PANJIM POLICE DISGRACED GOA.

PANJIM POLICE DISGRACED GOA.

Last week’s ugly incidents in Goa first at Panjim Police Station then at Taleigao at the residence of local MLA Babush Monsurate and later on at Miramar at Babush’s bungalow make me to put my head down in shame. Storming of a Police Station is not a matter of minor concern especially the Police Station of Capital city of Goa. Allowing the people to storm the Police Headquarter in Panjim by the Police personnel is a big shame for the entire Police force of Goa. This shows the efficiency of the Police in Goa to control the mob fury. These Goa policemen are good to give “talao” to “Buskar” and “Moddkekar”. Allowing of storming of the Panjim Police Station by the mob or a group of Goans without the help of arms such as guns, revolvers and hand bombs is a shame for Police at Panjim Police Station. This shows the inefficiency of the Goa Police to rise to the occasion when situation demands them to act adroitly without creating an ugly scene. What would be the fate of Panjim Police Station, its Police personnel and all the civilians working there if the crowd carried small bombs with them clandestinely and detonated inside? Is it difficult now-a-days to conduct such operations in Goa due to the advanced stage of Goans in handling arms and ammunitions clandestinely? Guns are now-a-days carried not only by the ordinary people as given to understand but also by the top officials including ministers. Was it not the same mode used to kill Siddartha Bandodkar? Who killed Jr. Bandodkar? Was it not from the revolver of the VIP in VIP residence?

While strongly condemning the brutality of Panjim Police on unarmed Monsurate family especially on Babush’s wife Jennifer and their young son, I express my deep concern for the peaceful Goa. There are different versions from different sources of media and people. People in Kuwait whom I spoke and met felt disheartened over the brutality of Panjim Police. All the Taleigao citizens working in Kuwait even females with whom I discussed this topic are fully supporting Monsurate and his action of taking side of Rayan who was mercilessly beaten by some goons while police remained passive. The job of Police is to protect the life of a citizen and not to put him into the deep sea for the Sharks to devour. This is the quality of the Goa Police in particular and Indian Police force in general. What a shame it is to have such impotent and crook police force in Goa after the forcible exit of Portuguese from Goa!! After the exit of Portuguese from Goa, the law and order protectors are become violators of law and order. With this act, the position of Babush in Taleigao is further fortified. With this unruly act of Goa police from Panjim headquarter Babush is become like a martyr for the people of Goa including from Kuwait.

According to one version of Panjim Police, the people who came to ask justice with the police at Panjim Police Station pelted stones at Police Station. Did Monsurate take part in this stone pelting? He was leading in front visible to the Police. He logically was not pelting stones. Why then was it necessary for Police to assault him mercilessly and that too when he was having the privilege of MLAship? Detaining him for security reason would be o.k., but surely not assaulting him to the extent of bruising his body and getting admitted into the hospital? This shows the extent of the beatings he received. And what guaranty is there that those who pelted the stones and created rowdism were not the hired goons of the opponents of Babush? Where are all the 39 MLA’s from Goa and why they are silent over this issue? Today it is Babush but tomorrow it can be any other MLA. If Police can do such a brutality against Babush then what about an ordinary citizen? If with the instigation of Narvenkar as alleged by Babush, the Panjim Police can take law into their own hands and mercilessly beat MLA and former Minister Babush then with this type of modus operandi Goa Police can even kill an ordinary citizen of Goa and yet can get away scott free. Though Babush Monsurate is not known to me personally yet I fully support him in his fight for justice. There must be some stern action against Police who acted so irresponsibly and so beastly.

