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Vol No CIX No: 339
To the Nations and Nation: Francis Xavier and Joseph Vaz
Goa, Saturday 5 December, 2009 TEOTONIO R DE SOUZA analyses the contributions of Francis Xavier and Joseph Vaz, each within his historical context
Voyage of courage I
n 1984 I was invited by the Goa Archidocese to when the disorientation was caused by the
deliver a talk to some pilgrims who had satyagrahis , regular pilgrimages organised by the
assembled at the tomb of St Francis Xavier. I colonial Church authorities to the tomb of St Francis

W
hen he was 16 years old, Salil Chaturvedi had a scooter
accident in Allahabad, and suffered a serious spinal injury.
The accident may have broken his back, but it certainly
did not break his spirit. Since then, this remarkable young man
went on to play wheelchair tennis, write award winning prose,
script and act in television serials, and live life to the fullest possible
in his circumstances.
On Wednesday, he became the first paraplegic (paralysis of the
lower half of the body) in India to sail from Mumbai to Goa in a
small sailing boat. He completed the journey over eight days,
covering a total distance of 240 nautical miles (450 km) in a boat
with just the most basic of facilities.
Salil’s epic sail concluded on the eve of World Disability Day, on
3 December. However, even though the media featured it
prominently, between the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas
Tragedy, the concluding functions of the International Film Festival
of India (IFFI) and the Feast of St Francis Xavier, it did not make
quite the impact it deserved to.
This is precisely the point Salil seeks to make, that society
needs to be much more sensitive to the needs of the disabled.
Basic tasks such as access to shops, government offices, public
transport, places of leisure and entertainment such as parks and
cinema halls, even public toilets or the ATM, become impossible
for a disabled person, merely because of the absence of simple
aids like ramps and wider access doors. There is a huge gap in
understanding this and taking ordinary measures for the inclusion
of handicapped people into normal life. India needs to travel many
miles to empower its disabled citizens.
“I undertook this journey to bring about awareness on access
issues that make life difficult for differently abled people. There is
an urgent need to form partnerships, without which we can do
nothing. Governments, corporates and individuals need to start
thinking about collaborations and understand the needs of disabled
people. We should be able to go to cinema halls, parks and other
public areas with ease,” Salil said in his brief speech at a function
held in Cidade de Goa to commemorate his successful voyage.
The 2002 National Sample Survey reveals that Goa has 22,000
disabled people in Goa, excluding mental illnesses. Yet, it is only a
few years ago, after it was ordered to do so by the High Court, that
the government has set up ramps and railings at government
offices. Salil’s feat shows that given just a few facilities, the
differently abled can work shoulder to shoulder with most of us.
He underwent a strict six-month physical training programme
and learnt to sail under the guidance of his coach, Umaji Chowgule,
who accompanied him on the trip. More people need to
demonstrate the kind of commitment that Umaji did, or displayed
the concern shown by the Godrej Group, which sponsored the sail
chose to call it ‘To the Nations and Nation: The
Apostle of the Indies and the Apostle of Ceylon’
(Renovaçäo, Bulletin of the Archdiocese of Goa, XV,
n.4, Feb. 1985, pp. 65-67).
The main argument of that talk remains relevant
and open to reflection till date. Francis Xavier
represented the powerful Iberian power of those
times and simultaneously the hierarchical authority
of the Tridentine Roman church, backed by the
moral authority of the Society of Jesus in ascendancy.
Francis Xavier was consequently backed by
considerable authority, notwithstanding his own
personality traits and zeal.
Francis Xavier had extraordinary means at his
disposal during his lifetime, and even his miracles
post mortem were supported by the powerful
propaganda machinery of the Jesuits. The political
power of the Castillian Philips was also helpful and
it is not suprising that two of the early Jesuits, both
Spaniards, were beatified in a jiffy (Ignatius of Loyola
and Francis Xavier) in the early 1620s. The
canonisation process and the celebrations that
followed in 1623 were a grand manifestation of
the political power of the Spanish rulers who could
gain added legitimacy for their rule over the
Portuguese empire at the time.
