GOAN MUTATIONS: WHAT GOVERNMENT MUST DO.
By Valmiki Faleiro The mess of mutations is rampant. This I gauged from reader response to this columnon the five preceding Sundays. Most told the same story: of how people are harassed atMamlatdar offices across Goa when they seek a change in the Index of Lands – asimple process in law, but far from it in practice. A gentleman who heads a trade bodyfeels listing the steps will help government mitigate the troubles of the ‘Aam Aadmi’.Fingers crossed, here is my list:
1. Enforce Sections 96 (proviso 2) and 102 of the Land Revenue Code, and Rule 15 ofRecord of Rights & Register of Cultivators Rules. The onus of initiating and carrying outmutations lies squarely with the Taluka Sub-Registrar and Mamlatdar when landownership changes occur by documents under the Transfer of Property Act (that areregistered under the Indian Registration Act.)
Just enforce the existing law! Ninety percent of the scourge Goans now face will vanish.When people acquire rights by way of a registered deed, the process of mutation mustfollow automatically – no question of them even applying for mutation, much lessrepeatedly visiting, begging and bribing all and sundry at Mamlatdar offices. That is whatthe law stipulates. No government has enforced the law, resulting in the mutation mess across Goa.
What the law provides is simple. When a Sub-Registrar registers a deed – sale, gift,partition, relinquishment, etc. – he must, during the first week of the following month,intimate the Talathi/Mamlatdar in Form XIII. Upon receipt of such intimation, the lattermust carry out the mutation, ‘mutatis mutandis’, as per procedure laid down in detail.Where, then, would be the scope for harassment and extortion? Of people having toapply, meet, beg and bribe revenue officials?
2. As regards the balance ten percent cases, where land ownership changes occur byother means, viz.- a Court decree, judicial partition, ‘Inventario,’ Will/bequest, etc., onceagain, follow the law and established conventions. These are listed, briefly, below.The mutation applicant’s duty must end, as envisaged under the law, with reporting ofthe acquisition of rights (with evidence) to the Mamlatdar. Thereafter, as per present law,the onus of completing the mutation, must lie squarely with the Mamlatdar and his staff.A private citizen must not be turned into a public clerk and peon, as now happens.
3. When a person applies to add his name to a survey number where mutations havepreviously been carried out, s/he must not be asked to furnish addresses of persons soadded. Because these addresses are already with the concerned Talathi/Mamlatdar whothemselves carried out the previous mutations.
4. The stupid idea of asking the applicant to furnish the latest Form I & XIV must stop.The concerned Talathi/Mamlatdar are themselves the custodians of this document! 5.
The law provides for oral mutation applications. It would be injudicious to retain thisprovision. But, for heaven’s sake, when someone applies in writing, don’t ask him/her toprovide a file. The government has crores to splurge on needless bridges and dubiousgarbage handling purchases – but not a few lakhs for essential stationery?
6. Across the board, every entry clerk in every government office must acknowledge aninward letter with the office rubber stamp.
7. Upon receipt of intimation from the Sub-Registrar (in case of registered documents)and report from acquirer of rights (in case of other documents), fix a time limit for issueof Notice/s in Form X. Notice/s should be sent only to people whose names appear inForm I & XIV, not to consenting parties, etc. whose names appear in the Sale Deed.
8. No applicant must be asked to make copies of Form X on behalf of the state.
9. Form X, as done before, should be served by hand through the office bailiff or theconcerned village Talathi. If logistics do not permit hand delivery, service may be doneby Registered AD Post. But not by the applicants who are currently told to do the mailing!This will also eliminate the ‘vanishing trick’ of AD cards and the ensuing rigmarole.
10. In exceptional cases where service by hand or by Registered AD Post is impossible,substituted service should be effected by the Government – at its own cost. It is agovernment notice and the government must serve it. The applicant should NOT bemade to pay for a duty of the government.
11. Substituted service by way of Public Notice should be released to one English andone vernacular daily for better reach and avoidance of mischief.
12. Let the dead lie in peace. Stop this nonsense of ‘serving’ notices upon the departed.If a respondent is deceased, notify the heirs by substituted service. Officials who fightshy to carry out mutation involving a dead person – even when a Court ‘Inventario’ orderis furnished, need to be disciplined. As do Talathis, Circle Inspectors and Mamlatdarswho, despite being unqualified, raise specious “objections” on legalities of Sale Deeds.
