In his masterpiece composition on the death of the local feudal type of Regidor, the legendary Goan Tiatrist the late Minguel Rod sang thus:
"Silkachim tujim suttam ani bhangarache butao toxench sounsari rajkaranna,
Khuim assat re Bhattkara tim soglim tujim polkim vhoddpona,
Hem soglem atam aum ghanvcho Pedho khonnan ghaltam”.
Finally on 6th of this month the Saligao “Pedho” buried the body of the once mighty and silky doctor with all his worldly silky achievements into the grave. Above all, the ghanvcho Pedho also interred Dr. Willy’s pride and arrogance which denied him so many political rewards. The late Dr. Willy shot into fame as a good surgeon at Azilo Hospital followed by Remansos at Mapusa in late sixties but lost the confidence of many patients when he handled cases falling beyond his specialization, like Cancer. Otherwise he was a very efficient doctor.
He was inducted into Goan politics by Dr. Jack Sequeira thru his friend and business partner Dr. George Renato Fernandes the son-in-law of Dr. Sequeira in early seventies when they both jointly started their Clinic in Panjim opposite Ferry Point. He joined the Goan politics as a Slave but soon became a master, many times by using foxy tactics of Saligao. His love for Goa was undoubtedly immense but when he had strong rapport with Congress High command when Congress was ruling at the Centre, he could have got Special Status for Goa and recognition for Romi Konkani as well. Being close to him from 1970, I found him less of a visionary. He was more of a politician than a statesman having no foresight for thinking of future. For immediate political gains he would do anything.
His greatest faults were turning of Congress U into Congress I without consulting the voters and hurriedly formation of Goa Congress thereby splitting the same family into two pieces. His downfall at the later stage by jumping from one party to the other was due to his inborn craze for supremacy and bossism over everything purely in tune with his feudal type of family background. This was one major characteristic of this class of people especially of Christians during the Portuguese rule in Goa. With this type of pride and arrogance they bossed over the common people. For this reason, common Goans and masses especially among the Hindus rejected any leader as of masses from the Christian community.
He did lot of good for Goa but still he could have done more. Somebody said he was the man of the masses but I refuse this statement because Goa is yet to produce a leader from the Christian community who is the man of the masses. If Christians followed him it was only because they did not find a suitable leader, hence something is better than nothing. He was no doubt a good administrator yet at the later stage he was emitting an odor of corruption.
May his soul rest in peace.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.