Re: I Have A Dream.
From: annierod@rediffmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 6:59:44 PM
To: A. Veronica Fernandes.
Hello Veronica.
Thanks Veronica for your two wonderful articles, first being the issue on maids torture in Kuwait. I wish this article could be published in the Goan Dailies. Please try to send it if possible so it could be an eye opener to our maids who leave Goa and go to the Gulf for lucrative jobs. I know due to their hardships they go there with dreams of having a good future but they are shattered when they reach there. One in 1000 may be lucky to get a nice employer. Whenever I used to see a maid with a Kuwiati in a shopping mall, all sorts of thoughts used to come to my mind of the ill treatment he may have caused to her, because this is overall notion about the picture of maids in Kuwait. I liked your writeup very much. Not only that you had real guts to show what is good and what is bad.
Secondly, the article you wrote on President of USA Obama is also fantastic. I congratulate you. I wish more writers like you come forward and show the world more knowledge of the past history too. Somewhere in this article, I came to know many things which I myself was not aware earlier. Anyway, keep up the good work. Hope your health is ok and do take care of yourself.
Veronica it is not me alone but the entire readership of goa.kranti is happy with this blog because of your writings. You are an unique writer in the expatriate Goan community with deep knowledge of the subject you write. Today all other blogs and websites started by Goans have gone into secondary level taking goa.kranti blog on the top. The goa.kranti blog is read by a great number of readers not only Goans but also other communities and nationalities. You have through your high degree writings made Goans proud because you made everyone know that Goans are second to none when the subject of journalism comes.
I have been reading your articles and other writings in Kuwaiti local papers and also Goan for a long time now and always enjoyed reading the same. You must continue writing high level articles because besides you there is nobody who can write better than you among the expatriate Goans especially on Goa and Goan community affairs. Keep up the good work.
May God Bless you. Goa and Goans need you, Kuwait Goan community needs you. Konkani Language needs you and society needs you as well.
January 30, 2009
January 28, 2009
I HAVE A DREAM.
I Have A Dream.
It was a wonderful swearing–in ceremony of the 44th President of the USA, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama. Thanks to TV facility, I am happy that once again I got an opportunity to witness yet one more US president taking oath of his office. From the interest shown by the people from all around the globe, I can rightly say that Obama’s election to American presidency is loved by most of the people all around the world and not just only in the USA. Though he was elected to rule USA yet people around the globe considered him as dearest to them as well. No president in the history of USA received so much of sympathy, love and affection as Obama did. Not only he was loved but people all around the globe from different religions fervently prayed for his elevation to the presidency and for his success. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Jains and others without any hitch asked God for his success. And I am certain God will surely accept their prayers and make Obama the most successful president of USA not only to guide and rule USA but also to guide the world in the right direction.
“I have a dream” uttered the civil rightist icon Dr. Martin Luther King almost half a century back. Dream of what? Dream to see that blacks and whites integrating with one another, walking hand in hand together as one entity. When Dr. King uttered these words, Blacks in the USA were discriminated and denied so many rights they were entitled to as human beings and as children of the same God. It was not too long back that when a shadow of a Black person fell on the White American, the Black was castigated and punished. But what a dramatic turn the event has taken place when we saw with our own eyes how a Black person Barack Obama from the Black African descent with the help of God was elevated thru God’s mysterious hand to rule not only the Blacks but also the Whites of the USA!! Surely God’s hand has played a great role in Obama’s election because the Whites in the USA have disowned the commandment of God by practicing apartheid against His less previlleged children called Blacks.
It was so agonising to see the ferocity of colour bar practiced by the Whites against Blacks that even the House of God and Churches were not spared from performing apartheid. And precisely because of this Dr. Martin Luther King as Baptist Christian preacher in his home town at Montgomery while delivering his homily, told the discriminatory Whites that “If you cannot integrate with the masses (meaning Blacks) then you will never integrate with Christ because Christ is come from the masses”. Dr. King had a dream and his dream has come to reality. Barack Obama took lot of inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King and thru this inspiration he succeeded a lot. Let the heavenly God keep president Obama safe and sound to deliver the goods. Not only Americans but also people from all around the world pinning their high hopes on president Obama to do justice for those who were denied it and compassion to those who are the victims of inustice.
Following in the footsteps of his guru Dr. King, president Obama applied the system of reconciliation for his presidency by accommodating in his presidency the very adversaries of his. Till yesterday he was opposing Hillary Clinton but today he offered her the warm handshake of reconciliation and appointed her as his Secretary of State while for his main opponent the Republican presidential candidate John McCain he offered the embrace of honour. And so to innumerable opponents of his he gave them an embrace of friendship. Martin Luther King when found his supporters with sticks and other weapons challenging his opponents who came to destroy his house, asked his supporters to “down with their arms” and reconcile because quoting scripture he said “sword beget sword”. By following reconciliatory tone, I am sure with the help of God, Barrack Obama will surely attain success in his presidency, of course with the prayers and goodwill of the people from all around the world. At the moment, he is the darling of all classes of the populace.
Dream is something which everyone of us experiences and not Martin Luther King alone. I too in the autumn of my stay in Kuwait have a dream that we the expatriates mainly from the sub-continent one day will integrate with the locals as never before and move together hand in hand as one. This dream I had after 3 decades of my employment in Kuwait when still I did not find full fledged equality. Equality for what? Not to vote for the local election. Not to demand privileges over the locals. Equality to feel physically and psychologically equal with all others. Inspite of my long years of stay in Kuwait I still feel discriminated by the prevailing system and by many of the locals. If I go to any Government office for any official work, I feel I am discriminated. If I go for soccer match of Kuwaiti League, there too discrimination. If I am found wanting in Arabic speaking, I am discriminated. Even on the road while driving you see discrimination performed by those driving costly cars and also in so many other places where locals gather in big number. If I go to hospital inspite of my Health Insurance Card again I am discriminated because being a non-local I am denied of certain medicines and medical facilities. Discrimination in medical treatment is inhuman punishable by devine wrath. When I face such a situation, I feel grieved and sub-human as Dr. Martin Luther felt half a century back in USA. But he had a dream and his dream finally realized.
I too hope one day during my own life time my dream will come to reality when Kuwaitis and expatriates, their children and grand children will walk with our children and grand children hand in hand without any discrimination. First test of this dream I hope will take place in my Goa at Panaji the capital city of Goa where Kuwaitis came to Goa during the invasion time of Kuwait and participated in our rally and public meeting we Goans organized under my inititative to raise our voice against the invasion of Kuwait. During this rally, without any discrimination I witnessed how Kuwaitis embracing, hugging and holding the hands of Goans in a true brotherly manner. During that time it was out of sheer compulsion Kuwaitis embraced us but now I have a dream that one day Kuwaitis and we will have total brotherly integration not out of compulsion but thru spontaneity and that day is not very far. The prophecy of my dream will surely come to reality, Inshalla, God willing.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Safat, Kuwait.
It was a wonderful swearing–in ceremony of the 44th President of the USA, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama. Thanks to TV facility, I am happy that once again I got an opportunity to witness yet one more US president taking oath of his office. From the interest shown by the people from all around the globe, I can rightly say that Obama’s election to American presidency is loved by most of the people all around the world and not just only in the USA. Though he was elected to rule USA yet people around the globe considered him as dearest to them as well. No president in the history of USA received so much of sympathy, love and affection as Obama did. Not only he was loved but people all around the globe from different religions fervently prayed for his elevation to the presidency and for his success. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Jains and others without any hitch asked God for his success. And I am certain God will surely accept their prayers and make Obama the most successful president of USA not only to guide and rule USA but also to guide the world in the right direction.
“I have a dream” uttered the civil rightist icon Dr. Martin Luther King almost half a century back. Dream of what? Dream to see that blacks and whites integrating with one another, walking hand in hand together as one entity. When Dr. King uttered these words, Blacks in the USA were discriminated and denied so many rights they were entitled to as human beings and as children of the same God. It was not too long back that when a shadow of a Black person fell on the White American, the Black was castigated and punished. But what a dramatic turn the event has taken place when we saw with our own eyes how a Black person Barack Obama from the Black African descent with the help of God was elevated thru God’s mysterious hand to rule not only the Blacks but also the Whites of the USA!! Surely God’s hand has played a great role in Obama’s election because the Whites in the USA have disowned the commandment of God by practicing apartheid against His less previlleged children called Blacks.
It was so agonising to see the ferocity of colour bar practiced by the Whites against Blacks that even the House of God and Churches were not spared from performing apartheid. And precisely because of this Dr. Martin Luther King as Baptist Christian preacher in his home town at Montgomery while delivering his homily, told the discriminatory Whites that “If you cannot integrate with the masses (meaning Blacks) then you will never integrate with Christ because Christ is come from the masses”. Dr. King had a dream and his dream has come to reality. Barack Obama took lot of inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King and thru this inspiration he succeeded a lot. Let the heavenly God keep president Obama safe and sound to deliver the goods. Not only Americans but also people from all around the world pinning their high hopes on president Obama to do justice for those who were denied it and compassion to those who are the victims of inustice.
Following in the footsteps of his guru Dr. King, president Obama applied the system of reconciliation for his presidency by accommodating in his presidency the very adversaries of his. Till yesterday he was opposing Hillary Clinton but today he offered her the warm handshake of reconciliation and appointed her as his Secretary of State while for his main opponent the Republican presidential candidate John McCain he offered the embrace of honour. And so to innumerable opponents of his he gave them an embrace of friendship. Martin Luther King when found his supporters with sticks and other weapons challenging his opponents who came to destroy his house, asked his supporters to “down with their arms” and reconcile because quoting scripture he said “sword beget sword”. By following reconciliatory tone, I am sure with the help of God, Barrack Obama will surely attain success in his presidency, of course with the prayers and goodwill of the people from all around the world. At the moment, he is the darling of all classes of the populace.
Dream is something which everyone of us experiences and not Martin Luther King alone. I too in the autumn of my stay in Kuwait have a dream that we the expatriates mainly from the sub-continent one day will integrate with the locals as never before and move together hand in hand as one. This dream I had after 3 decades of my employment in Kuwait when still I did not find full fledged equality. Equality for what? Not to vote for the local election. Not to demand privileges over the locals. Equality to feel physically and psychologically equal with all others. Inspite of my long years of stay in Kuwait I still feel discriminated by the prevailing system and by many of the locals. If I go to any Government office for any official work, I feel I am discriminated. If I go for soccer match of Kuwaiti League, there too discrimination. If I am found wanting in Arabic speaking, I am discriminated. Even on the road while driving you see discrimination performed by those driving costly cars and also in so many other places where locals gather in big number. If I go to hospital inspite of my Health Insurance Card again I am discriminated because being a non-local I am denied of certain medicines and medical facilities. Discrimination in medical treatment is inhuman punishable by devine wrath. When I face such a situation, I feel grieved and sub-human as Dr. Martin Luther felt half a century back in USA. But he had a dream and his dream finally realized.
