WHEN NECESSITIES TAKE FLIGHT AND TURN INTO DREAMS -- RABINDRA PIMENTA Rabindra Pimenta talks to Remediana (Remy) Dias about issues close to his heart -- family, work, love for Goa and life of Goans in Kuwait.
RD: Tell us about yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------ I'm 63, a native of Curtorim-Goa, presently residing in Kuwait. My wife, Carmen and two children -- son Chris, and daughter Eliza -- live in Curtorim, after returning for good from Kuwait in 1988, although they come on visits to Kuwait once or twice a year. My wife, who hold a Master's Degree in Arts and a Teacher's Degree in Education, is a Senior Teacher at St. Alex Higher Secondary School since the past 25 years. My son has successfully completed his degree in Commerce and my daughter has ventured into Travel and Tourism studies. Both are inclined to doing business and are on the lookout for the right openings. As far as my principles are concerned, I like to be honest and adhere to strict discipline in all my dealings. I don't like to cheat or take undue advantage of the weaknesses of others, in as much as I don't allow anyone to cheat or bully me. I like being straightforward and admire all such persons who are honest and sincere. More importantly, I like to uphold the truth and fight against injustice of all sorts. When I am convinced that something is wrong, I have the courage of conviction to stand up and say it loud and clear. I also like to set my goals high and work hard towards achieving them, never compromising on my principles. I am basically a family man, ambitious yet self-satisfied and love to devote a lot of time and energy towards the uplift of my family, next of kin. I also love to live a peaceful life and engage myself in social services, doing whatever little I can, towards the good of my fellow-men and reach out to the needy, as much as I can. I have been associated with social organisations and associations from a very young age. I am one of the founder members of the Goan Welfare Society, Kuwait, and have been serving in the Managing Committee in various positions, continuously, right from its inception in 1990, till present. I am also one of the founder members of the Curtorcars Sport Club, Kuwait, founded in 1995, and have served in the Managing Committee, holding key positions, for several years. I am also a member of the Lions Club of Curtorim, though not an active member, being away from Goa. I cherish the good in others and like to associate with all kinds of people and make merry in the company of happy-go-lucky people. I believe that life is wonderful and that it has to be lived to the fullest. There is no point in brooding over life that is deliberated wasted and allowed to dwindle. I believe that there is always a chance to make a new beginning and get on with life, just the way one likes it to be. Friendship to me is priceless and I will go any distance to find a friend and maintain cordial relationships. My main hobbies are sports, games, dramas, reading, music, dancing, parties and all kinds of entertainment. You name it and I am the one who will be in it. In my childhood I loved playing all kinds of outdoor and indoor games, my favourite being Football and Volleyball. I was quite proficient in these two games and represented my school and college teams in both. I also played professional Football donning the colours of Curtorim Gymkhana Football Team, for a few years, before quitting, due to mounting pressures of studies and challenges of my new job. It was not possible to cope up with so many activities all at the same time. Even though I don't play now, I love watching all kinds of games and sports, live as well as those telecast. I like playing with little children, taking care of pet animals, watering the garden and trimming plants, admiring flowers, birds, going out to the beaches, interesting places, shopping, meeting people and sharing good feelings, now and then, with them, laughing out loud, etc. I like good food and a few drinks. I like travelling with my family, have visited quite a few places of interest -- Greece, Germany, England, United States of America, Canada, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, South Africa, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Oman, Egypt, etc. I want to be a politician like my father, the late Enio Pimenta, who was the first MLA of Goa, Daman & Diu Legislative Assembly, from 1963 to 1967, a great legislator and a formidable leader, who spearheaded the Anti-Merger Front, to win the historic Opinion Poll of Goa. I am basically a very simple person with no airs about myself. Humility and simplicity are the two striking traits that help me to endear myself to everyone who crosses my path. These are the traits that I have inherited from my parents. My Dad and my Mum were two such persons, whose humility and simplicity I am yet to match. I am still trying very hard though, and some day I know that I will ultimately succeed, with a little extra effort. I miss both of them every day of my life, ever since their demise. Apart from that, I am a very easy going person. I like to take life within my strides and live it 'king size'. So far so good. Life's good I must say. I love life and that's the best thing about me. I will do anything to get peace and happiness, and so far I have had the desired success, know not what is in hold for me tomorrow. RD: How did you