Among the greatest Goans… goes the title of a feature written by Valmiki Faleiro on the daily Herald of 10th June, 2009. It’s the 150th birth anniversary of Roque Correia-Afonso. "Roque Correia was a legendary advocate from the ‘garden’ village of Benaulim", says Valmiki Faleiro. Valmiki articulates the qualities of this multi-faceted persona – advocate, journalist, politician and statesman from the `once’ quaint village of Benaulim and summaries this legend as `Though an acclaimed advocate, this “champion of lost causes,” who all his adult life fought oppressive officialdom, leveraged his intellect, legal skills, powerful oratory and a mighty pen for the dignity and political rights of Goans’
It’s quite ironical that the villagers of Benaulim had to serve a `legal notice’ on the non-functioning of the local Panchayat body to the Government of Goa on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of this illustrious son of Benaulim. If RCA was instrumental in enactment of enlightened laws to revive ‘ganvkaris,’ through better agricultural practices (he had a particular fondness for coconut cultivation, which he dubbed the “major wealth of Goa”), the current Panchayat Body of Cana-Benaulim is ironically on a mission to do exactly the opposite of what RCA strived throughout his life.
Valmiki wrote, "RCA inherited not just the name and legal mind, but, from his grandpa’s lap, love for humanity and for Goa." Today, Benaulim boasts of professional in many fields, perhaps the influence or inheritance of the qualities from luminaries like RCA. Its quite ironical that social minded `nobodys’ from the village better known as `layman’ had to wake up and get a lawyer from Margao to safeguard the interests of our petite Benaulim.
Is anybody listening ??????
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment