The other day, I met Sachin in the Cansaulim Market square. He had come to collect sausages and pork chops from Kaitan`s Loja de Carne de Porco all the way from Sangolda, even bypassing Agassaim, the heartland of pork products. My chest swelled a few inches in pride – indeed; we seldom recognize the star attraction in our midst until an outsider points them out.
Traditional delicacies such as these often bring memories of the sussegad days when western toilets were a distant dream and pigs were very important ‘members’ of the neighbourhoods. Almost every household kept pigs – while most kept them for their indispensable service, my next door neighbour Adeline had turned it into a lucrative business. A live wire of a women, Adelin would hop from
neighbour to neighbour collecting surplus dhon ( boiled rice water ) for her ever increasing herd. Pork vendors from as far as Madel in Margao would frequent her place, but like a smart share market dealer, the shrewd woman knew when to hold back and when to give away to get the best price for her stock. She addressed her pigs with endearing sobriquets like Chiku, Paklo, Piken etc, but
occasionally, Adelin also succumbed to temptations and named them after hostile neighbours too.
Chasing a hog after a deal goes through is always an exciting affair, but Adeline preferred her own method; She would lovingly invite the “chosen one” for a special meal after shooing away the rest at a location which the pig catcher could approach without being seen. Is difficult to say whether it’s the scent, the sixth sense or the ‘surprise party’ that made the pig highly suspicious: even as it
eat, the pig would keep a sharp eye on the surroundings, change positions randomly and snort around aggressively at frequent intervals…. Adeline sitting on a low stool would start her sweet- talk of ‘mugea put, mugea morgad’ even as she patted and caressed the animal and it would soon drop its guard- the trusting nature of animals! At the right time Adelin would signal to the pig catcherwho would dart in for a clean catch!
The Goldsmiths were one of the few households who did not keep pigs. They had built a modest fencing with rubble base to keep the pigs away. But the ambling innocent creatures would somehow jump over or pierce through to disturb the peace of Shantabai, the goldsmith`s wife. No matter whose pigs entered Shantabai`s compound, she would explode in a torrent of curses directed at Adelin. One day Shantabai prepared Ponnos sattam (Jackfruit leather) and kept them for drying in the sun. Sure enough, a heard of wandering pigs soon caught the scent, entered her compound and gobbled up the sweet meats – this was probably the last straw on the proverbial camel`s back.
The case came up before the local Panchayat body. Adelin politely asked Shantabai just one question: “who cleans your toilet?” Shantabai was caught completely off guard! All that she could do was some incomprehensible grumbling and quietly slip away to the comforts of her balcony like a dog with tail between the legs.
The indispensable service rendered by the pigs to the Goan community cannot be over stated. The docile animals literally function like mini, maintenance free, mobile garbage recycling plants. And contrary to popular perceptions, the pig which belongs to the elephant family is actually is pretty clean animal by nature. It is we, selfish humans, who have pushed this gentle uncomplaining animal to do the dirty job.
