The proposal to demolish the dilapidated building at Margao that once housed the Camara Municipal de Salcete is an indication of just how insensitive the government and the administration can be to the heritage of the State. The bluish-tinged building, that today has creepers growing out of its crevices, broken windows, exposed laterite stones and a fallen roof, and yet welcomes every visitor travelling from the North to Margao is more than just a structure and cannot be condemned by a committee or team of bureaucrats who don’t know its historic value.
There is a lot of history behind this building that cannot and should not be forgotten, for if Margao, or even Goa does set this building aside, it will be setting aside a part of its rich history and heritage. It was from this building that the men who directed the affairs of the then ‘concelho de Margao’ met, discussed and directed the works to be undertaken. The building, according to various writings on it, was constructed by the then Portuguese government in the 18th century and remained in government possession till the 20th century when it was sold to a private party, after the municipality was moved to the present building in the then new and emerging area of Margao.
But there is more to this building than just being the ‘Camara Municipal the Salcete’. On September 21, 1890, it was the site of a massacre where the Portuguese killed 23 persons who had gathered there to vote in the elections. The story behind the massacre is also interesting as the then Portuguese governor Vasco Guedes, upset that Cristovão Pinto, candidate of the Partido Indiano had been elected to represent Goa in the Cortes (then Portuguese royal court), dissolved the municipal council of Salcete in April 1890 and set a new date for the elections. In defiance the Partido Indiano nominated all those who had been members of the previous council that had been dissolved by the governor.
The election ended up being a straight fight between the Partido Indiano, which was in opposition to the government, and the Partido Ultramarino backed by the Portuguese and brought hundreds of supporters of the Partido Indiano to the municipal building to vote for their candidates. Guedes, fearing that Partido Indiano would sweep the polls, ordered the troops to fire upon the crowd, which led to the death of 23 persons and injuries to some 500 others. A house across the square, today shuttered up, proudly retains holes created in its facade from bullets fired by Portuguese soldiers. News of the incident found its way to the international press and was reported in newspapers in the UK, USA and Australia.
Can a structure that means so much to the history of the town and of Goa be unceremoniously condemned? This is one building that cannot be demolished, it has to be restored and conserved and the government has to step in to save this building from being reduced to a pile of rubble. There have been efforts in the past, even recent past, to preserve the building, but they have not yielded any results. In the past the Margao Municipal Council has even passed a resolution to conserve the building by restoring it. It is for the present council to now take up this issue and ensure that this building does not face the demolition squad.
This building of the old Camara Municipal de Salcete may be just one example of how heritage is being ignored by the authorities. Across Goa there are various structures of historical significance that need to be maintained and saved for posterity. The old Camara Municipal de Salcete can be the first of the structures taken up and possibly converted into a museum or a gallery that will showcase the heritage of Goa. The building and the square have historical significance, and the area is one part of Margao that has not changed its look for over a century. Can the government consider saving this slice of history and heritage?
