A FEMALE STUDENT MOLESTED IN CANDOLIM CHURCH SCHOOL.

On Saturday, the 19th of this month in the evening, the TV Channels of Goa, in their respective News items broadcast a very important news which disgraced the fair image of Candolim and that of the Candolim Parish School/Higher Secondary School which is under the direct control of the Candolim Church authority which in turn is under the control of Bishop House, Panjim, Altinho.  According to the telecast news broadcast, the President of NGO “Human Rights Defenders”, Mr. Edwin Fernandes speaking to the TV Channels, cited the case of molestation of a young girl student of St. Thresa’s Higher Secondary School, Candolim, by her own male teacher from Parra, Bardez, Goa. 

 

According to Edwin Fernandes, the Church authorities starting from the Bishop are trying to squash this matter because the government machinery at the top level wants to protect the molester teacher who according to one source is very closely linked with the top ruling party machinery.  Hence, the Candolim School management suppressed this news from the public domain thereby allowing the wrong doer to go scot free resulting in supporting the molester to molest more young girl students.

 

According to the information gathered, this incident took place in the school premises about a year ago but since nobody had courage including the local politicians to raise his voice on this incident, the NGO manned by Edwin Fernandes after getting information though belatedly but rightly took up this issue and finally put it into the hands of “Goa State Women Commission”. For further verification of the facts, Edwin Fernandes pushed an RTI which was accepted by the concerned principal but when pressure mounted to suppress this news, the principal refused to oblige.

 

According to some insiders in the school, the molester is a serial molester whose  dirty habit was known to some in the School including the authority of Candolim Church that was running this institution but all of them closed their eyes thereby making the life of the girl students even of some female  teachers vulnerable to the molester.

 

Overwhelming majority of the parents prefer Church run schools for their children because of the good discipline imparted there and moreover for the safety of their children especially of girls.  But what has happened in Candolim at St. Thresa’s is very shocking leading the parents to lose their confidence in Church run schools.  As the head of the Candolim Church, the Church Pe. Vigar should be held accountable for hiding this ugly incident from the public eyes especially from the parishioners and other students also to caution them of this molester. Simultaneously he should have complained to the authorities concerned about this molester so that he was immediately reprimanded from the job. Pe. Vigar should have also informed the parishioners from the Altar about this incident as he normally informs of so many other unimportant incidents regarding the School’s happenings. In one word Pe. Vigar made a big mistake by hiding this incident under his Cassock and I am sure Bishop is also a party to this hidden issue of the girl.

There is a Pastoral Parish Council and Somudai in Candolim but it is surprising even they kept their silence on this sad incident.  Is it because the victim girl is a non-Christian? Would they keep quiet if the girl was a Catholic?  And what made the parents and guardians of the girl to remain dormant or were they pressurized by the interested party?

 It is sad that the Pe. Vigar of Candolim Church instead of promoting the truth in a pure Christian manner is suppressing the truth which is against the Christianity. He as per my information even told the  students who were aware of this incident not to disclose to anyone. Moreover, as informed, the Bishop by suppressing this news also suppressed the truth.  This is wrong on the part of Bishop who should in a true Christian manner have exposed the truth by exposing the molester. In view of this the female students and their parents are made to lose their confidence in the school management which is under the control of the Church. Molestation of students is like a HIV disease and it should be treated as such.   

While concluding, I must say that all those who are involved in suppressing this crime are also a party to this criminal act of the molester who should be ashamed of what he did. 

 

A.    Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

                     

MARIANO'S TIATRO “HANV KHUXEAL ASAM”..

 

TIATRO “HANV KHUXEAL  ASAM”.

 

 

 Godwin, Anil & Olga In Opening Song

Written and directed by Mariano Fernandes, yesterday at Kala Academy Panjim, at 3.30 PM, I saw the Tiatro “HANV KHUXEAL ASAM”, attended by the capacity crowd.  This is the first time I saw Mariano Fernandes’ Tiatro though earlier from Kuwait I heard and read a lot of him that his Tiatros are creating a lot of ripples in Goa.  Incidentally after seeing this Tiatro I came to know that he is my “ghanv – Bhav” from Candolim and the son of my friend and also the nephew of once well known Tiatrist the late Greg de Candolim. 

 

A scene where Maggy is seen at the Centre 

 

Since this Tiatro is going to be staged again in Panjim twice in this same month and elsewhere as well in Goa, I only give the gist of the Play.  It is surrounded on the family story where the sons think only of their selfish interest by discarding the sacrifices of their father.  The ending part of the Play is very interesting where the audience were kept gasping for breath knowing not what would be the actual end.

 

 A scene where Anil Pednekar at his best

All the artistes played their roles well even those whom I see for the first time but more credit should go to Anil Pednekar for playing a magnificent character role of an insane scientist expressing his statements in a witty and also in a philosophical manner.  Example, to quote him “In Panjim, no more Door Locks are available because they are all purchased by the Goan residents from Acacaim and ambient villages since all these Goan residents,  holders of Portuguese Passports left from Goa by locking their houses and thus all the Door Locks from Panjim Market got exhausted”.

Maggy & colleagues seen singing a Trio 

Fittingly, Anil was felicitated during the interval for playing his wonderful role in this Tiatro.  Mario de Vasco played his fatherly role very appropriately, so too Godwin, Olga as a Westerner, Carmeen and  Maggy.

 

One of the scenes.  

Comedy part was nicely handled by the two brothers namely Domnick and Bachan who were ably supported by Mathew who being a new to me showed lot of encouragement.  So the two girls in supporting them, one of them was Flavia.

 

Maggy & Mini Mario singing a duet.

 

In the Side Show songs though there was little deficiency yet the singers did justice to their roles in which Domnick and his other two partners rendered a nice political Trio, so too Godwin and his other two colleagues. Anil and Olga’s Duet on political theme was excellent. The solo rendered by Olga on misdeeds of politicians was very bold and the comedy solo rendered by Mathew was good. Mini Mario's solo was worth admiring, so too his duet with attractive Maggy.

     A scene where seen are Mariano, M.Mario, Maggy, Mario de Vasco, Godwin and Carmeen.

 

It is worth seeing this Tiatro.

Congratulations to Mariano Fernandes and his troupe.

 

A.    Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.


 

PAL SOARES' 5TH REPEAT SHOW.

It is a golden opportunity now for those who missed earlier to see this Tiatro "ATAM THORI MHAKA ......SONDHI  DHIAT" at Pai Tiatrist Hall, Margao, on 25th of this month at 3.30 PM.  

 

Acclaimed as the best Tiatro of the season.