OHERALDO

OPINION
www.oheraldo.in
Pg8
O HERALD O
Vol No CX No: 280 The Portuguese invention that is Goa
Goa, Saturday 6 November, 2010

Fresh inventors will arrive to replace Goa’s old inventors says TEoTonIo r. DE soUZA
What’s Obama’s
India agenda? I n my Herald column of 3rd January 2009 entitled
Guddhameva Jayate, I had included a brief ref-
erence to a book recently published in Portugal
by a researcher of Goan origin, Angela Barreto
Goa. It was a reply to complaints from them:
“You have written to me about an order issued by
the revenue administrator Afonso Mexia and confirmed
by the chief-captain of the city and my governor Lopo

U
S President Barack Obama arrives in Mumbai today
on what is being described as a “history-making trip”,
to boost Washington’s ties with what the President
has said is its “indispensable partner of the 21st century”.
What is most significant about this tour is that it is not
going to be followed by a ‘balancing’ stopover in Pakistan.
The US President will bypass Pakistan and go to Indonesia,
Japan and South Korea. But that, more or less, sums up
what will be special about the visit.
Make no mistake, any visit by a US President to India is
significant. In the 60-odd years since India’s independence,
it has seen only six visits by US presidents: Dwight D Eisen-
hower (1959), Richard Nixon (1969), Jimmy Carter (1978),
Bill Clinton (2000) and George Bush (2006). For Mr Obama,
though, this visit is more about domestic compulsions back
home rather than about global geo-politics. In short, he
expects India to help the US more than the US will help
India.
If that sounds strange, let us quote the most powerful
man in the world on the principal objective of his four-day
tour of India: “The primary purpose is to take a bunch of
US companies and open up markets, so that we can sell in
Asia – in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world
– and we can create jobs here in the United States of Amer-
ica,” he said on Thursday in Washington DC. This was after
a cabinet meeting to take stock of the mid-term elections
to the US Congress, which saw his Democratic Party get a
battering from angry voters. The Republican Party gained
a clear majority in the US House of Representatives and the
Democratic majority in the US Senate was drastically reduced.
Administration officials have promised the US public that
the President will make “significant announcements” during
his India visit. The President himself has made clear that
during this visit, his focus will be on selling US goods and
creating jobs in the US. This means that India can perish
the thought of getting US support for permanent member-
ship of the UN Security Council, or that US export restrictions
on hi-tech ‘dual-use’ equipment to India will be liberalised,
ending the technological apartheid this country has faced
since its first nuclear test in 1974. Mr Obama himself has
taken the lead in reducing expectations by saying that both
are “complex issues”.
Not surprisingly, the President will be accompanied by
more than 200 top US business leaders, all of whom are
looking forward to greater access to Indian markets for
their goods and services. Mr Obama will also seek some
kind of assurance that India will favour US companies for
its $10 billion (Rs46,000 crore) deal to buy 126 fighter-
bombers for the Indian Air Force. Boeing and Lockheed
Martin are among six contenders for the world’s single
Xavier, with a provocative argument in which she
presented the present-day Goa as invented by
the Portuguese with local collaboration across
centuries.
One great virtue of the Goans seems to be that
they are always open to collaborate, be it with
God or with the Devil, or probably even without
caring to know who seeks their collaboration.
This could provide some food for thought, even
if that may not radically change our Goan-style
of functioning.
Goans will continue to be divided over who is
a Goan. The identity issue is the root-cause of
the tragedies that permitted many newcomers
to ‘invent’ Goa all along its distant and recent
past. One guarantee the Goans can always have
is that fresh inventors will arrive to replace the
older ones. Far from looking at it as any black
humour, Goa has its progress assured, without
having to worry much about it. Konn tori ietolo
ani amcho fuddar poitolo.
Be that as it may, if we are to believe some au-
thoritative historians, Afonso de Albuquerque
first arrived in the Indian Ocean, or rather ap-
proached the coast of Kan´nur (Cananore) on 11
September 1503. The first expedition returned
to Portugal early next year with some spice cargo.