begin your professional life? ------------------------------------------------------------ My professional life is a mixture of so many things all put in one. Being ambitious, as I said, I always wished to be great someday. And in this regard, the encouraging words of my FATHER were always ringing the bell in the back of my mind. He used to always tell me: "Son, you are born for greater things, don't ever think small, think big. It is there in you to be great, so do what it takes to achieve it." On completion of my S.S.C.E., the first thing I did was to register my name in the Employment Exchange in Goa to seek a Government job, as in those days a Government job was considered as a steady and secure job. Side by side, I enrolled myself in First Year Arts at S.P. Chowgule College in Margao, as I felt that higher education was vital for building my career. Exactly, one and a half year after my enrollment in the Employment Exchange, I got a call for a written interview in the Directorate of Land Survey, Government of Goa, Daman & Diu, Panjim. I did well and was selected for the job, mid way through my Intermediate Arts Curriculum. I was in a dilemma, whether or not to take up the job. I consulted my Dad, who said to me that a job as a Land Surveyor would do good for my career as it entails engineering skills, so he encouraged me to take it up. I wasted no time and took up the job in 1971. I was very happy that I was employed at a tender age, but felt quite sad that I would have to give up my higher studies, half way through building my academic career. As luck would have it, I had an opportunity to continue my studies as a part-time student, by enrolling for the night classes at Dhempe College of Arts and Science at Miramar, Panjim. So, I pursued my studies as a part-time student, while I continued with my job. Initially, we were trained by professionals in Plane Table and Theodolite Survey, who imparted on the job training in the Field Survey. The job was very interesting and I liked it instantly. After my B.A., I enrolled for LL.B., night classes at M.S. Salgaocar College of Law, Altinho, Panaji, again as a part-time student. Here again I successfully completed my LL.B. I was a full-fledged Lawyer and ready to start practice, but was not able to practice as I was employed and did not want to give up my job at that stage. Meanwhile, the Cadastral Survey of Goa was completed and some of the Surveyors, who joined after 1970, were declared as surplus and I was one among the surplus staff, who were to be retrenched. But, instead of terminating our services, we were absorbed in other Government offices, and I was posted in the Office of the Collector of Goa, in a revised lower pay scale. We were not happy with change in terms of contract and filed a case in the high Court for retention of our last drawn pay scales. We did win the case against the Government of Goa, Daman & Diu, and got compensated much later, when the case was finally decided in favour of the employees. Having had a set-back in my employment in Goa, I had to try something or the other in the interim period, so I got an opportunity to go abroad on a work visa arranged by my brother, who was in Kuwait at that time. I seized the opportunity and after resigning from my job the Office of the Collector of Goa, I took up a Diploma course in Travel and Tourism, Diploma course in Telex and Telephone Operator in Bombay, on the advice of my brother, who was working for Kuwait Airways in Kuwait. I already had a Diploma in Typewriting previously, which came handy too. So, after having equipped myself with all the desired qualifications, I set out to try my luck in Kuwait. And I must say, within one month of my landing in Kuwait, I got a job in a reputed Travel & Tourism Agency, as a Reservations-cum-Sales, Assistant Manager. I was pretty pleased with myself and the new job, but realized that this was only the beginning of bigger things to follow. After 15 months of working in the Travel & Tourism Agency and gaining considerable experience, I applied and got selected for a much better job in the prestigious airlines, Kuwait Airways Corporation, as a Freight Officer. I worked very hard and my hard work paid off; within three years, I was promoted to the next higher grade and then within another three years, I was re-designated as a Senior Freight Officer, with a good increase in my pay packet. From there on, there was no stopping. I went on climbing the ladder of success, rung by rung, with regular, well deserved promotions. >From Senior Freight Officer, I was promoted to the post of a Group Coordinator and then to the post of a Group Superintendent of Cargo Tracing & Customer Services Units, which is my present position. In doing all this, time passed so fast, that I never got to practicing Law in Goa. But I still have hopes that very soon, after retirement from my present job I shall take up the legal profession, not so much for the earnings but for my personal satisfaction. I am sure, my Dad, would have been immensely proud of all my achievements and above all that I lived up to his expectations. What more can I say! RD: Tell us about your life in Kuwait? When where why and how did it all begin? ------------------------------------------------------------ My life in Kuwait has been superb. In the 32 years that I have lived in Kuwait, I have never had any problems with anything in life. It has been a