PANJIM: The Consulate of Portugal in Goa, along with Fundação Oriente, the Centre of Portuguese Language of Camões Institute and the Semana da Cultura Portuguesa is presenting the First Edition of Indo-Portuguese Moments. This will include several events including the Lusofone Film Festival which began on Friday, September 29.
On this occasion, Maria Isabel de Carvalho Mendonça Raimundo Pereira Coutinho, Consul General of Portugal in Goa, spoke extensively to O Heraldo on a range of topics centred around the bond and deep historical, cultural and leadership linkages between Portugal and Goa. Following are the excerpts:
O Heraldo: Portugal has left an indelible impact on the culture, cuisine and architecture of Goa, and gives this tourist paradise a distinct, hard-to-quantify flavour. Do you share this view that the X factor that makes Goa different from other coastal states is the milieu and the vibe of the Portuguese era that still lingers?
Consul General: The architecture of Goa is very distinctive and undoubtedly attractive for its uniqueness. Goan culture incorporates very diverse elements, which bring together the Indian matrix, the Portuguese influence, and other very diverse elements that form its identity from the past to the present.
This is what makes the impact on tourists unique. The same happens in other countries all over the world that received different influences, which, let's say, also constitutes their wealth.
O Heraldo: What does Goa mean to those in Portugal who have been a part of shared history, or the new generation that may have second or passed down knowledge, of the close links and ties between a major country in Europe and a tiny state in India?
Consul General: As you say, we have a common history. There is a great connection between the Goan diaspora in Africa, countries like Mozambique and Portugal, due to the existing connections in the past that today gave rise to the CPLP, of which India is now an observer country. These were the trades and maritime circuits, as was also the case with the Christians from Kerala who landed in São Tomé, for example.
From the beginning, there were prominent politicians and individuals of Goan origin in Portugal, who made a very important contribution in various areas of action and knowledge.
O Heraldo: What are the values of this relationship and how do you see this growing?
Consul General: The relationship between Portugal in Goa must always be seen in the context of excellent and long diplomatic relations between Portugal and India, of long friendship and cordiality. And Goa is no exception, providing increased opportunities for deepening relationships, with an eye on the present and the future, in all areas, with a special focus on the areas of culture, language, architecture, tourism, environment, administrative modernization or Information Technology (IT).
O Heraldo: What has been the role of your Consulate in Goa, in building on the existing bond between Goa and Portugal?
Consul General: The Consulate works in close collaboration with the Embassy of Portugal in New Delhi, following the guidelines of the Portuguese Government and the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in liaison with other foreign Consulates General in Mumbai, in a spirit of good collaboration and common goals.
Our main particular goal is to assist the Portuguese community in Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar-Haveli, and to preserve and reinforce the ties and cooperation with local authorities; particularly the authorities and all the relevant institutions, entities and civil society in case of Goa.
In addition to contacts with the University of Goa and colleges where Portuguese is taught, under the guidance of the Portuguese Reader in Goa, we have close contact with institutions that maintain important agreements with Portuguese entities, such as Turismo de Portugal, with V M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, and the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, with V M Salgaocar College of Law.
The Consulate is closely following the work on the technical assistance contract between Águas de Portugal and the Government of Goa, and is trying to encourage the Goan and Portuguese parties to increase cooperation in areas such as tourism, sustainable tourism, environment, energy renewables and IT.
It was with great interest that we supported and followed the meeting of the Minister of Tourism of Goa with the Portuguese Minister of Economy, and other meetings with Portuguese entities, during the visit that the delegation from Goa made to Lisbon in March this year, to participate in the Lisbon Tourism Exchange, thereby laying a pathway to put into practice, ways to contribute to the respective developments and cooperation that may be established.
I must mention the involvement of Portugal, either through the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulate General, in other events organized in Goa by the Indian government in collaboration with the Government of Goa, such as the Lusofonia Festival, which took place in Goa, last December, and more recently, the Goa Environment Festival, organized here on the occasion of the G20 meetings and World Environment Day.
I had the special pleasure of attending the anniversary of the Museum of Sacred Art, a unique example of the restoration of heritage in Goa, in this case, designed and financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, which was attended by the Minister of Tourism of Goa, His Eminence Cardinal D Filipe Neri Ferrão and the team from Lisbon headed by Prof Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, Administrator of that Foundation.
The Portuguese Government considers the possibility of supporting the restoration of the historical heritage of Indo-Portuguese and other origins in Goa, Damão and Diu, with a process underway to identify buildings that need attention, for which we seek the suggestions and support of the local authorities.
O Heraldo: Take us through some of the initiatives you have undertaken to make the experience of the public availing of the services of the Consulate better and smoother. For instance, one notices that the process of appointments, which witnessed some bottlenecks in the past, has been streamlined, to the benefit of all applicants for visas and other services.
Consul General: Since my arrival, there has been a profound reorganization of work at the Consulate and procedures have been simplified.
We have increased substantially the number of daily appointments for the public, trying to excel in fluidity and cordialness, in order to streamline the service to the Goan public and other areas under our jurisdiction. I made a consular visit to Daman, Diu and Bombay, in March 2023, where I held productive meetings with the Portuguese communities and local authorities and where we attended to hundreds of people, thereby avoiding their travel all the way to Goa.
O Heraldo: The Portuguese institutions in Goa have played a big part in both recognizing, honouring and facilitating talent in the fields of literature, art poetry music. Do you see a possibility of enhancing this further with more cultural exchanges between artists in Goa and Portugal?
Consul General: We are implementing the Cultural Activities Plan for 2023, in coordination with the Portuguese Language Centre of Camões, IP and in partnership with Fundação Oriente. One of our primary focuses is culture and contact between people, and we will continue to work very hard on new projects for this year and next year.
This year, are currently organising and presenting, along with Fundação Oriente, the Centre of Portuguese Language of Camões Institute and the Semana da Cultura Portuguesa, the first Edition of Indo-Portuguese Moments, with various events, including the Lusophone Film Festival, beginning on September 29, a private event, mostly directed to institutions, and an exhibition of Goan artworks in the Museum of Goa, in November.
The final moment will be in February next year, with a big dinner organised by the Semana da Cultura Indo-Portuguesa. We will also have an event until the end of the year to mark the centenary of the birth of writer and thinker Eduardo Lourenço.
It is our intention that all cultural activities promote the ties between India, Indo-Portuguese or Goan and Portuguese cultures, so we try that all activities incorporate artists and elements from various cultures. It is this interrelationship and exchange of cultures that promotes diversity, people-to-people contacts, mutual knowledge and the search for new paths in the field of art and knowledge.
O Heraldo: Each year, a large number of Goans, give up their Indian passports and get Portuguese passports. Why do you think that number keeps increasing? Further, do you agree that passport seekers want a window to Europe rather than a window to Portugal? Would Portugal want a more intense engagement and connection between its new Goan citizens? If yes, what are the initiatives Portugal could take to enhance this connection?
Consul General: Portugal is a multicultural country, open to the contribution of all lusodescendants and foreign citizens who wish to avail of the best opportunities in the fields of tourism, exchange, residence and professional opportunities in the country.
We promote the exchange of students, in several areas, which can be extended to other fields, and we can open the scope of agreements with Portuguese universities and promote the direction of students and young adults to areas of qualified activity in Portugal, where at the moment there seem to be good job opportunities.