THE LATE SHASHIKALA KAKODCAR.

The greatest enemies of Goa and Goans were Dayananda Bandodcar and his daughter Shashikala Kakodcar who fought vigorously to liquidate Goa and Goans.  They both used their political and official might to further their fight to victory but true Goans fought against their sinister move to protect Goa from getting into extinction. This was during the Opinion Poll when as a young school boy I was kept occupied even by neglecting my studies and other necessities in campaigning and canvassing for TWO LEAVES a symbol of anti-merger in order to oppose their move to merge Goa with Maharastra.

May her soul rest in peace and may the heavenly God forgive her for fighting against Goa, Goans and Konkani.  She gave lot of sleepless nights to genuine Goans to devise ways and means to counter her moves against the interest of Goa. Our elders also faced lot of inconveniences to defeat her moves.  Thank God both she and her father are dead and gone. It would have been better if her father had to go earlier in which case there would be smooth sailing for non-mergerists like us.   

She was according to me a fierce communal woman having anti-Christian feelings. Denying grants to English medium schools by her when she was in power  was a  method she used to punish the Diocesan schools.

Her open deslike for Catholics in Goa came when she insulted the head of Catholics by making an open statement  saying “by asking clemency for criminal Kumar, Bishop Rahul Gonsalves made a big show of his cheapness”.  This was when court sentenced Kumar for gallows.  Our Bishop then pleaded for mercy for Kumar by commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment. Incidentally, within a short period as a punishment for her, her government collapsed and she became a non-entity while our same Bishop remained as Bishop only.

She was called Iron lady by some people but why I don’t know.  She was feeble principled woman for this reason she  changed so many parties after she lost power.  Because of her father she got foothold in politics otherwise she was nowhere.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

TREAT ERRING STUDENTS WITH DIGNITY.

This is in reference to the last week suicide committed by a young female student of Mapusa School after she was caught for copying in the examination. When she was put to shame openly in the School, she took poison for being unable to bear the unbearable humiliation.  

Just as corporal punishment is banned in schools so too the “naming and shaming openly” for students caught copying should be banned though copying is wrong.

Corporal punishment was officially banned with an official decree by the last Portuguese Governador of Goa, His Excellency Vassalo e Silva, a great lover of Goa and an educationist who made Portuguese education compulsory somewhere in 1957 for any child attaining the age of 6. When he came to Goa, corporal punishment for students was rampant without any mercy.  In my village it was brutally implemented in my Parochial School and also in Portuguese school where one of my Professors Eduardo D’Souza who when found guilty of breaking the Eardrum of one local student with a Boxer’s blow, the  government decreed the law banning the corporal punishment.

In my school at Arpora under Fr. Mendonca as a Principal of that great School, corporal punishment was inflicted very brutally.  Students found copying during the examinations were displayed like hardened criminals in every examination class and heavily caned on both the palms in addition to Zero marks in that particular subject besides being totally humiliated which affected the students mental outlook verily severely more due to the extreme humiliation.  Because of this cruel  punishment many students suffered physical and mental pain and unbearable humiliation that forced them into leaving not only their schools,  villages and localities but Goa too.  That was the sad part of our history.

The harsh punishment in schools during our time as students was tolerated because that time was different when human rights were not followed that strictly but now the time is changed.  Treating a girl with shame and humiliation is not good and it is not acceptable either though her act of indiscipline is not correct.

In view of this, I feel all the heads of the schools in Goa must follow the decent, humane and civilised methods to correct the erring students.  

A.Veronica Fernandes.

WHY SHOULD I VOTE FOR BJP AGAIN?

Why should I vote for BJP again when I know this party has failed us by not fulfilling its given promises in the last election?  Its greatest failure was non-fulfilment of the major promise of granting of Special Status to Goa.  We want to save our land for future generation  and other facilities to protect our identity, for this reason we want Special Status for Goa. 

We were cheated by Portugal as well as by Bharat when in 1974 the treaty of officially surrendering Goa to Bharat was signed between these two countries without according any special privileges for Goans.  When Pondicherry was surrendered to India, Pondicherians were given so many facilities including that of their land, by India.

Similarly for Macau by Portugal when it was surrendered to China. But for Goa nothing. Neither Portugal nor Bharat thought anything good of Goa and Goans. Bharati system has made Goa  a foot-ball ground for anyone to play.

Goans voted for BJP in the last election after BJP leaders promised to grant Special Status to Goa. But to our dismay,  BJP  refused to fulfil this promise and cheated us. Our favourite BJP MLA’s are cunningly remained silent on this topic. I don’t know what guts they will gather to come again to our doors for begging for our votes. I find among BJP MLA’s there is not a single one who is a real Goa and justice lover otherwise he would have fought vigorously with his party leadership to fulfil the given promise of Special Status and demand justice for Fr. Bismarq.

In view of this great blunder, how can I trust and vote for BJP again and how BJP candidates and followers can request me to support their Party unless they are shameless, crooks and traitors?  Can any upright person trust this party and its members who are guilty of this great betrayal? 

A.Veronica Fernandes.