VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO VERONICA.

Dear Veronic Bab,

I have following questions to ask you regarding Goans support to Kuwait when Kuwait was invaded by Iraq. Kuwait Goan evacuees under your ledership at that time in Goa conducted lot of activities under Goa - Kuwait Solidrity Center in support of Kuwait.

1: What was the contribution of Churchill Alemao in this movement? He was the
Minister under defection oriented Goa Government of PDF in Goa. Some of my Kuwiti
friends are asking me what role Churchill Alemao played in supporting Kuwait at
that time. They have seen the DVD of this Goan movement now circulating in Kuwait
and they are surprised that Churchill Alemao is not seen in this DVD
participating in this Goan movement organised in support of Kuwait.

2: Was Salvador Dias the president of Kuwait Goan Association in any way supported
Kuwait by associating in your movement?

3: Was Agnelo the president of Navelim Youth Center, Kuwait, joined Navelkars in
supporting Goan movement in Goa under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center in support of
Kuwait?


Veronic Bab, these are very important questions required for very important purpose.

Thanks.

NAME WITHELD ON REQUEST.

ON THE DEATH OF GEORGINA JAQUES.

With deep regret and shock I pen down this obituary on the recent death in Goa of Georgina Jacques on 4th of this month. When she was young she was the Jewel of Emisora de Goa during Portuguese time. After the exit of Portuguese rule in Goa, Emissora de Goa was changed to All India Radio Panjim, Goa.

As a young school boy of Primary level at Escola Primaria de Abade Faria, Candolim, I was the great admirer of Georgina Jaques’ beautiful and melodious voice. She was also a very good Tiatro artiste at Emisora de Goa. Every week during those golden days, Emisora de Goa used to air three Tiatros a week, each Tiato of 30 minutes duration. As an enthusiastic boy I was very much longing to see her in person but was finding next to impossible because during those days to go from my home village to Panjim Altinho at Emisora de Goa was like going to China. That was the beautiful era of beautiful ‘Caminhao’ travelling. Finally my wishes thru the practice of telepathy at an early age worked very well and I got the golden opportunity to see her in person at Emisora de Goa.

Besides schooling at Portuguese school in my village in the morning, I was also doing my schooling at Escola Parochial in our village Church where I was a member of our Church Choir. Being the youngest boy of our Choir with males and females, my vocal chords were helping me to sing beautifully. I was at my best in singing Motets and because of this distinction I was selected by our Choir Mestiri, Santan Desouza as a member of our Choir to record 3 Motets and one solo ‘Veronica’ song – "Ecce Vidimus", all in Latin. This recording programme was done at Emisora de Goa , Altinho Panjim somewhere in 1959 under the leadership of our Mestiri. Our local Pe. Cur from Chinchinnim Pe. Marcos Menezes supervised the whole programme.

After finishing our recording few of us had an opportunity to witness the recording of Konkani songs by Emisora troupe where I saw Georgina Jacques singing as the lead singer the Konkani version of 'Marina – Marina – Marina'. Along with her for chorus were Jacinto Vaz, Alen D'Costa, Johny Sylvester, Baldino Araujo, Young Menezes, Dioginho D’Mello, Ansu Rodrigues and others. Antoninho (Anthony) D'Souza the music director of Emisora De Goa was conducting the whole affairs and to see him directing by moving in opposite directions both his hands with meticulous precision and maestro’s rigidity was superb. This song was very beautiful, earlier I heard from Sinquerim Aguada Pakles the Portuguese version of this song. This song in Konkani goes like this:

Marina – Marina – Marina, sobit tuje dolle gharxe.
Marina – Marina – Marina, sogllech tujea mogan zaleat pixe.

Tontte kudde tirse, nodor martat palxe,
Pun tum anxe sodttai oxe, oh Na – Na –Na –Na – Na.

Soglech tujea mogan, tum polletai ragan,
Ani zabab ditai lagan, oh Na - Na - Na - Na - Na.


