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OPINION
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O HERALD O
Vol No CX No: 218 Mauritius and Goa
Goa, Saturday 28 August, 2010

there are amazing common historical linkages between Goa and Mauritius, says tEotonio r DE soUZA
A question of
livelihoods W hile at Mauritius enjoying a week of
summer break early this month, I could
get a first hand glimpse of the island
introduced the printing house. This administra-
tor-cum-botanist and member of several science
academies introduced a wide range of spices. He

S hiva Kholkar has been washing cars and motorcycles at
Panjim’s Municipal Garden since 1975. The Ros-Omlette
‘gaddos’ at Margao’s Old Bus Stand were before all except
the oldest among us remember. The stalls outside Panjim’s
Cine Nacional − gone now − were the only places where
citizens could get food or buy essentials late in the night.
All these small businesses not only provide much-required
services to Goa’s citizenry, they also provide a decent livelihood
for the ‘aam admi’. Yet, the government and municipalities seem
intent on getting rid of them. How does this help Goans?
On Thursday evening, prominent citizens washed a car near
the Panjim Municipal Garden in protest against the Corporation
of the City of Panjim’s (CCP’s) quixotic decision to put an end to
car and two-wheeler washing services that the public has availed
for over 35 years now. For Shiva Kholkar and other car washers
of Panjim, whose families depend on their earnings from this
business, the question is: “What will we do to earn our living
now?” Does the CCP have an answer?
It is inhuman to take away ordinary people’s livelihoods. If
the CCP’s objection is that they were using municipal water free
of charge (actually, they drew water by hand from a well in the
garden), it could charge them a fee. If it is that their washing
ruins the road, it is easily rectified by concreting that portion of
the road and providing suitable drainage. But they should not
be deprived of their daily bread.
Some of the speakers at the protest said that the washers
could be ‘rehabilitated’. Now that is a loaded word. In fact, the
‘gaddekars’ (kiosk operators) of Panjim have been ‘rehabilitated’,
theoretically. Their kiosks, located on pavements near Cine Na-
cional and the garden near the Government Printing Press, have
been removed. They have now been given stalls on the upper
floors of the Panjim Market. Even if they set up their businesses
there, their clientele is gone forever. How do they, then, make a
living? If Margao’s Ros-Omlette ‘gaddos’ are ‘rehabilitated’ in
some godforsaken corner of the city, who is going to buy their
fare?
In a state where unemployment is so high and the people are
not suited for manual labour, occupations that they can successfully
do must be safeguarded, not got rid of. Especially not for the so-
called reason trotted out by CCP officials, that car washing would
‘mar’ the beauty of the Municipal Garden. The CCP officials say
that next they will crack down on mechanics using footpaths for
their business.
May God save Panjim from these unfeeling bureaucrats. We
have a barely-functioning Municipality that is full of scams. And
the people who claim to be running it; who are unable to even
do their own jobs properly, want to stop others from doing
theirs…?
and verify what I knew from my past readings
and limited research. Some decades back I pub-
lished an essay about French slave-trading in Goa.
It can be read online at Scribd – http://scr.bi/9djabh
– along with another hundred-odd published re-
search articles related to Goa’s history and culture
that were widely dispersed and difficult to access.
The Mhamay Kamats had been the commercial
correspondents and brokers of the French in
India. Their papers were handed over to me in
the early ’80s and are now preserved at the Xavier
Centre of Historical Research (XCHR). They are
open to bona fide scholars for consultation. They
enabled me to throw fresh light on several little-
known aspects of Goa’s past, including slave trad-
ing by French adventurers who acquired slaves
from Mozambique for sale in the coffee and sugar
plantations in Mauritius, other places in India,
or even Macau, via Goa. Earlier, the French had
tried to take slaves from Madagascar, but found
them “insolent and idle”.
La Bourdonnais had served the Portuguese
from December 1729 till 1732 as naval captain.
He was even awarded the honour of the Order of
Christ, but abandoned service when the Por-
tuguese lost interest in the project of recovering
Mombaça. However, his contacts with Portuguese
officialdom, and particularly with successive gov-
ernors of Mozambique, permitted him to work
out clandestine and lucrative deals in slave traffic,
despite all official attempts of the Lisbon gov-
ernment to put an end to it. The Jesuits and Do-
minicans had their own interests to facilitate the
French slave trade, which amounted to an average
of around 1,000 slaves annually.
The Mhamay documents permitted me to cover
the human traffic between the years 1773 till
1791. The correspondence mentions Mr Rondeau,
a surgeon in Mauritus, and also several traders
like Villeaulet & Neucent, Galinem, Pitot & Frères,
