NARENDRA MODI - BJP AND CONFUSION IN BJP.

The elevation of Narendra Modi to the position of chief of BJP’s election campaign is a step forward for the demolition of BJP in the next general election. Elevating Modi to that position means openly disclosing the bankruptcy in BJP rank of having no good leader to shoulder that responsibility. Some in BJP rank including our Parrikar feel Modi is the saviour of the country now. Modi is nothing but a butcher under whose leadership a decade back poor Muslims were ruthlessly massacred in Gujarat. Just because he won the election for BJP in Gujarat for 3 times that does not mean he is the leader of national stature. Modi is only a regional leader with parochial thoughts who can swim only in Gujarat and not at all India level. All India level is a big ocean where Modi will never be able to swim.

By raising Modi to the pedestal in BJP rank Congress chances of coming back to power at all India level are brightened. Victory for Congress at all India level was almost assured on silver platter because it is a very good opportunity for the anti-BJP forces to dump Modi in the gutter by citing the atrocities Modi committed on minority community Muslim and making this subject as a big election issue. Knowing his ruthless atrocities against Muslims, I think no member of minority communities will elect his BJP. He can take Gujarat for granted but surely not other parts of India. And if by chance he is appointed as Premier, Indians will have to put their heads down in shame for having such a rowdy man as premier. At international level he will be a big failure and globally India’s image will also suffer.

I as a Christian am afraid to vote for BJP where Modi is in a top position. Modi means massacre and amputation of the minorities in India. Just because he is good for Gujarat that does not mean he is good for India. Because of his ruthlessness against minorities in India he was banned from entering into the West. It will be a big shame for Indians to be under his leadership. In Gujarat under Modi's leadership people are not having bath in Milk. Still due to unemployment in Gujarat many Gujaratis are coming to Kuwait for low grade jobs. Modi has not created a Heaven in Gujarat. He is just an ordinary leader with Goebellian art of fooling the masses.

His main purpose to come to the top position is to demolish Congress. I heard many speeches he delivered but in all his speeches he vomited fire against Congress. No doubt Congress has to be punished because many of the India’s ills are the doings of Congress but his mind and tongue should not be focussed on Congress only. So far he has not disclosed his plan how the poverty in India will be finished. He has not told how he will finish unemployment in India. So far he never mentioned how he will bring changes in India and uproot corruption from Indian soil.

According to my assessment, if Modi and his BJP comes to power, BJP men will do worst than Congressmen by imbibing all the bad habits and feudality of Congress. Like Congressmen, BJP will never identify themselves with the masses. They will behave and live like Maharajas exactly the way Congressmen are doing. During the Goa BJP meet there was chartered Plane for its president Rajnath to take him to Delhi. What a pompous show at the cost of taxpayers’ money!! Parrikar also frittered away public money by releasing government advertisement for this meet. This Goa meet was the private affairs of BJP where public money should not be spent but Parrikar and his BJP spent without caring for anything. From here one can visualise what harm BJP will do if they come to power.

Parrikar may be thinking the entire Goa is for his BJP. No, the entire Goa was for destroying the family Raj system in Goan politics and the entire Goa was all for destroying Congress in Goa. Taking this view into consideration, Goa voted out Congress and in the bargain Parrikar’s BJP got elected. In the next election Parrikar and his BJP will be taught heir lesson well.

The meeting of BJP in Panaji was a great failure and this fact can be accepted from the manner some of the top BJP leaders abstained from taking part in this meet. There was heavy opposition from the senior leaders to elevate Modi and the crack that appeared now will be magnified during the coming election. Advani the seniormost BJP leader has already fired a salvo by submitting his resignation. To destroy Modi now you don’t need Congress and other opponents but the opponents living in the BJP only will destroy BJP. The enemy of BJP is now residing within itself only. The innocent blood of those who were killed in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition by BJP and those of Gujarat under BJP's Modi will never allow BJP to live in peace. Confusion in BJP is the punishment of God for BJP.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

GLOBAL GOANS.

GLOBAL GOANS

 

By Aires Rodrigues

 

When this government assumed office 15 months ago on 9th March last year, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had rightly pointed out that Goa’s exploding population needs to be frozen. But this government has done nothing towards achieving this end, except the empty talk on Special status for Goa. Infact the government has been drafting in more ‘migrants’ and even posting them in high positions despite there being no dearth of qualified Goans available.

