AAP AND GOAN POLITICS.

I refer to the news appeared in the local press of Pratima’s leaving the Congress Party and her outburst against Luizinho Faleiro though not absolutely fallacious, forcing her to leave Congress and join AAP is like a juvenile anger. Her joining AAP will not have much impact because her joining AAP is not on any ideological grounds. She must tell us openly when otherwise she found Luizinho Faleiro sincere to Congress Party unless he gets his wish fulfilled? Who was responsible to hand over the government formation previllege to the BJP following the last general election? I will not be surprised even in the coming election to see his destiny going in the same way as that of Pratima Coutinho. From the first election in Goa after 19.12.61, Congress Party was rejected by the people of Goa untill Cong. U became Cong. I, thanks to the decision of Dr. Wilfred D’Souza who otherwise had his own personal ambitions to fulfill. Dr. Wilfred like Dr. Jack de Seueira had no mass base and because of this UGP under Dr. Sequeira and Congress under Dr. Wilfred never received the support of the masses because of their feudality in thoughts and in deeds before they entered into the electoral activities. They did not have any quality in their blood to be the supporters of the masses earlier in thevir lives. Pratima Coutinho’s joining AAP will bring AAP more dividends or no is to be seen but AAP in my constituency is gaining a momentum because more locals are joining AAP though their marketing strategy is very slow and not very vocal. If they market the sops their Governmevnt gives to the Delhi people, I dont think any Goan will refrain from electing AAP in Goa in the next election. Pratima is on record to have used so much negative of AAP earlier, now I think she will have to eat those words. This is the quality of our Goan politicians because by all means they want political power into their hands for this reason precisely they act as “Aya Ram – Gaya Ram. I will not be surprised to see her rejoining Congress very shortly. According to the information daily more and more migrants are descending on in Goa thereby taking over the job opportunities meant for the locals. Some politicians are keeping records of those migrants coming to Goa to provide them jobs in the Hotels, at Pilerne, Verna and many other Industrial areas. All those politicians who are waiting for getting elected in the next election and also the NGO’s who are supporting Goans, they must join together and demand from the managents of all the organisations from their Payroll how many local employees they have. They may say that Goans are not willing to come to work but don’t believe this lie, because Goans are willing to work they register their names at the Employment Exchange. We can provide them Goan employees by making our list separately. A.Veronica Fernandes.

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS ARE WAKE - UP CALL FOR GOANS.

The  time now is not to say “to be or not to be”  but to be  decisive in our resolve to remain afloat at the political surface of Goa by creating a  dent deep into the remotest places of the electorate to convince them of the folly of electing BJP back to power.  The latest results of Municipalty elections in Goa indicated that Goans are least bothered to  know who rules Goa and how but as long as they get their share of money and political power they are happy.  They don’t want to know the  BJP has totally destroyed the  fabrics of politicsl system which is now on the verge of collapse.  In this environment  no democracy can survive and this is what the majority of the people In Goa wants, both the locals as well as  migrants who I noticed  not interested in anything as long as they get their share of secured place to live and sufficient income to live like kings in Goa because in their homeland they are or most of them are treated like sub-human beings.  In fact the migrants, most of them are anti-Goans, they hate or dislike Goans, since Goa is not their fathers property “they say go to hell with Goa, we only  want to protect our interest”.  Even if Opinion Poll is held in Goa for the second time, all the migrants will  vote for the merger of Goa with any of the neighbouring  States.

The first and the main priority at this hour is to open communication with all the like minded political parties minus BJP, contesting the next general election, for the purpose of coming into electoral alliance. This type of experiment was already done successfully in India in mid seventies by Janata Party where Indira Gandhi’s  Congress was given solid beatings.  Non BJP parties if they contest the election individually on their own, they will suffer resounding defeats from BJP.  To alleniate BJP from the firm political grip they acquired in Goa is to field one candidate of all the non-BJP parties against the BJP.  Then only BJP will fall.   Otherwise forget about defeating  BJP because  BJP has too much of money to spend to win the election. The public must also pressurize the non-BJP parties to join together for electoral purpose. Or else boycott those parties that are not joining the alliance.     

