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- Ema Souza-Colaço
Several months ago, our good friend, Alfredo de Mello, sent us a copy of an article in Portuguese. It was an interview with the famous Goan and Portuguese lawyer and politician Dr. Narana Coisoro ( English = Narayan Kaisare ). I have no knowledge of, nor an opinion on Dr. Coisoro's politics or political views. I just found this article fascinating. This is a fellow Goan who has succeeded brilliantly in Portugal. This is a Portugal which has afforded a Goan the opportunity to succeed so brilliantly. Bravo Dr. Coisoro and Bravo Portugal ! If only the rest of us would follow your lead. [ The Xerox copy did not have the name of the magazine nor the name of the interviewer, save VIP. However, that is not of as much import as the interview itself. I have translated the interview into English and will post a paraphrase of the translation on TGF. Hope you will enjoy it even though I have not utilized the appropriate accents, so vital to the Portuguese language] Ema
July 29, 2000
The VIP Interview with Dr. Coisoro A few minutes from Caldas da Rainha on the banks of Lagoa de Obidos, Dr. Narana Coisoro has a dream house surrounded by the greenery of trees he has planted himself, horses, cows, ducks and 18 dogs. It is a privileged contact with nature. The interviewer (VIP) was received at this beautiful holiday home by the learned professor cum lawyer and politician, his wife Maria Teresa and two daughters Smita and Maria Helena. VIP was treated to a delicious lunch including Prawn curry, mutton xacuti and a dessert, all rich in Goan flavours . These would be delicacies that would feature in Monte Horebe, the Luso-Goan restaurant that Narana and Teresa Maria Coisoro were planning to inaugurate, very shortly, in their estate - Monte do Sinai. Dr. Coisoro indicates that he was born in Goa 66 years ago. He came from a family of lawyers and his father hoped that Narana would be a judge. This meant that he would have to pursue further studies in either Lisboa or Coimbra before returning to Goa. While in his final year at University, he decided that he'd rather continue an academic career in law than be a judge. He had an invitation from Adriano Moreira to teach at the Instituto Superior das Ciencias Socias e Politica Ultramarina ( the Higher Institute of Social Sciences and Overseas Politics ). After a year of research on 'overseas administration' in Lisbon, he proceeded to London to study for the Doctorate in African Political Science. He was 26 years old at that time. He remembers always having an inclination towards politics. In his first 'jornal de liceu' in Goa, he wrote on several issues relating to overseas politics - often in a very critical tone. It was however after the April Revolution ( in Portugal ) that he truly entered partisan politics. He was invited by the CDS to be their nominee and elected to parliament in 1976. Dr. Coisoro revealed that he met his wife Teresa Maria in Coimbra. They were apparently introduced by common friends and fell in 'love at first sight'. Maria Teresa describes her husband as a "star" who because of his intelligence, has become socially and politically well known. Narana reveals that he was naturally attracted to Maria Teresa because of her beauty. Over the 36 years of marriage, he had come to admire her character, her intelligence, her creative ability and her will to achieve; all, in tandem with her dedication to her family. Asked why they had decided to construct a home in this locality, Dr. Coisoro replied that Teresa knew this locality and its beauty from her childhood days. Teresa is a native of Caldas da Rainha. Her father had a small piece of property in the area. After they were married, they built a holiday home there. It was on a hill near the lake and the first house to be built there. When they built the house, there was no water, electricity connections nor transport to the place. Everyone thought that they were crazy to build in such a place. But the past 10 years brought a lot of improvement to the place and today " it is considered chic to have a house here ". The Coisoro home now houses a good number of items which are of sentimental value to Narana & Teresa as well as mementoes of their travels. Dr. Coisoro spoke about the different animals he had within the estate. He said that animals meant a good deal to them - " they could not live without them ". He also said that he was a Hindu and the "cow was a very special animal to him". A friend from Santarem had offered him a calf, Esmeralda, who later gave birth to Nandinho. One day, at a fair, he saw a little boy and his grandmother walking two goats for sale. He bought them. The dogs, were either rescued from the streets or received as gifts. " We cannot live without this contact with nature. We cannot live too far from the sea. The sea means a lot to us. To certain people, it separates continents and people. To us, it is something which unites. It is the language of proximity that we have from the sea that strengthens us and gives us extraordinary energy. Dr. Coisoro revealed that he travels to Goa every two years. " I have good memories of my parents, my colleagues at the Liceu and of life in Goa." He remembers Goa as a "paradise, which it still is today ". He spoke about the education, his parents gave him and of the values they taught him. He said that he maintains those values till today and has advised his daughters accordingly: to be honest and straight in life, to make it in life through hard work and not through easy methods. He said that he never played the Bolsa nor did he hope to gain anything from the Lotto. Asked if he would return to Parliamentary politics, Dr. Coisoro said that he had quite a few Parliamentary "saudades da vida". But, he added that the decision to return to Parliament depended upon the appropriate moment; a moment which had not yet been reached. The interviewer VIP asked of Dr. Coisoro : " you have always been known for your upfront attitude, independent of the forces that can turn you around. Is that the best manner of staying in politics and in life in general ?" Dr. Coisoro replied that "it is" . " Hypocrisy pays dearly and subservience, much more. Therefore, a person should be free to say what he thinks and correct his own errors for his own betterment. A person should be "free" and not a " sim sim " person ( yes man ). Asked about the possibility of retuning to Goa, Dr. Coisoro indicated that they wanted to build a house in Goa, not to live there permanently but to spend time in both places. =============end of paraphrase of VIP article ======
ps: Since the interview and its publication, I understand that Dr. Coisoro is back in elected office.