Footprints on the Sands of Time

Goans of Pakistan – Footprints on the Sands of Time does seem to be comprehensive and insightful.

The book lists the background of the Karachi Goans, explains why they did “move from Goa”, their setting up of a “Little Goa” in that distant city, how that port city became a magnet for Goans, and also points to a hundred landmarks of Karachi.

It also offers insights into the Goan role in education there. In doing so, it lists teachers, whether they’ve been religious, male and female. The Goan role in “land development, town planning and housing” is discussed. As is their role in professionals, and among the religious. It might not be wrong to say that Christianity in Pakistan was significantly fueled by the Goan connection.

Goans were in the judiciary and law. They also formed part of the Pakistani armed forces, just as they did in British Undivided India and Independent India. They were in civil service and politics, police and intelligence, medicine and social service.

The first Goan cricketers to play Test cricket came, not from India, but via Pakistan. Don’t be surprised about the Goan link to the Pakistani national anthem (a rousing song, even if we might not appreciate it today for reasons of politics and war).

Not surprisingly, given their similar role elsewhere, here too Goans have also played a role in photography (leaving behind images of even Jinnah!), music and bands, stage and drama. Konkani had its voice heard in distant Karachi, and, believe it or not, there were even kudds (the residential ‘clubs’ of Bombay) there.

Menin Rodrigues covers journalism, writing, Goan clubs and associations.

“Karachi has an amazing untold Goan history, about 200 years old,” Rodrigues told The Navhind Times when asked about his motivation to write this tome. “Since I was always curious to find out about our antecedents here, I kept meeting people, especially those in the twilight of their lives, and asking them questions about our past. I gathered loads of precious information. Furthermore, our rich history was not recorded anywhere. Therefore, I thought if all the information were collated and written in a book form, it would auger well as reference material for institutions and for the general knowledge of future generations.”

In the course of his book, he found some surprising aspects. Firstly, that Goans started moving out of Goa during the period 1820-1840 in search of economic sustenance, business opportunities and a better life. Secondly, that the “contribution of Goans towards the early development of the town (later to become a mega-city) was larger than life.”

Goans already lived in ‘this part of India’. Thus when Partition took place in 1947, they preferred to stay back and become naturalized citizens of the new country. One of the main reasons could have been that Goans were prominently well settled in a fine cosmopolitan city like Karachi, literally the ‘Queen of the East’ as it was sometimes called.

Much of the work for this book was done between 2007 and 2010. Most of the material was part of a dedicated website (www.goansofpakistan.org – no longer active) Last year, Menin felt a published book was a better proposition. “This gave me the opportunity to update the content, explore deeper into the Goan Diaspora and add new chapters,” he says.

— Adapted from a review by Frederick Noronha
https://www.navhindtimes.in/2020/12/20/magazines/panorama/goans-of-karachi-our-lost-tribe/