Monneron Brothers, Gattereau & Co.
The period covered saw the peak of the French
slave trade in East Africa; during the peace that
followed the American War of Independence, and
till the beginning of the Napoleonic wars. Many
of the slaves were destined for America, with a
nearly 500 per cent profit per slave. Indian cottons
were doing well, as a means to acquire the slaves
for sale to the French. The British capture of the
islands of Mauritius and Bourbon in 1810 put an
HistoricAl ExplorAtions
effective end to French slave trade. Studies by
Edward Alpers and, more recently, Pedro Machado,
are enlightening in this respect.
Little is still known about French activities in
Goa during colonial times. We know that British
troops occupied Goa under pretext of the
Napoleonic threat, but even earlier, during the
Anglo-French wars for control of India, the British
feared the collusion of Hyder Ali and Tipoo with
the French to take over Goa.
My recent reading of some Kannada papers
from the Mhamay collection, and documentary
references presented by two other scholars at
the recent International Seminar on Indo-Por-
tuguese History in Marseilles, corroborate my
hunch that most historians so far may have been
misled by Cunha Rivara’s research on the Con-
spiracy of the Pintos in 1787. The English dealings
with the Marathas need to be better analysed to
lay bare the English interest in taking over Goa
without disturbing the traditional friendship of
Portugal with its oldest ally in Europe.
The capital and main port of Mauritius, Port
Louis, was founded by French Governor Bertrand
François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1699-1753),
who had assumed the name Mahé following his
conquest of that region of Malabar in 1724. It
was not his name that was given to the French
colonial settlement of Mahé in Kerala, but the
reverse. Mahé in India is said to derive its name
from the Malayalam Mayazzi, meaning ‘eyebrow
of the sea’. It is surrounded by Kannur on three
sides. Would Mayem in Goa and Mahim in Mumbai
have related linguistic origins?
When La Bourdonnais was appointed Governor
of Ile de France (Mauritius) and Bourbon (Reunion)
in 1735, he gave a huge impetus to the agricultural
economy of the islands. We in Goa attribute most
botanical transfers to the Portuguese, and often
miss the larger colonial scenario in which the
French, too, deserve credit for similar interests
and actions. Often these were in reverse, from
India and East Africa to Brazil via Ile de France.
The French sought to transform the island of
Mauritius into a centre of spice cultivation, in
order to reduce a virtual Dutch monopoly. La
Bourdonnais introduced índigo and cotton, in-
creased sugar plantations, and introduced tapioca
from Cabo Verde to improve the diet of the black
slaves.
Following him, an ex-missionary and adminis-
trator of the islands, Pierre Poivre (1719-1786)
also encouraged the culture of fruit trees and
was one of the instigators of laws concerning
the protection of nature.
It is to Poivre that the Mauritians owe the fa-
mous 25-hectare spread of Pamplemousses gar-
den, home to giant water lilies, orchids (which
now find a lucrative market in the EU) and varieties
of flora, including 60 species of palm trees, in-
cluding Traveller’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis),
a fan-shaped plantain tree which holds sodium-
rich water in its leaves and trunk, and can be pre-
cious for thirsty travellers. Curiously, the bothe
– the yellow trumpets (Allamanda cathartica) that
grow in most Goan cemeteries – are the national
flower of Mauritius and used in welcoming social
rituals.
The Indo-Mauritians comprise about 70 per
cent of the population, much of it from the influx
of indentured labour from South India between
1834 and 1909. Earlier Dutch slavery to Cape
Colony also shared the Mauritian destination.
It is noteworthy to mention that the first two
governors of the Cape were Indo-Creoles. Simon
van der Stel’s grandmother (Maria Lievens’ mother)
was Monica of Goa, an Indian slave. Maria was
married to the Dutch Governor of Mauritius, and
Simon was born aboard a ship in Mauritian waters.
He was raised till 7 years in Mauritius and until
20 in Batavia. Governor Willem Andriaan van der
Stel (1664-1733) was the great-grandson of Monica.
The majority of Mauritians are Hindu (77 per
cent) and a significant group are Muslims (22 per
cent). There are also some Christians and Sikhs,
but they do not add up to even 1 per cent of the
population. I was told that various Indian lan-
guages are still spoken, especially Bhojpuri, Tamil,
Hindi and Urdu. But most Indo-Mauritians speak
a French-based Creole language at home, and
French in public. Goddess Durga occupies a central
place in the cultural-religious life of Mauritian
Hindus. Since 2007, a giant 30-metre Shiva statue
dominates Ganga Talav, just as Anerood Jugnauth
dominates Mauritian politics.
Multicultural and multi-religious harmony, to-
gether with a visible concern for the environment,
is something Goa could learn from Mauritius. It
has learned to exploit the best of its colonial her-
itage and its natural resources, through the
politics of tolerance and well-planned cultural
tourism.

