Everyday we hear people of Goa complaining of bad roads. The capital city of Panjim is more in the news. I want to share the plight of Margao and surrounding areas which I have noticed during my last visit to Goa late August 2011. The highway road which bisects from Nuvem bypassing through neighbouring Fatorda and entering Goa Bottling area is like a lake. This road was perfect during my previous visit in May 2011. The junction road at Goa Bottling which passes through old RTO office straight to Gogol, Housing Board and onwards is another horrible sight. The junctions at Gogol, Housing Board and Power House where this same stretch passes is a sight never witnessed before. The road from Chowgule College to Borda is another nightmare.
All these roads and more in South Goa were completely motor-able in May 2011and within a couple of months have been washed away. The reason is some of the perfect roads were dug just before monsoons on the pretext of hot mixing. Early June 2011 just below my building at Gogol junction one side of the road was scrapped for no apparent reason and hot-mixed in broad daylight when the traffic was at its peak and stopped after about 50 mtrs. Till today it is not completed. PWD engineers are blaming the ongoing monsoons for the roads being washed by rains. Ignorance at its height.
From where these engineers get their certificates from? Certainly from the local municipalities. Was there no retention retained from the PWD contractors? Was there no guarantee obtained from these PWD contractors? It seems the PWD contractors have only 40% of the total contract value left in the end after bagging the contract to construct the roads and have to use substandard material to finish the roads. Where does the 60% go even before the road is being built? Even a stray dog knows the reason behind the sorry state of the roads in Goa. The roads are hot-mixed in a hurry this year because by the time the same exercise is conducted it will election time and code of conduct will be in force and not possible for any more commission till elected again.
Very soon politicians will be coming to our door steps to promise us better roads in return for votes. Can we elect them in April next when the roads are good and dump them in August next when the roads turn bad? It is a known fact that on paper we goans have a government to rule the state, but governance is nil. Who is to be blamed for all this? We the Goans. God, Bless Goa and show Your Might before we are ravaged again by our own people.
Regards,
Xavier Furtado
September 14, 2011
ADVANI'S YATRA AND MODI'S FAST.
Advani’s Yatra And Modi’s Fast
Looks like fasting has become seasonal in India, no doubt it has some good effects on health as it detoxifies our bodies of gluttony and abuse but within a limit, in excess it could ruin ones health. There is absolutely no doubt that Anna’s fast has had a phenomenal effect all over India and especially on our corrupt politicians who at this moment are feeling a wee bit weak-kneed in the unconditional acceptance of Anna’s anti corruption mantra.
Corruption is the social and economic cancer that our politicians and bureaucrats have entrapped our Nation in, and over the years we ourselves have contributed to its magnanimity and enhancement, so much so that today corruption is become an enormous uncontrollable fire breathing dragon annihilating development, progress and the wellbeing of our people in it’s wake and it is rather unfortunate and amusing that we are still debating a solution.
Anna’s triad against corruption has given us a ray of hope amidst despair, but unfortunately the simplicity of Anna’s thoughts and being, has infused hope and offered opportunity to renegades, who brought India to the brink of a civil war amidst it communal agendas, to rise up from it’s ashes. It is indeed the opportunist agenda of Advani that has forced him yet again, on yet another yatra, interestingly the Nation is yet to recover from the first one.
If Advani and the BJP were sincere about getting rid of corrupt, why did Advani and BJP not implement the Lokpal during their tenure ? Or better still why is it not implemented in the BJP run states ? It’s always easier to see the speck in your neighbour’s eye ! Annaji even though took his time to assimilate the BJP agenda and their motive, has finally stood his ground and has refused to support and endorse Advani’s yatra, claiming it a ploy and a political gimmick, thus establishing equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP and rightly so. If Congress is deplorable BJP is certainly not the solution, two negatives may make a positive in modern mathematics but two wrongs just cannot make a right in reality and never will.
On the heels of Advani’s yatra proclamation, the Barbarian of Gujarat has heaved a sigh of relief form the decision of the SC and claimed victory even though he knows, he has been temporarily let off the hook, it will certainly take lot more than temporary relief to wash his hand clean of the blood from the worst massacre of free India. His loud proclamations of triumphant joy are rather premature.