Worst still was the brutality of Panjim Police in assaulting Mrs. Babush and their young son. What is wrong in mother going to Panjim Police Station and enquiring about her son? Are we still in Salazar’s Raj in Goa? No, I don’t think even in Salazar Raj we in Goa faced such a brutality. Not even fearsome Agente Monteiro of Portuguese era did dare to act so violently against women of Goa. Once, at Mapusa Police Station somewhere in 1958 for some genuine reason to get proper confession from a Goan woman, Agente Monteiro beat her with teacher’s type of Ruler on her open palm. When that Goan woman informed the higher authority thru proper channel, Agente Monteiro was severely castigated and even made to apologise to that Goan woman otherwise not only suspension order but sack order was prepared against Agente Monteiro. Portuguese law was very careful while dealing with females and Portuguese Government and Portuguese officials were very cautious when dealing with women in the Police custody. They respected women for their motherhood and sisterhood even though they may be guilty but they did not act with women like “Ghantti” barbarians or IPS deputationists dogs deputed from Delhi, to quote the late Dr. Jack de Sequeira.

Today’s many of the Police are brutes and rascals. Something has to be done to cure them and to civilize them. Panjim Police according to reports not only mercilessly assaulted Jennifer Monsurate but gave her worst and dirty bad words. This is unparliamentary and uncivilized. The Women Protection Associations in Goa must take up this issue seriously with the authorities concerned and they must also hold meetings all over Goa to highlight the plight of innocent women in the hands of brute Police of Goa at Panjim Police Station. Besides this, how Police can beat a young boy so severely? What was his fault? Was it wrong to be the son of his father Babush? And why did the Panjim Police assault Mayor of Panjim, Mr. Tony? Was there anything wrong on his part if he went to enquire about Babush? And beating the first citizen of Panjim to the extent to send him to hospital for severe injuries treatment is like committing genocide on Bengalis by the Pakistani Army in the then East Pakistan. Gen. Yaha Khanism and Hitlerism practiced by Goa Police in Goa must come to an end forthwith. Babush must work for it from the Assembly.

Worst crime of Panjim Police was going to Taleigao and storming the house of Babush Monsurate and also to Miramar to desecrate the bungalow of Babush. Is it the way to act in the manner of tit for tat? Is it right on Police to vandalise the house and bungalow of MLA Babush? Who authorized Panjim Police to take law into their own hands and ransack Babush properties like the way rogues, thieves and goondas do? Are Panjim Police personnel goons receiving instruction from their goons superiors? And by the way, who are these top police officers giving such illegal and uncivilized orders to their juniors to act recklessly? Is Goa in the hands of goonda police? Then we don’t want such police force and their superiors in Goa anymore. We want Police force that protects the life of ordinary citizens. Punishment to the wrong doers is in the hands of judiciary to mete out and not in the hands of uncultured and indisciplined Goa Police from Panjim.

Babush Monsurate may be bad in some other aspects but in this particular aspect he was not bad and as such he deserves support otherwise Police in Goa will re-introduce Salarzarshahi of the type even during the regime of Salazar never happened in Goa. We wanted freedom for Goa, for what? To give Police force unlimited powers to deal with Goans irresponsibly the way Agente Monteiro did in Portugese time? Where are the freedom fighters gone now and why they are silent? I think they are happy with their Tamrapatras and pensions they are getting, the rest go to hell. Babush Monsurate and all his supporters must not sleep until all the Policemen and their bosses are brought to justice. Babush and his followers which must have by now increased due to sympathy wave hold demonstrations in front of the houses of all the Policemen who were involved in this brutality. Babush and his supporters must gherao all the policemen individually and demand from them real explanation for their brute action. Babush and his followers must track every Panjim Policeman individually and tell him that what he did was wrong. Even the children and wives of the policemen involved in this brutality should not be spared, they must be put into shame. And mind you, all these policemen and police officers will not wear their uniforms round the clock, round the week, round the month and round the year. Question them when they are in civilian dress.

At Calangute Beach once about 35 years back one Police Inspector in civilian clothes while seated on the silver sands along with his newly wedded wife was similarly questioned of course aggressively with dire consequences by one local who was unnecessarily earlier assaulted by that Inspector at Calangute Police Station. The local asked that inspector thus “You assaulted me in the lock up with the power of your police uniform, revolver and lathi. Can you do that now? Shall I show you now my power and strength? The local wanted to assault the Inspector and break his bones but his wife and he shamelessly pleaded with folded hands with that local. And thanked God, the local kept quiet without doing any harm. But the Police Inspector promised never to repeat his nasty action again.

