Not Gone, but Goodbye Goa!
By Valmiki Faleiro
“Goa, going… gone…!” A recent expression that has turned so trite, it is now a cliché.
Goa ain’t “going” anywhere. It will stay where it is. It is the ancient “Aparanta,” the land
beyond the end. Goa won’t end. She is only getting reborn. In such shape that future
Goans will have no idea of her pristine face, heart, and soul.
The Goa of the generation of our grandparents is practically extinct. Together with her
fire-torches and ponnttis, bullock carts and vhoddims, many paddy fields and khazans,
and now, her forests and rivers. Goa evolved thus because our old values did likewise.
The Goa that our grandchildren will inherit is a shuddering thought.
Nothing comes free. Everything in life has its price. Like every coin, evolvement has two
sides. Post-1961, we got better education but no local jobs. Emigration and remittances,
a better lifestyle, but also migrants. Better healthcare gave us longevity, but resulted in a
negative birth rate. Down the line, we lost our ‘Goemkarponn,’ our soul.
Senior chronicler and raconteur, Mário Cabral e Sá, wrote in his “Wind of Fire” (Promilla
& Co., New Delhi, 1997, ISBN: 81-85002-19-3): “Nothing ever remains the same. Goa is
no exception. Since its liberation in December 1961, the rural landscape changed almost
dramatically ...
“Gone is the drudgery of long hauls to the village well … also the gatherings at the well
and the influence it had on folk life, gone are the poets who wrote by flickering divlis, and
gone are the street vendors and their cries, and the cries of the shepards steering their
herds along dirt tracks and hill slopes. Gone is the good old conviviality on which folk life
thrived and moulded itself. As a former Chief Minister of Goa said, “the whole of Goa is
now semi-urban”.”
A semi-urban slum, if you will, in a painful process of rebirth. Goa was once Mother
Nature’s blessed land, largely bereft of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, drought,
deluge and pestilence, storms, locust and hurricanes. That paradise has changed.
Four and half centuries ago, Goa’s Patron Saint Francis Xavier himself, if I err not, is
said to have prophesied, “Goa, ninguem levará, por si acabará” (Nobody will conquer
Goa, it will perish by itself.)
In Dec-1961, India’s first-ever woman editor, our own Leonor (“Lolita”) de Loyola Furtado
e Fernandes wrote: “Regimes fall, empires vanish, ideologies die; we must work for Goa
to live forever.”
In 1963, Pandit Nehru on his Goa visit had predicted, “Goa has a distinct personality … it
will be a pity to destroy that individuality. With the influx of time, a change may come, but
… it will be made by Goans themselves.”
Decades later, tiatrist M. Boyer sang, “Gōy bhitorlean pokoddlam, fokot suropaien urlam”
(Goa has hollowed from the inside, only her exterior beauty survives.)
Goans changed, from within.
The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, had said: “We must be the change we wish
to see.”
We abandoned our “Goanness.” When a people lose their culture, can their land ever
remain the same? That is the chief loss I mourn. It is the chorus of my requiem for Goa.
The Goa of the 1950s and ‘60s we knew and loved is irreversibly lost.
When Portugal was ruled by Spain after the foolhardy disaster of al-Ksar-el-Kebir, her
national poet, Luis de Camoens, lamented: “All will see that so dear to me was my
country; I was content to die not in it but with it.”
I shall end with a quote from one among my all-time favourite authors, Ayn Rand, the
American conservative icon, in ‘Atlas Shrugged.’ Though written in 1957, it is relevant to
the Goa of today:
"When you see that trading is done not by consent but by compulsion, when you see
that in order to produce you need permission from men who produce nothing, when you
see money flowing to those who deal not in goods but in favors, when you see that men
get richer by graft than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them but protect
them against you, when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming self-
sacrifice, you know your society is doomed."
Goodbye Goa! (Series ends.)
(ENDS)
November 1, 2009
October 30, 2009
TIBET AND GOA.
TIBET AND GOA.
Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetans living in Tibet and elsewhere in the World, including in Goa where you will find lot of Tibetans. Tibet being a distinct identity has its own history, culture, tradition, folklore, religion and many other attributes that makes it different from Chinese attributes. Yet in 1959 China crushed Tibetan movement for independence whence Dalai Lama fled to India thereby China acquiring full control over Tibet and Tibetans. Fighting for independent country Tibet, China dubbed freedom fighter Tibetans and their spiritual leader Dalai Lama as splittist. Dalai Lama in that failed uprising in 1959 left Tibet and ran for his safety to India where he took shelter in Arunachal Pradesh, a northern Indian State bordering China. Surprisingly China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory and still demands its sovereignty over this beautiful northern Indian State.
China is a big threat to India. In 1962 China fought a bitter and fierce war with India killing hundreds of Indian soldiers and acquiring thousands of square metres of Indian land about which India till today cannot do anything and will never be able to do anything in future too. Instead of settling this matter and getting back this Indian land, India like beggar went with folded hands to China to offer its hand of friendship. China is number one enemy of India and NOT Pakistan. Pakistan’s No. one enemy is its own people who are all out to split Pakistan into pieces and they are engaged in this process as we see in the current chaos in Pakistan. To fight Pakistan and to split it into pieces Pakistan does not need India. It was enough once India splitted Pakistan into two pieces and created Bangladesh. Now Pakistani citizens themselves are in the process of splitting Pakistan further.
In the first week of next month, Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Arunachal Pradesh to meet Tibetan exiles there. Irked by this news, China is threatening India with dire consequences if India allows Dalai Lama to enter Arunachal Pradesh. China thinks India is its father’s property. China even showed its displeasure when Indian Premier recently visited Arunachal Pradesh. China is trying to control India thru remote control. Like Israel, China is also vying for greater supremacy over territories beyond its present borders. Israel is planning to acquire neighbouring areas from its current borders to make greater Israel. Both China and Israel are hungry for more land from neighbouring countries. And India is not far behind China and Israel in this race of grabbing other people’s land.
About quarter of a century back India swallowed Sikkim and 48 years back by using brute military force India that is Bharat invaded Goa in 1961 December and converted Goa into a rotten Indian State just like any other rotten Indian State with rotten Indians at the helm of political affairs. These rotten Indians since 1962 are coming to Goa rampantly and destroying genuine Goan culture, tradition, history, folklore and language and also religious practices. The Indians who are coming to Goa and settling down in Goa are overwhelmingly third class rubbish Bharatis who are upsetting the demographic structure of Goa to suit their needs, of course with the backing of the rascal local politicians who are rampantly destroying Goa. As a matter of fact, Goa is no more what it was at the time of the exit of Portuguese from Goa. Goa is now totally destroyed by the non-Goans who are rapist, robbers, criminals, crooks and chicaners. All the corruption and dirtiness that is existing in Goa now is resulted from the militarily forced entry into Goa by all the corrupt Bharatis including politicians from Delhi who are rampantly robbing India by living like Maharajas at the cost of poor tax payers money. There is no cunning and corrupt person in this World like that of a corrupt and cunning Bharati. Goa and Goans were not accustomed to such cunning and corrupt persons among them in Goa but due to the influx of unwanted third class Bharatis in Goa from all over Bharat because of the invasion of Goa in 1961 by Bharat, Goa lost all its great pristine qualities thereby even making Goans also bad. Learning from their Bharati masters, current generation of Goans is becoming more and more corrupt. As it is, during the last 48 years of Bharati domination, Goan politicians have already learnt the worst qualities of their worst political gurus elsewhere in Bharat and thus Goan politicians succeeded in outsmarting their already corrupt Bharati gurus.
In this same manner Tibet under the domination of Communist China will suffer and get dissolved under the influence of Chinese. In few years time, China will totally destroy cultural, historical, traditional and other aspects of Tibet and Tibetans same way as Bharat and Bharatis have done for Goa and Goans in Goa. I pity Tibet exactly the way I pity my Goa.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetans living in Tibet and elsewhere in the World, including in Goa where you will find lot of Tibetans. Tibet being a distinct identity has its own history, culture, tradition, folklore, religion and many other attributes that makes it different from Chinese attributes. Yet in 1959 China crushed Tibetan movement for independence whence Dalai Lama fled to India thereby China acquiring full control over Tibet and Tibetans. Fighting for independent country Tibet, China dubbed freedom fighter Tibetans and their spiritual leader Dalai Lama as splittist. Dalai Lama in that failed uprising in 1959 left Tibet and ran for his safety to India where he took shelter in Arunachal Pradesh, a northern Indian State bordering China. Surprisingly China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory and still demands its sovereignty over this beautiful northern Indian State.
