hope that Goa will be merged with Maharastra and thus the identity of Goa will get liquidated.  But Goans have shown their real colours by voting against the merger and in this voting pattern Goan Christians played a heroic role. Kudos to Goan Christians for always supporting Goan causes.

Though there is a large number of Christians in India in the South as well as in the north yet Goan Christians are looked upon by the Indian politicians with suspicion as if they are anti-national. Even in Goa in some segments of Goan community, Christians are considered as less Indian while they are more Indians. In Goa from day one on 19^th December 1961, Christians are considered as pro-Portugues but in reality during the Portuguese rule in Goa none of the top businessmen were from Christian community.  In commerce and Industrial fields Christians have never enjoyed preferential treatment, Portuguez government treated Goan Christians as ornamental pieces only for decoration purpose.  Even in the job sectors, Christians lagged far behind for this reason they migrated to Africa and elsewhere for better dividends.

Because of the hatred against Goan Christians some non-Christians started bashing Christians immediately after the  ouster of Portuguese from Goa. They thought Indian Raj means only a Hindu Raj and they equated the word Hind to Hindus without knowing how the word Hind was originated.  When Indian capture of Goa became a reality, one Dhobi Esso by name  from Orda in my village Candolim started shouting loudly near the Church saying “Tumkam Christavank atam ami martelet, tumcheo Igorjo ami moddtelet, tumkam ami atam kobar kortolet, Jai Hind, Jai Maharaj, Jai Swaraj”. He acted like this because he was an ignorant man.  On 19^th evening in my village some fanatic Hindus like Balkrishnan started firing crackers at the Tinto especially in front of the Christians and their houses threthening them with dire consequences.  One Shamba Xet started abusing St. Francis Xavier and mocking Him with these words “Khuim assa re atam tumcho St. Francis Xavier, daddat taka porot Portugalak” as if St. Francis Xavier was from Portugal.  He was the Spanish missionary in Goa but foolish Shamba Xeth was an ignorant.  Somebody asked tauntingly: “khuim gelo re tumcho Forsulo” referring to St. Francis Xavier.

On that night at about 8.00 PM some fanatics came to the House of a prominent  Candolim doctor, Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and fired innumerable gun shots at his door to shoot him but God saved him.  In Arpora these fanatics came with Guns and Revolvers to shoot Fr. Mendonca the Principal of St. Joseph High School but before any untoward incident could happen, the alert driver of Fr. Mendonca from back side drove Fr. Mendonca to Bastora where he took shelter there till calm prevailed. These fanatics found only the Christians to target their communal agenda dubbing the Christians as Pro-Portugues.

The contribution of Goan Christians in the freedom movement for Goa was immense and cannot be compeered with any other Goan community.  The first persons in India and even in the sub-continent  to fight for freedom for Goa from colonial rulers were Goan Christians and that too they were Goan Priests from Candolim, Pintos Vaddo, coming from the aristocratic Pinto family.  It was also from the same locality another Christian freedom fighter the world renown Hypnotist Abade Faria came,  he got unique distinction to guide the French revolutionaries when he left  Goa and went to Portugal and from there to France.  Then after, it was yet another Christian doctor, Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes a parliamentarian in Portuguese Parliament who raised his voice for the freedom of Goa.

When Christians have done so much for Goa then why they are treated shabbily in Goa?  The communal forces in Goa are wielding strong power and thru this power these forces are preventing Christians from moving  ahead.  There is a silent genocide on Christians in Goa since 19^th December 1961 and the late Dayananda Bandodcar was the first Goan leader to perpetrate this silent genocide followed by most of the CM’s of Goa.  We never thought after the ouster of Portuguese from Goa such a communal politics will happen in Goa.  It is a tragedy that because of this communal politics the soul of Goa is disappearing from Goa. 

In view of what I wrote above, can I ask this question: “Was 19^th December 1961 a blessing or a curse?”

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.

 

GOANS WERE CHEATED BY BHARAT.

Refreshing my memory once again going back to December 1961, it was wintry morning of 18^th of that month, at about 6.00 AM. My father was adjusting the flow of water in our field touching the main road about 70 metres away from our house.  That particular moment the convoy of Indian Military vehicles consisting of a huge fleet of Jeeps, Lorries and Tanks moving on the road to Aguada where a huge number of Portuguese troop stationed. 

Suddenly the Convoy stopped moving further by seeing my father and one of the ranking soldier in the front Tank called my father and asked what he was doing alone in the field. My father gave him the reason.  Then the same top Indian Military man asked my father whether he knew how much is the distance from that spot to Aguada and Chapora too and whether any troop is stationed at Chapora Fort.  Then my father was asked whether he knows the number of troop stationed at Aguada.

Finally the same Indian Military personnel asked my father who was wearing a sleeveless Banyan, “WHY YOU ARE WEARKING THIS POOR BANYAN?” For this my father replied saying “BECAUSE I AM POOR I AM WEARING THIS POOR BANYAN”.  Then with a broad smile on his broad face, the Indian Military man said “YES, WE KNOW PORTUGUESE GOVERNMENT HAS PURPOSELY KEPT YOU GOANS AS POOR ONLY.  HENCEFORTH YOU GOANS WILL NOT REMAIN POOR, WE ARE COME TO FREE YOU, TO MAKE YOU RICH AND GIVE YOUR GOA IN YOUR OWN HANDS”.

While going to the field my father was using the slogan “Viva Portugal and Salazar Zindabad but while coming home surprisingly he used the slogan saying “Jai Hind - Salazar Murdabad and Nehru Zindabad”. When my mother asked what has happened, he said henceforth we will not remain poor thinking that honey and milk will directly flow thru a pipeline into our homes, starting from Delhi .  But what happened ultimately? My father felt that we were cheated.

Yes, we were cheated because since the ouster of Portuguese from Goa we Goans are treated as conquered people by Bharat.  We are conquered people because according to the landmark judgment on Goa by the Supreme Court of India, on 19th December 1961 Goa was conquered by Bharat.  Hence, we are not liberated on this date and as such it is wrong to mark the 19th December as the Liberation Day of Goa. 

Within a week of the conquest of Goa, to fool the Goan masses Bharat Serkar dumped Goan market with cheap Onions, Potatoes, Dry Chillies, Bananas and other fruits and commodities.  Seeing this, Goans thought now "Achchya Din" already come and will remain forever. But within a fortnight everything cheap coming from Bharati territories disappeared from Goan Bazar and scarcity of essential commodities appeared everywhere.  And in this way, Goans were denied many things which were earlier easily available.  In one word the Hell was let lose on Goa in all the angles in the name of Fake Liberation.  I pity myself for being the victim of this Hell.  Whom to curse?  My elders died by cursing and cursing the Indian Raj and Indian "Rajkhabari" for bringing my beloved Goa to this level. It is not Goa of the choice of our elders but it is the Goa of the Cheats and Corrupts. 

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel”7507394349.