13. Village Panchayats, Municipalities – and even Mamlatdars! – need to be educatedon the legal value of Form I & XIV. That it is not a proof of title and that its entire value ismerely presumptive. When an applicant files a Sale/Gift (or such title) deed, local bodiesmust not insist on Form I & XIV featuring the applicant’s name. In a different context, butrelevant to the issue, was a recent statement by the Salcete Mamlatdar, as reported in‘Herald’ (Pg.3 anchor, Nov 22, 2008.)
The Mamlatdar is quoted having said, “These [old Matriz records] are not much in use,since the present survey and revenue plan also constitute revenue documents.”Revenue records alright, but of what legal value? A quasi-judicial order of a DistrictCollector spelt out the almost NIL legal value of Form I & XIV.
People like the Salcete Mamlatdar also need to know that a Sub-Registrar cannotregister a deed unless the mention of ‘Matriz’ is made in the description of the property.The Salcete Mamlatdar alone cannot be blamed. All Mamlatdars without law studiesmust be put through a crash-course on Goa’s basic laws.
14. Modify the software used for maintaining revenue records, to rid it of shortcomings.For instance, the software must be changed to accept a common Mutation Case No. in ajoint application involving a common survey number. This will avoid multiplicity of casesand save immense amounts of time, paper and money.
15. In cases involving sub-division of land, the Director of Settlement & Land Recordsand his Taluka-level Inspectors must be directed to exercise their powers under Section59(c) of the LRC. When a survey number is sub-divided with final approvals under theTown & Country Planning Act, it must be partitioned as per the approved sub-division.This will save a multiplicity of future individual partitions, its attendant ills, and humanerrors while transcribing plots at different points of time on the survey sheets. Suchpartitions must be carried out not only on the PT sheets at the taluka level but also onthe originals at Panjim headquarters.
16. And finally, appoint an Ombudsman/disciplinary authority specifically for complaintsunder the Land Revenue Code, with jurisdiction over the Director of Settlement & LandRecords and Deputy Collector downwards. Such measures will provide the beleaguered Goan some relief. (ENDS.)
The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column at:
December 4, 2008
December 2, 2008
"PALE" BY - ELECTION.
A lesson to be learnt from ‘Pale’ By-Elections.
After much said and done and after a colossal amount of money spend, both officially and unofficially, there is a lesson to be learnt for the conscious believer in the furtherance of democracy and democratic values vis a vis the BJP’s rout in the Pale by-polls.
The voting results of the Pale by-elections- 2008:
Congress: 7867; BJP: 6333; SGF: 158; IND (Dr. Suresh Amonkar): 3682 ; IND (R. Rane): 351
It is a well known fact that Dr. Suresh Amonkar revolted with his Party (BJP) for not having been given the ticket in spite of his being a senior BJP member and ex-health minister in the BJP coalition government of yesteryears. The result clearly shows that the Congress has won merely because of the division of the BJP votes. Two things must be understood from this defeat of the BJP. One: That the BJP has inadvertently worked for its own defeat, and Two: That the Congress has had a lot of engineering to do with this result. But one thing that comes out clearly is that the BJP has flunked over its party-procedures in selecting its worthy candidate. And the attributable reason must lie at the foot of the autocratic and impulsive decision making process of its leaders, in this case, the right honourable Shri. Manohar Parrikar.
As far as Goa Su-Raj is concerned, Goa has ‘lost’ in these Pale by-elections irrespective of whether Congress has won or the BJP has not. It does not make much of a difference, either way. Importantly, we are intrigued by the BJP’s choice of a candidate having been made without the general consensus within the party. If such consensus was arrived at, then the BJP would have been elected hands down. In all probability which is most unlikely, we wonder if there might not be the intensions of the BJP’s leadership itself to see its own defeat for some unknown to others future gains.