I too hope one day during my own life time my dream will come to reality when Kuwaitis and expatriates, their children and grand children will walk with our children and grand children hand in hand without any discrimination. First test of this dream I hope will take place in my Goa at Panaji the capital city of Goa where Kuwaitis came to Goa during the invasion time of Kuwait and participated in our rally and public meeting we Goans organized under my inititative to raise our voice against the invasion of Kuwait. During this rally, without any discrimination I witnessed how Kuwaitis embracing, hugging and holding the hands of Goans in a true brotherly manner. During that time it was out of sheer compulsion Kuwaitis embraced us but now I have a dream that one day Kuwaitis and we will have total brotherly integration not out of compulsion but thru spontaneity and that day is not very far. The prophecy of my dream will surely come to reality, Inshalla, God willing.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Safat, Kuwait.
Leading to India's 15th LOK SABHA ELECTIONS
LEADING TO INDIA'S 15TH LOK SABAH ELECTIONS.
From: goasuraj (goasuraj_29@sancharnet.in)
Sent:Tuesday, January 27, 2009 12:31:24 PM
To: A. Veronica Fernandes (averonicaf806@hotmail.com).
The Goa Su-Raj Party is Goa's (GREEN) Regional Party and as such it has portrayed its views and suggestions on the conduct of the Elections to the Indian Parliament as well as to the State Assemblies to the Election Commission of India as part of the Electoral Reforms India must look forward to in the near future.
This is what we have suggested as we feel that these reforms are the need of the hour if India has to play a central positive and constructive role in the Commity of Nations.
Guidelines for State and Parliamentary Elections.
1. Bar on National Parties contesting State Assembly Elections.
And
2. Bar on State Regional Parties contesting Parliamentary Elections.
In view of (1) above, It is a fact that National Parties are not interested in the welfare of the State and its aspirations. The example is Goa itself. All that the national parties are interested is that Goa become their watering hole and a holiday resort for its more important dignitaries in Delhi. There, exists a criterion for a Political Party to be qualified as a National Party satisfying its presence in 'x' number of States of the Union. A system must be evolved where a National party cannot contest State Assembly Elections directly but supports one or more regional parties in the State Assembly Elections thereby eliminating the presence of the national parties in the State Assembly.
In view of (2) above, State regional parties with their State aspirations, have no national outlook and therefore cannot function optimally in the national parliament with fragmented national vision and more importantly with scarce knowledge of the nation's international relations and commitments. Therefore the State Regional Parties must support the candidates of one or the other national parties during the Parliamentary elections but not be allowed to field their respective candidates, or they must support erudite INDEPENDENTS, who will ultimately choose between one or the other national parties.
Observations:
We see State feuds being acrimoniously debated in the Parliament resulting in a lot of precious time wasted along with a lot of money. The Parliament must debate national and international issues leaving the States to fend for themselves, only coming into the picture when two or more states are at loggerheads with each other. After all the Constitution of India demands that all States conform to its edicts and the states can always fall back on the Supreme Court for directions in case of conflicts within its own jurisdiction or with other states.
Parliamentarians are supposed to be most the most erudite personalities who have the basic understanding of the working of the nation as a whole as well as the nation's relationship internationally and its international policies and commitments.
Since Parliamentary and State Elections are free for all presently, the Goa Su-Raj Party feels that it too must have its acclaimed presence in the National Parliament. Having the above outlook, it's members of parliament would perform better for the good of Goa as well as for the good of the country and its prospects internationally.
As such this party is looking for erudite Goan personalities to come forward to avail of this party's tickets for the North & South Goa parliamentary constituencies.
It is a fact that this party does not wish to fight elections on the basis of 'money' and 'muscle' power, the all preferred ' WINABILITY ' . Also, it does not allow its candidates to spend large amounts of money from their own pockets. As a matter of fact this party prefers that its candidates do not spend any money from their own pockets, but help raise a modest sum of money required to conduct modest election campaigns so that voters at large are aware that such candidates do exist on the ballot paper/voting machine. Increasingly, what this party is interested in is the so called "OBAMA EFFECT, where every voter participates through contributory participation for the good of the state or the country.
This party is confident that the more intelligent and literate electorate of Goa, as well as the Goan Diaspora, will support these candidates should such candidates volunteer to step forward, stand-up and be counted so that Goa may earn the name/fame through the performance of its parliamentarians, utterly devoid of VOTE BANK POLITICS and NARROW national vision.
floriano
goasuraj
Wanted for Goa---honest ' fighters 'NOT honest ' hypocrites ' Contact:goasuraj(The Recruiting Agents)9890470896http://www.goasu-raj.org/
var PS = "96690";
Ahlan wa salhan - a short story by gasper crasto
“Hello..”
“Hi.. hello..” said an enthusiastic male voice at the other end.
“Who’s this?” I asked placing the hands-free between my shoulder and ear.
“Hey dude, haven’t you recognized me?..”
Haven’t you recognized?
Some people have such abysmal, dumb behaviors. Why can’t they introduce themselves when they call over the phone. It is so infuriating. Still, there are others who have the cheek to call upon you and insist to know who you are. I remember once a female voice calling and asking, “Who’s speaking?”
Someone calling your home doesn’t know who they are talking to?
Who’s speaking?
I guess I must have been in a terrible mood when I received that call ‘cause I answered, “Your pop!”
“What!!!” There was a long silence before the line went dead. Slowly but surely I realized it was one of my close friends’ wife. Within seconds the phone started to buzz again. I did not pick it up, I was not at home..:)
“Hey dude.. are you there?” The voice at the other end blurted again. With excitement.
“Yess..” I said involuntarily. I was getting agitated by now!
“Hey.. don’t you know my voice?”
“Hey, hello..” my patience was over the edge by now, “are you some Amitabh Bachchan that I will recognize your voice? ”
There was a gasp at the other end, then a deep breath.
“Hey.. it’s me.. Brian.. your classmate.. remember now?”
It was a familiar voice no doubt. I recalled the glory days!
“Hey Briany.. how you doing man?” I asked, “When did you come to Kuwait?”
“Just a week now... The best person to guide me this part of the world, I thought, would be you.. ..you’ve been here for a while now.. isn’t it? So, I picked up the phone and....”
“Ahlan-wa-salhan.. Welcome to Kuwait!”
For almost an hour we discussed about life here and there, then and now, the weather there and here, the standard and comfort of living in Kuwait and elsewhere, before my friend wished to know the advanced secrets of living abroad.
“Apart from the basic needs such as food, shelter, etc, there is a special package for the minimum requirements of survival in Kuwait.” I told him.
“And what is that, may I know?” he asked.
“To live in Kuwait, you need to have WMDs.”
“Weapons of Mass Destruction!!!?”
“The WMDs I am talking about are for survival in Kuwait!”
“Hmm.. tell me more..!”
“The first one is Wasta. Loosely translated, ‘wasta’ is connections of methods by which we obtain difficult things in an easier manner (and usually outwit the rules). Living in Kuwait necessitates ‘wasta’. Without it, you cannot get anything done; well you can, but it will be difficult. You need ‘wasta’ for paperwork, to get a job - no matter how well educated you are, etc, etc, even to rent an apartment.. and many other things..”
“How do I find this wasta?”
“If you don’t have direct ‘wasta’, you should ask around and associate yourself with someone who does. Using this method, you can obtain second or third-party ‘wasta’, which is just as effective in getting what you need.”
“Alright..I have made a note of this in my mind..What’s the next?”
“Mobile. It is unheard of to live in Kuwait and not have a mobile nowadays. Your mobile number is the equivalent of your social insurance number in other countries. To some people, mobiles are more important than house lines – people can live for years without a domestic phone line, but won’t go one day without mobile service.”
“That’s the first thing I did after landing in Kuwait, buy myself a line.!”
“The last of the WMDs is the Destination you want to be inside Kuwait. For that, a car is more of a necessity than luxury here. Once you get into your car, you rarely wish to get out. From your car you can pick up groceries, laundry, get food, buy flowers, go to church or the Friday football games, go look for a ‘new and cheap’ apartment, etc. Living in Kuwait, even for a short period of time, you get accustomed to staying behind the wheel.”
“Well.. for that I need to first get a driving license, isn’t it?"
“Yes.. use the first of your WMDs to get that!” I answered, “Back on the subject, a car is definitely a necessity to achieve your Destination. Unlike other countries, the transport system here is quite inconvenient. There is no train or metro, so the only public transportation available is the bus. But taking the bus to get to your Destination is like going on a tour of Kuwait. You will pass by many useless streets and areas, and a trip that is supposed to take a few minutes will take a couple of hours.”
“I guess I’ll have to wait for a while to be on the driver’s seat..” my friend said despondently.
“If you can’t get a license and a car soon, associate yourself with someone who has a car. This is transportation by association – a weapon that is required in your situation..”
“Guess what!.. Life doesn’t seem to be an inch brighter here as I thought..”
“It is certainly not.. specially in current times..!” I said, “The global economic crisis has bitten life to an uncertainty and turmoil. Many companies are laying off hundreds of staff, reducing operations and tightening budgets. People have lost their jobs and their homes, and are facing serious hardships..”
“But I see many of you guys celebrating like filmstars when you come down.. I too want to rock when I go back on holidays..”
“Everyone will be forced to change those habits because of the economic crunch and inflation.. Celebrating holidays will be apparently difficult when you can’t pay your rent or feed the family.. This is not a time to boast of one’s earnings.. Just ‘existence’ is sufficient.. to appreciate the blessings we already enjoy, the friendship we possess, and love we already have..”
“Yaar, before I hang up let me thank you for all the information, ..counseling... and ofcourse your time..”
“Ahlan wa salhan, you’re welcome!”
“Idealistic realism...beats my whole assessment of a 'greener' desert..! Hey, tell me something.... aren’t you the same guy I’ve known.. ..who refused to speak anything serious?”
“Well dude,” I replied, “that guy died a long time back.. I am his ghost!”
====================
:::Other short stories by Gasper Crasto:::
“Guess what!.. Life doesn’t seem to be an inch brighter here as I thought..”
“It is certainly not.. specially in current times..!” I said, “The global economic crisis has bitten life to an uncertainty and turmoil. Many companies are laying off hundreds of staff, reducing operations and tightening budgets. People have lost their jobs and their homes, and are facing serious hardships..”
“But I see many of you guys celebrating like filmstars when you come down.. I too want to rock when I go back on holidays..”
“Everyone will be forced to change those habits because of the economic crunch and inflation.. Celebrating holidays will be apparently difficult when you can’t pay your rent or feed the family.. This is not a time to boast of one’s earnings.. Just ‘existence’ is sufficient.. to appreciate the blessings we already enjoy, the friendship we possess, and love we already have..”
