MY REQUEST TO UK GOANS TO PROTECT GOA.

According to the information thru news reports appearing from UK, the Goan attendance for the recently held Goan Festival in London was very heavy, about 9000. Extremely gratifying news that gives the picture of Goans’ love for Goa even in UK.

Among the expatriate Goans only the Guf Goans served the causes of Goa better and in this service the name of Kuwait Goans tops the list. No other expatriate Goans including UK Goans participated in supporting Konkani cause in Goa. Every major activity conducted in Kuwait by Kuwait Goans for the cause of Goans I have participated in the same playing either primary role or secondary or tertiary by involving myself deeply.

By involving myself deeply I know how difficult it is to motivate people to support the Goan causes. Konkani movement, KKK movement, Konkani Heritage movement, Direct Flight Goa-Kuwait movement, Goan Foot-ball movement, Solidarity with Kuwait movement and Gulf Goans Hotels Company movement where I got directly involved. And because of our drive, dedication and personal integrity & sincerity of myself we achieved success in all the above movements. I am proud to say that inspite of myself involving in so many movements I gave no cause to anyone to point a finger to me for misappropriation of any fund. In the eyes of community I maintained my character like that of Caesar’s Wife by remaining above suspicion.

Now very few Kuwait Goans are remaining in Kuwait who associated with me in promoting the above movements and my capacity to make more movements is crippled now. Besides I am not as youthful and energetic as I was earlier because I am ageing now forcing me to bid adieu to Kuwait at any moment.

We in Kuwait organized many Goan functions but never with the mind-boggling attendance of 9000 Goans. That means there is still more number of Goans in UK having love for Goa and Goan causes. This is a good news.

If it was not for Kuwait Goans in particular the Konkani movement would not be successful. It was our money that played a major role in realising our goal and also our people in Goa who worked so hard even facing martyrdom. The recognition of Konkani finally paved the way for granting of Statehood for Goa otherwise merger issue with Maharastra will still be hanging over our heads.

We did what we could do at the crucial time. Now it is time for UK Goans to save Goa from further eradication. Outsiders are coming and purchasing Goan land and become “Bhattkars” and owners of Goa. By their sheer number UK Goans with the strength of their money power they can either individually or jointly purchase Goan land and thus own for themselves their own Goa. We have to protect Goa for our future generation and this job only true Goans can do, they may be any part of the world.

Right now I have strong hope that UK Goans will join together and involve in the business in Goa like opening of Malls and Shopping Centres. Kuwait Goans have already shown the way by purchasing a huge area of land in Calangute and erecting there a first class Hotel comprising about a hundred rooms.

Come on UK Goans, it is your turn now to protect Goa by protecting Goan land and Goan properties. Time is running fast, the earlier you star the better it is.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

TIATRO "APLEA BHURGEAM SANGATAK" IN KUWAIT.

Obituary & Heartfelt Condolences

 

President, members, players and families of AVC Overseas Sports & Cultural Association-Kuwait deeply mourn the sad passing away of Mr. Roquesinho Furtado, father of our Vice-President  Mr. Francisco Xavier Furtado (Kuwait/Assolna-Goa)



We pray to the Almighty to give Xavier and his family the strength to bear this colossal loss and pray that the soul of the departed rests in peace.

In grief we remain.

AVC Overseas Sports & Cultural Association-Kuwait

WILL THE HIGH COURT STAFF GET JUSTICE?

  

By Aires Rodrigues.

As part of the Golden Jubilee of Goa’s Liberation the Goa governmentis giving a one-time bonus of Rs 5000 to all government servants and pensioners.

Strangely the staff of the Bombay High Court at Goa are being wrongly denied this bonus. This despite the budget of the High Court being controlled and allocated by the Goa Government.

Thesalaries and pensions of the High Court staff are all borne by the State government. Paying this Golden jubilee bonus to the 80 staff members of Goa’s Principal temple of justice would cost the State exchequer just another four lakhs.

Will the Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar kindly intervene and ensure that the staff of the Bombay High Court at Goa get justice?

REPLY TO A. VERONICA'S ARTICLE "JUSTICE".

Dear Mr. A. Veronica,

Your article on “JUSTICE” appeared in goa-kranti blog on 25th of this month is an excellent one. Your fight against injustice is worth admiring. GWS fund must be returned to GWS Account and not be kept in the personal account of three individuals. It is a crime to deposit Society’s money in the personal account of three members. I condemn this practice because one fine morning we may hear this fund has been disappeared from the account of three persons. It is the community money and as such it should be spent for the development of community causes in Kuwait and not in Goa or Canada. Every current member of GWS will be held responsible for any mischief done to this fund.

It was wrong to restart GWS after the liberation of Kuwait without the participation and knowledge of all the members residing in Kuwait. In this mistake even Carmo Santos and Tony Cordeiro both presidents later on are guilty. What efforts they made to reinduct the left ones? And what about other executive body and even ordinary members? What efforts they made to re-enter all the left ones? It looks all the GWS members want to devour this huge fund for them and to facilitate this move they kept their silence, and still they are keeping their silence surprisingly and shamelessly calling themselves as men of justice.

As long as the late Rosary Ferns was alive none was capable to isolate him. Rosary Ferns was like a mountain unshakeable by the small tremor of Sonvstha. It is surprising to know that Marcus Vas wanted to work against Rosary Ferns. But finally it was Rosary Ferns only along with you Mr. Veronica who helped Vas to stage his Tiatro so successfully.

About Nagoa “NAL”, the more you criticize him it is less. He is a shameless stupid mentally deranged man. Veronica it was you who brought him into limelight and finally he betrayed you. Do not leave him unpunished and unscandalised. He is proud and arrogant. He has not done anything worthwhile for the community. He is a cheap publicity seeker. Mr. Veronica, besides you there is nobody to teach him a good lesson. We support you in this campaign.

Let there be justice in the community.

Thanks.

IDENTIDY WITHELD ON REQUEST.

JUSTICE.

According to historian Toynbee, the central idea of Christianity is LOVE, that of Hinduism OBEDIENCE and of Islam JUSTICE. We see when any injustice is done on Muslims they immediately or at least slowly demand justice for them from the wrong doers.

When Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon Him) was asked “when there will be justice in this world”, came the reply within a split of a second saying “when everyone of us will gather courage to fight against the injustice committed on to others as if that injustice is committed on to us only, then only there will be justice in this world”.

Vincente D’Souza was a long timer in Kuwait and was a very dynamic Goan. He was the only Goan accredited journalist in Kuwait. He was the first Goan in Kuwait responsible to make Goan community known to the outside world thru his writings and social activities he conducted in Kuwait under his leadership. He was the founder of Kuwait Goan Association in Kuwait which in the history of Kuwait Goans was the second Goan association in Kuwait after Goan Association-Ahmadi. Later on he established another Goan association known as “Goan Arts Circle”. He was responsible to establish the Indian School – Jabriya and the Direct Flight from Kuwait to Goa Movement.

