THE EXPOSITION AND GOENCHO SAIB.

On 3^rd of this of this month I went to Old Goa for the Feast of Goencho Saib and attended the Mass at 5.00 pm.  After the Mass I went around to see how things are working there.  I was very much surprised to see with my own eyes how some of the anti-Christians are selling their goods by invoking the name of Goencho Saib.  One of them was telling “Baba Chonne Gheiat, Goencho Saib tumkam borem magtolo, etc”.  However this same man a non-Christian was acting like a hard core anti-Christian fanatic against Christians in Goa some time back. This type of people wants Goencho Saib and Christian festivals only to make money for them by marketing their goods during the Christian Feasts and thus make money for them.  Otherwise they don’t want Christians and Christianity in Goa.  These non-Chrsitians are traitors and for the sake of money they will do anything even they will sell their wives and daughters as many of them did during the Portuguese rule in Goa and thus got franchises for them to start and develop their business empires.

It is a wrong notion that during the Portuguese rule in Goa Christians were dominating in trade and commerce, but in reality it was just the opposite.  Almost the entire commercial activities were monopolized by the non-Chrsitians, even the employment in government sector was in greater number manned by the non-Christians. The majority of Christians remained only for “Beber – Comer & Dansar”.  Good that foreign shores opened their doors for Goans otherwise Goan Christians in Goa would never develop financially. Our show is only external.

One of the reasons for Goan Christians to remain backward was the weak leadership given to the faithful by our Goa Church.  Our Church is not encouraging and guiding the faithful in right direction to make a headway economically for this reason almost the entire commercial sector is owned by the non-Chrsitians. We need a Sayedna of Bohras at Altinho Panjim and not a Ferrao.  The financial might of the Catholics in Goa is only of cosmetic nature.   Though some of the financially mighty Goans are Christians who collected huge finance not thru legal hard work but thru "goondagir" and thru illicit manner.   

During my stay in Kuwait for a long period I helped many Goan priests for fund raising for their projects in Goa but none of the visiting priests encouraged and advised Kuwait Goans  to involve in commerce in Goa.  Instead they encouraged us in Kuwait to help them financially todevelop their business ventures.  The more money they get from the faithful the more they want.  Most of them are only interested in filling their coffers and live the life of Maharajas with sin, filth and vulgarity.  Priesthood for many of them is a very good vocation to live the life of pomp and sin.  It is these people who are disgracing the fair image of Christ.  

The way the commercial and financial activities going on at Old Goa in the name of Exposition of Goencho Saib it looks that the sole purpose of this Exposition is of making money.  Church is also making money but non-Christians are minting money.  There at Old Goa now a days it looks there is no reverence and respect for Goencho Saib but reverence and greed for money only thus demoting the holiness of Goencho Saib.  For many of the non-Goans,  Old Goa is like a place of Tamasha and Goencho Saib is somebody like a “Jadugar” or Actor not meant to pay reverence and adoration.  Their behavior is like an insult not only to Goencho Saib but alsso to the Catholicims in Goa.

I feel this system of Exposition in every ten years should come to an end and instead the relics of St. Francis Xavier should be kept open permanently.  Otherwise, the way things are going on at Old Goa, the value of Goencho Saib will be abig joke.

A.     Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel. 7507394349.  

PDA OFFICE IN CALANGUTE.

The recent news of the formation of Calangute PDA Office under The North Goa Planning and Development Authority is creating debates among the villagers of Candolim and Calangute. Some interested persons are shouting at the top of their voices against its formation by saying that all the illegal houses built mainly on the coastal belt will be demolished once PDA Office is formed.  But first of all who authorized the concerned authorities to allow illegal constructions?  Were the local authorities sleeping when the illegal houses constructed?  Was it done by accepting bribes or no with the silent nod of the local authorities?  Very many of the ignorant locals succumbed to the monetary greed of the local authorities with a false promise saying “you pay us so much and construct your house”. In this way they have converted innumerable settlements of non-Goans mainly of the migrant labourers and made them the citizens of Goa to gain their votes.

 

 

It is these illegal dwelling owners who mortgaged themselves to the threats of the corrupt local authorities who say during the election time,  “if you do not vote for our candidates then we will demolish your illegally built houses”.  In this way some of the corrupt candidates are continuously getting elected by blackmailing the innocent guilty voters and thus accumulating ill gotten wealth about which the concerned authorities must conduct thorough investigation.

 

 

From the noise that is going on now in our locality it looks formation of PDA Office in Calangute is going to be a big threat.  Will Heaven fall if PDA Office is formed for our locality?  Who will lose more?  It is the local corrupt authorities and their corrupt elected members who are extorting heavy bribes for issuing licenses for any construction in the locality. It is these people who will lose their illegal bribe taking business.

 

 

By accumulating enormous wealth thru extortion of bribe some of the local politicians are acting like village “Dadas” and feudal lords though till recently they were acting like beggars.  However, when political and financial power came into their hands, as sons and daughters of hoi-polloi parents, they started acting like local Maharajas.

 

 

Those who are opposing the establishment of PDA Office in Calangute must first declare openly the genuine ill effect of it. 

 

I have today spoken to the local MLA Michael Lobo on this subject and he assured me that no houses built illegally will be demolished and he will try his best to regularize the same.

 

About bribe taking as it is done currently by the local authorities, he said he will see that this does not happen once everything is come under the PDA.    

 

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.

 

NEW CD - INDIAN PASSPORT - BY XAVIER GOMES.

 

Xavier Gomes one of the well-known songsters of Konkani Stage is currently a name and fame and also a much sought after by the Tiatro audience.   He came into popularity somewhere in 1974 in Kuwait immediately after landing in there.  It was in the Church Hall in Kuwait City in 1975 that I saw him singing solos and also Duos with another the then famous songster Marcus Fernandes popularly known as Dost Kumar.  Both these singers were very popular and much sought after by the audience. Both these Tiatrists were also good musicians, Dost Kumar being an amateur Violonist while Xavier Gomes was a professional Drummer.

 

Xavier Gomes was a very good singer and there was none in Kuwait till his retirement from Kuwait a few years back to emulate him. He knows to sing in different voices but very beautifully and melodiously with very good clarity.  He knows to beautify his voice while singing. Most of his songs are very interesting and meaningful.  For this reason in Goa now he creates ripples on Konkani Stage.

When there was a move in Kuwait for the cause of Novem Goem Konkani Daily, he supported this move by participating in the fund raising Tiatro.  And when Kuwait Goan Evacuees under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center organized a movement in Goa to raise our voice against invasion of Kuwait, he also supported this move, he was one of the few top Kuwait based Tiatrists to participate in this movement.

Recently he released his new Konkani Audio CD comprising 14 songs rendered by different singers, namely himself, Lawry Travasso, Marcus Vaz, Aniceto, Francis de Tuem, Rosy Alvares,  Rioma and others.  The title song rendered by Xavier Gomes is the best and worth admiring.  His other 3 solos are also good. The other remaining songs are also worth admiring but more credit deserving songs are the duet rendered by Socorro and Rosy, solo by Aniceto and a Trio by Tony-Rosy-Maythan. Musical score for this Album was provided by Norman Cardozo.

Among the Konkani Albums currently released and available for sale in the market, this Album “INDIAN PASSPORT” is one of the best.

I wish this 6^th Konkani Album of Xavier Gomes all the best.

A.  Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.