During the Portuguese rule in Goa, the Emissora de Goa (current All India Radio Panaji) gave exhaustively fabulous Konkani programme especially the Konkani Tiatros of 30 minutes duration a Tiatro aired on Sundays at 7.00 PM, Tuesdays at 4.30 pm and Fridays at 6.00 pm. The starting of Konkani programme was done with the statement “Hanga Portugal Uloita Emissora de Goa…..”. Besides these regular Tiatros which were written by the top Tiatrists and other artistes namely Reginaldo Fernandes writer of Konkani Romansi, ace comedian Jacinto Vaz, M.Dod de Verna, Johny Sylvester, Dioginho D’Mello, his Sister izmenia and others. Besides these who were the paid employees of Emissora de Goa, there were other gigantic artistes also of Konkani Stage namely Young Menezes, Kid Boxer, Baldinho Araujo, Allen D'Costa, Ansu Rodrigues and Georgina Jacques all employed by the Emissora de Goa. Somewhere in 1958 as a small boy I had the previlege to visit Emissora de Goa with our Candolim Church Choir as a singing member of Motets we recorded at the Emissoa de Goa. I had the privilege to see almost all the above mentioned artistes who indicated their profuse love and affection for me since I was the smallest member of our Choir group and being so I was patted by everyone with love and affection. However, my greatest satisfaction was when the Music Director of Emissora de Goa, Antoninho D’Souza from Siolim hugged me and praised me fabulously for singing the Motets along with other Choir members so nicely.
The above shown artiste plays a nice role of the responsible sister
The other excellent Konkani programme aired from there on every Saturday at 4.30 PM was the “ANTU BABACHI GOZAL” which was a sort of debate in which almost all the top artistes used to participate, in this programme there was piercing criticism of Bharat Serkar that was humiliated, inulted and lowered to the ebb for keeping its eye on Goa to invade it in the name of Liberation. I never heard in my life anywhere and by anyone else criticizing and disgracing Bharati Serkar. I still remember M. Dod de Verna making an statement saying “ Zor hem dolddirem Bharat Serkar zache laguim khud apleam munxeank dodd jevunk & khahunk diunk zaina zalear tem serkar amkam Goenkarank anink kitem ditolem? Hem Bharat serkar Ghanttianchem mure ani je suater Ghantti assat tem suater dolldirpon astatuch ani zor he Bharati Ghantti Goyant aplo panvo dourit tor zalench Goenchem sontenas. Te Bharati Ghatti amcher oslo vell haddtolet Goyant ki Nustem te khatelet ani Kantte amkam ditolet ani toxench Bharatachea hatan Goem poddot tor te sogle Bharati amchea fuddean apun Mas khatelet and amkam Gogkarank haddam ditolet. Te Hoyant ravon apun guirest zatolet ani amkam Goenkarank bhikari kortolet. Aum Bombaim ravon ailolean aum zaanna tanche gunn. Bharati lokam osle chikaner lokh sounsarant anink khuinsoruch aschenant tea passot ami tankam zata title pois dourunk zai. Itlench nhoi tanchea hatan amchem Goem kexench ghalunk dinvchem nhoi, goroz poddlear amchea jivacho sakrifis passun korho poddlear porva na”. Then Georgina Jacques intervenes to add her statement saying: Aum aniek amchea Goyenkarank sangta ani tem mhonttlear hem Bharat amkam Goykarank khup tras ditolem ani amkam sarke kobar korun uddoitolem, tea passot ami atanch nettan zoggdonk lagomya kiteak maguirui zalear hem Bharat amkam nattak kortolentuch mhonntoch atanch nattak zalear borem tea passot Goencho bosm korun uddoumya pun hemamchem Bhangarachem Goem Bhangaran bhorlolem team Bharati Chorank koxenxh dinvchem nhoi. In this debate others also participated namely, Jacinto Vaz, Young Menezes and others. After Tiatros, this was the very interesting programme for which people in Goa would do any sacrifice to listen to this programme.