Francis Xavier needs to be understood in the
context of his times and mentality. It is no use
attributing to him political motivations of today
when he requested the King John III of Portugal to
set up the Inquisition in Goa. He also had religious
convictions very different from those of Vatican II.
Thus for instance, writing from Cochin to the
Portuguese king in 1545, he conveys his feelings of
pity for the wretched souls of the Indians: “Your
Highness has every reason for urging those whom
you send here to labour tirelessly in propagating
our holy faith and promoting our religion, since
Your Highness knows that God will ask an
accounting of you with respect to the salvation of
great many nations that are ready to follow a better
way if there were one to show it to them. But since
they have no one to teach them, they are immersed
in the darkness of ignorance and stained with
grievous sins; and, since they continue to offend
their Creator, they are wretchedly hurling their
Tongue in Cheek
HISTORICAL EXPLORATIONS
souls into eternal death.”
In the same letter, Francis Xavier also showed
his concern for Sri Lanka: “I believe that Your
Highness, whose duty it is to care for your people in
India, will be pleased to know the extent of the
labours that are being undertaken for the salvation
of souls. In Jaffnapatam and on the coast of Quilon
more than one hundred thousand souls will easily
be won for the Church of Christ before the end of
this year.” Right enough the intervention of the Jesuits
in favour of the Paravas exploited by the Muslim
pearl fishers in the Gulf of Manaar got an abundant
crop of souls and pearls to the Portuguese. The
interest for Ceylon started there and also in its
cinnamon and elephants.
A Sorbonne-based lady historian who has been
analysing in recent years the Jesuit missionary
activities in India, including the historiography related
to Francis Xavier, has quite a few texts published
and online that could shock the pious devotees of
Going To The Movies
the saint. She tells us, for instance, that Xavier’s
mission among the Portuguese was exclusively for
the benefit of the men and their heroic mercantile
and proselytising enterprises. Women remained
obstacles to these lofty concerns (even if the Jesuits
themselves encouraged marriages), either as
nagging and quarrelsome wives or indigenous
“oversexed” concubines.
To an early Jesuit chronicler in India, it was
“mundo, diabo e carne” that stood in the way of
the Portuguese success in Asia, and woman
incarnated all of these. The same lady historian,
Ines G Zupanov, concludes that Xavier and the Jesuit
missionaries in general provided a service to the
dislocated and often morally and culturally
“disoriented” Portuguese in Asia. When this
disorientation was the result of the Maratha
menace of Sambhaji, the Viceroy sought security
by handing over his ceremonial baton to St Francis
Xavier. Much more recently, prior to Liberation,
Xavier sought the intercession of the saint could
deliver them from the deliverance!
Contrary to the grandiose missionary figure
projected across Asia by the Portuguese empire,
the post-colonial Church has returned to the Vatican
II-promoted concept of local church and the
communion of local churches, wherein Joseph Vaz
appears to be a better model of a missionary for
Asians: someone who “incarnates” better the
values of Jesus, who made no display of his power
and political influence.
The courage displayed by the Goa Archdiocese
in declaring this beatified Goan native Oratorian,
who salvaged the practice of Catholic faith in Sri
Lanka during the Calvinist occupation of that region,
from where white Catholic religious orders were
flushed out, as Patron of the Archdiocese needs to
be considered a historic mark and contribution to
the understanding of the post-colonial model of the
missionary Church.
I would recommend to all interested in
understanding and appreciating more intensely
and extensively the role played by Joseph Vaz and
his Oratorian colleagues to read the historical
documentation translated and published by V
Perniola, the former Jesuit provincial of Sri Lanka.
It consists of 3 volumes each for the Portuguese
and the Dutch colonial occupation of that island-
nation, and 4 volumes for the British period till
1863 (The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, 1505-
1863, 10 vols, Dehiwala, Tisara Prakasarakayo
Ltd, 1989-2001). Presently, I see no substitute to
these volumes, which alone permit us to know
about the continuity of the Oratorian presence
and enterprise in Sri Lanka, after the Religious
Orders were disbanded by the Portuguese liberal
regime.
Alongside the missionary aspect of Goa’s
historical past, a deeper study of the lives and
activities of Goan Oratorians could shed light upon
other cultural and political aspects that await
research. We need complete lists of these
Oratorians and their family connections in Goa.
