Honrad Bhenddekarachem Shakechem Zunvem

By Late Prof. L. M. Afonso

History is not just about quests or conquests. Beyond the ramparts and battlefields there were the ordinary men and women, the farmers and vegetable cultivators and the housewives who helped them, to keep life going. But their narratives lie frozen and unheard amid the dead debris of times. If you look around carefully you will find that every place has a nook or cranny which records history. It could be a decaying log or thatched hut of a farmer. All these have their own stories to tell.

Jua then was a group of seven islets intercepted by swamps and marshy areas of the river Mandovi, Mangueral, Polvado, Tonca and St. Francisco was the biggest islet followed by the twin islets of Tolto, separated by “Karem Bath” Bairo Santissm and Aldeia Grande, Palmar and Cupa were the tidal islets. All these islets were systematically joined together by constructing culverts and causeways and by building defending bunds by our ancestors and later maintained by Comunidades.

Our ancestors used to get up at the crowing of the cock and leave to their vegetable gardens to work till sunset for their daily bread to return to their happy nest to be welcomed by their loving wives.

The island therefore retained its “VERDANT GLORY” by the year round due to the hard labour
of our ancestors. Soon after the rains as the paddy harvest is gathered the ground becomes green again thanks to the primitive methods of irrigation. Our ancestors through the long summer used to grow vegetables such as onions, brinjal, chilies, pumpkins, carrots, sweet potatoes, watermelons and BHENDDE for which we became famous all over Goa. All this produce used to be exported to the neighbouring villages and towns especially Panjim. This made Jua to earn the sobriquet “The Isle of Vegetables”. The ever industrious youth of today has depicted this in floats led by ever enthusiastic Emidio Monteiro and Ivan Dias in Carvinal festivals for the last number of years. The year as in the past we carried first prize at Panaji, Vasco and Mhapsa celebrations but were placed second in Margao. And sings Jackson Dias:
Ubo raulear dongrar
Nodor marlear ganvar
Pollounk to srungar
Mhonntat amkam bhenddekar
Purvoz amche varvemkar
Honrad ami Zunvenkar