I HAVE FAILED MYSELF

I HAVE FAILED MYSELF.

The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said “when devil comes in you, it comes like a slave but when it goes, it goes like a master”. This was what has happened to my friend Churchill Alemao. I was the main person responsible to promote him in Kuwait which helped him in his promotion in Goa as well. When he was not much popular and was nobody in the Goa Legislative Assembly we brought him to Kuwait as a Chief Guest for the Tiatro of Rex de Bardez. I worked so hard to promote him that time that we organized in his honour so many meetings and functions. The first meeting and reception was hosted in his honour in Kuwait City at Caesars by our Kuwait Konknni Kendr. Then the next day in the morning we organized a special soccer match where we made him the Chief Guest and exposed him to the bigger crowd. Then in the same afternoon we made him the Chief Guest for Rex de Bardez Tiatro where the hall packed audience applauded him. Within the next 48 hours we organized a public meeting in his honour near the Church. This meeting was originally scheduled in the Church Hall but at the last minute when all the arrangements were done the then Maltese Bishop of Kuwait refused us to hold that meeting even though first he agreed, citing an excuse that Churchill was a terrorist. I challengd the Bishop to prove it but he had no guts to prove. He used his veto power by listening to his "chamcha" advisers who were enemies of Goa and Goan causes. Because of this last minute betrayal I had openly disgraced the Bishop calling him a traitor for inconveniencing Churchill and us too. Additionally some more private and smaller functions we organized in his honour and for his promotion. I was very much instrumental in organizing most of those functions where he received wider exposure and I was the one who introduced him to the audience saying “this is our Churchill Alemao, hero of Konkani movement who did so much for the cause of Konkani. He is the future and saviour of Goa”. Besides, I was the only person who gave him a big coverage for his visit to Kuwait in the local media.

Why I in particular and we Kuwaitkars in general gave him such a big welcome? Because we wanted somebody to fight for the cause of Goa and Goans and in him we found an appropriate man. I thought he would be the right choice and right candidate to take up our issues. At that time he was a very humble man having genuine self of genuine Churchill Alemao. When he got the taste of my pen in Kuwait, on the eve of his departure back to Goa, he pleaded with me to take leave of half day from my job and write a full review on his trip to Kuwait. Though I was very tight on my job because of my company’s strict rules and regulations yet to satisfy our future, to be leader Churchill Alemao, I obliged and sitting in his Hotel room in Kuwait City I wrote the whole review which he got published in Goa immediately after returning to Goa. The effect of his trip to Kuwait was resounding and thunderous. It helped him a lot in his promotion and we too were very happy that he got positive effect from our support.

But did he live up to our expectations? Definitely not. He came like a slave and gone back like a master. He betrayed us with a Judas Kiss by joining MGP under PDF Government and then changing parties like changing “underwear” after having bath. We supported him not to see him taking law into his own hands and to do what he wants against the wishes of his supporters. Thru his arrogance and defiance of public support he has made himself the most hated politician in Goa even though he may feel that he is liked by all in Goa. According to the latest observation, even his own voters in Navelim constituency dislike him and if fresh election is held in Goa now, I am sure he will lose miserably. By creating political circus in Goa with the help of BJP’s Parrikar and UGDP’s Babush he has received negative feelings from the people. Goans have now realized his greed for power and thru power his greed for money and abundant money in crores. I only hope he survives to enjoy these crores.

When I first came in contact with him at Luizin Faleiro’s place during the language agitation time in Goa I found in him a very sincere and dedicated man for the cause of Konkani, Goa and Goans. That time I realized it was worth to support him and accordingly I campaigned hard for his promotion in Kuwait and also from Kuwait. But gradually I realized my fault when he started showing his selfishness for his selfish glorification. A man of Churchill calibre aligning with MGP means disgrace on Goa and disgrace on us too especially on those like me who supported him and promoted him so much. We supported and promoted him when he was in imperative need of it. We were the people who laid a strong base for his promotion and this we did only to see him standing by our causes. But, no, the Churchill Alemao we promoted did not remain the same. Churchill Alemao let us down; he let us the genuine Goans and genuine Konkani lovers down by playing the game of defections. Defection is a game of selfish persons. We are not with selfish Churchill Alemao and we don’t want selfish Churchill Alemao. We promoted upright Churchill Alemao, we supported genuine Churchill Alemao and not the corrupt Churchill Alemao who is flirting today with Congress, tomorrow with UGDP, the day after tomorrow with MGP and again today with BJP. And yet he expects us to tolerate his dirty political games as if we are his Mundkars and he is our Bhattkar. He is acting as if he is having devine right to be the boss of Goa and to do what he wants. He is not Goa's boss and he cannot and people now must not allow him to take upper hand in Goa because he is selfish and very unstable. His relatives and family members must advise him before the law of nature takes its own course. The fury of nature is like that of Sunami. It can eradicate and liquidate any earthly object having arrogance, betrayal and pride.