Was there any link between them and the colonial
politics behind the Pinto Revolt? This trail may
deserve some attention.  
By Adelmo Fernandes

as part of their ‘Brighter Horizons’ programme.
While his endeavour may have taught us many things about
the human spirit and endurance, Salil too learnt something; that
the horizon never ends and there is always more to do. All we
have to do is get ourselves a boat...
It ain’t over
T he decline of the US housing market, which triggered off the
worldwide recession, is not over yet, Moody’s Chief Economist
Mark Zandi believes. He says US home prices will soon start
moving downwards again, as a flood of foreclosures looms. US
real estate, he says, will hit rock bottom in the third quarter of
2010, after declining 38 per cent.
Despite all the hopeful indicators, the recession isn’t over yet.
It started with crashing home prices, and will end only when they
move up again. The US unemployment rate reached a 25-year
high of 10.2 per cent in October, and is expected to peak at 10.7
per cent in the third quarter of 2010. The pain, clearly, isn’t over
yet.
T
he past week or so, the one thing that probably was on everyone’s
mind was stars, actors and movies, thanks to the International
Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the coverage that it got from the
print and electronic media. Even if going for the movies was the last
thing we would do on a weekend, one was reminded of this world of
make-believe due to IFFI.
While on the subject, why not go back a few decades into the past
and recall what the movie scene was like then. As far as I can remember
I was an avid fan of English movies, especially those that had a lot of
action. I still cannot forget epics like ‘Guns of Navarone’ ‘The Poseidon
Adventure’ and classic Westerns like ‘The Good, The Bad and The
Ugly’ and, of course, ‘Mackenna’s Gold’. These movies, among several
old ones, were a thrill to watch.
During those days the price for a ticket in the lower stall was
seventy-five paise. The price for the ticket in the upper stall was a
rupee and twenty–five paise, while tickets for the balcony, which had
push –back seats (a luxury in those days) were sold for two rupees
and eighty paise. There was always a rush for the morning shows,
which mostly featured English movies. Most of those who bought the
tickets by jostling and pushing one another were not the ones who
had any inclination to watch the movies, but the ones were out to
make a quick buck by selling the tickets at a premium as the cops
looked the other way. The buzz was that the police were hand-in-
glove with these people who sold the tickets on the black market.
One of my favourite cinema theatres, which I frequented quite
often, was Cine Vasco in my home town which has put off the lights
several years ago. Incidentally the other cinema hall – El Monte –
has stood the test of time and is still spinning the reels. There was
no air-conditioning in the theatres. The only comfort from the
oppressive heat and the stale air was the over-head rotating fan,
which at times made so much noise that it was difficult to hear what
the actors were saying.
Every movie always started with the national anthem and people
stood at attention through it. Then followed a series of advertisements,
followed by the government news reel and trailers of movies to hit the
town in the near future. This was followed by the much-awaited
feature film.
Movie theatres were a get-away for young lovers (they still are).
Balconies had special enclosures where the love birds would gather.
I vividly recall that a vehicle belonging to the theatre owner would go
around the city announcing the latest movie to be screened there. In
those days there were nothing like a film festival. There were no
massive posters and cut-outs of the popular actors. Every movie was
a ‘festival’ in itself. We always looked forward to going for the movies
with our parents and, better still, with our friends.
Compare this with the modern-day world of cinema. The good old
cinema theatres are closing down. Some well-known movie halls
have been razed down to make way for shopping complexes. Now
you do not have to go to faraway theatres situated to watch your
favourite movie. All movies are screened under one roof. The concept
of multiplexes has taken root. But there is a glitch. The prices of the
tickets are quite prohibitive.
It appears that watching movies in theatres is now the privilege of
a privileged few. Once you enter a multiplex, even buying popcorn
and a soft drink can burn a sizeable hole in your pocket. Of course,
these modern-day theatres have all the luxury. There is the central air-
conditioning. The sound appears to be coming from all directions.
Then there is piped music even in the toilets, which are incidentally
fixed with modern gadgets. This includes a hand-dryer so that you do
not have to wet your handkerchief to dry your face. But all these
luxuries come at a price. In today’s world, taking out your family for
the movies is beyond the reach of many. Movie-going has become
more of a luxury. But fortunately such people need not lose heart.
