LIBERATION OF KUWAIT & GOAN MOVEMENT.

26th February 2009, we in Kuwait mark the 19th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. Thru the liberation of Kuwait, freedom prevailed over suppression, democracy over dictatorship, justice over injustice and truth over a lie. How it happened and with whose support? In the beginning it looked the liberation of Kuwait would not come soon or not come at all.

A. Veronica Fernandes addressing the rally

Ministry of Interior, Col. Juma Al Kholifi kissing the Kuwaiti flag

During the invasion time of Kuwait, I was in my place Goa, India, busy in organising meetings and rallies in Goa in support of Kuwait. Suddenly opposite to Azad Maidan in Panaji the capital city of Goa, I met Eduaro Faleiro who was at that time a Congress Member of Parliament. A short while before, he was the Minister in Central Government Delhi holding the prestigious post of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. By virtue of being a minister of that high rank, he should be expert in foreign affairs. But no! According to his statement he made to me on that day which I reproduce herebelow as I still remembered after a long period, it goes like this:

He wished me saying “Veronica, how are you?

I said, fine. How about you?

He said ok and asked me: what are you doing?

I said, presently very busy in organising a movement on behalf of GOA-KUWAIT SOLIDARITY CENTER in support of the liberation of Kuwait.

He sarcastically smiled and said: Veronica, forget about Kuwait’s liberation, forget about Kuwait. KUWAIT IS GONE.
When I immediately retorted asking him “why”?

He replied thus: Kuwait’s case will be like that of Palestinian case. It will drag on for years and years like Palestinian case for another 25 to 50 years. Veronica, you forget about Kuwait’s liberation. A COUNTRY THAT IS ALREADY INVADED WILL NOT COME BACK.

From the above statement of India’s foreign affairs stalwart one could make out that only a miracle was required to liberate Kuwait.

Immediately after the invasion of Kuwait, Arab Leaders met to discuss this issue of invasion of Kuwait and as if it was an easy matter to solve, issued a statement saying “it was an Arab issue and it would be solved under Arab umbrella”. What was that Arab umbrella? It was an Arab League that binds the Arab race together. In fact Arab League failed Kuwait miserably. It turned out to be an impotent body to force Saddam Hussein to vacate Kuwait. Why Arab League only? What about Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) which binds the Muslim member nations thru religious affinity and strictly prohibits use of force to settle bilateral disputes between the member nations? Though Kuwait and Iraq both being members of OIC as both are Muslim countries, yet Iraq rejected the principle of Organisation of Islamic Conference and used force to invade Kuwait. Saddam Hussein proved to be a fake Muslim otherwise he would respect the religious values of OIC.

Non Align Movement (NAM) was yet another organization that failed to withstand the fury of Saddam Hussein. NAM also prescribes use of peaceful methods to solve bilateral issues between the member nations. Both Kuwait and Iraq are the members of NAM yet Saddam Hussein made a fool of NAM. Once a few years back, Libyan Leader Gaddafi dubbed NAM as a big JOKE. It is a romantic figment of romantic Nehru supported by Nasser and Tito, all toothless leaders who established NAM as a toothless body.

Finally, the ultimate solution for Kuwait rested on the shoulders of UN which proved its worth. With the strong mandate given by the UN to liberate Kuwait, a coalition of innumerable countries headed by US waged a deadly war against Iraq and on this date 19 years back, finally liberated Kuwait from where we earn our sustenance, the country which is a home for many of us away from our own homes back in our countries. Thanks to Margaret Thatcher for creating an awakening in support of Kuwait immediately after its invasion by Saddam’s Iraq. She at that particular time was visiting US and when she got this news, her first broadcast early in the morning relayed by BBC was this “In no way this brutal and illegal invasion should be allowed. Saddam Hussein is a brute, a dictator, a barbarian, a despot worst than Hitler. This invasion of tiny peace loving country Kuwait must be reversed by all means”. Then she disrupted her itinerary in US and directly went to Baba Bush (Sr.) and asked him to give a lead to organize the world to liberate Kuwait. Being a super power, she said US is in position to do so and finally US under Bush Sr. gave a strong lead in this direction.

