By Kiran Budkuley

Shenoi Goembab is a name familiar to every self-respecting Goan, nay, to every Konkani lover worth his/her salt. The unparalleled affection and deep gratitude that this name conjures up in the hearts of all identity-conscious people in Goa is to be seen to be believed. For that matter, a true Konkani individual anywhere in the world, knows Shenoi Goembab as the pioneer of the modern Konkani Movement. The awe-inspiring status commanded by his meritorious scholarship and extraordinary endeavour for the sake of Konkani, is simply legendary. He gave an ideological and cultural basis for the revival of Konkanihood as the quest for identity in the true sense of the word. The sheer will power, planned execution, versatile output and sterling achievements of this lone crusader in the resurgence of literary Konkani from the wilderness of neglect and indifference is almost unparalleled in the history of modern Indian languages. Co-incidentally, for Konkani-lovers in general and for Goans in particular, the commemoration of Shenoi Goembab as the Konkani Man of the Millennium in 2000 had generated a hitherto unprecedented interest in Shenoi Goembab’s mission for Konkani and instilled in them an ardent urge to know him more intimately.

Now once again, the celebration of the 125th year of his birth as the “Asmitai Vars” (Year of identity) in the state of Goa has spearheaded similar eagerness in the Konkani hearts to reiterate his unprecedented dedication to the Konkani cause. This is all the more significant because he lived and worked at a time when even the mention of such an idea would have been an anathema to the Konkani speakers themselves. Today the tide has turned! This year-long spree of activities to mark the “Asmitai Vars” is, on the one hand, the symbolic expression of gratitude that succeeding generations believe they owe to the memory of that great man and, on the other hand, the evidence of the fruition of the seeds of identity that Shenoi Goembab had sown with great foresight and courage.

Thanks to the efforts of Konkani protagonists the halo of his name has today reached remote quarters, even to the far flung Konkani diaspora across the world. Especially among the youth a rare enthusiasm about their own identity has been re-kindled. This explains the sudden spurt of popular interest to retrieve the little known details about the life and the work of this visionary of Konkani. It is felt that this is the appropriate occasion to acquaint ourselves with the life and oeuvre of this unassuming personality whose gift to posterity is the unfolding of the very essence of their existence as Konkanis and the unfurling of the glory of their uncommon historical inheritance. His far-sighted crusade assumes significance because it was resolutely undertaken at a time when even the mention of such an intent would have met with ridicule and contempt.

Shenoi Goembab belonged to an age when Konkani’s cup of woes was overflowing. There were those among her children who were convinced, this was just another dialect of Marathi and so unworthy of any honour or function as an independent language fit for formal or official use. There were yet others who believed that Konkani was just the lingo of the servants — a necessary medium merely to communicate with their illiterate domestic work force. In such an atmosphere of ignorance, apathy and callousness, there was one inspiring soul who believed unwaveringly in the nascent worth of his own language as also in the latent ability of her sons and daughters to rejuvenate her and, through her, themselves. That man was Shenoi Goembab...!

It was not often recognised by his detractors that Shenoi Goembab’s urge for the resurgence of Konkani was not out of a blind devotion to Konkani nor was it the result of an unrealistic lingo-chauvinism. It is very important for the present Konkani lovers and activists to know that he never aspired simply for the progress of Konkani as a language per se. He saw Konkani, and rightly so, as the abiding bond among her dispersed children, the essential vehicle of Konkani identity and culture and, thereby, the handy instrument of the all-round development of the Konkani speaking people as a cohesive Konkani society. His ultimate dream was to see that Konkani would “blossom in such a way that, in speech as well as in writing, it should be fully comprehensible to all without exception from the highest to the lowest strata.”