smooth sailing all along. I believe that life is what one makes out of it. All the people, Kuwaitis as well as non-Kuwaitis, have been very good to me, I could not have asked for anything better. God has blessed me abundantly and I always thank God for all His choicest blessings on me and my family. I help people and people help me, it is as simple as that. My life in Kuwait began the day I landed in Kuwait on the auspicious day, December 3, 1980, and it's been roses all the way. The only bad patch in my life in Kuwait has been during the ill-fated Invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990, had to spend sleepless nights in total fear. It was like a life and death situation, fearing for life at every step. It was dreadful to say the least, we survived unharmed and that is the best thing that has happened to us. Fortunately, Kuwait was eventually liberated in February 1991, and we were among the lucky ones to see Kuwait rising, once again, from the dust to all its glory. Thanks to God and to the Kuwait Airways Management, I was back in my job in June, 1991, after a break of 10 months, reinstated in the same position that I was before the ill-fated Invasion. RD: Any striking incident in your life that left a deep impact on your life or changed the course of your life. ------------------------------------------------------------ The loss of my beloved mother in the year 1979 was a real blow to me and our entire family. During her lifetime my mother worked very hard to educate and inculcate rich values in all her seven children and when everything seemed to be going on so well, she met with a freak accident and while in the Goa Medical Hospital, she went into a coma and passed away within a week of being hospitalized. That was the greatest shock which gripped all of us for several years. Even to this day I miss my mother sorely. She was the one person who thought us the virtues of humility and simplicity, through living by examples. Her life has had a big impact on my ways of living and dealing with people in all walks of life. My greatest regret in life is that my mother never lived to see the prosperity of her children and enjoy the fruits of her labour and also that we, her children, never got a chance to reward her for all that she did so selflessly for us. RD: Describe your work philosophy and approach ------------------------------------------------------------ My work philosophy is very simple, work smart rather than work hard. To work smart, all that is required is to enjoy what you do and to do it with great love and passion. Never look at work as a burden, think of it as a pleasure and try to be as creative as possible. In that, the mind will find the solution much faster than the body can ever find. My approach to work is, no matter how much work is on hand, don't panic. Do one thing at a time, and while doing it, concentrate on that work alone. After one job is finished go to the other, in this way work gets done faster and efficiently. Getting into panic mode is no way to start a job. Be cool at all times and see the results. That's my way of handling tasks. RD: What in your view, are the issues concerning Goa and how can we tackle them? ------------------------------------------------------------ Goa, like any other State in India, has a lot of issues which need to be tackled. This can only be done by first identifying the problems and then working on finding the right solutions. Problems if left alone can never be solved. The solution lies is dealing with the problems head on. The major problem, as we all know, is lack of good governance. The government, whichever it might be, looks at finding short-term solutions, which eventually turn out to be bigger problems. The incumbent government, instead of finding appropriate solutions, resorts to the blame game, which can be never ending. Goa’s present day major problems, in my opinion, are maintaining control on the Administration to curb corruption and corrupt practices. To add to it, there is no control over Law and Order situation so as to ensure safety to life and property, lack of control over vehicular traffic to avoid accident and death on the roads, no measures to control of stray dogs and stray cattle invading the roads, no repairs of roads, bridges, clogging of culverts in the monsoons, garbage collection and disposal, no orderly planning of constructions of buildings and homes, lack of cleanliness of beaches and facilities for tourists, no control on public transport, health services, etc. These are some of the problems that can easily be solved if there is a will to exercise control on the part of the government by use of the government machinery which is under its control. RD: What are the challenges faced by Goans in Kuwait and how can the Government of Goa help Goans in Kuwait overcome those challenges? ------------------------------------------------------------ The challenges faced by Goans in Kuwait are far too many to be enlisted here. However, let me note down a few that I know of. Expatriates are not eligible to have a permanent residential status independently. They have to depend on sponsorship of the employers, which is in itself a hurdle. In the event of losing a job one loses the residential status too, unless and until one is able to find another job to take over the sponsorship, within the stipulated time frame. Education for Indian expatriates