Likewise, Vincente D’Souza was responsible for the formation of Goan Welfare Society, Kuwait. Before the formation of this Society he discussed this issue with me to get my support and when we agreed that this organisation will serve the community causes especially the weaker segment of the community, he in consultation with some more prominent Goans like A.B. Fernandes called the first meeting at Kuwait Sheraton of all the like minded Goans. When it was finally formed regretfully he found no place in its executive committee but instead some of the “Chor” and “Bamtte” infiltrated into it undeservingly not to serve the community causes but to rob, rape and make show of their presence there.

Vincente D’Souza however remained as an ordinary member, so too myself and many who helped in the initial stages to form this Society. By conducting social activities this Society collected a huge fund which remained under the custody of the Society. Then came the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August 1990 during which time everything remained dormant till the liberation of Kuwait on 26th February 1991 whence Goans started returning to Kuwait.

Suddenly one fine morning news started coming that Goan Welfare Society has been restarted by convening a meeting of few members only and without notifying all. I myself like other members was surprised and disappointed. The brain behind this according to the available information was a known “Rostad Chor” and a Rapist from Curtorim who wanted to grab the entire Society’s asset and affairs into his own hands because in our absence he would deal with others in GWS as he was dealing with kids and idiots. I call them idiots of first grade because they are selfish interested in themselves only. If they were real men and women they would have demanded an explanation from the leadership and convenor of that meet to restart the GWS why other members including founder members like me were not called for this meeting of restarting GWS? And until they got proper explanation they should not have allowed the proceedings further.

Goans with sense of justice are nil or very few in Kuwait. It looks they are following the system as it is said in one Konkani saying “Apun apleak ani Dev somestank” and also “why should I care for others?” This is the principle of idiots and such idiots are plenty among us in Kuwait and especially in GWS for this reason these idiots allowed the custody of Society’s money to the tune of about a crore of rupees into the hands of three individuals. The money of Society should be in Society’s Account because it is a public fund. To keep this huge amount of GWS into the personal account of three members is like making money to go into the hands of wrong persons who may misuse this huge fund.

It is a pity to know that none of the members of GWS is capable to put pressure on the three holders of this amount in their personal account to return the Society’s money back to Society’s account. This shows the weakness and impotence of the GWS members to fight for justice. It is not enough to work on big chairs and earn big salaries. You must have big guts and big brain to fight for justice. Keeping GWS’s money into the personal account of three individuals is an injustice which has to be fought. Here the importance of Islamic principle to fight for justice comes and unfortunately there is not a single Muslim member in GWS even to think of justice.

As a matter of interest, among Goans in Kuwait there are very few persons having the sense of justice. Even during the time of invasion of Kuwait when we organised our movement in support of Kuwait against Iraqi invasion of Kuwait overwhelming majority of the members of GWS refrained from supporting our movement and some of them were even opposing me for leading this movement thereby giving an opinion that GWS is anti-Kuwait. Kuwait is a country that gives us our livelihood and when these people do not support this country from where they earn their sustenance then how ungrateful these people are by nature? If they refuse to participate in a movement to fight for justice for Kuwait then how they will raise their voice against injustice in GWS? I am ashamed of their “Goenkarpon”. They are Worms in our community meant for feasting on dead bodies only.

Take another case of Tiatrists of Kuwait. When their “Sonvstha” was formed it was formed with the singular purpose of knocking the late Rosary Ferns out of Tiatro activities in Kuwait. This was the hidden agenda of the main initiator of this Sonvstha who was jealous of super talent in this field of Rosary. Unfortunately none in the Tiatro fraternity in Kuwait especially among the heavyweights forcefully opposed this move of keeping Rosary out and thereby raise their voice against the injustice to Rosary. When I questioned Marcus Vaz about this issue he told me in front of Rosary Ferns and his brother Fidelis Fernandes that he will be with the Sonvstha and not with Rosary.

Only Querobina Carvalho according to my information showed her opposition to keep Rosary out of this Sonvstha. It is said in Bible “Sword beget sword. Those who fight with sword will die with sword only”. What is the fate of the initiator of this Sonvstha? I am not happy of what he is now “sonstha”. It is the will of God because it is said that “Devachea marank avaz na”. Punishment for wrong doer surely comes even if it is lame footed as stated by Robert Stevenson in his masterpiece Dr. Jackeyl and Mr. Hyde.

The idiots who follow the principle of “Makam kiteak poddlam?” are also in the Gulf Goans Organisation in Goa. In this organisation there are Kuwaitkars in core segment of it. Some of them were based in Kuwait while others in Goa. All the Kuwait based and especially the two who are still rotting in Kuwait now are so idiots and stupid that when their turn came to raise their voice against injustice done to me as one of their colleagues they hid themselves under the petticoat of their concubines instead of demanding justice for their colleague. One of them a widower whom I promoted in Goan community in even to the extent of writing public speeches for him (because he is a first class “NAL” inspite of holding a big post) is such a shameless ungrateful pimp from Nagoa that he not even is ashamed to hello me. In the open forum in Panjim recently I called him and others as Idiots - Chor & Rostad because they don’t know to fight for justice but expect justice from me when injustice is done to them. According to them I should keep my silence inspite of injustice done to me and when I revolt I am bad?

Such unjust persons know their mothers only but not their fathers. Even though they are regular Church goers yet they do not know to raise their voice against injustice which is also a part of Christianity. Their “Christaoponn” is a joke to fool the people. For the Nagoa Pimp I devoted one full Chapter in my autobiography to make known especially for his children and grandchildren how cunning their Papa and Grandpapa was in Kuwait who is on record to purchase prominence in public life especially is soccer arena. It was me who brought this rascal into limelight thru soccer activities otherwise as the most hated Goan in Kuwait he was hiding from open society. They grudge my opposition to their ill deeds but when their turn comes to stand by me when injustice is done to me, they desert me. Why should I care for such rascals?

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

CHURCHILL PRESENCE UNWELCOME AT GOAN FESTIVAL LONDON by N. Fernandes, London

 CHURCHILL PRESENCE UNWELCOME AT GOAN FESTIVAL LONDON

by N. Fernandes, London

On 22nd July, Goans from around the UK, and many from around the world too arriving for the London Olympics, will be celebrating "The Goan Festival 2012".  This Festival, is intended to bring Goans together, re-unite with one another and to celebrate everything that is good and great about Goans, especially its Culture and its rich heritage. It is also a Fun day for everyone.  It is also a Festival, to introduce and remind children, born of Goan parentage, in the UK, of their ancestral heritage.

 

There is a myth, that Children born of Goan Parentage in the UK are totally disconnected from Goa. But I can confirm that this notion or belief is untrue. There are many elements of Goan culture and heritage that is imbibed in Goan Children from an early age. I have never met one that has ever denied being Goan. Many have a two tone lifestyle. But their customs & traditions are undeniably Goan

 

On the assumption, that the Alemao Clan, a Cancerous Goan family, headed by Churchill Alemao and a very fake, artificial and dishonest Valanka Alemao are still in London, there is no doubt that they will be keen to be present at the Goan Festival.