It was very nice at that time Gorbachev was ruling Soviet Russia. Gorbachev was a democratic and decent leader who would use his rationale to judge the situation in its true perspective. He judged the Kuwait situation rightly even though he was not an Arab or a Muslim. It was ironic to know that the liberation movement of Kuwait was opposed by some of the Arab and Muslim countries while non-Muslim and Non-Arab countries openly supported Kuwait’s liberation though US and West were blamed as anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim without any basis. For this reason, during his last summit in the Mediterranean Sea with Gorbachev before the start of the Gulf War for the liberation of Kuwait, the president of US, Bush Sr. said “This war is not a war between Arabs and West. It is a war between Arab and Arabs. This war is not a war between Muslim and Christians. It is a war between Muslims and Muslims. Christian US and Christian West are only supporting the weak Arab and weak Muslim country to gain its liberation”.

One of the major reasons for Kuwait to get strong support for its liberation war was the excellent foreign policy conducted by Kuwait under its long time Foreign Minister who is currently the Amir of Kuwait. His dealings with all nations with fair manner earned him and Kuwait an excellent goodwill all around the globe that finally paid dividends for Kuwait.

That Kuwait will be liberated one day was certain to me but when? That was the question mark. But I knew that one day is not very far unlike my compatriot Eduardo Faleiro. I feel my knowledge of foreign affairs is far better than that of Eduardo Faleiro the Foreign Affairs stalwart of India. I said to myself, either today or tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, liberation will come and surely it will come but till such time, let us fly the flag of Kuwait high in Goa. All my colleagues in our movement supported me. Accordingly, soon after our first rally in Panjim on 12th November 1990 in support of Kuwait, we took the decision to organize a big meeting in Panjim to mark the National Day of Kuwait on 25th February 1991. When Kuwait’s Ambassador Zakaria got this news, on my advice he sent us one box containing Leaflets, Kuwaiti Flag, Audio Cassette of National Anthem of Kuwait, Free Kuwait Badges etc. When we marked this day, I could see nothing but joy on the faces of Goans who gathered there to mark this day. When the National Anthem of Kuwait was played, I could see nothing but tears of joy in the eyes of so many Goans who listened to the Kuwaiti National Anthem after so many months. It was nothing but joy and joy on the faces of everyone gathered there on that auspicious day making us aware of the following day’s good tidings that Kuwait was on the verge of liberation which surely and as predicted came on 26th February 1991.

The movement we Goans organised in Goa - India continuously for so many months in support of Kuwait was done purely out of love and gratitude for Kuwait from where we earned our sustenance. It was done in such a big and vociferous scale that its voice was heard not only in Goa but also in New Delhi thus forcing the Government of India to change its stand openly and support Kuwait clearly and strongly. Not only this, our voice we raised from Goa was heard in Taif - Saudi Arabia by the Government of Kuwait in exile, other governments in the world thru their Embassies in New Delhi and to all over the world thru Radio, TV and Press News. Our voice we raised from Goa under the umbrella of Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center was a direct slap on the face of Saddam Hussein, his Bath Party, his Iraq and all his supporters and admirers. By organising our movement in Goa we wanted to show our affiliation to Kuwait. This movement we organised on our own wish and on our own initiative and no external power or external elements involved in it. It was purely an indegenous Goan movement financed by none other than by us, Kuwait returnee Goans only. Its credit should go to none other than all who associated in it physically and financially. By organising this movement I am happy that we got an opportunity to show our gratitude to Kuwait from where we gained so much.

