Goa’s history is not chicken Kolhapuri – By Nisser Dias

Some years down the line our grandchildren will ask us, why did you’ll allow a ‘ghatti’ to become chief minister of Goa? They would want to know whether there were no Goans worth their salt, that a non-Goan was made the chief minister of Goa. The fact of today will be history of tomorrow. And we will have to narrate them the facts. That a perceived intelligent ex-chief minister late Manohar Parrikar decided on his deathbed to bestow his crown on a non-Goan ignoring all the other elected Goans. That is late Manohar Parrikar’s legacy. Pramod Sawant is an RSS and ex-chief minister’s decision was influenced by his RSS community. This is also a fact and will also become history. Thus, Goa’s history is not chicken Kolhapuri, Mr. imported chief minister. Very recently the ‘bhailo’ chief minister of Goa Pramod Sawant has called for wiping out signs of Portuguese culture in Goa. It is best that we ignore these imprudent and senseless statements as Kolhapur chief minister of Goa is thoroughly unlettered in Goa’s history. By trying to show he knows Goa’s history, he is making a fool of himself, bigger than the Goans all around the world know him to be. BJP and RSS have mastered the art of distorting history, but however much they might try history is well documented, archived not only in India but all over the libraries in the world and hence will remain what it is.

But to meet or rather fulfill their agenda, BJP and RSS are distorting history in school text books basically to indoctrinate young minds towards their point of view. Pramod Sawant might have taken it upon himself to carry out the same exercise of twisting or re-writing Goan history in Goa, however he should remember it is not chicken Kolhapuri to experiment with it by adding and subtracting ingredients and spices. Goan history is not chicken Kolhapuri to wipe away with chapati. There is no denying that the Portuguese during their 451 years of rule in Goa resorted to atrocities and demolished temples. We have to live with it irrespective of our choice. At the same time, we cannot overlook the good that the Portuguese did. The Uniform Civil Code which no other state in India has. Property and civil laws, Heritage monuments, Goa’s unique houses and not forgetting fruits and vegetables they introduced in Goa. Not forgetting allowing Goans a gateway for employment, a better lifestyle through Portuguese passport. And who is this outsider Pramod Sawant to call for wiping out signs of Portuguese Culture? We would perhaps like to erase that a non-Goan is the chief minister of Goa. Unlike the ‘ghatti’ chief minister Pramod Sawant, we cannot dwell in the past but be forward-looking. What Pramod Sawant and his party doing is just hate-mongering and they have made violence their virtue only for the sake of power. Lest this ‘ghatti’ forgets, Portuguese have realized the follies of the past. And today have allowed temples to be built in Portugal. Does the communal element like Pramod Sawant see this? For the BJP and RSS and Pramod Sawant who is also an RSS, even the Constitution of India is an aberration because Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar fondly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar added the word ‘secular’ in its preamble, which they want to do away with. For the non-Goan chief minister of Goa Pramod Sawant, to rake up a non-issue of the Portuguese demolishing temples in Goa is nothing but political. His intentions are to create a situation like Ayodhya during the demolition of Babri masjid in Goa, polarize voters and win elections.

This design is evil as it will create a divide between various religious communities living harmoniously in Goa and has to be condemned and outrightly rejected. Portuguese came, resided in Goa and were made to leave, during the 451 years period of colonial rule they did good as well as bad. Mr. ‘ghatti’ when will you leave Goa? Pramod Sawant is simply trying to rake up a whimsical issue to cover his misgovernance and mal-administration. The height of his inefficiency is that he could even name the Mopa airport properly. Or maybe he wants to wipe late Manohar Parrikar’s so-called cooked-up legacy.
In conclusion, Mr. Pramod Sawant, Goa’s history is not your native chicken Kolhapuri.