PORTUGAL – FOOTBALL – GOA.
After Ronaldo inspired Portugal drew their encounter with Spain on 15th of this montH in the World Cup match, I wrote an article ‘VIVA PORTUGAL” in this column highlighting the greatness of Ronaldo and Portugal. After reading it, I received calls using foul language against me and even giving sort of threats to me so that I should not praise Portugal and anything that is Portuguese.
One of them said that “you being a Christian, you enjoyed better facilities during the colonial rule”. I replied to him saying the best of benefits during Portuguese time were enjoyed by you and your community members. The entire Trade and Commerce of Goa was handled by your community members, so also the entire mining industry and not by the Desouzas, Fernandes, Braganzas etc. Good that the job facilities for Tarvar, Gulf and Africa were opened otherwise my community members would suffer a lot. Portuguez has not done any special favour on them just because they belong to Christian community, along with others the Goan Christians coming from lower strata of the society also suffered the persecution of Bhattkars and Bamonn. Inspite of doing so much for your community you are against Portugal, you are BEIMAN. And on top of it you are commanding me to stop supporting Portugal? To hell with you. I will support whomever I feel like supporting.
The other said ‘we fought against Portuguese in Goa as Freedom Fighters and threw them out of Goa. You Christians did nothing to overthrow the Portuguese from Goa, on the contrary you fully co-operated with them from the time they first came to Goa”. For this, I answered to him thus, that what Goan Chrisans have done and fought for the overthrow of Portuuese from Goa your AZO and AZI have not done. The failed Pintos revolution was done by the priests from Candolim and they were ably supported by Abade Faria. Another Christian from Navelim Salcette Dr. Francis Luis Gomes who was the Member of Portuguese Parliament raised the issue not only of Goa’s liberation so forcefully but also of India’s too when Nehrus and Ghandis were not born.
Innumerable Goan Christian Freedom Fighters have suffered so much of persecution from the Portuguese for the sake of Goa. They took active part in Goa’s freedom movement to drive away Portuguese from Goa and hold Goa into the hands of Goans only without any outside interference but you people involved in freedom movement of Goa to convert Goa into a Hindu Raj because I said, you are fanatic communal. You have revenge against Goan Christians for this reason en masse you supported and joined MGP, only to liquidate Chritians from Goa.
Among the criminal and robber Freedm Fighters, you are the worst who robbed and killed so many innocent Goans. You, I further told him, had no marbles in your Zontir to fight with Portuguese Pakles because you are cowards. You harassed only your own fellow Christian Goans. And finally I told him that never say again that you have liberated Goa. You did nothing, you had no potential and power to liberate Goa. You got ready made liberation of Goa thru its conquest or invasion by the crook Nehru government.
Then I told him that we as Christians never co-operated with the Portuguez from the time they first came to Goa with their Comander Afonso de Albuquerqe who conquered Goa. Goan Christians were not responsible to bring Portuguese to Goa but it was your community member TIMOJA, a high ranking Officer under Adilshah, who begged with Afonso de Albuquerqe to come to Goan soil along with his Troop. It was he a non-Christian who gave Goa on silver platter to Portuguese.
The other one said ‘you have no love for India and Goa but only for Portugal”. I said you are wrong. I love my Goa as much as any other patriotic Goan. Because I love Goa, along with my entire community I supported anti-merger Opinion Poll issue in Goa while you in greater number supported merger. You are traitors and major portion of your community supported doling of Goa to Maharastra but we prevented it and its benefits you are enjoying now withou any shame.
Just because I supported Portugal in World Cup that does not mean I am anti-Indian. Portuguese have not done anything bad to me, it is our own Goan Bamonn and Bhattkars who harassed us. It is they who wanted Portuguese Raj in Goa and not Goans like me. But because of Portuguez we got lot of benefits and good characteristics though they colonized us for long. One thing they did worst for us was that they failed to hand over power in our hands instead they allowed them to be driven out and made Bharat to colonize Goa once again.
I wish Portugal all the best in World Cup.
Once again “VIVA PORTUGAL”.
A.Veronica Fernandes.