Above all, he was particularly concerned that Konkani should not be prematurely categorised into the standard and the subaltern dialects without consulting all sections of the Konkani world. He set high store by education and consensus. He rated conviction as a very high source of inspiration for the future generations. He wanted to restore Konkani to her pristine vocabulary and her natural Devnagari script. Yet he was equally keen that the battle of scripts should not divide the Konkani populace. His efforts were always to retrieve the lost lexicon of the language from all sources, humble and mighty. He has recorded how he would intently listen to the melodious strain of Konkani anywhere, anytime and note down with great care any new expressions for future use in his own writing. He was a determined worker who knew that Rome was not built in a single day. Rebuilding Konkani’s glorious citadel would also take time and patience. He was prepared to contribute both generously without complaint or compensation to that end.

All his life he endeavoured to exemplify through his writing and talks the spontaneity and exclusiveness of native Konkani idiom. He was concerned that the natural Konkani usage be not lost into the dry sands of scholarly jargon or buried under the mindless borrowings of alien terminology. Shenoi Goembab trusted as never before the literary potential of the suppressed and marginalised Konkani which had lain dormant for centuries. He believed in her rich and varied inheritance that reached back to ancient Vedic, Sanskrit roots but which also drew substantially from the native tribal idiom and was subsequently influenced by the Dravidian, Perso-Arabic, and Luzitanian languages.

He was aware of her present lowly status in the hearts of her own speakers and it grieved him deeply. Yet, he knew this state of affairs could change. It had to change! But for that to happen, Konkani’s children had to be awakened from the centuries-long cursed slumber of indignity and shame. He resolved that he would set his shoulder to this mighty wheel. Perhaps, he was the diminutive David that destiny had chosen against the huge Goliath of Konkani’s misfortunes. Indeed, his real name “Vaman” symbolises in the Indian mythic tradition a similar feat of a challenger of small-stature taking on the unequal might of a formidable emperor. Very much like his namesake, Shenoi Goembab picked up the gauntlet thrown by time and fate. He rose to redeem his people... the crestfallen Konkanis!

Thus it was that this unassuming but adamantine individual of few words dared to go it alone when the whole of the Konkani world wallowed in utter despondency and irredeemable self-humiliation. His steely determination, relentless study and dogged faith made up for his apparent lack of higher education and inadequate financial or popular support. The life of this selfless son of Konkani is notable in that it appears as strangely commonplace as it is exceptionally inspiring. In fact, we can see in hindsight the paradox of Konkani’s predicament linked to the extraordinary efforts of an ordinary mortal. The vision of this simple, middle class man for Konkani was born of such stuff as dreams are made of! It was nurtured on the inspiring words of his solitary forerunners down the ages. They were few and far between but they too had loved Konkani and had tried to awaken in vain the sublime hope of Konkani’s resurrection in her emasculated speakers. Now after ages this solitary pilgrim was hearkening to their call. Hence, it is interesting to know the life and work of this unusual personality popularly known as Shenoi Goembab.

Interestingly, Shenoi Goembab is not the actual name given to him by his parents. It was his pen-name. Born Vaman Raghunath Shenoi Varde Valaulikar, on 23rd June 1877 in a Saraswat Brahmin family at Bicholim, Goa, he was the son of Raghunathbab and Sitabai Varde Valaulikar. But this extraordinary man appears to have adopted this nom de plume with definite purpose. If one is to believe his biographers and his own written word, there appear to be two motives behind his choice of this pen-name. One of them must have been to herald to the world proudly the glory contained in the word “shenoi” which was often misconstrued or misinterpreted by petty individuals for short sighted motives. There is reason to make such a conjecture because there is evidence that Shenoi Goembab was apprised of the deviant and casteistic slant given to the term by certain vested interests. As such, he had given a lot of thought to the issue and had, in fact, written a detailed article on the term offering a well substantiated view point of his own.

In his biography, Ra Na Nayak records that this book-length article written by Shenoi Goembab in Marathi was originally published in Vividhdyanvistar (1931), and subsequently compiled in an extended form in the anthology of his essays Kaahin Marathi Lekh (1945). Shenoi Goembab’s contention was that “shenoi” was not just a caste determinant nor a term of hollow glory which should be adopted at will like some inherited title. In his minutely researched article he enlightened the contemporary readers about the etymology and meaning of the term, its historical evolution down the ages, the traditional usage of the word, the subsequent distortions that had cropped up in its interpretations and the polemics involved in this exercise. Probably, to illustrate the powerful potential of the gentle term in its pristine form, he adopted it as a part of his pen-name so as to give it the dignity and recognition as a well earned epithet.

