Our tiny Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for over 450 years and later in December 1961 Goa became free from the Portuguese regime. After a brief spell of Military rule followed by President’s rule for the first time in the history of Goa assembly election were scheduled in the year 1963.Thereafter the fever of the first assembly election spread to every nook and corner of the land of Goa. The foundation of democracy was laid. People of Goa had been wondering what an election is? What is a vote and how to vote? These were the questions doing the round in the minds of people of Goa. While the election campaign was in full swing, there was only one headline on the newspaper as well as on All India Radio that is assembly election. Therefore the question was ‘How people of Goa who lived under the Portuguese rule over many centuries would participate in an election’ since they were getting the opportunity to vote for the first time in their life. Even then people were happy for having had the opportunity to vote and ensure their own betterment by electing a people friendly and good government for Goa.
Though local units of national political parties were existing in Goa such as the Congress, some political parties were formed just prior to the election such as the United Goans party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party. The first assembly election were held on December 9, 1961 and the outcome was a mandate for the MGP as it emerged as the single largest party led by the first Chief Minister of Goa Dayanand Bandodkar. The United Goans Party emerged as the second largest party headed with Dr Jack de Sequeira becoming the first opposition leader in the first legislative assembly.
During the election campaign and even after the first government was installed, the MGP raked up the issue of merging Goa with Maharashtra. Dayanand Bandodkar the first chief Minister also advocated the merger of Goa with Maharashtra, while the first opposition leader Dr Jack de Sequeira asked for the referendum to preserve Goa’s identity, its culture and language fearing this would be lost with the merger.
On 16th January 2015 Goa commemorates the 48th anniversary of Goa’s opinion poll day as Goencho Osmitai Dis, also known as Goa’s identity day. Today the unique identity, culture and language of Goa, is under threat.
In the long history of Goa this was the first time that Goans asserted that they were a distinct community and wanted a distinct identity. Today it is only because we didn’t merge with Maharashtra that we could become a full fledge state. Goa was never part of Maharashtra, neither geographically, nor culturally nor historically. Goa was not a Marathi speaking state either. We had our own language. The opinion poll paved the way for us to govern ourselves and for the first time we got the right to do so. Opinion poll has cent percent sealed the identity of Goa and its culture, and if there was no efforts of Dr Jack de Sequeira and his supporters, I think there would have been no Goa. On 16 January, we have to salute Dr Jack de Sequeira who played a very important role for preserving our identity, language and culture for our generations. If the Opinion poll was not held, Goa would have been another district of Maharashtra where only a collector would have been in control. Today we have a state government to look after Goa.
It is a great irony that those who fought for Goa’s identity during the Opinion poll of 1967, and their descendant got the least benefits from the victory, while those who were out to destroy Goa and their descendant have hogged all the benefits materially and politically. Dr Jack de Sequeira had a vision for Goa who entered into politics with only one aim in his mind –to retain the identity of Goa and Goans. Dr Jack de Sequeira and his supporters had decided to oppose the Maharashtrian forces within Goa, tooth and nail, and he went on to convince the government of India that the election was not the correct process to judge the verdict or settle the issue of merger He said that it should hold a referendum –an opinion poll which he opined was the right way of ascertaining the wishes of the people. Dr Sequeira found able support in Purshottam Kakodkar and other stalwarts and finally the unique and the only such opinion poll in India’s history took place on 16th January 1967.
Dr Sequeira, his supporter and the people of Goa won the Opinion poll by a lead of over 34000 votes. For his assiduous efforts Dr Sequeira has been declared by people as the father of Opinion poll of Goa.
Today we Goans are enjoying our beautiful land and resources only because of all those who worked tireless and because of Dr Jack de Sequeira. He died on October 17, 1989, leaving Goa to enjoy its independent identity. Our present day politicians are today enjoying the fruits of his vision.
Today we have 40 MLAs and so many ministers. Till today nobody has realised that they have got these opportunities to reach these positions only because of Dr Sequeira. I hope they will open their mind and honour this greatest, cleanest and honest leader by installing a life size statue at a prominent place in the city.
A resolution to this effect has also been passed in the Legislative Assembly by our ex-MLAs, like the late Anant Narcinva (Babu) Naik from Margao and the late JB Gonsalves from Panjim on 18th March 1994, to recognized the need to honour Dr Jack de Sequeira, but till today not a single ministers or MLA have taken the necessary steps to implement their own resolution.
Dr Jack de Sequeira was born on 20th April 1915, and died at the age of 74. He was a qualified doctor in medicine from Escola Medica de Goa. He was a gold medalist and a businessman of integrity and the founder president of the United Goans Party, elected to the first legislative assembly in the year 1963. He was declared the father of Opinion poll of Goa. On January 16, 2015 we are celebrating the 48th year of Goencho Osmitai Dis and in the same year Dr Jack de Sequeira will be completing 100 years of his birth anniversary on 20th April 2015 (1915- 2015).
On behalf of Goa and Goans I urged and hope that government of Goa will recognize all his work and acknowledge the contribution of late Dr. Jack de Sequeira by installing a life size statue significantly to keep his memory alive in the best interest of future generations, so that Goans will remember him and understand the significance of celebrating Opinion poll as Goencho Osmitai Dis.
(The author is the executive member of Konkani Kala Kendr, Merces)
