SALUTING THE FLAGS, STANDING TO ATTENTION

Convoy of Indian troops passing through the village of 
Guirim, Cumbiem Morod, heading to the capital Panaji via Betim,
from Mapusa, 19th December 1961.

Line drawing by Tony Fernandes

SALUTING THE FLAGS
&

 STANDING TO ATTENTION

(A True Tale of Circumstance)
by Tony Fernandes

I was born in Bombay in 1947, on 7 of January. The British were still in India. India was yet to get its Independence from Great Britain then. Independence for Felicio would eventually come 7 months and 3 weeks later. Due to the economic situation prevailing at the time my family had to relocate to Goa in 1951 and Goa was under Portuguese rule.

My earliest memories of hearing the Portuguese national anthem were in 1953 in Goa when I was about 6 years of age studying English as well as Portuguese in the village Primary School. Sometime after that I heard the anthem on the radio which was well known then as Emisora de Goa.

Then I went to high school - St. Anthony's at Monte de Guirim. The Portuguese national anthem was printed on the last page of my school calendar for several years. I had to memorize and sing that anthem at the enforced and compulsory Mocidade Portuguesa, both at the school drill and at all school functions until 1961 when Goa was taken over by the Indian Government.

In the interim period I traveled from Goa to Bombay (Mumbai) and back, on a travel then known as 'Documento para Viagem' (Document of Travel) - not exactly a passport.

At 14 years of age, I waved out to the Indian Army soldiers in their turbans as they drove through our village of Guirim in Bardez, perched on the tanks, armoured vehicles and jeeps, creating a huge cloud of dust as they rumbled along, proceeding on the unpaved road from Mapsa to Betim on the banks of the river Mandovi, as some of the people around me shouted 'Jai Hind' (Hail India).

Our school calendar’s last page was soon replaced by the Indian national anthem to which I stood to attention and sang as as inductee into the National Cadet Corps until 2^nd of September 1967 when I boarded a steamer to work in Dubai, then known to only a few as the Trucial States of Oman' - several sheikdoms as Protectorates under the British.

Five days of sailing on the high seas bound for Dubai via Karachi in Pakistan and Muscat in Oman through the Straits of Hormuz meant that there was ‘No National Anthem’ of any kind as the famous steamship ‘Sirdhana’ of British India Steam Navigation Co. - one of the last in the line-up of steamships to sail the seas, left Ballard Pier in Bomaby on 2nd September 1967.

Stepping ashore in Dubai is still one of the memorable moments that changed my life to this day.  Dubai - one of the Trucial States of Oman – was a British Protectorate. Approaching anchorage at offshore location in Dubai on 2nd September 1967, via Karachi and Muscat, the wind-towers appeared like sky-scrapers in the distance which in a few years' time were to turn into real skyscrapers!

The RAF Base band at Sharjah raised the British and the T.O.S. (Trucial Oman Scouts). flags side by side and I stood up in reverence until 1971 when the United Arab Emirates were formed.

I waved out to the UAE Army Parade and stood up during functions when the UAE National anthem was sung or played for several years.

In the years that followed I immigrated to Canada and had to memorize and sing the Canadian national anthem at the swearing-in ceremony as a Canadian citizen.

So, now, to sum up the anthems:

                    Portugal         Herois do Mar.

                    India              Jana Gana Mana

                    British            God Save the Queen

       UAE              Ishy Bilady

                    Canada           O Canada

1.  In India under the British: 7 months and 1 week (oblivious to any anthem)

2.  No Anthem: 5 days in international waters (by Bristish Steamship 'Sirdhana' - Bombay to Dubai via Karachi and Muscat, Oman.

3.  In Goa under Portuguese rule: ‘a subject of the Portuguese Overseas Province’ (as the   Portuguese would have liked to call it):  8 years.

4.  Independent Indian in Goa:  5 years

5.  Indian outside Goa:  8 years.
. .  Indian citizen and expatriate worker in Dubai as a British Protectorate: 4 year

6.  Indian citizen and expatriate worker in Dubai: 31 years
...  Landed immigrant in Canada: 5 years

8.  Canadian Citizen: 10 years

9.  Independent, tired and retired - Ad Infinitum.

11. In heaven, assuming that I'm going there, I guess I'll have to sing the Lord's Anthem.

It's been a long and nostalgic journey indeed. But what's an anthem? Besides being compositions with patriotic lyrics, up-beat marches, or hymns in a particular style, I have sung, saluted and stood up to attention and shown respect to them as they were played, and listened to the world anthems whilst watching the Olympic Games.

But on the lighter side, if I ever decide to go to Mars, and if the Martians have an anthem, it will be my 6th.