In the Times of India dated 09.01.19, there appeared a news item saying “Name 3rd Bridge after Bandodcar” and further elaborating that “Maharastrawadi Gomantak Party’s Mapusa block committee has written to PWD and Transport minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar stating that the third Mandovi bridge be named Bhausab Bandodcar Bridge. The MGP block committee has passed a resolution to this effect”.
I, on behalf of all the like minded Goans strongly oppose this naming business of third Mandovi Bridge after the most disgraceful anti-Goan and Maharastra/Marathi inclined Dayananda Bandodcar. This man was nothing but a curse on Goa and today we are suffering the disease of “bhaile” dominating in Goa it is mainly because of this originally “bhailo” Bandodcar who or whose elders settled in the village of Bandodda from where they derived their Surname for them. The ”bhaile” who are settled in greater number in the north Goa created a vote Bank for MGP because they inclined towards their ancestry originating in the neighbouring parts of Maharastra. For this reason Bandodcar counted on them vowing to reunite them with their ancestral land and they too were happy about it because they were interested in robbing the Goans of their genuine culture, tradition, language, folklore and everything that is Goan and imposing on Goa everything “bhailem”.
During the Portuguese regime Bandodocar was living as a slave of Portuguese saying every time “Sim Senhor” to the Portuguese personnel and even giving in writing as per one source, his total allegiance to Portugal but once Portuguese were ousted from Goa he indicated his hidden anger not only on genuine Goans but more on Goan Christians by forming MGP to merge Goa with Maharastra and thereby to strip Goan Christians of their culture, tradition, history, language (Konkani in Roman Script), their folk songs, folk plays, folk tales and everything Goans that was protected so tightly by the Goan Christians. He wanted to make Goan Christian as second class citizens in Goa. He created an impression that Goan Christians have enjoyed better life in Goa during Portuguese regime and they had better rapport with the Portuguese. This thought of Bandodcar was wrong. In fact it is the Hindu community in Goa including Bandodcar himself that enjoyed better facilities and better life in Goa because it is they who held full control of the Trade and Commerce in Goa. Who were the Chowgules, Dempos, Salgaocars, Shantilals, Caculos, Timblos and so many others? No doubt a good percentage of the lower strata of Hindus have faced lot of difficulties but the Christians were not responsible for this plight of theirs, along with them even the lower strata of the Christians also suffered. However, Christians always took care of them when charitable food items were distributed to them along with poor Christians at regular intervals in the Church. These items were sent from abroad by the Christian organizations for the poor in Goa. Now, to improve the quality of these poor Hindus what have all the top millionaire businessmen have done? To alleviate their financial and social standing all these top businessmen could have done so much but they were crook, they were selfish, instead they on the contrary, at least many of them, told the lower segment of Hindus that their prevailing financial and social plight was due to the step-motherly treatment given to you by the Portuguese affording preferential treatment to the Christians.
Goaan Christians from the lower segment have not received any preferential or special treatment from the Portuguese. In fact they put in extra effort to develop themselves by taking risks and going abroad, first to Bombay, then to Karachi and then to “Tarvar”, Gulf and many other places in the world. By journeying to the outside world for the sake of their livelihood they made lot of sacrifices facing lot of risks. Their Church supported this move of theirs and not opposed them in the name of their Gods and Goddesses. By being Christians means to bind oneself by his religious belief to help others, to co-operate with others and to live in harmony and peace with his fellow being and above all to love his fellow human beings. Because of their iconic principle of Love, Christians are acceptable by anyone, Christians are not much known to own the houses of Bhattkars and of others, Chritstians are not much known to usurp the land of others for them, Christians are not known much for duping those from whom they received loans to purchase Buses, Cars, Bikes and to construct houses and to do the business. Christians in the greater sense were accepted by anybody because by virtue of being Christians and the followers of Christ, to a much greater extent they are sincere, faithful, truthfull and not crook.
The name for the 3rdMandovi Bridge should be given from anyone Goan from any community who has done great service for Goa by being a perfect secular, perfect lover of Konkani, promoter of Goan Culture, tradition, history and other aspects of Goan life. Dayananda Bandodcar was not a true Goan, he was a fake Goan, he worked against the interest of genuine Goans. He worked for the destruction of Goan language Konkani and instead tried to impose a foreign language Marathi on Goa from nowhere. This was the game of lying and cheating which he played well but ultimately failed to win because of our victory in the historic Opinion Poll. He made open distinction between Hindus and Christians by leaning towards Hindus mainly the lower segment of Goan society, in fact he believed and acknowledged only the “Bahujan samaz” from the Hindus as if among the Christians there was no Bahujan Samaz. His hatred and disliked for the Goan Christians was open and clear. And for such person to bring him to the pedestal by naming the Third Mandovi Bridge after him will be doing injustice to Goa and Goans.
A.Veronica Fernandes.