‘Poskim’ was the term
used for young
children who were taken in by wealthy families and retained most
often as servants. In society, they were spoken about in hushed tones and
viewed with pity by the villagers. But there is so much more
than what meets the eye when it comes to the lives of these ‘poskim’ and Wendell
Rodricks uncovers this ugly façade and gives us insight into their lives through his new book, ‘Poskem: Goans in the
Shadows’. An internationally acclaimed fashion designer and Padma Shri Awardee,
Wendell is as creative and assiduous with his writing as he is with designing.
The idea of the book came to Wendell after he
met Rosa, a woman who lived across the street from Wendell, in Colvale.
“Rosa lived
opposite me in Colvale. She was a wonderful soul and we connected on many levels, one being food. When
she passed away, I promised at her coffin that I would write a book on a ‘poskem’ like her.
I am glad the book has become a reality.
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“Rosa was the reason I wrote the book. But it is
not her story. Till today, people in Colvale refer to that house as Rosa’s house and not by the
owner’s name. It was my decision to write about the ‘poskim’ (plural of
the masculine ‘posko’ and feminine ‘poskem’),” says
Wendell, who has previously written two books, ‘The Green Room’ and ‘Moda Goa – History
and Style’.
‘Poskem:
Goans in the Shadows’ covers a period from the
Portuguese
era to the Liberation of Goa and through this timeline, the reader is taken on different journeys. “I have four protagonists in the book. Like many Goans, they travel
out of Goa to many places, which makes the
narrative international in many ways. I wrote about places I was familiar with.
Since food plays a part in the book, there are recipes from these cities, including
Goa. ‘Poskem…’ is technically a
work of fiction. But the reality is very much in the book vis-à-vis
places, events and historical settings,” he adds.
“I worked
on this book for three years. I got my information from
many people, mainly my mother, and then wove a fictionalised story with it. I am amazed that this shameful, dark secret of Goa was not written
about in a contemporary book. ‘Poskem…’ will open
old wounds. But it will also heal the wounded hearts of the ‘poskim’ themselves. Their story needed to be told in the most
honest of ways; they deserve an apology,” says Wendell.
The
tradition of ‘poskim’ is prevalent in different parts of the
world and Wendell learnt more about it while researching for this book. “From what
I have researched, this tradition is widespread. It is modern-day slavery, in a sense, and it exists
in many parts of the world. In Goa however, they were
given a name. A shameful name. Very often they had no rights. The legal heirs
got all the rights. The ‘poskim’ were most often
ignored, not allowed to marry, not given an inheritance. I hope after the book
is out that the tradition of adopting children to make them bonded labour ends.”
Speaking about the possible reaction to the
book, Wendell says, “I am not expecting
only praise for the book. Many people have already expressed indignation that I
have trivialised the suffering of the ‘poskim’. The
subject is so dark that I had to infuse the book with magical realism, recipes
and Mario Miranda’s splendid illustrations. There are many ‘poskim’ around
today. I hope they are the last generation,” says Wendell.
‘Poskem:
Goans in the Shadows’ is already open for pre order on amazon.in and the author reveals that the response has been encouraging. Om Books will launch the book on
July 12, 2017.
