Jose Manuel Octavio Da Costa Rodrigues known to all as Octavio died early morning on September 20. In Octavio's death, Goa lost a promoter of Konkani culture, especially the mando and folklore. A well-known figure in Panjim city always suited and booted got the nickname homem de fato, or fatakar an even suitvalo. But the sobriquets did not let people know his contribution to the Goan ethos.
As a student, Octavio had a scientific inclination and wished to study medicine to become a doctor. But that dream did not materialize and he instead joined the Directorate of Health Services as an analyst in the laboratory. When he was a teenager, he was busy collecting different reptiles and insects and preserving them in glass bottles with formaldehyde. He also had a collection of beautiful big butterflies framed and to gather these, he would go to the hillock in search of them.
How and what made him get involved with Konkani and Goan culture? Probably, he was influenced in the sixties by the movement of Goans who wanted and worked to assert their identity by supporting the Konkani language and Konkani culture. This movement culminated with an Opinion Poll on January 16, 1967, the historical elections to maintain Goa’s identity as an independent territory. To celebrate the victory of the Opinion Poll elections, Octavio and some of his like-minded friends founded the Goa Cultural and Social Centre on January 16, 1969.
When the Mando festival was on the verge of almost stopping due to various reasons like finance and declining interest in it, under the aegis of the Goa Cultural and Social Centre, the Mando Festival got a fillip. Octavio tirelessly worked travelling on his scooter to far-off places that did not even have motorable connections to meet the group leaders and request them to participate in the festival. At that time, there was almost no government patronage to the event. Earlier, he had joined with the Konkani Basha Mandal for the recognition and identity of Konkani, although he was not fluent in the language which did not deter him from working for it. The Mando Festival was held by the Goa Cultural and Social Centre from the seventh edition in 1974 and continues till this date, this year is the 57th edition, a long stint for a festival that was started to assert the identity of Goa by a group of like-minded individuals in 1965.
From this platform, other activities to disseminate Goan ethos and pride in their great men were started by holding celebrations with annual functions to mark the birth or death of the three Goan stalwarts, Abade de Faria, Francisco Luis Gomes and Bhau Daji Laad. Later, other Goan personalities were added. These programmes were organised in other venues besides Panjim, so that more people would learn about the great Goans. Since the ambit of the Goa Cultural and Social Centre was limited to cultural activity and he wanted to help promote writing in Konkani and also English, he founded The Green Stars Cultural Promoters and helped publish a number of books under The Green Stars Publications. He also organised regularly folk dances and khell
tiatrs festivals.
Octavio also enjoyed photography and held a number of exhibitions of his photographs. He also encouraged his children to draw and take photographs and stimulated them by holding exhibitions of their works. He won a prize at an All India Photography competition held by Tourism department.
For his role in the promotion of the mando and Goan folklore, he was recognized by the government and various cultural bodies. He was awarded Dalgado Daiz Puraskar, in 2013, Kala Gaurav, in 2006, by the Directorate of Art and Culture Dalgado, Konkani Akademi, in 2008, Cesar Dramatic Troupe, in 2018 and by Goa Cultural and Social Centre as a founder member and long stint as member and contribution to the Mando Festival. He was also a member of the Goa Kala Akademi. Funeral orations were delivered by Tony Barreto, past president of Goa Cultural and Social Centre and Perviz Gomes leader of Mando Mogi, Margao. Befitting Octavio, those present at the cemetery, bid him adieu singing the mando ‘Adeus Korcho Vellu Paulo’.