              

Now the question comes is this: Who will bell the Cat by taking the lead to convene the meeting of all the like minded parties that are indicating their  dislike for the BJP?  I feel, as the oldest party,  Congress should condescend and take the lead. This as the  first step when once agreed upon, the next  steps will follow automatically.

 

  A.Veronica Fernandes.

 

EX KUWAIT GOAN SHEIKH AGNELO FERNANDES IS NO MORE.

 It is with deep grief and sorrow I got the sad news of the sudden death of our friend and colleague Agnelo Fernandes from Agacaim and who was popularly known as Sheikh Agnelo. He died early in the morning yesterday afternoon and he was interred at Agacaim Cemetry where most of he people who used to follow him everywhere in Kuwait were conspicuous by their absence. I was informed yesterday by one of my frinends at 2.30 pm yesterday saying the funeral will be at 4.30 PM. 0nIy in Kuwait we were well integrated in the acitivities we Goans used to do for the cause of Goans. He was the great Goan in terms of helping many Goans in many respects because he had very powerful influence in Kuwait even at moments more than well-known Kuwaitis had because he worked directly for the former Foreign Minister of Kuwait and a powerful Sheikh in the Sheikdom.

Seen the body of Sheikh Agnello

When Sheikh Agnelo came to Kuwait first time in the house of Sheikh and when the Sheikh came to know Agnelo is from Goa, the Sheikh sent for him, saw him from close angle and asked some questions, he appreciated Agnelo’s   sincere, truthfull and faithful nature.  Once Agnelo  was confirmed to work for the Sheikh, then there was no wait. 

People attending the Funeral Mass

Being an integral part of Goan and Konkani community, he  always involved in associating with any cause of Goans either in Kuwait or in Goa. He was one of the founders of their club where they had their soccer team that organised its annual memorial soccer tournament in the name of his late daughter Ida Ferns. Besides he did pivotal job for the cause of the formation of Kuwait Indian Foot-ball Federation (KIFF) and Kuwait Goan soccer.  He was also a founder member of IFRA (Indian Football Referees Association being its president too). For a short period he  was also a member of Kuwait Konknni Kendr.

In Kuwait among expatriates, his Club organised  soccer tournament was very popular and famous, for the final game, he used to invite topmost  residents in Kuwait from different communities and nationalities, it is thru his  efforts Goans and Goans’ acvtivities in Kuwait made known to the other communities and nationalities. The way he invites the Chief Guests no one else does because if any hurdle comes then he knows how to approach the Boss of of the Chief gest he wants to invite. Once he even invited as a Chief Guest, the head coach of Kuwait soccer team namely the Brazilian Carlos Lopes which created a big booster for Goans in Kuwait. It was a big honour for Goans to see such a mighty man from Brazilian soccer came as Chief Guest for the tournament organisied by Sheikh Agnelo Fernandes.  He helped a lot in organising our movement in Goa following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center to support the liberation of Kuwait.

The great man of Goa, greater than all the Goans in Kuwait, Sheikh  Agnelo Fernandes  was a man of pure Goan heart, a man with 100% humility and also a very simple man having no pride nor arrogance. Such a man rarely comes in our midst. God has raised him to the pedestal only because of his sincerity and humiity.  May his soul rest in peace and may God give courage to his wife and son to bear this colossal loss.

With all my gratitude and thanks for doing so much for us in Kuwait, I am but before finishing I am totally disappointed and disgusted with so many of our Kuwait Goans who inspite of receiving so many favours from him, they bastardised themselves by not attending to his funeral, neither from close by nor  from distance.  This man Sheikh Agnelo was clean in his dealing never involved in creating mischief of financial collection where he was involved, he was never found at fault while most of the disgraceful Goans in Kuwait were invokved in financial irregularities.  Regarding the funeral attendance, somew time back yet one more popular Goan Vincente D'Souza who was very dynamic and founder of so many Goan movements and Goan associations in Kuwait thereby giving so many facilities to the Goans.  But when he died sometime back in Goa, hardly a few Goans attended to his funeral.  I fail to understand why Kuwait Goan is become so "Beiman" like a "Cheddiocho"?  Is he become so bankrupt intellectually that he does not know what is the sense of gratitude?

A.Veronica Fernandes.