“Yaar, before I hang up let me thank you for all the information, ..counseling... and ofcourse your time..”
“Ahlan wa salhan, you’re welcome!”
“Idealistic realism...beats my whole assessment of a 'greener' desert..! Hey, tell me something.... aren’t you the same guy I’ve known.. ..who refused to speak anything serious?”
“Well dude,” I replied, “that guy died a long time back.. I am his ghost!”
====================
:::Other short stories by Gasper Crasto:::
January 27, 2009
ON TIATRO "KUWAIT SODDUN VETANA"
Sweet Goan sweet.goan@yahoo.com
Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 11:51 AM
To: goa.kranti@gmail.com
Hi Mr.Veronica,
Just for your kind information, you wrote a nice article on "Kuwait Soddun Vetana" but a mistake in describing the young girls. Atia was ok in talking & acting too but the other girl Riana she is looking nice but her voice is not like clear serene which you mentioned as princess. This is just for your info. Rest all good, hats off to Rosary Ferns.
Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 11:51 AM
To: goa.kranti@gmail.com
Hi Mr.Veronica,
Just for your kind information, you wrote a nice article on "Kuwait Soddun Vetana" but a mistake in describing the young girls. Atia was ok in talking & acting too but the other girl Riana she is looking nice but her voice is not like clear serene which you mentioned as princess. This is just for your info. Rest all good, hats off to Rosary Ferns.
ON HARASSMENT OF MAIDS IN KUWAIT.
Harassment of Maids in Kuwait.
Posted by: "AAssoc4994@aol.com" AAssoc4994@aol.com goancauses
Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:52 pm (PST)
This maltreatment to Goan maids must be reported to the World Human rights organizations and at the United Nations such that criminal Kuwait Arabs should be punished or else Kuwait government outlawed.
Agnelo Gomes
Human Right Activist
The Goancauses
USA
Posted by: "AAssoc4994@aol.com" AAssoc4994@aol.com goancauses
Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:52 pm (PST)
This maltreatment to Goan maids must be reported to the World Human rights organizations and at the United Nations such that criminal Kuwait Arabs should be punished or else Kuwait government outlawed.
Agnelo Gomes
Human Right Activist
The Goancauses
USA
YEAR-END MUSINGS. Valmiki Faleiro's Weekly Column
YEAR-END MUSINGS.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
“Year-end? We’re almost one-twelfth into the new year!” This Rip van Winkle knows. But, my year-end seldom ends before this time in the following year. I mean the festive season of joy, of visiting overseas friends who with unscheduled ‘surprise’ visits upset schedules, of birthdays, wedding invites… Which makes the ‘holiday season’ my busiest in the year. The time of the year is literally a holiday for overseas friends. To escape the bitter winters in their country of domicile, for a slice of the Goan sun and warmth of local folks. For most of us, poor country bumpkins, it is not vacation but work as usual, save the day of Christmas and at best a couple of days around it. But, when one is on holiday, one perhaps presumes everyone around is also on holiday. Not that I grudge giving overseas friends time. Provided it be factored in my schedule.
Most folks will come unannounced. To give you a ‘sweet surprise.’ Abroad, they would have the door slammed on the face – after being curtly told to phone and come. The way it should be, because in the times we live, everyone’s day is planned, and nobody is waiting to welcome ‘surprises.’ Personally, such ‘surprises’ do not fascinate. They irritate. So be alerted friends ‘n’ foes:phone and come! On the eve of Republic Day, let’s turn our thoughts to those gallant men who give their lives in defence of the nation. The numbing November terror attack in Mumbai produced more national heroes. (Incidentally, ‘Param Vir – Our Heroes in Battle,’ by Maj. General Ian Cardozo, Roli Books, 2008, ISBN: 978-81-7436-262-9, Pgs.225, Rs.295, is veryinformative and inspiring.) The unsung heroes of Mumbai were ordinary men.
Unfortunately, just as the media stayed stuck with elite targets like the Taj and Trident hotels, with negligible coverage of CST, Cama hospital and Girgaum junction, it was, ironically, the latter that produced the greatest heroes of that black day. Like the announcer at CST who, perched high above the platforms, saw what Ismail and Kasab were doing with their AK-47s. Over the public address, he continuously advised passengers which way to alight from trains and in which direction to run for safety. The perplexed terror duo, seeing a rich harvest suddenly vanish, spotted the announcer and opened fire at him. The man ducked and saved himself, but not before saving heaven knows how many innocent lives.
Like the unarmed constable who grabbed an ancient 303 rifle from the frightened hands of a colleague, to take on the might of two AK-47s, each discharging 150 death rounds per minute.
Like the humble generator technician at Cama, on his way down after locking dozens of doctors and others in the hospital’s terrace, encountered Ismail and Kasab, who asked the way to the terrace. The brave man saved those sure terrace deaths. But my greatest were two men of the Mumbai Police at the Girgaum road block, hastily erected to halt the terrorist duo. Moment the commandeered Skoda hit the road divider, a constable sprang to the driver side window and snatched the car keys, sealing any chance of Ismail and Kasab’s getaway. As Ismail, at the wheel, opened fire at the cops and was soon wounded mortally, Kasab crouched. Abruptly opening the side door, from the still crouched position, Kasab fired. He got PSI Tukaram Ombale. Despite a hail of bullets on his chest, Ombale lunged onto Kasab, deflected the AK-47, and, as he died, gave the nation not just his life but also the only terrorist from ten to be captured alive.
Ashok Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award, will be bestowed tomorrow on the 12Mumbai cops who died. Honestly, men like Tukaram Ombale deserve much more… Hats off to Lorenz Photo Studio, Margao, for the lovely wall calendar dedicated to ‘Tiatr,’the stage art form despised by upper classes. Photography was brought to Margao by an Amar from Cortalim. Then came studios like ‘Atelier Moderno Fotografo Antao, ’Mauzo and Raikar. Started by a ‘Times of India’ lensman in 1947, Lorenz’s 2009 calendar does the history of Goa’s photography proud. (ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column at:
By Valmiki Faleiro.
“Year-end? We’re almost one-twelfth into the new year!” This Rip van Winkle knows. But, my year-end seldom ends before this time in the following year. I mean the festive season of joy, of visiting overseas friends who with unscheduled ‘surprise’ visits upset schedules, of birthdays, wedding invites… Which makes the ‘holiday season’ my busiest in the year. The time of the year is literally a holiday for overseas friends. To escape the bitter winters in their country of domicile, for a slice of the Goan sun and warmth of local folks. For most of us, poor country bumpkins, it is not vacation but work as usual, save the day of Christmas and at best a couple of days around it. But, when one is on holiday, one perhaps presumes everyone around is also on holiday. Not that I grudge giving overseas friends time. Provided it be factored in my schedule.
Most folks will come unannounced. To give you a ‘sweet surprise.’ Abroad, they would have the door slammed on the face – after being curtly told to phone and come. The way it should be, because in the times we live, everyone’s day is planned, and nobody is waiting to welcome ‘surprises.’ Personally, such ‘surprises’ do not fascinate. They irritate. So be alerted friends ‘n’ foes:phone and come! On the eve of Republic Day, let’s turn our thoughts to those gallant men who give their lives in defence of the nation. The numbing November terror attack in Mumbai produced more national heroes. (Incidentally, ‘Param Vir – Our Heroes in Battle,’ by Maj. General Ian Cardozo, Roli Books, 2008, ISBN: 978-81-7436-262-9, Pgs.225, Rs.295, is veryinformative and inspiring.) The unsung heroes of Mumbai were ordinary men.
Unfortunately, just as the media stayed stuck with elite targets like the Taj and Trident hotels, with negligible coverage of CST, Cama hospital and Girgaum junction, it was, ironically, the latter that produced the greatest heroes of that black day. Like the announcer at CST who, perched high above the platforms, saw what Ismail and Kasab were doing with their AK-47s. Over the public address, he continuously advised passengers which way to alight from trains and in which direction to run for safety. The perplexed terror duo, seeing a rich harvest suddenly vanish, spotted the announcer and opened fire at him. The man ducked and saved himself, but not before saving heaven knows how many innocent lives.
Like the unarmed constable who grabbed an ancient 303 rifle from the frightened hands of a colleague, to take on the might of two AK-47s, each discharging 150 death rounds per minute.
Like the humble generator technician at Cama, on his way down after locking dozens of doctors and others in the hospital’s terrace, encountered Ismail and Kasab, who asked the way to the terrace. The brave man saved those sure terrace deaths. But my greatest were two men of the Mumbai Police at the Girgaum road block, hastily erected to halt the terrorist duo. Moment the commandeered Skoda hit the road divider, a constable sprang to the driver side window and snatched the car keys, sealing any chance of Ismail and Kasab’s getaway. As Ismail, at the wheel, opened fire at the cops and was soon wounded mortally, Kasab crouched. Abruptly opening the side door, from the still crouched position, Kasab fired. He got PSI Tukaram Ombale. Despite a hail of bullets on his chest, Ombale lunged onto Kasab, deflected the AK-47, and, as he died, gave the nation not just his life but also the only terrorist from ten to be captured alive.
Ashok Chakra, India’s highest gallantry award, will be bestowed tomorrow on the 12Mumbai cops who died. Honestly, men like Tukaram Ombale deserve much more… Hats off to Lorenz Photo Studio, Margao, for the lovely wall calendar dedicated to ‘Tiatr,’the stage art form despised by upper classes. Photography was brought to Margao by an Amar from Cortalim. Then came studios like ‘Atelier Moderno Fotografo Antao, ’Mauzo and Raikar. Started by a ‘Times of India’ lensman in 1947, Lorenz’s 2009 calendar does the history of Goa’s photography proud. (ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column at:
January 26, 2009
IN PRAISE OF VERONICA.
Thanks for the article Vernonica.
Yes, some people in Indonesia, too, treat their maids like dirt not just stories from West Asia. Anyway, thanks for the article and hopefully Kuwaiti employers see the light of day before it is too late. Peace.
Merwyn
Yes, some people in Indonesia, too, treat their maids like dirt not just stories from West Asia. Anyway, thanks for the article and hopefully Kuwaiti employers see the light of day before it is too late. Peace.
Merwyn
VERONICA PRAISED.
Dear Vernonica
It was good to read your article and I concur with your sentiments that there is something very dark in the Kuwaiti psyche that allows them to treat maids so appallingly. It would be good to see champions raised for all the different sending nations - you are obviously an eloquent advocate for the Goan maids and it would be great to see others raised to speak out for the Ethiopians, the Filipinos and Bangladeshis and so on. God Bless you in your efforts.