If a party goes into the election mode, it cannot afford to send a signal of disunity within its rank and file. Dr. Amonkar, according to us, should have stepped aside to bring-in new generation leadership to the fore, if he was really committed to the BJP ideology, i.e. if one exists. Fielding of a candidate is the most important decision a party must make, without ruffling even a feather in its rank and file. If the party say so and so will be the candidate, that must be that and there should be no scope for any revolt. Any or all revolts must be prior to coming to that decision. In this test case, the BJP is shown in bad light for a national party. Such decisions must not be and cannot be imposed by the High or Low Commands without reaching a widest possible consensus. Once the decision is taken, it must be final and all and sundry must fall in line, swallowing their reservations, working united’ly for the ‘WIN’. Therein comes the ‘ SET-PROCEDURES ’ of any party to come to this decision without an iota of doubt left in the minds of the rank and file. It is tantamount to say that the leader of the ‘Anti-Terrorist Squad’ must show unwavering and committed mindset in advancing into the enemy territory if he believes in the success of the operation, irrespective of the loss of life, even his. Otherwise, it is best to avoid such advance and save the entire platoon.
Talking of set-procedures, Goa Su-Raj has been harping on the same, proclaiming to the world that it wants to come-out to explain these to the general public so that they may know what is Goa Su-Raj all about. That fickle minds are talking philosophies and technicalities of how to run a successful political party with money and muscle power as its core engine, is altogether another matter. Suffice it to say that we ignore such ruminations by just ignoring them with ‘they do not know what they are talking about’. We are proud that at Goa Su-Raj, we have managed to cast these ‘set-procedures’ into firmament , ‘ A MUST DO ’, before we get into any mode : Before or After Elections, without which Goa Su-Raj would be just one more ‘Road-Side Parties’ wanting to try its luck for its share in political maneuverings which Goa cannot afford any more. The ‘After Election ’ mode has been demonstrated by this Party when it had its election/selection of the ‘shadow cabinet’ just after the conclusion of the 2002 Assembly Election where the Party had fielded 8 candidates, 4 in the North and 4 in the South. It was a test case and the procedures are set and sealed once and for all. Nothing ever can change those as long as Goa Su-Raj remains Goa Su-Raj.
So what are the set-procedures of this Party ‘Before Elections’??, if what happened to the BJP in Pale is not desirable??
To start with, this Party has declared that it will not get into the election mode (not field a single candidate) under the normal circumstances, if the Party has not instituted the CWCs [Constituency Working Committees]. We know that it is useless to fight elections seriously without ‘grass-roots’ organizations. So far what Goa Su-Raj was doing was the promotion of its objectives. This Party looks at the on-coming General Assembly Elections, whether they are held in 2012 or earlier, in utter seriousness, where it is mandatory that this party must field at least 25 to 30 candidates if it is going to send a positive signal to the people of Goa that it is, in all seriousness, ready to hold the helm of Goa’s Governance to replace what ad-hoc’sm is going on since 1961. This Party shall not be bothered if none of the 25-30 candidates save their deposits, because this decision will be left to the people of Goa to make …….. in short ‘the Obama effect’.
Now for the ‘long-talked-about’ set-procedures before elections.
In a Constituency, the Party will nominate one Life-Members in every Village of a Constituency as its VR [Village Representative], a post that makes a member part and parcel of the ‘General Body’ of the Party.
Once all the nominations are made, the Party oversees the election within the VRs to elect its President and its Secretary. The President elect is the candidate of the Party for the next election or by-election as the case may be. The Secretary is the substitute. No borrowing or planting outside person into the constituency as the Party’s candidate.
If the President of the CWC gets elected to be the MLA, his place as the CWC president is taken over by another person [no dual posts]. Therefore, the next candidate of this constituency for all practical purposes is the new president of the CWC. [No Second Term policy of the Party is enforced]. Now if the CWC or the Constituents feel that the MLA is to be given the ‘second term’, the incumbent president of the CWC must agree. If s/he does not agree, the case is rested. The MLA has no other alternative but to step aside to make way but also chip-in his best efforts to see the candidate elected. This is sealed thro’ the Affidavit s/he will be signing with the Party prior to the ticket being given to him/her in the first place.
We would like challenges to this above system of this Party from all qualified fronts to prove us wrong and to tell us that a situation just like the BJP’s in Pale will arise out of this procedure. We shall be most happy to concede.
Floriano Lobo
General Secretary/Spokesperson,
Goa Su-Raj Party.
After much said and done and after a colossal amount of money spend, both officially and unofficially, there is a lesson to be learnt for the conscious believer in the furtherance of democracy and democratic values vis a vis the BJP’s rout in the Pale by-polls.
