August 5, 2017

NEW TIATRO "AAO JA-O GOA TUMHARA" BY PRINCE JACOB.

Yesterday, on Friday, the 4th of this month, at Pai Tiatrist Hall, Margao, I saw the fitst Show of this Tiatro  which was attended by the capacity attendees.  In this Tiatro Pince Jacob burst his love and affection and also his patriotism for Goa and Goans like a volcano spreading its lava not only into the hearts of all those who attended this Tiatro but also to those beyond and as he goes on staging more and more Shows of this Tiatro all over Goa, there will be more lava spread into the hearts of Goans.  

Prince Jacob leading his troupe to the Hall

The story of this Tiatro is something different which really captured the hearts and minds of Goans who must think very carefully about our future and that of our children and grand children.   I am sure after seeing this Tiatro Goans will realize their fate will be exactly like that of the Palestinians who are not only become strangers in their own land but are become like slaves of Israeli Jews who by coming from other parts of the world (like bhaile) and settling down in Palestine, an Arab land,  finally became the landlords in of the Palestine. 
Seen above is Jose singing his opening solo

Kudos to Prince Jacob to write such an excellent Tiatro though it would have been better if he had to pen down this Tiatro a little earlier that would surely create a different effect. However, even now it is not too late. It would be nice if the Tiatrists themselves while sermonizing to others these great ideas first they themselves put these great ideas into practice and implement the same ideas to prove it to those who are innocent and ignorant that anything is possible.  Today Tiatists are become a focal point for every segment of society and people are looking at them as role model.   

                                                    Reema and Prince Jacob singing their duet 

To give a gist of the story it is based on “bhaile ani ami Goenkar” where “bhaile” are indicated as vultures ready to swallow us Goans at any time. It further shows how they are descending on Goa like herds without any avenues in Goa and by befriending the local politicians get all the required documents to be equipped with Voting Card and once they get this Cad then they become the Monarch of all what they see around.  This they acquire thru the help of the local Goan politicians who count on their votes.  But Prince Jacob warns these politicians that one day,  the outsiders will contest the elections and knock out the local politicians who helped these same “bhaile”.  But by then it would be too late. 
Ron singing his solo

Further Prince Jacob in this Tiatro indicates how we Goans opt for going to the foreign countries to make money and more money when we can do something even more in our own Goa as outsiders are doing. At one particular point especially in the ending part of this play it was shown how these outsiders who once came to Goa as slaves finally threatened our own Goans to become our masters. It is nicely shown how these outsiders coming to Goa in big groups and avail themselves of all the best facilities available in Goa while we Goans remain lethargic with the attitude “AAO JA-O  GOA TUMHARA” with sarcasm as if Goa is their fathers’ property.

                                             Seen singing the trio: Valency-Dola-Reema

The way Prince Jacob showed the fate of Goans in Goa, very shortly, it looks terrible to know our plight.  The outsiders will not only grab our whole of Goa but they will revolt against Goans, physically assault the Goans and inflict a terrible fear in our hearts because these outsiders who are coming to Goa to settle are worst type of ruffians without character, discipline and morality.  For their survival and to gain benefits for them they will do anything.  They are worst communal minded people and our local hard core communal and fanatic Goans will go to their aid because in Goa now the politics is based on communal practices. Those outsiders who come to settle in Goa are third grade Indians without proper discipline. They are peole from the jungle.  They lack decency and proper human attributes, most of them look like worst than animals.

Prince Jacon & John D'Silva in one seen

 I hope Goans especially the Catholics who are going to lose more and more must try to form their unity very strongly. In this matter our Church leaders from Altinho Panjim and our Pe. Vigars and Pe. Curs in our village churches must play greater role to protect our interest by guiding us in the right direction to face the life forward. So far our Church leaders do not appear to be a guiding factor for us in the right direction to face the onslaught of of our enemies because our enemies want to liquidate us because we are the followers of different religion.