Yours Andy Thompson,
Chaplain
It was good to read your article and I concur with your sentiments that there is something very dark in the Kuwaiti psyche that allows them to treat maids so appallingly. It would be good to see champions raised for all the different sending nations - you are obviously an eloquent advocate for the Goan maids and it would be great to see others raised to speak out for the Ethiopians, the Filipinos and Bangladeshis and so on. God Bless you in your efforts.
Yours Andy Thompson,
Chaplain
January 25, 2009
HARASSMENT OF MAIDS IN KUWAIT.
HARASSMENT OF MAIDS IN KUWAIT.
This is in response to the earlier article in this forum on the subject "HOW TO KEEP MAID AT HOME”. Let me applaud Rev. Thompson for very intelligently and boldly writing his views on this very pathetic topic that we witness in Kuwait. Maid harassment is a curse on those who are harassing them unnecessarily. Maid harassment like beating, torturing, raping and even killing is the shame on this society where we are living and earning our livelihood. No maid is coming to Kuwait to desert the house of her employer or sponsor but the sponsors and employers of the maids in many cases are responsible for this grave situation. No maid is coming to Kuwait to jump from the top of the floor and commit suicide. They are as given to understand either thrown down by their employers or in extremely rare cases they commit suicide after exhausting all avenues to get them peace. Every maid comes to Kuwait with heavy responsibility to earn some Dinars and sustain her family members back at her home who are living only on the remittance of the maids. When they have such a heavy burden of responsibility, they will on their own volition never commit suicide.
With my limited knowledge I can say that nowhere in the world maids are so much maltreated as it is in Kuwait which is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world. Everyday reading in the local newspapers of their hardships and listening to their stories personally I can rightly say that many if not most of the maid employers are unfit to employ maids in their houses because they do not know to treat human beings as humans beings created by the same God. Treating maids as sub-human beings and as slaves is not only a sin but a sacrilege deserving highest divine punishment. Because of maid harassment by the locals in Kuwait, the image of this country was already tarnished beyond reparation. And yet most of the locals are immune to this criticism even when it came from American Senators and World Human Rights bodies.
During the period of invasion of Kuwait, I was busy in organising public meetings and public rallies in Goa in support of Kuwait and to condemn Iraq for invading Kuwait. The echo of our voice we raised from the streets of Panaji, Goa was heard not only in Delhi but also in other parts of the World including Iraq thru media and news channels. A few days before our first rally on 12th November 1990, I as an initiator of this movement to organize rallies and meetings was approached by a delegation of Arabs supporting Saddam Hussein and his invasion of Kuwait to stop me from organising our public rally on the streets of Panjim and public meeting at Azad Maidan, Panjim. For this they offered me huge purse of money which I flatly refused. Then they offered me threats and also threats to my family. This also I brushed aside as if it is nothing. Then to prick my conscience and excite me, they raised the issue of maid harassment in Kuwait where they said "Kuwaitis are maltreating innocent Goan maids and since this is the case why do you support the cause of Kuwait and Kuwaitis when your Goan maids are brutalized in Kuwait by the Kuwaitis?" For this I replied, “I strongly condemn the harassment of maids who are as good as sisters and mothers to me but their issue is totally different from the invasion of Kuwait issue which cannot be tolerated yet maids issue deserve highest condemnation and I condemn it openly and also I strongly condemn all those who practice brutality against maids and weaker segment of the society”. The harassment of maid issue is not a small matter. It is a matter of shame for Kuwait and Kuwaitis as a whole though there are many Kuwaitis who treat their maids decently and humanely. I salute them.
Inflicting corporal punishment on maids is a sin against God and those who pray 5 times a day and still perform such cruel acts against weaker section of society is extremely "haram". Those who beat maids are cruel people, they have no authority even to touch the hair of a maid, leave aside skin of the maid. Only barberians can beat and torture maids. The government has not given an authority to any Kuwaiti or any employer of maid to harass and beat the maids and yet the employers of maid use their "dadagiri" against maids whose position in front of their employers is like that of a goat in front of the knife wielding butcher.
I really feel disgusted when I come to know of maid beatings by the Kuwaitis. I know personally so many of our Goan maids were maltreated by the Kuwaitis as if these maids are slaves. Many of the maids came to Kuwait not because they are fit to be maids but only as a last resort after exhauting all the options to earn their livelihood in Goa. Many of our Goan maids working in Kuwait are of very high standard even having maids in their own houses in Goa before coming to Kuwait. But later on due to the circumstances beyond their control they migrated to Kuwait for greener pastures by working as maids. In Goa there is no movement done yet to raise the issue of maltreatment of our maids in Kuwait in particular and in the Gulf in general. Human rights activitists and church leaders should campaign hard on this subject. This ongoing system of maid harassment in Kuwait should be stopped, it is unbearable.
As a matter of interest for Kuwaitis, many of the Goan maids who participated in our rallies and meetings in support of Kuwait during the invasion of Kuwait were themselves the victims of beatings and rapings from the Kuwaitis. Inspite of facing so much of maltreatment from the hands of Kuwaitis they still supported Kuwait's and Kuwaitis' cause. This is the greatness of the character of Goan maids in particular and Goans in general. Forgiveness and forgetfulness is the hallmark of Goans. And this makes a Goan unique in India.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
This is in response to the earlier article in this forum on the subject "HOW TO KEEP MAID AT HOME”. Let me applaud Rev. Thompson for very intelligently and boldly writing his views on this very pathetic topic that we witness in Kuwait. Maid harassment is a curse on those who are harassing them unnecessarily. Maid harassment like beating, torturing, raping and even killing is the shame on this society where we are living and earning our livelihood. No maid is coming to Kuwait to desert the house of her employer or sponsor but the sponsors and employers of the maids in many cases are responsible for this grave situation. No maid is coming to Kuwait to jump from the top of the floor and commit suicide. They are as given to understand either thrown down by their employers or in extremely rare cases they commit suicide after exhausting all avenues to get them peace. Every maid comes to Kuwait with heavy responsibility to earn some Dinars and sustain her family members back at her home who are living only on the remittance of the maids. When they have such a heavy burden of responsibility, they will on their own volition never commit suicide.
With my limited knowledge I can say that nowhere in the world maids are so much maltreated as it is in Kuwait which is supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world. Everyday reading in the local newspapers of their hardships and listening to their stories personally I can rightly say that many if not most of the maid employers are unfit to employ maids in their houses because they do not know to treat human beings as humans beings created by the same God. Treating maids as sub-human beings and as slaves is not only a sin but a sacrilege deserving highest divine punishment. Because of maid harassment by the locals in Kuwait, the image of this country was already tarnished beyond reparation. And yet most of the locals are immune to this criticism even when it came from American Senators and World Human Rights bodies.
During the period of invasion of Kuwait, I was busy in organising public meetings and public rallies in Goa in support of Kuwait and to condemn Iraq for invading Kuwait. The echo of our voice we raised from the streets of Panaji, Goa was heard not only in Delhi but also in other parts of the World including Iraq thru media and news channels. A few days before our first rally on 12th November 1990, I as an initiator of this movement to organize rallies and meetings was approached by a delegation of Arabs supporting Saddam Hussein and his invasion of Kuwait to stop me from organising our public rally on the streets of Panjim and public meeting at Azad Maidan, Panjim. For this they offered me huge purse of money which I flatly refused. Then they offered me threats and also threats to my family. This also I brushed aside as if it is nothing. Then to prick my conscience and excite me, they raised the issue of maid harassment in Kuwait where they said "Kuwaitis are maltreating innocent Goan maids and since this is the case why do you support the cause of Kuwait and Kuwaitis when your Goan maids are brutalized in Kuwait by the Kuwaitis?" For this I replied, “I strongly condemn the harassment of maids who are as good as sisters and mothers to me but their issue is totally different from the invasion of Kuwait issue which cannot be tolerated yet maids issue deserve highest condemnation and I condemn it openly and also I strongly condemn all those who practice brutality against maids and weaker segment of the society”. The harassment of maid issue is not a small matter. It is a matter of shame for Kuwait and Kuwaitis as a whole though there are many Kuwaitis who treat their maids decently and humanely. I salute them.
Inflicting corporal punishment on maids is a sin against God and those who pray 5 times a day and still perform such cruel acts against weaker section of society is extremely "haram". Those who beat maids are cruel people, they have no authority even to touch the hair of a maid, leave aside skin of the maid. Only barberians can beat and torture maids. The government has not given an authority to any Kuwaiti or any employer of maid to harass and beat the maids and yet the employers of maid use their "dadagiri" against maids whose position in front of their employers is like that of a goat in front of the knife wielding butcher.
I really feel disgusted when I come to know of maid beatings by the Kuwaitis. I know personally so many of our Goan maids were maltreated by the Kuwaitis as if these maids are slaves. Many of the maids came to Kuwait not because they are fit to be maids but only as a last resort after exhauting all the options to earn their livelihood in Goa. Many of our Goan maids working in Kuwait are of very high standard even having maids in their own houses in Goa before coming to Kuwait. But later on due to the circumstances beyond their control they migrated to Kuwait for greener pastures by working as maids. In Goa there is no movement done yet to raise the issue of maltreatment of our maids in Kuwait in particular and in the Gulf in general. Human rights activitists and church leaders should campaign hard on this subject. This ongoing system of maid harassment in Kuwait should be stopped, it is unbearable.
As a matter of interest for Kuwaitis, many of the Goan maids who participated in our rallies and meetings in support of Kuwait during the invasion of Kuwait were themselves the victims of beatings and rapings from the Kuwaitis. Inspite of facing so much of maltreatment from the hands of Kuwaitis they still supported Kuwait's and Kuwaitis' cause. This is the greatness of the character of Goan maids in particular and Goans in general. Forgiveness and forgetfulness is the hallmark of Goans. And this makes a Goan unique in India.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
January 24, 2009
HOW TO KEEP MAID AT HOME
The following article was published in the local Arab Times on 23rd of this month. For the benefits of Goans in particular and goa.kranti readers in general I am reproducing it herebelow. Since there are innumerable maids working in Kuwait, this article will be very informative for our maids as well as to their families. I hope our Church leaders in Goa will highlight this subject in ther preachings in the Churches and religious places to educate our people of the ills maids are facing in Kuwait.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
HOW TO KEEP MAID AT HOME.
By Rev. Andy Thompson.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church,
Ahmadi, Kuwait.
A recent visit to a jail reminded me of the scale of suffering for women in Kuwait. They come to serve families as domestic workers often at great personal expense and sacrifice to their families back at home. Every week the Arab Times continues to report maids who commit suicide, jump out of buildings from the upper floors in order to escape, fill hospital beds because of injuries from their employers and simply absconding through sheer exhaustion.
Running away does not help anyone. Often the maid by running away goes from frying pan into the fire. Gangs on the look out for runaway maids persuade and then force them into the sex trade. For the employers they suffer the inconvenience of having to find another maid and pay yet another 500KD in recruitment fees. Even worse they have the shame of having people wonder what they did to their maids to make them run away.