 

The sole and only purpose of the Alemaos, to be present for this festival, is not to promote Goa and its culture, but to promote them-selves. This promotion is for consumption and use, back in Goa.

 

Thankfully Goans in the UK, do not hold the Alemaos in high esteem. At best many do not even know this family. At worst, they are of total insignificance and nondescript to many .Those that are aware, view the Alemaos as Goan Criminals. Older and elderly generation Goans call the Alemao`s "CRIMDORS"

 

The chief promoter of the Alemaos, should they go to this Festival ,will be none other than the high profile, tainted & scandal ridden Goan MP, Keith Vaz. Should anyone read Forums on UK News websites, they will observe and learn that Keith Vaz is disliked by 99% of the population. No one has any kind words to say about him. Keith Vaz has several scandals, attached to his name.

 

Many Goans are now wondering, if Keith Vaz has any devious and ulterior motive in associating with the Alemaos. Many Goans are questioning, whether Keith Vaz is feigning ignorance of the Crimes committed by the Alemaos in Goa. Is Keith Vaz totally oblivious, to the reasons of defeat, of the Alemaos at the recent elections, having campaigned for them, in a very hot & sunny Goa, in his suit? Is Keith Vaz`s ears and eyes, only tuned to one frequency, to receive only information from the Alemaos, ignoring all other Goans.

 

At the point of writing this article, I can imagine, should the Alemaos go to the Goan Festival, along with their UK Chamcha Keith Vaz, they will use the occasion to maximum benefit, to milk every possible opportunity, mostly photographic, for their self- promotion, back in Goa. This is one of their chief methods of deceiving poor and ordinary Goans, of their deluded grandeur, in Goa.

 

Niz Goenkar website, along with Goan Voice UK, has a huge readership of Goans in the UK. Many of them will be aware of the Alemaos and their total corruptness and destruction of Goa.

 

Let's all hope that the Goan Festival London, will not be turned into a "CHURCHILL FESTIVAL-LONDON", accompanied by their circus of clowns, headed by Keith Vaz.

 

While Goa is being destroyed from all sides, our highest accolades and honour must go to the likes of, Carmen Miranda.

 

Let (Goa`s) sleeping dogs (Churchill & Vaz) lie.

 

 

GOVERNOR URGED NOT TO ADMINISTER OATH TO DR PRADEEP PADWAL AS SIC

 By Aires Rodrigues


Goa Governor Mr. P.V.Wanchoo has been urged not to administer the oath of office to Dr. Pradeep Padwal as State Information Commissioner inview of a Supreme Court order last week.

Dr Pradeep Padwal who was appointed as State Information Commissioner on 19th July would assume office only after being administered oath of office by the Governor.

In a letter to Governor Wanchoo it has been pointed out that the Supreme Court on 19th July has directed the government not to appoint any more information commissioners till it decides on the plea making it mandatory that Information Commissioners be persons with a judicial background.

A Bench of the Honourable Supreme Court comprising Justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar passed the order to this effect while reserving its judgment on the petition by Mr. Namit Sharma challenging the validity of the appointments of Information commissioners with no knowledge and experience of law and without a judicial background.

The issue being now under the consideration of the Supreme Court it would not be appropriate for the Governor to administer the oath of office to Dr. Pradeep Padwal as State Information Commissioner.

The Right to Information Act requires that the Information Commissioner should have wide knowledge and experience of law. Dr. Pradeep Padwal had no knowledge and experience in law whatsoever and obviously no judicial background.

The State Information Commissioner would be drawing a salary equivalent to that of the Chief Secretary of around Rs 1, 20,000 a month. It is therefore important to ensure that the person appointed did not become a liability and embarrassment to the State for five long years.

The Right to Information Act being a vital evolving law it is imperative that the Information Commissioner be a person with a very sound legal background as was rightly mandated in the RTI Act itself.

LEGAL NOTICE SERVED ON CHIEF SECRETARY DEMANDING REVOCATION OF APPOINTMENT OF DR. PADWAL AS SIC.

by Aires Rodrigues

A legal notice has been today served on the Chief Secretary of Goa
giving the Goa Government 48 hours to revoke the appointment of
Dr.Pradeep Padwal as the State Information Commissioner.

It has been demanded that the in public interest the illegal and
high-handed appointment of Dr. Padwal as State Information
Commissioner be revoked as it was not in accordance with the Right to
Information Act.

Pointing out that Section 15(5) of the Right to Information Act
requires that the Information Commissioner should have wide knowledge
and experience of law, the notice has alleged that Dr Padwal had no
knowledge and experience in law whatsoever and also did not possess
the eminence required for the position.

The State Information Commissioner would be drawing a salary
equivalent to that of the Chief Secretary of around Rs 1, 20,000 a
month,. It was important to ensure that the person appointed did not
become a liability and embarrassment to the State for five long years.

The Right to Information Act being a vital evolving law it was
imperative that the State Information Commissioner be a person with a
very sound legal background as was rightly mandated in the RTI Act
itself.

The State Information Commission needs to be totally free from
political control or manipulation and be presided by persons of
eminence and competence as required by the Right to Information Act.

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GENOCIDE IN SYRIA.

The organisation “Arab League” is the pride of Arab countries. It was formed with the purpose of solving Arab problems amicably without approaching any other organisation. It’s goal is to solve “Arab problems within its own Arab family without creating any fights among the member states”. In other words disputes and fights arising within its member states to be solved peacefully under the umbrella of Arab League only.

When Kuwait was invaded by Iraq on 2nd August 1990, the next day Arab League meet was convened to solve peacefully the bilateral dispute between Iraq and Kuwait within Arab League. The member states issued a statement saying Arab problem will be solved by Arabs only thru Arab League. Ultimately Arab League turned out to be  an impotent organisation to solve this problem ultimately needing an assistance of UN. Finally it was UN mandated war waged by the Western heavyweight states namely US, UK & France that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi invasion. Where Arab League failed UN succeeded.

It is 17 months now Syrian internal problem is going on and every month Syrian Army men and Police force killing one thousand Syrian civilians. So far according to the estimate 17,000 Syrian civilians including children, women and aged were mercilessly murdered by the Syrian forces owing allegiance to Syrian president Basher Assad who is become another Saddam Hussein in Syria and in Arab region.

The killings in Syria is not an ordinary massacre but it looks like a genocide of the type East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) carried against Bengalis before East Pakistan was liberated by India from the claws of West Pakistan. When such genocide is going on in Syria still surprisingly some Arabs are suggesting the solution thru Arab League only. Arab League according to me is impotent to solve this problem. Basher Assad is become stone hearted to show sympathy to his own citizens. He is become a monster in human form. He should be arrested thru international court warrant and tried as a war criminal.

Former president of Egypt Husni Mubarak was arrested and sentenced for life by the Egyptian court for killing around a thousand Egyptian civilians.  If this is the case for one thousand a life sentence then for Assad it should be total gallows till his last breath.

