DEATH OF MY BROTHER KNOWN AS CHEDDO.

Thursday 24th of this month was the very horrible day for  me because at J M J Hospital Porvorim, at 2.00 PM my eldest brother popularly known as Cheddo got a massive heart attack when undergoing treatment for some other ailment in that hospital. He was 83 and retired from Goa Police – Panjim, in a Technical Division.  

At his residence

He was a public figure in my village and had a great wish to fight for the downtrodden and weak.  He was very active in the local affairs namely in Panchayat during the Gram Saba Meetings, at Mandd, in the Church and elsewhere. Fighting for justice and right is his forte. Some of the local politicians were even trying to bribe him to prevent him from raising important issues but he was adamant and never submitted because in such matters he was most upright.  He helped so many people to get their work done but never accepted anything in return.   He fought vigorously against injustice in our village. In the last Assembly Election, he totally supported Michael Lobo even going with him house to house for canvassing as he was a firm supporter of Lobo. Many of those who enjoyed his support did not even see him in the hospital when he was sick there,of course unfortunately.

Local Pe. Vigar

He was an ace footballer playing for Goa Police since 1958 gaining name and fame when the word Cheddo means terror for opponents’ defenders and goalie as well. He could use his both the legs with equal ease but his right foot had better power and inspite of this fact, he had an unique distinction of scoring a goal from his left foot against the then mighty team Academica, from the Centre line on Candolim ground.  When he joined Goa Police he was a rare Goan player to get an opportunity to play along with the then mighty Pakle and Khapri players but because of his high calibre he succeeded and went on playing for longest period. Candolim is yet to produce another Cheddo.

His grand daughter on funeral oration

His other plus point is this that he was always a decent player not hurting nor playing rough, he was a speedy centre forward.  For one mighty team of Candolim in late sixties we all three brothers played together, the other brother of mine was the late Josemarie of Sesa.

Abut  15 days before the Opinion Poll he went to Bhopal along with the Goa Polce team to participate in the all India Police tournament held at Bhopal.  While playing against Maharastra he scored two beautiful goals and played very well. Immdiately after the final whistle, the Team manager of Maharastra a ranking Police Oficer  told my brother now not to go back to Goa but come with them to Bombay as they want to induct him in their team since after 2 weeks Goa will be surely merged officially with Mharastra, as per the intelligence report. When my brother said no, the Maharastrian Officer laughed at my brother saying even if you refuse now we will legally bring you to Maharastra after 15 days when Goa surely will be a part of Maharastra.  

May his soul rest in peace AND may the Heavenly God give courage for his both the children Conny and Muller,  grand children, brothers and sisters and all other family members to bear this loss.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

WHO WILL BE OUR NEXT PARTY CANDIDATE?

Many of our elders having great love for Goa and Goans have gone from this planet not only complaining against the dirty politics but also against the corrupt administration given to Goa by our politicians and administration following the invasion of Goa.  These worst aspects of Goa was the result of the forcible annexation of Goa by the “fotting” Nehru’s Bharat because of which the worst type of administration by the worst type of Bharati administrators was imposed on Goa.   Our elders did not want outsider Portuguese domination over us but neither they wanted the domination of Bharati outsiders over us.  Bharati rule over Goa is as external as it was of Portugal.  Both the rulers over us were outsiders.  In fact our elders hated both the external powers.  Many of our elders gone to their graves grieving when they found that under Bharat, Goans will have to live  like slaves.   And what we see now?  Are we masters of our Goa? During Portugese rule the planning for Goa was done in Lisbon and now after the invasion of Goa the same type of planning for Goa was done in New Delhi. In both the places no Goans were involved.  Are we Goans not treated like slaves?

BJP was already given a jolt in Karnataka though inspite of having majority in Goa in the last election, Congress was given a jolt by BJP (Aiz makam faleam tukam.  Korta tea mapan bhogta). Our own MLA’s after getting elected are fooling us by taking law into their own hands. Once they are elected they think they are “the monarchs of what they survey” and hence they do what they feel the best for their own good by neglecting the good of their voters and voters’s wishes. How to avoid this trend in future? It is very difficult in the absence of “Recall” system but political scientists and experts in this field must devise some methods to prevent the elected representatives from changing his party without the consent of the voters? Can we take an affidavit or any such legal guarantee from our representatives that they will not change their parties once they are elected?  Is there any legal method? We can also make them wear upon their Holy Books public that they will not cross their border once elected?

 

Now it is time for Congress Party in Goa to put its own house into order by preparing the selection of their candidates without imposition their own chamchas. In this selection, Congress Party must forget of its High Command based in Delhi, we are the high command in Goa and as such we should be taken into confidence while selecting the next candidates. It is we the voters who will decide the candidates for us and not high command based in Delhi that consisted of idiots as far as Goa is concerned.  It is like decision taking in Lisbon. In this case where is the freedom and liberation for Goa? Is this the way Congress has liberated Goa from the Portuguese?  This is another invasion of the type Afonso de Alburquerqe  done. We don’t want this type of liberation.

In my constituency our representative should be selected with our consent and we will not accept anyone imposed on us either from Delhi high command or by Goa high command.  The voters are the supreme to decide who is the best candidate for them. 

A.Vernica Fernandes.aa