Albuquerque had to wait for some more years
and play subordinate roles under Tristão da Cunha
and Francisco de Almeida. Prior to taking Goa,
Albuquerque had shown his mettle by subjecting
Oman to iron blade and blood bath. The Mosque
of Muscat had been attacked. Ormuz was not yet
conquered, but had a taste of what was to come.
Albuquerque described his success in the Gulf
to the then viceroy of India as ‘divine miracle’.
He sent some veiled captive women to Portugal.
The operation was concluded again on 11 Sep-
tember 1507, but not without experiencing un-
pleasant disobedience of some of his captains
who were angered by Albuquerque’s style of rigid
command. The dissentions were known to rulers
of Ormuz and provoked the Turks to expand to-
wards Egypt and towards Iran. Could there be
some linkage of date which Al Quaeda chose for
its attack upon the twin towers?
Following his take-over as the governor of the
Tongue in Cheek
Inside story: Why the Titans clashed
HIsTorIcAl ExplorATIons
Estado da Índia in November 1509, his priority
was to stop the Sultan of Egypt from constructing
a fleet at Suez to challenge the Portuguese. As
part of this plan, he also thought of conquering
Goa, an important base that was used by the
Rumis for horse-trade and for refitting their ves-
sels. It was defended by mercenary soldiers from
Iran, in service of Adil Shah. Albuquerque had
gained an important ally in the person of Timayya,
who had been in touch with Albuquerque as a
strategic informer and had advised him to act
swiftly, since the Adil Shah had died recently and
the military command in Goa could be unprepared
for an attack. Timayya assisted with his forces
and probably hoped to be named jagirdar by the
new rulers of Goa.
Albuquerque reported to his king after an en-
counter with Timayya that he saw in him a mes-
senger of the Holy Spirit. But he got soon tired
of him after he saw him exceeding his powers as
thanedar of Portuguese occupied Goa. The Por-
tuguese chronicler of the XVI century, João de
Barros tells us that the Portuguese discovered
that Timayya was of low origin, meaning probably
that he was not of Brahmin caste, and that he
had no respectable standing in Goan society.
After Albuquerque conquered Goa a second
time and definitely on 25 November 1510, he
promised that the native Hindu population would
not be harmed and could continue making its
living normally. They would retain their lands and
continue paying their dues to the Portuguese au-
thorities as they did earlier to the Muslims. How-
ever, he wrote to his king on April 1, 1512 that if
more Portuguese would marry local women and
settle down as they were already doing with en-
thusiasm, the native inhabitants could be driven
out, “because the land belonged to the king and
to no one else.” On this understanding, King
Manuel of Portugal ordered in March 1518 that
lands could be distributed among the Portuguese
settlers, excepting those that belonged to native
Christians before the conquest. Were there Goan
Christians before the Portuguese conquest? Or
was that part of the so-called Portuguese inven-
tion?
We can guess that the native reaction through
the village communities was certainly quick. There
followed a new proclamation of the Portuguese
crown in 1519 revising the earlier stand and de-
claring that only the lands that belonged to the
Muslims could be given to the Portuguese settlers
and that none of the lands that had always be-
longed to the native landowners would be taken
away from them. There is also another letter from
the king of Portugal to the Portuguese settlers in
Vas to the effect that no Portuguese city-dweller may
buy any lands or palm-groves that belong to any
Hindu inhabitant of the land, even if such properties
are said to be belonging to the crown.” [Medieval
Goa, 2009, pp. 33-34]
As we can gather from the payment receipts
issued by the treasurer of Afonso de Albuquerque,
when he recruited personnel for his first military
band in Goa, he got native candidates who knew
to play brass and percussion instruments. Hence,
the musical talent of the Goans preceded the Por-
tuguese arrival and invention of Goa. When the
Portuguese administration started collecting the
revenues, one of the important revenues was de-
rived from consumption of palm arrack. Yet an-
other Goan skill and collective habit that did not
wait for the arrival of the Portuguese. I shall leave
it to future researchers interested and based in
Goa and elsewhere to look out for more pre-colo-
nial skills of the Goans.