To wage the war against Iraq to liberate Kuwait, I cannot ignore the enormous efforts made by US, UK and France and the great sacrifices of their soldiers who lost their precious lives for the cause of Kuwait. The liberation of Kuwait was realized only with the active involvement of these nations and their soldiers and of course with the stellar initiative of UN.

On behalf of GOA-KUWAIT SOLIDARITY CENTER, I, A. Veronica Fernandes, Convener of Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Centre wish Kuwaitis, Government of Kuwait and the ruling family of Kuwait all the best on the liberation day of Kuwait. May God Bless Kuwait.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

Visa trading, rising food prices, rents major challenges

the Aljenfawi files
By Khaled Aljenfawi

According to the Arab Times, “the Investigation Section of the General Immigration Department Thursday arrested a Kuwaiti man for trading in visas.

According to reliable sources the man had 16 bogus companies registered in his name and have reportedly sold 265 work permits to people of various nationalities.”

Whether the allegations prove true or not, “trading in visas” is only one of the challenges facing our expatriates friends and partners. Among other important issues that constitute real challenges for expatriate workers in Kuwait are rising food prices, rents, and the increase in general living expenses. As our most important national goals continue to be the transformation of Kuwait into a regional financial and commercial center, it is better to focus on providing a more hospitable environment for our expatriates.

Certainly, in addition to being exploited by visa traders, many hard working expatriates find it difficult to keep their families in Kuwait due to the rise in food prices, the irrational increase in rents and skyrocketing living expenses. We have already stressed the need for these individuals, expatriates, who are the real flesh and bones of our local economy, to feel at home. They are the ones who run the daily business in almost all private companies in Kuwait; they also continue to contribute in their government jobs, facilitating our national luxurious way of life.

Therefore, they deserve to live in a more hospitable environment equal to the amount of efforts they are excreting. Reducing the impacts of already existing bureaucratic complications in different government departments, moderating rents or issuing a government decree, which can freeze rents, and above all trying our best to make our expatriate friends and partners feel at home, are real steps in the right direct.

The government’s crackdown on visa traders will ultimately remove one menace from our local environment. However, we also need to focus on how many of these expatriate workers and employees are dealing with artificial rises in food prices and rents. In an earlier published article in the Arab Times, I emphasized the need to create some kind of government program through which subsidized food coupons can be offered to expatriates. This subsidized food program does not necessarily have to be part of what ordinary Kuwaitis receive at the end of each month (subsidized food or “Tamween”...etc), but it should be at least a similar program which offer a much needed help. Many expatriates for example purchase their food and other necessary commodities from public cooperative societies, but they already know they will receive no profit in doing so! In other words, why not set up a different kind of cooperative society for expatriates, where they can purchase whatever they need and get something in return.

They are certainly similar avid consumers like many Kuwaiti citizens and they should enjoy the benefits of feeling at home.

One other important challenge facing many expatriates is what amounts to an artificial and arbitrary rise in rents. In Dubai for example, the government there started tackling the rise in rents by issuing some kind of freeze on already signed contracts. We can do better in Kuwait by starting to regulate rents through the establishment of a government department that can monitor irrational rise in rents, especially for expatriates. It is becoming more difficult for many expatriates to keep their families in Kuwait because of the rise in rents and other living expenses. It is certainly better to create a new scenario where expatriates and their loved ones can really feel at home in Kuwait.

Trying to provide a more hospitable local environment for our expatriate friends and partners requires some efforts from the government and civil societies. These honest and hard working people continue to contribute in maintaining our local economy and they are facing harder challenges in a global financial crisis. It would be better to provide expatriates working in Kuwait with other options than continuously being victimized by visa traders or opting for sending their families back home instead of enjoying a stable, prosperous and happy family life in Kuwait.

khaledaljenfawi@yahoo.com
Aljenfawi

The above article is reproduced from Arab Times (Page 3), Monday, Febraury 9, 2009

GOA'S RESTING PLACES -2. By Valmiki Faleiro.

GOA’S RESTING PLACES-2.