They can always rent a VCD and watch the latest blockbusters in the
comfort of their home.
As for me, I will always miss the cinema halls of yesteryears.
Fortunately, there are a handful of them around. Some renovation
work on them could help make movie-going a pleasant experience
once again.

Letters to the Editor

Unfair pension system
Anjali Desai, Margao
The new pension system of the government
involves investing Employees’ Provident Fund
in the share market and exposes one’s life
savings to the vagaries of market forces.
Besides, there is no minimum rate of interest
guaranteed. One needs to pay income tax on
the accumulated savings under the new tax
code at the end of one’s career.
Government servants who joined after 1
January 2004 are compulsorily covered under
this system. The provident fund contribution
of some government employees has not been
refunded years after they have resigned,
probably due to the government’s indecision
on processing funds of those who resign from
their jobs (instead of retiring at 60). Some
people say they will get back their contribution
100 Years Ago
PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS
5 December 1909
Clube Vasco shifts
The new Clube Vasco da Gama was finally
installed at the Palace of the Count of
Mayem, giving up the claim over the edifice
of the Comunidades.
Overcrowded canoe fined
A fine of Rupees 12 was imposed by the
Captain of Ports on a canoe from Sanquelim
for transporting to Old Goa pilgrims in far
excess to the allotted capacity.
Rice prices come down
The price of rice has come down due to
good harvest reaped from many places in
British India as well as Karachi and Ran-
goon (Burma).
Dr de Sousa’s work approved
The dissertation of Dr Domingos Roque
de Sousa, was approved at the inaugural
function of the Medical College.
only when they reach the age of 60.
There needs to be an open debate on the
new pension system in the media before
making it compulsory for employees. Left
parties had objected to this scheme earlier
without much success. Some economists need
to clarify the implications of the new system.
Educational hub-ris
Averthanus L D’Souza, Dona Paula
The government’s decision on selecting 1.20
lakh square metres of land owned by Davorlim
communidade for setting up a ‘multi-purpose
utility’ project, which also includes an
education hub (Herald, 2 December) is
disturbing from several points of view. As
education is a fundamental right of every
citizen and needs to be provided at the
doorsteps of the citizens, the very notion of a
restricted space for setting up educational
institutions violates the principle that
education is for all. Secondly, the ‘multi-
purpose utility’ space contradicts the very
purpose of education and culture. Does the
Collector really believe that the overall
development of society will be achieved within
the confines of 1.20 lakh sq m meters of
enclosed space? The statement made by G P
Naik, “The government will work out a scheme
and offer the same to the educational
institutions. The scheme would propose
common facility such as playground and other
amenities” proves that he has not applied his
mind to this project.
This appears to be another land-grab scam
by the government to acquire land from the
Davorlim Comunidade and sell it at a huge
profit to private developers in the guise of
setting up an educational hub. The citizens of
Goa do not need any ‘hubs’. They already
have too much hubris to cope with, due to
greedy politicians and inept bureaucrats.
AIFF’s weird stance
Praxy Fernandes, Sankhali
What have Bob Houghton and the AIFF
achieved in the last 10 years? The graph of
the ranking of the Indian football team shows
us the victories of the Indian team during the
The Goa Government needs to be in tune
Paths of Wisdom
Letter of the Day with public sentiment in defending the rules
and finding ways and means of implement-
ing them rather then looking for ways out.
