51 Years back exactly during this time, the mergerists of Goa with Maharastra were very certain of their victory. My eldest brother Cheddo by name was an employee of Goa Police and an ace footballer of Goa Police team. A few weeks before the Opinion Poll, Goa Police football team went to participate in the All India Police Cup Tournament held at Bhopal. In the encounter with the Maharashtra Police team, thru the dazzling game of my brother, the Maharashtra team was sent home earlier.
After the match, the team Manager of Maharastra a ranking officer requested my brother to join them immediately but my brother like me being a fanatic Goan, refused to join the Maharastra Police. For this, the team Manager of Maharashtra Police Team told my brother with pride and certainty that “very shortly you will have to join us because in the Opinion Poll, your Goa will be ours since we will surely win the Opinion Poll”.
Mr. Sujay Gupta, The Group Editor of Herald Group, on Edit page 2 of Herald dated 14.01.18 makes an excellent reference to my work during the time of Opinion Poll.
Now, I will add one incident here to tell how I risked my life along with others. It was a week before the Poll when we were heading in the Cycle Rally to Mapusa on Friday at 11.00 AM to demonstrate our solidarity with the slogan “Goa for Goans” Our dynamic leader Pedro Coutinho from Calangute who has contributed more than anybody else from that area for the victory of anti-mergerists, was leading the Rally in his Car. Suddenly, one friend of Pedro, Mr. Govind from Arpora and a strong supporter of mergerists sensing something terrible will happen, came from Mapusa where he saw with his own eyes Goondas with Swords brought from Maharastra to frighten the Goans. Along with them, the mergerists headed by Dayananda Bandodcar also brought from Maharastra the live Lions.
Knowing Pedro was a deadly guy giving “jivak Jiv”, Govind pleaded with Pedro near the Bodweswar Temple not to proceed to Mapusa Market and begged with Pedro to return to Calangute with all the young boys like me who took part in that Cycle Rally. I also saw some fisherwomen from Calangute returning home on foot without even selling fish of one paisa saying “Jiv aslear bhik magon khait” and adding further “ why to risk our life”. In this situation they said why to put their lives into danger in front of hired Goondas by the MGP.
I joined that Rally by bunking my class at St. Joseph’s High Scool, Arpora where the next day I was punished with 2 canes on each of my palms. That was the only once I received the corporal punishment about which I still feel proud though this punishment is very small compared to the magnitude of Opinion Poll.
A.Veronica Fernandes .