The reality that these women are human beings, wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of our creator God, seems to be forgotten. One employer on hearing how her maid had been brutally raped and forced into the sex trade after running away told me that the maid still owed her money and what I am going to do about that !!!
The role of a domestic worker in the Gulf has a long history. Traditionally the servants were very much part of the household and treated as extended family members and as such would stay with the family for years and years. Nowadays temporary contracts are more common and the expectations from the domestic workers is that they are employees and not family members. This has been a significant shift and in fact still ongoing. There is a clash of expectations from both employees and servants. Families long for their servants to belong as an extended member of the family.
There is a little known book in the Bible called Philemon which is solely addressed to the issue of runaway slave and his employer. St. Paul pleads with the employer to treat his runaway slave with compassion and ask him to recognize him as a man and a brother. In return the slave is encouraged to work hard and not give cause to his employer to be unhappy. This advice is very relevant today. “Servants obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart. Serve wholeheartedly as though you were serving the Lord and not men because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for what good he does, whether he is slave or free. Masters, treat your servants in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Ephesians 6.5.9).
In practical terms this means that maids who are paid regularly treated fairly and given time off will be more likely to stay and honour their obligations to the family and less likely to run away.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
HOW TO KEEP MAID AT HOME.
By Rev. Andy Thompson.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church,
Ahmadi, Kuwait.
A recent visit to a jail reminded me of the scale of suffering for women in Kuwait. They come to serve families as domestic workers often at great personal expense and sacrifice to their families back at home. Every week the Arab Times continues to report maids who commit suicide, jump out of buildings from the upper floors in order to escape, fill hospital beds because of injuries from their employers and simply absconding through sheer exhaustion.
Running away does not help anyone. Often the maid by running away goes from frying pan into the fire. Gangs on the look out for runaway maids persuade and then force them into the sex trade. For the employers they suffer the inconvenience of having to find another maid and pay yet another 500KD in recruitment fees. Even worse they have the shame of having people wonder what they did to their maids to make them run away.
The reality that these women are human beings, wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of our creator God, seems to be forgotten. One employer on hearing how her maid had been brutally raped and forced into the sex trade after running away told me that the maid still owed her money and what I am going to do about that !!!
The role of a domestic worker in the Gulf has a long history. Traditionally the servants were very much part of the household and treated as extended family members and as such would stay with the family for years and years. Nowadays temporary contracts are more common and the expectations from the domestic workers is that they are employees and not family members. This has been a significant shift and in fact still ongoing. There is a clash of expectations from both employees and servants. Families long for their servants to belong as an extended member of the family.
There is a little known book in the Bible called Philemon which is solely addressed to the issue of runaway slave and his employer. St. Paul pleads with the employer to treat his runaway slave with compassion and ask him to recognize him as a man and a brother. In return the slave is encouraged to work hard and not give cause to his employer to be unhappy. This advice is very relevant today. “Servants obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart. Serve wholeheartedly as though you were serving the Lord and not men because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for what good he does, whether he is slave or free. Masters, treat your servants in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him” (Ephesians 6.5.9).
In practical terms this means that maids who are paid regularly treated fairly and given time off will be more likely to stay and honour their obligations to the family and less likely to run away.
January 23, 2009
WAITING FOR OUR BARACK OBAMA.
Let me start this by reproducing today's (23/Jan/2009) GT editorial captioned:
"Waiting for our Barack Obama", which I feel does justice to my earlier piece 'The Obama Effect ' Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 1:48 PM
The 44th president of the United States of America Barack Obama took oath at a time when America was looking for political renewal and a way to make a clean cut from the past years when the country was afflicted with the disease of self interest and was ruled by self seeking politicians. In his inaugural speech, Obama bluntly told the American people, "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some ...." He further warned, "that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous". When he said, "... those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism..." he laid bare the guiding principles of his presidency. We understand that politics is the art of compromise, but in Obama lives the aspiration of a new generation of Americans and world citizens hungry for honesty and an end to a corrupt world that places self interests above society and nation.
More than America this disease of self interest has afflicted India and Goa as well, where the outcome of elections is determined by money and the ability of politicians to balance the petty interest of individuals and pressure groups with personal interests. Today, in Goa almost every MLA is a crorepati or on the verge of becoming one and the thought of standing for an election without a huge reservoir of funds is unthinkable. A lament often heard is that there is no place for an honest person in politics, because the people simply won't elect him or her. Corruption of the soul does not start and end with the politician. It has deeper roots which reach down to the people. We have been overtaken by a spiritual and moral degradation. In the case of America the people voted overwhelmingly for Obama because he symbolized a change from the decadent and misguided approach of the Bush Administration. In electing Obama, Americans sought to redeem themselves. How do we redeem ourselves when the people themselves have embraced corruption? How can we break the what's-in-it-for-me attitude and replace it with civic-mindedness? How can the salt of the earth regain its taste?
Last month, well known columnist, writer and journalist Kushwant Singh referred to the role played by intellectuals like Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzche, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Leo Tolstoy, Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russel in Europe and the United States. India toohad its share of intellectuals, however, their influence is marginal. Singh assigns two reasons for the failure of intellectuals to influence society in India. One is that they wrote in English, which only 10 per cent of the population understands and secondly, the vast majority of people in India look up to their gurus, godmen and priests because they speak there language. The knowledge of these gurus is limited, as a result, "Their congregations return to their homes contented and at peace with themselves because they do not have to wrestle with new ideas. That is why caste distinction persist, foeticide is widely practiced and we continue to breed at a suicidal rate. Our gurus never deal with such social problems. "We could easily add corruption and self-interest to the list.
In Goa we have heard of several instances when those placed in charge of our spiritual well-being have accepted large sums of money from politicians in return for delivering votes of the congregation. We need to make a clean break with the past, but for that to happen we must let go of self-interest and focus on the civic well being of all. The rule must first apply to me and then to my neighbour. We must be the change that we wish to see in society. The question before us is not whether a person who embodies the qualities that we celebrate in Obama exists in India or Goa, but that, if he does exist would we have the courage to elect him?
COMMENTS
The Goa Su-Raj Party wholeheartedly appreciates this piece of excellent editorial. Apart from two most important things the editor has said, (1) "In Goa we have heard of several instances when those placed in charge of our spiritual well-being have accepted large sums of money from politicians in return for delivering votes of the congregation" a line that this party has always been saying with utmost conviction that priests were not only bribed with fat donations but also with brand new cars and computer work stations et al.. and (2) "We must be the change that we wish to see in society" ... which line appears at the bottom of this Party's letter-heads, a quote from Mahatma Gandhi", this party would like to answer the question which is posed by the editor when he says " The question before us is not whether a person who embodies the qualities that we celebrate in Obama exists in India or Goa, but that, if he does exist would we have the courage to elect him?
Our answer is "Obama does exist in Goa, not as an individual but as an entity called the Goa Su-Raj Party and the later part of the question is, in all sincerity, very very potent. Each Goan must try and answer it with sincerity that it takes to revolutionize the way Goa is governed.
Going back to the 2007 Assembly Elections of Goa, the undersigned avidly remembers the conversation reproduced herebelow that he had with this very editor of the above marvelous piece, which will expose the contradictions vis a vis the above write-up from the same man. We are glad to note that a lot of water has flown under the Mandovi Bridges since then and now and needless to say that we appreciate the changed attitude.
This tele-conversation emanated when the undersigned expected one of the Party's important press releases to appear in the GT but did not.
Hello Derek,
Hi Florian,
Derek, I have issued a press statement which I feel is important that your readers see it. Why has it not appeared? Any problem?
Florian, tell me, does your party have any relevance?
Dereck, what do you mean? You have lost me.
Florian, how many elections did your party contest so far and how many votes did you get?
Dereck, GSRP contested eight seats in 2002 and aggregated 1500 votes. In 2005 it contested a single seat in the 5 constituency by-elections and aggregated 206 votes.
Florian, that is exactly what I mean. Your party has no relevance.
Derek, this is very interesting coming from you. Not to be uptight and not to be offensive, let me say that you are a better humour columnist than an editor. But you don't know head or tale of what politics is all about. You please do me a favour. Take that press statement and throw it out of your window. As an after thought, I feel that you should flush it down the toilet for better effect.
End of the tele-conversation.
I must say that today I find that Derek is as good an editor as he is humour columnist.
Cheers Derek, no hard feelings :-))
floriano
goasuraj
"Waiting for our Barack Obama", which I feel does justice to my earlier piece 'The Obama Effect ' Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 1:48 PM
The 44th president of the United States of America Barack Obama took oath at a time when America was looking for political renewal and a way to make a clean cut from the past years when the country was afflicted with the disease of self interest and was ruled by self seeking politicians. In his inaugural speech, Obama bluntly told the American people, "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some ...." He further warned, "that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous". When he said, "... those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism..." he laid bare the guiding principles of his presidency. We understand that politics is the art of compromise, but in Obama lives the aspiration of a new generation of Americans and world citizens hungry for honesty and an end to a corrupt world that places self interests above society and nation.
More than America this disease of self interest has afflicted India and Goa as well, where the outcome of elections is determined by money and the ability of politicians to balance the petty interest of individuals and pressure groups with personal interests. Today, in Goa almost every MLA is a crorepati or on the verge of becoming one and the thought of standing for an election without a huge reservoir of funds is unthinkable. A lament often heard is that there is no place for an honest person in politics, because the people simply won't elect him or her. Corruption of the soul does not start and end with the politician. It has deeper roots which reach down to the people. We have been overtaken by a spiritual and moral degradation. In the case of America the people voted overwhelmingly for Obama because he symbolized a change from the decadent and misguided approach of the Bush Administration. In electing Obama, Americans sought to redeem themselves. How do we redeem ourselves when the people themselves have embraced corruption? How can we break the what's-in-it-for-me attitude and replace it with civic-mindedness? How can the salt of the earth regain its taste?
Last month, well known columnist, writer and journalist Kushwant Singh referred to the role played by intellectuals like Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzche, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Leo Tolstoy, Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russel in Europe and the United States. India toohad its share of intellectuals, however, their influence is marginal. Singh assigns two reasons for the failure of intellectuals to influence society in India. One is that they wrote in English, which only 10 per cent of the population understands and secondly, the vast majority of people in India look up to their gurus, godmen and priests because they speak there language. The knowledge of these gurus is limited, as a result, "Their congregations return to their homes contented and at peace with themselves because they do not have to wrestle with new ideas. That is why caste distinction persist, foeticide is widely practiced and we continue to breed at a suicidal rate. Our gurus never deal with such social problems. "We could easily add corruption and self-interest to the list.