The Libyan problem was solved with the backing of the West that entrusted the Nato to dethrone Gaddafi and his regime from the throne. If it was not for the West which is more conscious of human rights violations in Gadafi’s Libya, Gadafi would be still committing ruthless massacres of his people. Good that West interfered there and threw out Gaddafi who was finally shot dead by his own people.

Civilised West is doing more noise against Assad’s killing of his own Arab citizens thereby showing to the world that non Arabs are not required to kill Arabs but Arab themselves are enough to kill their own Arab brothers and sisters. Earlier in the 8 year Iraq-Iran war we saw how Arabs and Muslims killed their own brothers mercilessly. The greater enemy of Arabs is Arabs only. Good that West is playing the role of a good referee otherwise there would be more chaos, more killings and more wars in the Arab World.

It is a pity that two Communist Veto Powers Russia and China are siding the genocide in Syria by backing all the cruel and inhuman actions of Syrian president Assad .against his own civilian people. The USA and other Western powers want to solve this problem by dethroning Assad but both the communist rascal nations rascalising their veto power by vetoing all the decisions of the West in support of removing Assad.

The communism that Russia and China adopted is a distorted version of original communism initiated by Karl Marx in his communist manifesto Das Kapital. Chinese communism is a Hitlerian communism of State dictatorship while Russian communism is derived from the Soviet Russian communism of brutalising human rights. Both these communism are corrupt declaring their support for the wrong doer and human right violators.

Both Russia and China by blindly supporting Assad of Syria are making them partners in the same crime, same massacre and same genocide Assad committing in Syria against his own people.

If this problem in Syria comes to an end it will be only due to the efforts of Christian West and NOT due to the efforts of Muslim Arabs.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE AT THE MERCY OF MLA’S FOR GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

 By Aires Rodrigues

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar does not seem to have learnt from his past wrong moves and flawed decisions. He has now high handedly kept the forms of the Ladli Laxmi scheme for distribution by MLA’s.

In 2001 the then BJP Government introduced the Dayanand Social Security Scheme and initially the application forms were only available with MLAs. On the High Court’s directions the forms were made available to the public at government offices. That scheme has seen so many fraudulent and bogus beneficiaries because the MLA’s are authorized to certify the income and credentials of the applicants. This is a clear and blatant transgression into the powers and authority of the revenue department officials.

MLA’s are elected to draft, debate and enact good laws for the State. That should have been their pivotal and only role. Unfortunately MLA’s have been interfering with the day to day administration of the State. Sadly the bureaucracy has succumbed to this political pressure and surrendered all their independence and inherent powers.

It was expected that Mr. Manohar Parrikar in this fresh innings would have changed his style of functioning for the better. But you can’t straighten out a dog’s tail!

ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS DECLINE TO DIVULDGE THEIR ASSETS UNDER RTI

 By Aires Rodrigues


Officers of the Goa’s Electricity department have declined to disclose their assets under the Right to Information Act. Under the Right to Information Act had been sought from every government department and government owned Corporations copies of the Annual property returns filed by the officers for the year 2010 and 2011.

A total of 111 officials of the electricity department are required to file their annual property returns which besides the Chief Electrical Engineer includes 2 Superintending engineers, 22 Executive Engineers and 86 Assistant Engineers.

While declining to furnish the information Electricity department Public Information Officer Mr. Bharat Nigalye who himself is a Executive Engineer has informed that the annual property returns of the officers was third party and personal information that could not be furnished under the Right to Information Act.

As per the Civil Services Rules all Group A and Group B officials are supposed to file their Annual Property Returns as on December 31 by January 31 of the next year.

Every other government department and all government corporations have furnished the information on Annual property returns of officers sought under RTI. The reason for the Electricity department to deny this information is very obvious.

In keeping with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s promise of zero tolerance to corruption, the annual property returns of all government officers should be displayed on the website of their department as is being done in most other States and also by Central government departments.

Some of the officers have filed their Annual property returns only after the information was sought under Right to Information Act. The returns filed by many officers are incomplete, evasive and misleading. Several officers had grossly under valued their acquired properties.

This over 1500 pages of information of annual property returns of officers received from various departments and corporations would be scrutinized and analyzed for discrepancies and a detailed report would be placed before the Goa Lokayukta as soon as he is appointed for necessary and appropriate action against those alleged erring officials.

WILL IT THIS TIME BE A BJP ATTACK?

 By Aires Rodrigues.

 Fighting corruption and battling injustice is no easy task. One often faces a backlash by way of crank calls, vicious anonymous letters and,more seriously, the risk of an attempt on one’s life. Over the  last four decades I have seen and endured it all. The 13th October 2008 brutal attack at Ashok Restaurant was the worst so far, but I had a miraculous escape. My time may have not have been up then. During the Congress rule I was branded as a BJP agent, the BJP may now feel that I am a Congress man.

In the last over 100 days the Manohar Parrikar government has taken a whole lot of wrong decisions and reneged on many of the promises made. And speaking out against all this is an imperative of civic conscience. My friends now keep cautioning me to be extra careful. They fear and anticipate, I may be harmed. They keep reminding me that the current government has a record of being vindictive and ruthless. However,whatever the risk one has to take this government cannot be allowed to function in the manner and on the path it is threading.

Over the years nobody has been able to intimidate me. I have never been cowed down by any threats or consequences that I have had to facefor speaking out fearlessly. Individuals come and go but the battle against Corruption and injustice can never be put aside. It is comforting that today a lot of youth, even in the rural areas, are conscious and alive to their duty to preserve social order. So this battle is here to stay and will go on with many more joining in. I have never hesitated to take on the powerful and mighty over a widerange of issues. I have never shied away from pursuing a whole host of issues involving senior politicians and well-connected bureaucrats.Even that October 13th, 2008 attempt on my life did not slow or cow medown.

I have had nothing personal against anyone while raising and fightingi ssues concerning public good. My highlighting an issue is bound tohurt some individuals. Have I hurt one too many? One has to have thespine to speak out against things that are wrong. I will relentlesslycontinue to high light any injustice that I see. Nothing shall determe, my commitment and determination in this regard. The risk of having to lay down one’s life is a very small price that one may have to payin the bigger struggle against corruption and injustice. With theOpposition parties having withdrawn to their cages, the role ofordinary citizens in acting as watch dogs to sniff out, check and highlight the misdeeds of this government becomes all the morecrucial.

Looking back over the last four decades, I do not regret having taken up any of the issues that I did. At times one pays a heavy price and fighting public causes does take a toll on your personal and family life. It’s been a long battle which I will carry till my very last. Many have advised me to at least carry a revolver for self defence. I feel more secure and protected with a 10 rupee court fee stamp in mypocket and the mantra of ‘Satyameva Jayate’ on my lips. That is allyou need to file an application under the Right to Information Act. Tounravel corruption, nepotism, injustice and fight against it. This isa battle that needs to be waged and must just go on.

