======================================================================== Ongoing: Exhibition of paintings, Art Chamber, Calangute www.goa-art.com Dec 14 onwards: Shireen Mody's Goa 2002 exhibition, Arpora. Tel 2276759 Dec 17, 18, 20: Indo-Portuguese furniture, lectures Fundacao Ph 2230728 Jan 18-19: International kite carnival at Morgim beach, Pernem ========================================================================
My post of December 13 titled "Re: (GOANET) reply to jorge/livia" ended with «There are a couple more paragraphs of Devika Sequeira's article "Identity Crisis" (goanet, December 10, 2002) on which I would like to comment. But, given the length of my present post, I shall do it separately.» Now, these are the comments I have to offer. Devika said: «Terrorist Masoo Azad ... and Abu Salem were both found with Portuguese passports. This in itself revealed the extent to which the system in Lisbon's Conservatorio (sic) dos Registos Centrais (the Central Registrar's office), responsible for processing applications, had been compromised, the MP points out». My comments: (1) Yes, it is true that those individuals "were both found with Portuguese passports", but the journalists (intentionally?) failed to state that, as it was found out, those passports were fake ones. Besides, Salem was also in possession of Indian and Pakistani passports? Genuine or fake passports? Your guess is as good as mine. (2) As for "This in itself ...", I suppose that what I said in my post of the 13th must have made it amply clear that the Conservatoria (and not Conservatorio) dos Registos Centrais is responsible for processing nationality files (i.e. registration of births, etc.) BUT NOT FOR PROCESSING PASSPORT APPLICATIONS, and the Honourable MP Eduardo Faleiro certainly knows this. So, if the Conservatoria dos Registos Centrais is not responsible for processing passport applications, how can it be deemed to be compromised in the "passport racket"? I refrain myself from developing on the subject of the so-called 'documentation agents' who, as the article "Identity Crisis" reveals, "are openly advertising their services". I shall only recommend to those who might feel tempted to avail themselves of those "services": Beware! When the consular staff say "We have seen Punjabis and even Bangladeshis and Pakistanis applying under assumed Goan identities, but can do nothing about it because we are no more than a sorting office to reroute applications to Lisbon", this is not entirely true, and those staff surely know it. If it is true that in the first instance they act as a mere "sorting office to reroute applications to Lisbon", at a later stage they do have a crucial mission, when they are requested by Lisbon's Conservatoria to verify and certify the authenticity of the certificates submitted. So, initially the Goan registrar's and sub-registrar's offices are at fault for issuing those birth certificates of "assumed Goan identities" to the Punjabis, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis; but the consular staff can surely "smash" those certificates when fulfilling their mission of verifying and certifying their authenticity. Do they do it judiciously? In case they don't, in case they pass as authentic non-authentic certificates, on what ground can the Conservatoria of Lisbon refuse to process them? Devika goes on with «"If they (the Portuguese Government) did that (wind up the option [for Portuguese citizenship] for Goa, Daman and Diu), they would have to wind up their consulate in Goa, and this would be seen as an unfriendly act toward India", says Mr. Faleiro». I wonder how the MP can say such a thing, for, as a former Union Minister for External Affairs of India, he must definitely be knowing that dealing with nationality matters is not the sole nor even the principal mission of a consulate. So, it is not mandatory that the winding-up of the Portuguese nationality option for the Goans, Damanese and Diuese would mean the winding-up of the consulate itself. As regards «a laidback consulate which has achieved close to zero in terms of trade or culture in this part of India», all I will say is that the journalist is not doing justice to the present consul-general Miguel Calheiros Velozo's immediate predecessor Ms. Vera Fernandes who, throughout her presence in Goa, elicited nothing but praise from the people and the media. Now that she is no longer there, she is accused of having "achieved close to zero in terms of trade and culture" and all hopes are pinned on her successor? Jorge ---------------------------------------------------------- ***** CHRISTMAS PARTIES 2002 ***** Dec 14 - Goan Association of New Jersey, Inc., Somerset +1 (732) 599-7644 Dec 21 - GOA-LA, Los Angeles, +1 (714) 821-6168 Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a free party announcement ----------------------------------------------------------
