BHARATI RULE IN GOA by A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait

The word liberation is a misnomer. The correct word should be the “CONQUEST” because according to the landmark judgment delivered by the highest court of India – The Supreme Court – on 19th December 1961 Goa was not liberated from the Portuguese but “Conquered” by Bharat from the Portuguese. Still to go one step further, a highly intellectual son of Goa, Fr. Philip Neri Mendonca, the then Principal of St. Joseph’s High School Arpora, Bardez, in his capacity as a layman and not as a Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India, stated that “on 19th December 1961, Goa was invaded by Bharat and was not liberated”.

Bangladesh was liberated by Bharat and given to the sons and daughters of Bangladesh while Goa was not. Instead Goa was conquered and annexed to Bharat just as what Saddam Hussein did for Kuwait on 2nd August 1990 and annexed it to Iraq. Some Goan elders 50 years back said that Goa was “Robbed” from Goans by Nehru’s Bharat. Even some freedom fighters in Goa felt that Bharat should not have annexed Goa to it. And when I queried one of them further, he said that “WE AS FREEDOM FIGHTERS FROM GOA, ONLY WANTED ASSISTANCE FROM BHARAT TO GET RID OF PORTUGUESE FROM GOA INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST PORTUGUESE RULE IN GOA BUT NEVER TO LEGALISE GOA ILLEGALLY AS PART OF INDIA”.

What would be the fate of Goa if Bharat on 19th December 1961 had not to intervene millitarily in Goa leaving it as it was? Heaven would not fall. On the contrary it would have been a big blessing and booster for Goa and real Goans. A decade after Goa was annexed to Bharat by force, Slazarist regime lost power in Portugal and all its African colonies got independence on silver platter. In the same manner Goa would also get independence for Goans to decide their fate and future for the good of Goans and Goa. Goa had great sons and daughters then to guide and decide its destiny and they would rule Goa in a best possible way of course to the satisfaction of all Goans and not to the satisfaction of all the “Chor” and “Crimidor Ghanttis” and Ghanttised Goans.

The last Governador of Goa, Vassalo e Silva was a special appointee for Goa by Salazar who had great love for Goa and Goans. Salazar and his advisers thought in late fifties that something should be done for Goa so that all categories of Goans can become self sufficient and they can rely upon themselves for the development of their Goa. In view of this Salazar appropriately selected Governador Vassalo e Silva for this job in Goa. As a matter of fact, internally Governador Vassalo e Silva was anti-Salazar and anti-Dictator. As a step in right direction, Vassalo e Silva introduced a law in Goa in the late fifties to make Portuguese education compulsory for all Goan children attaining the age of 6 and it was to be imparted Free Of Charge. Till this time I and my other sisters were in English School studying English but because of this law, we were forced out from English School and inducted into Portuguese School otherwise there was a fine (multo) to pay to the tune of hundreds of Escudos (Portugese currency). This law was introduced by Portuguese Government to elevate the educational standard of Goans because it is thru education that makes a person advanced.

Agriculture was given a top priority. In my village saline water entered into our fields and spoiled the whole crop. Governador Silva himself came to check it near our Church, entered the field assisted by my father who was the “de facto” leader of “Xetkar & Zotkar” and walking personally checked the broken “Bandh” which led the saline water from the Sea to enter into the fields. Governador at times talked to my father asking some questions about this saline water and my father being fluent in Portuguese as none among his "Xetkar" tribe answered him well. Then the Governador spoke to the village elders and members of the Communidade and arranged to put things into order with a promise that “I will see to it that no crop is spoiled and wasted”. Similar exercise he did elsewhere in Goa to give a fillip to agriculture and Goan agriculturists. Then later on Governador came to our Communidade Hall and impressed upon the elders to give top priority for the development of Caju Plantation. We had behind the Church Caju plantation on the big mountainous land of Communidade and as a booster we got free of charge small Caju plants to develop there. This resulted in a big yield for us in our Caju fruits and Caju Nuts. Similar exercise was done elsewhere in Goa too to boost the Caju plantation in Goa, so also for other crops.

Then the same Governador seeing the potential of mining industry in Goa and its improvement issued a Circular to Goans settled outside Goa to come back and get employment in Goa only and in this direction he assured them jobs in mining industry for English educated Goans and in Government sectors for Portuguese educated. Some Goans working in Qatar and Bahrain even left their lucrative jobs in the Oil sectors and returned to Goa where they were absorbed by the Chowgules, Dempo-Souza, Sesa Goa and other companies.