WHERE IS THE LOKAYUKTA?

WHERE IS THE LOKAYUKTA?



By Aires Rodrigues

It was Mr. Manohar Parrikar’s election promise that the much needed Lokayukta would be functional in 100 days. Instead of fulfilling this one very important promise the Chief Minister as predicted by many has been focused on safronising the administration on a priority.

As per the Goa Lokayukta Act, the Lokayukta would be empowered to investigate all complaints of corruption and mal-administration too. The people of Goa did hope that this government would be different. But under the new regime, the only Parviratan is that the brokers and beneficiaries of corruption and nepotism have changed with Chief Minister Parrikar standing exposed of his double standards on his so called mantra of zero tolerance to Corruption.

While the Lokayukta should be speedily appointed, Chief Minister Parrikar should stay way from the process of selecting the Goa Lokayukta. It would be appropriate that the selection be done by the Goa Governor in consultation with the Bombay High Court. The Goa Lokayukta needs be a person of caliber, character, moral strength and conviction to remedy the rampant corruption and maladministration that Goa continues to find itself enveloped in. The setting up of the Goa Lokayukta should not be intentionally delayed.

It should also be the Goa Lokayukta itself that should screen and select the entire team of officers and staff that will work under him, so as to prevent persons with political connections from infiltrating into the Lokayukta machinery, which ought to be of impeccable integrity and extra-ordinary ability.

The Government has rightly decided to have the seat of the Goa Lokayukta at Ribandar which was earlier known as “Rai bandar”, the port where kings and rulers use to dock in splendour. Significantly today’s rulers both present and past will now be made to stand at Ribandar in the dock and be tried for their dark deeds by the Lokayukta.

Politicians have to be taken to task and penalized for all their misdeeds and Manohar Parrikar in the last four months in office has committed many. A fully documented complaint will be filed against the Chief Minister on the very day the Lokayukta is inaugurated

ARE RONALDO & MESSI REALLY THE BEST??

Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal are dubbed as two best football players in the world currently; both are playing in Spain, Messi for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid. Both are doing extremely well for their respective clubs but when playing for their nations both perform much lower than the spectators expectations. Messi and Ronaldo are hailed in Spain and elsewhere in the world as the two best footballers of the world when they are playing for their clubs. Since this is the opinion of the world on these two players why both of them cannot perform for their nations the performance of their clubs? People feel that they are purposely not exerting all their efforts when playing for their nations because their nations are not paying them what their clubs are paying them.

According to me Messi and Ronaldo are players of club level where they both are like one eyed men among the blinds and as such they cannot rise to the occasions. It is not that they are purposely underperforming when they play for their nations but while playing for their nations their moves and play are checked and controlled by the top opponents and defenders of which type they do not encounter when they play at club level. World Cup, Euro Cup and Copa America are top tournaments where every player participating in these tournaments is playing for his national team. For these tournaments only the best players from the participating nations are selected. The level of game while playing for one’s national team is much higher than that of the club level. Every player of national level representing his nation is the best while at club level it is not so. Every player of Barcelona and Real Madrid is not a national player but every player of Spain is the representative of his top club.

In the recently concluded Euro Cup 2012 Ronaldo in the Portuguese national team was a big flop in the first two qualifying matches but later on he gained a little momentum but never to equate him with the best in the world. Lionel Messi in the last World Cup in South Africa while representing his national team Argentina never reached to his expected zenith and he also failed to come to the expected level turning a flop too.

The best players in the world play best soccer anywhere in the world and at any level, whether club level or national level. A best player is the one who always perform best of soccer in any condition. A really best player is capable of winning the match single handedly with his singular performance and solo efforts.

70 Years back Argentinian Alfredo Di Stefano and Hungarian Ferenc Puskas, 50 years back Portuguese Eusebio and Brazilian Pele, 40 years back West German Franz Backeneur and Gerd Mueller, 30 years back West German Karl Heinz Rumenige, Italian Paulo Rossi, Argentinian Diego Armando Maradona and 10 years back French Zidane according to my assessment were really world best and they could single handedly win their matches against top teams. While on the field they were not only playing their game but also making their colleagues to play as well by distributing and feeding the ball clearly and cleverly to them.

Currently Ronaldo and Messi are both very good players no doubt but they only play their game and have to be played by others, they both do not make others play as the above mentioned players did during their hey days. In the absence of stiff competition and also in the absence of highly talented and skilful players in the world now both Ronaldo and Messi are creating ripples. Otherwise neither of them is nearer to the above named oldies. In view of this, people should not expect from them stars from the sky, they have their own capacity and accordingly they perform. Currently what they display is all what they can.

Finally let me tell to all those soccer experts who equate both Ronaldo and Messi to the great Pele and Maradona to just shut their mouth.  Pele and Maradona are incomparable to any of the best before and after them, they are both unique, they both are a gift of God to the football world.  Between the two, Pele stands taller than Maradona.  And between Ronaldo and Messi, the former  stands higher than the latter especially in the air and sprinting with the ball.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

RTI REVEALS DIRECTOR’S DAUGHTER POCKETED FOUR LAKHS AWARD NOT ENTITLED FOR.

 

By Aires Rodrigues


Ms. Shruti Nayak daughter of Director of Higher Education Mr. Bhaskar Nayak was in 2008 paid by the Goa Government four lakhs she was not entitled for under the ‘Goa Scholars’ scheme. This has been revealed in documents obtained from the Directorate of Higher Education under the Right to Information Act. Ms Shruti Nayak is currently teaching at MES College at Vasco.

As per the documents obtained under RTI, for the year 2007-2008 the department of Higher Education had issued an advertisement on 10th April 2007 calling for applications by 30th April for the ‘Goa Scholars’ scheme.

Ms Shruti Nayak had submitted her application on 30th April in which she stated that the course for which her admission is confirmed was M.Sc in Mathematics from Goa University. She did not however in the application form disclose that she had already commenced her M.Sc course in 2006. The ‘Goa Scholars’ award is for students who have obtained admission for post graduate studies and not for a course already done.

Interestingly in the note attached to her application on why she should be considered for the scholarship, Ms Shruti Nayak stated that she proposed to do her research through either TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), IISC (Indian Institute of Science} or IIT (India Institute of Technology) and that not to financially burden her parents she required the scholarship. Four years after receiving the four lakhs from the Goa Government Ms Shruti Nayak is yet to do her PhD. The records of IIT Bombay show that Ms Shruti Nayak had on 4th & 5th June 2008 appeared for an entrance test and interview for PhD in Mathematics but was unsuccessful.

The documents obtained reveals that in 2007 while the selection process for the ‘Goa Scholars’ award was on, a note was moved that as the daughter of Director of Higher Education Mr. Bhaskar Nayak had applied for the Goa Scholar Scheme that the selection committee be reconstituted with someone else as its Member Secretary. Accordingly Mr. Vivek Kamat then Joint Director of Technical Education was appointed as Member secretary of the selection committee to replace Mr. Bhaskar Nayak. However Mr. Bhaskar Nayak continued as Director of Higher Education, the department which processed the application and paid Ms Shruti Nayak the four lakhs under the ‘Goa Scholar’ scheme.

