OPINION Pg8

HERALD
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o= HERALD o=
Vol No CX No: 30
Our Inspirers: Maria Couto & Fr Romuald
Goa, Saturday 30 January, 2010 TEOTONIO R DE SOUZA recounts his personal encounters with Goa’s recent Padma Shri awardees

Hitting them M
y long-term and close personal acquaint of institutions, but also in the talent of individuals.
ance with these two recent Padma Shri From his own rich life-experience, he may have
awardees does not permit me to let pass witnessed the dialectic and tension that relates

where it hurts this occasion without sharing my deep feelings with

the public. It is an expression of my appreciation of
and unrelates individuals and institutions, includ-
ing their founders! But I have also witnessed Fr

E
ver since politics became big business, the best place to hit a
politician – where it hurts the most – is his or her pocket. That is
exactly what the High Court of Bombay at Goa did on Thursday.
Irked by the continued inaction on the part of coastal panchayats to
tackle the garbage menace in their villages, the High Court directed
them not to issue any fresh Occupancy Certificates (OC) for new
construction projects having more than “five family units” till the village
sets up proper garbage disposal facilities.
However, a caveat that the panchayats can issue OCs if the developer
constructs “sufficient” garbage disposal and composting facilities to
take care of the garbage generated by the project, may provide a much-
needed loophole for the panchayats to carry on much the same way as
they were doing earlier.
The High Court rightly observed that waste disposal sites have not
been put in place for the last seven years. It noted that panchayats
were very quick to sanction large construction projects, but very slow
to put up garbage disposal facilities, when it was these very mega-
projects that generated the most waste.
One must now hope that the very panchayats that have been flouting
the orders of the Court for the past many years will now have a change
of heart. Otherwise, they are certain to pass the buck to the builders,
who in turn will build structures that resemble garbage disposal facilities,
but do little or nothing to keep them operational. As soon as the dumps
are overflowing, all will be back to square one.
Still, the court has adopted a novel and realistic approach to getting the
job done. We may be accused of sounding cynical in the matter, but it is our
firm belief that unless strong deterrents are put into place – like stiff fines or
jail terms – it is close to impossible to get compliance in this matter.
Getting people to segregate garbage is not easy. It requires a
prolonged education campaign to begin with, followed by tough
enforcement. That campaign was conducted by Sanjit Rodrigues when
he was chief officer of the Corporation of the City of Panjim. That is why
the project to achieve garbage segregation in Panjim succeeded in
substantial measure. For this to be replicated in the villages, an
intelligent and efficient officer will need to be placed in charge of the
operation. Otherwise, it is unlikely to succeed.
Money may not grow on trees, but it certainly grows on mega-
projects in coastal villages. And the only way to bring their leaders in
line is to abruptly cut off its flow into their pockets. This novel approach
promises good results.
Ten
Commandments?
their virtue of persistent and talented dedication to
Goa. They may not be fully aware of how much they
have inspired me, and I am inclined to believe that
I have not been a rare beneficiary.
My first contact with Maria Aurora Couto dates
back to the early 1980s, when she was still en-
gaged in her doctoral research on Graham Greene
and came to visit me at the Xavier Centre of Histor-
ical Research, which had then opened its new
premises at Alto Porvorim. But I also recall a much
earlier date, namely in 1967, when my brother need-
ed assistance to get his papers ready to take up a
job in Kuwait. It was the late Alban Couto who
facilitated the process that usually dogs the lives of
the rural folks with bureaucratic hurdles.
Following the return of Alban and Maria Aurora
Couto to their Aldona home, and their continued
presence and helpful interventions in the process
of the development of Goa, it became much easier
to sustain regular contact, particularly through per-
sonal e-mails and through the Goa Research Net. I
also met Dr Maria Aurora Couto in Portugal, when
she was preparing her A Daughter’s Story, which I
have no hesitation in continuing to describe [as
done earlier in my review in the Economic and
Political Weekly (‘Goa: An Aurorised Story’, Eco-
nomic and Political Weekly 40, 40: 4325-4327) and
in one of my past columns here in Herald, review-
ing her first English edition of the ‘Ethnography of
Goa, Daman and Diu’ by A B de Bragança Pereira,
Viking / Penguin Books, 2008] as a masterly contri-
bution to Goa’s cultural history.
For me Dr Maria Aurora Couto’s contribution
lies in her turning her expertise in the field of liter-
ature to good account as a unique source of histor-
