This is in response to the news item in the local daily Herald on 23.01.19, “Is Dr. Jack Sequeira discriminated because of his religion?” Yes, I feel so. On 19.12.61 constitutionally Secularism was born in Goa but practically communalism came forcefully in which both the major communities indulged in, one openly with more ferocity while the other silently being at receiving end having no other choice.
On 17.12.61 in the evening one Mr. Esso from Orda Candolim when came to know Indian Millitary is already entered Goa, near the Candolim Church he jumped in the air shouting loudly and running home saying, “atam amchem raj zatelem, tumkam ami kitem tem dakoitele etc” that means now it will be Esso's community that will rule Goa and then we will show you - meaning my community, what we can do to you. While on the next day one Goldsmith near Candolim Tinto asked the Catholics mockingly “where is your Forsulo gone now while his relative asked where is your Antulo now?” For St. Francis Xavier he made an ordinary Forsulo while for St. Anton he madeAntulo without any due respect to both these Saints. Gradually, the big family of that Goldsmith disappeared from this earth like ether while the Goldsmith died a miserable death. There is no family member even to stay in his house, so much so, even cats and rats too deserted that house.
The one who was mocking at St. Anton by saying Antulo was shamelessly going to Siolim Church every Tuesday to pray and ask from St. Anton, what? forgiveness? I don’t know but one of his close relatives was found selling “Kaddio – Boddio” during the Novenas for the feast of St. Francis Xavier at Old Goa. These traitors want St. Francis and St. Anton to make money by selling Kaddio-Boddio otherwise these Saints are mocked at. But they forget that the power of God is more powerful than everything else on this planet.
The MGP was born mainly out of revenge against Christians and to diminish their influence in Goa by marginalizing them. When they came to power in the first election even government jobs mainly on important places were clandestinely denied to Christians. In Portuguese School in my village some non-Christian colleagues of mine started looking at us as if we are second class citizens because of our religion. This impression was inculcated in their young and raw minds by their elders at their home places. Those who were very close to us during the Portuguese regime from the majority community suddenly remained far from us as if we were Jews in Naziland. Externally everybody claimed to be a secular but internally a big NO.
To cite one more justification to my answer, the denial of Chief Ministership to Francis D’Souza (Mapusa MLA) is a concrete proof of how BJP practiced religious discrimination.
Though there were many Hindus who worked hard to win the Opinion Poll for Goans yet Dr. Sequeira was the tallest among all of them in all respects making him the “de facto” leader. In fact there was not a single leader among the Hindus at that time with the stature of Dr. Jack Sequeira. As a matter of fact all the Hindu leaders who helped the victory of Opinion Poll were “kichddi” leaders, they were just regional and parochial having no acceptance all over Goa but Dr. Jack Sequeira was accepted as the leader by all over Goa, if not then at least by more than all others.
Those who try vociferously to deny major credit to Dr. Jack Sequeira for the victory of Opinion Poll, from the language and the tone of their language, it looks that they are not against Dr. Jack Sequeira but they are against the religion of Dr. Jack Sequeira. These people are very good in vomiting their anger without any shame, not only on Dr. Jack Sequeira and his religion now only but it started in December, on 19th, in 1961. Their ambition is to liquidate the religious community of Dr. Jack Sequeira because they are jealous. Otherwise, they know within themselves that Dr. Jack Sequiera was the major architecht of the victory of Opinion Poll though officially he was not elected nor selected nor voted as the leader of anti-mergerists. But people knew that he had that charisma and qualities to become the leader of anti-mergerists and besides him no other person. For this reason overwhelming majority of Goans especially the antimergerists including those so called "kichddi" leaders who are now trying to belittle Dr.Jack Sequiera's importance had given their allegiance to Dr. Jack Sequeira if not externally then at least internally. With communal mind set up they are roaring now like Tigers against Dr. Jack Sequeira but during the time of Opinion Poll they were like cockroaches in front of Dr. Sequeira.
When the Opinion Poll result was known, a huge crowd of anti-mergerists gathered at Dr. Sequeira's place and more were coming to congratulate him. Then and there only they accepted and agreed to declare that Dr. Jack Sequeira was the FATHER OF OPINION POLL and at that moment only they took a procession around Panjim with Dr. Sequeira leading the procession. Some of the fake Lions who are now raising their voices against Dr. Sequeira's contribution were also a part of this procession.
Finally, let me make a firm statement thru this forum in this article that "THESE ANTI DR. JACK SEQUEIRA CAMPAIGNERS WILL NEVER GIVE US PEACE OF MIND. THIS IS NOT AN END BUT MANY SUCH CAMPAIGNS WILL COME UP AND WE SHOULD BE BOLDLY AND TRUTHFULLY FACE AND COUNTER THEM".
A.Veronica Fernandes.