Even if there was ‘liberal politics’ in Goa since
1821, it certainly did not benefit much the Goan
native elites as the Pinto Conspiracy and its im-
plications reveal. The Hindus had to wait till the
Republic of 1910 for any civic rights. Modern
democracy is certainly a post-1961 invention in
Goa, a decade or so before 1974, when the Por-
tuguese liberated themselves from the dictatorial
regime at home. The same regime had earlier re-
duced Goans to second class citizenship through
its Colonial Act, which was reformulated in mid-
50s by changing the designation of ‘colonies’ to
‘overseas provinces’, as a way to evade the de-
mands of UN for self-determination of the colonies.
To conclude, it is interesting to note that the
life-size portraits of the first viceroy and the first
governor of Goa are missing from the gallery of
the viceroys in the Old Goa museum. One can
glean from the published memoirs of the Por-
tuguese Minister of Overseas in 1961 that he got
them out with connivance or ‘good will’ of the
Indian authorities, through his diplomatic trickster
Jorge Jardim, who was negotiating the repatriation
of the Portuguese POWs in Goa. They are pre-
served in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, in
Lisbon, while the portrait of Salazar continues
exposed in the Goan museum.
Adelmo Fernandes

biggest defence deal. Along with some other defence and
commercial deals in the pipeline, it has the potential to
create over 60,000 jobs in the US.
But what do we get in return?
He may stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, and pay
tribute to the resilience of the Indian people. He may talk
about the US and India’s “shared commitment to counter
terrorism”. On the eve of his departure, the US Treasury
Department belatedly announced sanctions on Pakistan-
based terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-
Mohammad (JeM), as well as Azam Cheema, a key operational
commander who planned and supervised the 26/11 attack
on Mumbai. But that’s about all we are going to get, apart
from the usual platitudes that the US will continue to stay
out of the Kashmir imbroglio, which must be resolved ‘bi-
laterally’. Mr Obama may charm Indians, as he has done
elsewhere, but about other, more material things, let’s not
keep our hopes too high.
W
e are all too aware of the ruckus and commotion and
physical bashing that takes place within the Assembly of
several states when it is in session. It seems that as far
as the politicians are concerned the brawn takes over as soon as
the brains stop functioning. But then it was for the first time in
the history of Goa, and probably of the country that two heavy-
weight politicians came to blows on the streets, or rather in a
restaurant. There are several different versions of what happened
on that fateful night. Here is one version doing the rounds.
That night a powerful politician enters a restaurant in Vasco
like a king followed by his followers. He takes a seat at the end of
the table and asks his subjects to place the order. The best wine
in the restaurant is served. As the ex-Minister is about to take a
sip from his glass of wine, an old friend of his who is an equally
powerful politician enters the hotel along with his cronies.
2nd politician: Hello old pal what are you doing in Vasco.
1st politician: Just having a drink with my supporters why don’t
you join us.
2nd politician: Very well I will. I heard you have brought loads
of money.
1st politician: Not really. I am only carrying some cards. This is
the ATM card, this the Credit card and this here is my Green card.
Anyway why should I carry hard cash?
2nd politician: Well I heard that you were playing the role of
Santa Claus two months before Christmas.
The drinks and dinner was served. Everyone had a hearty meal.
Then came the bill and with it all the trouble started. The first
politician was reluctant to pay the bill.
1st politician: I am un-employed. I have lost my Ministership
and I cannot attend to my business in the US. How do you expect
me to pay the bill?
2nd politician: But then you invited me for the dinner. So it is
you who should be paying the bill.
Tempers were rising. The drinks were having effect. Both the
politicians caught hold of each other’s shirt collars. All hell broke
loose. Supporters of both the politicians began exchanging blows.