By associating with BJP which is a communal and an anti-Christian party, Churchill Alemao made mockery of his fake secularism. By associating with Parrikar, Churchill Alemao insulted and disgraced his Christianity. If he is a true Christian believing in our Lady of Vailankani and teachings of Christ, Churchill Alemao will never associate with BJP’s Parrikar having anti-Christian, anti-Christ and anti-Vailankani Saibinn feelings. By associating with Parrikar, Churchill Alemao proved that how feeble minded Christian he is. Many people in Kuwait are spitting on my face saying “you were the person who used to sing hosannas in praise of Churchill Alemao”. Yes, I did and for doing so I regret but for singing hosannas in his praise I never received his “chiri-miri” neither I asked for it. I sang hosannas in his praise only because of his original genuine self which is already expired. His original genuine upright self is already R.I.P.

Hello my friend Churchill Alemao. You have let me down by killing your original self which was wonderful. You have let me down in front of my adversaries who are making mockery of me for promoting and supporting you earlier. Churchill Bab, you have robbed me and robbed all your supporters and promoters of the trust we had in you. Please slow down. You are going too fast. “Devachea Marank Avaz Na”, anything can happen tomorrow, know this very well. Tommorrow is uncertain. Giants have fallen, you are nothing. I am not asking bad for you but you yourself is inviting bad for you. You have hurt the feelings of your supporters enough. Think of tomorrow which is not in your hands. Don’t be arrogant and don’t go against the wishes of the people by hurting them further. 17 years back people in Kuwait used to put their children to sleep by uttering the name of Saddam Hussein who was so powerful and ruthless then and who thought he was an omnipotent but his omnipotence did not last long because he was punished by the hand of justice in last December. Dayananda Bandodkar even defied Indira Gandhi, when she came to Goa once and at that time he even refused to receive her at the Dabolim Airport. Once he told me and my friend that “Zannai mure, anvem Saddiekanichi (meaning=Indira Gandhi) porva korunk na”. That was his political might but it disappeared within a split of a second at about 7.00 pm at Panjim Gymkhana while playing Table Tennis. That was the fury of nature when you defy nature. I don’t want anything bad happening to you and even if it happens I will feel sorry because I know your genuine former self which was upright. Try to amend your ways and come to the proper path when Goans will treat you as a real saviour of Goa. Otherwise posterity will treat you as Traitor. And in the history books you will be recorded as the man who harmed the interest of Goa and Goans.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

Apa-lipa Gõychem Rajkaronn - by Fr. Teodosio Fernandes

Aile re aile,
Bikhari amchea
dharant aile
Kott’tti gheun
bhikek lagle
Kott’ttent tanchea
motam ghalun
lokhani amchea
amkanch naddle...

Aile re aile,
Nivddun aile
Donuch disanim
Kele tannim hole
Lokhani dil’lim
votam visorle
Apa-lipa khell
Khellunk lagle...

Kelem re kelem
Rajkaronn Gõychem
Kelem girgirem
Rajkarnant bhorlam
Bhirem choranchem
Montreak laglam
Pixem chorpachem
Gõy amchem
Chorun pavlam
Ordhe vattechem...

Uttat Gõykara
Nidentle uttat
Vot ghatloleank
Korinakat fatt
Ho vell zaun asa
Dokounk tankam vatt
Nodor tancher marat
Tanchi fatt zalea datt
Gorom udok ghalun
Kaddat tanchi kat..

-Fr. Teodosio Fernandes
Kuwait

Note:
Fr. Teodosio Fernandes is a Goan Carmelite priest based at Our Lady of Arabia Church, Ahmadi, Kuwait. He did his priestly studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore.


This is his first poem and he has written it on the sorry state of Goan politics.

Forwarded by gaspercrasto@hotmail.com

GREATNESS OF BIBLE.

Today being the 17th anniversary of the Invasion of Kuwait, the local Arab Times published the following I wrote to mark the invasion day of Kuwait. I am reproducing it for the Kranti readers.


GREATNESS OF BIBLE.

2nd August is the most memorable date in my life, it will never erase from my sane memory. It was on this date 17 years back, in 1990 on that fateful Thursday, Kuwait was invaded by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. I was caught in Kuwait City, at Maliya, next to the Police Station at 6.30 AM by the military personnel who had craggy faces, looked hungry for blood and used rough language. Though they looked foreign yet I could not believe that they were from Iraq and they have already occupied Kuwait. But unbelievable has finally became believable. Saddam Hussein’s Iraq has betrayed Kuwait by discarding all the norms of the civilized world and invaded Kuwait. Saddam Hussein’s Iraq by invading Kuwait went against the principles of UN, NAM, ARAB LEAGUE & OIC. All these organizations prohibit the use of force to settle bilateral disputes but Saddam Hussein did not care and took law into his own hands and did what in reality happened on 2nd August 1990. Kudos to Margaret Thatcher for awakening USA on the folly of this invasion and double kudos to USA under Baba Bush who got around him the entire world with the exception of few tin pot nations to fight against this invasion. The rest is history.