Governador Vassalo e Silva made his office accessible to any Goan for any of their needs. He started to mix up with commoners like a common man himself. This was resented by many of the Goan Bamonn aristocrats and Bhattkars but Governador Silva never cared for them. In 1960 while returning from Aguada, he came to our Portuguese School and directly entered in our class and fortunately approached me as if he knew me that I am a commoner and asked me in Portuguese: “Tem Sacola?” I said, “Nao Senhor Governador”. For this he gave me one School Bag. Likewise he did for others also in Marathi Xalla. He was so simple, once I was going to Panjim with my eldest brother for the soccer match. My brother known as “Cheddo” was an ace footballer of Goa Police Soccer Team being the top Goan footballer among the Portuguese “Pakles and Khapris”. When we entered into Ferryboat at Betim, suddenly Governador’s civilian Jeep also entered without any hassle.and external pomp. No battalion of armed guards nor police escort. Simple Governador with one simple driver and one simple guard. He did not even avail of the especial facility for him alone to be in the Ferryboat. During those days only Governador and Patriarch had the privilege for especial Ferryboat service to cross the rivers. When his Jeep parked in the Ferryboat, he immediately got down from his rear seat and gave a very loving and affectionate smile to all. Then again fortunately for me he smilingly approached me and lovingly touched my cheek and said “Senhor Rapaz, come esta?” Then he saw one elderly Hindu woman carrying a Basket full of vegetable to sell it in Panjim, stood in front of her and affectionately said something in Portuguese to her. She was all smiles and happy like me for encountering Governador in this manner.

The Governador vouched that every Goan must have goods and commodities cheaply. Once in 1960 the prices of the goods in Goa mainly in Panjim shot up suddenly especially of eatable. Seeing this, one fine morning dressed as commoner, Governador himself personally went to the market in Panjim and found out how shopkeepers have abruptly increased the prices of the commodities. Then immediately he advised his subordinates to take stringent action against these shopkeepers and immediately the prices were brought down.

During his tenure, when he noticed struggle for the ouster of Portuguese from Goa, he even requested the genuine freedom fighters to come and meet him to discuss this subject but none approached him openly and directly. He disliked those freedom fighters for Goa coming from Ghanttar. He said they have no right and authority to talk for and on behalf of Goa and Goans. Even Morarjee Desai as a Chief Minister of Bombay and as a spokesman of Congress said that “only Goans should fight for their Goa and remove Portuguese from their soil”. In Goa there were 2 types of freedom fighters, one genuine & secular and the others “Chor-Krimidor & communal. The latter section were killing, robbing and troubling innocent Goans and wanted Goa to become a Hindu Raj, they were communal and had hatred for Christians Governador Vassalo e Silva refused to talk to them. Governador wanted to find some sort of peaceful solution for Goa and for this reason he was paving the way for Goans to be prepared for this day either today or tomorrow but surely that day was coming. What Portuguese Governador Antonio Spinola in his book “Portugal e Futuro” in Mocambique predicted in Seventies that Portuguese rule will come to an end in Africa, Governador Vassalo e Silva guessed in 1960 about Goa. For this reason he was preparing Goans to be self sufficient to take over Goa by themselves only. Governador Vassalo e Silva loved Goa and Goans very much irrespective of their caste and creed. In fact some of the Goans who were very close to him were Goan Hindus, including Dayananda Bandodkar. Sensing this, Nehru as a crook assisted by another Malyali double crook Krishna Menon – the then Defence Minister of India created a hostile situation for Portuguese Government in Goa and attacked Goa. The rest was a history which was created on 19th December 1961 without taking consent of Goa based Goans and from where can we genuine Goans do anything? By the way, even if genuine Goans want to do something, are they in position to do now? And as a matter of fact, are there any genuine Goans living in Goa now to think of the glorious days they spent in Goa?

During Portuguese days, life in Goa was safe and secure for Goans, living standard of Goans was fine, Goans were not sleeping and cooking under the shade of trees. Every Goan had a roof over his head. No Goan was producing children on the streets. There was system and discipline everywhere. Respect for law and order was very much existing and crime rate was very negligible. No Goan houses were fitted with iron grill doors and windows. Our houses were open round the clock, no fear of robbers coming to rob our houses. Most of the Portuguese Pakles were very friendly to Goans and they interacted with Goans very freely. Hindus, Christians and Muslims were living in a very friendly way. There was no communal hatred, all were living as one Goan homogeneous entity. Common Goan even from the lowest strata of casteist Goan society was given facility to occupy positions in Government and other private sectors. Goans were given high ranks in the Army and Police sectors. All members of Hindu, Christian and Muslim communities were treated equally. Hindus occupied some of the top positions in the Government sectors and they only controlled the commerce including mining industry besides other sectors including franchises to import foreign goods. Everybody looked happy in all fronts except the Portuguese domination which could have been easily eradicated if Bharat had not to send its around 20 thousand well equipped Army marching over my Goa outnumbering only around 5 thousand Portuguese millitary of Goa and finally destroying Goa beyond recognition of its original self. In 50 years Goa lost so much of its original self, in another 07 years Goa will be totally mutilated and destroyed unless we have Goan patriots in Goa Legislative Assembly as the last Portuguese Governador Vassalo e Silva. Goa and Goans were more protected, loved and supported by the European Portuguese than the Asian Bharatis. This is the tragedy of Goa we experienced during the last 50 years of Bharati rule in Goa.