In Goa we have heard of several instances when those placed in charge of our spiritual well-being have accepted large sums of money from politicians in return for delivering votes of the congregation. We need to make a clean break with the past, but for that to happen we must let go of self-interest and focus on the civic well being of all. The rule must first apply to me and then to my neighbour. We must be the change that we wish to see in society. The question before us is not whether a person who embodies the qualities that we celebrate in Obama exists in India or Goa, but that, if he does exist would we have the courage to elect him?
COMMENTS
The Goa Su-Raj Party wholeheartedly appreciates this piece of excellent editorial. Apart from two most important things the editor has said, (1) "In Goa we have heard of several instances when those placed in charge of our spiritual well-being have accepted large sums of money from politicians in return for delivering votes of the congregation" a line that this party has always been saying with utmost conviction that priests were not only bribed with fat donations but also with brand new cars and computer work stations et al.. and (2) "We must be the change that we wish to see in society" ... which line appears at the bottom of this Party's letter-heads, a quote from Mahatma Gandhi", this party would like to answer the question which is posed by the editor when he says " The question before us is not whether a person who embodies the qualities that we celebrate in Obama exists in India or Goa, but that, if he does exist would we have the courage to elect him?
Our answer is "Obama does exist in Goa, not as an individual but as an entity called the Goa Su-Raj Party and the later part of the question is, in all sincerity, very very potent. Each Goan must try and answer it with sincerity that it takes to revolutionize the way Goa is governed.
Going back to the 2007 Assembly Elections of Goa, the undersigned avidly remembers the conversation reproduced herebelow that he had with this very editor of the above marvelous piece, which will expose the contradictions vis a vis the above write-up from the same man. We are glad to note that a lot of water has flown under the Mandovi Bridges since then and now and needless to say that we appreciate the changed attitude.
This tele-conversation emanated when the undersigned expected one of the Party's important press releases to appear in the GT but did not.
Hello Derek,
Hi Florian,
Derek, I have issued a press statement which I feel is important that your readers see it. Why has it not appeared? Any problem?
Florian, tell me, does your party have any relevance?
Dereck, what do you mean? You have lost me.
Florian, how many elections did your party contest so far and how many votes did you get?
Dereck, GSRP contested eight seats in 2002 and aggregated 1500 votes. In 2005 it contested a single seat in the 5 constituency by-elections and aggregated 206 votes.
Florian, that is exactly what I mean. Your party has no relevance.
Derek, this is very interesting coming from you. Not to be uptight and not to be offensive, let me say that you are a better humour columnist than an editor. But you don't know head or tale of what politics is all about. You please do me a favour. Take that press statement and throw it out of your window. As an after thought, I feel that you should flush it down the toilet for better effect.
End of the tele-conversation.
I must say that today I find that Derek is as good an editor as he is humour columnist.
Cheers Derek, no hard feelings :-))
floriano
goasuraj
BRAVO FOR ROSARY FERNS TIATRO.
New comment on ROSARY FERNS NEW TIATRO IN KUWAIT.
maicher has left a new comment on your post "ROSARY FERNS NEW TIATRO IN KUWAIT.":
Read your article, if I just would say: very good, it is somewhat insufficient, but I am still tempted to say: really good!
runescape gold
Posted by maicher to G O A at January 22, 2009
maicher has left a new comment on your post "ROSARY FERNS NEW TIATRO IN KUWAIT.":
Read your article, if I just would say: very good, it is somewhat insufficient, but I am still tempted to say: really good!
runescape gold
Posted by maicher to G O A at January 22, 2009
January 20, 2009
Tiatro "KUWAIT SODDUN VETANA" in Kuwait.
Much awaited and much publicized 21st Konkani Tiatro (Drama) “KUWAIT SODDUN VETANA” written and directed by the well-known Goan playwright Rosary Ferns was successfully staged on Friday 16th of this month at Hawally A/C Hall, Kuwait. Witnessed by the huge crowd, the Tiatro started at 4.30 pm instead of at 3.30 as officially announced. Excellent script with excellent messages given in the play by Rosary Ferns for the Kuwaitkars. Such a Tiatro and such messages have never in the history of Kuwait Tiatro been scripted before. These messages should have been given by our Church leaders from the Pulpit but they did not. Where our Church leaders failed, Tiatro Stage succeeded. Church is duty bound to guide the faithfuls in a right direction but neither our local priests nor the visiting priests guided us properly. The visiting priests when they come to Kuwait their main motto is to fulfill their selfish obligation and not to guide the community in a right way to face any eventuality. For this reason we the overwhelming majority of Goan Catholics suffered economically during the invasion of Kuwait leading many of us into misery.Though all the visiting professional Tiatrists performed well yet the locals especially the amateurs deserve highest compliments for performing their respective roles so wonderfully. In this context, I must mention the excellent role played by Clara Rodrigues as a Kuwait returnee maid. Delivery and clarity of her statements were very appropriate. Both the young girls Riana and Atia the daughter of Tony de Pomburpa as heroines did deserving justice for their beautiful roles. With their youthful looks and attractive appearance they easily captured the hearts of the audience. Riana having the figure of a model and clear serene voice of a princess attracted more attention. Their attractive partners Xavier Furtado and Joseph played their roles much to the satisfaction of the audience. Their elegant presentation and every move and word was measured to the perfection. The last scene of the Tiatro was very interesting where thru Slide depiction Fr. Nevel was shown celebrating the Mass. The display of the Kuwait City Church was excellent.
Seasoned artiste Laurente Pereira once again proved that he is one of the best artistes not only in Kuwait but also on Konkani Stage. His role opposite to young and handsome Kewin Vaz as father and son deserves plaudits, so too of Kewin for performing so well when he was inducted at the eleventh hour. The role of a Kuwaiti played by Bernardo Fernandes was very appropriate and I don’t think there is anybody in Kuwait who can play such an appropriate role. Salu Faleiro displayed his genius in performing extremely well the role of a Bangladeshi Cleaner. With his genuine dress code carrying the Container of wastes and speaking in Bengali dialect he surprised everyone. He was gifted with cash prize money by a member of the audience. In a similar way other artistes who received cash prize money were Sylvester Vaz, Fr. Nevel and comedian Selvy. Though small yet very diligent role of an elderly man was played by Bab Agnelo besides singing a solo. The role played by Marcus Vas opposite to Katty de Navelim as father and son was very interesting.
Hitman Sylvester Vaz, his wife Irene and Cajetan de Sanvordem shouldered the major responsibilities of this Tiatro. Irene left no stone unturned to give her best as mother of two young men. Sylvester Vaz and Cajetan de Sanvordem both played their part well in giving excellent messages to the audience based on the happenings in our community. These are not only messages but cautious alerts for all Goans working in Kuwait scripted by the director Rosary Ferns. The messages conveyed by Cajetan de Sanvordem had better delivery and excellent clarity in keeping up with his tradition as one of the best speakers in Kuwait amongst Konkani speaking people. He got special talent in delivering speeches with his mellifluent tongue and charismatic voice and in this Tiatro Rosary Ferns as director beautifully tapped the resources of Cajetan. It was not he alone, in fact Rosary Ferns as a clever and unselfish director gave every local artiste an opportunity to give his or her best. On the other hand it was nice to see all the local artistes in forgetting their petty differences showed their total affiliation and solidarity to Rosary Ferns not only in staging this wonderful Tiatro but also to raise the level of our Tiatro to the pedestal. Unity is the hallmark of the success and only thru such a strong show of unity we can promote our Tiatros successfully.
The hilarious comedy played by the fantastic comedians of Konkani Stage namely John D’Silva and Selvy created peals of laughter in the hall. Rarely such an uproar witnessed in the hall when both these comedians entered the stage, they looked like born comedians.
Among the side show songs, Lawry Travasso’s both solos were good. Second solo he rendered by mixing up with the audience where he was fabulously applauded by the people. Katty de Navelim’s solo and trio with Rosary and Joseph were much appreciated by the audience. Katty de Navelim displayed his singing talent extremely well as never seen before. Again credit goes to director Rosary Ferns in exposing the talents of his artistes. Francis de Tuem rendered Goan political solos while Marcus Vaz rendered his solo based on dirty politics Tiatrists do in Goa to destroy other tiatrists. The quintet of Marcus Vaz with Francis de Tuem, Cajetan de Sanvordem, Selvy and Sylvester Vaz was fabulously applauded by the audience. John de Silva and Selvy rendered a duo while Marcus Vaz, Laurente Pereira and Cajetn de Sanvordem rendered a trio. Fr. Nevel in addition to his Solo also rendered a trio with Sylvester and Irene, both based on Christian doctrine. Besides, Sylvester Vas rendered separately one solo. Among all the side show songs, the most interesting and admiring song was of Rosary Ferns’ solo on the late Sanny de Quepem where in philosophical words he showed his gratitude to the departed soul. While singing the slide depiction on the stage of Sanny’s photos in past tiatros were found very interesting.
The musical score provided by Shahu and his troupe was worthy of admiration. Never in the past I noticed Shahu playing so wonderfully. It sounded like an Orchestra. He was also playing Saxaphone besides Organ. Sound System provided by John Furtado was flawless which gave an extra booster for this Tiatro. Stage setting by Tomas – Leckinson Arts – deserves credit.
As an added attraction, a nice Souvenir was provided to the audience where besides especial thanking message by the director, entire Programme of the show was disclosed. Thru this Souvenir one could make out that this Tiatro was patronized by some of the top business houses and personalities in Kuwait. During the interval thru the hands of Fr. Nevel, Lawry Travasso released his 2 CD’s.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
January 19, 2009
GOAN NICKNAMES.
GOAN NICKNAMES.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
Modern man loves brevity. Brevity in words, in dress, in names. Everyone’s in a hurry.No time to address Senhor ‘Santamisericordia Circumcicao Paixao da Boaventura …de Barros e Costa Fernandes’ by his noble name (the middle of which, in the ellipsis,could run thro’ about a ninth of the All Saints Litany.) That could be reason why poor ‘Santamisericordia’ earned a briefer nickname! Seriously, the most plausible cause of nicknames, other than derision, must have been name and surname commonalities. Which sprang from Indo-Aryan settlement patternsin Goa. Blood-related clans, often with common surname, formed a ‘Vangor’ (group) of village settlers. Most Goan villages had less than a dozen ‘Vangors,’ and so, about as many surnames. Big settlements had more, like Margao, with its 28 ‘Vangors.’ This caused identity problems, which must have necessitated nicknames. Perhaps reason why bulk of Goan nicknames centre around households and not individuals, though personal aliases do exist. First names must have also been in short supply! Centuries later came Catholic missionaries, who gave their surname to the converts. Each priest might have converted an entire vaddo, if not the whole village. All convertsin his domain bore identical surnames. Landlords added their own fair share, imparting their surnames to caretakers of their houses, crops and properties. Hence distinct nicknames, to ease the confounded confusion.