Babush and his followers must show Goa Police especially stationed at Panaji that they cannot rely on their Stars and Stripes always. These decorations are momentry show. Hence, they must act maturely. Police cannot accept any orders from their bosses. Jeprakash Narain asked Police force in India not to accept any wrong orders from Indira Gandhi’s Police Officers. He said morality must take precedence over everything. While Indira Gandhi when out of power, she told the Police Force in Delhi to reject the orders of Morarji Desai’s Police Officers. While these two top Indian leaders gave a call to Police force to reject unlawful orders of their bosses then why Goa police force accept unlawful orders from their bosses in Panjim? Though Goa Police give lot of statements in support of their actions and even saying their own members were hurt by the mob but from my past experience I don’t believe in anything that Goa police states because they are liars as per their history. Take for example, when the first Konkani martyr Floriano was shot dead by Goa Police force, they gave a statement that Floriano first came rushing to Police Hawaldar to snatch a revolver from him. It was a pure lie. In view of this, I don’t believe what Goa Police states against Monsurates, their supporters and Mayor Tony even though there may be some truth but even then I don’t believe the version of Goa Police. Goa police are goondas, fakers and liars. Only the impartial judicial enquiry will unfold the real truth and to get the real truth, on behalf of all my like minded Kuwaitkar friends and colleagues I demand judicial enquiry.

While concluding and while condemning the attack on Monsurates I tell Babush to be careful in life. Babush should not cross his boundary of good discipline. I am sure he never expected such a brutal attack on him because he thought too much of himself. Money power and goonda power finally went to the dogs. Nature has its own laws to punish every wrong doer. From here Babush must learn a very good lesson. In his hour of suffering and discomfort we are with Monsurates but Babush must try to bring about a change in him for the good and then only he will receive support from good people who expect good ways from him for the good of Goa and Goans. In the past by his dirty political games for his selfish ends Babush has done lot of damages for Goa and Goan causes. Now he must change otherwise the fury of nature and its strict laws will devour him permanently. In the words of Amitab Bacchan, "there is a supernatural power that guides and protect us. We must pay obeysance to it".

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

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GREAT WORLD SOCCER PLAYER

GREAT WORLD SOCCER PLAYER.

One of the greatest soccer players of this planet was Alfredo Di Stefano from Argentina. He shot into limelight while playing for Argentinean outfit River Plate. As many of the Argentineans made their careers in Spain by playing for Spanish giants, so too Di Stefano came to Spain and joined Spanish topmost club Real Madrid. Maradona also played in Spain for a top club from where he was recruited by Napoli of Italy. According to soccer experts and commentators of yesteryears, Alfredo Di Stefano stands much taller than the great Pele and great Maradona but the only bad luck of him was that during the time of Di Stefano the TV coverage was not as exhaustive as during the time of Pele and Maradona. The fame of Di Stefano due to lack of wider media coverage concentrated only in certain pockets of the world. Besides, during the peak form of Di Stefano world soccer was not as wider as it is now or during the time of Pele and Maradona. Lack of wider publicity, lack of wider media coverage and lack wider playing facilities very much hampered the fame of Di Stefano. Otherwise he should have been selected as the best soccer player of the last century instead of Pele and Maradona.

Alfredo Di Stefano played number of years for Real Madrid. I have seen very few pictures of his on video and read a lot about him in soccer books and soccer magazines. Much of my assessment on him I made by reading, since 1975, in the renowned monthly world magazine “World Soccer” where some of the top journalists who saw him in action during his days described him as better than Pele and Maradona too. He was a very good dribbler and a very good reader of the game. Like Pele and unlike Maradona, Di Stefano was a perfect player and could easily use both his legs with equal ease and of course play a major role in the aerial duels as well, again of course unlike Maradona. As a matter of fact Maradona was a great no doubt but he was not a perfect footballer because he was one legged player and weak in the aerial duels. In his pursuit in exhibiting excellent soccer Di Stefano was ably supported by his equally great colleague in Real Madrid named Ferenz Puskas a Hungarian World Cupper. Puskas according to the same journalists and commentators was also as good as Di Stefano and in view of this those commentators and journalists comparing them with Pele said that Pele comes third in rank though it is difficult for many of us to accept this suggestion because many of us have not witnessed all three during their peak form to compare them. But those who saw all three of them during their peak form and after comparing them with each other they gave this assessment.

