Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Goans – THINK, PONDER and ACT! by Adv Antonio Lobo

OPinionateD
Herald, 1 December, 2010

Goa, the Portuguese and India
By Adv. Antonio Lobo


The debate over the visit of NRP Sagres to Goa and the simultaneous protest of some 30 or less BJP/RSS/FF protesters is to be viewed also in the context of the send off given to the very same ship by a flotilla of fisherman from Vasco, people who decided to discard the vacuous and false propaganda of the so-called Freedom Fighters such as Karmali et al as well as what is taught today in the schools in Goa under the garb of history with regard to the period from 1510-1961.

Let me put before you the following facts, as food for thought, which may help all of us refrain from mindless repetition of untruths which only help in perpetuating them:
 
It is an irrefutable truth that less than 13 years after the annexation of Goa by India all the colonies of Portugal attained their true freedom by becoming independent countries.

  • That Goa, Daman and Diu would have attained the same freedom as all the other colonies of Portugal were it not for “Operation Vijay” conducted by the armed forces of India .

  • That the so-called freedom fighters did not ask India or Jawarharlal Nehru to conduct a plebiscite in Goa, Daman and Diu to decide the question of independence or merger with the Indian Union. Since such choice was not given, the claims by the so-called “freedom fighters” and by India that 19.12.1961 signaled the “liberation” of Goa is false and meaningless as it was nothing but an exchange of one colonial master for another.

  • That Goa, Daman and Diu had to be kept under martial law for over a year after 19.12.1961, contradicts the claims by propagandists that Goa, Daman and Diu were “liberated”. A liberated population would not have been under martial law.

  • That instead of a plebiscite, the Indian Government foisted upon Goa, Daman and Diu the Opinion Poll in 1967, which was a choice between becoming an Union Territory or disappearing politically altogether, forgetting the solemn promises made, pre-annexation, in the Indian Parliament by Nehru et al that Goa, Daman and Diu’s identity would be preserved at all costs.

  • That, in this poll, even Goans resident outside Goa but within India were not given the right to vote in the Opinion Poll with a clear intention to tilt the balance in favour of the merger lobby led by Dayanand Bandodkar and the Maharashtrawaddi Gomantak Party.
  • That Portugal signed a treaty with India recognising India ’s sovereignty over Goa, Daman and Diu without any consultations with its populations, acting thereby exactly as the dictatorial regime under Dr. Salazar would have acted and not as a newly democratic nation led by alleged “democrats” such as Dr. Mario Soares, who signed the treaty as the foreign Minister of Portugal, giving away our land as if it was their chattel.

  • The fact that India required a treaty with Portugal in order for the International Community of Nations to legalise the annexation puts paid to the argument that Goa was an integral part of India .

  • That erstwhile colonies of any country have a right to independence is a fact recognized by the United Nations. For that reason East Timor, though annexed by Indonesia, was not recognized as part of Indonesia by the world community mainly due to the refusal of Portugal to sign a treaty with Indonesia recognizing it’s sovereignty over Timor. That Portugal therefore betrayed the population of Goa, Daman and Diu is an undeniable fact.

  • That the entity pre-annexation known as “Estado da India” and post-annexation as the Union Territories of Goa, Daman and Diu with its geographical borders and its way of life had come about in part 450 years ago and the entire geographical unit as it exists today, about 250 years ago (upto 1961), with it’s own distinct culture, way of life and ethos. It came into existence even prior to the existence of the political entity known today as the Union of India whose existence is, in great measure, owed to the British. It’s existence is not as old as that of Goa, Daman and Diu . Where is the question therefore that Goa, Daman and Diu were always a part of India ? India is not akin to the Indian Subcontinent which includes Pakistan , Bangladesh and others.

  • That true Goans have been at the forefront of seeking to preserve the unique identity of Goa and fighting for its survival. This has been a thorn in the side of those who would wish that Goa could be dissolved and merged as was sought to be done earlier. Concerted efforts were made from 1962 onwards to ensure that the true Goan would be deprived of government jobs and left without means of sustenance. This is one of the reasons for the mass migration of Goans to foreign lands.

