IPL v/s EPL and the ‘Goan’ Franchise

-by gasper crasto, Kuwait

“Which league do you watch?... Support?” asked a colleague from Delhi, “The Indian Premier League (IPL) or the English Premier League (EPL)?”

I said, “Comparing IPL cricket and the English Premier League football with it’s chanting, scarf-waving, ever-hopeful fans is akin to comparing oranges to apples. Both are entirely different in their own means - EPL happens whole year around on the weekends while IPL is just a six week affair. The money involved in the EPL is extremely humongous when compared to that in IPL...”

“But the recent buzz for IPL shows clearly the huge popularity that Indian Premier League is enjoying...”

“English Premier League already boasts of a huge number of Indian die-hard fans." I answered, "It would take a monumental effort for any franchise in Indian Premier League to create a similar group of die-hard supporters and fan base. Football as a game may not be as popular as cricket in India, but it is slowly gaining popularity…”

“Popularity? Among the new generation???.. ” He laughed sarcastically.

“With the increased globalization and increased number of Indians traveling abroad, the reach of English Premier League is going to be an upward graph. And with the Indians' inborn attraction of anything Western, it would seem 'cool' for many young people to follow and to proclaim to be a fan of Manchester United rather than Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkotta Knightriders.”

“But..." he retorted, "with the extreme popularity that cricket enjoys in India, Indian Premier League is sure to remain as the most popular league, atleast for a few more years.”

“Well, for the dominant position to continue, the players and management have to provide unadulterated ‘fun’ for people watching it - on television and on the ground.”

“So you watch the game just for the ‘fun’ of it, hmm?.. like most others..? Ha.. ha.. Delhi Daredevils – that’s my team. You know, I was born in Delhi… By the way, aap ki kaunsi team hai?..”

“I’ve been supporting Mumbai Indians right from the beginning although I have no connections with the Mumbai world.”

“Mumbai Indians? Yaak!!! It’s not owned by any of your favorite heroines? Why Mumbai? You could atleast support Rajasthan Royals and be proud of Swapnil Asnodkar, your only 'Goanese' playing in the IPL..."

"Well, you may very well argue that when football teams like Churchill Brothers can have die-hard fanatical supporters appreciating the quality and standard of their game when they become Champions of Indian Football League even when they field non-Goan starting elevens (barring the foreigners), why not be loyal to a team having Tendulkar and Jayasurya – players who have given happiness to millions just by their presence? Anyway, I have decided to be a fan and supporter of our nearest neighbor till we have a team like ‘Susegad Goans’ with a franchise of it’s own...”

GOODBYE GOA.

GOODBYE GOA.
By Valmiki Faleiro.

Nothing in the universe is static. Everything is dynamic. Change is inevitable. That isMother Nature’s basic law. All manner of things – including humans – change or evolve,usually for the better, at times for the worse. I write this with a heavy heart, not with an objective mind. For two reasons: one major,the other incidental.

First the major. All good things, they say, must come to an end. The Goa we once knew – the land, people, music, food, culture, the East-West blended fabric – as most of us would know, is changing. For the worse. The Goa we knew is dying. Let’s delve into this sad the next few weeks. The “incidental” reason. This ‘Goodbye Goa’ series marks the end of *All-‘n’-Sundry.* Even if I have no idea of how good (or bad or indifferent) this Sunday column has been! There sure was reader feedback, albeit mostly from non-resident Goans who read via e-mail or internet mail lists.

I have written every Sunday for the last three and half years, without a break. Goa has many talented writers and I hope one of them will take over. The real reason I need to stop this weekly distraction, though, is to help me concentrate on some other serious writing work I always dreamt of doing. (I had started this column with some pieces on Margao; I shall end it with a few more on my hometown, at the end of this series.) * * * * *

For the fundamentally changing profile of Goa, everyone blames migrants. Rich migrants from India’s metros, and the bulk, poor migrants, in search of better economic prospects. From all over the country. From Punjab to the five North-Eastern sisters, from Kashmiris and Lamanis at every Goan beach to Malayalees and Tamils, with whom, incidentally,we have a historic link, dating back to the 16th century. Are migrants really to blame? They admittedly are the most visible manifestation of the metamorphosis that Goa is undergoing, but I do not subscribe to the view that migrantsare the only – or even the chief – cause. It lies elsewhere, as we shall see later in this series. Besides, Goa, down history, has been a land of migrants. It would be worth the while to begin here.

To review that interesting kaleidoscope of a story of how Goa got populated. From between 4,000 BC or 3,000 BC, upto 1961. I guess it’s more or less accepted that the so-called ‘Goan Identity’ is as it was on the dawn of December 19, 1961. Beginning the next Sunday, let us briefly run through the story of in-migrations to Goa. From the Proto-Australoid or Austro-Asiatic tribals from south and central India, to the Indo-Aryans from north or north-eastern India, to a sprinkling of our countrymen from across the Ghats, till the morn of self-rule. For sequence and chronology, I shall rely on Anant R. Sinai Dhume’s ‘The Cultural History of Goa’ (1986), now reprinted. But take it with a pinch of salt. Dhume himself, at Pg.64, added a caveat:

“Now, let me describe the tribes … possibly on a chronological scale, warning that the chronology is tentative up to the advent of the first wave of Aryans in Goa.” * * * * *

AN APPEAL: I appeal to you to exercise your franchise on April 23. Voting is a sacred right. Many around the world have been imprisoned, tortured and killed, fighting for that privilege. I know you may be disgusted with the local scene, but please keep the national perspective in mind. If deciding who to vote is difficult, remember it simply boils down to just one question:who would you like to steer India’s destiny over the next five years? People like Dr.Manmohan Singh, PC Chidambaram, etc., or people like Lal Krishna Advani, Narendra Modi, etc.? There, you have your candidate! In North Goa, you have one for the former(Congress/NCP), one for the latter (BJP). In South Goa, you’re luckier. You have one for the former, and a choice of two for the latter! * * * * *

SUPREME INFALLIBILITY: The Supreme Court of India is the flavour of the times in Goa. Mull over this maxim: “The Supreme Court is not supreme because it infallible; it is infallible because it is supreme.” (ENDS.) The Valmiki FALEIRO's Weekly column.