China is a big threat to India. In 1962 China fought a bitter and fierce war with India killing hundreds of Indian soldiers and acquiring thousands of square metres of Indian land about which India till today cannot do anything and will never be able to do anything in future too. Instead of settling this matter and getting back this Indian land, India like beggar went with folded hands to China to offer its hand of friendship. China is number one enemy of India and NOT Pakistan. Pakistan’s No. one enemy is its own people who are all out to split Pakistan into pieces and they are engaged in this process as we see in the current chaos in Pakistan. To fight Pakistan and to split it into pieces Pakistan does not need India. It was enough once India splitted Pakistan into two pieces and created Bangladesh. Now Pakistani citizens themselves are in the process of splitting Pakistan further.
In the first week of next month, Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Arunachal Pradesh to meet Tibetan exiles there. Irked by this news, China is threatening India with dire consequences if India allows Dalai Lama to enter Arunachal Pradesh. China thinks India is its father’s property. China even showed its displeasure when Indian Premier recently visited Arunachal Pradesh. China is trying to control India thru remote control. Like Israel, China is also vying for greater supremacy over territories beyond its present borders. Israel is planning to acquire neighbouring areas from its current borders to make greater Israel. Both China and Israel are hungry for more land from neighbouring countries. And India is not far behind China and Israel in this race of grabbing other people’s land.
About quarter of a century back India swallowed Sikkim and 48 years back by using brute military force India that is Bharat invaded Goa in 1961 December and converted Goa into a rotten Indian State just like any other rotten Indian State with rotten Indians at the helm of political affairs. These rotten Indians since 1962 are coming to Goa rampantly and destroying genuine Goan culture, tradition, history, folklore and language and also religious practices. The Indians who are coming to Goa and settling down in Goa are overwhelmingly third class rubbish Bharatis who are upsetting the demographic structure of Goa to suit their needs, of course with the backing of the rascal local politicians who are rampantly destroying Goa. As a matter of fact, Goa is no more what it was at the time of the exit of Portuguese from Goa. Goa is now totally destroyed by the non-Goans who are rapist, robbers, criminals, crooks and chicaners. All the corruption and dirtiness that is existing in Goa now is resulted from the militarily forced entry into Goa by all the corrupt Bharatis including politicians from Delhi who are rampantly robbing India by living like Maharajas at the cost of poor tax payers money. There is no cunning and corrupt person in this World like that of a corrupt and cunning Bharati. Goa and Goans were not accustomed to such cunning and corrupt persons among them in Goa but due to the influx of unwanted third class Bharatis in Goa from all over Bharat because of the invasion of Goa in 1961 by Bharat, Goa lost all its great pristine qualities thereby even making Goans also bad. Learning from their Bharati masters, current generation of Goans is becoming more and more corrupt. As it is, during the last 48 years of Bharati domination, Goan politicians have already learnt the worst qualities of their worst political gurus elsewhere in Bharat and thus Goan politicians succeeded in outsmarting their already corrupt Bharati gurus.
In this same manner Tibet under the domination of Communist China will suffer and get dissolved under the influence of Chinese. In few years time, China will totally destroy cultural, historical, traditional and other aspects of Tibet and Tibetans same way as Bharat and Bharatis have done for Goa and Goans in Goa. I pity Tibet exactly the way I pity my Goa.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
October 29, 2009
Navelim Soccer Fest: Don Bosco down Raiders for Title
-by gasper crasto - www.goa-world.com/ & www.indianfootball.com/Kuwait: “Whatever Navelim does in Kuwait, they are always successful,” said the chief guest Mr. Raymond D’Sa in his speech at the prize distribution function of the Navelim Soccer Fest 7 a-side football finale held on October 22.
It was indeed a festivity for soccer players and spectators under sparkling floodlights of the tournament played over two weekends at Surra Stadium. Don Bosco Oratory emerged champions from among 18 teams beating Skynet Raiders 5-4 in the final.
