BELAGAVI
History will be made on Sunday when a large number of Gaonkars of Comunidade Fraternal de Aldona living in the Upper Ghats will exercise their franchise for the first time.
Gaonkars from Ajara, Gadhinglaj, Belagavi, Chandgad and villages in these talukas will be descending on Aldona on Sunday to re-establish their rights over the land of their ancestors. Despite conserving their Konkani language and Goan culture affectionately and painstakingly, they and other Goan settlers were deprived of their ancestral rights over a period of about four centuries.
After waiting for several years, they will now be part of the democratic setup of this Comunidade, which they were visiting all these years as outsiders.
They would spend valuable time and huge money to collect the paltry amount of Zonn with pride. But now they will be more privileged and equitable. Along with octogenarians like Shahu D’Cruz (Bardeskar), members of three generations will be voting on Sunday.
History will be also made when Gabriel Minin D’Souza, a bubbling youth from Watangi village in Ajara parish, now a resident of Goa, will be a privileged contestant vying for a seat on the managing committee.
Gabriel’s great grandfather late Gabriel D’Souza would walk over 125 kms braving the terrains of the Western Ghats to collect the zonn and get ‘umo’ (kiss) of the feet of Goencho Saib.
Albert D’Souza, a seasoned politician from Watangi, said he was proud to vote on Sunday.
“My father late Natvidade D’Souza and I would accompany my grandfather Late Pedru D’Souza to Aldona since 1971. We were treated shabbily by the escrivão (clerk) and the staff and we were often addressed as ghatis! There was no proper latrine or potable water,” D’Souza told The Goan.
“However, we waited patiently all these years and now we are overjoyed that we will be a part of the decision-making process,” he added.
Floyd D’Souza, who is the part of a team to identify these Goan settlers, said over the past five decades, the Comunidade Fraternal de Aldona has been dominated by few.
“This has led to many irregularities, one of them being an 8,900 sq mtrs plot of farming land which was leased out as a football ground and has been leased out fraudulently to a private company.”
“Many such frauds have been exposed. It's high time we Gaonkars save our land. We are extremely privileged and happy to have our fellow Gaonkars with us to fight the corruption and also re-establish their rights over our comunidade,” Floyd added.
The D’Souza, Caravalho, Monteiro, Mendonsa, D’Cruz and other families will be heading to Aldona on Sunday morning to participate in the elections at the Comunidade Fraternal de Aldona.
Gaonkars from Ajara, Gadhinglaj, Belagavi, Chandgad and villages in these talukas will be descending on Aldona on Sunday to re-establish their rights over the land of their ancestors. Despite conserving their Konkani language and Goan culture affectionately and painstakingly, they and other Goan settlers were deprived of their ancestral rights over a period of about four centuries.
After waiting for several years, they will now be part of the democratic setup of this Comunidade, which they were visiting all these years as outsiders.
They would spend valuable time and huge money to collect the paltry amount of Zonn with pride. But now they will be more privileged and equitable. Along with octogenarians like Shahu D’Cruz (Bardeskar), members of three generations will be voting on Sunday.
History will be also made when Gabriel Minin D’Souza, a bubbling youth from Watangi village in Ajara parish, now a resident of Goa, will be a privileged contestant vying for a seat on the managing committee.
Gabriel’s great grandfather late Gabriel D’Souza would walk over 125 kms braving the terrains of the Western Ghats to collect the zonn and get ‘umo’ (kiss) of the feet of Goencho Saib.
Albert D’Souza, a seasoned politician from Watangi, said he was proud to vote on Sunday.
“My father late Natvidade D’Souza and I would accompany my grandfather Late Pedru D’Souza to Aldona since 1971. We were treated shabbily by the escrivão (clerk) and the staff and we were often addressed as ghatis! There was no proper latrine or potable water,” D’Souza told The Goan.
“However, we waited patiently all these years and now we are overjoyed that we will be a part of the decision-making process,” he added.
Floyd D’Souza, who is the part of a team to identify these Goan settlers, said over the past five decades, the Comunidade Fraternal de Aldona has been dominated by few.
“This has led to many irregularities, one of them being an 8,900 sq mtrs plot of farming land which was leased out as a football ground and has been leased out fraudulently to a private company.”
“Many such frauds have been exposed. It's high time we Gaonkars save our land. We are extremely privileged and happy to have our fellow Gaonkars with us to fight the corruption and also re-establish their rights over our comunidade,” Floyd added.
The D’Souza, Caravalho, Monteiro, Mendonsa, D’Cruz and other families will be heading to Aldona on Sunday morning to participate in the elections at the Comunidade Fraternal de Aldona.
