GOANS WERE CHEATED BY NEHRU.

Somewhere in mid fifties, speaking in the Parliament, Premier Nehru said, “once Portuguese are ousted from Goa, Goans will be given a choice to decide their future but will not bring them under the Indian Union against their wishes”.  According to political observers a referendum should have been conducted on this issue but once grabbed, Nnowehru and his Congress Party forgot the assurance given to Goans. This is called cheating and India is well known in this art.

On 31^st December 1974, both the Foreign Ministers of Portugal and India namely Mario Soares and Y.B. Chawan respectively, signed a Treaty in Delhi officially surrendering Goa to India.  This Treaty comprised only 6 Clauses giving no benefits and privileges to Goans to protect their rights.

While the same India when it signed the similar  Treaty with France with regards to Pondicherry, on 28^teh May 1956, India incorporated in  this Treaty 31 Articles and 8 Articles of Protocol.  All these Articles are regarding the wishes, aspirations of and safeguards for the citizens of Pondicherry.  These Articles were arrived at after a couple of years of consultations with the representatives of the citizens of Pondicherry. 

Again our last aspiration to protect our Goanness was rejected when Special Status facility was denied to us by the BJP government by citing Constitutional hurdles when the same Constitution of the same India granted Special Status privileges to 11 States in India.

When Goa matters we are denied our rights and privileges but for others there is no problem.  Are we Goans second class citizens of India?  We are treated not as liberated but as conquered and precisely  because of this the Supreme Court of India in its verdict on Pe. Chico Monteiro’s case declared “Goa was conquered” on 19.12.61.

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.

 

VOTERS MUST INVOLVE IN SELECTING THE CANDIDATES.

Whichever party it may be, without consulting us, the voters,  no candidate will be accepted by us in our constituency.  This should be the trend followed in every constituency in Goa.  Our  political parties are treating us, the voters like “Ghantta Boil”  by taking us for granted.  Henceforth, this trend must come to an end.   The voters should be taken into confidence at the time of selecting the candidate for any constituency.

In my constituency news is trickling that one defeated candidate is already hunting for his party’s emissary from Delhi to purchase the election ticket for him because as per my information High Command Commanders are all out to make money by selling election tickets to the highest bidders.   In this way national parties are hoisting on us candidates of their choice whom this time if imposed on us, surely we must not vote for them.

Candidates selected without voters consent show scant respect for the constituents and filling thei pockets by accumulating wealth thru illicit means become their priority.  Most of the defeated candidates in the last election  were the culprits of this sin.

The first class looters, bribe takers and revengeful persons were some of the defeated candidates in the last election.  We don’t want such candidates again. This time we want to know from every candidate from every party the real source of his income and assets.  Total transparency of the assets and wealth is a must now.

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.

i

REVIVAL OF BANDODCAR GOLD CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT.

Today, 20.05.16 GFA  revived the historic Bandodcar Gold Cup. It is heartening news.  It was in 1969 at MCC Ground Margao,  during the final of Taca Goa played between Sesa Goa and Vasco that the then GFA president Mr. Parkot requested Shri D.B. Bandodcar, the then Chief Minister of Goa, to help GFA to organize a major soccer tournament in Goa, I was then playing for Sesa Goa and was a witness to what was spoken there . Responding to Parkot,  in his speech as a Chief Guest, Bandodcar immediately agreed and thus this Trophy was born in his name.

Politically, I differ in his views but in sports I fully agree with him and one thing one must accept that what services he rendered for Goan sports none has done, of course with the exception of Fr. Mendonca the then Principal of St. Joseph High School Arpora that produced the mightiest sportsmen of Goa then.

During its first edition itself Bandodcar Gold Cup tournament turned out to be a big success where flood of spectators poured on to the stadium at Vasco where in the final, Leaders Club of Jullundur, Punjab, skippered by the then skipper of India, Inder Singh,  defeated Goa’s Salgaocar.  Inder Singh became  the darling of the Goans due to his sheer skill in dribbling, shooting and running when he was sprinting 100 metres in 11 seconds.  After the final, he was presented with a costly Gold Chain in appreciation of his excellent display of soccer.

I welcome the revival of this tournament and wish the organizers all success.

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 750739349.