The six member selection committee headed by then Vice Chancellor of Goa University Prof Deelip Deobagkar short listed 27 out of the 53 who had applied for the award. Out of the 27 short listed only 17 appeared for the final interview of which 5 were selected for the ‘Goa Scholars’ award for the year 2007-2008 including Ms Shruti Nayak.

The ‘Goa Scholars’ scheme was launched in the year 2003-2004 to promote pursuit of post graduate studies and to ensure that economic conditions or financial difficulties do not come in the way of such pursuit.

The scheme aims at assisting meritorious students to undertake post graduate studies in institutions of proven excellence in India or abroad. Over two years Rs two lakhs per year is paid to those taking post graduation studies in India and a one time amount of 15,000 dollars to those studying abroad.

This is a clear case of cleverly trying to manipulate and cheat the government. The four lakhs illegally pocketed by Ms Shruti Nayak should be immediately recovered from her by the Goa government with interest and action should be taken in the matter in accordance with law. In public interest all disbursement of public funds should be meticously scrutinized and monitored.

Though Director of Higher Education Mr. Bhaskar Nayak had officially stayed out of the selection committee, he should have been well aware that his daughter had applied for a scheme under his department for which she was not entitled to.

Mr. Bhaskar Nayak who is holding charge as Director of Higher Education since July 2007 is also the Principal of Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce at Quepem from 2005. Mr. Nayak had earlier held the post of Director of Higher Education from 2002 to 2005.

MAID TORTURED IN KUWAIT BY HER LEBANESE EMPLOYER.

Maid torturing in Kuwait is become so common that residents in Kuwait are become accustomed to take it as a normal happening. People are become accustomed to know that locals are subjecting their maids to torturing because there are many cases where the locals are involved in performing such cruelties on their poor maids but now foreigners have also started torturing their poor maids in Kuwait and that too very ruthlessly.

Here below I reproduce a news item from the local English Daily Arab Times dated 3rd of this month to make the people aware of the harshness of the employers and sponsors here towards their poor maids. In this case, the poor maid is from Indonesia but it can be for any Goan maid as well. For this reason I alert our Goan maids coming to Kuwait to work as maids to be very careful. They must have somebody or the other as their own relative to enquire about them while they are employed as maids in Kuwait. Constant enquiring of the how about of the maids by their relatives or friends or well-wishers in Kuwait must be imperative because some of the employers are worse than wild animals, they don’t know to treat human beings as humans. It is these wild animals who are spoiling the good image of Kuwait.

QUOTE “COMPLAINT FILED WITH HAWALLY POLICE”

“LEBANESE WOMAN HELD FOR TORTURING INDONESIAN MAID”.

KUWAIT CITY. July 2: Police have detained for interrogation an unidentified Lebanese woman for torturing her Indonesian maid for four years, reports Al-Anba daily.

The arrest came when the housemaid accompanied by a representative from her Embassy, filed a complaint with Hawally Police Station.

In her complaint the made wrote the woman tortured her for four years to such an extent she finally got used to her brutal behavior.

The maid has submitted a medical report which shows she is suffering from a broken and deformed finger due to frequent torture, fractures in the teeth due to beating with blunt object, bruises in the face, congestion in the eyes and effects of a sharp object being inserted in her sensitive part in addition to wound scars on the head and different parts of her body.

According to the security sources when the maid arrived at the police station she was in a pathetic condition and it even shocked the police officers and the investigator.

During the investigation the maid said she tried in vain several times to escape from the female sponsor. She added her sponsor was very careful when she left the apartment. She kept her locked inside a room that had no windows.

The maid added she finally managed to escape because the woman forgot to lock the door of the apartment.

Deputy Attorney-General has ordered the maid to be referred to a hospital and the sponsor to the Public Prosecution.

During interrogation the female sponsor is said to have admitted to torturing the maid. UNQUOTE.

From the above news report one can easily conclude that in Kuwait many of the maids are treated like slaves in the mediaeval period. This mentioned incident must be just like a tip of an iceberg and like this there may be innumerable victims suffering cruelties and torturing from the hands of their cruel employers and sponsors. In fact maids in Kuwait are made to work more and paid less and in the eyes of Labour Laws they are invisible. As once Time Magazine correspondent writing on the woes of maids in Kuwait said that “in Kuwait maids are only existing,  in the eyes of law they are not living”.

It is horrible to know that a Lebanese employer in Kuwait by being a foreigner who is like a beggar in somebody’s land is treating her maid so mercilessly. I don’t know what is wrong with these Lebanese, good that they are only Lebanese Arabs and not Western French holding French Passports. Even in many of the companies where Lebanese are holding high posts there you will find lot of discriminations against non-Lebanese. In some companies gangs of Lebanese are sprung up and these gangs with their domination over their management discriminate against non-Lebanese.

My point of publishing this news item is to caution many of my Goan sisters coming to Kuwait to work as maids should thoroughly find out in advance the real character of their employers either locals or non-locals. In this society there is not much respect for human rights. And in the words of Mahatma Gandhi “the society that treats its weaker section badly is a sick society”.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

BRAZIL OF 1970 AND SPAIN OF 2012.

According to the latest news appearing in print media, the current foot-ball team of Spain is greater than the 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian soccer team. That current Spanish team is the champion of Europe is a true fact consecutively winning European Cup twice. That the current Spanish team is the current World Cup champions winning the trophy in 2010 in South Africa is also a true fact. But to compare the current Spanish national team to the mighty 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian team according to me is not correct.

If Portuguese forward Ronaldo was not a coward to take the first penalty kick in the semi-final against Spain in the recently concluded Euro 2012, it would be a Portugal versus Italy final and not Spain versus Italy. The highest paid footballer in the world Portuguese Ronaldo was a coward and because it was so he got afraid to take the first penalty kick. The jittery footballer cannot be called a world best. Pele, Zico, Socrates and Maradona were not cowards for such occasions and precisely because of this they were renowned as best in the world during their hey days.

Spain in this Euro reached to the final by luck and not by their hard work and sheer tactics though their short passing was a thriller for the spectators. And in the second half in the final, if it was not for 35 minutes of play with only 10 men in Italian side the final result would have been much different from what it was ultimately. To play almost for the whole second half without one key player in their side Italians were totally handicapped. The whole blame for this disaster should fall on Italian Manager who in the first place should not have utilised all the substitutes 35 minutes before the final whistle.

The 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian team according me consisted of super footballers, at least half the team consisted of football  genii; they were so exorbitantly talented that such footballers since then and earlier were not seen in this world. In fact such persons come to this world only once in centuries. And by the way, who were these Brazilian footballers representing Brazil in 1970 Word Cup held in Mexico? Skipper and defender Carlos Alberto, defensive midfielder Clodoaldo, right midfield maestro Gerson, rowing and attacking midfield playmaker Rivelino, forwards Dr. Costao, Jairzinho and indomitable the great Pele. They were exchanging the ball with one another with mathemetical precision even in the air. 

