GRAND WEDDING OF THE DAUGHTER OF OUR KUWAIT COLLEAGUE

I am sure, many of the senior Kuwait Goans who are still in Kuwait and others are in Goa but ex-Kuwaitkars, will surely know Mr. Alexinho de Maxem who is currently settled down in Goa at Maxem in Canconna after working in Kuwait for many years.  His second daughter Ketherine Fernandes wedded to Adson Fernandes from Fatorpa on 11^th of this month at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Coto Fatorpa at 3.30 pm and the grand reception was held at Blasco Executive Center, Navelim at 8.00 pm which was attended by a large gathering comprising friends, relatives and well wishers of the bridal couple.

Seen above are colleagues of Alexinho de Maxem (2nd from right)in Kuwait

Kuwait colleagues of Alexinho de Maxem in Konkani movement

with  the newly wedded pair

The young newly wedded couple looked very happy emitting goodwill in the Hall either thru their ever smiling faces or wishing everyone who attended their wedding reception and thus spreading positive energy in the hall.  They both also proved to be very smart intellectually and educationally too as they disclosed their nature by the wonderful oratory they both exhibited thru their superb speeches they both delivered while thanking the gathering for attending their wedding.

One more photo of ex Kuwaitkars all colleagues of Alexinho in Konkani movement

They both also proved to be very good dancer as well since they exhibited one piece while starting the proceedings.  The girl as I understand is a Teacher by profession teaching at  St. Anne High School, Agonda while the boy is working on board the ship as “Tarvotti”.  Yet one more intellectual touch was given during the reception by  Fr. Joism B. Souza, the assistant priest of Chinchinnim Church, when he spoke so well while raising the toast imparting good suggestions and advices to the newly wedded couple.  In one example, he told them “not to listen to others but you both listen to each other”.  When we listen to others then we are likely to create confusion among us. Mona Lisa Barreto rendered a beautiful “Saudichem Cantar” with her melodious voice.

How I happened to attend this Wedding from Candolim to Navelim?  Alexinho de Maxem was my colleague in Kuwait when we organized Konkani movement in Kuwait starting first with the issue of Novem Goem “Porjechem Disallem”.  He was very generous and over eager to come forward first to render his assistance for any Goan cause and Konkani cause was deeply ingrained in his blood.  Hence, he being a renowned Tiatrist - a playwright, composer of songs, actor and director – he volunteered to stage his one new Tiatro “Nimnni Chitt”  for the cause of Novem Goem which was attended by the capacity crowd in the Church Hall.  Being in Kuwait during those days he staged 4 Tiatros mainly for the social causes and for Nimnni Chitt, with the exception of musicians, every person who participated in this Tiatro in whatever way and whoever he/she may be either on the stage or at the back they did so free of charge.  

In mid sixties and in seventies Alexinho de Maxem was a big name and fame on Konkani Stage in Kuwait. Alexinho de Maxem was one of the general secretaries of Novem Goem Pratishthan Kuwait Somiti, Kuwait. Also, One more Tiatro he staged for Goa Cancer Hospital at Dona Paula. 

It is sad to see that when he did so much for the cause of Konkani and Goa Cancer Hospital at Dona Paula, is there none  to recognize his contribution for these causes?  He is in Goa since last so many years but none even bothered to find out whether he is in need of anything? As far as Konkani movement makers in Goa are concerned especially the Romivadis, most of them are not aware of his contribution in the service of Konkani and Tiatro. His contribution in these  fields should be recognized by those who are concerned authorities. MANY Goans have done so much from Kuwait for the promotion of Goan culture, folklore and tradition and they should be duly  rewarded, one of them is Alexinho de Maxem, by the concerned persons/authorities. These Goans from Kuwait and in other Gulf countries sacrificed a lot to support Goan causes even by risking their jobs and as such they should be duly honoured.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

                                                                                                                                                                             

SAD DEATH OF EX PRESIDENT BUSH

It is with regret and  chagrin that I pen down these few lines to express my deep sorrow over the death of  ex President of USA the late Bush Sr. who died on 30.11.18 and who liberated Kuwait from the seven months of occupation by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Kuwait was invaded by Saddam Hussain on 02.08.1990. No doubt it was the combined efforts of 3 major countries England & France headed by USA and supported by around another 100 countries, the role of USA under President Bush was magnificent in grooming the coalition of so many countries to uproot Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. 

Margareth Tatcher the British premier was responsible to push Bush to form the coalition to liberate Kuwait otherwise smaller nations would be just swallowed by their powerful neighbours and hence she deserved highest compliments in encouraging  Bush from day one of the invasion of Kuwait to give the lead  to fight against Iraq.  The French President Francois Mitterrand  also deserved praises for supporting the war by actively taking part in it and thereby losing their precious personnel just like USA & UK. I salute these nations and with respect I bow down my head before  all those who laid down their lives to liberate Kuwait.

On behalf of all the like minded Goans who would be suffering very badly economically if Kuwait was not liberated, I pray to God to give eternal rest to Baba Bush. If it was not for the late Bush who even suppressed the opposition of China and Soviet Russia, Kuwait would be still lying with Iraq and many of  us including me would be still rotting in Goa without returning to Kuwait after its liberation. 

A.Veronica Fernandes.           

DIRTY CHARACTER OF POLICEMEN.