Alfredo Di Stefano and Puskas played together for Real Madrid and won for their clubs number of championships. Their duo was the greatest duo ever played together anytime anywhere in the world. They both together would win the match against any top club in the world during those days. Puskas had atomic power in his left foot. I say atomic power because I saw some of his pictures even in the world cup where he terrified the world. When both of them playing for Real Madrid they were exchanging their views thru air waves without even seeing and noticing each other. One could easily see the other following him behind even without turning his head back and thus leave the ball for the other and run the other side taking with him the defenders thereby making fools of the defenders. Pele sometimes used to do such fakings. They could pass the ball to each other even without seeing each other and yet one would get the pass from the other. Their combination and coordination, long range power packed shots and powerful heading was creating fear into the minds and hearts of the topmost defenders of those days. Between two of them, they were scoring 4 – 5 goals per match thereby tearing their opponents into pieces. Alfredo Di Stefano was using his brain power more than foot power. He is still revered in Spain and in Europe. Spain was his second home and finally in appreciation of his tremendous contribution for the promotion and development of Spanish soccer he was even conferred with Spanish citizenship. Not only topmost retired soccer players of the world but even the current ones adore him as a great soccer personality and soccer celebrity. He is really a soccer “pundit”. So much so, even FIFA gives him due credit for his excellence on the soccer field.

On 16th of this month, the 81 year old Alfredo Di Stefano was honoured in Spain at Barnabeau Stadium by UEFA president by presenting him with a special trophy. The UEFA president and former French aristocrat player Michael Platini while presenting the trophy rightly described Di Stefano as “a great among greats”. In Spain and in other parts of Europe and in South America they respect and adore their yesteryear stars even by erecting the monuments of their once beloved players. The same thing they did in honour of Di Stefano by erecting his statue at Real Madrid’s training centre. Alfredo Di Stefano was named twice European Footballer of the year in 1957 and 1959. As a human being he was a very humble, even in victories and scoring goals he was not showy in his attitudes. Also, he was shy of receiving honours and as a proof of this while receiving the honouring trophy from Platini, he said “I don’t deserve all this”.

Europe and South America produce great soccer wizards. In both these continents people adore their stars not only during their peak form but also in their retirements and in old age. Do we in Goa emulate their examples? Or do we leave our yesteryear stars uncared and unattended to their old age woes? What is the fate of many of our yesteryear stars? Are they happy in their old age life or do they regret and cry because they are neglected not only by the society that once adored them but even by their own families for embracing soccer and in the bargain turning out to be paupers? Where are our yesteryear footballers like great Vassu Raiturkar, Menino Figueredo, Benzinho, Candu Abreu, Papa, Bernardo, Andrew, Domnick, Catao, Keshav and many others? Are they comfortable in their retired and old age life? Do they need any assistance? If yes, did the authorities concerned and also people concerned take interest in them? Do GFA shows its concern to the plight of many of them? Did society perform its duty towards their old age needs? Did any of the persons who earlier applauded and kissed their feet bother to take note of their woes if they have? Why not a single of them was given an opportunity to inaugurate and kick off the major tournaments and matches in Goa instead of showering this honour on Montirs and MLA’s whose contribution in the development of our soccer is minus zero?

When Bandodkar was ruling Goa he showed lot of personal interest in footballers. When first time Bandodkar Gold Cup was held in Goa, its inaugural match was kicked off by once great player Aboo who along with Bandodkar decorated the inaugural match of this once prestigious tournament. That honour was given to great Aboo because Bandodkar had seen greatness of Aboo during Aboo’s hey days. And as per elders, Goa is yet to produce another Aboo who played soccer not for money but for its sheer pleasure.

Goan society and Goan soccer lovers must ponder over what I wrote.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.