On 22nd of March 2013 an appeal appeared in this forum for financial assistance for one ex-Kuwait Goan, Jose M. Rodrigues, currently suffering from one sickness in Goa. According to one source he is afflicted with very bad sickness requiring lot of money for the medication. Because of his pathetic financial scarcity he came with an appeal. Cannot we Kuwaitkars help this man now who was with us earlier in our midst facing along with others good time and bad time too?
We Kuwaitkars did lot of charities for our Goans suffering from financial defficiencies in Goa but neglected our brothers and sisters suffering below our own eyes. The late Mr. Araujo was the first and the only one till now to be hanged in Kuwait somewhere in 1989 for murdering two persons – one Egyptian Bus Conductor and the other a Turkish Bus Driver of the same Kuwait Public Transport Bus. He had his brother in Kuwait but was not rich enough to hire a top lawyer to fight for Mr. Araujo. The need for financial assistance was imperative. So his brother by borrowing from here and there managed to collect little amount which was suffice enough to get the services only of a mediocre lawyer who could not save the late Araujo from going to the gallows.
Vincente Desouza was a long timer in Kuwait, a dynamic Goan personality and extremely influential among Goans in Kuwait who used to do lot of social work. He was a strong lover of Goa and was the first Goan from Kuwait to create a bridge between Goans and other nationalities. He was the person responsible to establish Kuwait Goan Association, Goan Arts Circle, initiate New Indian School Jabriya, Direct Flight from Kuwait to Goa movement and Gulf Goans Hotels Co. Ltd. The last initiative of his was to establish Goan Welfare Society-Kuwait.
The foundation for GWS was laid down with a public meeting at Hotel Sheraton where I was a very much part of it to encourage Mr. Vincente to go ahead provided this association serves the poor Kuwait Goans by helping them financially and otherwise. Even in my speech there on that day I have highlighted the financial problem Araujo’s brother faced to hire a good lawyer to fight the case of Araujo to commute his sentence. Additionally I have impressed upon the gathering there we should not allow any Goan to suffer due to lack of finance.
Accordingly GWS was formed and thru holding of socials some funds was created which was to spend for the welfare of Kuwait Goans irrespective of whether he is a member of GWS or not. The benefit of GWS must go to every needy Goan. This was our initial motto.
GWS is at the moment is having around one crore of rupees in its kitty. This fund has been collected for and on behalf of Goans to be utilised for the good of Goans. Unfortunately this fund of GWS is kept dormant. Some financial assistance could have been a very good gesture at this moment for our ex-Kuwait Goan who is sick in Goa and need financial assistance. But who will enlighten the big bosses of GWS? The sick man in Goa must have been directly or indirectly a part of the promotion of GWS when he was in Kuwait though personally I dont know him.
GWS is not in the hands of proper Goans, there are some people involved in it who are of questionable character and there is not a single person in it to fight for justice.
Take for example; when it re-started its operations in Kuwait after the invasion and liberation of Kuwait many of the founder members were not even informed, they were kept in total darkness. Unfortunately to raise this issue in GWS there was not a single voice to ask justice for all those founder members who were deliberately kept out. Even the new managing committees under new leaders remained silent on this topic giving an impression that there is not a single person in GWS who is capable for fighting for justice. Tomorrow these people will return to Goa and when they shout at the top of their voices for justice in Goa, surely persons like me will ask them what type of justice they are talking when they themselves are known to promote injustice in Kuwait among Goans?
Is there anyone in GWS to raise this issue and the issue of ailing Mr Jose M. Rodrigues for whom some financial assistance could be sent from the public fund collected from the public?
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.