Bottles and glasses were flying all over the place. Chairs were
being flung and tables over-turned. Glasses and empty bottles
were used as missiles.
In the commotion the first politician quietly left the restaurant
through the back door. He headed straight to his car. But then in
all the chaos he had left the keys of the car back in the restaurant.
He ordered the driver to break the window of the car so that he
could get in. The driver did just that. He drove straight to the
police station. Both the politicians lodged complaints with the
police. At the press briefing that followed both them said that
they would be sending the hotel bill to the High Command. The
next day the High Command sent a cheque to the hotel management
and gave both the party colleagues a dressing down and a piece
of written advice. It read “You Goan politicians should learn to
drink within limits. It would be better if you do not mix drinks
with politics. And the next time see that you pay your own bill. If
we are going to sponsor your party every time, our party-coffers
will be empty in no time.”

Letter of the Day Letters to the Editor

GBA cannot do it alone
P L Fernandes, Old Goa
With hindsight it looks, the only chance
the Goa Bachao Abhiyan had, after they
achieved the scrapping of Regional Plan
2011 was to field and support candidates
of integrity or simply go into politics. Now
everything is frittered away with former
core members now based elsewhere. Some-
one did a very good job of infiltrating and
sowing dissent within the rank and file. If
the GBA goes from taluka to taluka and
village after village explaining to people
about the need to down-size or change
the government it is a futile task. People
already know what the GBA and Regional
100 Years Ago
PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS
6 November 1910
Governor stops perks
The Governor of Goa determined that
henceforth, all the Government employ-
ees will receive nothing besides theirs
salaries. As such, any further gratification
and perks will not be authorized unless
it carries the sanction of the Budgetary
Law.
Meliapur pilgrims coming
It is reported that the Archdiocese of
Meliapur is organizing a massive pil-
grimage which will arrive Old Goa during
the exposition of the Body of St Francis
Xavier.
Commercial Treaty meeting
The Foreign Minister of France had a
prolonged meeting with Constancio
Roque da Costa in regards to the Com-
mercial Treaty which was signed by the
previous Government.
Royal trappings abolished
Is going to be published by the Provi-
sionary Republican Government in Por-
tugal, new Decrees abolishing the
Chamber of Peers, the State Council,
the Nobility Titles, and banishing the
Dynasty and secularization of Charitable
Institutions.
Printed and published by Vinayak Pai Bir for and on behalf of Herald Publications Pvt Ltd. Printed at Herald Publications Pvt Ltd, Plot No: L-135, Phase II, Verna Industrial Estate, Verna, Salcete, Goa. Published at PO Box 160, Rua Sao Tome, Panjim, Goa - 403001. Editor-in-chief: Mr R F Fernandes. Editor: Ashwin Tombat
(Responsible under PRB Act). Regd Office: St Tome Road, Panjim, Goa. Tel: 2224202, 2228083, Fax: 2222475 (all Editorial); 2230535, Fax: 2225622 (Advertising); Margao: 2737689. Mumbai Office: 16-A, Bell Building, 2nd Floor, 19 Sir PM Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400001 (Tel: 22840702/22844908). RNI No: 43667/83.
HOW TO CONTACT US: mail@herald-goa.com — For press notes, general queries. junioryouth@herald-goa.com — Junior Herald & Careers. heraldmirror@herald-goa.com — Sunday Mirror. reporters@herald-goa.com — For Reporters. business@herald-goa.com — For Business news. editor@herald-
goa.com — For Letters to the Editor. sports@herald-goa.com — For Sports news. advt@herald-goa.com — For Advertisements. 2day@herald-goa.com — For Herald 2day. tiatr@herald-goa.com — For Tiatr Reviews and Reports. Disclaimer: Except for the editorial above, articles and letters in Herald
represent the views of the concerned authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Herald editor, publisher, and/or owners.
Plan is. What they need to do now is join
hands, even with the Devil himself, in ad-
dition to the National Highway Diversion
Action Committee and BJP even, with one
voice and common intentions to face the
forces.
