GREG DE CANDOLIM A SUCCESSFUL GOAN CHRISTIAN BUSINESSMAN.

This is once again to prove wrong all those Padris and the so called intelligent people of Goa who tell that Christians are not meant to do the business because according to their opinion in doing business and acquiring success one has to be a robber and also one must be in regular contact with the “Ghaddi” who is the proper guide since Christian doctrine does not permit you neither to rob nor to go to Ghaddi.

The owner of his business Greg de Candolim & his dynamic wife Mary 

First of all if anybody thinks Christians are not going to consult the Ghaddis then they are sadly mistaken because most of the customers of the Ghaddis are Christians many of whom are become the slaves of Ghaddis and being so they don’t care nor feel afraid to consult Ghaddis who is like a living talking God for them and being so they don’t care nor feel shy.  They are not only the laymen Christians but among them are some Padris too who visit them in their normal dress like Jean Pant and T-Shirt.  The power of Ghaddis is become so strong as given to understand in the last general election for Legislative Assembly some candidates even hired and brought to Goa some Ghaddis to tell them their outcome of their contest and accordingly advise them One of the Roman Catholic candidates even told some that he acquires the services of Ghaddi brought brought from outside Goa because he has not trust in our God and Jersus Christ because they are not talking God who do not tell you on your face whst will be the result of your contest. This shows how important is the need of talking God  

Now, since the mushrooming of Non-Caatholic Denominations where many of the Pastors are performig Healing Servies, they are also guiding you in your business or any subject in the name of our religion and Christ exactly. Besides a few among the Roman Catholic hiercharcy. Hence, the point of going to Ghaddi does not arise for our Christian businessmen. If you see all over the world, especially the Western World headed by the Christians who were the pioneers in doing business in the most systematic and scientific manner where they don’t go to the Ghaddis nor they rob their customers.  There is no need to rob.  In the Gulf we worked for so many years where the owners of our company business do not directly face the customers nor they involve inn day to day business transactions, for months and months some of them are staying abroad and yet their business is run systematically by the employers they employ to run their business. No doubt their business is in big scale but even in the small scale business you can do in the same manner if you apply modern scientific methods.   

                                 

                                          The above seen is the Shop of Greg de Candolim      





  

In my village we have yet one more businessman who is well established in business since he has directly inherited it from his father P.Jack who was once a renowned Comedian Tiatrist acting with those gigantic artistes of yesteryears. From 1993 his home business of Bakery is taken over by his son Greg de Candolim who is also a well-known local Tiatrist having written a number of Tiatros and staging them in his locality and elsewhere beyond his locality.  He got his Shop in Candolim at Ximer where he sells all his home Bakery prepared items such as Cakes for different occasions, Dodol, Bibinca, Patties, Sandwich, Biscuits, Pinag, Kol-Kol, Neureo, Bolinhas, X’Mas Decorations etc.  In this venture his equally smart wife Mary also helps him and both combined together they do good business in locality plus they have customers from the neighbouring villages.

Like Greg de Candolim, there are so many such Gregs who are Goans and Christians doing their small scale business in a fair manner with the help of God and Jesus Christ, successfully not only in Candolim but also in other parts of Goandolim and their example must be emulated by the others especailly those who can afford but like idiots tell that "Amchem Goem ghelem Ghanttiancheam Hatin ghelem".  

In view of this, those Christian Goans having their shops rented to outsiders must take them back and wherever it is possible they must run the same by themselves or their children and thus in this way step by step we the Goans only should run our businesses not only in Candolim but also all over Goa.  However, what is important for us to gain success in this field is the constant flow of the customers who must imperatively patronize the business of Goans only irrespective of their religious affiliations. Our Church leaders especially our Pe. Vigars and Pe. Curs must advise our faithful either openly or thru clandestinely whom to patronize because our Pe. Vigars and Pe. Curs know this better.  The time is now come for them to act and to act very boldly and dynamically. 

As a matter of fact our community will survive or perish only on  the basis of the support and advice of our Church leaders render tou our people.  Hence, the onus falls on  our Church. In the past our Church in Kuwait has failed us but now it will not be tolerated. 

A.Veronica Fernandes.          

53RD ALL GOA STATE LEVEL MANDO FESTIVAL.

The 53^rd State Level Mando Festival for 2 days from 18 to 19 of this month was held in Panjim at Kala Academy Hall which was started 45 minutes late at 5.45.PM instead of given time at 5.00 PM thereby putting the audience into total inconvenience.  The organisers when acting like irresponsible persons then it is bad for the promotion of the event.  They should not act that they are organising a Zagor or a Sangodd. Mando Festival is a prestigious event and fitting its image, dignity and credibility, the organisers should have acted responsibly.  As it is, they have failed miserably in getting the required number of audience and not hardly 100 as it was seen on the first day, moreover, among this audience there were close relatives of the participants  and minus this means nothing worthwhile. Shame on you the organisers of this event. I think you are involved in this festival only to promote yourselves and not the Mandos.  If you cannot perform your duties properly then you must “leave” from there.    

