More Bengalis than Portuguese

A community in Assam village has rootsin Portugal

They worship in Church but wear Vermillion on forehead

Bondashil, a small sleepy hamlet located in the Badarpur district of South Assam, had a Portuguese settlement back in the 17th century. Comprising about 40 families, the community members would give an impression to any onlooker that they are one of those who inhabited this place since time immortal.

Their obscure existence is hardly known. It is believed that they are the descendants of the Portuguese mercenaries brought by German adventurer William Rein Herr. Not many would have realised that the place would later become home to their future generations. They have become part and parcel of the community living in the village as they speak Bengali fluently and even their local Bengali dialect Sylhetti  is flawless. Women wear vermillion on their forehead, bangles of shells on their arms and black beaded necklace. Many mistake them for Bengali Hindus. Many an eyebrow is raised when they are told that they are  Christians.

There are two other lesser-known Portuguese descendant settlements in Northeast India-- in Rangamati in Goalpara district of Assam and  Mariamnagar on the outskirts of Tripura’s capital Agartala.

Their marriages are conducted in the age-old village church which is then followed by exchange of garland and groom putting vermillion on the bride’s forehead – a rare confluence of Hindu and Christian religious customs.

“We do all these to be a part of  larger society we live in. We have adapted to their ways of life so that we are accepted without any hassle,” says 73-year-old Roma Maria Frank.  “Now it is really not a matter of concern anymore whether we are considered Portuguese or not. In fact, we are happy to be identified as Bengalis. Of course, we offer prayers at the church every Sunday but at the same time also be a part of festivals of other communities,” she adds.

The three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailkandi in southern part of Assam are Bengali-dominated. There are also other tribals and smaller groups like the Bishnupriya Manipuris but these Portuguese descendants stand out. The people, however, strive to preserve their customs and rituals. They have their own church, which is one of the oldest in the region and a school. They are united always.

“Sometimes I feel a strong urge to visit my native place (Portugal) and see how my ancestors lived there and how my life would have been if I were to be there. At times I feel a pang of identity crisis,” Placid Anthony says nostalgically.

None of these families have any link with Portugal. They are all Indian citizens and vote here. “This is the place where my father, my grandfather even my great grandfather were born. To me this is my native place,” Hubert Dias, who works in Badarpur Post Office, added.

It is during Christmas and Easter that they prepare their original culinary Vindaloo. Otherwise Portuguese food is not common in these households. They speak a smattering of Latin, that too during prayers and during interactions with the church priest.  The people of Bondashil have undergone a drastic transition and the demography has witnessed a flux. The mighty Barak River which now flows on the edge of the village has swallowed a church and several acres of land in the past

Valaria Frank Sengupta, whose maiden name was Valeria Frank, works in the Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC). She married Ashim Gupta, a Hindu Bengali when both of them met in HPC and soon fell in love. “I do not feel a cultural hitch with my husband as I have grown in a community which is more Bengali. I never had problems in performing rituals in the temple with my husband. Even my husband has never shown his unhappiness during weekly church service. It is actually nothing new to us. We have grown up in this cultural amalgam,” Valaria, who is very happy with her marriage, said.

“My daughter Satabdi takes it as a rare opportunity to collect gifts and dresses on Christmas as well as in Durga Puja,”  she laughingly adds.  “The upcoming Durga Puja will be a moment of celebration,” says 95-year-old Triza Fernandez, probably the oldest woman in the village. Even now, she is keen on visiting Durga Puja pandals. 

 They worship Goddess at the same time enjoy every festival performed in society. It is mainly during Durga Puja that children ask for gifts and not during Christmas. Excitement is in the air when friends from a common community speak of the pre-puja shopping and keep on asking the number of dresses they receive as gifts, adds Richa, the granddaughter Triza. The surnames--Paneros, De’Silva, Dias, and Gonzales-- are the only Portuguese remnants with these people now. Many families have migrated to other parts in search of job as the River Barak plays havoc during monsoon and erodes land.

Many have their old houses, but nothing of heritage value. Also, they do not give any insight into their Portuguese lineage. Several structures are crumbling due to lack of upkeep.

The village has not seen much of development over the years. Not many employment opportunities are available to the people. “Our village can be a place of historical tourism. Even foreign tourists and mostly from Portugal can come. Our youth can be trained in heritage tourism but this uniqueness of our village does not matter to people in power,” laments Joseph Anthony, a youth from the village.

It is not every day that one comes across a culture which is allowed to disappear. But it is a pity not much efforts have been made over the years to protect the culture and  historical significance of Bondashil. It may just slip into pages of history in the years to come.