is up to Standard XII only. There are no professional colleges imparting higher educational professional courses, resulting in students desirous of pursuing a career in any chosen professional stream are compelled to leave the country and seek admission elsewhere. There is not much that the Government of Goa can do for Goans in Kuwait, but it can definitely do something to assist the Goans, who after successfully completing their Std. XII in the Gulf countries, apply for admission to professional colleges in Goa, by waving the domicile requirements for Goans passing the qualifying exams from the Gulf countries, and helping them to compete with others in qualifying for admissions. I must say that despite our best efforts, so far the cases of Goan students, passing out from schools in Kuwait have not be considered favourably by the Government of Goa. If the Government of Goa wishes it can definitely do something in this regard, I am sure, and the expatriate Goans will be ever grateful for this act of benevolence. A lot has been seen about crab mentality and susegad attitude of Goans. What do you have to say about this? ------------------------------------------------------------ Talking about the 'crab mentality' of Goans, I would like to mention here that this is not a trait of Goans alone, it is a human trait. No matter which community one belongs to, the pressures of pulling down one another are common. I say this because, I have intermingled and interacted with all kinds of Indian communities and every community has the same complaint. Every community points out to the other and feel that what they are doing is not in conformity with what others do. As regards the 'susegado' attitude, I feel it is the inherent trait of Goans to feel satisfied with whatever they do and be contented with it. By nature Goans are a contented people, never craving for what is perceived as beyond reach. We all work hard for a living and yet find time to enjoy the luxury of being 'susegado'. It's more of a peaceful nature, I feel, that we cherish the most. RD: What do you think is the secret of Goans shining abroad? Do you think there are some obstacles to development of one self in Goa? How can we develop a better Goa? What is your vision for a better Goa? How would you like to contribute now or in the future towards a better Goa? ------------------------------------------------------------ In my humble opinion, the secret of Goans shining abroad is their commitment to success through dedication and hard work. I remember vividly some of the leaders of Goa, while on their official visit to Kuwiat, after having witnessed the Goans life style, saying: "If Goans in Goa worked half as hard as the Goans work in Kuwait, Goa would be far more developed than any other place in the world." This is a fact, Goans here wake up at 5.00 am and go to bed past 10.00 pm and do something or the other in between, for a little extra income to feed their families needs. I think there are far too many obstacles for development of oneself in Goa due to the lack of opportunities and proper guidance and motivation. In order empower Goans to develop in Goa, the Government must come up with schemes and programmes that are beneficial to Goa and Goans. Goans are unique in their own way and are basically moved by emotions and like to share their emotions with others, that is one reason why Goans are very loving and loveable. They make very good hosts and can easily attract tourists, particularly, foreigners, through their honesty and loving nature. The Government must encourage Goans to start their own Travel and Tourism businesses and also open hotel and restaurant businesses, by giving them incentives and attractive packages. This can be done by promoting the locally owned business houses, through brochures and publicity materials, authenticated by the Department of Tourism of Goa. In the absence of this kind of promotion of locals, most of the well-established chain of star hotels and restaurants and leading Travel & Tourism organizations attract most of the tourists' business. Goans must be given all possible help wherever possible to develop themselves in Goa. To better the State of Goa, the Government must first better the lot of Goans by giving preference to them in all Government contracts and facilities to conduct business in a fair manner. Goans must also be given preference in jobs so that Goans are not compelled to go out of Goa in search of jobs. My vision for Goa is to see Goa emerge as a paradise, where there is nothing but peace, love and happiness. To ensure that the natural beauty of Goa is preserved and enhanced with each passing day and to make Goa the safest place to live on earth. And above all to make Goa truly, GOA -- God's Own Abode. As regards my contributions to Goa, I would love to be a part and parcel of everything that Goa is and will be. In my own small way, I would like to settle in Goa permanently and do whatever it takes to make Goa a better place to live a 'susegado' life, not just for me, but for every 'Niz Goemkar'. Viva Goa and Goans! Send your comments, feedback, suggestions or criticism to goa...@goanet.org with a cc to the writer of this article rodrigr...@yahoo.com Goanet Reader is compiled and edited for @Goanet by Frederick Noronha. Insightful and interesting articles will be considered for circulation on this network if submitted to f...@goa-india.org