Seen above is the hard core Konknnivadi and the seniormost compeer who is compeering this festival since its inception Dr.Bicaji Ganekar

   

In the past when it was found organising of the Mando Festival was a tedious job as far as financial involvement was concerned, we from Kuwait and myself in particular came forward under Kuwait Konknni Kendr and sent donations within our capacity.  When time came we shouldered our responsibility and still we would have done more but pigmy from the organising committee passed a remark that insulted us a lot.  There is a saying in Konkani “Ghorbidaeche Kotten Lhanvikachi Bhik Magchi Nhoi”, then instead of alms one will get  “Mati”.  Instead of appreciating our kind gesture of giving our donation, the pigmy on top of it ignored us when we came all the way from Kuwait to attend it, inspite of our donation.  His sarcastic remark was this: “What Veronica thinks of himself, just because he sent donation of few thousands rupees, he thinks he owned the Mando Festival?”.  “Are Baba” it was not Veronica’s donation but it was of KKK from its Fund though Veronica played a positive role to get it sanctioned. At least Veronica and KKK sent something but others from Kuwait and elsewhere did not even bothered to know your plight and difficulties you were undergoing to collect funds for organising this event. Veronica knew your hardships you were undergoing to raise the required fund and because he had concern and love for this festival in general and for Mando in particular, he used his goodwill to propose to KKK to send that funds. 

Agnelo de Borim the seasoned compeer

When I was in Kuwait, I noticed among our people in Goa that they feel like holding us responsible to patronise their activities and holding us obligated to blindly support them.  When they intitiate their activities they never take us into confidence and when the alarm bell rings then they come running, not only running but sprinting for help.  And when we render our help then they don’t even hallow us when we meet them in Goa, many of them turn their faces the other side.  With my direct involvement and initiative we from Kuwait financed so many activities and projects in Goa to the tune of Lakhs of Rupees.  Where our lakhs of rupees gone we sent as donation for Goa Cancer Hospital Society at Dona Paula?  Can anyone give an account of it and where it was utilized or where it is lying now?  Where our Lakhs of rupees have gone that we sent for the establishment of Novem Goem Daily?  Where are all the Trustees of NG gone now?  Were not they responsible for the disaster of Novem Goem by mismanaging it when they should not because they were not the people belonging to the class of Ladru and Pedru, they were all highly educated but ultimately they acted worst than the Ladrus and Pedrus.  And on top of it these people are seeking respect In society.  They dont deserve any respect from the society.  Due to their negligence and stupidity they have killed our ambition in Kuwait to move ahead in supporting such initiatives.  For them in Goa it is nothing because as it is said in one Konkani proverb that “Kapurleak khuim Kulei sarke ani Thanaim sarkim”.     

Coming back to the Mando Festival. gone were the days when in late sixties and early seventies, eighties, nineties till recently people used to gather to see Mando Festival in very good number even by paying ticket money if I am not mistaken, Rs. 7/- but now even without ticket people failed to come in good number for this free event. During those days what I have noticed as a young Collegian since I am a veteran attendee of this festivaI from 1969/70, all the male attendees coming in Suit and Tie while the females in their posh dress code and thus emitting more beauty and grandeur to this event because the people then had great love and admiration for this festival.  Besides, the participating groups had taste and knowledge of Mando and its composition and other technicalities.  But gradually it went into the hands of Tiatrists and people of low cadre in this field and who were ignorant of the soul of Mando. During those days it was like the monopoly of  high cadre of attendees but later on it was embraced also by the law cadre and now it is nothing of that sort.

Is it because people lost their interest in Mando Festival or the organisers lost interest in marketing this event appropriately? This is the serious issue where concerned people must do the study and take the corrective steps otherwise gradually Ghanttees will take over it and with certain modification totally Ghantteeised it thereby bringing an end to this great cultural part of Konkani Goans.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

WELL-KNOWN KUWAIT GOAN MANUEL D'COSTA.

Manuel at my place.

The competitive foot-ball for Goans and for other Indians was first time started in Kuwait in 1979 by the Goan Club, United Goans Foot-ball Center popularly known as UG and it was headed by once an ace Goan player from Siolim, Bardez, Antonio Lawrence Fernandes. With the exception of final, all other matches were played at Sour Grounds, 1 & 2 all in the afternoons.  Lot of Goans and others participated in this soccer among whom some are still in Kuwait from the time of the inception of this tournament and till now they are actively taking part in this soccer extravaganza.  One such Goan is none other than Manuel D’Costa from St. Cruz, Ilhas, Goa who is still working in Kuwait and living with his family peacefully.  However, till now he has not detached himself from this soccer and currently he is the chief of newly formed Goan Foot-ball Association which caters to the needs of Goan boys. When he first started in 1979, he was the member of G.O.A. B team, later on he joined other clubs but for the current Association he is firm since he is doing lot of hard work to raise the level of his team.

He is very much supported in this association by some of his colleagues and his family too and he is grateful to them for their support.  Since currently our soccer is gone into the hands of non-Goans in all respects, yet Manuel is maintaining Goan identity thru this Association and he feels happy that many Goans are supporting him for keeping the banner of Goa and Goans high.

Since he is in Goa now, a few days back he paid me a visit at Caandolim where we discussed so many things regarding our past foot-ball activities, his support for Goan causes and his plans for Goa when he retires from Kuwait. I was highly pleased to welcome him at my place where he spent his time with me.  He is the same Manuel whom I last saw in Kuwait 6 years back, a simple and humble Goan with all the Goan attributes.

A.Veronica Fernandes.