Scuttling the Shuttle

Tongue in Cheek
pay, perks and politicians By Adelmo Fernandes

W hat’s the point of banning Kadamba Transport Corporation

(KTC) buses from entering Panjim and Margao? The Col-
lectors, who have issued the orders, say that it is to ease the
traffic congestion during the mornings.
The point of starting the non-stop inter-city shuttle services
was to help commuters get to work faster if they were willing
to pay a little more, to shore up the finances of the loss-making
KTC. If, after paying the extra, commuters still have to take a
city bus to get to work, losing time as well as money, it will
convert a win-win solution into a lose-lose fiasco.
The problem may be that the KTC has started using large
buses for its shuttle services, instead of mini-buses as originally
intended. Putting time limits on the entry of large buses into
the cities may bring about a compromise that helps every-
one.
O ne would expect our respected Members of Parliament to
take up issues that are of concern to the general public.
But last week, they showed just how concerned they were
about themselves. They wanted a hefty raise in their pay packets.
There was a ruckus in Parliament over the issue. And, the politician
who led them in this demand was none other than former Bihar
Chief Minister and former Railways Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.
The fact that he is presently neither a Chief Minister nor a Union
Minister may be the reason that Lalooji was so vocal about the pay
hike. Or, maybe madam Rabri Devi is not too happy with the money
her husband brings home nowadays, at the end of every month.
Be that as it may, Lalooji railed long and loud on this matter,
rallying all MPs, cutting across party lines. And Lalooji once again
became a real-life hero overnight.
The government buckled under pressure and raised MPs’ salary
by 300 per cent, from Rs16,000 per month to Rs50,000 per month.
But what is really surprising is not the demand for an increase, but
the fact these politicians had been surviving on a meagre Rs16,000
all these years. It is probably less than the salary drawn by a peon
in a Public Sector Unit. This could only be because these members
do not rely on their pay packets for their sustenance. It proves
that these politicians have other sources of income, and their
salary is just a red herring to fool the general public.
How else does one explain a politician spending crores of rupees
before elections? Spending huge amounts to get elected and draw
a salary of just Rs16,000 defies all logic. Are you telling me that all
these ‘public servants’ actually put service before self and have a deep
desire to serve the general public? If that is the case, then, leave alone
demanding a raise in their pay-packet, these politicians should not
draw a salary at all, and work as honorary Members of Parliament.
But the politicians are not happy with even with a 300 per cent
raise. In a game of one-upmanship, they are demanding a pay-
packet of Rs80,001 – one whole rupee more than the pay drawn
by Secretaries to the Government of India.
But no one seems to be talking about the perks these MPs enjoy.
In fact, the perks dwarf their salaries. It is understood that just
maintaining the lawns outside the bungalow of an MP costs the
taxpayer about Rs25,000 per month. The rent of the bungalow
runs to about Rs57 lakh per year. Then there are allowances for
furniture, conveyance, air travel, free train travel for the whole
family, etc. Given all the perks they enjoy, it seems that these MPs
do not need to draw a salary at all.
But then, I am reminded of a song of yesteryear, by those bad
boys of rock-n-roll, the Rolling Stones, called: ‘I Can’t get no Sat-
isfaction’. It seems impossible to satisfy human beings, especially
if they happen to be men or women in power. In contrast, if some
factory workers were to demand a pay-hike, they would have had
to come out onto the streets. Politicians are probably the only
breed that decide what their own salaries should be and get exactly
what they ask for. Did someone say something about ‘having your
cake and eating it too’?