The voting results of the Pale by-elections- 2008:
Congress: 7867; BJP: 6333; SGF: 158; IND (Dr. Suresh Amonkar): 3682 ; IND (R. Rane): 351
It is a well known fact that Dr. Suresh Amonkar revolted with his Party (BJP) for not having been given the ticket in spite of his being a senior BJP member and ex-health minister in the BJP coalition government of yesteryears. The result clearly shows that the Congress has won merely because of the division of the BJP votes. Two things must be understood from this defeat of the BJP. One: That the BJP has inadvertently worked for its own defeat, and Two: That the Congress has had a lot of engineering to do with this result. But one thing that comes out clearly is that the BJP has flunked over its party-procedures in selecting its worthy candidate. And the attributable reason must lie at the foot of the autocratic and impulsive decision making process of its leaders, in this case, the right honourable Shri. Manohar Parrikar.
As far as Goa Su-Raj is concerned, Goa has ‘lost’ in these Pale by-elections irrespective of whether Congress has won or the BJP has not. It does not make much of a difference, either way. Importantly, we are intrigued by the BJP’s choice of a candidate having been made without the general consensus within the party. If such consensus was arrived at, then the BJP would have been elected hands down. In all probability which is most unlikely, we wonder if there might not be the intensions of the BJP’s leadership itself to see its own defeat for some unknown to others future gains.
If a party goes into the election mode, it cannot afford to send a signal of disunity within its rank and file. Dr. Amonkar, according to us, should have stepped aside to bring-in new generation leadership to the fore, if he was really committed to the BJP ideology, i.e. if one exists. Fielding of a candidate is the most important decision a party must make, without ruffling even a feather in its rank and file. If the party say so and so will be the candidate, that must be that and there should be no scope for any revolt. Any or all revolts must be prior to coming to that decision. In this test case, the BJP is shown in bad light for a national party. Such decisions must not be and cannot be imposed by the High or Low Commands without reaching a widest possible consensus. Once the decision is taken, it must be final and all and sundry must fall in line, swallowing their reservations, working united’ly for the ‘WIN’. Therein comes the ‘ SET-PROCEDURES ’ of any party to come to this decision without an iota of doubt left in the minds of the rank and file. It is tantamount to say that the leader of the ‘Anti-Terrorist Squad’ must show unwavering and committed mindset in advancing into the enemy territory if he believes in the success of the operation, irrespective of the loss of life, even his. Otherwise, it is best to avoid such advance and save the entire platoon.
Talking of set-procedures, Goa Su-Raj has been harping on the same, proclaiming to the world that it wants to come-out to explain these to the general public so that they may know what is Goa Su-Raj all about. That fickle minds are talking philosophies and technicalities of how to run a successful political party with money and muscle power as its core engine, is altogether another matter. Suffice it to say that we ignore such ruminations by just ignoring them with ‘they do not know what they are talking about’. We are proud that at Goa Su-Raj, we have managed to cast these ‘set-procedures’ into firmament , ‘ A MUST DO ’, before we get into any mode : Before or After Elections, without which Goa Su-Raj would be just one more ‘Road-Side Parties’ wanting to try its luck for its share in political maneuverings which Goa cannot afford any more. The ‘After Election ’ mode has been demonstrated by this Party when it had its election/selection of the ‘shadow cabinet’ just after the conclusion of the 2002 Assembly Election where the Party had fielded 8 candidates, 4 in the North and 4 in the South. It was a test case and the procedures are set and sealed once and for all. Nothing ever can change those as long as Goa Su-Raj remains Goa Su-Raj.
So what are the set-procedures of this Party ‘Before Elections’??, if what happened to the BJP in Pale is not desirable??
To start with, this Party has declared that it will not get into the election mode (not field a single candidate) under the normal circumstances, if the Party has not instituted the CWCs [Constituency Working Committees]. We know that it is useless to fight elections seriously without ‘grass-roots’ organizations. So far what Goa Su-Raj was doing was the promotion of its objectives. This Party looks at the on-coming General Assembly Elections, whether they are held in 2012 or earlier, in utter seriousness, where it is mandatory that this party must field at least 25 to 30 candidates if it is going to send a positive signal to the people of Goa that it is, in all seriousness, ready to hold the helm of Goa’s Governance to replace what ad-hoc’sm is going on since 1961. This Party shall not be bothered if none of the 25-30 candidates save their deposits, because this decision will be left to the people of Goa to make …….. in short ‘the Obama effect’.
Now for the ‘long-talked-about’ set-procedures before elections.