OUR CHURCH ROLE IN THE COMING ELECTION.

“My sons will not be my sons, they will be bastards if they don’t take the revenge of those who perpetrate this crime on me. Who are my sons? My sons are Shanawaz and Murtaza (his real sons) and all the sons of Pakistan”, said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto the hanged Premier of Pakistan in his masterpiece IF i AM ASSASSINATED, he wrote from his prison cell before he was sent to the gallows by General Zia’s Government. Similarly, from my home place in Goa, I write now that “Christians will not be Christians; they will be Christ killer traitor Jews if they do not help defeat the anti-Christian BJP candidates in the coming election. BJP’s only agenda is to liquidate Christians and harass Muslims, both these communities must join together to give a heavy defeat to BJP candidates. Being more numerically than Muslims, Christians in general and Catholics in particular in Goa have to play a major role in defeating both the BJP candidates in Goa. Christians were persecuted in many parts of India by the BJP and these persecutions have been sheltered by the BJP ruled states. When BJP candidates come at our door steps for electioneering, Christian voters should ask the BJP candidates their stand on these persecutions and also make them first apologise for the sins their partymen committed against Christians in other parts of India. Goa BJP unit and its candidates must be made responsible for the ills their colleagues committed against peace loving Christians elsewhere in India. The Goa BJP unit under Parrikar regime has done lot of injustice for Goan Chrsitians, namely producing of anti-Christian VCD, removal of Good Friday Holiday etc, and for this Goan Christian voters must never forgive Parrikar and his BJP. This is the right moment for Christians in Goa to show their true Chriastian colours, if they are real Christians and not basterdised Christians. If we forgive them, they will come again with more fury against us.

While election is approaching fast, what will be the role of Catholic Church in Goa? It has not come out with challenging and daring statement so far. There were no guidelines from the Church to Catholic voters in this direction. It looks Goan Church leadership may from behind the curtain support BJP as it was done by Rahul Gonsalves earlier, as reported. Our Church leadership cannot remain as silent spectator at this crucial hour saying "Church role is not to involve in politics". River Princess issue is a big political issue in Candolim and it was strongly and openly campaigned by the Candolim Church. Our Church in Goa should come out strongly against BJP and tell the faithfuls in the Churches and Chapels openly not to vote for BJP. The faithfuls are eagerly awaiting the instructions from the Church. The safety of Christianity and Christians lies in the defeat of BJP candidates. As I informed once to Rahul Gonsalves from Kuwait, 'we in Goa are victimised by communal political parties only because we are Christians'. In view of this our leadership from Altinho, Panjim must guide us in right direction and not to keep silence at this critical time. By keeping silence we will not gain anything, hence we must be vocal now. We don’t have as our friends in BJP.

In Phillippines with the open and strong backing of the Church the Government of Ferdinand Marcus was demolished. Cardinal Sin of Manila told the Catholic voters from the Pulpit to throw out Ferdinand Marcus Government and voters there obliged and did the needful. Even the then Pope backed Cardinal Sin. To help protect the rights of the persecuted and minorities, Vatican even supported the terrorist activities in Palestine under the leadership of Archobishop Capucchi. We in Goa were persecuted minority community by BJP and if we allow BJP candidates to win in Goa they will increase their strength in Parliament thereby giving more power to BJP at the Centre to harass Christians. We by all means must help demolition of BJP candidates in Goa to secure our community. Hence, the Church leadership in Goa must come out with open statement against BJP. At this hour Church leadership in Goa should not feel shy and afraid. We need a strong and daring leadership from our Church otherwise Christianity and Christians in Goa will suffer a lot and our Church leadership alone will be responsible for this.

In the past especially immediately following the annexing of Goa by Bharat, Dayananda Bandodkar and his lobby dubbed Goan Christians as anti-Indian and Pro-Portugues. Christians were treated as second class citizens and were denied some of the normal privileges. At that hour our Church leadership was into the hands of weak leader Mong. Francisco Rebello who did not even know that Dayananda Bandodkar was the Chief Minister of Goa. Instead he told me once “this president of Goa is a ‘POKO’”. During the regime of Bandodkar, Catholics in Goa were living in fear while our Church leadership did nothing to give a booster for Catholics in Goa. Our Church leadership and priests were acting like cowards. They should have issued heavy statements in our support by citing innumerable examples of how Goan Christians have fought for the freedom of Goa and India. Much before Nehrus and Gandhis our Christian Goans raised their voices for the liberation not only of Goa but of the entire India. Dr. Francis Luis Gomes and Abade de Faria were the first Indians to raise the voice of Indians in foreign soil against colonisers. Men like Bandodkar were traitors. They slipped themselves into the pants of Portugues Governador like slaves during the Portuguese regime to get personal benefits for them and when time came they called Goan Christians as anti-Indians. The same song is now sung by BJP. We have to oppose them and our Church must now direct and guide the faithfuls in right direction and that too immediately. If we win in our ideology it will be because of our Chuch guidance and if lose it will be only because of the silence of our Church. Hence, Neri Ferrao and his advisers must wake up and wake up now and now only.

A. Veronica Fernandes.