Letters to the Editor

River Princess RIP
Inacio V Fernandes, Candolim
The delay in awarding the tender to remove
the grounded MV River Princes from Can-
dolim beach for the last 10 years, shows
the efficiency of our government. The gov-
ernment purposely delays the tenders. We
are fed up of the Digambar Kamat govern-
ment.
The residents of Candolim have decided
to take a delegation to Delhi and meet Con-
gress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi, and ap-
prise her of the delaying tactics by the
Government, and inaction by the judiciary.
We will carry pictures of Candolim beach
from 10 years ago and the present.
Salgaocar Mining Co should compensate
shack owners from Dando, who have suf-
fered owing to the presence of the River
Princess. The Kamat government should
not take Candolkars for granted.
100 Years Ago
PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS
28 August 1910
New Viceroy
Lord Charles Hardinge was appointed
the Viceroy of British India.
Candolim, Bicholim roads
On the 11th of last month, new roads
from Pilerne to Candolim and from
Baga to Bicholim were opened to the
public.
No money for Railways
Lord Kitchener stated in the Municipal
Council of London that trade from India
has to increase substantially in order
to support new broad gauge railway
lines.
New Bank in Vasco
The Chartered Bank of India, Australia,
and China is opening a branch at Mor-
mugao to ease traders’ woes.
Majestic courage!
Nandita de Souza, Porvorim
I would like to congratulate Shrinivas Nayak,
the chartered accountant of Hotel Neo Ma-
jestic, Porvorim, and the management of
the hotel for their bravery in exposing the
extortion racket by members of the Shiv
Sena. In a society where many of us are si-
lenced by fear of reprisals from goondas,
the bold and courageous act of Hotel Neo
Majestic stands as a testimony of ethical
behaviour, which deserves hearty applause.
Thanks for strengthening my faith in the
integrity of human beings.
Mischievous
Soter D’Souza, Socorro
‘What is Peace and Justice?’ by Luis Fernan-
des (Herald, 26 August) gives the impression
that he was either distracted by the only
cup of tea he was served and, in the bargain,
grossly missed out on the presentation, or
was probably peeved that the ‘buffet and
booze’ culture of the politicians and builders
was not followed by the organisers.
Apart from the mischievous attempt to
ascribe caste connotations to the event, he
has also, without justification, jumped to
the conclusion that others have lost their
ability to do manual work in the fields. As
to the rest of the facts about this successful
event, I leave it to those who were present
to testify.
Kickback compensation?
B V S Priolkar, Margao
One has to go through many formalities to
get government land; it takes months, even
years, if one is fortunate enough. But the
SEZ developers got huge tracts of land in-
stantly. Everything was meticulously
planned, but the projects could not take
off owing to public dissent, and the kick-
backs to those involved suffered. The land
is in their possession, and the issue is in
court.
The SEZ developers have now sought
compensation to the tune of Rs1,500 crore,
for alleged ‘loss’ suffered. Since none of
them have spent huge amounts of money
or set up plant or machinery, is this money
to compensate for the kickbacks paid to
well at night, for they are responsible for
Letter of the Day giving sleepless nights to so many Goans. Paths of Wisdom
Third district?
Let Salgaocar remove the Princess Tony Correia-Afonso, Benaulim
Goa is the smallest state in the Indian Union.
Anil V Madgavkar, Verem
In fact, it is smaller than every one of Ma-
Advertisements by Salgaocar Mining Co say that they are willing to remove the MV harashtra’s 35 districts, except Greater Mum-
River Princess at their own cost, and are willing to give a performance guarantee to bai. But tiny Goa has already been divided
the government. It is my personal opinion that in the present circumstances, the gov- into two districts. And the powers-that-be
ernment should award the work to Salgaocar Mining Co, and take a Performance now propose to add a third!
Bank Guarantee of Rs150 crore from Salgaocar Mining Co. One fails to understand what purpose The Wedding Feast
This way, if Salgaocar Mining Co successfully removes the wreck at its own cost, would be served by this futile exercise, be- Jesus again used parables in talking to
the government will save Rs125 crore. And if Salgaocar Mining Co fails to remove the yond adding to the numbers of the already the people. “The Kingdom of Heaven
Princess, the government will be able to encash the bank guarantee and will have bloated bureaucracy, straining the state’s is like this. Once, there was a king who
Rs150 crore available for removal of the wreck by any other party. This makes it a win- revenues and adding to the already heavy prepared a wedding feast for his son.
win situation for the government. burden on the taxpayers’ shoulders. He sent his servants to tell the invited
Titan Salvage will definitely not be able to complete the work before May 2011,
guests to come for the feast, but they
