By Dattaraj V Salgaocar
LAMBERT Mascarenhas was an extraordinary person who lived a full and fulfilling life for 106 years. He lived a life of service: to his nation, to his state, and to its people. A dedicated and passionate nationalist and patriot, Lambert used his words and his pen for the cause of Goa’s freedom from the Portuguese. Fearless, he was even exiled from Goa and sent to jail but his support for the cause of Goa was unwavering. He vowed never to marry till Goa was liberated. He is the embodiment of a true Goan and believed deeply in preserving our Goan identity. He is a son of Goa, and our fair state is all the richer for hosting him for all these years past.
Lambert and I became very good friends when his eldest daughter Nayantara married my oldest and my best friend Noel da Lima Leitao. Noel and Nayantara’s wedding was the first Catholic wedding I had ever attended, and been witness to. I recall that he made me address him on a first name basis as Lambert instead of “Lambert Uncle” or “Mr Mascarenhas” despite our age gap and common practice. My wife Dipti and I got to know Nayantara’s parents and family well, as our children grew up together and Lambert regaled all of us with his warmth, his sense of humor and his stories that he told with his twinkling eyes. His wife Jolly is a delight and a strong woman of virtue and integrity, and their marriage was an inspiration. I admired the way he and Jolly instilled enduring values and principles in his family. He was a very loving father, doting husband, adoring grandfather and great-grandfather and devoted to his family. I loved his charming smile, his curiosity of spirit and simplicity. We had quite a few serious conversations on family occasions about Goa and its trajectory. Several of these conversations were had in Konkani, with Noel (his Zavoem, as he called him) adding his own perspectives. It was always stimulating and energizing to be with him, and learning from him.
Lambert’s life was one of a true and practical Goan and we see less and less like him now. He is a role model not only to all Goans but in fact to all human beings. His life is to be emulated and celebrated.
My family and I have been truly blessed to have known him and his family. We shall always remain with the memory of his charming personality, his outspokenness and great wit. Lambert, without doubt, is in heaven now and reunited with his favorite Zavoem Noel. I am sure the two of them must be having a blast and a whale of a time. God bless the Mascarenhas family, and may Lambert’s soul forever rest in peace.
(The writer is a businessman, philanthropist, patron of arts and education, and a wildlife enthusiast)
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