ROCQUE FERNANDEZ
rocquefernan...@yahoo.co.in
It used to be Hubli, today it is Hubballi. What was Diamond
Valley, Chocolate Street, is now a different place. Its
current address reads as Keshwapur. Yet, from 1901, almost a
hundred and twenty years ago, this has been home to a tiny
pocket of Goa.
Dating back to 1901, in the prime location of
Diamond Valley, Chocolate Street, Hubli, a
determined effort by the Goans of the day brought
into existence what was then known 'Portuguese Club'.
Andrew Fernandes, better known as Master Fernandes,
Lawerance Francis Braganza and Leopold Braganza
were the backbone and founders, among others, who
got going the idea of a club for the Goans of Hubli.
The plot on which it was located sprawled across
approximately 12,000 square feet of land, and was donated by
the Kategrie brothers. Surprising but true, the strong old
Club building has been maintained without much modifications
to retain its original looks.
Its walls have been recently plastered with cement and sand.
The roofing has Mangalore tiles fitted on wooden beams.
However, the wooden flooring once danced upon has been
replaced with Shahabad flooring tiles. The walls have pigeon
holes spaced apart, perhaps for better ventilation, when the
doors and windows were closed to contain loud music during
party time.
Over the years the Diamond Valley lost its precious glitter
as well as its name, but now this area of Keshwapur is still
considered as one of the most prominent locations in the city
which has been later named Hubballi. Presently, it is the
second-biggest city in the State of Karnataka in India.
Being a Railway Junction equipped with a regional
Railway workshop, Goans and Anglo Indians were the
preferential choice in the Railways because of
their fluency in English which was then a vital
qualification requirement.
The Anglo Indians made use of the Railway Institute whilst
the Goans had their own Portuguese Club for their social,
recreational and cultural activities.
During its prime days, the Institute was well attended for
all its activities and programs. Wedding receptions,
birthday and anniversary parties were among the common
celebrations conducted at the club.
During Christmas, weeklong programs were organized with fancy
dress, singing competitions, Christmas tea and a sports day,
housie, etc. A May Queen Ball was organized during the month
of May with a May Queen of the night competition, who was
selected from among those shortlisted by a jury. It was a
matter of pride for young women to feature on this list.
Every weekend the seniors joined in for games of
rummy. This apart, a library was maintained and
members visited the club to update themselves
reading magazines and the daily newspapers that
were made available to members. Youth, for their
part, were more interested playing table tennis and
carom. Occasionally competitions were also conducted.
A volleyball/throwball court was prepared for outdoor
sports. Thus, the Goans of Hubli had been bestowed a
valuable legacy by our pioneering ancestors more than a
century and twenty years ago.
The Portuguese Club was later re-christened to what is today,
the Portuguese Goan Institute.
Unfortunately, over the years, the institute has rapidly
turned inactive and disintegrated mainly due to the fact that
our younger generation, after their education, were compelled
to leave Hubballi to seek gainful employment in the larger
cities of India and abroad.
In addition, membership declined, resulting in a
paucity of funds to maintain the Institute. This
has rendered our invaluable inheritance in a prime
location, desolate, unsightly and in ruins -- a
grave injustice and shame to our departed ancestors.
The past two decades have seen a further deterioration with a
skeleton managing committee barely attending monthly
meetings. Social and recreational activities gradually died
down because of poor response and attendance.
The last major event was celebrating the centenary year of
the Portuguese Goan Institute, in 2002. It was held on the
open campus of the premises and was well attended. The
managing committee used this opportunity to once again appeal
for the reviving and restoration of the institute, at least
for the future welfare and enjoyment of our seniors,
ourselves and our youth to avail of social and recreational
activities.
Unfortunately, no significant progress was made thereafter.
There was a time when some felt, and wrongly so in one's
opinion, that it was preferable to hand over the property to
the Church authorities or to our Catholic religious
institutions, who had been eyeing the premises and had made
many an enquiry.
Another suggestion was to lease it to run a nursery school.
These were outrightly rejected by a majority of the
committee members. There still is a hope that sometime,
someday, a future generation of Goans would realize the value
and importance of this initiative, and accordingly take the
initiative of investing and bringing back glory to what it
was once. In view of this, the property has been protected
from any take-over or external interference.
During the last decade, the institute’s activities
have come to a standstill. It was left to lone
committee members who shouldered the task of
administering and looking after the basic
necessities and requirements to keep it on the map.
To retain it, the premises and hall were given on hire for
weddings, parties, conferences and prayer meetings. The income
from these hirings took care of maintenance and settling of
monthly water, electricity bills and taxes. Occasionally
housie was organized as the sole activity for members.
Several attempts were thereafter made for a revival, but have
failed. The city of Hubballi has grown enormously in size
during the past century with its borders extended far beyond.
>From once having a single parish, five parishes are now
functioning. Many Goans have been scattered far and away
from the vicinity of the Goan Institute at Keshwapur, thus
making it difficult for regular participation or involvement
increasing the challenges it faces.
Presently the Goan Institute has an elected managing
committee which is facing the urgent need of funds to get the
roofing restored, costing approximately Rs150,000 to 200,000.
Once restored and repaired, the institute can plan
activities and make efforts to relive the
activities of the past as envisaged by our
ancestors. But time is running out and so is the
enthusiasm to get going.
One could rightly suggest a bank loan, but who is going to
bell the cat? Perhaps Goans from abroad who have their links
in Hubli can step forward. The President, Dexter Braganza
can be contacted on +919611101324 for further details.
One has every reason to believe that with a readymade prime
property available, the Goans of Hubballi will one day see
reason and get to seriously utilising the Goan Institute in
the future. I have -- fortunately or unfortunately -- been a
managing committee member for almost four decades with
nothing much to boast about, and in fact partly responsible
for the present state of affairs.
--
Rocque Fernandez recently resettled in Nachinola, Bardez,
after being in Hubli for a generation and more. He is married
to Sharbelle (nee Aguiar) who is currently working on a book
on her late father, the radio-announcer in Goa, Roderigo
(Roddy) Aguiar.
Goanet Reader is editor and compiled by Frederick Noronha.