To compare to these great Brazilian footballers, I find none in the current Spanish team though in their custodian Casillas I find a great stalwart. Sergio Ramos in their defence, Alonso in the midfield and Fernando Torres in the forward line of Spain are good but not good enough to compare with any of the Brazilians of 1970 World Cup.

Going a step forward, I can rate 1982 World Cup Brazilian squad even better than that of 1970. Where else we can find players like Eder, Zico, Socrates and Falcao? They were playing football with geometrical precision and with angular passing of the ball.  Their deep defenders were capable of moving up front and scoring wonderful goals. It was by bad luck that they lost to Italy where the miraculous boy Paulo Rossi of Italy created a miraculous hat-trick in their historic encounter in the quarter final. Later on the Brazilian manager Tele Santana said “Brazil had everything to win that edition of World Cup except Luck”. And that was exactly what has happened to Brazil against Enzo Bearzot managed Italian team.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

THE BJP IS NOW GUNNING FOR GMC DEAN DR V.N.JINDAL.

 by Aires Rodrigues

Goa’s Public Health care system is in dire straits. Providing a good public health care system should have been the Government’s priority. But in yet another irrational and flawed move the Manohar Parrikar government is trying to forcibly retire the Dean of Goa Medical College Dr. V.N.Jindal instead of allowing him to continue till 62 as provided by the University rules. This is obviously being done to install their man in the Chair but if Dr Jindal is removed it will be to Goa’s loss.

Repeated political interference by successive state governments has been detrimental to the health of Goa Medical College. As Dean, Dr V. N. Jindal should have had complete autonomy in the management of Goa Medical College. But for the political interference Dr. Jindal's could have ensured a speedy recovery of the health of Goa Medical College. His predecessors have been well-meaning doctors but political meddling in the day to day administration of GMC has over the decades contributed in a big way to its current critical state.
Dr Jindal, a renowned neuro-surgeon himself, has been in Goa long enough and has scanned and mastered the mind set of Goa’s politicians. Dr Jindal has the nerves not to succumb to any undue political interference. With Dr Jindal's efforts GMC could have been moved out of its critical state of chaos and mismanagement. Dr Jindal is soft spoken yet a firm administrator and has all that it takes to administer the right dose to ensure the ailing GMC is set on the road to full recovery.

Political intrusion is the main impediment to the well being of Goa’s government hospitals. The infrastructure at GMC has to improve. It is appalling that operations have to be cancelled due to erratic power and water supply to the hospital. The GMC needs to give priority attention to set right its entry point (casualty) where the patient steps in and the exit point (ICU) from where, currently, in many cases, the patient moves on to the morgue. The casualty and the ICU need more nurses and doctors and equipment that works. While in trauma, time is of essence and a patient cannot be made to languish for hours waiting for treatment, be it at the casualty or ICU.

GMC should aim at providing all the super specialty facilities so that patients should no longer have to travel to Belgaum, Bangalore and Mumbai for medical care that could be provided at Bambolim.

Goa Medical College is not a veterinary hospital. The hospital has to be off limits to stray dogs, cattle, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Will it take a rat to nibble the toes of a VIP for the authorities to awaken to the sad reality? Hospitals and health centers can never compromise on cleanliness and sanitation. Every head of the department should be made responsible and accountable for the overall state of his unit.

There also has to be a consolidated effort to upgrade the facilities at the various government run health centers. A health centre at Ribandar did not have even a thermometer when it was inaugurated a few years ago. It still lacks a toilet and running water. It cannot get any worse.

VIVA "SPAIN" - VIVA SPANISH FOOT-BALL.

Finally the Euro Cup ended with the best team Spain winning the title second time in a row. Kudos to Spain coming out as Hero of 2012 Euro.  They deserved this victory because tactically and technically Spain was far better than its rival Italy whose lone black player Mario Balotelli because of his excellent soccer skill gained lot of support and sympathy for Italy.  His two goals in the semi-final against Germany will remain as two of the best goals in the history of Euro Cup, especially his second goal which was the best in the whole tournament. First time in the history of Italian soccer a Negro is donning Italian Jersey in its national team.

It is said that "a rejected stone finally turned out to be the corner stone". This was what has happened to Mario Balotelli the son of Ghanian immigrants who came from Ghana and settled down in Sicily to earn their daily bread. When he was rejected by his mother Mario Balotelli was adopted on humanitarian grounds by the Italian Balotellis from where he was developed as a full fledged human being to become one of the best footballers in the world. Assigned thru contractual obligation to play for English top Club Manchester City, he shone into bright limelight at world level in Euro Cup 2012 winning hearts from the spectators attending the matches and viewers all around the globe watching him play thru TV’s.

Much of the glamour and grandeur of Euro 2012 was soiled by the dirty chants and mockery made by the white racist spectators of the black footballers, including of Mario Balotelli. But when Mario Balotelli scored his magnificent second goal against Germany in the semi-final, he removed his Jersey in excitement and stood still like a monument displaying his muscular body thereby giving an impression of his anger against those who were mocking at him for being a black. Seeing him in such a pose one could conclude that he was telling all the white racists that "you go to hell now, you are nothing in front of my footballing supremacy".

In fact Mario Balotelli made a mockery of all the racist white skinners when he was hugged and kissed by all his white coloured colleagues in the Italian team. This gesture proved that good acts and excellent performance by the blacks overpower the racist discrimination. When Balotelli was hugged and kissed by his white colour colleagues on the field and by the greater number of spectators after the match it proved that what matters in human being is not the colour of his skin but his performance. Baletolli really made mockery of those who believe is racism.

Spain really mesmerised the world by the superlative performance of its players who outclassed Italians in every segment of the game. All the 4 goals of Spain have class in them. It is a big honour to win consecutively 2 Euros, this and previous. Earlier Brazil won 2 World Cups consecutively in 1958 and 1962. The 4 goals scored by Spain is a big margin, such results are not meant for the final because final always have high a level where such margins are not seen.

This final with this big score looked like the preliminary encounter, possibly in the first round. Earlier in 1970 World Cup Final in Mexico, Brasil defeated Italy by 4-1 goals because Brazilian squad of that World Cup consisted of not ordinary players but extra ordinary soccer genii.

I have been watching regularly thru TV Euro Cups since 1976 but this time I found the standard of Euro 2012 extremely high where individual performances shadowed by the excellent team work as displayed by Spain.  Ronaldo failed to display his genius though Portugal went out in the semis but they have gone gracefully.

At least 4 times I got an opportunity to sing along with the Portuguse squad the National Anthem of my former masters as I was singing everyday in Portuguese school when I was a Portuguese student during Portuguese rule in Goa. It brought out lot of nostalgic feelings of yester years of my youth in Goa. 

