CANDOLIM SENIOR CITIZENS GET-TOGETHER.

On 2nd of this month, the Senior Citizens Association of Candolim, organised a get together of its members to celebrate the 1st anniversary of their organisation, at Bom Successo, Vaddi, Candolim.

It was a daylong function starting at 11.00 AM and ending at about 5.30 PM.

The chief guest was Mr. E. Barreto while the local parish priest Fr. Johnsie. Colaco and journalist Prakash Kamat were the Guests of honour. Mr. S. Mapne the vice president and Mr. Stephan as Gen. Secretary controlled the airwaves by compeering the proceedings.

The Parish Priest seen addressing the gathering

Mr. Mapne while welcoming the gathering briefed the audience of the activities done by this association so far surprising the guests of the excellent work done by this association silently just within a year, he also highlighted on their future plan. The president of this association Mr. A.Veronica Fernandes spoke in praise of all his colleagues for doing wonderful job in such a short period. He especially pointed to the dynamic role played both by the Vice President and Gen-Secretary.

Mrs.Nirmala seen felicitated

During the function, two of the prominent senior citizens of Candolim, namely Captain Paul Rodrigues (Merchant Navy) and Teacher Nirmala  Costa Frias (both retired) who excelled in their professional career were felicitated.

The Chief guest and Guests of honour also  spoke assuring of their support for this association.

Capt. Paul is felicitated

Housie and other games were also played, some songs were rendered  and then food was served to all the attendees.

All the members and guests enjoyed the function.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

CHAOS IN GOA.

There was lot of resentment on the action by Parricar of stripping Pandurang Madcaicar and Francis D’souza of  their ministerial portolios.  The nearest and the dearest of Madkaikar issued statement saying Parrikar kept everybody in darkness without giving any hint or indication that Madkaikar will be removed while Parricar said he took this drastic action on the advice of Delhi superiors who instructed Parrikar to remove both these ugly and  sickly Ministers from his Cabinet (AND KEEP THE MOST SICKLY UNWANTED MAN UNTOUCHED AT DELHI? WHAT  AN IRONY!!).

Earlier these sacked ministers and those who are now denied portfolios were saying that they will accept the decision of the party as disciplined soldiers of the party.  But when they got kicks on their backs they all shouted like wild animals  in the jungle.  Shameless people who for the sake of power will do anything, unprincipled people are they!!  

It was expressed that constitutionally it is mandatory while taking such action to give some indications to the concerned ministers.  When Indira Ghandhi removed Morarjee Desai from her Union Cabinet, Morarjee Desai was kept in total darkness when he said after listening to the news bulletin in the early morning FIRST time that he was stripped of his Finance portfolio, “I was kept in total darkness about my dismissal by the Prime Minister Mrs. India Gandhi.  I came to know of this decision only thru All India Radio News Bulletin and it looked to me that she dropped me like a Potato dropped in the kitchen by the housewife”.

In view of this, Mrs. Madkaikar and her husband’s close confidantes should not talk against the method used by Parricar to terminate Madkaikar.  But what is surprising in this whole operation was the immediate reaction by Mrs. Madkaikar of jumping into the next election battleground. This is where we Indians and Goans fail in the practice of democratic system.  Though there Is no legal impediment for the close relatives of the outgoing representatives to prevent them from contesting the next election yet it becomes imperative practice on the part of the electorate to scrutinise the correctness of the decision of the close relatives to contest the next election.

Regarding the decision of Mrs. Madkaikar to contest the election in place of her now ailing husband who is paying the price of the sins he committed earlier, it looks to me by following such ways we are practicing not genuine democratic process but Monarchical or Sheikhdom where when the ruler abdicates his throne then his immediate successor occupies that empty throne even though the new person does not possess the proper knowledge and experience to handle the new post.  Just because he/she is the relative of that previous representative does not automatically qualify her/him to contest the election. This is nothing but the Chamchagiri where Indians are at their best and Goans are second to none.

Earlier, this type of Chamchagiri was made by those days Congressmen when they brought in Indira Gandhi in place of the then Premier Lal Bahadur Shashtri who died in Thaskent in the then Soviet Russia, to please Nehru’s followers when actually Indira Gandhi was not fit to be the Premier. She was not a true democrat and for this reason even Nehru disliked her.  Because of her dictatorial habits we in India are suffering even today.

Then see in Goa what a monumental Chamchagiri was done by the MG Party when they inducted Shashikala Kakodkar the most arrogant, the most proud and the most communal person and being the most anti-Christian daughter of the late equally anti-Christian Chief Minister of Goa, Dayananda Bandodcar who thought that there is Bahujan Samaz only in the Hindu community.  The most disgraceful Chief Minister of Goa who splitted Goa into two communal parts then and till now and till the end of the world we will suffer its effects.  

Meantime, there is total chaos in Goa, nothing is moving smoothly, those who are occupying Ministerial berths they are least bothered of their obligations towards the good governance. They are not bothered because they have no responsibility towards their duties, they are most irresponsible people existing on this planet, they are interested in only amassing wealth for them and now since there is chaos everywhere it is better for them to rob not only the body of Goa but even the soul of Goa.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

                                                                                                                                                    

A SORROWFUL FAREWELL TO MY RRIEND ASSUMPTION AGUIAR.

It is with deep grief and sorrow I write this sorrowful piece on our friend the late Assumption   Aguiar from Divar, died on 5^th of this month.  It was an unexpected death though we both of us were admittd in GMC together in the  same Ward a few months back for different sicknesses. 

After him, besides me, Goa is yet to produce such a finest athlete who in 1965 at Don Boosco Ground in the All Goa Athletics Meet he won greatest laulerls of his athletics genius when he  won the individual championship by winning 3 first pleces in 100 mtrs, 200 mtrs., and 400 mtrs.  That was the first time  that some of the topmost athletes from Indian Millitary based in Goa were permitted to participate but our Goan young Aguiar, an student of Monte de Guirim, defeated every one of these top military personnel. 

I was his greatest rival though in the above Meet I also participated as an student of St. Joseph’s High School Arpora but in Junior division while Aguiar was in senior division, winning myself all the three items as Aguiar won. Never we both of us competed against each other  in any race anywhere in Goa but running without him as my competitor I ran fastest 100 mtres creating a record for Goa.

He had a few offers from top Business Houses from Bombay as an athlete in which capacity he made his school very proud.

He was a good footballer too playing for one of the top Bardez teams known as “Mapusa Juniors” in mid sixties.

Though we were rivals on the sports field yet outside we were good friends and when I went to Kuwait in 1975,  having got the news of my coming to Kuwait, he came running to meet me as he was already there before me aand enquring about my needs.

In his death Goa has lost a great runner of which type we may not get another so soon.  How shall we keep his memory alive? Or he too will go down as another forgotten hero?

May his soul Rest In Peace and may God give courage to his wife and children and all other family members to bear this colossal LOSS. 

A.Veronica Fernandes.