THHE DEATH OF GREAT GOAN PATRIOT.

Referring to the Herald Café dated May 22, 2020 for  bringing out a full sketch of the life of the renowned Goan  Agnelo Gomes who died recently in USA at New Jersey.

No doubt the sketch highlighted all the activities he undertook except his clear views on Goa where he was misunderstood.  Being closely associated with me for my contributing to his website, he was one of the   early Goans immediately  following the annexation of Goa by  India to raise his voice against the policies formulated hurting the interest of genuine Goans.  He was a great lover of Goa and as such I can call him the great Goan patriot. He wanted Portuguez to leave from Goa but definitely not the way they  went.  They taught us many  best qualities already ingrained in our blood.   He was not ready for Goa to get fully and unconditionally integrated with Bharat because as he said culturally, historically, traditionally, linguistically and in many respects we Goans are totally different and are a distinct identity from other Indians.   

 Besides we are not a militant race, we are very peaceful community and even Nehru acknowledged this fact and precisely because of this he speaking in the Parliament somewhere in 1956 saying  somewhat like this, “Goa is like a small dot on the face of Mother India and once Portugal is ousted we will not force you Goans to join India, you will have all your freedom either to join us or not etc.”. Here Mr. Agnelo Gomes started putting more stress demanding real freedom for Goa and a referendum to solve this matter and not the Opinion Poll which did not solve the Goa’s case permanently, according to Mr. Gomes. Further he went saying that Opinion Poll was hoisted on us only to give a semblance that Goa’s case is over with the merger of Goa with Maharastra but unfortunately mergerists lost the Opinion Poll keeping the Goa’s issue unsolved.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

WHY TRAIN SERVICE STARDED HURRIEDLY?

This refers  to  the news appeared in the Goan dailies on 27.05.20 indicating that the “Train Service resumption saw 85% rise in Covid 19 ……  This is terrible news to digest by the Goans who have undergone so many sacrifices to keep the record of Goa perfectly well to get Goa under Green Zone. Not a single member of Goa Cabinet has undergone the sacrifices the way the common  men have undergone. All the members of the Cabinet by virtue of being the holders of Cabinet rank they enjoyed all the facilities and privileges needing no sacrifice on their  part the way commoner needed.  And precisely because of this easy going attitude of theirs, they eased for the resumption of Trains not only from the Green Zone to Goa which was also in Green Zone but from the Red Zone to the Green Zone of Goa thus infiltrating into Goa many of the virus infected citizens from outside Goa.  Who is responsible to take  this dangerous and faulty step of allowing the Trains to bring in Goa the virus infested people from Red Zone?  Who advised the government and especially the CM to restart the Train service from Red Zone to Green Zone and thus destroy the very good atmosphere existing in Goa?  It is not  enough to say that those people caught for carrying virus were outsiders and it was the imported virus. Importd or exported it was found on Goan soil.  I fully hold  reaponsble those who gave permission for the Train service from Red Zone to Goa and if further disaster comes on Goa due to the influx of Coronavirus, those responsible by owning the blame must surrender from the responsible positions they are holding now.

  

It is not a joke to handle the current situation.  Those who are handling this situation  they must not act ignorant, those who got better knowledge and better education to handle this problem alone should be entrusted to take decisions on this.  In India our system is very defective. The Minister who is holding the portolio of Health Ministry does not know anything of medical science and yet still he becomes Health Minister.  Our system is so defective that even if you don’t know the ABC of the particular portfolio, still you can be appointed the minister of that particular portfolio.  When this is the Case, how we can acquire efficiency and perfection?  The Minister who does not have the professional knowledge and proper qualification to hold the particular portfolio he will finally make a mess of his ministry by acting like a Ladru and Pedru.  Most of our responsible people are of this category only and for this reason  we are as common men suffering. 

Our elders told us how a century back the whole of Goa was protected by the Portuguese government of Goa without even giving an inch of space for the infiltrators to enter Goa from the neighbouring areas because of the Spanish Flu which was called by those illiterate Goans as “Spanis Filu”.

A.Veronica Fernandes,

   

 

PORTUGAL STILL CREATING ITS IMPACT FELT IN GOA.

This is in response to the news item appearing everywhere during the last two days on the English Question Paper mentioning Goans acquiring Portuguese Passports, for going abroad for jobs.  To put  it figuratively, it is since time immemorial that Goans are known to go out in search of greener pastures because even after 451 years of Portuguese rule in Goa, we in Goa never attained the optimum level of employment and because of this scarcity of jobs Goans preferred to go abroad.

I don’t understand why a few persons had to make this a big issue when it is a hard fact that so many Goans are acquiring Portuguese Passports because it is become a mode of employment to get not only much better income in the West but also it is become a symbol of respect and dignity. Our government is a bankrupt government whose ministers are selfish interested only to fill their pockets instead of creating job avenues for our jobless manpower. Every Indian who acquires a Portuguese Passport is aware of this fact. During the Portuguese rule in Goa, Goans by virtue of being full fledged Portuguese nationals without any discrimination of first class and second class citizens of Portugal where all were equal citizens, were entitled to acquire Portuguese Passports and migrate to outside world.

              If our government was capable to provide jobs for our citizens then nobody would acquire Portuguese Passport.  There is no shame in acquiring Portuguese Passports but there is a shame in charging, as informed, lakhs of rupees for providing jobs where ministers and their subordinates are directly involved in accepting the bribe for jobs.  This is not only shameful but disgraceful where no government is thinking to put a ban.

             Now coming back again on the question paper, those who raised this issue and blown it out of proportion are trying to swim in the muddy water to get them opportunities in the political fields.  All those who are making this as a big issue must first of all thank Portugal for providing Portugues Passports for Goans and thereby easing the pressure of Goa government in providing jobs for Goans.  Secondly, it was good that thru this question paper the youngsters at this young age only informed what days are lying for them ahead. Thus giving them time to think very hard what misery they will have to face when their time of employment comes.  All those powerful people who felt ashamed of Portuguese Passports for our unemployed youth they should have done something when some of them were having political power in their hands. But they did nothing, “tankam fokot Portugues Passport ostad”.      

              A.Veronica Fernandes.

Death of my neighbour.

He was my neighbour for many years now at Araddy in Candolim, earlier he worked  in the Gulf, he was soft spoken but always smiling man, his name is Anthony  Bosco Fernandes but known as Tony only. He is the brother of our Candolim Sarpanch Blazio Fernandes.  Being a humble man he never showed his pride for being the brother of the village Sarpanch.  A well educated man having vast knowledge of different subjects either of sports, politics or historical events.  To our regret and mine in particular he expired yesterday leaving behind his wife Lourdina and other members of his family.

He was interred today 20th of this month at 9.30 AM where as per the prevailing situation only the few close family members were allowed in the Cemetery.

In his death I lost a good friend and very helpful neighbour.

On my behalf and on behalf  of my family I extend my condolences to Blazio Fernandes and all the family members of the dead. May his soul rest in peace and may God give courage to his wife Lourdine and other family members to bear this colossal loss.

A.Veronica Fernaandes.