In a Constituency, the Party will nominate one Life-Members in every Village of a Constituency as its VR [Village Representative], a post that makes a member part and parcel of the ‘General Body’ of the Party.
Once all the nominations are made, the Party oversees the election within the VRs to elect its President and its Secretary. The President elect is the candidate of the Party for the next election or by-election as the case may be. The Secretary is the substitute. No borrowing or planting outside person into the constituency as the Party’s candidate.
If the President of the CWC gets elected to be the MLA, his place as the CWC president is taken over by another person [no dual posts]. Therefore, the next candidate of this constituency for all practical purposes is the new president of the CWC. [No Second Term policy of the Party is enforced]. Now if the CWC or the Constituents feel that the MLA is to be given the ‘second term’, the incumbent president of the CWC must agree. If s/he does not agree, the case is rested. The MLA has no other alternative but to step aside to make way but also chip-in his best efforts to see the candidate elected. This is sealed thro’ the Affidavit s/he will be signing with the Party prior to the ticket being given to him/her in the first place.
We would like challenges to this above system of this Party from all qualified fronts to prove us wrong and to tell us that a situation just like the BJP’s in Pale will arise out of this procedure. We shall be most happy to concede.
Floriano Lobo
General Secretary/Spokesperson,
Goa Su-Raj Party.
November 30, 2008
ON TAJ HOTEL & MUMBAI TERRORISM.
ON TAJ HOTEL & MUMBAI TERRORISM
As per the historical information, over a century back when the founder of Tata Busines Empire went to London and tried to check in one of the posh hotels there, he was refused entry because he was an Indian and not a white skinned man. In Britain some die-hard British were still believing in and practicing apartheid if not officially then at least in a disguise manner. When Tata asked the real reason for this negative answer, the Hotel management said Indians are not fit to stay in such a luxurious hotel. In an ensuing heated argument, Tata banged his hand on the Counter Table and demanded from the hotel management to quote him then and there the price of that hotel to purchase it outright. Annoyed by Tata’s demand and financial might, the hotel management to humiliate Tata in particular and Indians and blacks in general, put a board at the entrance of their hotel saying “Indians and Dogs Are Not Allowed”
Humiliated by this insult, Tata after returning to India, decided to retaliate and towards this direction constructed a beautiful and most luxurious Hotel in Bombay and named it as Taj Mahal. Then exactly in a retaliatory manner put a big name plate at the entrance of his new hotel saying “Dogs and British are Not Allowed”. The colonialists British irked by this move by the owner of Bombay Taj tried to bring pressure on Tata to change his attitude even approaching Nehru to impress upon Tata to change his mind but Tata remained firm even by suffering heavy losses due to the absence of British and Western clientele.
Bombay Taj was like a home for many of the Goan employees whom Taj management had unique affection for their dedication to hard work faithfully and diligently. Many of the high and low grade employees of Bombay Taj since its inception were Goans and it was they who put a strong base to Bombay Taj a century back. Best of the Goan musicians who played beautiful music were engaged by the Taj. Chef Mascharenhas from Anjuna and Pastry Chef Pasku from Sangolda were the two pillars of Taj and they both worked for a longer period there inspite of attaining the retirement age. It is these two finest Chefs who helped Taj to attain the highest standard that finally made Taj what it was. As a matter of fact, Chef Mascharenhas was never retired, instead he was retained till his last days not only as an employee with all the facilities but kept as a guest of Taj. Both these two stalwarts were not graduates of any Cateering College but they were graduates of the cooking skills they inherited from their parents. They were the real geniuses in their professions and both good hearted persons having lot of compassion befitting the tradition of Tatas.
The love for Goans by the Tatas can be well described in the following paragraph:
Sinquerim Taj in the jurisdiction of Candolim Panchayat was the first 5 Star Hotel of Goa. When it was made operational in early seventies, Sinquerimg Taj management contrary to the assurances given to the locals and Goans for preferential treatment in the matter of employment, gave preference for outsiders. I as a young revolutionary of my locality and still reading for Post Graduation at Panaji, and along with my colleague, during his maiden visit to Goa to step his foot on his Goa Taj, stopped JRD Tata’s Mercedes at Sinquerimg and disclosed to him how Goans were denied jobs in his newly opened Sinquerim Taj by his unGoan and anti-local management. Knowing this, JRD Tata the Chairman of Taj Hotels Co. was infuriated and shocked to know that Goans were denied jobs and immediately on the same night called an emergency meeting of his top personnel and set the things right for Goans in employment. And as a mark of protest against his lop sided management, abruptly left for Bombay instead of spending his holiday in Goa for a few days. This was the love and affection Taj shown to Goans. In appreciation of my boldness to fight for justice for the locals, I was offered a good job at Taj Sinquerim but I politely turned down this offer.
