GOA STATE CULTURAL AWARDS PRESENTED.

 

GOA STATE CULTURAL AWARDS 2014 - 15.

Yesterday, 20^th of this month, at Institute Menezes Bragana Hall, Panjim, at 4.00 PM in a specially organized function, Goa State Cultural Awards were presented by the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, to the 12 prominent artists who excelled in different fields of Art and Culture.  Two of them were Tiatrists, namely Rita Rose and Joe Rose, one my colleague in Konkani movement  Dilip Borker a literary figure with whom I participated in the Hunger Strike at Azad Maidan Panjim during Konkani language agitation 30 years back and Mahendra Alvares for Fine Art/Craft who is the owner of Big Foot – Anchestral Goa – at Loutolim.

 

Rita Rose

 

Rita Rose receiving her Award from Nana Patekar

 

Their achievements and the details of their work are elaborated in the Souvenir released during the ceremony.

Mahendra Alvares of Big Foot

 

Mahendra Alvares seen felicitated by the Chief Guest

 

 

Joe Rose

 

Joe Rose is felicitated by the Chief Guest

 

The chief guest of the day was renowned Film Actor – Writer – Filmmaker Nana Patekar felicitated the Awardees while the guest of honour Dayanand R. Mandrekar –Minister of Art and Culture – presided over the function and Sidharth Kunkolienkar MLA was the guest of honour.

DILIP Borkar seen felicitated by the Chief Guest

 

The function was attended by the full house attendees overwhelming majority being Hindus.

On behalf of myself and also on behalf of all my likeminded friends I congratulate them for achieving something extraordinary.

                                                 A section of the attendees

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

FREEDOM FIGHTERS FAILED GOA.

Who is responsible for the current ugly happenings in Goa?  Surely if not fully then at least partly the living Freedom Fighters of Goa for not doing enough after the ouster of Portuguese.  Before elaborating my answer let me be frank in paying my highest respect for all those Freedom Fighters who were sincere in their mission for the betterment of Goa and Goans.  That Portuguese rule in Goa had to come to an end is a sure fact otherwise I would also join the freedom struggle but after driving out the colonialists I will not sleep content with Pension and Tamrapatra. Instead I would mount more pressure on Indian government  either to leave from Goan soil as it did in Bangladesh or to give us greater autonomy on the pattern of Macau or Pondichery at least, as assured by Nehru.  But I would never keep silent on the re-colonisation process of  Goa by the Bharatis who are now lording over every segment of our Goa. 

By upsetting the demographic structure of Goa the Bharatis are deGonising Goa by creating more and more facilities for non-Goans to settle down permanently in Goa exactly the way Israel did in Palestine to dePalestine of Palestinians by inducting more and more third rate Jews from outside. This was the cunningness on the part of Israeli leaders to commit a silent genocide on original Palestinians in Palestine.  India is also following the same method on Goa.  The major portion of the Bharatis who are permanently settling down in Goa are from lower and mediocre segment for whom Goa is Eldorado. They get lot of facilities because they are bribed easily and to extort money and sex is easy from them. The facilities they get in Goa are like more than what Kuwaitis are getting in Kuwait.

What was the quality of our Freedom Fighters to think high for Goa and Goans?  Some of them in the garb of Freedom Fighters robbed the innocent people and even killed them.  In Siolim in late fifties who killed the local Regidor?   Again in Siolim Soddiem who captured the house of Casador Manuel Xavier and robbed his both Guns?  Who robbed the Banco Ultrmarino during the day time by showing Guns to the Bank employees?  Who came to the Salgaocar’s home with Guns to demand money?  Who were those who were robbing people near the Hilltop behind Parra Church?  And who were Krimidores who cut the tongue of a “Poder” in Anjuna falsely accusing him to be an informer to the Portugese Police?  While accusing many Freedom Fighters of committing cruel acts I salute the genuine ones.  They have suffered so much from the hands of Agente Monteiros and sacrificed so much for the sake of Goa but are they happy that their goals are achieved?

Some of them are feeling sorry to see the Goa  they dreamt is not realized.  They openly show their regret but why not act to put pressure on government to bring changes in Goa of their choice?  One of them was cursing present Goa and Goan rulers but none of them is coming forward to conduct at least a peaceful Dharna in Panjim to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to their grievances?  I know they are not young now, I  also know they are ageing but they can organize their movement peacefully. If nothing works then they must surrender their Tammrapatras and even Pensions because their goals are not achieved and as such it is wrong to receive rewards.  Those who are regretting now to involve in freedom movement for Goa are not even ashamed to disclose their regret.  They should have committed suicide, at least this will prove their sincerity.

 

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.

LOOT OF GOA BY BHARATI SOLDIERS.

Going back to 1961 once again, a week after the conquest of Goa by the Bharati Serkar of Congress Party under Jawaharlal Nehru, the loot of Goa was started by the Indian Military personnel almost in all the cities of Goa.  What I observed in Mapusa and also in my village Candolim because of the proximity of Indian Military stationed at Aguada, I express it here.

We Goans then were very innocent and respectful to the authorities.  What Indian Military did then to us the Portuguez Military never did and precisely because of this, Goans trusted Indian Military personnel but they robbed us of the trust we had in them for their Uniforms.  A week after the invasion or to use a better word conquest of Goa, there was calm everywhere in Goa and people started moving freely all around Goa.  Shops with brand new foreign goods started opening in Mapusa where Indian Military personnel were roaming freely with their Chests out and Heads high as if Goa is their “Bapaichem Bens”.

Then they in small groups started entering the Shops checking the electronics goods such as Radio Sets, Wrist Watches, Cameras, Pens, Sun Glasses and other such costly commodities.  Then they started taking whatever items they wanted and just disappeared from the Shops without paying.  When one of the Hindu Shopkeepers at one particular moment out of frustration asked one Sardarji soldier to pay the money of the expensive Wrist Watch the Sardarji has taken from that Shop, the Sardarji replied thus: "Just shut Your Mouth.  We have liberated you”.  Seeing this arrogance on the part of Indian Military personnel, the Goan Hindu Shopkeeper was shocked. 

This very Hindu Shopkeeper on 18^th and 19^th welcoming the Indian Military in Goa with the slogan of Jai Hind, himself felt disgusted with the entry of Indian Military in Goa and felt like uttering loudly “Viva Portugal.  Salazar Zindabad and India Murdabad”.  But as he later on told to his friend, within me I already gave the slogans in praise of Portugal. Similar robberies and loot were also committed by the Indian Military personnel in the Gold Shops too.

Similarly, in Candolim Tinto a group of Indian soldiers stationed at Aguada entered the Casa Manica Bar and Restaurant and after drinking the expensive Whiskey – Brandy – Rum and St.Pauli Beer, refused to pay the bill. When the owner of the Bar asked for money, they threatened him with dire consequences. A heated argument erupted, one of the relatives of the owner while interfeering in between was manhandled by the drunk soldiers.  Then from distant one Catholic man Lapit Anton seeing this, came running and stopped the fight.  Then the Indian soldiers went back to Aguada of course by shouting bad words.  The owner of Casa Manica and his relatives all Hindus said “Ami adim asle tech bore aslet, hancheanim amchem ghatlem padd”, though they were the first to say Jai Hind to Indian troops going to Aguada.       

 

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.