Using the Bible
Pia Barreto, by email
This has reference to the letter ‘Misusing
the Bible’ by John A. Fernandes (Herald, 4
Nov). The rule of The Catholic Faith is based
on the Bible just as it is, as it has been
read in the church since the time of the
Fathers until now. It is precisely the fidelity
to this reading of the Bible that has given
us the saints who were often uneducated
and at any rate, frequently knew nothing
about exegetical contexts. Yet, they were
the ones who understood it best” – The
Ratzinger Report ‘ 91, Cardinal Joseph
Ratzinger, the present Pope Benedict XVI.
Need for Morality
James Moraes, Cuncolim
India is famous for scams. Whether CWG
or Adarsh, all political parties are involved
in them. It is a shame that politicians
grabbed the land set aside for war heroes.
Is there any place for morality anymore?
The Congress should learn morality from
late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri,
who resigned due to a railway accident.
Today, we hear cases of corruption against
so many politicians including our Goan
politicians. The government waits for
‘proof ’ and the cases run for years. Finally
a weak judiciary allows the politicians go
scot free. At least Mickky Pacheco and
Dayanand Narvenkar had the morality to
resign from their positions
Christ and Christianity
J. Fernandes, by email
This is in regard to the article’ Jesus was
the greatest yogi’... (Heartbeat, Herald, 24
Oct). In yoga, salvation (moksha) is a liber-
ation from the human condition and a flight
into nothingness achieved through enlight-
enment. In Christianity, Jesus brings salva-
tion to man by suffering and dying on the
Cross. Yoga is never Christian. Christianity
follows a linear path – birth, death and
final resurrection of our body, and not the
ernment imposes this draconian section
Secret Ballot? Really?
at the drop of a hat, whether it is retired Paths of Wisdom
teachers or GBA members marching to the
Angelo Alvares, Margao CM’s residence. This draconian section 144
When I went to cast my vote my electoral serial number was noted on the counterfoil was used during the British raj to prevent
of my ballot paper by the election staff. I also observed that the ballot paper as well law and order problems. The Congress led
the counterfoil carried the same serial number. This procedure does not comply Government should think before hurting
with the principle of ‘secret ballot’ since any one can match my ballot paper with the the religious sentiments and actually
counterfoil where my identity has been noted. Even if, for administrative purposes, demonstrate the secularism they are so
serial numbers are needed on the counterfoils, the ballot paper should not contain proud of.
any such number or for that matter, anything other than the names and symbols of
the candidates. All ballot papers should be identical and no one should be able to Of Official Convoys
match the ballot paper with the voter at any future date. The best alternative would Jerry Fernandes, Vanxim
be the use of EVMs. No explanation has been given as to why the same were not
I read the news ‘Woman injured in mishap
used. Can the relevant authority please clarify? with CM’s convoy jeep’ (Herald, 30 Oct)
with great sadness. In this connection, I
birth, death and rebirth process. In Yoga, is facing terrible traffic bottlenecks. This fail to understand why the convoy jeep
Remember the
the self ultimately becomes god… In Chris-
tianity, one denies self and believes in God.
has increased the amount of honking of
private vehicles that honk for no reason
and the vehicles following it speed up so Small Things
fast so as to put the poor pedestrian’s life Mother Teresa
We need to study the Bible and theology creating noise pollution in the city. There in danger. If any minister/MLA wants to go
better to understand Christianity. is a need for the Traffic Police to step in Some of my sisters work in Australia.
anywhere, maybe for inauguration, meet- On a reservation, among the Aborigines,
and control this noise pollution by creating ing, etc, why should the vehicles run at
Urban disaster Silent Zones in the city. Those violating there was an elderly man. I can assure
such speed? Are the Ministers missing you that you have never seen a situation
Augustus Alphonso, Vasco the Silent Zones should be fined heavily. something? I think even an Ambulance
Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Ale- with a critical person in it will be slower
as difficult as that poor old man’s. He
Hindu groups agendas was completely ignored by everyone.
