The Case of “Pensão” 

Berardo Pinto Pereira
 

I really do not know what is the translation of the word “Pensão” in English. Could be alimony or better perennial alimony? 

Well, the situation is that many properties and pieces thereof, held originally by Goans, prior to the Portuguese arrivals, were either donated to the Temple / Church or Relatives with a guarantee that the original owner (donor – in more refined English, it is called “settlor”) will perennially receive some spiritual relief. The speculated relief was in terms of donations to the Temple / Church most of the time in the name of the settlor. 

While the above may be factual, in all the years of my “existence” in Goa / India, and pretty close to “Ecclesiastical” quarters in Goa, I did not much bother to make a research and understand what the implications and the theology of this situation was. For me, in those days (and probably till now), the matter is and continues to be a sheer “waste of research time”.

However, a few years ago, when my mother was still alive, (she was around 80 years then), she brought the issue up, and very categorically stated to me that we have not paid our Pensão in recent times. Well, she was advancing in age, and I too did not carry my “hot blood” in the veins. I consulted here in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the late Archbishop Anthony Pantin (a local Trinidadian individual). He understood the situation very well, and told me to give him the details, as he would require consulting with the Archbishop of Goa, to determine the case, as well as to determine if there has been any Papal exemption in the matter. (Papal Bull or Bula of the days gone by. I do not know how many of us remember that you had to purchase Bula to eat meet on Fridays, as well as, had to purchase Bula so that the guest could also eat meat! And then again, before the purchase of Bula, the relations from Bombay would send in their holiday plans so that the Bulas were purchased for them before 31 January…. Etc etc) 

To cut the story short, it may all be that the yearly present prasad-oil and a bag of rice-a tradition in my family all these years from Miranda’s family has to do with pensão. It requires investigation. 

The Question of Names: 

This does not refer to the Miranda’s story, but in a related manner to the issue of Names and what Fernando do Rego wrote a few days ago about the Blessed Jose Vas. 

How many of us are aware that in 1920 – 1940 period, especially in places like Poona (now Pune), the Fernandes, Sousa and Rodrigues started calling themselves as surnamed “Edwin”, “Marcellus”, and “Roberts”. I am not sure whether these families did really change their names through the due process of the law, or they just indulged themselves in having these anglicized surnames, which eventually, got accepted in all the quasi-legal matters (In India this is still possible – and I am confirming this from my personal experience). I am in possession of a birth certificate issued in 1935 by the Bombay Municipality and baptism certificate issued by a Church in Bombay, and both of them state that the nationality of the father of the child is “Goan”.  

I presume all of this was done by our ancestors to seek admissions to their offspring in the so-called “Anglo-Indian” schools and then to “Anglo Indian” jobs! Probably it was a need of the time. 

A similar situation arose after 19 December 1961. Many João Manuel became Prakash João Manuel etc. The Anglo Indian syndrome had changed to Indian syndrome. 

The Indian syndrome, at this stage went further, the surnames too got affixed with the “original” – prior to 14^th century – surnames. (One family prior to 1961 which carried combination surnames was Naik Mergulhão of Navelim).  

To a reader, the rational for the name changes, etc. from the above are obvious. Of course, the obvious can be carried over to Jose to Joseph and Zuze! Again, from my personal experience, if you handle your names improperly (that is different from the baptism or civil register states) can land into some serious problems! 

Of course, there is another problem with the Goan names / surnames, as those are basically of Portuguese origin and phonetics. Vaz or Vás written for a Portuguese reader would make more or less the same sound when pronounced. However, English does not accept accents, therefore Vas becomes vas is Konkani (meaning smell, often than not with pejorative connotation), therefore I am sure Blessed José Vas decided while in Ceylon to write his name as Vaas – emphasizing therefore a strong “a” consonant sound similar to the sound of “á”. 

On the names, therefore, this is my contribution. 

Conversion to Christianity: 

It does not make much sense to me to discuss the issue of Portuguese Inquisition in Goa, neither “forceful” conversion, as we will never be able to understand the whole psyche of those who got themselves converted and the psyche of those who converted. 

In a slightly similar manner, a friend of mine came down to Goa in December 1961 to celebrate the “liberation”. He was then around 22 years of age and spoke with enthusiasm the glories of Bharat! I was about 18 then, and well … I leave to your imagination my reactions! 

In any event, I met the same gentleman in Bombay last year (2001). The most important issue he wanted me to talk to him was to direct him to some of my contacts so that he could claim his Portuguese Nationality! How the values change? 

In the same vein, would some of us who proclaim today that our ancestors were “forced” to become “Catholics” , stated it in 1940s and 1950s. Or would our ancestors state it as forcefully as we do now-a-days? To push the argument further, in the years to come (future look), some of us could well say that “our grandfather forced my father to fornicate my mother” and that’s how I am! (Early last century philosophers have said that already tough!) 

The point is that we cannot change history, and the history we create to ourselves and to our progeny ought to be “defence mechanism” free! Anything else makes no sense to me, and it is sheer waste of time! 

That’s how I would like to rest my case! 

Berardo Pinto Pereira
February 26, 2002