THE LATE VINCENTE D’SOUZA. THE FOGOTTEN HERO
It was on 14thof this month at about 8.00 AM while I was going to the Hospital to see the ailing Vincente D’Souza, I received a phone call from his daughter Gloria that her dad has been expired already. Hearing this news, I felt an empire has been collapsed, such a mighty man he was among Kuwait Goans during his most productive period in Kuwait, from mid sixties to the eighties.
A Veronica on funeral oration
Nobody in Kuwait nor anywhere in the Gulf and probably in the entire expatriate Goan world has done what he has done for the cause of Goa and Goans. He was the visionary man and thinking far ahead of his time. He knew what was the need of the Goan community and accordingly he acted thus. It was he who formed the then Goan Association called “Kuwait Goans”, then he formed the other association called “Goan Arts Circle” to raise funds for Goa Cancer Hospital where lakhs of Rupees were sent. After that he initiated the movement for the “Direct Flight” from Kuwait to Goa. The next move of his was the initiative of the formation of “Gulf Goans Hotels Co. Ltd” that built the Hotel Goan Heritage at Calangute. Then came the initiative for the establishment of New Indian School at Jabriya Kuwaiti and finally the formation of “Goan Welfare Society Kuwait.”
The might of this man lies in his sterling qualities to help the Goan community in alleviating their hardships in whatever way he can especially when there was no Godfather for Goan community. It was he who first introduced and made Goan community known to the outside world from Kuwait. With his mighty pen of an accredited journalist in Kuwait (being the only one Goan in Kuwait), he opened the eyes of the authorities that were neglecting the needs of our community. Once when he pointed out openly in “Goa Today” Montly Magazine the flaws of Indian Embassy in dealing wrongly the affairs of Goan maids, he was heavily reprimanded by the Embassy even by warning him of impounding his Passport if he writes again such writings affecting the smooth functioning of the Indian Embassy.
Both the daughters of late Vincente desouza
His greatness lies in his hunger and lust for doing good for the downtrodden and those who were undergoing traumatic time in the absence of Jobs. Once in his company at Kuwait Customs, a new department was opened needing about 15 new employees. When this task of arranging this manpower was given to him by his Boss, he frantically called for Goans to send to him if there is anybody jobless and like this he filled that new department with all Goans only. But unfortunately, none of these was seen for his funeral nor most of the others who enjoyed his benefits, his influence, his power and his might.
It was a pity to see in the St. Rita’s Church, Camurlim, hardly about 50 persons attending his funeral. Was he our forgotten hero? Are we Kuwait Goans so hard hearted against our own people who have done so much for our community? Are we gone blind to see the great work done by our people for our causes? Where is our traditional Goanness gone?
I pity my Kuwait Goan community and also those politicians who were coming to Kuwait and enjoying benefits from him. When Eduard Faleiro first time came to Kuwait on his way to Delhi from an official trip to South America, the late Vincente D’Souza accommodated him at Sahara Hotel by contributing money from the Goans in Kuwait. Besides, so many other visitors from Goa he helped them to come and stay in Kuwait.
While concluding I wish the late Vincente D’Souza’s Soul Heavenly Bliss and his immediate family members courage and grace to bear this colossal loss.
A.Veronica Fernandes.