Incidentally, the ferocious anti-Bharat artistes Young Menezes, Jacinto Vaz, Kid Boxer, M.Dod de Verna were banned from entering Bombay or any other part of Bharat. Some of them according to the trickling of news emanating from different sources, were threatened when Goa was grbbed by India. In fact out of bodily fear some of them went underground only to resurface at the later date. By doing this I think they have done right thing to save themselves from the vultures who have done worst of dirty deeds against some of the Goans even by parading them naked on the main streets of Goa for being the supporters of Portuguese Government. As a revenge, the 2 months salaries before 19.12.61 of the all the artistes were not paid by the Goa’s conqueror, India, this responsibility wrested on the shoulders of conqueror. Jacinto Vaz because many times in his songs he was raising this issue from the Stage, the management of All India Radio Panjim, Goa, put a ban on the songs of Jacinto Vaz thus his voice was curtailed from the All India Radio Goa.
In the above 2 photos are seen youngsters enjoying thier dope while the third photo above is seen author of this Film M. Jude Gracias.
Now I just saw one Konkani Film of the duration of approximately half an hour just like the Tiatro aired by Emissora de Goa during the Portuguese regime, the short Film is “Udetolo Suria Guiraslo Kupani” authored by Michael Jude Gracias under the banner of Kala Niketan Goa. The Film is very interesting based on the current happenings in Goa with regards to our young boys and girls in their youth only become useless in life because of the Drugs they take. It was nicely shown in this Film how our young men and young girls go crazy after this trade and consumption. When you see how our young School and Coagaaisllege going boys and girls are addicted to this vice inspite of our priests and social workers doing so much to stop it, you go mad. It is thru this Film one will come to know why our current youth is not coming in public life to face the challenging public life. In our villages now you don’t find youth taking part in challenging Sports, we dont produce good foot-ball players neither in quality nor in quantity as it waa happening during my youth, in many villages you see Ghantti youth are representing our teams because our youth are keeping themselves busy in Drugs and other vices, our youth are not raising their voices against lop sided anti-Goan policies of the govenment by taking part in public meetings and rallies to save Goa, Goan Culture, Goan traditions and Goan way of life. Our youth of today got no interest in fighting for justice because they themselves are become unjust. What our youth in bigger number is doing now? They are not ready to take pain to do something good for the cause of Goa and Goans and incidentally they are not even ready to do something good for themselves, many of them are living at the cost of their parents many of whom by working abroad accumulated lot of wealth and on this wealth so many of our youth are enjoying by going after all the vices.
I feel pity many of the youth involved in this drug trade and use were coming from the same religion as I come, I feel ashamed of them for being the members of the same religion. I think our Church leadership must ponder for a while and try to revise its doctrine and system to help eradicate this wound that our Youth are suffering from. What is the use of having the educational institutes in the hands of Church but no proper discipline imparted there? I don’t solely blame the Church and our priests for this calamity fallen on our youth but I am fully convinced that our Church is the only salvation for us from the likely disaster we ar going to face then we going to be disgraced. If our Church abdicates its responsiblity by shifting the onus on the parents then our Church will be committing a big blunder against Christianity. The existence of the Church is to save souls from going to hell for this reason Church is dutybound to close all avenues that lead us to Hell and vices and Drugs are the main sources of sins that take us to hell.
Regarding our parents taking their responibility, what better you can ask from our parents when they are busy in making money somewhere else while their children are left into the hands of Garamae/Garaapai, Unties and Uncles, Neighbours and Relatives and Padris and Madris? The major part of this blame falls on their shoulders, There is a saying in Konkani which says: “SEZAREANI TOR BURGEANK VOIR KADDLOLIM ZALEAR MAE-PAI ANINK KITEAK ZAI ASLO?
The Film mentioned above is available in the Utube.
A.Veronica Fernandes.