Goan Institute: Its Early History

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Founding member and early President of the Institute, former Municipal Councilor of Nairobi and at present Portuguese Government Trade Agent in Bombay.

"La Patrie Reconnaissante” are words that stand inscribed on a memorable monument in Paris as a token of tribute of the Nation to one of those who honored France most. In the same manner-though in a very modest way relative to the position of a small Community, and to a small event- the same three words, so expressive of gratitude, may likewise be regarded as befittingly applicable to the small band of founders of the Goan Institute of Nairobi-some living, some on the roll of dead.

The history of foundation of the Institute is highly illustrative of the devotion and self-sacrifice of far reaching values that led to the bold scheme elaborated to take shape. The outstanding factors which chiefly played their role in its materialization are somewhat dramatic.

There existed at the time a Railway Goan Club at Nairobi. This consisted of Railway members and non-Railway members. The latter class was regarded by the former as mere associates with no voice in the management of affairs of the Club. That disqualification gave rise to a split in the members’ camp which eventually resulted in the Railway Club being wound up with the full support of the then General Manager of the Railway, Sir Henry Currie, who, as he stated, always looked forward to the Goan Community having a common higher institution of their own.

The second handicap was the opposition that arose not long after the first General Meeting of the Community that was convened in the old Town Hall to consider the scheme of foundation of the Institute. That meeting was presided over by the late benefactor Dr. Rozendo Ribeiro who too prematurely resigned his position as President of the Working Committee of the scheme. Unfortunately this incident of his severance from the scheme brought about the formation of a sort of block of opposition to it. It is at this juncture that I was desired to step in a President of the Working Committee and then the first President of the Institute-a position I was prevailed upon to hold for several consecutive years starting from the day of laying the foundation stone of the Institute building onwards. However, immediately the scheme became a practical reality this psychological tendency to opposition, that at times develops, subsided. The opponents joined the ranks of supporters of the Institute.

The third bottleneck was the lack of funds to finance the scheme. The entrance fee of Rs. 50/- per head of only 61 members enrolled, representing a total of Rs. 3,050/- was ridiculously insufficient to shoulder the responsibility to warrant success. While the stalwarts withdrew their financial support, the difficulty was got over by the timely assistance of a loan given by the late patriotic Dr. Albino Dias, of Mombasa, followed by an overdraft granted the National Bank of India, plus a successful authorized lottery organization as a source of some income.

“The fact that you have erected a stone built institution testifies amply to the faith the Goan Community has in the good future that awaits this new country of your adoption” - said Mr. C. Hobley, the then Provincial Commissioner, in reply to my inaugural speech.

The Institute, when erected, was perhaps one of the only scarcely half a dozen stone buildings that existed at that time in the present modern City of Nairobi, which then gave an appearance of a sort of galvanized camp erected over the veldt. At the time of its inauguration the Institute was a fully accomplished organization provided with a 60 ft. long hall, a reading room, a stage, a library, billiards, a refreshment bar, a piano, a tennis court, a playground and bar, a piano, a tennis court, a playground and such amenities. In fact, it was a fully equipped institution, the like one of which, a compact one, is rare or none to see in the midst of the Goan emigrant in India (over 100,000 in number). He-no matter be he an intellectual, literateur, artiste, high professional, bureaucrat, a politician, scientist, capitalist, or syndicalist-appears to revolve round himself gravitating in his own shell from the collective point of view. True, the average Goan emigrates to Africa with less educational or academic qualifications, but once there landed he gains a higher sense of duty of collective importance. The progressive orientation of the Goan in Kenya is no doubt influenced by the healthy British atmosphere that surrounds him.

Since its inauguration the Institute witnessed important events. The public and the Government looked upon it as the sole mouthpiece of the Community. Several Governors and other important personalities and high dignitaries of Church honored it by their presence participating in their several functions of some social, cultural, and political importance. Not only did the Institute help to enhance the prestige of the Community, as a distinct unit of the country, but also acted as a lever of long projection over the several Goan sister communities that were spread over the B.E. African territories where regional institutions of the pattern sprang up. The bold undertaking of the founders paid its dividends, collectively speaking.

The implementation of this small historical sketch of the Institute would be incomplete if it failed to record that the great burden of the important secretarial spadework fell to the task of Mr. Lewis Siqueira, now at Belgaum. He-be it said to his credit-discharged the mission with some unusual activity, ability, and tenacity, added to the loyal and disinterested cooperation of the founders who, as a most disciplinary body, placed themselves in every respect above all personal and material considerations to achieve the object aimed at, actuated as they were by the single ideal that this noble communal heritage left to the present Goan generations would be kept up to the old traditions and spirit, all remaining true to the Nation to which they belong, and abiding always loyally to the laws of the British Administration which protects them so liberally.

“The British Empire is big enough to shelter the law abiding and peaceful Goan pioneer, a good citizen of Portugal, and to protect him in all his activities in British East Africa either a Government employee or otherwise.” - said Mr. Winston Churchill, now British Premier, in a personal statement to me as the Head of a Goan deputation that was received by him.

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