SAD DEMISE OF EX-KUWAIT GOAN ANTONIO LAWRENCE FERNANDES.

Reading the Obituary column of Herald dated 11.08.19, I was hurt to see the photograph of one well-kown ex-Kuwait Goan, the late Antonio Lawrence Fernandes who died in Siolim, Bardez, on 11.08.19 and interred on the next day at 4.00 pm, at Siolim Soddiem Church Cemetery where the Church was so packed with his friends and relatives and also his well wishers that there was no room available even to stand, in fact it was neither in the Church nor in the Cemetery. Rarely I witnessed such an enormous attendance of any Kuwait returnee. This proves  his popularity in his locality and elsewhere too because I saw people attending his funeral coming from all over Goa. 

He was the once renowned Goan footballer,  who in the late fifties donned the colours of Goa’s mighty outfit “LUBE”. Because of his attractive soccer skill he was selected to play for Bardez XI in the stiff competition from Portuguese “Pakles & Khapris” towards the end of fifties. He mastered the beautiful art of playing beautiful soccer at St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora which was then like the renown soccer Academy of Goa producing talented players with whom he blossomed into a perfect footballer. During those days Antonio  Lawrence maintained a very good personal relationship with all his team mates.  His best colleague players on the field were all from Candolim playing along with him for Arpora School namely the Machado Bros. - the defender Andrew and the ace dribbler and forward Babazinho and the best medio playing as centre half who was excellent in the aerial duels,  Jose Marie, all of them   used to play havoc with their opponents.

Then he migrated to Kuwait where he got opportunity to play “A” grade soccer along with the top British and other European footballers at Ahmadi in the KOC Oil Sector where he was employed. Because of his soccer prowess he acquired name and fame for him leading him to wield vast influence in the community.

His main achievement in Kuwait as the president of the United Goans Football Center was to initiate and start  the  competitive soccer tournament for the first time in the history not only of Goans but also of Indians too, at Sour Grounds, Kuwait City. No doubt he was immensely helped in this very tough activity  by his colleagues Tony Gonsalves from Divar, Joe F. X. Desouza from Assagao, Diogo Gomes from Bastora and many others because in a country like Kuwait where as a foreigner from Asia you encounter lot of hurdles and discriminations. Moreover there was no government support directly because for Kuwaitis, Indians playing soccer means a big joke.  However, it was thru this tournament initiated by UGFC under the leadership of the late Antonio Lawrenco Fernandes that gave an indication not only to the Kuwaitis but also to other nationalities including the FIFA that for Goans from India soccer is the staple diet.  By organising this soccer he and his colleague helped the  Goans to build a very good friendly relationship among themselves and excellent opportunities for many of our young boys to get employment because of their prowess in soccer. 

I think the local stalwarts in his locality and also in Goa who are on the job of promoting soccer they should honour him even if it is too late, let this be done posthumously.  Thru soccer he helped to internationalise not only the soccer image of Goa and Goans but otherwise too.  It is a pity that so many of our Goans while working in the foreign countries create wonderful activities which are not only ignored in Goa but also neglected. It is a pity even our Church leaders after receiving so much of help from Goans abroad for their  activities forget them. There is no appreciation in Goa for the good work that our Goans perform in the foreign countries. In his homily during the  funeral Mass the local priest lauded the good work Antonio Lawrence did even for his Church but if something concrete has been done in his honour that would give some satisfaction for him.

 A.Veronica Fernandes.

I OPPOSE HONOURING OF 5 FORMER CM's OF GOA.

This is in reference to the news appearing in the local media saying that the " late former  Five Chief Ministers of Goa to be honoured”.  I, strongly disapprove and I also condemn this move by the Goa government that got no responsibility to honour all the late CM's who does not deserve it.  The huge amount of money the Goa government  will spend for this unwanted "Tamasha" is coming from  the Tax payers pockets.  Since this is the case, I command the Government of Goa not to proceed on with this move on the strength of the tax payers money. However, if the Goa Government still wants to go ahead with this useless show for all the five useless CM's then let the members of the ruling party  spend money from their personal account. However, inspite of my strong opposition and similarly of all the like minded  Goans, if the Goa Government holds the felicitation in honour of the 5 "MOST ORDINAR CM's OF GOA", I will call the Goa Government as "CHOR".  Using my money as a taxpayer for these bloody disgracefully stupid people will be construed as a big robbery.  