Usually in the localidiom, reflecting native wit and wisdom. Let’s check out some from my hometown,Margao. First the birds and beasts: ‘Bebo Caitan’, ‘Bebqui’, ‘Combienfon’, ‘Gughum’, ‘Kolo’,‘Pako’, ‘Undir’ (also Margao’s village nickname.) Households were named after trees:‘Ambea ghor’, ‘Cazu ghor’, ‘Champean ghor’, ‘Chinche ghor’. Others were named afterphysical characteristics of the house itself: ‘Dovornea ghor’, ‘Madieh ghor’, ‘Modkianghor’ and ‘Panch Bhuzan ghor’. One family was named after that great Portuguese literary figure, Bocaje, who like Camoens, spent time in Goa (the former at Panjim’s Corte de Oiteiro, the latter, for criticizing local compatriot officials, in the Margao jail.) Others were known by personal characteristics: ‘Nad’dh Khoddo’, ‘Ennd’dh Barbosa’,‘Pixean Ghor’, ‘Lolo’, ‘Foncro’, ‘Dedd bamon’, ‘Lord Burrash’ and my favourite, ‘MotteRoqui, Kalle Modki’. We have fruits, even personal voice volumes (in sizes!): ‘Dakli Popai’, ‘Vhoddli Popai’,‘Dakli Tepdi’, ‘Vhoddli Tepdi’, and ‘Daklo Ulo’, ‘Vhoddlo Ulo’. As much as ‘DakloNoveannoi’, ‘Vhoddlo Noveannoi’ and two candlemakers, ‘Mennkar’ – one in Tembim,the other in Borda. Like others known by profession: ‘Paunekar’, ‘Caetano Karter’. Margao’s Hindu Brahmins would’ve spent more time nicknaming Daivadnya Brahmins(goldsmiths) than one another. Goldsmiths were ripe with nicknames. ‘Bangdo Shet’probably never bought anything other than mackerel in the fish market, as perhaps did‘Korbot’ with a penchant for the cheapest portion of assorted tiny fish. ‘Choomboll’possibly believed his teeth must glitter more than his gold. And if you think that ‘LaduShet’ is tough, try ‘Imitation Shet.’ There were the mischievous. ‘Antam Podo,’ ‘Bo*kambot,’ ‘Chec-chec,’ ‘Fuskean Pai,’‘Poskeam Filip,’ ‘Undea Oddh.’ Let’s turn to a few spicier. (Most colourful ones, alas,are clearly unprintable.)
There was a Senhor ‘Joao Pico’ whose wife’s nickname rhymed: ‘Bo*kam Bico’ (thetail end of an enema apparatus plunged in its proper body orifice.) Joao’s necrophilia-afflicted ancestor was said to be a passionate lover who brought home his departedwife’s skeleton. Ouch! Lovemaking must have sounded like badly spoken Malayalam. There was Chico ‘Ghansai,’ a terror inspiring ‘Administrador’ in Goa’s hinterlandtalukas, who ensured his police ADC fetched the woman that begot his eyes by day.Our ‘delito flagrante’ caught his own wife at Colva with a ‘paklo.’ Chico chased the half-naked duo round the dunes, service revolver in hand. The scandal accounted for the‘ghan’ (stink) in the ‘Ghansai.’ There’s the story of this dentist, ‘Motte Potacho.’ He was unfairly thought to bear ahuge belly, when the cause lay a bit lower … hydrocoele. That, or an overworkedprostrate, or fatigue, or a combination of the three, turned his famed libido into history.As loyal procurers scoured the Salcete countryside on mission Nubile Search, he satby the bed and watched, as a young stud from another ‘respectable’ family performed.Years later, a leading Margao political light, with a similar profligate record and insimilar circumstances, save the belly or hydrocoele, followed suit. Such were the times. Today, we swear when angry. Our forebears had finesse – theynicknamed! Permit me to end this topic of Goan names with an old joke. If erstwhile Catholic namestyles were a nightmare, modern naming patterns are no less. Take the trend ofconjoining name parts of spouses for their new house, car or a spanking new baby –one named with ‘Con’ from Conceicao and ‘Dom’ from hubby Dominick: “Condom.”(ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column The
By Valmiki Faleiro.
Modern man loves brevity. Brevity in words, in dress, in names. Everyone’s in a hurry.No time to address Senhor ‘Santamisericordia Circumcicao Paixao da Boaventura …de Barros e Costa Fernandes’ by his noble name (the middle of which, in the ellipsis,could run thro’ about a ninth of the All Saints Litany.) That could be reason why poor ‘Santamisericordia’ earned a briefer nickname! Seriously, the most plausible cause of nicknames, other than derision, must have been name and surname commonalities. Which sprang from Indo-Aryan settlement patternsin Goa. Blood-related clans, often with common surname, formed a ‘Vangor’ (group) of village settlers. Most Goan villages had less than a dozen ‘Vangors,’ and so, about as many surnames. Big settlements had more, like Margao, with its 28 ‘Vangors.’ This caused identity problems, which must have necessitated nicknames. Perhaps reason why bulk of Goan nicknames centre around households and not individuals, though personal aliases do exist. First names must have also been in short supply! Centuries later came Catholic missionaries, who gave their surname to the converts. Each priest might have converted an entire vaddo, if not the whole village. All convertsin his domain bore identical surnames. Landlords added their own fair share, imparting their surnames to caretakers of their houses, crops and properties. Hence distinct nicknames, to ease the confounded confusion.
Usually in the localidiom, reflecting native wit and wisdom. Let’s check out some from my hometown,Margao. First the birds and beasts: ‘Bebo Caitan’, ‘Bebqui’, ‘Combienfon’, ‘Gughum’, ‘Kolo’,‘Pako’, ‘Undir’ (also Margao’s village nickname.) Households were named after trees:‘Ambea ghor’, ‘Cazu ghor’, ‘Champean ghor’, ‘Chinche ghor’. Others were named afterphysical characteristics of the house itself: ‘Dovornea ghor’, ‘Madieh ghor’, ‘Modkianghor’ and ‘Panch Bhuzan ghor’. One family was named after that great Portuguese literary figure, Bocaje, who like Camoens, spent time in Goa (the former at Panjim’s Corte de Oiteiro, the latter, for criticizing local compatriot officials, in the Margao jail.) Others were known by personal characteristics: ‘Nad’dh Khoddo’, ‘Ennd’dh Barbosa’,‘Pixean Ghor’, ‘Lolo’, ‘Foncro’, ‘Dedd bamon’, ‘Lord Burrash’ and my favourite, ‘MotteRoqui, Kalle Modki’. We have fruits, even personal voice volumes (in sizes!): ‘Dakli Popai’, ‘Vhoddli Popai’,‘Dakli Tepdi’, ‘Vhoddli Tepdi’, and ‘Daklo Ulo’, ‘Vhoddlo Ulo’. As much as ‘DakloNoveannoi’, ‘Vhoddlo Noveannoi’ and two candlemakers, ‘Mennkar’ – one in Tembim,the other in Borda. Like others known by profession: ‘Paunekar’, ‘Caetano Karter’. Margao’s Hindu Brahmins would’ve spent more time nicknaming Daivadnya Brahmins(goldsmiths) than one another. Goldsmiths were ripe with nicknames. ‘Bangdo Shet’probably never bought anything other than mackerel in the fish market, as perhaps did‘Korbot’ with a penchant for the cheapest portion of assorted tiny fish. ‘Choomboll’possibly believed his teeth must glitter more than his gold. And if you think that ‘LaduShet’ is tough, try ‘Imitation Shet.’ There were the mischievous. ‘Antam Podo,’ ‘Bo*kambot,’ ‘Chec-chec,’ ‘Fuskean Pai,’‘Poskeam Filip,’ ‘Undea Oddh.’ Let’s turn to a few spicier. (Most colourful ones, alas,are clearly unprintable.)
There was a Senhor ‘Joao Pico’ whose wife’s nickname rhymed: ‘Bo*kam Bico’ (thetail end of an enema apparatus plunged in its proper body orifice.) Joao’s necrophilia-afflicted ancestor was said to be a passionate lover who brought home his departedwife’s skeleton. Ouch! Lovemaking must have sounded like badly spoken Malayalam. There was Chico ‘Ghansai,’ a terror inspiring ‘Administrador’ in Goa’s hinterlandtalukas, who ensured his police ADC fetched the woman that begot his eyes by day.Our ‘delito flagrante’ caught his own wife at Colva with a ‘paklo.’ Chico chased the half-naked duo round the dunes, service revolver in hand. The scandal accounted for the‘ghan’ (stink) in the ‘Ghansai.’ There’s the story of this dentist, ‘Motte Potacho.’ He was unfairly thought to bear ahuge belly, when the cause lay a bit lower … hydrocoele. That, or an overworkedprostrate, or fatigue, or a combination of the three, turned his famed libido into history.As loyal procurers scoured the Salcete countryside on mission Nubile Search, he satby the bed and watched, as a young stud from another ‘respectable’ family performed.Years later, a leading Margao political light, with a similar profligate record and insimilar circumstances, save the belly or hydrocoele, followed suit. Such were the times. Today, we swear when angry. Our forebears had finesse – theynicknamed! Permit me to end this topic of Goan names with an old joke. If erstwhile Catholic namestyles were a nightmare, modern naming patterns are no less. Take the trend ofconjoining name parts of spouses for their new house, car or a spanking new baby –one named with ‘Con’ from Conceicao and ‘Dom’ from hubby Dominick: “Condom.”(ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column The
January 17, 2009
Full House Audience for 'Kuwait Soddun Vetana'
A packed house watched Konkani Tiatro 'KUWAIT SODDUN VETANA' at Hawally AC Auditorium staged on Friday 16 Jan 2009.
The tiatro written and directed by renowned playwright Rosary Ferns had Goan stars such as Lawry Travasso, Marcus Vaz, John D'Silva, Francis de Tuem and Comedian Selvy among a host of Kuwait based artistes that included Sylvester Vaz, Cajetan de Sanvordem, Salu Faleiro, Irene Vaz, Riana Azavedo, Xavier Furtado, Joseph Rodrigues, etc.
Fr. Nevel Gracias Vell'lekar, a visiting priest, also acted and sang in the tiatro.
A detailed REVIEW on the performance will follow soon on KRANTI!
January 16, 2009
VICTIMISATION FOR GOVT. SERVANTS IN GOA.
RTI on CS: Junior Engineer Victimised, transferred.
A Press Statement for kind favour of publication.
From: floriano (floriano.lobo@gmail.com)
Sent:Thursday, January 15, 2009 6:35:56 PM
To: A. Veronica Fernandes (averonicaf806@hotmail.com)
The Goa Su-Raj Party expresses solidarity with the Junior Engineer of the Electricity Department Shri. Kashinath Shetye and his wife Smt Sanyogita Shetye in the case of seeking to obtain crucial information on the life-style of our public servants who have gone on the binge of immersing themselves in luxury, none other than the Chief Secretary of the State of Goa, in this case.