His feeble attempt to propagate his secularist hue, a fast for a secular united India, is rather amusing, can wild animals forget the taste of blood or can leopards change their spots ? Without doubt his three victories in Gujarat have come entirely from his hard core communal and divisive agendas and all of a sudden he now fasts for secularism and unity, something must have certainly changed or is there another twist in the agenda, which certainly fits the bill.
Even if Modi is absolved by the SC, will he be washed clean of his deplorable sins and will the minorities ever forgive him and believe in our system of justice ? If Modi is absolved, there will surely be hundreds of right wind extremists waiting in the wings to pounce on and spill more blood of the minorities, if one can get away with a massacre, what guarantee is there that others won’t, thought that is fuel enough for a bloodbath. It does put an onus on our judiciary and our justice system to profess secularism, however pseudo it may be. India at this moment just cannot afford communalism under any guise or form nor can it afford corruption in the guise of pseudo secularism. So what are we left with ?
Even after more than sixty years of independence, all that we have in our bowl is, corruption, pseudo secularism and communalism, to choose from, is this what we want ? Is this all that we get ? If so, what good will our fasts and yatras do ? I can only say God help the land called India !
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes.
Looks like fasting has become seasonal in India, no doubt it has some good effects on health as it detoxifies our bodies of gluttony and abuse but within a limit, in excess it could ruin ones health. There is absolutely no doubt that Anna’s fast has had a phenomenal effect all over India and especially on our corrupt politicians who at this moment are feeling a wee bit weak-kneed in the unconditional acceptance of Anna’s anti corruption mantra.
Corruption is the social and economic cancer that our politicians and bureaucrats have entrapped our Nation in, and over the years we ourselves have contributed to its magnanimity and enhancement, so much so that today corruption is become an enormous uncontrollable fire breathing dragon annihilating development, progress and the wellbeing of our people in it’s wake and it is rather unfortunate and amusing that we are still debating a solution.
Anna’s triad against corruption has given us a ray of hope amidst despair, but unfortunately the simplicity of Anna’s thoughts and being, has infused hope and offered opportunity to renegades, who brought India to the brink of a civil war amidst it communal agendas, to rise up from it’s ashes. It is indeed the opportunist agenda of Advani that has forced him yet again, on yet another yatra, interestingly the Nation is yet to recover from the first one.
If Advani and the BJP were sincere about getting rid of corrupt, why did Advani and BJP not implement the Lokpal during their tenure ? Or better still why is it not implemented in the BJP run states ? It’s always easier to see the speck in your neighbour’s eye ! Annaji even though took his time to assimilate the BJP agenda and their motive, has finally stood his ground and has refused to support and endorse Advani’s yatra, claiming it a ploy and a political gimmick, thus establishing equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP and rightly so. If Congress is deplorable BJP is certainly not the solution, two negatives may make a positive in modern mathematics but two wrongs just cannot make a right in reality and never will.
On the heels of Advani’s yatra proclamation, the Barbarian of Gujarat has heaved a sigh of relief form the decision of the SC and claimed victory even though he knows, he has been temporarily let off the hook, it will certainly take lot more than temporary relief to wash his hand clean of the blood from the worst massacre of free India. His loud proclamations of triumphant joy are rather premature.
His feeble attempt to propagate his secularist hue, a fast for a secular united India, is rather amusing, can wild animals forget the taste of blood or can leopards change their spots ? Without doubt his three victories in Gujarat have come entirely from his hard core communal and divisive agendas and all of a sudden he now fasts for secularism and unity, something must have certainly changed or is there another twist in the agenda, which certainly fits the bill.