  • That Goa’s demographic makeup was actively sought to be diluted by encouraging non-Goans to settle in Goa, beginning with the 20 point programme whereunder all non-Goans were given land and houses, coupled with the parallel programme whereunder all government servants not having land in Goa could obtain plots of the Comunidades without any competition, clearly having in mind  the hordes of non-Goan government servants brought in by Bandodkar and his daughter Sashikala Kakodkar and later by successor Governments in Goa.

  • The programme of Marathisation of Goa and glorification of Shivaji(who incidentally invaded Bardez and Salcete on several occasions and destroyed not only churches but also took away thousands of heads of cattle on the way out) was started by Bandodkar with the full blessings of the Center solely with the purpose of starting the process of building up a new cultural identity. This programme went hand in hand with the mass import of Marathi teachers, Mamlatdars, Collector and Deputy Collectors, Surveyors and police and the humiliation of the then existing government cadre which was, not only efficient and capable, but also had a superior calibre. This was also necessary in order to implement draconian legislation such as the Tenancy Act and the Mundcar Act that had been ushered in by Bandodkar.

  • That the majority of the so-called “Bahujan Samaj”, with notable exceptions, does not care whether other “Goans” are protected or not by the Goa Government. This “special class” of people was favoured during Bandodkar and his daughter’s time in the government to the detriment of all other Goans (this same community was the backbone of the pro-merger lobby) and this is evidenced by many instances, one of which is the gifting by Ravi Naik, the then Chief Minister of Goa, of the Anjediva Island to the Indian Navy despite the fact that this island has a special place in the hearts of the Catholic community for religious reasons.

  • That the democracy ushered-in with such grandiloquent rhetoric post 1961 is nothing but a sham where votes of non-Goans are purchased thereby marginalizing the “modlacho Goencar” only serving to legitimise the “election” of goons and Mafiosi elements and collaborators to form governments.

      Goans – THINK, PONDER and ACT!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

GOa For Goans Overseas


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This images are of currency notes in use in the middle east prior to 1979 . or may be still in use . just that these were kept unspent all these 30 years of transformation of the gulf into the modern states of today, makes it unique and special. These notes might not fetch the value it worth during that period but will definately be precious for some admirer of antiquity.
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Friday, September 26, 2008

GOA for the Goans Overseas



it was always a sad feeling to leave once motherland ,Goa a wonderful place to leave behind and go in search of livelihood, leaving in this beautiful state of Goa our beloved aged parents and family in the safety of fellow Goans. Sons of the soil would toil the gulf region earn hugh amount of money and when they come down were looked upon as the soul of this tiny state of Goa. He would come see for himelf a small piece of land and build a small house out of a small portion of money he earned in the gulf anf the rest would be secured in the bank for his family to utilize untill the time he is on his trip.



It was posible to get whatever he desire for himself and his family for whom he was struggling in the gulf. It was the blood that would flow out in the form of sweat and thats how our forefathers had made this beautiful Goa proud. A goan lad would earn laurels for being sincere and hardworking amongst them all . Also there was a vast tracks of land for the disposal of Goans at large.But Now the situation has change drasticaly , You will find most of the vacant lands in villages/communidades , once owned by batkars are owned by outsiders mainly builders from Delhi and so on. There are big housing colonies owned by these businessman. The buildings are totally occupaied by the rich from all over the country but hardly any goan has the money power to buy a dwelling of his own in those buildings as the rates are in millions . This buildings termed as MEga housing projects have come up or are in progress in the hinter lands , in the villages. Rates of properties have touched the sky in this villages dicouraging the local from entering the fray of propective buyers. Goa is on sale at the property marts at Bangalore, Delh and Pune but these builders do not care to advertise in Goa or even in the gulf as they are not bothered about the local buyer whose purchasing power is nothing agaisnt those money bags from Delhi.

Our beautiful state is not for GOans anymore. YOu will find all types of samaj in Goa blessed by the Politicians for their vote bank policies. GOan land has gone in the hands of the Outsiders mainly because of the local panchayats , then the so called agents (local jobless men ) who crave for hugh commissions and the Politicians who care a damn for GOa while they pass thses mega housing projects in villages putting heavy pressure on the already crippled infrastuture in the villages.

It is time that the Goan community living around the world connect and fatom that what is comming towards us fellow Goans and do something worth doing for our generations to come who will be deprieved of owning a precious piece of LAnd in GOa