During those days, employing at Taj means a great honour. Many of my friends were engaged at Taj and I always used to make a point to go and meet them during their working hours. In this way, I was familiar with Taj not only with its delicious food but also many of its staff. According to information available at least 3 Goan employees of Taj were killed by the bullets of the terrorists in the current hijacking of Taj Hotel Mumbai. All of them were Christians. Besides them there must have been some more Christians who laid down their precious lives in this war on terror and still more must have been involved in one way or the other in helping to overcome the current trauma faced in Mumbai. I am proud of their sacrifices and efforts they put in for the sake of Mumbai and India. Once again they proved to everyone that for the sake of India they are ready to do supreme sacrifices. Those Indians who were killing Christians and doubting their patriotism should know that Christians are also as great patriots of India as any other greatest patriot.
By the way, when this war was going on against terrorists, I was surprised to see total silence from Thackerys and their Shiv Senas. Where have the Siv Sainiks gone during this crisis in Mumbai? Why the Thackarys and their armies of Sainiks could not come out openly and face the bullets of the terrorists? Why could they not challenge the brute might of the Pakistani Muslim terrorists? They know to challenge only the Indian Muslims, like cowards. It is the North Indians, South Indians and Christians who faced the bullets of the terrorists and became martyrs for the sake of India. Where are the fanatic Hindus who were telling Christians that they are an-tiindians? The patriotism of Shiv Senas and their Sainiks and that of those who were killing Christians proved to be nothing but bogus patriotism.
With this terrorist attack, will such incidents come to an end? Never! As long as our political administration is in the hands of politicians with dubious character nothing will change in India for the good of the people. I will not be surprised to know at a later date that the recent terrorists who came from Pakistan were supported by some of our own politicians who do not care for India and Indians. The security of India will always remain vulnerable as long as crook politicians are at the helm of affairs. The biggest anti-nationals are some of the Indian politicians. What a shame it is for the Indian political system to allow politicians who were earlier convicted for crimes, anti-social activities and other illegal activities such as killings, smuggling, looting and robbing to contest the elections? How can these rogues give upright and judicious governance? Unless there is a change in this system thru constitutional amendment, if required, India will be ruled by rascals only who will remain hand in gloves with the terrorists.
Blaming Pakistan for these terrorist acts is not enough. Even though we have diplomatic relations with Pakistan at governmental level but still innumerable common Pakistanis are not friends of India. These Pakistanis will always love to damage India and Indians. They have hurt feelings. They still remember the trauma Pakistanis and Muslims in the Indian sub-continent were made to suffer during the partition of India in 1947. The wound was healed but mark will never. They still remember the humiliation they suffered because India dismembered Pakistan and created Bangladesh from East Pakistan. Pakistani Muslims feel that their Muslim brothers and sisters in India are persecuted. Babri Masjid incident is very fresh in their minds. Gujarat torturing of Muslim under Modi is yet another incident that hurt the ego of Muslims. These and many more such incidents create hatred into the minds of many Pakistanis for India and Indians. The result of this hatred is what we saw in Mumbai where we nor those Hindu fanatics who harass Muslims could do nothing to prevent. Those who were responsible for demolishing Babri Masjid and harassing Indian Muslims were turned silent spectators and remained hidden under the petticoats of their wives when Pakistani terrorist attacked Mumbai where none of the Hindu Shiv Sainiks nor BJP’s prominent personnel was killed. On the contrary Goan Christians were killed when they were innocent in order to save Thackerys “amchi” Mumbai.
The Pakistani Muslim terrorists do not care for dying. They made total mockery of Indian intelligence system. They are brain washed to die in the name of their religion by their false religious gurus. Islam does not accept killing of innocent people. Homicide and suicide are not accepted, they are both against the will of God. But militants are made to believe that their religion accept these cruelties. By committing such anti religious acts my Muslim brothers are creating a bad image of their Muslim religion which is otherwise really a great and compassionate religion. Islam has its greatness and beauty. Those Muslims who are upright in their belief must in unison condemn such barbaric acts of terrorists and declare such acts of terrorism are the sinful acts and against Islam.
