Dr. Jack de Sequeira
Encyclopedia
Joao Hugo Eduardo de Sequeira (20 April 1915 – 17 October 1989), popularly known as Dr. Jack de Sequeira; also known as Jak Siker according to local naming conventions, was a prominent Goan politician and is popularly known in Goa
as the Father of the Opinion Poll.
Dr. Jack de Sequeira was the founder president of the United Goans Party
. He played a pivotal role in convincing the government of India to hold an opinion poll to decide the issue of the merger of Goa
into the state of Maharashtra
.
) on 20 April 1915. His parents were Mr. Erasmo de Sequeira and Mrs. Ana Julia de Sa e Sequeira.
After completing schooling in Portuguese medium at the Lyceum, he studied medicine at Escola Médica de Goa. However, his father died when he was 21, forcing him to discontinue studies in order to look after the family business
At the age of 23, he married Lilia Margarida de Gouveia Pinto. They had nine children.
Dr Jack expired on 17 October 1989. He was 74 years old.
.
Dr. Jack represented Santa Cruz
assembly constitueny three times. He lost in the fourth attempt in 1979 and did not contest elections again.
Goa's first polls were held on December 9, 1963.
The two main parties UGP
and MGP
were formed with two opposing ideologies. The MGP wanted to merge the state of Goa into the newly formed state of Maharashtra whereas UGP wanted to retain independent statehood for the former Portuguese enclaves
.
The United Goans Party
(UGP) was formed in 1962-63 following the merger of three local parties. Dr Sequeira was its founding president
Of the 30 seats in the assembly 28 belonged to Goa
, and one each to Daman and Diu. MGP formed the government, having secured 16 seats while UGP secured 12. The assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu convened on 9 January 1964. Dayanand Bandodkar
of MGP became the first Chief Minister.
The MGP and politicians in Maharashtra were elated at the victory and touted it as a mandate that the majority of Goans were in favour of merger.
At the time of Goa’s accession into India, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
had categorically stated that Goa would retain its distinct identity. Following MGPs victory and the raised pitch for merger. Dr. Sequeira visited New Delhi along with his MLAs and impressed Nehru about the need of an opinion poll on this matter . However Nehru died before Parliament could take this decision and Lal Bahadur Shastri
succeeded him as Prime Minister. A delegation consisting of MGP MLAs and Maharashtra’s leaders went to New Delhi to convince him that a vote on the merger should be conducted in the Goa Assembly.
Dr Sequeira, along with others went to Bangalore
where an AICC session was being held and met Shastri. They opposed the move to get the merger voted in the Assembly and impressed on Shastri and Kamraj, the need to put this question before the people of Goa themselves.
Dr. Sequeira shrewdly managed to get the backing of the legislators of Mysore state
( now Karnataka
). He impressed them that if Maharashtra managed to convince the centre to merge Goa into Maharashra, it would only bolster their case for Karwar
and Supa
.
However Shastri died in 1966 in Tashkent
and this decision was now left to the new Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
. Again Dr. Jack and his legislators met the new Prime Minister and submitted a memorandum that such a monumental decision affecting the future of the State could not be left to legislators alone, but should be put before the people to decide. The referendum
could be conducted via a signature campaign or by secret ballot
. Since a large number of Goans worked outside Goa,and indeed, outside India itself as expats
, UGP demanded that these expats should be allowed to vote by postal ballot. Parliament finally agreed to conduct a referendum by means of secret ballot but ruled out postal ballots.
Now that the referendum would be conducted, Dr. Sequeira feared that Bandodkar may use the state’s administrative and law-enforcement machinery to browbeat the anti-mergerists into submission. The UGP demanded that the MGP government resign so that the referendum could be conducted in a free-and-fair atmosphere. On 3 December 1966, the MGP government resigned.
Dr. Sequeira also traveled extensively exhorting people to vote against the merger. In this cause, he also visited places such as Colaba and Kalyan in Bombay, convincing Goans staying there to support the cause.
