The word Donation was erupted in Kuwait first among Goans when I fisrt time landed in 1975. It was my decision that I took individually and unilaterally that this Kuwait is the right place to collect funds for the good causes in Goa and Goans there were sincere to support the good causes.However there were some donations going on in Kuwait earlier but at the pale scale. But my main aim of going to Kuwait was to raise funds for the main cause of “Konkani” which was neglected in the absence of required financial assistance. So, I came to Kuwait to work and immediately I embarked in the formation of Novem Goem Pratishthan Kuwait Somiti in Kuwait somewhere in 1978 to help the starting of people’s Two Dailies in Konkani, one in Romi and the other in Devangri scripts. This was done in Goa under the banner of Novem Goem Pratishthan which was a Trust consisting of all the very well known Goans in society namely Gurunath Kelekar (the main initiator of NGP), Dr. Francisco Rebello (Treasurer), Mrs. Sara Machado (Chairperson), Adv. Antonio Bosco Lobo, Adv. Clovis D’Costa, Adv. Christopher Fonseca and 1 or 2 more.
As per the decision of the NGP which was based in Goa, NGP will start the one daily in Roman Script immediately NGP succeeds in collecting a fund of Rs. One Lakh which we ourselves in Kuwait collected. Not only this, we have collected from Kuwait a little less than 5 Lakhs and sent to NGP Goa. Then for the second Daily in Devanagri, NGP decided to start it immediatey when it collected a fund of Rs. 5 Lkhs. We collected from Kuwait itself by organising Tiatros and thru individual contributions for which I personally went begging with so many Goans. Since lame footedly, NGP started the 2 new Dailies in one language but in 2 different scripts. Besides money came from Goa collected thru one month of money collection walk all over Goa by the members and supporters of NGP in Goa, also money came from other parts of Gulf but nothing from the West. But NGP within a few months of the opening of these 2 dailies involved in fighting which was between Gurunath Kelekar and Dr. Rebello for the supremacy of NGP that started the 2 Dailies known as “NOVEM GOEM”.
Then Gurunath withdrew from NGP and within a few years NG Papers stopped and NGP Goa collapsed. With this collapse, our donations too in lakhs of Rupees came to Zero result? Our efforts we put in to collect this huge fund at that critical time came to zero value. If the NGP Goa stalwarts were good and sincere in handling this project nothing bad would happen.If the money came from their own pockets I am sure they would be more careful but money they got easily from Konknni mogui like us whom NGP failed to remain responsible. Likewise we sent donations for so many other causes but many places its utility not done properly and proper accountability was not shown and when we remained firm in our demand for proper accountability then they opposed us.
From my past experience I noticed only Gulf Goans and mainly the Kuwait Goans came forward first to give donations for good causes in Goa but Goans from the West contributed nothing or very little. However, recently I am given to understand that Goans settled in some parts of the West are sending their donations for some persons in Goa who are raising their voice against the enemies of genuine Goans. I support these Goans from the West but they must ask for accountability from the recipients. Many times our donations were misused by those who received it and instead the recipients used the same for their own promotion. In today’s Goa it is very difficult to find a sincere GOAN EASILY, especially those partially involved in building their political career in the name of social work and NGO too.
In the past our donations sent to Goa created rascals of good persons who totally neglected their cause and embraced politics and after gaining political success they not only forgotten their original causes but they also forgotten us who helped them so much.
A.Veronica Fernandes.