According to the latest news in the media, 5 Policemen including one Police Sub-Ispector were suspended for brutally like the barbarians, assaulting one seafarer Clint Rebello from Cuncolim. Though many of the Goans does not believe this suspension is genuine or it was just a tamasha to create a good image of Goa Police. Since time immemorial the image of Goa police was always bad, during the Portuguese regime a Goan especially a Catholic joining the Police force means considering you are joining a brothel to act as a “Cheddi” because police men then were considered as “Chedio”. Even if you are not a Cheddi you are ultimately forced to become and act as one.   What I mean by a Cheddi here?   I mean not only a woman who doles her body for a certain amount of time and money but also when a man doles his services not only to his department but also to his superiors blindly with an infinite allegiance.

During the Portuguese time some of the Portuguese Pakles used our third class Policemen as Pimps since many of them fit to be Pimps only coming from indecent and uncultured family background and also without proper educational background too, to get them Prostitutes because during that period young boys seldom used to join Police force as in that sector there were lot of discriminations and above all there was not much credibility nor dignity.  For a upper level cultured Goan wearing Policeman’s Uniform means degrading his  dignity because even those very few Goans  who joined Police force were treated like slaves by their Portuguese superiors without much chance to rise in ranks.  Overwhelming majority of Catholics preferred to remain jobless rather than wear the Policeman’s uniform, so undignified and so disgraceful the job of a Polieman was then and even this trend was carried forward later on too. To a certain extent this trend is still prevalent among certain Goans who are against the Police job becase of the dirty character of many of the dirty Policemen.

The nature of the Policeman's job is so bad that even if he is good in character and discipline before joining the Police force, once he is engaged with Police Job he is not likely  to acquire all the bed habbits and attributes existing in the Police Departent. Normally the Policeman is very cruel and stone hearted and at moments he had to be one otherwise he cannot survive on his job, many times he is seually perverted because since he is wielding power he likes to exercise it against innocent and weak women who are their  victims as arrestees for committing some crimes, the Policean is a vulgar in his tongue because he acquires this habbit by conversing in filthy language to deal with filthy people whom they arrest for committing filthy crimes, the Policemen normally is known to be mixing up not with decent people but only with rubbish people, good and decent people do not normally keep them in close proximity, many times the Policeman is boud to be a big thief robbing money and other valuables from the robbers bag when he catches the robbers and  instead of handing  over to his drpartment all the goods and money from the robbers he keeps for him half or major part of the loot and declares only partially.  In this way he acquires immense wealth and becomes a crorepoti asily.  In fact a Policeman willi not be a policeman unless  he acquires all the bad habbits from Police departmet..

The disgraceful character of Goan Police force was clearly displayed in Cuncolim when an innocent Clint Rebello mercilessly manandled by the rascal policemen  and earlier at Fatorda Stadium when the most disgraceful policemen acted like goondas and as traitors without their Police uniforms betrayed the innocent trio of father- mother - son and manhandled them mercilessly even the mother without taking into consideration her female characterisitcs.  Are these Policemen really genuine Goan or are they bastaradised Goans the products of Salazar regime?  It looks to me they were the illegitimate leftover products of Salazar regime and because they are so they rejovuneted acts of Salazar regime, no, sorry, even in Salazar regime such inhuman acts were not committed by the then Agente Monteiros.      

The Goan Policemen were commanded to do all the third class, dirty and cruel jobs. I was told by one Goan security personnel how while working under the deadly Agente Monteiro during Portuguese era, he was forced to commit deadly, dirty and disgraceful and cruel jobs.  Having no other choice, he said he surrendered to Agente’s diktat otherwise Agente MONTEIRO would shoot him dead and later on give an excuse that this Goan was working clandestinely for Goa’s Freedom movement and while implanting a Bomb I shot him dead.

Can Agente Monteiro alone  shoot an innocent man? Why not innocent man  a cruel policeman or a gang of cruel man? If such disturbing incidents  had to take place in occupied Jersalem or in Baluchistan or in the remote parts of Pakistan, the same Policemen who acted like crooks and hardened criminals would be shot dead not when they are in their Police Uniforms but when they are in their civilian clothes by directly and daringly confronting them by questioning them thus "the other day you assaulted me/us wthout sufficient reason, I had to bear all your cruelties because I had to respect your uniform.  But now you are in civilian clothes, can you do the same again now when I am giving you an excuses?  Come on now Mr.Policeman, Mr. Hawaldar and Mr. Inspector, if you have balls then show me your guts, you bloody rascal, you are a disgrace not only on Ploice Force,not only on Police department, not only on Government of Goa that employs you but you are a disgrace on human being because by acting thus you have brought disgrace on human being.   

Moreover, if these incidents of Goa Police had to occur in some of the deadly South American countries, the affected laymen or their relatives or friends or wellwishers or people fighting forjustice against Police cruelties would kidnap the children or wives or sisters of those Policemen who acted brute with our Goan innocent persons.  I dont advise such harsh above mentioned remedies for those culprit Policemen, it is not my doctrine, i dont propose the doctrine of "eye for an eye and tooth for tooth", this was an archaic doctrine base on the Law of Hamurabi the ancint King of Mesopotamia but surely I propose the decent law of meeting with those cruel Policemen and asking them in a decent manner why they acted so cruelly.  if necessary even organise public meetings in the localities of these poliemen to put them into shame and also to their family members.    

A. Veronica Fernandes.