Meantime, Hindu fanatics must stop acting like dadas of India and stop harassing Indian Muslims and other minorities and also stop retaliating against Muslims though Indian Muslims are not always right. Indian Muslims feel insecure under the brute majority of fanatic Hindus where Hindu fanatics like Thackerys and BJP feel India belongs to Hindus only. However, in the process of defending Indian Mumbai from the hands of Pakistani terrorists, along with others, Indian Christians, Sikhs, Muslims and other minorities too fought bravely. It is proved now thru this process that Indian minorities are also great patriots.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
.
As per the historical information, over a century back when the founder of Tata Busines Empire went to London and tried to check in one of the posh hotels there, he was refused entry because he was an Indian and not a white skinned man. In Britain some die-hard British were still believing in and practicing apartheid if not officially then at least in a disguise manner. When Tata asked the real reason for this negative answer, the Hotel management said Indians are not fit to stay in such a luxurious hotel. In an ensuing heated argument, Tata banged his hand on the Counter Table and demanded from the hotel management to quote him then and there the price of that hotel to purchase it outright. Annoyed by Tata’s demand and financial might, the hotel management to humiliate Tata in particular and Indians and blacks in general, put a board at the entrance of their hotel saying “Indians and Dogs Are Not Allowed”
Humiliated by this insult, Tata after returning to India, decided to retaliate and towards this direction constructed a beautiful and most luxurious Hotel in Bombay and named it as Taj Mahal. Then exactly in a retaliatory manner put a big name plate at the entrance of his new hotel saying “Dogs and British are Not Allowed”. The colonialists British irked by this move by the owner of Bombay Taj tried to bring pressure on Tata to change his attitude even approaching Nehru to impress upon Tata to change his mind but Tata remained firm even by suffering heavy losses due to the absence of British and Western clientele.
Bombay Taj was like a home for many of the Goan employees whom Taj management had unique affection for their dedication to hard work faithfully and diligently. Many of the high and low grade employees of Bombay Taj since its inception were Goans and it was they who put a strong base to Bombay Taj a century back. Best of the Goan musicians who played beautiful music were engaged by the Taj. Chef Mascharenhas from Anjuna and Pastry Chef Pasku from Sangolda were the two pillars of Taj and they both worked for a longer period there inspite of attaining the retirement age. It is these two finest Chefs who helped Taj to attain the highest standard that finally made Taj what it was. As a matter of fact, Chef Mascharenhas was never retired, instead he was retained till his last days not only as an employee with all the facilities but kept as a guest of Taj. Both these two stalwarts were not graduates of any Cateering College but they were graduates of the cooking skills they inherited from their parents. They were the real geniuses in their professions and both good hearted persons having lot of compassion befitting the tradition of Tatas.
The love for Goans by the Tatas can be well described in the following paragraph:
Sinquerim Taj in the jurisdiction of Candolim Panchayat was the first 5 Star Hotel of Goa. When it was made operational in early seventies, Sinquerimg Taj management contrary to the assurances given to the locals and Goans for preferential treatment in the matter of employment, gave preference for outsiders. I as a young revolutionary of my locality and still reading for Post Graduation at Panaji, and along with my colleague, during his maiden visit to Goa to step his foot on his Goa Taj, stopped JRD Tata’s Mercedes at Sinquerimg and disclosed to him how Goans were denied jobs in his newly opened Sinquerim Taj by his unGoan and anti-local management. Knowing this, JRD Tata the Chairman of Taj Hotels Co. was infuriated and shocked to know that Goans were denied jobs and immediately on the same night called an emergency meeting of his top personnel and set the things right for Goans in employment. And as a mark of protest against his lop sided management, abruptly left for Bombay instead of spending his holiday in Goa for a few days. This was the love and affection Taj shown to Goans. In appreciation of my boldness to fight for justice for the locals, I was offered a good job at Taj Sinquerim but I politely turned down this offer.