mao has said that the government would than these ministers with their convoys. His home was disordered and dirty.
give priority for revenue generation projects Marcos Alemao, Varca These ministers can always leave earlier I told him, “Please, let me clean your
and drive at a proper pace instead of putting
to make B and C class Municipalities finan- Ajmer blast has opened the Pandora Box house, wash your clothes, and make
cially strong. These idiots in civic bodies of hidden agenda of the Rashtriya Swayam- the life of the aam admi in dire straits. your bed.” He answered, “I’m okay like
were asleep for decades; municipal chair- sevak Sangh against humanity (Herald, 24 this. Let it be.”
persons kept changing and municipalities Oct). The RSS and Bajrang Dal are first to CO Acharya Margao’s hope I said again, “You will be still better
have become petty revenue generating point to Muslim organizations or Pakistan, Jose Maria Miranda, Margao if you allow me to do it.”
bodies. These civic bodies are always in- whenever there is bomb blast in the coun- A sizeable number of Congress backed can- He finally agreed. So I was able to
terested in bribes and foolish means of try. The involvement of RSS leader Indresh clean his house and wash his clothes. I
earning money. If only they could stop Kumar in the Ajmer blast has raised ques-
didates getting elected does not indicate
discovered a beautiful lamp, covered
a vote for development as claimed by the
complaining and propose various means tions about whether the RSS could also be CM. Madganvkars do not understand what with dust. Only God knows how many
by which they could generate revenue, the called a terrorist outfit like SIMI. The in- years had passed since he last lit it.
development the CM is talking about, as
problem could have been resolved long volvement of activists of the Sanathan they have seen enough of it during his 3- I said to him, “Don’t you light your
ago. Sanstha in the Margao bomb blast last year lamp? Don’t you ever use it?”
year tenure as CM. Sometime back, he as-
has also raised the same question. serted that he had such plans for Margao He answered, “No. No one comes to
Wrong timing that people would thereafter wonder if see me. I have no need to light it. Who
Philip da Rocha, Aldona Draconian Section 144 there was anything left to be done for Mar- would I light it for?”
Rui Ferreira, Panaji gao! Yes, Mr CM, in your dreams. If the I asked, “Would you light it every
This has reference to the letter by Marcus
newly elected MMC wants the help of the night if the sisters came?”
Alemao ‘Well done Churchill’ (Herald, 30 The imposition of section 144, in the entire
public to undo the mess Margao is presently He replied, “Of course.”
Oct). He has stated that the timing in gov- jurisdiction of Panaji Police station including
in, it is the bounden duty of every civic- From that day on the sisters commit-
ernment offices is from 9:30am to 1:45pm, around Panjim Church on November 2,
minded citizen to lend his/her support. ted themselves to visiting him every
which is incorrect. The timing during the from 12 noon for 24 hours was meant to
The new MMC must take it up as a challenge evening. We cleaned the lamp, and the
morning session in Government offices is prevent the National Highway Diversion
to give Madganvkars, who have suffered sisters would light it every evening.
from 9:30am to 1:15pm. Action Committee rally. It was also a blatant
enough, the best administration. Luckily Two years passed. I had completely
violation of the fundamental right of wor-
we have a competent and upright Chief forgotten that man. He sent this mes-
Ban honking of vehicles ship of Roman Catholics. Catholics in Goa
Officer in Prasanna Acharya. Attempts to sage: “Tell my friend that the light she
Cajetan Peter D’Souza, Mumbai observe All Souls Day on 2nd November
shunt him must be vigorously resisted for lit in my life continues to shine still.”
and Section 144 exposed them to the mercy
The number of private vehicles has in- it is only with a courageous and impartial I thought it was a very small thing.
of police officials who have been known
creased so much these days that the city CO that the Council can work effectively. We often neglect small things.
to be ruthless in such situations. The gov-