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“It is not proper to name one person as Father of Opinion Poll”: Adv. Uday Bhembre
G
oa’s historic Opinion Poll did not have one, but many fathers. According to Adv Uday Bhembre, one of the prominent leaders of the Opinion Poll of 1967, it is the 1.72 lakh people who voted for independent identity of Goa are the ultimate fathers of Opinion Poll. While recalling the Opinion Poll days, Bhembre rues the fact that the government does nothing symbolic to display respect for the most historic day. While a section of society claims that Jack Sequeira, the then leader of the United Goans Party and opposition leader, was the ‘Father of Opinion Poll’, Bhembre begs to differ. “It is not proper to name one person as Father of Opinion Poll, as this struggle was spearheaded by five different groups”, he opines. In fact, it was Bhembre’s column Brahmastra in Rashtramat that had also played a major role in convincing the Hindus against the merger. Rashtramat, a Marathi daily was driven by a group of young writers and activists including Bhembre in order to counter the propaganda in favour of the merger. According to Bhembre, there were total five groups working tirelessly and sincerely to convince the people to keep Goa separate. Besides Sequeira’s UGP and their Rashtramat group of young writers and activists, Shabu Desai from Cuncolim had moved with a mashal (torch) all over Goa, Ulhas Buyao and his cultural group with Jai Gomantak Kala Pathak and the Indian National Congress Party. “Unfortunately, all these groups worked separately and no effort was made to bring all these groups together”, he recalls. However, he said, the unknown faces of the people from different areas had taken initiative in bringing these groups together by organizing meetings, which were addressed by all these groups together. Bhembre fondly recalls two such meetings held at Kakoda and Usgao after 11 pm. “And yet people were sitting
Bhembre doesn’t undermine the role of Dr. Jack Sequeira, but feels that the United Goans’ leader’s role was comparatively quite easy as he led the Christian community, which strongly opposed the merger
Adv. Uday Bhembre
in the open field to listen to all of us and know the issue properly”, he recalls. While Bhembre doesn’t undermine the role of Sequeira, he feels that his role was comparatively quite easy as he led the Christian community, which strongly opposed the merger. The other groups, however, which worked in the Hindu dominated belt, had to face a lot of humiliation, disruption and even stoning of their meetings. “If you ask me, the real Fathers of Opinion Poll were those 1.72 lakh people, who voted for separate Goa. I salute all of them”, the lawyer from Margao says. He also recalls a meeting with then Chief Minister Bhausaheb Bandodkar, the leader of the merger movement, who had called three of them, including Chandrakant Keni and Gharse of Rashtramat, to discuss the issue over lunch at his Altinho bungalow. “He tried to convince us how Goa would dominate Maharashtra once it was merged. However, when we asked him how it would
Bhembre’s column in Rashtramat, ‘Brahmastra’ in a book published by Rajhauns
be possible with only two MLAs from Goa and one district from among 28 districts and only 8 lakh Goans against 8 crore Maharashtrians, he became silent”, he recalled.Bhembre also refutes the theory that Bandodkar was convinced, at later stage, that merger was dangerous for Goa, but said it was also a fact that he accepted the Opinion Poll verdict without any further moves to merge Goa into Maharashtra. While on the topic, Bhembre also disclosed that Sequeira had strongly demanded Statehood for Goa as another option against merger. However, central leaders convinced him for Union Territory stating that Goa would get central funds for development. “The most important historic days for Goa are 19 December 1961 (Goa Liberation), 16 January 1967 (Opinion Poll), 4 February 1987 (Konkani Official Language) and 30 May 1987 MY GOA TEAM (Statehood for Goa)”, he says
JANUARY 2015 MY GOA
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