The second likely intention behind the choice of his suave pen-name must have been to subvert the scorn and ridicule heaped upon the Goans of the day by their own Bombay-based brethren. In those days, the non resident Goans in Mumbai often looked upon their Goan counterparts as parochial, uncultured country folk. What is more, they showed their disapproval of their country cousins by ridiculing them as Goembab — a term similar in import, for instance, to Bengali Babu. Originally a term of distinction or an honorific, its usage had degenerated in the course of time to an uncharitable appellation of disparagement used by the migrant Goan Mumbaikars for the indigenous Goans. Thus due to ignorance or misinformation, the two words “shenoi” and “Goembab” had deteriorated in the hands of denationalised, de-cultured Goans into a casteistic term and a barb of derogation for the natives of `Goem’. He adopted this silken glove to coat his steely personality! In time, it became the emblem of true Goanhood: gentle, refined, modest on the surface but determined, resilient, confident at the core. It was his impregnable shield against shoddy derogation.

Self-respecting Vaman had experienced this derogation at a very early age. Ra Na Nayak narrates how, when the young lad, still in his early teens, was on his way to further studies in Mumbai in the company of his uncle Chintamanrao, he had the taste of this bitter venom. An acquaintance of the uncle, also on board the ship, accosted the uncle-nephew duo on the deck and engaged the uncle in small talk. Looking at the simple, quiet young man listening to their conversation silently, he mockingly alluded to the youngster with the words, “so you are taking this Goembab to Bombay, are you?”. The nonplussed demeanour of Chintamanrao at this untoward query which he answered with quiet dignity must have no doubt offered much-needed solace to Vaman’s wounded self-esteem.

But the sting of contempt in the tone of the questioner and the ungenerous mockery in the choice of his sobriquet unmistakably drove deep into the heart of the humble but self-respecting boy. Vaman was well acquainted with such pompous, self-degrading, deluded Goans settled in Mumbai who believed themselves to be pseudo-Mumbaiites. They ungenerously poked fun at their own fellows back in Goa. Believing the latter to be uncouth, country bumpkins, they felt themselves redeemed by their superficial brush with Marathi language and ethos.

In all likelihood, Vaman nursed the hurt of this undeserved and rude component in his young heart. He was probably bidding his time when he could counter the invective by an invocation of identity. He had his chance almost a decade and a half later, when he published at his own expenses a couple of early writings in Konkani. Among this early writing, was a satirical poem entitled Goenkaaracho Mumbaikaar (1910). It lampoons the presence, the hypocrisy and the ultimate misery of a man who pawns his self-respect and identity for petty pelf and false sense of borrowed grandeur, only to be disillusioned and chastened at the end. If his biographers Shantaram Amonkar and Ra Na Nayak are to be believed, Vaman adopted the pen-name “Shenoi Goembab” for these early publications. It subsumed the ridicule of self deluding critics into a proud proclamation of Goan identity and it remained with him to the end of his days. From the fabric of scorn was woven a banner of glory!

What is most significant about this pen-name was that it completely overshadowed the name at his birth and gave not only a distinct identity but also a unique character to its bearer. It became the silken glove of the iron fist of Konkani personified. Today the term “Shenoi Goembab” has become for the kindred souls of Goan descent, both native and diasporic, at once the hallmark of a personality, the emblem of a resilient struggle for identity and the banner of triumph of the Konkani Movement. Incidentally, the books which bore this nom de plume were by no means his first published works, but they were certainly his earliest in Konkani. They were, undoubtedly, the launching pads of a long drawn crusade for Konkani whose nature and significance were yet to reveal themselves to the crusader himself. But more than anything they helped to make a point about the steely character of the man whose writing they adorned.