One more scene where Valency & Joh D'Silva are seen

In this play two important roles allocated to the two artistes were performed extremely well, they are one by young girl from Calangute Valency as the “Ghanttin” wife and the other of her “Ghantti” husband by Michael Jude Gracias.  Their language, dress code, acting and other relevant attributes equated them exactly with  typical Ghanttis. While addressing the  comedian John D’Silva as “D-A-M-I-AN” typically in “Ghnttin” style, young Valency was producing peals of laughter in the hall. Prince Jacob in this Tiatro was at his best by playing not a comedy role he used to do earlier but a decent role which also contain some glimpses of his earlier comedian shades.  In this role he carved for himself a different role which he performed magnificently well.  This role add an extra colour to the play.  
Singing their duo are Agusto & Cajetan de Curtorim

Comedy part was fabulously well performed by the seasoned and expert comedian John D’Silva, rarely earlier I saw him rising to this height and he was ably supported by Bunty as drunkard which role he performed majestically well. He is the great finding of Konkani Stage.  Veteran Diana who is still youthful performed her role of a Hindu wife very well. In fact her roles are always faultless and she knows to play her part well.  Young man Jose with his bald head was one of the centre of attractions who by playing the role of a young son brings the level of the play more high. The role of attractive and lovely looking Dola with her majestic personality gave a solid booster to this Tiatro. She played a flawless role of a wife with her appropriate dress code as a house wife opposite to Prince Jacob as her husband. Rema the young girl performed well as the wife of comedian John D’Silva. She sings very well. In one scene the role played by one artiste as that of Dr. Jack Sequeira lacked originality.  It could have been still better as far as his dress and mode of talk is concerned.

                                           Singing their trio are Jose-Valency-M.J. Gracias

In the side show songs, Ron’s solo on clicking photos of Nude females was the best with lot of morality while the others to be appreciated are the trio of Valency-Dola-Reema, duets of Prince Jacob with Reema, solo of Agustinho, duo of Michael Jude Gracias and stylish singer Boney – the “Segundo” voice of Gracias was just too sweet and very pleasing to hear, opening solo of Jose and his trio with Valency and Gracias, duet of Ron with Dola.

Duet of Dola & Ron

In the beginning while entering the premises, the entire troupe led by Prince Jacob playing the Gumott, came singing and dancing with their stage dress code making a huge crowd at the entrance of the hall surprise. It was like a serenade, enjoyable scene, never seen before. 

PrinceJacob & Reema singing their duet


This Tiatro is a must see for a true Goan and as such nobody should miss it.  My congratulations to Prince Jacob and his troupe.

                                                     Singing his solo is Agusto

A.Veronica Fernandes

August 1, 2017

MEET OF CATHOLICS AT OLD GOA.

On 29th of last month, at Old Goa Inst. Of Pastoral Council Hall,  at 5.30 pm I attended the meeting organized under the banner of All India Catholic Union.  Approximately 200 persons males and females attended this Meet which was addressed among others by Dr. John Dayal, Prof. Fernandes, Bishop Ferrao and Dr. Colaco.  The entire proceedings were compered by Jovito Lopes who was instrumental in organising this Meeting to create awareness among Catholics of their future in Goa in particular and India in general.

On 17th December 1961  when one Laundry man Mr. Esho from Candolim Orda, at 7.00 PM came to know that Indian Troops already entered Goan territory, he started shouting loudly near the Church saying “Jai Swaraj – Jai Maharaj – Jai Hind.  Atam ami tumkam kitem tem dakoitelet, tumcheo Ingorzo ani Kopelam ami moddtelet ani tumkaim kobar kortelaum”.  Listening to his screaming I as a young boy realized what will be our future in our own Goa when my own brothers will try to liquidate us saying we being Christians we are foreigners embracing foreign religion and in one word we were considered as outisiders.
 
Are we really outsiders?  Who are insiders and those who considered themselves as insiders, are they not outsiders by virtue of being settlers on the banks of Indus River, coming from outside that land?  I object if anyone calls us foreigners because of the foreign religion we follow from the Europeans.  I am nether a foreigner nor  a follower of European religion, my religion Christianity is not an European but Asian just as Hinduism which is also an Asian.  If I am an outsider then those who say so are also outsiders because they are not original people from Indus area.