Infact the role of the Goa NRI commission should have been to act as a catalyst in drawing avenues and opportunities to encourage Goans currently out of Goa to return back and preserve their soil.

Historically, Goan emigration patterns have unique characteristics which differ from the rest of India. The Inquisition and religious persecution were evident in the sixteenth century. Later, the Portuguese and the Jesuits introduced excellent schools with Portuguese and English as the medium of instruction. However, there were no opportunities available in Goa for the products of the system which were snapped up elsewhere. This trend is evident even in the present day.

Mumbai (Bombay) and service on ocean liners were the targets for emigration at the turn of the 19th century. This changed to East Africa, and when the doors closed there, the Gulf States beckoned. More recently it has been United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States.

The Overseas Goans led the Struggle for Freedom against the Portuguese. They provided the motivation for the political leaders to take action. Of course, those in Goa did not have the opportunity to protest.

Though the Catholics have always been a minority within Goa, they have been the majority in terms of emigrants. The reasons for this are complex but their names, religion, diet, attire etc. led them to be easily identified. The Goans abroad developed a pride in their identity, which passed from one generation to the next and also manifested in an urge to preserve the culture and assist their kith and kin back in Goa.

The motives were not always altruistic. The Non Resident Goan was known to flash his wealth in a most obscene manner in order to attract attention and in the hope of obtaining recognition. Church roof repairs, school extensions, Community halls etc. were the favoured targets of charity as one could then negotiate the mounting of a plaque to record the generosity for the world to see.

There remains a disturbing perception of the ideal Goa as seen by the average Non Resident who would like it to remain unchanged, and as a source for cheap idyllic holidays. The Non resident Goans and more importantly, the youth want to see changes with employment opportunities. They would prefer to make their home in Goa.

Fortunately, in recent years, there have been changes in how overseas Goans perceive Goa. This has largely come about because of computer communications and also because of the greater tolerance and even encouragement of ethnic cultures abroad. There are a number of electronic mailing lists for Goans – international ones, regional, village, alumni, etc. and they focus on issues and projects for the support of Goans in Goa and those abroad. Communication between Goans even in the same neighborhood abroad, which was once impossible, is now available to all.

At the same time in the countries abroad there is a growing awareness and acceptance of a multicultural society. There is a growing appreciation not only of the food but also of the music, dance, literature, festivals, folklore etc. In that climate the Goan culture is nurtured abroad and the next generation is learning more about it than the previous one.

Goans abroad have invested in Goa whether it is money deposited in Goan banks, holiday homes or in business ventures. However, the overseas Goans are not always totally satisfied with what they see in Goa. They are repelled by the culture of corruption that has become a part of the new Goan society and just cannot relate to the acceptance of these standards.

The bureaucratic processes endemic in Indian methodology puts off many Non Residents from investing locally. Over the years International Goan Conventions have been held to deliberate on issues concerning Goa and related to Non Residents. There had been a unanimous demand for the Government of Goa to set up an NRI (Non Resident Indian) Centre as a focal point to redress problems of NRIs and to see what role they could play in the progress and development of Goa. In response to this demand the Government of Goa set up a “NRI Commission”. We have yet to see anything concrete achieved by this outfit, which started in February 2006 with ambitious plans.

Many NRIs after years of service abroad long to settle in the land of their origin. But for many reasons they get disheartened and give up. For someone who has never witnessed water supply shortages or power failures it is a nightmare coping with the erratic water and power supply which has been a matter of routine in this State of Goa. NRIs also feel that the prospects of a good education in Goa for their children is bleak and this is something the Government should focus on. Good hospitals and quality professional educational institutions are something Goa so dearly needs.

Overall, if Goa’s infrastructure is improved this will motivate many NRIs to come back and set up shop in the place that is so dear to them. But politicians have their fingers in every pie, and nothing runs professionally or free from political interference.

In recent years a lot of Goan politicians have made overseas trips, ostensibly as study projects abroad. It was expected that they would bring home some ideas to improve things here. Unfortunately, these trips at taxpayer expense have in reality been shopping and sightseeing junkets for our politicians.

I remember the 70’s when one had to stand in a queue at Panaji (Panjim) to make an ordinary/ lightning telephone call to Bombay, let alone overseas. Today with the evolution of Information Technology we are in a different world. Goans across the globe keep track of what is happening in Goa on a day to day basis through Goan newspapers which are on the Internet.