Even if Modi is absolved by the SC, will he be washed clean of his deplorable sins and will the minorities ever forgive him and believe in our system of justice ? If Modi is absolved, there will surely be hundreds of right wind extremists waiting in the wings to pounce on and spill more blood of the minorities, if one can get away with a massacre, what guarantee is there that others won’t, thought that is fuel enough for a bloodbath. It does put an onus on our judiciary and our justice system to profess secularism, however pseudo it may be. India at this moment just cannot afford communalism under any guise or form nor can it afford corruption in the guise of pseudo secularism. So what are we left with ?
Even after more than sixty years of independence, all that we have in our bowl is, corruption, pseudo secularism and communalism, to choose from, is this what we want ? Is this all that we get ? If so, what good will our fasts and yatras do ? I can only say God help the land called India !
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes.
September 13, 2011
CHURCH LEADERS BEWARE OF WHAT YOU PREACH.
Bishop Frances Mechallef.Monsg Frances Mechallef a Maltese citizen was ex Bishop of Kuwait who served Kuwait Vicaerate for about a quarter of a century. When he joined Kuwait Church I penned down a nice article on his pastoral activities he did before becoming Bishop of Kuwait. This article I wrote in the prestigious Goa’s monthly magazine “Goa Today”. Holding this magazine in his hand in the Church compound he told the people around him “there is a gift in this magazine for me from Goan community”. He was as a servant of God a very humble person readily stooped to any level to serve mankind and God and never acted like a feudal lord. Many times I saw him even brooming the Church compound floor and other areas of public and Church utilities. He had missionary zeal in him to serve the people. Humility was his hallmark and not feudality. He made himself accessible to every faithful even in the Church compound where he would give keen hearing to the advices and grievances of the faithful.
Front view of the Church with beautiful trees which are no more now.
He studied the situation of the faithful very well especially that of their financial plight. Knowing their genuine financial grievances he did not put extra burden on their already depleted financial kitty. He showed his total sympathy towards poor financial status of the faithful coming from Asian countries. Taking this view into consideration he never allowed visiting priests especially coming from Goa, Mangalore and Bombay to collect funds thru donations from the faithful here in Kuwait.
One day one visiting priest from Mangalore after his talk to the Konkani congregation in the Church Hall (Big), requested everyone to contribute One KD each for his missionary work in Mangalore. At that particular moment Bishop Mechallef was strolling outside the hall and Fr John Pinto and me we were talking also outside the hall. Suddenly when Bishop heard the word from the visiting priest saying “Only One KD”, Bishop Mechallef immediately got alerted and called Fr. Pinto and forcefully told Fr. Pinto to instruct the visiting Mangalorean priest to stop this Dinar business saying people here in Kuwait have enough of financial problem and this Dinar business should not put extra burden on their financial resources.
One day one visiting priest from Mangalore after his talk to the Konkani congregation in the Church Hall (Big), requested everyone to contribute One KD each for his missionary work in Mangalore. At that particular moment Bishop Mechallef was strolling outside the hall and Fr John Pinto and me we were talking also outside the hall. Suddenly when Bishop heard the word from the visiting priest saying “Only One KD”, Bishop Mechallef immediately got alerted and called Fr. Pinto and forcefully told Fr. Pinto to instruct the visiting Mangalorean priest to stop this Dinar business saying people here in Kuwait have enough of financial problem and this Dinar business should not put extra burden on their financial resources.
Bishop Mechallef seen with Church Helpers.
Bishop Mechallef view was that Kuwait should not be Dinar milking cow for the visiting priests especially in the Church premises. His contention was that visiting priests as Priests should be smart enough and graceful enough to raise funds for their missionary work without pinching the already pinched pockets of the local faithful. He very well knew the poor financial plight of the faithful here in Kuwait. For this reason without demanding any contribution in any form from the faithful he constructed such a big edifice in the Church compound costing millions of Dinars. Bishop Mechallef wanted every faithful in Kuwait to make maximum use of his hard earned Dinar for his own personal benefit and security. He knew how faithful are suffering in Kuwait to earn that One Dinar. He knew the hardship the faithful faced during the invasion of Kuwait for having no Dinar while the very priests who collected Dinars from the faithful in Kuwait happily enjoyed their life as usual.
