By the end of the 19th century, Goans in Karachi, an estimated 300 families, were beginning to make their mark. They had understood the dynamics of working collectively with other communities and the British administrators of the city. It was evident that Karachi had become an important midway air and sea station between the West and East. Asserting regional power, managing conflicts and proliferation of trade were the critical points of future planning.
Goans got a flying start in the 20th century as they were able to sustain their interest in the Goa-Portuguese Association which was mooted in 1886. Their desire to have a clubhouse of their own materialised in 1905 when a majestic building was constructed to the delight of its founding members and the British administrators who attended the opening ceremony.
Goans were proud to have achieved this milestone within a span of a decade, after the establishment of ILACO (Indian Life Assurance Co) in 1896, and the first GPA building which was opened on May 24, 1888. The latter structure was scrapped due to a shortage of space. Though it was decided to add on a floor, “the original foundations were not such as could safely carry a superstructure,” and therefore, a new plot of land was purchased nearby which was to house the new GPA Hall.
The opening ceremony was performed by M P Barrow, Collector & District Magistrate of Karachi on Easter Monday, April 24, 1905. A large gathering of guests and members attended the function. In his speech, the Collector said, “…the building we see before us is an exceedingly handsome one, and it will add greatly to the architectural beauty of this quarter of Karachi.”
He further added, “We have many Goa’s sons amongst us now. Orderly, loyal, and industrious, they make their way quietly through life, and having no public demands to make on the State… many have attained for themselves high positions in the service of the State, in the learned professions, and in commerce.”
The British had an apparent soft corner for the Goans. A note from chapter I of the Golden Jubilee (1886-1936) souvenir says, “…there is no doubt that Goans accompanied the march of the British troops, ….and subsequently on the annexation of Sind by the British in 1842.”
Karachi had become the new ‘hometown’ of the Goans. They were prosperous and were now able to explore ambitious plans to contribute to the city’s eminence. There was a substantial increase in the population of the city-centre (a mix of markets, barracks, quarters, and spreading squatters), so they decided to look for an alternate housing scheme in the ‘outskirts’ of the city, just a few kilometres away. A handful of them converged, bought land, and started the city’s first well-planned township, ‘Cincinnatus Town’ named after a prominent Goan personality, Cincinnatus Fabian D’Abreo, who led the initiative.
Though being pioneers, enterprising and influential in every respect, this group of Goans is believed to have created an imbalance in the profile of a Goan. The dichotomy in the mindset of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ was on the cards. Club membership became a bone of contention and Goans who were, let’s say, ‘sons of a lesser God’ (those in domestic and blue-collar professions) were refused entry to the upper-crust Goa-Portuguese Association. It didn’t go down too well and remained as a perpetual stigma for the Goan community of Karachi.
NEXT: Split in ‘Unity and Brotherhood’