ical evidence. It is a source that does not just enrich
history as a science, but also enhances it as an art.
Dr Couto is rightly convinced of this, as one can
read in her essay titled ‘Literature and History’,
which she so generously contributed to Metahisto-
ry, a festschrift dedicated to me by forty-odd per-
sonal and professional colleagues and friends (Lis-
boa: Nova Vega, 2007, pp. 175-183). The essay con-
tains a useful survey of several outstanding literary
contributions of Goans to the history of Goa. It is a
path that she leaves open to future researchers.
Tinto Talk
Historical Explorations
May her inspiration produce the desired fruits.
Fr Romuald de Souza has been for me a person-
al guru of management, independently of what he
has done over the past several decades in Ranchi,
Bhubaneshwar and Goa. My acknowledgement of
his influence in my personal life while I was in the
Society of Jesus and ever since, has been recorded
in my Goa to Me (Delhi: Concept, 1994, p. 28), my
farewell book and a partial autobiography. I saw
him very briefly last August, during a meeting con-
vened by Eduardo Faleiro at the Goa International
Centre. I remember Fr Romuald’s intervention:
The Church of Goa has many guidelines, but few
or no rules that call for accountability and punish-
ment. Intelligentibus pauca – says a Latin dictum
(intelligent people understand with few words).
The Fr Romuald that I know shares with the tradi-
tional Indian gurus the gift of teaching with apho-
risms, or what the Indian tradition calls sutras. In
the Western tradition, I know of Nietzsche and
very few others doing the same. Aphorisms can
be disconcerting, but they usually make the point,
and poignantly!
The Million Dollar Smile….
My acquaintance with Fr Romuald goes back to
1972, when I had just begun working on my PhD
research and was residing at St Britto’s in Mapusa,
while frequenting the historical archives in Panjim.
The new Jesuit House was under construction then,
to replace the old Fatima residence. My first meet-
ing with Fr Romuald was when he came to visit the
St Britto community of Jesuits as a new Provincial.
Before the other management institutes that he
helped to set up, he egged me to think of setting up
the Xavier Centre of Historical Research in Goa! He
assured me that I could count on his full collabora-
tion while he retained charge as Provincial. That
was exactly what resulted before he ended his
term. In 1977, I had finished my doctoral research
and the Goa-Pune Province of the Jesuits approved
a petition to be sent to the Jesuit General in Rome
to allow the setting up of the XCHR. The rest is
history. The XCHR was inaugurated at its provi-
sional premises at the Loyola Hall, in Miramar, on 4
November 1979. It continues its mission since the
past three decades.
Fr Romuald de Souza is a believer in the power
Romuald’s great capacity to relativise. That is a
great lesson that all historians learn. But I learned
it also from Fr Romuald during my several years of
working together, hearing his aphorisms and ob-
serving his style of functioning, that at times some
Jesuit colleagues would not hesitate to qualify as
Machiavellian. I related it more benevolently to my
knowledge of a distant Jesuit historical figure, Fr
Alessandro Valignano, who can be regarded as the
great organiser of the Jesuit province of Goa, which
in his days extended almost to the whole of Asia.
His actions, too, were vehemently opposed, even
by his Jesuit provincial counselors, but whose writ-
ten denunciations to authorities in Rome failed to
check the visionary Valignano! Fr Romuald, too,
seemed to understand how to handle Rome. One
of his aphorisms translated a Latin title into Konka-
ni. It may sound vulgar, but conveyed the truth. He
read with great interest all the documentation that
came from Rome and I saw him once reading a
brochure of Acta Romana... He told me: Look at
this – Romak agtat ani amkam daddtat! [They sh**
in Rome and send it to us].
More importantly, I learned two other principles
of management from Fr Romuald. Commenting once
about frequent lady visitors to the Jesuit House
seeking spiritual advice, he said: “We need to learn
about money therapy!” What he meant to say is
that many would benefit more and spend less of
our precious time if they had to pay for it. The
founder of the Society of Jesus may not have spo-
ken in terms of money therapy, but also left a sim-
ilar advice on the basis of his own experiences. The
other principle of management that I picked up
from Fr Romuald is about the need to reconsider all
plans and projects. There is never the best project,
because there is always a place for a better project.
I had many occasions to witness, to the irritation of
the executors of some projects, including myself.
The executor needs a ‘finalised’ plan to work on,
but Fr Romuald would appear the next day with
suggestions for change!
I shall leave for another occasion to narrate what
else I learned from the two personalities that have
inspired me. For now, I wish them many more years
of inspiring presence amongst us.
By Charlane Pereira

T E
hou shalt not be corrupt.” That is the underlying theme of the new
code of conduct for ministers, applicable to both central and state
ministers, including chief ministers. It has been drafted at the
instance of the Prime Minister, and promulgated by the Home Ministry.
The code bars ministers personally, or through family members, from
accepting contributions or costly gifts for any purpose – political,
charitable or otherwise – or to participate in businesses that supply
goods and/or services to the government, or are dependent primarily
on licences, permits, quotas or leases from the government.
The code is fairly comprehensive, and covers a lot of area that till
now was unclear. But, noble as its intentions might be, what about its
enforcement?
Making rules is all very well. But we see people spitting on the street or
throwing plastic bags on the road in full contravention of the law, without
any fear of penalty. Unless rules are strictly enforced, they are not respected.
Hopefully, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Home Ministry
have a plan to implement the code of conduct. Otherwise, it will be a
fine theoretical exercise, with no practical application.
ver wondered why people like smiling faces rather than grumpy
glances? A person who ‘hellos’ everyone is a well-liked and
popular person. A smile travels a long way, and works its charms
on its recipients. There are very few people on this Earth who do not
respond to cheery greetings from fellow humans.
Of course, some smiles are cute and others are toothy, revealing a
bad set of teeth. Other smiles could be mischievous, with a sparkle in
the eyes. Smiles can indicate confidence, pride, contentment, satis-
faction, amusement, etc. I remember when I was a kid… My smile
was clamped, for fear that people would comment on my overlapping
teeth; till people started complimenting me on my cute smile.
However, here I am not talking about which smiles are infectious
and which are not. So what is so magical about smiles? It is often said,
“Smile and the world smiles with you... Cry and you cry alone.” This
worldly saying is indeed true.
Even in your most difficult times and troubled moments, always
wear a smile on your face. You will be surprised to experience the
effect that such a simple motion of smiling has on you and all those
around. You are likely to feel better, and experience the blues being
chased away, with just a smile. Besides being backed by psychologi-
cal research, there is a deep underlying physiological basis for it.
Ever wondered when you are posing for photographs, why do you
smile at the camera? Why does the cameraman utter loudly: “Say
cheese…?” Ever thought of the simple rationale behind this? Well, to
enlighten the not-so-enlightened, by saying the words “Cheese,” the
corners of the mouth turn upwards, breaking into a broad smile.
Simple, isn’t it? No one makes ‘inverted U-faces’. Later, you would
want to see your beaming smiles as you flip through the album, not
dark shadows creeping over your face.
It doesn’t cost a person to smile. Smiles are tax-free… Rather, you
may get a perk / bonus when you smile. That is, your work might get
done more easily. You may not be the recipient of someone’s temper.
You may cheer up some ‘sad souls’ you meet. You may make some-
one’s day. Yet we see so many people caught up in the web of their
own lives, their faces contorted, thinking about how to buy bunga-
lows, purchase cars and show off their latest toys (cell phones, lap-
tops, etc). Their faces are covered with worldly greed for materialistic
possessions, smirks, groans, moans and a never-ending list of com-
plaints.
Smiling is positive. However, if you smile at inappropriate times, you
will be labelled an ‘imbecile’. Take for instance, a guy who catches the
eye of a young dame and smiles at her, conveying to her his interest and
willingness to strike a conversation. The young lady may or may not
respond, which is a different issue. A child who is being scolded by her
parents for misbehaviour may get be reprimanded once more for not
taking matters seriously. A student who laughs after being given a
warning of suspension from high school has even greater chances of
being expelled from the institution for defying authority.
If you want to smile and laugh heartily, attend some funny shows or
watch comedy movies at your neighbourhood theatre. You could do
any activity that you enjoy, which will definitely bring a smile to you.
Listen to your favourite musician. Take a walk. Unwind…
Doctors themselves quip that “laughter is the best medicine” for all
problems. Join a laughter club. Laugh your guts out. Live life to the
fullest. Don’t let all your worldly problems overwhelm you. Life is like
the tides of the sea. Let your smile drive away all your worries. I once
came across a beautiful quote: “You haven’t lost your smile at all; it’s
right under your nose. You just forgot it was there.” Let me add this
quote: “Once you realise that, take some time to smile at the world.
The world has a lot to offer you too.”