Many Goans feel the urge to play a role in shaping the future of Goa but the authorities would have to play their role to encourage NRIs to return and invest their skills and savings in the land of their roots. The very high level of corruption in Goa is something every NRI detests. So a war on corruption by the Government of Goa could be the starting point in bringing Goa closer to every NRI Goan.

The modern NRIs are far more professional, skilled, articulate, motivated, caring and affluent than the previous generation. They have an empathy towards Goa and regard it more than just another holiday destination. These sentiments have to be tapped by the Government with the aim of seeking mutual benefit. But all too often the Government is out to exploit and fleece them.

INHUMAN WAY OF DEPORTATION.

Illegal invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein was the great criminal act committed by him on the small and peace loving country Kuwait. Equally great criminal act committed by Saddam Hussein was allowing his soldiers to arrest expatriates in invaded Kuwait while they were going to work and deport them back to their home countries. This was on the first day of the invasion of Kuwait.

One of my friends Royal Agnelo on the day of the invasion of Kuwait was going to work early in the morning in his car along with his colleagues. He was not aware that Iraqi troops have already entered and captured Kuwait. Suddenly at one particular spot while driving to work he was stopped by the Iraqi soldiers. He and his colleagues were surprised of this raid on them. They did not know till that particular moment that the soldiers on Kuwaiti streets who captured them were Iraqis. This was most intriguing moment for them because they had firm belief that Kuwaiti soldiers and also Police force will never arrest them recklessly without valid reason. But finally they accepted the fact. Then they were pulled out from their vehicle keeping it abandoned there only on the road and dumped them like goats into the Iraqi bus and sent them to Basrah for deportation to Bombay after a few days.

During their imprisonment first at Basrah and then at Baghdad they were kept like goats in a very congested room without proper sanitation, food, water and other amenities necessary for their survival. Royal Agnelo’s wife and children were kept in total darkness of where about of him because the inhuman and stone hearted Iraqi soldiers did not even allow him to call his wife at home in Kuwait to inform her of what has happened to him and where he is and many others too who were caught similarly on the streets of Kuwait. Arresting innocent expatriates is one crime while preventing them from calling their families to inform of what has happened to them is another crime. It is not only a crime but a big sin that one can commit against one’s religion. It is also a violation of human right.

Iraq being an Islamic country and also a member of OIC had to maintain certain discipline of Islamic religion which shows lot of compassion for the weak.  Islam is a great religion which shows soft corner for the weaker segment of the society.  By treating Royal Agnelo and his colleagues in inhuman ways the Iraqi soldiers of Saddam Hussein commited a great mistake.

After my evacuation from Kuwait to Goa, I discussed this criminal act of Iraqi regime with top politicians and Muslim scholars who condemned this inhuman act of Iraqi soldiers against innocent human beings. Some Muslim scholars condemned it saying such treatment to human beings by Iraq was against their religion because Islam forbids such inhuman treatment. According to them Islam is a compassionate religion which treats even captured enemy soldiers in the war with compassion and with human decency and not with Jewish barbarity as Iraqi soldiers did to Royal Agnelo and his colleagues and to others as well.

What they were losing by giving an opportunity to Royal Agnelo and to others with him to phone their family members in Kuwait? By denying the opportunity of phone call Iraqi regime and its soldiers put innocent people into unbearable tension. This was a human right issue and during my involvement in Goa-Kuwait Solidarity movement in Goa in support of the liberation of Kuwait I made lot of noise on this topic to know them how some of the Arabs are treating expatriates in their countries. Somebody even suggested to me to go to Delhi and conduct a Dharna in front of Iraqi Embassy to draw the attention of all of the barbarity of Iraqi regime. A group of people even volunteered to come with me to Delhi to make m;ore noise.

Deportation is ok for law breakers as per the host country’s law but not in inhuman manner. The deported persons should be given the facility to call their family members to inform that they are caught by the security for breaking the law of their countries and that they are going to be deported. This is the civilised manner. But what good one can expect from the brute regime of Saddam Hussein? And on top of it Saddam Hussein took pride in his Muslim religion which otherwise forbids human rights violation. Because of human rights violation lot of expatriates are suffering in many of the countries they work. Treating expatriates with indecency and in an undignified manner is like a curse which God alone can cure.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.