February 27, 2008

Konkani Kullvar Seminar on short stories

Kuwait Feb 24, 2008: Konkani Kullvar, Kuwait, a Konkani Writer's Forum in Kuwait, organized a one day Seminar/Workshop on Short Stories with Mr. Dolphy F. Lobo (widely known as Dolphy Cascia, a Konkani Writer, Novelist, and Editor in Konkani ), on Friday 22nd February 2008 at Indian Community School (Amman Branch) Salmiyah, Kuwait.

It was a remarkable day in Konkani Literature here in Kuwait as more than forty participants participated in this event including some new comers and two Goan Writers. The day began with the registration of participants followed by breakfast. The workshop was divided into three sessions.

The first session began with Lancy Pinto Nayak, the convener of Kullvar welcoming the crowd with enthusiasm followed by a silent prayer. He presented the importance of the workshop and requested all the participants to introduce themselves. Mr. Nayak gave detailed introduction about the new comers and the Goan participants before handing over to Shaan Bondel to conduct proceedings of the day.

The workshop began with the lighting of a lamp by Lacy Pinto Nayak (Convener), Janet Almeida (Ghurkarnn), Shaan Bondel (PRO) and Dolphy Cascia. Shaan gave a brief introduction of Dolphy Cascia. In his introduction, he said, this is a memorable day to have Mr. Cascia with us, as we will have an opportunity to learn more than we know about short stories and he is highly known for it. He recalled Cascia's contribution to Konkani as a writer (46 novels, 35 dramas and more than 300 short stories) and said, it was a Konkani Record that, his ‘Dee Mhaka Bhogsannem' drama had recorded 148 shows and there was no other Editor who had worked as an Editor for more than 25 years with three papers together (Jhelo, Mitr and Kurov).

Participants: (Sitting) M/s. Olivera Flavia, Lino, Lawrence Pinto, Dolphy Cascia, Veronica Fernandes, Janet Almeida, (standing - first row) Reyan Lobo, Precilla, Pashant Ferrao, Christine Pinto, Ida D’silva, Clara Fernandes, Ivan Almeida (second row) Lancy Pinto Nayak, Ronald D’souza, Benna Fajir, Thomas Lobo, J. D. S. Navunda, Austin Brahmavar, Gibba Kulshekar, Vinay Lewis, Alexander Fernandes, Vincent Barboza, Faustine Pinto, L. J. Brahmavar and shaan bondel

Mr. Cascia shared his knowledge in Konkani Literature, especially in Short Stories as a writer and an editor. He gave basic introduction on Konkani literature to the new Writers and spoke on the fundamentals of Short Stories. Mr Cascia speaking on different stages of writing a Short Story said that any story would begin with a plot of the story (vost), followed by beginning of the story (survat), flow of the story (vhallo), and finally, ending the story (anthy). He spoke continuously for more than two hours in the morning session including the Short Stories Title(naamv). By the end of first session he presented his views about the activities to be done by a writer with an editor of the newspaper and he explained the responsibilities of a writer with any editor. He highlighted the importance of maintaining a good relationship between a writer and an editor to the growth of Konkani.

Recalling his experience as an editor he said that he nurtured many new writers under his guidance who have become well known writers today.

The first session was followed by a lunch catered by Mr Jossie of M&M confectionary. Mr. Ivan Almeida and friends presented some melodious Konkani Songs and entertained the participants during the lunch break. M/s. Vinay Lewis, Vincent Barboza and Vrinda Lewis added their voices. Austin Brahmavar arranged the music. After the lunch, Ivan continued the fun by conducting the games organized by Prashant Ferrao and Janet Almeida.

This was followed by Shaan Bondel presenting the Humorous Poetry Session. M/s. Austin Brahmavar, Olivera Flavia Trasi, J. D. S. Navunda, Ida D'Silva Paladka, Silvan D'Almeida, L. J. Brahmavar, Faustine Pinto Ghantalkatte, Lancy Pinto Nayak and Shaan bondel presented their poems and entertained the crowd. Two poems from Mr. Lino (Goan Poet) especially attracted the participants as well as Lancy's 'ticho ani tacho' and Shaan's 'vecho kaall' received showers of claps.

Mr Dolphy Cascia continued to anchor the rest of second session in which he reviewed the book 'Kullvarchem Dirvem' written by various writers of Konkani Kullvar, published by Konkani Kullvar Kuwait in year 2007, edited by Shaan Bondel and dedicated to Late Johny Suratkal. In his review, he appreciated the great work of Kullvar by publishing the book like Kullvarchem Dirvem, which included 13 high quality short stories, 5 poems, one article on Johny Suratkal, poems on Johny Suratkal, and a editorial. He congratulated the Kullvar Members for their efforts towards the Book and requested to publish more books in future. He however though felt the absence of humorous articles. He also congratulated the Editor of this book Shaan Bondel. Mr Cascia remembered late Johny Suratkal and his association with him. Mrs. Ida D'Silva recalled that, this day was also Johny's birthday and it was really a very big coincident and surprise for the participants.

The final session of the day was felicitation. Mr. Veronica Fernandes (a wellknown Goan Journalist who attended the workshop from morning session) presented a memento to Dolphy Cascia. Mrs. Janet Almeida presented a brief introduction of Dolphy Cascia and Mr. Nayak introduced Mr. Veronica Fernandes respectively. Mr. Lino (Goan Poet) also accompanied Mr. Veronica Fernandes to greet Mr. Cascia.

Mr. Lawrence Pinto (widely known as Loryaab in Kuwait) felicitated Mrs. Olivera Flavia, Trasi, the winner of ‘Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy Special Award 2007' for her book 'sukha-dukhachim don panam punn mogachim'. She is also an active member of Kullvar. Mrs. Janet Almeida presented her achievements in Konkani and Mr. Nayak gave a short introduction of Mr. Lawrence Pinto. Olivea Flavia thanked Mr. Lawrence Pinto and Kullvar. Shaan on this occasion said that it was a happiest moment for the Kullvar as Olivera Flavia was the third member of Kullvar who won the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy Award. Prior to her, Lancy Pinto Nayak Kulshekar and Stanro Ajekar were honored.

The organizer of the event Mr. Prashant Ferrao gave vote of thanks. Shaan Bondel compered the seminar. Mr. Kevin D'Mello Karkal and other senior writers such as M/s. Gibba Kulshekar and Benna Fajir were also present on the occasion.

-News foward by Lancy Nayak lancynayak@yahoo.com

Roseferns' Tiatr "MAIM TUZO UPKARI HANV"

Roseferns' Tiatr "MAIM TUZO UPKARI HANV"

Once again ROSEFERNS will be back in Kuwait with his hit Konkani tiatr "MAIM TUZO UPKARI HANV" with his full cast. The tiatr is scheduled to be held on Friday, 4th April 2008, at the Hawalli A.C. Auditorium at 3:30 p.m. and presented by Jolly Boys of Benaulim-Kuwait. A tiatr with a touching story of love and sacrifice, the bitter truth, with enjoyable comedy and superb fine acting under the direction of the King of Centuries, Roseferns.

The review of "MAIM TUZO UPKARI HANV" in the Goan English newspaper 'The Navhind Times' goes thus "The play entertains to capture the attention of the viewer with a good script that has many surprises and fine display of emotions".
Konkani tiatr lovers watch out for the next media announcement or email: jollyboysofbenaulim@gmail.com or contact Aseno Ferns 9420352 or Benny Vaz 6533229 or Raja Stores Tel; 2412970 or keep following up on the our blog http://maimtuzoupkarihanv.blogspot.com/


February 26, 2008

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.