Letters to the Editor

ly in Anjuna around 7am, I was brutally at- Accounts Department about what amount is
Paradise lost Paths of Wisdom
Hubert Saldanha, Dona Paula
tacked from behind, without warning, by a
black dog. It inflicted severe wounds on my
Letter of the Day credited in the account.

The rape of the minor Russian girl is yet an-
other manifestation of the sorry state of af-
fairs in Goa. We need to look no farther than
the total moral bankruptcy of the political,
administrative and business leaders in our
state to realise why these regrettable inci-
dents take place. The rot at the top has per-
meated the social fabric and it has been left
threadbare for the rest of the world to see
that all is far from well in paradise.
Dogs strike again
Dr Philippe Chanel aka Srihari,
Switzerland
Jose Marie Miranda’s excellent article (‘Dogs
before Humans?’, Herald, 29 January) was
timely. Last week, as I was walking peaceful-
100 Years Ago
PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS
30 January 1910
Assassin hanged
Voskressensky, the assassin of Head of
Secret Police Col Karpoff, was hanged in St
Petersburg.
Meat protest
Two million people have united to promote
the boycott of meat imports into America.
Serula meeting
An extraordinary meeting of the Agricul-
tural Community of Serula is designated
for today, to deliberate over the construc-
tion of a quay at Britona.
Pedal plane
In England, new experiments are under-
way on a new airplane to be pedalled like
a cycle.
left forearm.
I got prompt assistance from the owner of
Joe Banana’s restaurant. He called a taxi and
I received excellent care at Vrundavan Hos-
pital in Mapusa. Fortunately, there is no per-
manent damage, but it required antibiotics, a
tetanus shot and a course of five anti-Rabies
vaccines.
I want to thank Joe Banana for his assist-
ance and the medical staff at Vrundavan Hos-
pital. But I would also like to suggest to the
owner of the black dog (if it has one), which is
known to have bitten other people in recent
times, to have his dog examined for possible
Rabies. This incident in no way changes my
love for India. It was a useful reminder of the
impermanence of life.
Hypocrites Oath
Bismarck Martins, Velim
It is sad to note the degeneration among the
medical fraternity. The ‘Hippocratic Oath’ has
today turned into a ‘Hypocrites Oath’. Doc-
tors are selling their souls. Medicine is no
longer a noble profession. Its degeneration
started with pharma companies giving gifts
for prescribing their products, and also with
the setting up of four large hospitals in Vasco,
Dona Paula, Cuncolim and Margao.
To counter these large hospitals, which
provide all services, local nursing homes, lab-
oratories and diagnostic centres started dol-
ing out referral fees (cuts or commissions) to
medical practitioners who sent them patients.
Patients today are forced by these practition-
ers to go to nursing homes and avail medio-
cre treatment, just so that referring doctors
earn money. I think its time to wake up and
realise the antics of these doctors.
Hurting Goans
Shridhar Sutar, Verem
The letters ‘Goans lose’ by Michelle Bradbury
and ‘Stupid rule’ by EuGene Adams (Herald,
27 January) were alarming. One can only agree
that the new restrictions concerning the two-
month delay for tourists to re-enter Goa will
Handle with care To Him belongs
Indians not allowed? Errol D’Souza, Porvorim
It is shocking news that at least 13 young
the sovereignty
Rajesh Naik, Mumbai By Samir Khan
students committed suicide recently in Mum-
My wife and I had gone to Calangute for a night out. We walked into a restaurant and were bai. Nowadays, children are pressured not “He to Whom belongs the Sovereignty of
told that we could not get in, as it was reserved only for English people. I was shocked. only at school but also at home by their par- the heavens and the earth: Who has be-
Later, I enquired and found that it was being run by an English couple. How can Indians be ents, who expect sky high results. gotten no son: Who has no partner in His
barred from an establishment in India; has the Raj returned? Too much competition has made children Sovereignty: Who created each and every
I understand that there are many places run by foreigners in Goa, including restaurants, nervous. In the end, we must all remember thing and then ordained its destiny.” (Al-
bars, shacks, watersports, etc. One also sees them working as entertainers such as DJs, that on one can be perfect. Those who as- Qur’an, chapter 25: verse 2)
karaoke DJs, musicians, comedians, etc, most on a tourist visa. sume they are perfect are living in a fantasy
I am surprised that the government and concerned departments are sleeping or turning world, and should get off their high horse.
The expression ‘He to Whom belongs
the Sovereignty of the heavens and the
a blind eye. Do they get a special envelope every month? If as an Indian I did the same in a Today’s children should be handled gently, earth’ means He alone has an exclusive
