PORTUGAL STILL CREATING ITS IMPACT FELT IN GOA.

This is in response to the news item appearing everywhere during the last two days on the English Question Paper mentioning Goans acquiring Portuguese Passports, for going abroad for jobs.  To put  it figuratively, it is since time immemorial that Goans are known to go out in search of greener pastures because even after 451 years of Portuguese rule in Goa, we in Goa never attained the optimum level of employment and because of this scarcity of jobs Goans preferred to go abroad.

I don’t understand why a few persons had to make this a big issue when it is a hard fact that so many Goans are acquiring Portuguese Passports because it is become a mode of employment to get not only much better income in the West but also it is become a symbol of respect and dignity. Our government is a bankrupt government whose ministers are selfish interested only to fill their pockets instead of creating job avenues for our jobless manpower. Every Indian who acquires a Portuguese Passport is aware of this fact. During the Portuguese rule in Goa, Goans by virtue of being full fledged Portuguese nationals without any discrimination of first class and second class citizens of Portugal where all were equal citizens, were entitled to acquire Portuguese Passports and migrate to outside world.

              If our government was capable to provide jobs for our citizens then nobody would acquire Portuguese Passport.  There is no shame in acquiring Portuguese Passports but there is a shame in charging, as informed, lakhs of rupees for providing jobs where ministers and their subordinates are directly involved in accepting the bribe for jobs.  This is not only shameful but disgraceful where no government is thinking to put a ban.

             Now coming back again on the question paper, those who raised this issue and blown it out of proportion are trying to swim in the muddy water to get them opportunities in the political fields.  All those who are making this as a big issue must first of all thank Portugal for providing Portugues Passports for Goans and thereby easing the pressure of Goa government in providing jobs for Goans.  Secondly, it was good that thru this question paper the youngsters at this young age only informed what days are lying for them ahead. Thus giving them time to think very hard what misery they will have to face when their time of employment comes.  All those powerful people who felt ashamed of Portuguese Passports for our unemployed youth they should have done something when some of them were having political power in their hands. But they did nothing, “tankam fokot Portugues Passport ostad”.      

              A.Veronica Fernandes.

Death of my neighbour.

He was my neighbour for many years now at Araddy in Candolim, earlier he worked  in the Gulf, he was soft spoken but always smiling man, his name is Anthony  Bosco Fernandes but known as Tony only. He is the brother of our Candolim Sarpanch Blazio Fernandes.  Being a humble man he never showed his pride for being the brother of the village Sarpanch.  A well educated man having vast knowledge of different subjects either of sports, politics or historical events.  To our regret and mine in particular he expired yesterday leaving behind his wife Lourdina and other members of his family.

He was interred today 20th of this month at 9.30 AM where as per the prevailing situation only the few close family members were allowed in the Cemetery.

In his death I lost a good friend and very helpful neighbour.

On my behalf and on behalf  of my family I extend my condolences to Blazio Fernandes and all the family members of the dead. May his soul rest in peace and may God give courage to his wife Lourdine and other family members to bear this colossal loss.

A.Veronica Fernaandes.

WHERE IS CONGRESS & ALL ITS USELESS OLDIES HIDING?

Just like that ancient Greek philosopher, Diogenes roaming in the Athens city during the day time with a lighted Lantern in his hand when the Sun was directly overhead, in search of a good person because during those days Greece was passing thru a bad phase of not having good and upright people, in a similar manner since the last Assembly Election in Goa, I too am roaming almost all over Goa in search of just ONE, I repeat, just ONE  qualitative politician with excellent character and who is NOT corrupt. Some of the Goans seeing me and even calling me a mad man who inspite of having such a magnificent and the powerfully bright light of the Sun still carry a dimly lighted Lantern which is of no use otherwise. When I was asked just as Diogenes was asked then, "taking lighted Lantern is not your madness and this Sunlight is not enough?  Precisely" I repled   "because Sunlight is not sufficient enough I am taking a lighted Lantern as an extra light"  What  a pity is it to see our character reaching to so low when we create a crook of every new born child because from 20.12.1961 our whole system is become corrupt since 20.12.61 due to the unhindered influx of Ghantees and Ghantee type of people from all over India came and settled down in Goa and they implanted their adulterated culture on us even to the extent and in the bargain, of prostituting our own culture and discipline that was known to be the best then.  Since the forcible acquisition of Goa by Bharat with the strength of about 20,000 Military Troop as against the hardly 5000 Potuguese Military, it is true that Goa made lot of progress in different areas but totally failed in building the character of Goans because of which rampant corruption is existing everywhere in Goa.  This mode of corruption inducted in Goa by  the non-Goans who  came to Goa immediately after 20.12.61 because till such time of 20.12.61 average Goan was innocent and of virgin type and also ignorant of all the corrupt practices like taking bribe etc. All these corrupt practices were very normal in other parts of India and those overwhelming majority of Bharatis who landed in Goa they had mastery over all the malpractices of corruption, they first started in indulging in it and thus they commenced the parallel type of economy in Goa.  

During the Portuguese time corruption of the type we find in Goa was not existent, bribery was totally absent.  Ghaumcho Regidor was doing the work of the Ghaum as what the Panchayat is doing now, without charging anything extra, the term BRIBE was never heard from the Regidor tongue but now the Ghumcho Sarpanch is become the Biggest Chor, Biggest corrupt and biggest criminal.  The whole of Goa was under the loot spree from the hands of our local Panchayats headed by the rascal Sarpanches and who are supported by all other Panchas since they are partners in the crimes of loot of village wealth.   Now they are also involved in looting the Communidade land by applying the lop sided laws where their benefits are at stake.  Only the selected few are allowed to own the Mudkarial land by buying it from the Communidade. In 1960 I saw one Portuguese Paklo who after doing a favour on one Goan, not only NOT charged anything extra nor demanded any bribe but on top of it he said to that Goan “OBROGADO Senhor Conceicao” from Panjim.  Can we get those days  back?  No, Never.    

     

What a pity is it that we don’t have even one politician whose character matches with those who fought the first Assembly Election and Opinion Poll against the MGP!!  It is another pity that since the Congress Party in a childish manner gave their last victory on silver platter to the BJP, all the senior  Congressmen look like gone into hiding. The freshers are incapable to rise to the occasion and create a dent into the electorate citadel.  People in general and supporters of Congress in particular  are disappointed with the silence of Congress with regards to the so many mistakes of the ruling party. It looks at moments that Opposition is not exsisting only and because of this the “dadagiri” of the ruling party is increasing.  The Congressmen should know that they were elected not to remain dormant but to fight for the issues of the people that they are not fighting and for this they will have to pay a heavy price in the coming election especially.  Moreover, if the Congress Party  gives the election tickets to the earlier defeated candidates who are vindictive and being so they  are become useless, Congress Party is going to fail and fail miserably. Most of their defeated candidates were corrupt for this reason voters rejected them. After the last election Congress lost only the 10 MLA’s to BJP thru a great betrayal initiated by the BJP’s but after the end of this term I am afraid if they act without taking opinion of their supporters, Congress will lose everything. We want to know meantime who will be the likely candidate of Congresss in my constituency so that at the last minute in the name of High Command we don’t want any  Chor and Corrupt to be dumped on our heads. This time we will see to it that High Command and Low Command “gelo dobean”.  We want our say to rule supreme because we are going to elect the candidate and not the High Command or Panjim Congress Office Command. 

A.Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel:7507394349.