simply because all its main assets are presently involved in the removal of the wreck Afraid of Ravi did not want to come. So, he sent
‘Vinca Garthon’, in the North Sea, in Europe. As per the company’s own projection, it Nitin Y Lamture, Ponda other servants with this message for
is likely to complete that work only by November 2010, after which it will take at the guests: ‘My feast is ready now; my
least two to three months to wind up and tow the jack-up vessel to Goa. As such, the Why is the BJP after our Home Minister,
bullocks and prize calves have been
earliest the company will be able to begin the removal of the MV River Princess with when he is doing his job well? After Ravi
butchered and everything is ready.
its jack-up barge will be February 2011. It will then have little or no time to complete Naik took over as Home Minister, many
Come to the wedding feast!’
removing the wreck before the onset of the monsoon. crimes were quickly detected. Even police
But the invited guests paid no at-
Under the circumstances, accepting Salgaocar Mining’s offer with a Rs150-crore officers suspected of involvement in crimes
tention and went about their business;
bank guarantee is the best alternate available at the moment. were not spared.
one went to his farm, another to his
Ravi is not an empty vessel like some BJP
shop, while others grabbed the ser-
Goan politicians that they now cannot re- each other, were suspended. These days, we leaders, who are afraid that his son will
vants, beat them and killed them. The
contest the next polls and win. The recently-
cover? regularly encounter people who do not know
what it means to be good citizens, have no joined NCP members are getting free pub-
King was very angry; so he sent his sol-
diers, who killed those murderers and
licity by attacking Ravi. Where were they
More on Parrikar honesty or integrity, and are crude, rude and
when their own minister was in the dock?
burnt down their city. Then, he called
uncaring. Unfortunately, our educational sys- his servants and said to them, “My wed-
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
tem gives qualifications without education! ding feast is ready, but the people I in-
My thanks for the sarcastic compliments in Statue desecration vited did not deserve it. Now, go to
the letter ‘Parrikar, Jerry and Nitin’ by Lies and falsehoods Mathew J D’Costa, Curchorem
Leonardo E Lobo (Herald, 23 August). People
the main streets and invite to the feast
Antonio Lobo, Mapusa On the intervening night of 1 May, statues as many people as you find.” So the
like Leonardo are free to give their own servants went out into the streets and
philosophies on bankruptcy, but should The news report ‘No mechanism to check at Guardian Angel Church, Curchorem, were
desecrated. Almost four months have gathered all the people they could find,
never expect liberal/secular people like us Goan work force: GIDC’ (Herald, 25 August), good and bad alike; and the wedding
to glorify a communal manipulator like says the IDC is unable to verify the percent- passed, but the case remains unsolved.
We have full faith in the Crime Branch, feast was filled with people.
Manohar Parrikar. age of Goans employed in industries in Goa. “The king went in to look at the
The fact is that Parrikar is neither wasting This exposes the promises of past Industries and request Home Minister Ravi Naik, who
guests and saw a man who was not
his time nor his energy. He is making noise Ministers like Luizinho Faleiro, Mauvin God- had immediately visited and witnessed these
desecrations, to kindly look into the matter wearing wedding clothes, “Friend, how
in the Assembly not to save Goans, but only inho, Dayanand Narvekar and others, all of did you get in here without wedding
to rejuvenate his own political career and whom justified acquisition of land from co- on top priority. Bringing the culprits to book
will send a strong message to such anti-socials. clothes?” the king asked him. But the
make a backdoor comeback in Goa. munidades and private owners to set up man said nothing. Then the King told
industrial estates for the “benefit of Goans”.
Letters should be 150 words or less in length, the servants, “Tie him up hand and
Qualification sans education Their sole motive was personal gain and
and should have the writer’s name, address and foot, and throw him outside in the dark.
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim the assurances were only meant to silence
telephone number. The editor reserves the right There, he will cry and grind his teeth.”
the opposition. Is it surprising, therefore,
Five judges and two advocates were caught to edit letters for size and readability, and to And Jesus concluded, “Many are in-
that Goans are becoming – if they haven’t vited, but few are chosen”.
cheating during the LLM exams. The judges, already – a minority in their own land? I delete any personal attacks or libellous /objec-
tionable matter. (Matthew 22; 1-14)
copying from books, smuggled notes and hope these ‘worthy gentlemen’ can sleep

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