The Goa Su-Raj Party lauds the efforts put in by Shri and Smt Shetye in this matter in order to expose the hidden life-style of our public men at the cost of the gullible tax-payers. Victimizations through transfers is the only weapon available to the powers that be to retaliate against this most basic tool of democracy- 'the Accountability'.
This Party is on record of having advised at least one most senior Civil Administrative Official that they should collectively refuse to follow orders which go against the grain of legality of procedures even to the extent of facing , so to speak, the 'Siberia Postings'. That there is always a limit as to what extent these 'Siberia Postings' can continue without reflecting back on the democratic conduct of the high profile.
The Goa Su-Raj Party is proud of Shri. and Smt. Shetye and congratulates them to no end for their determined stand, and do hope that this incidence gives birth to more daring Shetyes in time to come to expose the doings of the powers that be at the cost of the tax-payers.
More absolute Power to RTI.
Power to those who seek transparancy in the working of the Government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Floriano Lobo
Gen. Secretary/Spokesperson,
Goa Su-Raj Party
9890470896
goasuraj_29@sancharnet.in
www.goasu-raj.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------Wanted for Goa---honest ' fighters 'NOT honest ' hypocrites ' Contact:goasuraj(The Recruiting Agents)9890470896www.goasu-raj.org
A Press Statement for kind favour of publication.
From: floriano (floriano.lobo@gmail.com)
Sent:Thursday, January 15, 2009 6:35:56 PM
To: A. Veronica Fernandes (averonicaf806@hotmail.com)
The Goa Su-Raj Party expresses solidarity with the Junior Engineer of the Electricity Department Shri. Kashinath Shetye and his wife Smt Sanyogita Shetye in the case of seeking to obtain crucial information on the life-style of our public servants who have gone on the binge of immersing themselves in luxury, none other than the Chief Secretary of the State of Goa, in this case.
The Goa Su-Raj Party lauds the efforts put in by Shri and Smt Shetye in this matter in order to expose the hidden life-style of our public men at the cost of the gullible tax-payers. Victimizations through transfers is the only weapon available to the powers that be to retaliate against this most basic tool of democracy- 'the Accountability'.
This Party is on record of having advised at least one most senior Civil Administrative Official that they should collectively refuse to follow orders which go against the grain of legality of procedures even to the extent of facing , so to speak, the 'Siberia Postings'. That there is always a limit as to what extent these 'Siberia Postings' can continue without reflecting back on the democratic conduct of the high profile.
The Goa Su-Raj Party is proud of Shri. and Smt. Shetye and congratulates them to no end for their determined stand, and do hope that this incidence gives birth to more daring Shetyes in time to come to expose the doings of the powers that be at the cost of the tax-payers.
More absolute Power to RTI.
Power to those who seek transparancy in the working of the Government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Floriano Lobo
Gen. Secretary/Spokesperson,
Goa Su-Raj Party
9890470896
goasuraj_29@sancharnet.in
www.goasu-raj.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------Wanted for Goa---honest ' fighters 'NOT honest ' hypocrites ' Contact:goasuraj(The Recruiting Agents)9890470896www.goasu-raj.org
January 15, 2009
VISITING TIATRISTS ALREADY ARRIVED IN KUWAIT.
TIATRO "KUWAIT SODDUN VETANA" on Friday 16th January 2009 at Hawally A/C Hall
starting at 3.30 pm.
Seen in the picture with Rosary Ferns are all the visiting artistes already arrived in Kuwait with the exception of Bhuska who due to unavoidable circumstances at the last minute could not come to Kuwait. However, the director has already made an alternative arrangement for suitable replacement. The visiting artistes seen in the picture are in exciting mood to give their best performance. The visiting artistes seen from Left are Lawry Travasso, Marcus Vaz, (director Rosary Ferns), John D'Silva, Francis de Tuem and Comedian Selvy.
In order to avoid last minute disappointment, Tiatro lovers are requested to book their seats in advance only.
starting at 3.30 pm.
Seen in the picture with Rosary Ferns are all the visiting artistes already arrived in Kuwait with the exception of Bhuska who due to unavoidable circumstances at the last minute could not come to Kuwait. However, the director has already made an alternative arrangement for suitable replacement. The visiting artistes seen in the picture are in exciting mood to give their best performance. The visiting artistes seen from Left are Lawry Travasso, Marcus Vaz, (director Rosary Ferns), John D'Silva, Francis de Tuem and Comedian Selvy.
In order to avoid last minute disappointment, Tiatro lovers are requested to book their seats in advance only.
Reaching out to people, reaching out for hope..!
By: Agnello A.S. Fernandes (Navelim/Kuwait)
Sharp increase in the number of Old Age Homes throws the cue that, now-a-days, aged parents are not taken care of but are neglected by their children in several of the low and middle-class families. For survival, they throng the Old Age Homes to spend the remaining laborious part of their lives. So pathetically placed are these aged people that, in some cases, their children admit them into such Old Age Homes and even pay money for their cremation after their demise – not willing to have even a final glimpse of their parents after their death!
Yes this is strange but true!
Tucked away exactly behind the cemetery of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Navelim, hidden within its boundary walls is a little known institution called “Nazareth Home for the Aged” that renders yeoman services to aged and elderly people assisting them in leading a decent and comfortable living in their remaining years of life. My association with this institution in fact began out of coincidence. Although I grew up in the vicinity of this home, it never really dawned on me in my younger days to step in and visit the inhabitants.. It was only after my frequent visits to my mother’s grave some 6 years ago that I began to notice this building housed within 4 boundary walls, and thought of paying a visit there.
Some of the Old Age Home people during the prayer session
The circumstances that brought these inhabitants to this place are many and reasons too personal and shocking to discuss here. The realization is immediate, that within our lives of luxurious domain, there exists another world where people are struggling to breathe, reaching out for help although there is abundance of hope outside the walls. Some are spinsters with no immediate relatives; others are paid inmates, while few surprisingly have sons, affluently doing well but have pushed their parents here in their last dismaying days. I have sat and spent few minutes with some of them, and the experience has been so rewarding and fulfilling that a good bye smile on their face at the end of the visit says it all. The greatest irony is that they are bitter yet hold no grudge against those who led them there...
Invitees being served refreshments after the Feast Mass
Each one perhaps has a reason and circumstances of their own that led them to this destination and personal issues should be left at that. From my own personal assessment the nuns working for this Aged Home are doing a great service to humanity in providing these senior citizens a life of comfort and peace.
Navelim Youth Centre (NYC – Kuwait), time and again has been of assistance to this institution whenever possible. Not that we have presented substantial amounts but we believe that a drop is equally important in creating an ocean. That is why NYC decided to donate part of the profits gained from our dance ‘Nite O’Roses’ to this institution and I was privileged to present the cheque coincidentally on the day which happened to be the feast of the patron saint of the institution.
I was an invitee for the event, and I could notice that there indeed was a festive ambience all around as the elderly seemed a bit amused and joyful in seeing the attending invitees. The lunch after the feast mass was most touching as all the aged inhabitants cherished our company which demonstrated once again that ‘a loving touch goes a long way to heal a broken heart’.
Agnello Fernandes (NYC President) handing over the cheque to Mother Superior
“Encouraging you to love unconditionally” was the theme of Nite O’Roses and as I walked away from the Old Age Home to the main gate heading home, I thought there could not be another befitting ending to this event than sharing a part of our success with people whom time had almost forgotten...
Sharp increase in the number of Old Age Homes throws the cue that, now-a-days, aged parents are not taken care of but are neglected by their children in several of the low and middle-class families. For survival, they throng the Old Age Homes to spend the remaining laborious part of their lives. So pathetically placed are these aged people that, in some cases, their children admit them into such Old Age Homes and even pay money for their cremation after their demise – not willing to have even a final glimpse of their parents after their death!Yes this is strange but true!
Tucked away exactly behind the cemetery of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Navelim, hidden within its boundary walls is a little known institution called “Nazareth Home for the Aged” that renders yeoman services to aged and elderly people assisting them in leading a decent and comfortable living in their remaining years of life. My association with this institution in fact began out of coincidence. Although I grew up in the vicinity of this home, it never really dawned on me in my younger days to step in and visit the inhabitants.. It was only after my frequent visits to my mother’s grave some 6 years ago that I began to notice this building housed within 4 boundary walls, and thought of paying a visit there.
Some of the Old Age Home people during the prayer session The circumstances that brought these inhabitants to this place are many and reasons too personal and shocking to discuss here. The realization is immediate, that within our lives of luxurious domain, there exists another world where people are struggling to breathe, reaching out for help although there is abundance of hope outside the walls. Some are spinsters with no immediate relatives; others are paid inmates, while few surprisingly have sons, affluently doing well but have pushed their parents here in their last dismaying days. I have sat and spent few minutes with some of them, and the experience has been so rewarding and fulfilling that a good bye smile on their face at the end of the visit says it all. The greatest irony is that they are bitter yet hold no grudge against those who led them there...
Invitees being served refreshments after the Feast Mass Each one perhaps has a reason and circumstances of their own that led them to this destination and personal issues should be left at that. From my own personal assessment the nuns working for this Aged Home are doing a great service to humanity in providing these senior citizens a life of comfort and peace.
Navelim Youth Centre (NYC – Kuwait), time and again has been of assistance to this institution whenever possible. Not that we have presented substantial amounts but we believe that a drop is equally important in creating an ocean. That is why NYC decided to donate part of the profits gained from our dance ‘Nite O’Roses’ to this institution and I was privileged to present the cheque coincidentally on the day which happened to be the feast of the patron saint of the institution.
I was an invitee for the event, and I could notice that there indeed was a festive ambience all around as the elderly seemed a bit amused and joyful in seeing the attending invitees. The lunch after the feast mass was most touching as all the aged inhabitants cherished our company which demonstrated once again that ‘a loving touch goes a long way to heal a broken heart’.
Agnello Fernandes (NYC President) handing over the cheque to Mother Superior“Encouraging you to love unconditionally” was the theme of Nite O’Roses and as I walked away from the Old Age Home to the main gate heading home, I thought there could not be another befitting ending to this event than sharing a part of our success with people whom time had almost forgotten...
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=97198
Crowne Plaza set ablaze by BLACKSLADE
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE - by Agnello Fernandes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gulf-goans/message/21372
Celso Fernandes - A true Goan for Muscat Goans to attend NITE O'ROSES
Hey!..Whatsa gonna do during the Holidays?..
Top Goans from the Gulf to attend NITE O'ROSES
To a woman you love and admire..!
....Bringing down the House
Ace Musician Shahu to perform on Saxophone at Nite O'Roses
January 14, 2009
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