Bishop Mechallef disliked taxing faithful either directly or indirectly. More so he hated collecting fund by the priest and Church authorities thru organising of commercial ventures like Dramas and Ballroom Dances. He said like Mahatma Gandhi “If means are bad then ends must also be bad”. He felt to raise funds for Church activities by organising functions that lead to sins is an antichristian act. According to one Theologist faithful should not be a party to the fund raising campaign by the Church and priests thru organising of commercial ventures in the name of God and Church. He further said that commercial ventures are creating occasions for sins, for this reasons good faithful should refrain from joining in such ventures even though the Church leaders may think what they do is correct. Time is not very far for the Church leaders to commercialise the females involved in the Church affairs, and that too to raise funds for the Church activities.
Bishop Mechallef disliked taxing faithful either directly or indirectly. More so he hated collecting fund by the priest and Church authorities thru organising of commercial ventures like Dramas and Ballroom Dances. He said like Mahatma Gandhi “If means are bad then ends must also be bad”. He felt to raise funds for Church activities by organising functions that lead to sins is an antichristian act. According to one Theologist faithful should not be a party to the fund raising campaign by the Church and priests thru organising of commercial ventures in the name of God and Church. He further said that commercial ventures are creating occasions for sins, for this reasons good faithful should refrain from joining in such ventures even though the Church leaders may think what they do is correct. Time is not very far for the Church leaders to commercialise the females involved in the Church affairs, and that too to raise funds for the Church activities.
Old Grotto of Mother Mary in the Church compound.
Many times Church leaders and Bishops in the name of Christian religion gave opposite views on the same subjects thereby distorting the true Christian doctrine. During the Second World War, German Bishop expressed his views on this war in support of Hitler and his party Nazi while the Bishop of England opposed Hitlerism and Nazism. German Bishop supported the War while England’s Bishop opposed this war. During the invasion of Kuwait, coming on to Iraqi TV in the month of September 1990, the Chaldean Bishop of Iraq supported Saddam and the invasion of Kuwait while all the Bishops in the world opposed the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. In view of this, who is expressing the correct view of our religion? For one Bishop Fund collection drive thru commercial and sinful activities is acceptable while for other not. Who is correct? God alone will know but many Bishops and priest are fooling the faithful in the name of the religion to suit their needs. They will even embrace Lucifer to get their work done.
The late Fr. Freddy J. D’Costa in early eighties came to Kuwait with the letter from the Patriarch of Goa to organise a Tiatro in the Church Hall to raise funds for the missionary work of Fr. Freddy in Goa. Immediately after reading this letter, Bishop Mechallef fired his reply to Goa Patriarch asking him “What Pastoral Significance Fr. Freddy’s visit is having in Kuwait? Is it the job of a priest to organise such commercial ventures where there is no spiritual benefit?”
Priests’ job according to Bishop Mechallef is to take care of the spiritual needs of the faithful thereby strengthening the moral fabrics of the faithful especially in places like Kuwait where opportunities for sinful acts are plenty. Today Priests and Bishops in many places are become hungry for money and wordly honour, they have lost their sanity to act spiritually upright. God may give them spiritual wisdom to act right. But as lay persons it is our duty to correct them when they are going wrong if we love our religion.
The late Fr. Freddy J. D’Costa in early eighties came to Kuwait with the letter from the Patriarch of Goa to organise a Tiatro in the Church Hall to raise funds for the missionary work of Fr. Freddy in Goa. Immediately after reading this letter, Bishop Mechallef fired his reply to Goa Patriarch asking him “What Pastoral Significance Fr. Freddy’s visit is having in Kuwait? Is it the job of a priest to organise such commercial ventures where there is no spiritual benefit?”
Priests’ job according to Bishop Mechallef is to take care of the spiritual needs of the faithful thereby strengthening the moral fabrics of the faithful especially in places like Kuwait where opportunities for sinful acts are plenty. Today Priests and Bishops in many places are become hungry for money and wordly honour, they have lost their sanity to act spiritually upright. God may give them spiritual wisdom to act right. But as lay persons it is our duty to correct them when they are going wrong if we love our religion.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
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