16th January should have been the most important day in the history of Goa because it was on this day in 1967 that the issue of Goa’s merger with Maharashtra was once and for all settled by Goans by overwhelmingly rejecting the merger of Goa into Maharashtra in the historic Opinion Poll. It was on this day that Goa preferred to remain separate with its distinct identity in the union of our country.
If people of Goa had opted for the merger of Goa into Maharashtra on that day, today Goa would have been converted into one district like Ratnagiri in Maharashtra or like Belgaum in Karnataka. Four or five MLAs would have been elected to the Maharashtra Assembly to represent Goa and its people. There would have been no Chief Minister and no Ministers. No Chief Secretary and no Inspector General of Police. One Collector and one Superintendent of Police would have ruled the district of Goa. If Goa finally achieved the status of a full-fledged state, it was because of the historic decision of Goans against merger on that day. No doubt late Dr. Jack De Sequeira, among all leaders of that time, played a major role in that great victory of Goa and Goans.
This historic victory was due to the people who loved Goa and the Goan identity. Late Dr. Jack de Sequeira, a towering personality, who was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly then, played a great role in preventing the merger of Goa into Maharashtra. If late Dayanand Bandodkar, as the then Chief Minister of Goa, worked tirelessly for the merger of Goa into Maharashtra, late Dr. Jack de Sequeira, as the then Leader of the Opposition worked vigorously to prevent the merger of Goa into Maharashtra. If late Bandodkar attempted to reduce Goa into just a district of Maharashtra, late Dr. Sequeira laid strong foundation for Goa’s statehood in times to come. If late Bandodkar tried to destroy the Goan identity by merging Goa into Maharashtra, late Dr. Sequeira helped in preserving the Goan identity. It is for this reason that late Dr. Sequeira deserves recognition not only from the people of Goa but also from the Goa government.
Unfortunately the governments of Goa, present as well as of the past, showed no interest of recognizing this tallest leader of Goa due to sheer political reasons. Even on the occasion of the Birth Centenary of Dr. Jack de Sequeira the Goa government has turned a blind eye. Very unfortunate indeed!
Looking back into history, in the Goa Assembly elections held after the victory of Opinion Poll, Bandodkar’s party – MGP – formed the government again and continued to rule Goa till 1980. After the death of Dayanand Bandodkar, the MGP government led by his daughter Shashikala Kakodkar immediately erected a life size statue of Dayanand Bandodkar near the old Secretariat at Panjim. The MGP fulfilled its obligation and honoured its leader – late Dayanand Bandodkar.
However when Dr. Jack de Sequeira expired in 1989, Congress party’s government was in ruling Goa. Unfortunately, the Congress government too neglected this great leader of Goa. This was because the Congress party by this time included many leaders who were originally in MGP and who had worked for the merger of Goa during the Opinion Poll.
There is no doubt, at the time of Opinion Poll, Goa’s population was about six lakhs only of which about 40% were Christians. It was for this reason that in the Goa assembly elections Bandodkar’s MGP used to win 18 seats while Dr. Sequeira’s UGP could win only 12 seats. Purshoton Kakodkars’s INC ( Indian National Congress) had no standing in Goan politics at all. Under these circumstances, during the Opinion Poll, it was Dayanand Bandodkar on one side and Dr. Jack de Sequeira on the other side who led the battle of Opinion Poll. The verdict of the people of Goa went against the merger of Goa into Maharashtra and Goa continued as Union Territory. This was the first step for Goa to become separate State in the Union of India. Statehood for Goa and status of Official language to Konkani was the principal ideology of UGP led by Dr Sequeira. It was for this reason that the people who followed Dr. Jack de Sequeira in this epic battle spontaneously called him as Father of Opinion Poll. This could not be digested by many leaders of Congress party of that time and even now there are few who refuse to accept that Dr. Sequeira is the Father of Opinion Poll.
When different governments of Goa, be it Congress, MGP or BJP, failed to recognize the contribution of Dr Jack de Sequeira, it was village Panchayat of Calangute, under the leadership of Joseph Sequeira, surprised every Goan by erecting a life-size statue of Dr. Sequeira at Calangute. The village Panchayat of Calangute, salutes the Father of Opinion Poll, every year on 16th of January – on the occasion of Opinion Poll Day. At one of such functions, if I’m not mistaken, it was in 2010 or 2011, the then Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Guest. In my speech, I put forth a demand to Manohar Parrikar. The demand was that he should erect a life-size statue of Dr. Jack de Sequeira, infront of new Assembly Complex at Porvorim, if his party comes to power and if he becomes the next Chief Minister after the election. To the surprise of Calangute people, Manohar Parrikar, without any hesitation, assured the people of Calangute that if he became the Chief Minister of Goa, he would erect the life-size statue of Dr. Sequeira at the Assembly Complex at Porvorim within one year. The assurance was received with tremendous applause from the people.
Fortunately Parrikar-led BJP won the Assembly elections and Manohar Parrikar became the Chief Minister of Goa. Calangute people were anxiously waiting for Parrikar to fulfill his assurance, but in vain. Parrikar did erect a life-size statute in the Assembly Complex at Porvorim but it was the statue of Dayanand Bandodkar and not of Dr. Jack de Sequeira. I request Parrikar to fulfill the assurance given by him to the people of Calangute.
I strongly feel that the Goa government is doing great injustice to this great soul of Goa by not recognizing his contribution to the very existence of Goa. As the birth centenary year of Dr. Jack Sequeira has just commenced, it is not too late for the government to form a State Level Committee and celebrate the birth centenary of Dr. Sequeira with honour and dignity that it deserves.
(Tomazinho Cardozo is a former speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly)