By Valmiki Faleiro.

Dust you are, and unto dust you shall return. “Aiz mhaka, faleam tuka” (my turn today,yours tomorrow.) Yes, I am on ‘final’ resting places, three days before Ash Wednesday.Unpleasant as the thought of our own death may be, we could, when alive, spare athought about where the dead go from this temporal world – in Goa. Cremation grounds, cemeteries and Kabrastans are not the brightest of places. But eachhas its curiosities.

Let’s consider some from my hometown. Margao’s Hindu ‘Smashan Bhoomi’ is a story by itself. For starters, this crematorium wasnot founded nor run by the municipality, as done the world over, but by a praiseworthyprivate trust. It’s not strictly Hindu, but open to all. The person who works on its everydaycremations is not even a male, but a woman. And she is not Hindu – she’s a practicing Muslim!

Margao’s Catholic cemetery, per prevailing practice, was within the church. Before 1830,when churches in Goa were directed to construct cemeteries outside the church butwithin the church grounds, a new cemetery was built in the backyard, around where theHoly Spirit school stands today. Due to insalubrities, it was shifted to a less inhabitedarea, where it exists to this day. From the oldest to the latest. St. Sebastian Church’s cemetery at Aquem-Margao isrefreshingly different. Far from a cold-marble, gloomy ambience, it’s the most beautiful cemetery I’ve seen anywhere between Mumbai and Mangalore. From the public road,one could actually mistake it for a garden!

Catholics of St. Sebastian chapel (Pandava Copel) previously turned to dust in the Navelim cemetery. When chapel became church, the parishioners decided to have theirown cemetery. (Their new church building, coincidentally, is being inaugurated today.)Like Benaulim-kars who built Livramento Church with their own money, they built their cemetery likewise, albeit on a plot gifted by the Barreto Xavier family – in record time,and in style! Neatly laid out grave-places, small black-granite markers, a simple, openchapel and pleasing landscaping, sets this final resting place apart.

Muslims in Margao have their burial ground. But Miyanbhais from all over India nowabound Margao/suburbs. The town’s once lone Masjid now has close to 20 for company.The Kabrastan is grossly insufficient. Though ready to buy land for another burial site,every potential location – in Ambajim, Aquem Baixo, Colmorod, Curtorim, Davondem,Davorlim, Fatorda, Guirdolim, Macasana, Navelim, Raia and St. Jose de Areal – has met with local protests. It would not be as if Saxttikars are morbidly pleased to deny Muslims decent burials.Could the Salcete sentiment, now fanning across Goa, be that Saxttikars want migrants to return to where they came from?

Burial, practiced by the world’s two leading faiths, is not the ideal way to be despatched.Personally, I’d any day prefer cremation, not over wood fires, but in an electric chamber.My only regret when I was Margao’s municipal president (1985-87) was that my dreamto build an electric crematorium in Margao, open to all faiths, remained unfulfilled. Dr. Attarwala, the man who set up Mumbai’s Chandanwadi electric crematorium, agreedto provide technical details, while I decided to appeal to the Margao Comunidade forland. Before either could happen, my great friend Churchill, now Goa’s PWD Minister,staged the “Flag Incident” that ensured the end of my public office.

I’m almost resigned to the fact that when my own “Faleam Tuka” day dawns, there would still be no electric crematorium in Goa. Dr. Joseph Pinto, a psychiatrist since 1973 in New York, where electric cremations arecheap and burials cost a bomb, tells about one of his early patients, Anthony Franchino.As advance “Thank-you” for agreeing to get him buried rather than cremated, Anthonygifted Dr. Pinto a limo. The latter promptly sold the car and sent the money to an Asilo inGoa. “In the 300-acre Cemetery Park of Morristown, NJ, where Anthony was buried,”says Dr. Pinto, “today deer eat flowers placed by visitors.” (ENDS.)

The Valmiki Faleiro weekly column.