KURRACHEE

 Patrick de Sousa 

[ TGF : As we probably know, the Goan diaspora has taken Goans to many varied and even far flung places. Some are from Salçete, others from Bardez; some are citizens of India, others of Portugal or USA or Pakistan etc.  Some live in Goa and have known no other place while others  have never been to Goa .......et al et al et al. While each Goan has a deep and abiding love for Goa and its mystique, there is also an individual loyalty to the land which gave him or her the best years of youthful enjoyment -  wherever that land might be. This article is written by Patrick de Sousa who was born and grew up in Pakistan ]


Did the subject raise any eyebrows? Yes, it was the original name of Karachi, my birthplace, in the Sindh Province, and considered to be the cleanest city in Asia. It was in those hey days of undivided India, the British Raj, where there was true respect for the law and uniform and equitable application thereof. 

Of course, the Britishers received their royal treatment, but that is the largesse of royalty!

I asked several common folks (those without any political agenda) after partition, as to whether they thought the so called "Independence" had bettered their lot and received the same answer, that they would have referred a status quo, i.e., undivided India under the British, where they perceived offered greater equity and fair play. 

It was in my early teens that Jinnah and Nehru had each carved their niche, Muslims getting what is now known as Pakistan, including Bangla Desh, formerly East Pakistan, and Hindus the rest. The minorities, i.e., Christians, Jews and Buddhists had to fend for themselves and were assimilated within the majority' infrastructure.

Of course, East Pakistan is now history, and the future is, and always shall be a mystery.

Karachi had a sizable Goan population. A majority of them lived in Saddar (previously known as Camp) and St. Patrick's Church (now Cathedral), had a magnificent marblestone Christ the King Monument which was an outstanding landmark which had a commanding view from across the length and breadth of that prominent Clarke Street. To the right of the church was St. Joseph's Convent School for girls and to the left was St. Patrick's High School for boys. Of course, most of the street names have changed.

St. Patrick's High School, which was my alma mater, had an outstanding reputation for being one of the best schools for boys. There was strict discipline -- no sparing the rod to spoil the child. St. Lawrence's School, Cincinnatus Town, in which area our house was located, taught only up to the elementary grades. There were also several other Parish schools.

Goans also lived in Cant. Area near the railway station, Keamari (the sea port), Manora Island, Depot Lines, Soldier Bazaar and Cincinnatus Town. The Catholic Colony 1 and 2 were new developments which were considered to be in the outskirts of the city. After partition, the sprawling city put our Catholic Colony No. 1 home in the heart of Karachi.

Many streets were named after Goans, such as Britto Road, DeAbreu Road, and D'Cruz Lane. Goans held top positions in the Customs, Municipality, Police and Government Offices. They were also Judges, Magistrates, lawyers, doctors, businessmen, and a Mayor. 

The unique Goan tradition of forming Clubs flourished in Saddar, where one could find clubs from most Goan villages all along one street. Here mostly men could find a reasonable, safe and secure place to live. All these clubs had a prominent altar for individual or group devotion. 

During the feast of Christ the King, the entire Catholic community would gather in St. Patrick's Church. Most Goans in the Saddar area, would light up and decorate their houses along the procession route with religious symbols. The exposed Blessed Sacrament was carried under an elaborate canopy and people knelt in adoration as It processed. A solemn benediction at the Christ the King Monument concluded this grand annual event.

As I had stated in my last October posting: Pleasantest Childhood Memories, Karachi had an amalgam of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsees and Jews.

However, the 1947 Partition of India led to the exodus of Hindus and Sikhs and the influx of Muslim refugees or panagirs as they were then referred to.

In front of our house, it was common place to see Hindus being disemboweled and various other atrocities were committed by both factions within their respective newly acquired boundaries. Our Hindu friends pleaded with us to give them religious objects, or symbols, like The Crucifix, to display on their neck-chains, or Rosary, and even learnt some basic prayers. 

Many Goans in Karachi cooperated with or shielded their Hindu neighbors during those brutal times.

The cleanest city soon became a quagmire, as mass migration resulted in refugees setting up tents or huts on sidewalks, and the lucky took over vacant evacuee properties, albeit by force, because possession was considered as good as ownership. 

Our house, which was considered to be in the outskirts of the city, soon became the hub center, more so after Quaid-e-Azam M. A. Jinnah was buried on the hill directly across our home. It also became the staging ground for demonstrations, protest marches and open hostilities, where many a bloody duel was fought.

Based upon reports I get from relatives and friends in Karachi, the general population is very pleased and optimistic with the present regime of General Pervez Musharraf. 

They see a silver lining in the sky, and my only hope is that whatever is best for us, may come to be. Yes, Pakistan is there to stay, and it is a force to be reckoned with. Their Jawans are true Bahadurs, and there is this martyr spirit or zeal (believing in One God) which gives them quadrupled strength.

But, in the final analysis, nothing can bring back the Karachi, or Kurrachee, which I knew. There is only nostalgia that will always flourish and keep those fond OLE times alive in my memory. 

On our last visit to Karachi, the metamorphosis was so dramatic, that it was hard to comprehend the changes from the old era to the new.

Pakistan Zindabad.


Patrick de Sousa
Feb 7, 2000 

Karachi Goans by Lenny Barreto

Karachi Goans & Goans everywhere by Edgar Martins

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