In the said Meeting the speakers voiced their concern of making India a Hindu rashtra by the Hindu fanatics. Though it is a big concern for us all the secularists yet it is not easy because our Constitution is very firm on this point.  These Hindu rashtra pundits want Hindu culture  in India.  But to do this India is not their fathers’ property.  Instead of Hindu culture they must use the word Hindustani culture.  We are in Goa currently about 25% Christians but surely this percentage will likely to go down in the next 10 years.    At that point of time, the Hindu fanatics will pounce on us to impose their ideology and religion on us. As it is now they are prowling on us.  They feel during the Portuguese time in Goa, Christians enjoyed preferential treatment but to my knowledge it is not true.  On the contrary Hindu community enjoyed better facilities then. For example in the commercial segment only the Hindus dominated the commercial industry.  Who were the Goans and even non-Goans who had the monopoly over Mining Industry?  Was it not the Hindus like Salgaocar, Dempo, Chowgules, Shantilal, Bandecar,  Bandodcar and others?  Who was Kakulo from Cadolim having agencies for expensive Cars like Taunus, Ford and others?  What about other agencies held by the other Hindus? 

From the time of 19.121961 when Goa was invaded by Bharat serkar under Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s premiership by giving false promises to Goans, the seed of communalism was sown on the sacred soil of Goa thru the instigation of low grade Hindus by the few high grade Hindus who wanted to liquidate Christians from Goa or dilute the impact of their presence in Goa.  One way to do this was to merge Goa with Maharastra where Maharastra like a big Hindu ocean will not only dilute the Christians and its influence but also swallow them.  The low grade Hindus felt that they were persecuted and troubled a lot by the Bhattkars mostly the Christians. To a certain extent it is right but those “Bastard” Bamon Bhattkars persecuted and troubled not only poor Mundkar Hindus only but more than them it was the Christian poor and Munddkar who suffered from the these Bhattkar.

In the dictionary of Dayananda Bandodcar only among Hindus the Bahujan Samaz people existed. He was a traitor and  fake Bahuzan  samaz leader. He was the communal leader who treated Hindus only as Bahuzan samaz.  Because he was the communal he sided with Hindus only.  It was he who sowed more forcefully the seed of communalism in Goa.  What he and others like him who were spreading communalism in Goa then, now the Bharati settlers are doing in Goa coming from neighbouring  and other Sates in India.  The genuine original Hindu from Goa will unlikely to embark on spreading this type of communalism.  Original genuine Hindu from Goa is humane and secular believing in Goan brotherhood.  It is this class of Hindus who fought against Bandodcar to defeat him in the Opinion Poll.  But unfortunately their crop is dwindling now.  

One of the speakers mentioned how our enemies are jealous of the assets of the Church and if they get a chance they will pounce on it first.  Hence, Church should be more vigilant.

Yet another speakers deplored the disunity among Catholics in Goa.  In this regard, Church leaders like Pe. Vigars and Pe. Curs must play their roles in the villages by preventing the Catholics from fighting against one another, including settling court cases amicably thru the intervention of the Church leaders.


A.Veronica Fernandes.  

July 30, 2017

CHAOTIC CANDOLIM GRAM SABAH.


By abruptly closing the today’s Gram Sabah of Candolim Panchayat and with the taking over the Panchayat administration by the new committee headed by Blaze, there appeared to be confusion.  Since my returning back to Goa 3 years  back this is the first time I see most chaotic meet though excellent input by the people attended this Meet where Damian Telles from Orda turned out to be the hero of the day.  By posing extremely important and relevant questions with the fluency of both the languages namely Konkani and English as he is the professional DJ & Compere, he proved that he is knowledgeable man in many of the issues Panchayat should handle but unfortunately not handling.  With the excuse of time constraint, the new Sarpanch Blaize depriving the people from asking relevant questions. At least sufficient time should be given to the attendees to get satisfaction to their queries.  


Candolim Panchat Ghar

Another hurdle the Sarpanch put to the people was to ask almost every question in writing. This looked to be unfair and I don’t know under what clause of Panchayti Raj the Sarpanch acted thus, though the representative of BDO was also present.

The Meet started in a very amateur manner by the amateur like Panchayati members headed by the Sarpanch. There was no agenda circulated to the attendees in the beginning. Besides there was no electricity in the hall nor was there a Fan facility.  Only after a lengthy delay for starting the Meet perspiration and sweating of the people in the hall was stopped.  The venue of this Meet today was one Classroom of the government school in my village which incidentally was my last classroom in 1962 March when I finished my Portuguese education there.  The name and everything remained the same from 1962 till now.   


