Yesterday, 12thAugust was the 41st death anniversary of Dayananda Bandodcar, the first Chief Minister of invaded Goa. In the Goa Legislative Assembly some MLA’s and Ministers with their flowery speeches in mellifluent tones showered fabulous praises on the late Bandodcar for being visionary and also a promoter of education in Goa, and so on and on. While agreeing to allow them to air their views on Bandodcar, I should also be allowed to air my views on him though for some my views will not be palatable. Said the great French writer Voltaire, “I fully disagree with you but to allow you to say what you wish to say, I will give you all the freedom, if necessary I will even risk my life to allow you to say what you want to say even though I fully disagree with what you say”.
One point raised was Bandodcar’s contribution in laying the foundation for education in Goa. I disagree with this point. In fact the real foundation for the education in Goa was laid by the Portuguese Governador Vassalo e Silva when he decreed somewhere in 1958 a law making Primary education in Portuguese compulsory for every Goan child on attaining the age of 6 and of course, free of charge. New school premises were started to build on uniform pattern in Goa, in our side in Calangute at Sauntavaddo was one. Those who could not afford to go for higher education were provided facilities to study in Portugal. Thru this process of compulsory education, the education facilities went into the hands of commoner thereby helping the poor child to attain education.
Secondly, as a genuine Goan, I will never accept that Bandodcar was the lover of Goa and Goans, if he was, he would not work so tirelessly to liquidate the identity of Goa by merging it with Maharastra. He disliked everything Goan, Konkani language being on top of his list and for this reason he wanted to convert Goa into a Marathi land.
Somebody said he was the Secular by core. I disagree with this point too. He was the worst communal having aligned himself covertly and overtly with Hindus. For him only in Hindu community there existed Bahuzan Samaz. And what about in Christian community? Even in government jobs, preferential treatment was given to Hindus. During his rule, Christians in Goa were made to admit that they are not full-fledged Goans while Hindus were.
One thing I must admit that at the later stage of his rule, he was a very changed man in favour of Goa and Goans but it was too late when irreparable damage for Goa and Goans, meantime, has already been done. To bring this change in him, genuine Goans especially common men mainly from Christian community had to face lot of difficulties. Because of his support for merger of Goa with Mahastra genuine Goans like me had to face lot of hurdles to survive in Goa. It was during this period many of the genuine Goans preferred to leave Goa for their survival in the name of greener pastures elsewhere. He was an architect of deGoanisation process of Goa. He was fully responsible for splitting the Goans on communal lines with the excuse of helping only the Hindu Bahuzan Samaz. He killed the peace of mind of all those Goans supporting Goan identity and communal harmony. For Goans supporting Goan causes, when they see his Statues in Panjim, Calangute and now in Porvorim, it will remind them nothing good in him but everything anti-Goan and communal.
His death was a big blow to all his “Chamchas” who gained maximum material benefits for them and for their family members. However, inspite of all his flaws and mistakes he committed against Goa and Goans, I pray to God to give his soul eternal rest.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel: 7507394349.