To place in context, Sindhis refer to it as “Sindh-Hyderabad”, meaning
Hyderabad in Sindh, Pakistan as distinct from Nawabi Hyderabad in AP, now
allocated to the new Telengana State.
When Sindhis were displaced from Sindh-Hyderabad at Partition, most of them
went to Delhi and Bombay as the Indian Govt gave them generous benefits like
plots and homes on the basis that they were DPs (Displaced Persons) now
generally called Refugees. Being traders, in no time at all they gave a run for
their money to the already-entrenched Gujaratis and Parsis.
Some Sindhis in Pakistan who had foreseen the consequences of the coming
Partition had transferred their assets elsewhere and were not penniless like
many of their community fleeing to Bombay and Delhi.
This batch of Sindhis decided to go to Goa which was European ruled and where
they felt they had a better future. It took only a short time to realize their
limited opportunities there and the competition they faced from the existing
small Ismaili business community who were looked on kindly by the Portuguese
administration. Not that they were afraid of competition - their success in
Bombay and Delhi against odds proved that, but they desired greener pastures
and they saw that the Portuguese were colonial, not business minded like them.
Their sights settled on the Canary Islands which were still duty-free ports
while the rest of Spain was heavily taxed. They saw a massive business
opportunity there as also in Malta to a lesser extent.
Soon the bulk of the Sindhis who had temporarily ‘camped’ in Goa decided that
the Canary Islands was the Chosen Land. Having picked up a little Portuguese in
Goa, they used it to their advantage in the Spanish-speaking Islands. A few of
them even spread to Gibraltar which was British controlled. Like most traders,
the Sindhis had a flair for languages. Unlike the Gujaratis, they had style and
panache too, using their wealth to exude success. They had made the right
decision. In those days the Canary Island Sindhis were the richest in their
diaspora.
A few Sindhis remained in Goa. Casa International in Panjim belonged to one
such. They sent their children to Bombay for education and expected them to
thrive there like the rest of the now extremely rich Bombay section. In fact
one of their scions was my classmate in St Xavier’s School in Dhobitalao. He
was mild mannered and genteel, unlike his hard-nosed counterparts in Bombay.
Roland.
> On Aug 22, 2018, at 1:24 PM, Frederick Noronha
> wrote:
>
> Wikipedia says the following: "Refugee Sindhi Hindus from Hyderabad
> migrated to Bangalore through Mumbai and Goa. A community housing
> society was created in Cox Town, with a temple, Sindhi Association and
> a Sindhi Social Hall, a community hub for celebrations, marriages and
> festivals such as Holi and Guru Nanak Jayanti. The immigration of the
> community resulted in the introduction of Sindhi culture and cuisine
> to the city."
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sindhis_in_India
>
> This is in the context of migration from Sindh (in today's Pakistan)
> after the Independence of India.
>
> Would anyone know what is the Goa connection in the story above?
>
> FN
> --
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