Candolim government primary School

Good that Michael Lobo the local MLA and Dpty.Speaker was present for this meet to throw light on many contentious issues otherwise I don’t think anyone on behalf of Panchayat  would answer many of the queries of the people especially on ODP and CRZ. Blaze lacks the required tact and knowledge to handle and take the people with him and thru his negative body language approach and challenging type of appearance he indicated his weakness.  Because of this attitude of his, he, I feel may provoke anybody ether in the Gram Saba Meet or during his encounter with any of the villagers in his office.  The next 5 years will remain complicated. He should learn some ways of handling the public from Michael Lobo who has improved a lot acquiring all the best habits to deal with the public.

Public life is not a joke to handle, to fit in the Chair of a Sarpanch one must be a real born  Lazarus or Peter and not any Ladru or Pedru.  Today our system of public handling is collapsed because our illiterate, immature, illicit leaders are become unfit for this job.  Today what is important is money and money and more money acquired thru illicit means.  And entering into politics at Panchayati level and then at State Assembly level will flood you with ample of opportunities to acquire illicit wealth by extorting bribe from the public to build Bungalows, Restaurants, Hotels and purchase expensive Cars?  Government must first inititiate enquiry of how they acquired such a massive wealth.  From where they got these money to build the financial emire?



The villager Mr. Cheddo presenting a Bouquet of Flowers to Mr.Lobo 

There was one question raised by one villager asking MichaelLobo “why there is no control over the bad activities of the Touts spread everywhere in our village who while supplying guests to the hoteliers also supply drugs and prostitutes.   Here Lobo and the Sarpanch looked  a bit sympathetic towards Touts but in one voice very vociferously the attendees demanded from Lobo to put an end to the Touts in our village because they said “we are more interested in protecting our morality”. It should be known that just because of money one should not supply one’s wife, daughter and sister. 

The other critical question posed by the members of public was apathy by the Public Information Officer of Candolim Panchayat in not giving reply to the RTI of the local. Besides, many more issues were raised by the public but the Panchaya ledership looked a bit shaky.  As days and months and years go, they will be more and more shaken because from what I  witnessed today thru the fury of the locals who came in such a big number, the locals in Candolim have aroused.  At one particular time, when the former Sarpanch Sandra unnecessarily poked her nose when Damian was asking the chair some clarification, asked Damian in the Hitlerian voice, “are you the spokesperson of Panchayat?  Who  are you? You are nothing?  You just shut up there, you know nothing, stupid woman".  Sandra was the former Sarpanch and now an ordinary Panch.   

                  
                                                                                                                                      
                                               Mr. Michael Lobo seen addressing the Meet

Before concluding this piece, as asked by Cheddo, let me tell the Panchayat members majority of whom are old ones, that they must come out openly how they have given licenses to the big hoteliers to construct their hotels without the provision for Parking areas.  Was it done thru receiving the bribe and if yes who was responsible for this “Chori”?  If what I said is wrong then they must tell the hoteliers that they have no right to park their fleet of cars on the public road and block the roads for public.  Now in Candolim Ximer there is one more big hotel is coming, are they going to have their own parking area away from the public road?  The hotel built next to Holy Cross “Mandd” is making a mess of their cars on the public road in front of Azilo and in front of Novetel Hotel Ximer it is very risky to cross the road.  

After the Gram Sabah, some villagers approached me to form a Constituency Forum.  For them my advise is this, it is very good idea because we have to control the working of the current stupid local leaders but to do this we have to have first Candolim Forum.  Is there any one coming forward? I have no trust in Panchayat leaders nor any other current leaders to do something extraordinarily good in our village especially those naturalized leaders and those “kalche porche potte” without wisdom, maturity and firm roots in Candolim. They all combined together will destroy the greatness of Candolim which is known to give birth to the world renowned hypnotist Abade Faria, the Pinto Revolutionary Priests who opposed Portuguese rule in Goa, Dr. Gustavo Monteiro a social worker who laid the solid foundation for Candolim Foot-ball activities and who was the first Candoicar Legislator during the Portuguese time when he represented our locality in the Goa Legislativo Council and his priest brother Pe. Chico Monteiro who alone single handedly defied the invasion of Goa by the Bharat serkar of Nehru. When the grandeur of our village is so high, don’t you think we must have our local leaders having high grade intellectual caliber and not “Chors and Bamtte” who are good to play “Ghoddeancho khell”?


A.Veronica Fernandes.