The Referendum was held on 16 January 1967. A total of 3,17,633 votes were polled. The merger was defeated by 34,021 votes.
.
The road from Miramar
to Merces Junction has also been named after him.
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
as the Father of the Opinion Poll.
Dr. Jack de Sequeira was the founder president of the United Goans Party
United Goans Party
The United Goans Party was a political party founded in Goa after its annexation into India. Its main aim at the time of formation was to protect the distinct identity of Goa and the Goan people...
. He played a pivotal role in convincing the government of India to hold an opinion poll to decide the issue of the merger of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
into the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
.
Life
Dr. Jack was born in Burma (now MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
) on 20 April 1915. His parents were Mr. Erasmo de Sequeira and Mrs. Ana Julia de Sa e Sequeira.
After completing schooling in Portuguese medium at the Lyceum, he studied medicine at Escola Médica de Goa. However, his father died when he was 21, forcing him to discontinue studies in order to look after the family business
At the age of 23, he married Lilia Margarida de Gouveia Pinto. They had nine children.
Dr Jack expired on 17 October 1989. He was 74 years old.
Political career
Dr. Jack de Sequeira who was the founder president of the United Goans PartyUnited Goans Party
The United Goans Party was a political party founded in Goa after its annexation into India. Its main aim at the time of formation was to protect the distinct identity of Goa and the Goan people...
.
Dr. Jack represented Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Goa
Santa Cruz or Calaphur is a village-suburb of the Goan state capital of Panaji .-Basics:Santa Cruz is the largest village in Goa with a population of 21,000 people all from different religions and also from different parts of India...
assembly constitueny three times. He lost in the fourth attempt in 1979 and did not contest elections again.
The Goa Referendum and Dr. Jack's role
Goa was annexed into India by an Indian Army operation on December 19, 1961. It was integrated into the Indian Union in 1962.Goa's first polls were held on December 9, 1963.
The two main parties UGP
United Goans Party
The United Goans Party was a political party founded in Goa after its annexation into India. Its main aim at the time of formation was to protect the distinct identity of Goa and the Goan people...
and MGP
MGP
MGP may refer to:*MagicPoint*Malaysian Grand Prix, a Grand Prix for the Formula One automobile racing series held at the Sepang International Circuit*Manufactured Gas Plant*Manx Grand Prix*Mathematics Genealogy Project*Matrix gla protein...
were formed with two opposing ideologies. The MGP wanted to merge the state of Goa into the newly formed state of Maharashtra whereas UGP wanted to retain independent statehood for the former Portuguese enclaves
Portuguese India
The Portuguese Viceroyalty of India , later the Portuguese State of India , was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India.The government started in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, with the nomination of the first Viceroy Francisco de...
.
The United Goans Party
United Goans Party
The United Goans Party was a political party founded in Goa after its annexation into India. Its main aim at the time of formation was to protect the distinct identity of Goa and the Goan people...
(UGP) was formed in 1962-63 following the merger of three local parties. Dr Sequeira was its founding president
Of the 30 seats in the assembly 28 belonged to Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, and one each to Daman and Diu. MGP formed the government, having secured 16 seats while UGP secured 12. The assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu convened on 9 January 1964. Dayanand Bandodkar
Dayanand Bandodkar
Dayanand Bandodkar was the first Chief Minister of Goa after the territory was returned to India by Portugal. A wealthy mine owner, he sought to merge the territory with the state of Maharashtra...
of MGP became the first Chief Minister.
The MGP and politicians in Maharashtra were elated at the victory and touted it as a mandate that the majority of Goans were in favour of merger.
At the time of Goa’s accession into India, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
had categorically stated that Goa would retain its distinct identity. Following MGPs victory and the raised pitch for merger. Dr. Sequeira visited New Delhi along with his MLAs and impressed Nehru about the need of an opinion poll on this matter . However Nehru died before Parliament could take this decision and Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Srivastava Shastri was the second Prime Minister of the Republic of India and a significant figure in the Indian independence movement.-Early life:...
succeeded him as Prime Minister. A delegation consisting of MGP MLAs and Maharashtra’s leaders went to New Delhi to convince him that a vote on the merger should be conducted in the Goa Assembly.
