Team Herald
MARGAO: The Cuncolim Chieftains Memorial Trust on Tuesday strongly condemned the distortion of historical facts of the Cuncolim Revolt, in an exhibition of standees depicting the Goan freedom movement at Panjim’s KTC Bus Stand.
Calling the blunder “mischief played by vested interests”, Oscar Martins, President of the Cuncolim Chieftains Memorial Trust demanded an inquiry into the matter and the immediate correction of the exhibit.
He explained that the exhibit talked about the incident wherein the chieftains were invited by the Portuguese for a peaceful parley at Assolna Fort, but were mercilessly slain by the colonisers. “However, the exhibit says that following the execution of the leaders, the Hindu Brahim landlords of Cuncolim and neighbouring villages of Velim, Assolna, Ambelim and Veroda refused to pay taxes on the products generated from their fields and orchards to the Portuguese Government and that as a result their lands were confiscated and entrusted to the Condado of the Marquis of Frontiere. This is untrue, and we object to the depiction of such lies,” said Martins. “It may be noted that following the massacre of the Kshatriyas Dessai Chieftains, the Kshatriyas Dessai community of the above villages refused to pay taxes to the Portuguese government, and as a result, it was the lands of the Kshatriyas Dessai community of Cuncolim that were confiscated,” he explained.
He said following the confiscation of the lands, the villagers fought a long legal battle to get their lands back by forming a society of Kshatriya Gauncar agriculturists called the Sociedade de Agricola dos Gauncares de Cuncolim e Veroda.
“This battle was not only fought in the courts in Goa but also in Portugal. The lands were initially restored by the courts to the court receiver, and thereafter to the Sociedade de Agricola dos Gauncares de Cuncolim e Veroda,” said Martins.
