MY HEART BEATS FOR GOA.

My heart beats for Goa....

Dear Infant Jesus,

Once again after a long time I take this opportunity to write to you on the occasion of your birthday. By this short letter I wish to express my worries, expectations, concerns and longings of the heart. Trust you will bestow your attention on the problems I have highlighted herein and find some lasting solutions.

In fact I am a little hesitant to start this letter, as I am much confused not knowing where to begin with. Nevertheless, I trust you will understand my predicament and take it in your stride. The purpose behind addressing this letter to you is to draw your attention to the present state of affairs in our beautiful Goa, …..nay once beautiful Goa . As a matter of fact our Goa is passing through a critical phase. Something really strange and unimaginable is happening down here. To begin with I would like to draw your kind attention to the safety of our small children. They are no longer safe in this land. They are vulnerable to many dangers and the worst being molestation and rapes too. It’s not only the children but young ladies too are faced with a similar situation.

They have no safety, no freedom to move around freely. The shadow of molestation and rape hovers over their head. One never knows who will attack whom, how and when and for what reasons. And that’s because, the overall situation in Goa has drastically changed in the last few years. The simple reason could be that the population of true blooded Goans is surely on the decline and we find more and more of outsiders taking permanent residence here. Apart from the rapes and the molestations, the number of other crimes such as daylight dacoities, robberies, and murders is also on the rise. This is not a very good sign for this land of St. Francis Xavier, the land known the world over for its natural beauty, friendly people and traditional peace and harmony.

Our educated youth today are not finding suitable and well paying jobs in this their own land, one of the reasons could be outsiders have taken usurped most of the plum posts. Many of our educated unemployed youth today are become victims of many vices such as drinking, gambling, drug abuse etc. A few lucky ones having failed to secure a well paying job in Goa have moved out to Europe and other western countries with the help of Portuguese passports in order to better their lives. This has now become a fad in Goa. But not all I should say are born lucky. Thousands other are still struggling to make both ends meet. The rich seems to be getting richer, while the poor so no ray of hope. Successive elected Government has always given us assurances and tall promises, but seldom are they fulfilled in totality. There is nothing much one can expect beyond that.

The ground reality is not any better now. But life goes on…..sussegad as they often say with respect to Goa and Goans.Very many of our youth have today have taken the wrong route. In the absence of proper parental guidance and decline in human values and good virtues, youth are often turning to drugs. The greed to make a fast buck is destroying our youth right before our eyes. It will sound really unbelievable, but true, some youth have even murdered their own friends for the sole purpose of money. The sacred bond of true friendship has developed a vertical crack in many areas here in Goa. The importance and sacredness of friendship does no longer exist. Every other person looks at the other in suspicion and doubt. I am sure you will find this very strange and unthinkable. But, the sad truth is, it is happening. Things and shocking incidents that we had not heard of or experienced in our land during the last 25 years or so, are now become an everyday affair. Yes, it’s very sad and painful. It’s difficult to understand why such things are happening here with such alarming regularity.

In fact nobody has an answer to all this madness that is slowly eroding morality and human values. Another rather shameful tag that Goa is carrying around its neck is the allegation of it being a fertile hunting ground for paedophiles from the west. I am afraid if we don’t act firmly and put an end to this nuisance, Goa is soon surely going to go the Bangkok-Pattaya way. Yes they come down here in droves and scan our unsuspecting land from North to South in search of innocent victims. I remember having also read somewhere that Goa is also facing the threat of high end prostitution which has spread its tentacles along our coastal areas. Many outstation tourists come here in search of pleasure and promiscuous behavior and they tarnish the fair image of this sacred land . I am told even some white skinned visitors to this land coming from impoverished background are indulging in all sorts of promiscuous activity in the name of tourism. Such despicable activity is on the rise in our coastal areas.

One really feels very sorry for our youth and the way they are wasting their lives away. You surely will be wondering by now, whether there is any law of the land in existence? Yes certainly there is, selective though. I shall restrict myself here. We could discuss about it later when we meet. Times have certainly changed here in Goa. Today there is no dearth of money. Specially so with our youth. They get more than what they actually require as pocket money. And then the temptation to spend it lavishly is very much there. Many Goan youth have misused the power of easy money. Night club culture has caught up very fast here, and it looks like it has come to stay. The youth are enticed with the pleasures they derive in spending time and money at these night clubs.

Not too long ago during the pre-liberation era Goa was beseeched with the fearful and incurable disease of TB and typhoid. But today four decades after Goa’s liberation, yet another deadly monster is lurking around to attack innocent victims. The scourge of HIV positive and AIDS is eating steadily into our social fabric. Today those suffering from HIV and full blown cases of AIDS have reached alarming heights. Saddest part of all this is, it is the younger generation who is falling victim to this. This land is fast becoming a land of pleasure…yes pleasure of every kind….the good, the bad and filthy. Many families have lost their near and dear ones to the onslaught of this deadly scourge and brought disrepute upon them. Yes this is happening in the very land where nearly 450 years ago St. Francis Xavier preached Christianity.

Today our elderly have no love and respect in their homes. They are shunted out to the old age homes once they become infirm and useless. They live their lives there in solitude with no one to share their suffering. Today the number of unwed mothers is also on the rise. The fruit of sin is then sent to the orphanages for shelter and care. Many kill innocent lives in the womb itself inviting wrath and sin upon themselves. All this is happening because the moral values have been degraded and corroded. Sin has taken centre stage in many a life.Besides the issues highlighted here, there are many other pressing and urgent issues that need your attention. Very sensitive issues such as the present burning SEZ imbroglio, the garbage problems, Casinos, massage parlours, unemployment, tap water, power supply problems, corruption in public places, cheating, divorces, single parenthood, increasing non-goan population, language and script issue, gambling, bad roads and ever increasing road accidents. But all these subjects need to be elaborated in detail, I am afraid it may take a lot of pages to do so, hence I will only make a passing mention and restrict myself here.

But, I would like to discuss these issues dear to our hearts in detail when I come to pay you a visit in the manger. We shall dwell into all the finer aspects of the issues I have mentioned above. Till such time please ponder over all the issues I have highlighted and think about a lasting and permanent solution to all the problems. I have no other hope that there is anybody else besides you who could find a lasting solution. The average Goan is pained and demoralized, he is hurt too. You have to assuage his feelings and heal the wounds with your loving and healing touch. We need to change the way we live and lead a good and sacred life. Today’s ‘Aam Admi’ (it means the ‘common man’) a term so graciously used and abused by politicians in Goa today to pamper us, needs to drop the dark glasses he is wearing and see things crystal clear , to know where the road he is traversing is leading him to, whether to Hell or Heaven. Dear Lord Infant Jesus….come, have a look, enlighten the ‘Aam Admi’ and submerge this land with your love and heavenly healing touch.

By: Daniel F. de Souza,
Vasco, Goa.

SON'VARACHIM SUNGTTAM.

Novea Vorsant 2008 bhitor sortanam......(Son'varachim Sungttam)

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