Dr Sequeira, along with others went to Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
where an AICC session was being held and met Shastri. They opposed the move to get the merger voted in the Assembly and impressed on Shastri and Kamraj, the need to put this question before the people of Goa themselves.
Dr. Sequeira shrewdly managed to get the backing of the legislators of Mysore state
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
( now Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
). He impressed them that if Maharashtra managed to convince the centre to merge Goa into Maharashra, it would only bolster their case for Karwar
Karwar
Karwar is the administrative headquarters of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a seaside town situated on the banks of the Kali river which is on the west coast of the Indian peninsula. The town lies about 15 kilometres south of the Karnataka–Goa border and 519 km north-west...
and Supa
Supa
Supa is a village in Tõlliste Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia. It has a population of 33 ....
.
However Shastri died in 1966 in Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
and this decision was now left to the new Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. Again Dr. Jack and his legislators met the new Prime Minister and submitted a memorandum that such a monumental decision affecting the future of the State could not be left to legislators alone, but should be put before the people to decide. The referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
could be conducted via a signature campaign or by secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
. Since a large number of Goans worked outside Goa,and indeed, outside India itself as expats
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
, UGP demanded that these expats should be allowed to vote by postal ballot. Parliament finally agreed to conduct a referendum by means of secret ballot but ruled out postal ballots.
Now that the referendum would be conducted, Dr. Sequeira feared that Bandodkar may use the state’s administrative and law-enforcement machinery to browbeat the anti-mergerists into submission. The UGP demanded that the MGP government resign so that the referendum could be conducted in a free-and-fair atmosphere. On 3 December 1966, the MGP government resigned.
Dr. Sequeira also traveled extensively exhorting people to vote against the merger. In this cause, he also visited places such as Colaba and Kalyan in Bombay, convincing Goans staying there to support the cause.
The Referendum was held on 16 January 1967. A total of 3,17,633 votes were polled. The merger was defeated by 34,021 votes.
Remembrance
On 16 January 2007 a life sized statue of Dr. Jack was inaugurated at Calangute. Another statue was inaugurated on 20 April 2007 at Dona Paula. The cost of the statue was borne by his family and not by the government. A third statue will be installed in SalcetteSalcette
Salcette , is a taluka of South Goa District in the Indian state of Goa. Its administrative and economic headquarters is Margao. It is largely coterminous with a region called Sashti , which comprised, by local tradition, sixty-six villages, hence the name. However, it also includes the taluka of...
.
The road from Miramar
Miramar, Panaji
Miramar is a place in Panaji city in the state of Goa, India. It is the nearest beach to the Goan capital and unarguably the most visited beach of Goa. Hordes of people, mostly tourists, are found every day flocking to this beach...
to Merces Junction has also been named after him.
See also
- Goa Opinion PollGoa Opinion PollThe Goa Opinion Poll was a referendum held in the state of Goa, India, on 16 January 1967, to decide the future of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu within the Indian Union. Although popularly called an opinion poll, it was in fact, a referendum, as the results of the poll were binding on...
- United Goans PartyUnited Goans PartyThe United Goans Party was a political party founded in Goa after its annexation into India. Its main aim at the time of formation was to protect the distinct identity of Goa and the Goan people...
- Erasmo de SequeiraErasmo de SequeiraErasmo Jesus de Sequeira was a politician, social worker and parliamentarian from Goa, India. He represented the Marmagoa parliamentary constituency twice from 1967-1977. He has been described as a "man of letters"; and was known for his fluency in many languages.-Family:Erasmo de Sequeria was the...
- Alvaro de Loyola FurtadoAlvaro de Loyola FurtadoAlvaro de Loyola Furtado , was a member of the Goa assembly and a parliamentarian. He was a founding member of the United Goans Party and also the leader of the United Goans . He was also a social worker, a historian, journalist, physician and humanitarian...