GOANS IN MOCAMBIQUE - AFRICA.

GOANS IN MOCAMBIQUE.

Mozambique was a colony of Portugal which got its independence in 1975. Mozambique capital was known  as Lourenco Marques but currently it is named as Maputo.  Lourenco Marques then was known as holiday spot and one of the top touristic destinations in that part of the world. In Goa this name was very popular because many of the Goans who migrated to Mozambique settled down in Lourenco Marques and thus this beautiful place gained prominence among Goans so much so that even one beautiful song was composed and rendered in Goa if I am not mistaken, by Joaozinho (Band Leader of the then topmost Johnsons and his Jolly Boys) from Siolim.  Johnson was the top Theatrist during those good old days and also a top foot-baller.

Wherever Goans went for greener pastures they first organised themselves in groups and named these groups after their Villages or Patron Saints or as Goa or as Goan Associations.  Similarly in Mozambique several associations were formed and after its independence, in 1975, they all disappeared. After the independence, and for decades, no official Goan association was formed. However, recently, in 2019, on the 8th of January the first legally an official association was formed known as - ‘’ANDAGOA” - and it is recognized by the Mozambican Government. ANDAGOA means Associacao Mocambicana dos Naturais, Descendentes e Amigos de Goa, Damao e Diu.

The main aims of this association is to disseminate and preserve the Goan culture, language and traditions through its members and community where it is located. ANDAGOA also aims to help the local community  in their needs in diverse fields. This association is already linked with the Indian High Commission in Mozambique and the goal is to increase day by day its rapport with the Indian Mission.

Last year on 16th June ANDAGOA organized a big event depicting Goan  cultural programme and Goan Cousine (Photos shown above). This event was attended by over 200 attendees comprising Goans, descendants, friends, who  all appreciated  the gastronomy, the songs and the dances. I myself was surprised when I watched the video of this event how beautifully the Goans from Mocambique under ANDAGOA joined together to organize this great event which was attended by over 200 attendees from different nationalities and not from the Goan community alone.  The Non-Goans who attended this event were highly pleased to see the different cultural items performed such as Goan Mandos and Dulpods, Dekhni etc. The cultural part included a musical theater which explained how the Goans first arrived in Mozambique, how they were received and the interchange of cultures which resulted from the bond created by the Goans and the locals. The Goan Cousine was impressive and tasty which impressed the guests. The event was a splendid occasion where Goan Mandos and Dulpods were eulogized and Goan language Konkani glorified, thanks to the excellent efforts made by all the members who worked so hard to make this event the most successful.

According to me, I feel this Association must create a link between itself and other Goan associations spread all over the world so that more and more contacts are created among  the Goans in Mocambique and Goans in Goa and Goans elsewhere.  I understand that there is lot of liking for our Tiatros and songs in Mocambique among Goans though young generation is not too hungry for the same but still they long to see on the Stage in front their eyes Lorna singing best of her songs. "

A.Veronica Fernandes.

CM BLAMES NEHRU FOR NOT LIBERATING GOA 14 YEARS EARLIER.

Referring  to the news item in the local media on 15^th of this month where CM Pramodh Sawant who like a real "kalcho Poircho Pot'to" in his kiddy statement accused the then Premier of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, saying “Nehru delayed Goa’s liberation by 14 years”.  Let me confess  saying "Let the Heaven and Stars bear the testimony to the truth that I am writing now". As a genuine Goan my love for Goa is not of the one whose roots are outside Goa and I feel by delaying 14 years to annex Goa, Nehru government has saved us Goans from experiencing another 14 years of corrupt rule and disgraceful administration under the corrupt Bharati system. At least our elders escaped from another 14 years of misrule, another 14 years of sleepless nights out of fear for the robbers, during those 14 years they lived a fearless life from the murderers as these murderers were kept well checked of their nasty movements by the strict Portuguese laws, in other words 14 years of peaceful life.  Our CM who was a kid then should know that Goa was not liberated by Nehru but Goa was conquered by the Congress Government headed  by Nehru.  At least some of our elders were lucky to enjoy better life and better administration under the Salazarist regime of Portugal for 14 more years even though I dislike Salazar’s dictatorship and hate colonialism over my Goa from any one, either from local or foreign governments.

We suffered less from the Portuguese regime but now under the Bharati regime we are suffering more.  At least under dictatorial Portugal when promises were given to fulfill our requests they were immediately fulfilled but in the so called democracy of Bharat where the democratically elected Premier Modi during his election campaign at Merces roundabout promised us the Special Status and immediately after his victory shamelessly refused to honour his promise. Who is better, dictator Salazar or democratic Modi?  I think “it is better to be a master in the Hell than a slave in Heaven”. Portuguese should have been evicted from Goa but definitely not to replace by the local Portuguese – to quote Mahatma Gandhi.

Sawant further said because of these 14 years Goa lacked in the field of Military knowledge.  No doubt Goa missed 14 years of its involvement in Military but surely even then Goa acquired laurels in the appointments of so many Generals and even the  Chief of Indan Army.

 

     A.Veronica Fernandes.

THE LATE ROSARY FERNS WHO DIED ON 12.01.11.

It was in 2011 on 12^th of this month at dawn our most beloved friend the late Rosary Ferns died and in the early in the morning at 6.00, I got the news telephonically from Kuwait while I was preparing myself to go to work. The woman who called me that early morning was Elvira D’Souza asking me first, “Veronica do you have the news of Rosary?”  Listening to this question, I guessed something tragic must have happened and replied to her saying “No” expecting the worst news.  She then told me an unimaginable, an unexpected and an unbelievable worst news saying “Rosary is expired”. I exclaimed within myself saying “Oh my God!” Then  went into total silence unable to talk further and seeing my silence, Elvira too went into total silence and within a few seconds our telephone automatically stopped.

Then I went to my company, applied for an emergency leave to attend to his funeral on the next day, came to Airlines Office in Kuwait city, blooked the ticket and in the same evening went to Goa  by direct flight.  Our flight landed at Dabolim Airport in the morning and without going home to Candolim, I directly went to Rosary’s place to see his dead body and pay my respect to this great Tiatrist of whose type there was none among the Konkani Stage Artstes.

He was the great because he was the great script writer, the great director, the great Canto writer of the type only the legendary Minguel Rod penned and tuned, in fact the most sorrowful Cantos in the history of Konkani Tiatros were scripted by Minguel Rod by beautifying them with most sorrowful tune like that of most sorrowful Motets, when those Cantos were delivered by those great Tiatrists I saw once by sitting on the  lap of my mother as a baby boy, nothing but stream of tears flooding thru the eyes of great number of attendees.  In one Tiatro “Ghorib Sezari” one renowned Candoicar Dr. Gustavo Monteiro sitting in the front row and watching the Tiatro, I saw him crying like a small  baby and when he found his handkerchief wet he removed the second one from his pocket to  wipe his tears.  Seeing my mother sobbing relentlessly, without knowing well what was going on, I too started crying. That was the power of those Cantos of which type we don’t see now among current tiatrists.

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Coming back to Rosary, he was the top Mandoist, best Dulpodist, best  Operetta composer and the best songster  with very good topics. Such persons come to this world only once in centuries. In his death Konkani Stage became poor. May his soul rest in peace.

He had unique distinction of producing the first Konkani Songs CD in Kuwait.

May his soul rest in peace.

A.Veronica Fernandes.