Midday meals Dubai crisis only a blip
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
The midday meal programme is a central government scheme which is extended to every The editorial ‘The Dubai debacle’ (Herald, 2
school. Earlier raw rice was distributed only to the primary section. Elsewhere in the Dec) shows that the economy and financial
country, as schools are conducted in two sessions, meals are a must. As schools in Goa are system of the UAE is strong enough to survive
in close proximity to homes, students can return home for lunch. the present crisis. The real impact from finan-
The Goan standard of living and per capita income is higher than many other states. The cial events in Dubai will not be much for In-
menu with suggested items of proportional nutritional content needs to be circulated to the dia, except that remittance flows from Du-
parents and their written consent obtained. The items should be such that it should be bai, which account for about 10 per cent of
convenient to prepare and distribute them. Packed food items available in the market are overall remittances, could see a slowdown
desirable. The midday meal scheme is not a profit-making or employment-generating in the short term. It would affect the move- Auguries of Innocence
scheme. ment of workers from India and the recruit-
ing trade may take a hit. The economy will By William Blake
The school PTAs should be persuaded to undertake preparation and distribution in the
best interest of their own wards. The appointing authority needs to closely monitor hygienic bounce back and once the hue and cry dies To see a world in a grain of sand,
surroundings, quality and proportion of packed items. The schools are only expected to do down, Dubai will emerge as strong as ever. And a heaven in a wild flower,
a site test and not to certify taking responsibility before distribution. If they suspect Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
contamination to discredit them, the observer needs to be made a part of the distribution The sabotage at Kaiga And eternity in an hour.
process. Food poisoning and foreign bodies are serious matters, even when they are S Kamat, Alto Betim The prince’s robes and beggar’s rags
isolated incidents. Are toadstools on the miser’s bags.
The application of this scheme en masse is undesirable as the school lags in facilities of The deliberate attempt to contaminate drink- A truth that’s told with bad intent
siting, drinking water, washing, toilets, etc. These matters need to be attended to first. ing water with heavy water (tritium) at the Beats all the lies you can invent.
Kaiga nuclear power plant has been exposed. It is right it should be so;
present coach’s reign against club sides rep-
Seeking ways to make noise Tritium vials are taken from various parts of Man was made for joy and woe;
resenting their countries in lowly rated foot- the nuclear reactor for testing. Is there no And when this we rightly know,
ball tournaments. A J De Souza, Calangute foolproof system for accounting for these vi- Thro’ the world we safely go.
Houghton is talking about suspending The pleadings made by Shantaram Naik in als at the testing lab and at the time of dis- Joy and woe are woven fine,
the Dempo from the I-League for not the Rajya Sabha (Herald, 3 December) state posal to ensure none of them go missing? A clothing for the soul divine.
allowing injured players to participate in that Shantaram Naik MP intends to relax the Anil Kakodkar has promptly declared that Under every grief and pine
the preparatory camp. Dempo Sports Club noise rules. It is apparent that there is a strong the contamination at Kaiga is an act of sabo- Runs a joy with silken twine.
has made a fantastic contribution to Indian vested interest in favor of noise making tage and further mentioned that a similar
football. Do Bob Houghton and the AIFF activities which has both monetary and incident had occured in Tarapur some time Every night and every morn
ago, where the culprit/s were apprehended. Some to misery are born,
have any common sense? How can injured political components. Every morn and every night
players be called for such camps in the first According to the Rules, the state Kakodkar retires soon. One wonders wheth-
Some are born to sweet delight.
place, that too when the doctor attending government may subject to such terms and er he would have branded the Kaiga incident
Some are born to sweet delight,
to these players is a medical doctor of the conditions which are essential for noise as sabotage or possibly hushed it up, as was
Some are born to endless night.
national team and knows about the pollution, permitting bursting of sound- probably done with the Tarapur incident, if
We are led to believe a lie
injuries. emitting fire crackers and usage of amplifiers his term was not expiring.
When we see not thro’ the eye,
We should appreciate Armando Colaco for during the night hours 10.00pm to 12 pm on Which was born in a night to perish in a
questioning the AIFF. He needs to inform Bob or during cultural or religious festive occasions Letters should be 150 words or less in
and AIFF that if any player of European football length, and should have the writer’s night,
of a limited duration not exceeding fifteen When the soul slept in beams of light.
gets injured while on national duty, the club days in all during a calendar year. The name, address and telephone number.
is reimbursed and compensated by the concerned Magistrate needs to specify in The editor reserves the right to edit let- God appears, and God is light,
ters for size and readability, and to To those poor souls who dwell in night;
National Football Association. The player also advance the number and particulars of days
delete any personal attacks or libellous But does a human form display
gets all the support and is not left to fend for on which such exception should be opera-
/objectionable matter. To those who dwell in realms of day.
himself as is happening in India. tive.

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