Are all Freedom Fighters genuine? FFs’ unfortunate display of anger against fellow Goans. -- By Jose Maria Miranda

Jose Maria Miranda

It is an undisputed fact that Goans, during the foreign dictatorial rule, displayed much more courage and determination in fighting issues concerning Goa and Goans than they show today. It was not alone in matters of civil liberties, freedom of expression, end of Portuguese colonial rule, autonomy, etc but also those related to the State and people’s welfare that Goans stood up for fearlessly and tenaciously. While those who demanded civil liberties and autonomy under the Portuguese were looked upon with suspicion and considered persona non grata, those who demanded the ouster of the Portuguese and Goa’s merger with India were treated badly and many incarcerated and deported, some having suffered even torture for several years.

These people who suffered both physically and psychologically to attain freedom for us ought to have commanded great love and respect from the beneficiaries of this great gift. Unfortunately, that does not seem be the case. And for the sake of fairness, I must emphatically say that it is not right to paint all the Freedom Fighters with the same brush.

I have the greatest regard, and surely many do, for the genuine ones. A few, I understand, have not even availed of the pension and I salute them. But this is immaterial here. However, what is regrettable is that some who do, were apparently charged with other offences and turned into “freedom fighters”. Until a few years back, people from all over the country were still being enrolled as FFs – under what circumstances, why so late and where were they for half a century, is still an enigma. It may be interesting to know their ages. But such enrolments, without a whimper from the genuine FFs, have immensely lowered their prestige in the eyes of the people. Secondly, and this is a resentment I fully share, the FFs did nothing after the take-over to safeguard the interests and address the concerns of Goans against the inevitable invasion of outsiders with serious repercussions to our demography and our own existence.

On the contrary, some people, not necessarily FFs, in their enthusiasm to please the new rulers, shot down attempts in that direction. The inevitable eventually happened and this is perhaps the main reason for this resentment, which was not witnessed some decades back. May I quote here FFs like Lambert Mascarenhas who asserted that he preferred the Goa of Portuguese days and Prabhakar Sinari who lamented that Liberation had only benefited politicians, lobbies and migrants? Thirdly, hardly any FF has been vocal or active against the outrageous destruction of Goa and Goans, the corruption and loot witnessed in the last few decades.

A few FFs gave recently a call to the Government to “punish” Goans who registered their birth in Portugal, claiming that these were fully aware of what they were doing. Any true blooded Goan who has love and concern for his Goan brethren would have appealed to the Government to find a way out for these people for the simple reason that they themselves have not sought Portuguese citizenship, which they could easily do if that was their intention, and even if they did, they would go to UK or elsewhere, for Portugal can hardly manage jobs or accommodation for their own people.

Far from it, they called for them to be punished. I must tell these honourable gentlemen: i) Had safeguards been ensured by you and had you fought for the rights of the Goans for a decent livelihood, those who chose to leave, much against their will, some leaving their dear behind, did so solely in search of livelihood and to support their families. ii) Their decision is not out of love for Portugal, which they have never seen or will ever see, but out of an opportunity that arose, which could save them from penury or misery. iii) Their decision is no different from millions of Indians who have acquired foreign nationality and refuse to be back despite offer of good jobs. iv) Goa does not belong to you and me, who are on our way out, as much as it does to these young people who love Goa dearly but were constrained to leave it behind.

It is surely imprudent for Goans who are doing reasonably well here to leave Goa for an uncertain situation abroad. The target of FFs being Goans who have only registered their birth, it is obvious that they wish to deprive them of privileges both in India and in Portugal, as the latter does not concede any benefits of settlement, travel, vote, etc to such solely registered individuals.

My appeal to the FFs who have voiced their views is: Your anger against the Portuguese is perhaps understandable, though the generation responsible for your ill-treatment may be no more. But do not extend it to your own Goan brethren. Vassalo e Silva suffered because he refused to carry out Salazar’s instructions, which would have caused destruction and bloodshed. Hence, do not bracket all the Portuguese in the same league. In general, they are lovely people and did not indulge in racial discrimination unlike the rulers of the rest of India.

I was recently told by an elderly gentleman that he had himself seen a big board in “Rendez Vous” restaurant in Colaba around 1947 displaying “No entry to Indians and dogs”. Remember that if our rights and privileges were safeguarded in 1961 by you and in 1974 by you and me, we would have not had this situation today.  And last but not the least: please do not betray your communal colours, which some of you did also in case of grants to Diocesan schools, though a majority of students in these schools are non-Christians. It behooves you to be different.