As seen in this Euro, the standard of goalkeeping was vastly improved whereby goalkeepers displayed new and latest techniques to stop the ball from entering their nets, these techniques where not seen earlier; Cassilas of Spain and Buffon of Italy were of very high standard goalkeepers and befitting their status both were appointed as skippers of their respective national teams.

Defenders too have improved their techniques a lot of preventing the opponents’ forwards from scoring goals. The tiny number of goals scored in this Euro is enough proof of defence oriented soccer of today. The golden boot for the highest scorer this time goes to golden boy of Spain Fernando Torres for his 3 goals only.  And this three goals are treated as highest score by an individual in this Euro Cup 2012. Seeing this, Portuguese Eusebio, West German Gerd Mueller, Polish Lato, Italian Paulo Rossi and other such top scorers in the international tournaments must be silently laughing.  Yes they are laughing and I too am sarcastically laughing.

Well done Spain. You have not only played well but you have also showed how to play well with perfectly well teamwork.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

DR HUBERT GOMES FAILS TO CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE THE BJP

 By Aires Rodrigues

It was announced through the churches and chapels at Benaulim that Government officers would be briefing the people and giving away application forms of various new social welfare schemes. To their utter surprise the meeting held at Don Bosco Centre yesterday turned out for doling out applications forms inducing people to join the BJP.

How puerile an explanation by quite an educated and well meaning person, Dr. Hubert Gomes – that he needed to join the BJP to serve the people. As if Goa is facing such a dire situation that one more saffron saviour had to stand up and be counted from among the faithful of South Goa. And the birthday greeting, held out like a lollipop, by the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, did the trick of roping in the good doctor, says it all… indeed holds a mirror to Goans.

With this frog-leap of Dr. Gomes into the BJP, Goa gains nothing but the risk of being further drowned in jaundiced communal pestilence that goes by the name of ‘parivartan’. It needs a total and ruthless extraction and extermination, a root canal treatment per se, not some cosmetic dentistry practiced by the comfortable dentist himself. It is a sad commentary on the state of mind of a good person like Dr. Gomes, that instead of issuing a prescription to cure the ill, he chose instead to issue a Character Certificate that BJP is not communal. He will soon have to change his diagnosis and prognosis, I am sure of that.

Joining a political party is no vehicle to serve the people. You are bound by the diktats of the party and this is something the otherwise outspoken Dr Gomes will soon realize. I have never joined any political party but for some years I did openly support the BJP but recognized my mistake when I had a firsthand experience that the party was utterly communal and that Manohar Parrikar could not be trusted.

The communal agenda of the BJP is here to stay. Besides the party is equally corrupt. With this change of government only the beneficiaries, brokers and the quantum of corruption has changed. We were promised zero tolerance to corruption. But Manohar Parrikar’s done a back track on illegal mining, Casinos, and mega building projects et al.

If Dr Hubert Gomes feels that the BJP is not communal he would have to wait and taste it for himself. In the meantime, all right thinking Goans will have to bear the grief of one more good Goan falling victim to naivety. When will Goans be less gullible and understand the tricks of the brainy IIT C.M. Parrikar? Goa at all costs has to remain secular. We do not need a Narendra Modi neither should we allow another Godhra in our State.

POLICING THE POLICE

By Aires Rodrigues


"The police are not here to create disorder. The police are there to preserve order" - is what the former Mayor of Chicago Richard Daley once said.

Goa had always been known for its peace and tranquility. However, lately Goa has deteriorated on the law and order front. The situation is further alarming with the increasing number of autocratic acts by the men in uniform. The latest is the case of an innocent Valpoi resident Vincent Fernandes being abused, beaten up and arrested for no reason whatsoever by Police Sub-inspector Dattaguru Sawant. This PSI is no novice to such behavior and was earlier even dismissed from service for similar misconduct.

In a civilized and law abiding society nobody can raise a hand at others, not even a finger. Such an act of misconduct coming especially from an officer who was supposed to be enforcing the law has to be condemned in the strongest terms. While there can be no compromise with respect to the rule of law, any Police brutality makes a sheer mockery of the law.

One cannot deny that many in the police force especially the lower constabulary have to work under unacceptable and inhuman conditions and for this they need to have our support and concern. But when they abuse their power and authority they should not be spared the whip.

Any inappropriate action taken by police officers in connection with his official duties would amount to police misconduct. Such police misconduct can lead to a miscarriage of justice and sometimes involves discrimination. In an effort to control police misconduct we today have the Police Complaints Authority and the Human Rights Commission which would have to play a very vigilant and pro-active role in policing the police.

Police misconduct would include a false confession extracted, illegal arrest, falsified evidence, intimidation, corruption, repression, sexual abuse, police brutality, and of course any off-duty misconduct. Effective policing can never be about flexing muscles and hurling abuses.

Police should be allowed to freely discharge their duty to ensure that law and order prevails. For good public policing the politicians should never use the police to target their political opponents and to try silence voices of dissent. Police act high-handedly either at the instance of the politicians or break the law themselves because of the assured political patronage. The Supreme Court of India has time and again envisaged that the Police should be insulated from any political interference and that the Prosecution too should be independent in its functioning. Today the Goa police and the Prosecution lack freedom in discharging their duties. The Police and the Prosecution have been functioning at the dictates and on the instructions of the politicians.

Politicians in power have done all they can over the years to systematically erode the authority of Goa's Director General of Police (DGP). This sordid state of affairs still persists with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar at the helm. Even in the matter of posting, from constables to Inspectors and even Dy SPs and SP’s, Ministers have appropriated the power to assign postings. The intent and manner behind depriving the DGP the authority in such routine administrative matters is deplorable. The damage done to the status and position of the DGP is incalculable and unacceptable. Today the DGP cannot even transfer or discipline a constable.

Politicians publicly speak about the independence of the police and of law taking its own course. The ground reality is very different as they interfere and intervene in the day to day working of the Police and the Prosecution. We have many good and smart Policemen and Prosecutors too. But unfortunately their brains, investigative and prosecuting skills are in the custody of the politicians whose line they have to tow. In effect they have been bound and gagged and this has adversely affected their morale and credibility. If no immediate corrective steps are taken we may reach a point of no return.

It is time to make the Police and the Prosecution function as a professionally competent body with utmost courtesy and not as mere agents of the political party in power. Law and order is a key to the prosperity and well being of any society. Today crimes are on the increase. At times the Police lack the will to investigate because of political pulls and pressures and the Prosecutors also are denied the freedom to do their job.

In their Mission Statement the Goa Police vow to give people an efficient, law abiding and responsive law enforcement machinery. May every cop from the DGP to the constable endeavor to fulfill their mission. May these words of Andy Taylor inspire them "When you're a lawman and you're dealing with people, you do a whole lot better if you go not so much by the book but by the heart." Let us hope the Goa police will try and perform their best. We need to see the day when every citizen will be able to proudly say Thank you, officer. We love the Goa police.


(writer could be contacted on 9822684372 or airesrodrigues@yahoo.com)