The other song I saw Georgina reording on that day was the "Dulpod" along with Izmenia D’Mello, Dioginho D’Mello, Jacinto Vaz, M. Dod de Verna, Baldinho Araujo and others. The Dulpod was in the form of "Duologue", lead singer being bother and sister Izmenia and Dioginho D’Mello and conductor was again Antoninho D’Souza. He was strict in his job. It goes thus:

Sodanch eun zonelar bostalem,
Kon go tem, kon go tem

Tuvem taka choilam go,
Na
Choilam go,
Na
Noureak apoitana .......

It was a great opportunity at that young age for me to see those great musical giants and Herculean singers. They are now gone forever from our midst either thru death or thru old age and thru their going All India Radio, Panjim is become rubbish compared to what it was as Emisora de Goa.

Now coming back to Georgina Jaques singing prowess, she was one of the female singers and Radio artistes along with her other female colleague Ansu Rodrigues, brightened the image of Emisora de Goa which was sought by Goans of all walks of life not only in Goa but also in other parts. Georgina Jaques was not only a beautiful singer but more than that she was beauteous spot among the young girls of her era. Beauty had in her voice, beauty had in her body. She must be a young school going girl during that time and yet performing as a regular artiste at Emisora de Goa means something extra ordinary and that too in the company of Goa’s giganatic Konkani Stage artistes namely Baldino Araujo, Dioginho D'Mello, Jacinto Vaz, Young Menezes, M. Dod de Verna and Kid Boxer. Goa and Konkani Stage is yet to produce such Himalayan artistes. The weekly schedule for her was very tight and at that young age she was coping up means really great.

Government of India owes her 3 months salary which was not paid to any of those Goan artistes employed at Emisora de Goa by the Portuguese Government, from October to December 1961. In view of the forcible annexation of Goa by Bharat, all the financial obligations of the invaded land falls on invaders, that is Bharat of "Fotting" Nehru of "Fotting" Congress Party.

In 1959 the great Goan Mandoist Cruz Noronha from Siolim came down to Goa from Bombay for his vacation. While on holiday he met his "ghaum bhau" Antoninho D’Souza who encouraged Cruz Noronha to record some of his precious Mandos and Dulpod at Emisora De Goa. Cruz first declined citing non availability of a good female singing partner in Goa of his choice. Antoninho immediately recommended the name of Georgina Jaques and when Cruz Noronha gave her audition test, Cruz Noronha was highly impressed by Georgina’s superlative singing talent. Finally with Georgina Jaques during his short vacation in Goa at that time, Cruz Noronha recorded 10 Mandos with Dulpods, all most beautiful, all most charming and all most excellent. For these 10 Mandos Cruz Noronha was paid Rupees One thousand by the Emisora de Goa. This was the highest amount paid to any artiste in Goa during that time by the Emisora de Goa.

After finishing the recording at Emisora de Goa with Georgina Jaques, Cruz Noronha who was our close relative, told my father in my presence that "If I had to know earlier in Goa there is such a magnificent female singer, I would have come to Goa every year to record more Mandos and Dulpods". Such was the rich compliment given to Georgina Jacques by the great Goan musician, singer and Mandoist Cruz Noronha who was known then as Cruz Jajwala since he was playing Drums in his own band.in Bombay.

Georgina Jaques rightly deserves such a rich compliment from such a rich musician Cruz Noronha.

Georgina, "Bhoini Moje", in your death Goa lost one great female voice.

May your soul rest in peace.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

JUSTICE V/S LOVE.

According to historian Toynbee, the central idea of Islam is Justice and that of Christianity is Love. To fight for justice is right thing otherwise injustice will flourish in this world leading to the development of “Might is Right”. In the aftermath of the killing of Bin Laden in Pakistan by the USA there is a cry in some pockets in Islamic world to avenge the killing of Bind Laden. Will this help to bring about peace in the world? No doubt according to some knowledgeable persons in Islam consigning of the dead body of Bin Laden into the sea is not correct and as such the USA and its allies must pay the price for the offence USA made to the Muslim Bin Laden.


“Eye for an eye and tooth for tooth” is the law of Hammurabi the ancient king of ancient Mesopotamia. Will this Law help to bring about peace and reconciliation in this world? To fight for justice is the right decision but using violent methods to get justice is right? Violence will invite violence only and those who fight with violent methods will get liquidated with violent methods only.


