Book opens new front on understanding Goans in the defence services

Dec. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- Strange though it may seem, the tiny region of Goa (now the country's smallest State) could have contributed the highest per capita armed forces commissioned officers to the Indian defence services. So says a new book on the subject.

Called 'Patriotism in Action: Goans in India's Defence Services' the book lists details of close to 400 officers in the three wings of the country's armed forces, from British times to the present, across its 344 pages. Yet, as the author himself admits, the list is far from complete! The book, needless to add, is the first of its type on the subject.

Author Valmiki Faleiro has been one of Goa's prolific writers, and has worked for a string of publications both from Goa and beyond.

Former Indian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Sunith F. Rodrigues has called this an "ambitious task" by the author. Faleiro earlier penned a series of articles in the local media, highlighting the contribution of Goans to the Indian armed forces over the decades.

Faleiro concedes that Goa's present-day contribution to the armed forces has changed from its "glorious traditions" to dismal. He writes in the book: "There seems to be a lack of local awareness, or rather, unfounded wrong impressions about life in the services... few Goan parents seem to know that life in the services is far safer than on Goa's roads!"

He urges Goan youngsters to consider the defence services as "a worthy, viable and rewarding career option".

The author also makes a plea for Goa to recognise the contribution of Indian soldiers who were sons of the soil. While Goan soldiers' names adorn the streets of New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum and elsewhere, Goa has just three such streets -- after Air Vice Marshal Erlic W Pinto (Dabolim), Lt Col Sylvester M D'Souza (Sangolda) and Wing Commander Clarence J D'Lima (Socorro). He also lists some of the other areas where the Goan soldier has been either unfairly or inadequately dealt with both by the State  government and civilian society in Goa.

Paying tribute to 39-year-old Wg Cdr Oswald Manuel Francis de Abreu, of Chorao, who was flight commander of the 222 ("Tigersharks") Squadron at Hashimara, West Bengal, the book points out that many of Goan origin have also played valiant roles in the IAF.

"Goa gave a Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh Shamrao Moolganvkar.... Goa has contributed its fair share to the topmost IAF officer ranks, like Air Marshals Terence Joseph de Sa, Yeshwantrao Krishnarao Rane, Loreto Pestana Pereira, Dinanath Ramchandra Nadkarni and Gordon Peter D'Souza," notes the book.

It recalls the valour of Goans who died in the Bangladesh operations (2/Lt Jayendra Jaisingh Rane, Flight Lt Andre Rudolf da Costa of Velim, Flight Lt Shrikant C Mahajan, Flight Lt Lawrence F Pereira and Fg Offr Joe D'Souza).

It lists Goan officers who died while in service, like Wing Cdr Emiliano A Fernandes of Dramapur, whose plane vanished without a trace while flying it back from the USSR, in the Arabian Sea, off Gujarat and Wing Cdr Clarence J D'Lima of Socorro who is credited with bravely averting a VVIP disaster, and safely landing then PM Morarji Desai in a paddy field near Jorhat and losing his own life and all those of his five-member flight crew.

Following his writing in the local newspapers, a lot of information surfaced about Goan involvement in the Indian Armed Forces. But the author concedes that lots more information still awaits being collected, and he hopes to be able to compile more of it following the release of the book, when feedback is received.

Contrary to the impression, Faleiro suggests that Goans have long held a fascination for adventure.

"Right from the General in a Deccani army in the 17th century, to Manuel Antonio de Souza (1835-1904) of Mapusa, who created and reigned over his own country with an army of 30,000 by the right bank of the Zambezi, in far away Mozambique!"

Going by this book's count, the number of Goans in independent India's defence services is a matter of pride.

It says: "This tiny community produced one Chief and two Vice Chiefs of Army and Staff/GOC-in-Cs (Army Commanders), one Vice Chief of Naval Staff and one Chief of Air Staff. And at least 43 Generals (from three- to one-star) and 40 full Colonels, one Rear Admiral, six Commodores and six Naval Captains, five Air Marshals, one Air Vice Marshal, seven Air Commodores and 20 Group Captains -- and a legion of other commissioned officer ranks in the three services."

Goan women too have achieved top positions in the armed forces.

Col (Dr) Freda Emilia Freitas Pai, AVSM, VSM from Pomburpa was the first woman in the Indian Army to receive a commission. Maj (Dr) Magdalene T D'Souza of Vaddem-Bardez and Maj (Dr) Rose Fonseca of Assagao are among others. Many more were to later follow in their footsteps.

Faleiro's well-researched book points out that many officers, after hanging up their uniform for the last time, have done, and are still doing, works of compassion in their society.

The book is priced at Rs 600 and the author can be contacted at valmikif at gmail.com

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A book publishing venture in Goa, India. We mostly focus on non-fiction books related to Goa. So far, Goa,1556 has published 18 books and aims to create space for writers -- in Goa and about Goa. Goa,1556 is named after the accidental arrival of the first Gutenberg-style printing press in Asia, in the mid-sixteenth century. It's motto is: "Publishing Goa, NOT by accident."