The residents residing in the heart of Kuwait City were the worst hit by the Iraqi soldiers' atrocities in one way or the other. Within 48 hours of the invasion poor Phillipinas went underground from Kuwait City. The invasion troop was stationed in Kuwait City for the first 4 days and during this period these soldiers armed with guns were forcibly coming to the flats of residents, not once a day but a number of times. And checking what? Nothing except ogling for females with lusty eyes. At my residence they were coming 6 times a day, thrice in the mornings and thrice in the afternoons, in threes, all equipped with guns. During these visits they were creating chills in my marrow especially when they were pulling me by my beard and making me stand in the Seating Room guarded by one soldier and the remaining two soldiers inside my bedroom checking all my books and other reading materials and sometimes asking some silly questions. Only once they showed softness when they came across on my table the latest issue of World Soccer Magazine from where they started seeing the latest pictures of the recently completed World Cup Italia 90, a month before the invasion.

Having no choice of averting this unwarranted mental torture, I tried to flee from my Flat but was afraid to leave because down on the ground floor of our building the Iraqi soldiers converted the area into a fortress. Hence, I surrendered to my fate. On 3rd Day in the afternoon, instead of me opening the door for their regular entry in my house, my colleague opened and I remained on the bed covering my face with a towel pretending to be fast asleep. When they entered, one of the three came straight in my room as if he knew my presence on the bed and also as if I am a sort of culprit, put the barrel of his gun towards my eyes and softly removed the towel. Seeing the barrel of the gun touching my eyes, I lost my sanity but at that particular moment before something worst could happen, next to my bed on the small table the same Iraqi soldier saw my Bible which I kept there and hid all other books under the bed in a box. Seeing this Bible the Iraqi soldier suddenly became pale and quietly withdrew back and along with him his other two colleagues left my residence and never returned back even on the remaining 4th day giving me the much needed peace.

Holy Book is the Holy Book. Bible is one of the Holy Books in which all the people of the Books believe and admit Its genuinness. It is a miraculous Book and it describes all the miracles and miraculous persons. In it not just written pages exist but in it the words of God exist. For this reason Bible and all other Holy Books help you in right direction and protect you from all evils. It protected me from the evil of Iraqi soldier. What would have been my fate if my Bible did not attract the attention of Iraqi soldier and prevented him from harming me bodily?

The greatness of Bible is so high that I have no words to express it yet I must confess that this is the only Book that is kept in the Moon. Bible is the only Book that is sold in bigger number than any other book in the world. Great French writer Voltaire tried his best to diminish the importance of Bible from this planet and he even went to the extent of issuing a statement saying that “one year after my death, nobody will read Bible turning it into dead stock”. Incidentally, and miraculously in 6 months only after the death of Voltaire the sale of Bible increased to such an extent, to such an extent, that to fulfill the needs of the increased Bible readers, Voltaire’s own house had to be converted into a Bible Printing and selling shop. This is the miracle of the Bible.

What was the most important lesson I learnt from the invasion of Kuwait? The first was to trust in God and He will guide and protect you. Rely on spiritualism. The second was never to rely on your brother though there may be some isolated incidents where one brother helped another but in most cases one brother after killing another brother replied to God "am I by brother's keeper?" During the invasion period I realised who is mine and who is not mine. During this period I also realised the real worth of Kuwait when almost all the expatriates left Kuwait saying "who wants Kuwait now?" During this period some of the very brothers of Kuwait who enjoyed benevolence of Kuwait instead of supporting Kuwait like Judas rejected Kuwait.It is during this time that Kuwait realised who was with Kuwait and who not. It was a lesson for all of us to know our brothers, sisters, husbands, friends and relatives.

Was invasion of Kuwait a punishment for our sins, arrogance and pride? Some accepted it openly while others silently. Why it had to happen to Kuwait only? Was there a God's hand into this? If yes, why did God punish Kuwait in this way? Was it because some of them treat expatriates rudely and badly in an inhuman way? Example: Powerless maids. Was it because many of the Kuwaitis boast of their money power without caring for God's commandments? In the invasion of Kuwait we expatriates lost materially while the loss of Kuwaitis was like the loss of a soul from human body. God forbid such incidents again. May God help Kuwait to keep its borders fortified from its enemies advances.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Safat, Kuwait