foreign country, I would be jailed and deported, and never get entry into the country again. like tender flowers, and not subjected to harsh right to it, and no one else has any right
By letting foreigners run illegal businesses in India, we are just bowing down to the same treatment at home or at school. nor any share in it. ‘Who has begotten no
people who once ruled us, even after we fought to get them out of here. It is insulting to see son’ means that God has neither any rela-
foreign flags hoisted on beach shacks in Goa. Foreigners may say that there are Indians Epidemic of suicides tion of direct parenthood to anyone, nor
working in their countries, but they should remember that they have the necessary docu- Irineu Gonsalves, Verna has He taken anyone as a son. Therefore,
ments to do so. none else in the universe is entitled to
To help the concerned departments, I list a few names: Val, Christopher & Helen, Brian I fully endorse the editorial ‘An epidemic of
worship. He is Unique and there can be
(all entertainers). Over the Flames, Ruffles, Viva Pub, Why Not, Rustlers, Moonshine, East suicides?’ (Herald, 25 January). These suicides
should make all of us take notice. Dejected no partner in His Godhead.
meets West, are some of the places run by foreigners. Do they have the necessary clearanc-
es? It is the government’s business to find out and take necessary action. Jai Hind. students take this extreme step; in most cas- All those who associate with Him an-
es the parents are responsible. gels or djinns or saints as His offspring
damage the tourist industry and take away Playing with words like ’personhood’ does How many parents realise the true po- are ignorant. They have no true concep-
the aam admi’s daily bread. not affect what is a biologically real human tential of their children? They feel the hon- tion of the Greatness of Allah and consid-
From my experience of working with for- being. It is ironical we want to protect frogs our of the family lays in the institutions
their wards study in and the courses they
er Him to be weak and needy like human
beings, who require someone to become
eigners, I have found that the British are mostly and their larvae, but not the human foetus
generous, polite and fair. What does Delhi or and embryo. It’s time to bring in common pursue. They fail to understand that per- their inheritor.
Mickky Pacheco know of the lives of poor sense. formance is relative to the child’s innate The Arabic word mulk means sover-
Indians and their subsistence? Don’t we want abilities. Such parents push their wards eignty, supreme authority, and kingship.
over the edge.
tourists to hire taxis, eat in restaurants, shop Arrears and tax Steps must be taken to reduce academic
Thus the sentence will mean: “Allah is
at local stores and supermarkets and help the Absolute Ruler of the whole universe
Elvis Colaso, Vasco
the economy? Who suffers when stupid rules pressure on students. The editorial rightly and there is none other who may have
are made? It is time the aam admi wakes up The Director of Accounts and the Education points out that if schools appoint profession- any right to authority; therefore He alone
before it is too late. Department have not yet credited 40 per al counsellors even on a part time basis, it is God.” For whenever a man takes any-
cent and 60 per cent of Sixth Pay Commis- could yield good results. Are we waiting for thing else as his lord, it is under the pre-
Stop abortions sion arrears in the GPF account of many more suicides? We must ensure that children sumption that his deity has the power to
schools. Many schools have deducted In- are not denied the simple pleasures of child- do good or bring harm and make or mar
Milagres Pereira, Majorda come Tax from all the staff for the financial hood?
his fortune; nobody likes to worship a
It is a pity that women themselves uphold year 2008-09. powerless deity. When it is recognised
their own destruction, in the name of repro- Moreover, when the 40 per cent arrears Letters should be 150 words or less in
length, and should have the writer’s that none but Allah has real power and
ductive rights, which are the bane of the un- are credited, schools are forcing teachers to authority, he will not commit the folly of
born child; with millions of merciless abor- pay Income Tax this year also. The Director of name, address and telephone number.
bowing in worship before anything else
tions! What has sexual freedom without lim- Accounts does not send the amount credited The editor reserves the right to edit let-
ters for size and readability, and to except his real God, because “To Allah
itations done to women? It has messed their to each staff in their GPF account. This caus-
delete any personal attacks or libellous belongs the heavens and the earth and
lives physically, emotionally and spiritually. es hardship to the teachers, as Income Tax is
/objectionable matter. to him alone.”
The dignity of marriage has eroded. deducted without receiving a letter from the

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