During those days, employing at Taj means a great honour. Many of my friends were engaged at Taj and I always used to make a point to go and meet them during their working hours. In this way, I was familiar with Taj not only with its delicious food but also many of its staff. According to information available at least 3 Goan employees of Taj were killed by the bullets of the terrorists in the current hijacking of Taj Hotel Mumbai. All of them were Christians. Besides them there must have been some more Christians who laid down their precious lives in this war on terror and still more must have been involved in one way or the other in helping to overcome the current trauma faced in Mumbai. I am proud of their sacrifices and efforts they put in for the sake of Mumbai and India. Once again they proved to everyone that for the sake of India they are ready to do supreme sacrifices. Those Indians who were killing Christians and doubting their patriotism should know that Christians are also as great patriots of India as any other greatest patriot.
By the way, when this war was going on against terrorists, I was surprised to see total silence from Thackerys and their Shiv Senas. Where have the Siv Sainiks gone during this crisis in Mumbai? Why the Thackarys and their armies of Sainiks could not come out openly and face the bullets of the terrorists? Why could they not challenge the brute might of the Pakistani Muslim terrorists? They know to challenge only the Indian Muslims, like cowards. It is the North Indians, South Indians and Christians who faced the bullets of the terrorists and became martyrs for the sake of India. Where are the fanatic Hindus who were telling Christians that they are an-tiindians? The patriotism of Shiv Senas and their Sainiks and that of those who were killing Christians proved to be nothing but bogus patriotism.
With this terrorist attack, will such incidents come to an end? Never! As long as our political administration is in the hands of politicians with dubious character nothing will change in India for the good of the people. I will not be surprised to know at a later date that the recent terrorists who came from Pakistan were supported by some of our own politicians who do not care for India and Indians. The security of India will always remain vulnerable as long as crook politicians are at the helm of affairs. The biggest anti-nationals are some of the Indian politicians. What a shame it is for the Indian political system to allow politicians who were earlier convicted for crimes, anti-social activities and other illegal activities such as killings, smuggling, looting and robbing to contest the elections? How can these rogues give upright and judicious governance? Unless there is a change in this system thru constitutional amendment, if required, India will be ruled by rascals only who will remain hand in gloves with the terrorists.
Blaming Pakistan for these terrorist acts is not enough. Even though we have diplomatic relations with Pakistan at governmental level but still innumerable common Pakistanis are not friends of India. These Pakistanis will always love to damage India and Indians. They have hurt feelings. They still remember the trauma Pakistanis and Muslims in the Indian sub-continent were made to suffer during the partition of India in 1947. The wound was healed but mark will never. They still remember the humiliation they suffered because India dismembered Pakistan and created Bangladesh from East Pakistan. Pakistani Muslims feel that their Muslim brothers and sisters in India are persecuted. Babri Masjid incident is very fresh in their minds. Gujarat torturing of Muslim under Modi is yet another incident that hurt the ego of Muslims. These and many more such incidents create hatred into the minds of many Pakistanis for India and Indians. The result of this hatred is what we saw in Mumbai where we nor those Hindu fanatics who harass Muslims could do nothing to prevent. Those who were responsible for demolishing Babri Masjid and harassing Indian Muslims were turned silent spectators and remained hidden under the petticoats of their wives when Pakistani terrorist attacked Mumbai where none of the Hindu Shiv Sainiks nor BJP’s prominent personnel was killed. On the contrary Goan Christians were killed when they were innocent in order to save Thackerys “amchi” Mumbai.
The Pakistani Muslim terrorists do not care for dying. They made total mockery of Indian intelligence system. They are brain washed to die in the name of their religion by their false religious gurus. Islam does not accept killing of innocent people. Homicide and suicide are not accepted, they are both against the will of God. But militants are made to believe that their religion accept these cruelties. By committing such anti religious acts my Muslim brothers are creating a bad image of their Muslim religion which is otherwise really a great and compassionate religion. Islam has its greatness and beauty. Those Muslims who are upright in their belief must in unison condemn such barbaric acts of terrorists and declare such acts of terrorism are the sinful acts and against Islam.
Meantime, Hindu fanatics must stop acting like dadas of India and stop harassing Indian Muslims and other minorities and also stop retaliating against Muslims though Indian Muslims are not always right. Indian Muslims feel insecure under the brute majority of fanatic Hindus where Hindu fanatics like Thackerys and BJP feel India belongs to Hindus only. However, in the process of defending Indian Mumbai from the hands of Pakistani terrorists, along with others, Indian Christians, Sikhs, Muslims and other minorities too fought bravely. It is proved now thru this process that Indian minorities are also great patriots.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
.
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