Goans, Not Goanese.......Please!!

By Vasant Nevrekar

The following article was submitted to TGF by well known Goan journalist, Ben Antao. He scripted thus: The late Vasant Nevrekar was a journalist (Free Press Bulletin, Bombay) press attaché at several Indian consulates and rapporteur (1980-81) of the UN committee on information, New York. The following article is from his memoir titled A Peep into the Past, which is a collection of his columns written for the Gomantak Times, Panjim. In 1950-51 he taught at New Era high school in Margao, where my older brother was finishing his matriculation. He and my brother became lifelong friends. I met Vasant in 1960 at a party given by my brother at our place in Bombay. Vasant was accompanied by his friend L. S. Bhandare, an architect and freelance journalist, whom I got to know better in Panjim in 1963-64. I thought I'd type out his piece and post it for TGF readers. Enjoy it.


One would find it difficult to believe but it is true that at one time Jawaharlal Nehru thought that a majority of Goans were either cooks or butlers.

Speaking at a public meeting in the Capital (New Delhi) sometime in the '50s, he lashed out at the critics of his government's policy on the Portuguese possessions in the country and, apparently in an attempt to minimize the gravity of the problem, said without rhyme or reason that "after all most of these people who are cooks and butlers live outside the territory."

Now, a great many of us were, indeed, living outside Goa but not being either cooks or butlers, were understandably upset and even hurt at these remarks by none other than the country's prime minister! There were editorial comments and letters to the editors in the Indian press from many Goans taking umbrage to this uncalled for statement. The Goans, however, knew that Mr. Nehru had made it in a lighter vein and that it was out of character for him to denigrate anyone. In any case, in that heyday of his political career, Jawaharlal Nehru could get away with murder, in a manner of speaking, of course!

Even more than three decades after the Liberation, many misconceptions about Goa and its people persist today not only among non-Indians but sadly also among people in the rest of India. Over the years, I have come across many of them who have found it difficult to believe that anyone with a non-Christian last name like mine can be a Goan. "Surely, your ancestors must have migrated to Goa from Maharashtra at some point in time in the territory's history," is their considered opinion on the subject. What is more, to the even educated among them, a Goan, more often than not, is a Goanese!

During the disturbances in Goa on the issue of language some years ago, I recall reading a dispatch from Panjim in a prominent Indian daily, which, among other things, referred to the 'subdued' Christmas celebrations in the territory which the paper's (non-Goan) correspondent called 'predominantly Christian!'

In 1954, when Goa hit the headlines following the shooting down by the Portuguese security forces of the unarmed satyagrahis who were trying to cross into Goa, I happened to visit Delhi from Goa (where I was working at the consulate general) for an interview connected with my job. Having come to know that I had arrived straight from Goa, the learned member of the interview board questioned me closely on the widely reported developments in Goa.

"How was the situation in Daman and Diu when you left Goa?" he asked me at the end of the grueling 'cross examination.'

"I am afraid, Sir, I do not have any firsthand knowledge of the situation there," I replied.

"Why not? Are they not part of Goa?"

"They certainly are, in a sense," I said, "but, Sir, if you would kindly take the trouble to look at the map, you will notice that they are separated from Goa and from each other by quite some miles."

At this point the member nervously signaled one of his colleagues to take over. I must, however, say in fairness to him that I was selected for the post in point in spite of (or perhaps because of) my 'impertinence.'

It is now some years since Goa attainted statehood. I do not know what difference the change in its status from that of a Union Territory has made to others. I, for one, sadly miss the expression of bewilderment on the faces of people to whose spontaneous assertion on hearing my family name that I must be a Maharashtrian, I always reacted (rather gleefully) by saying, "No, not really, I am only centrally administered."

[TGF comment:  TGF does NOT accept the above Nevrekar comment "The Goans, however, knew that Mr. Nehru had made the majority of Goans are either cooks or butlers comment  in a lighter vein. We submit that Mr. Nevrekar, gracious as he was trying to be in his book, could have known WHAT the majority of Goans at the time, thought of that comment.

Not even in jest should that ridiculous comment have been made. First of all, it was plain false and secondly, what exactly was Nehru's problem with the culinary profession? 

TGF believes that Nehru was downright bigoted  & firmly prejudiced against Goans. He showed his contempt by NOT even making an attempt at consulting Goans about their own future. There is NO question in TGF's mind that Nehru, along with his sidekick, VK Krishna Menon, used the well known principle Might is Right. They used it for political reasons. Theirs, not those of Goans.

As long as there are unscrupulous and arrogant leaders in the world, we will continue to see convenient use of Force in the "interest of Freedom". Yeah Right !!

TGF]

This Vasant Nevrekar article has been submitted to TGF by
Ben Antao
December 10, 2002

other articles on the topic:

Niz Goans beat the Goa-nese!

Niz Goemcar

Who are True Goans?

other articles by Mr. Nevrekar

To Krishna Menon with Gratitude

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