What superlative acts  they performed for Goa during their tenures starting from the first CM  D. Bandodcar?  He was a curse on Goa because he was the major architect of the destruction of Goa by trying to impose a foreign language – Marathi – on Goa and to liquidate the  existence of Goa by merging it with Maharastra.  He was the greatest enemy of Goa and Goans. A naturalized Goan whose one end of family Chord is tied to  Maharastra from where his elders came and settled down in Bandoda Goa while the other end is tied to Goa where he made money by Masca Polishing his Portuguez Masters from whom he enjoyed enormous benefits and finally he turned against them.  Do such Judases deserve honours and that too from the  money collected from a man of my sincerity and calibre?  

This Dayananda Bandodcar gained goodwill and attachment from a section of Goans whose ancestry was based in neighbouring backward, uncultured, uncivilized areas of Maharastra and they were all non-Christians poverty striken.  They developed a bit financially, culturally, literally, spiritually, morally and educationally only because they jumped into Goa, the land very well administered by the God fearing and morally advanced Portuguese. In Goa these "Bhaile" who came to Goa were welcomed gracefully by the Goans who were  morally upright and because of their  Christian religious doctrine to be soft on the Bhaile out of pity, all those Bandodcars gained  a strong foothold on the land called "Saibachem Goem".  He was a hero only for his chamchas and only Hindu Bahuzan Samaz, this samaz he found not existing among Christians. He was so communal that he created during his entire rule a feeling into the minds of the minority that they are less Bharati, this community was made to feel alleniated from the main stream. 

Regarding his daughter Sashikala, what was her sterling feat during her Chief Ministership?  How her brother Siddartha died or who killed him? To close this case it was said she deserted her MGP and joined her protectors. What a disgraceful woman who even deserted the very party created by her own father along with his associates.

As for Luis Proto Barbosa, it will be a worst crime for the Goa government to honour him when he trampled under his corrupt feet all the good disciplines of democratic process and formed the PDF government by associating with MGP stalwarts. Even the bribe taking for the jobs and services in the government was rampant during his rule.

Dr. Wilfred D’Souza no doubt a good man but suffering from superiority complex based on Bhattkarshai and wanted to be treated like a feudal lord.

And Parricar I have no words to describe my dislike for him though he pretended to be good. He hurt the minority and whom he insulted too.

Government must not spend our money on this unwanted tamasha.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

KASHMIR IS STRIPPED OF ITS PREVILLEGES.

The articles 370 and 35A were finally abrogated by the BJP government of India thereby removing the especial previlleges Kashmir was enjoying for so long.  But why it was done so sprintingly with closed doors all around Kashmir and moreover by putting under house arrest both the ex Chief Ministers of Kashmir?  This  emits the odour of Emergency rule by Indira Gandhi when on the eve of its introduction almost all the top leaders of India were arrested.  This she did because she knew that the introducing of Emergency was wrong and her opponents will never keep silence. Hence, in order to silence their voice, she imprisoned them.  So, similarly, it looks Modi imitating Indira Gandhi arrested the arrestees from Kashmir. It looks from here that Emergency in all the likelihood will come crawlingly or sprintingly but surely it will.

Buoyed by their electoral success, BJP thought it is right time now only to get the things undone which were wrongly done about 70 years back  when Kashmir was on the brink of disaster as both the sides were vying for its ownership.  

According to me what India did unilaterally was wrong, Kashmir is still under turmoil, Pakistan is playing its major role to foment trouble in Kashmir. Now Pakistan will increase its terrorism by sending not only Marauders nor terrorists like Ajmal Khasab but much worse than that. God forbid, Kashmiri terrorists  from both the sides with the clandestine support of Pakistan will play havoc in Indian Kashmir which will result in creating disorder in many parts of India too.  Pakistan will never give peace to India as a revenge against India to help East Pakistan to create an independent State of Bangladesh.  

If Modi is so obligated to fulfill his given promises during the election time, why is he become now  impotent to fulfill the promise he gave to Goans that he will accord Special Status to Goa while addressing the pre-election meeting at Merces Circle in Goa?    Going still further, why he is feeling shy in Goa to bring back the Black Money deposited by the Black Marketeers in the foreign lands?  This was also one of the pre-poll promises he made.  Why he cannot fulfill these promises?

Modi said he wants one India and since articles 370 and 35A was a hurdle, he removed it.  But will India remain one with the eradication of these two articles?  Never, India will never remain as one as it is now because it was never one since Indians are divisive based on their religion, language, tradition, history and culture.  Every State of India is distinct from the others and yet that they stayed together as one unit for so long itself is a miracle. This has happened only because of the powerful Centre which kept every Indian bound to one nation in a quasi federal set up of India.

A.Veronica Fernandes.