It is over 60 years now that the Arab world is fighting for the cause of Arab Palestine against foreign intruders the Jews in Israel and yet there is no peace in the occupied land. Unimaginable damage has been done to this land and especially to Palestinians, both for Muslim and Christian Palestinians. One of the factors that failed Arabs in Palestine was the violent methods used by the Palestinians to regain their homeland illegally occupied by the Israeli Jews. Palestinians got very good reason to defeat the Israelis thru peaceful methods but instead they used violent methods to fight against their enemy thereby inviting ill-will from all around the globe. Even the Prime Minister of India, the late Indira Gandhi the strong supporter of Palestinian cause and a very good friend of the late Yasser Arafat the then chef of PLO, was terribly upset when she got the news of Munich Olympics terrorists operation conducted by the Palestinians in 1972 Olympics. Immediately following this operation by the Palestinian terrorists, opponents of Indira Ghandi demanded from her to downgrade India’s support to Palestine. Because of this operation the cause of Palestinians suffered a heavy blow for its goal.


The killing of Bin Laden and consigning of his body into the sea was not condemned by the entire Arab and Muslim world thereby giving an impression that Bin Laden is not the hero of all the Arabs and all the Muslims. There are Muslims in this world who believe that Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda group are lowering the image of Islam because Islam does not preach violence. At this hour of turmoil what is required is love to get justice for the hurt parties. Only thru love we can get peace and justice.


America got itself involved in Afghanistan not as invaders but as helpers to the Islamic Government of Hamid Kharzai who is the head of sovereign Islamic counry Afghanistan. USA will not stay in Afghanistan permanently but to leave them from Afghanistan the terrorists in Afghanistan must play a constructive role and not the destructive role that sheds the blood of innocent people. Nobody on this God created planet got authority to kill innocent children of God and those who are killing innocent people in the name of their religion and God are the enemies of God and their reward is devine punishment, either today or tomorrow.


According to my assessment the world will remain safe for the humanity only with the USA and its Western allies. USA is known in the past to protect the world from the clutches of Monster nations like Germany, Italy, Japan and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. If USA now allows the world to fall into the hands of religious fanatics and etremists, not only the West and USA will get liquidated from this planet but also the entire civilisation. We have responsibility to protect our civilisation and those who work to protect our civilisation deserve our support. The great Philosopher Prof. Bertrand Russell during the second world war while at Oxford in UK told the students "to stop coming to classes and instead join the British Government in its war efforts to fight against that monster Hitler of Germany who is all out to liquidate the civilisation from this planet". If there is no brake on their moves, the fanatics in the name of their religion will finish the civilisation from this planet. Hence, the civilised world must fight to stop the fundamentalists and religious fanatics from liquidating our civilisation by using terrorism to justify their belief. If it was Twin Towers in USA yesterday then today it may be any tower in your country and tomorrow it can be anything in my country and the day after tomorrow it can be the destruction of the world. This world belongs to God and besides Him there is nobody having authority to finish this world by using terrorism.


After the 9/11 operation by Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda, one top aide of the President of USA warned Pakistan saying “ if Pakistan does not stop co-operating with Al Qaeda, we will bomb Pakistan to the Stone Age”. This was enough for Pakistan and its president Parvez Musherraf to toe the line of USA for the survival of Pakistan. After the killing of Bin Laden in Pakistan by the USA without the knowledge of Pakistan, the Chief of Pakistani Military Gen. Kayani warned USA saying, “if this is repeated again, Pakistan will retaliate”. Is Pakistan capable to do that? I doubt very much even though I fully disagree with the USA to intrude in the sovereign country Pakistan and conduct its operation of killing Bin Ladin. One of the reasons for Pakistan to lose its one wing the then East Pakistan was trusting USA and its President Richard Nixon. India relied on Soviet Russia who stood by India while USA betrayed Pakistan and its President Gen. Yaha Khan. USA has its own interest to protect and if Pakistan does not realise this fact, the remaining part of Pakistan may go the way its second wing has gone earlier leading Pakistan into pieces which many Pakistanis craving for.


A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.