The Soccer Fest sponsored by Gulf Custody Company - leading Fund Custody and Administration service providers in the Middle-East was attended by a number of distinguished dignitaries of the Indian community.
Don Bosco and Skynet Raiders were locked goalless in the final at the end of normal time. In the ensuing final Don Bosco were spot on target with Steven Rodrigues, Liston Raju (captain), Valenky Rodrigues, Peter Fernandes and Michael Dias. Other members of the champion team consisted of Larry Aguiar, Leo Rodrigues, Philip Duarte, Savio Kambada, Livon D’Souza and Noel D’Souza.
Earlier, Don Bosco overcame strong contenders Kuwait Goan Association (KGA) in the quarters and DHL in the semis thanks to Don Bosco goalkeeper Blesson D’Souza for superlative saves especially in the tie-breaks including the final. Blesson was later adjudged Man of the Match (Finals).
On the other side, Raiders defeated Domnic Savio in their quarterfinal match and CRC Chinchinim in the semis. The team comprised of Hendry (goalkeeper), Christy Menezes (captain), Anthony Cardoso, Alex Goes, Zico, Bobby, Anthony Cardozo, Rudolph, Benjamin, Casino, Ronald and Salam.
P.A. Tony officiated the final assisted by Derrick Gomendes and Manuel Dias.
Kuwait Goan Association (KGA) were awarded the best discipline team of the tournament.
In an exhibition match of boys under-15 played prior to the grand finals, Skynet Raiders led by Damie Christie beat Los Galacticos by 2-0. Faiyaz Rafi, Cliff Gonsalves, Jawad Khan, Antonio D’Silva, Darren Gomes, Aldridge Fernandes, Joshua Barretto, Nigel Gonsalves, Raed Deshiman and Declan Ferrao were outstanding for the winners while Shehzad Hussain, Divyansh, Vaibhav, Sarfaraz, Fahad, Murtaza, Aziz and Cyriac Thomas excelled for the losers.
Chief guest Mr. Raymond D’Sa, President of GOA Maroons, an enthusiastic football lover who has contributed immensely towards Indian football in Kuwait over the years, praised Navelim for the high standard of organization and taking up initiatives to promote friendship among Indians in Kuwait through various activities.
“We are happy to support sports activities such as these as we believe that healthy bodies create healthy minds,” was the message to the participating teams and event organizers from Gulf Custody Company, the event sponsors. Agnello Fernandes, President of Navelim Youth Centre, in his speech thanked the participating teams for the sporting spirit displayed during the tournament, the sponsors of the event, the attending crowd and reiterated that they will continue to hold activities like this in future.
Earlier, Navelim Soccer Fest Tournament Coordinator Gasper Crasto welcomed the guests, compered and proposed a vote of thanks. On behalf of Navelim he thanked the media especially Arab Times, www.indianfootball.com, www.goa-world.com, www.indiansinkuwait.com, http://mangalorean.com, etc, for exclusive coverage of the tournament.
The glittering trophies and prizes were presented at the hands of Raymond D’Sa, Agnello Fernandes, Luis D’Silva, Mohammed Ali Athararoa, Lawry Pinto, Cajetan Pereira, Norman Noronha, Simon Dias, Esparansa Crasto, Neeta Fernandes, and Reena Furtado. The Manager of Surra Stadium Mr. Mohammed Ali Athararoa was presented with a memento for his support towards the Indian community and the Navelim Soccer Fest.
Following prizes were awarded:
Player of the tournament – Bobby (Skynet Raiders),
Man of the Finals – (Blesson D’Souza – Don Bosco Oratory)
Best Striker – Michael D’Souza (Don Bosco Oratory)
Best Discipline Team – Kuwait Goan Association
Exhibition Match Winners – Skynet Raiders under-15
Exhibition Match Runners-up – Los Galacticos
:::All Photos by: Simon Dias, Professional Photographer - thelensmen@yahoo.com Tel. No. 97827670:::
The above news has appeared in Arab Times - Page No. 48 dated 29 October 2009. The news is also featured in http://mangalorean.com, www.indianfootball.com, www.indiansinkuwait.com, etc.
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