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Domnic Fernandes continues (Part III) his reminiscence of
Mapusa of the 1950s
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=426
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Tony Correia-Afonso wrote: [EMAIL PROTECTED] : Fri, 07 Apr 2006 13:29:33
+0530
Dear Josebab,
1: < Let me begin by stating that I agree 90% with what you say about the
dismal state of affairs in many areas in present-day Goa.>
2: < My only point is that we are only ourselves to blame for it. Decades
after we have
become a full-fledged self-governing State with our own elected Government,
we can ill afford to indulge in our favourite Goan past-time of blaming
others for our ills!>
3: < As for your statement that Goans keep electing the same "Alibabas"
because they are not
adequately informed, I can tell you from personal experience that this is a
lot of "baloney".>
4: < When I went campaigning as a candidate in the 1989 Assembly Elections,
I was told by many voters that "You are a good man. In fact you are too good
a man to represent us, because you will not do our work (amchem kam korche
nam) - which translates as "you will not indulge in illegal and even
criminal acts on our behalf".>
5: < This, unfortunately being the case, I was trounced by the "Alibaba"! >
6: < It is the unfortunate but bitter truth that the people keep electing
the same "Alibabas" as a fully conscious choice and not because they lack
adequate information about the candidate.>
7: < The only hope is to SENSITISE them about the folly of their decision
and the consequences thereof.>
=== jc response:
Dear Tonybab,
Once again, I thank you for the courtesy of your response. We are, of
course, discussing the role (or not) of the alleged Goa Press in the process
of the political sensitization of Goans.
I'd like for us to think about WHY good candidates (usually standing as
Independent or third/fourth party candidates) do not make it in Goa (Matanhy
having been noted)
Please allow me to use a cricket analogy, and add a comment about marketing.
1: It is my belief that even the best spin bowler will find himself
ineffective on a pitch prepared by the groundsman to favour the
batsmen....i.e. a dead pitch.
I submit to you that the groundsmen of any democracy, are the journalists.
They watch, they inform, they update - all, as accurately as they possibly
can.
Our so called Goa journos could have been the Watchdogs; Instead they have
turned out to be
Lapdogs - barking at one unconnected trumped up issue or another.
A study of the lead editorials in the main newspapers over the past 40+
years might be revealing. I wonder if they (the editorials) correspond (in a
timely fashion) to the major issues affecting Goa and Goans.
So, dear Tonybab, How do "we" get the populace "SENSITISED" ? What major
avenue do "we" have save the Press? (In a secular State, we definitely do
NOT need the Church to play this role, even IF the alleged Goa Press is
doing what it does best i.e. bondollam)
It is possible that my contention about the Press' role in this arena is "A
Lot of Baloney", as you put is. I'd merely add that I agree with your point
# 7 above
2: Any product, However Brilliant but not properly and sufficiently
marketed, is destined to be a flop.
Those who are in the marketing business (not moi) will advise "us" that
UNLESS the public hears POSITIVE stuff (repeatedly and convincingly -
accurately of course) about a product or candidate or party, that product or
candidate or party is unlikely to suceed.
From your experience in # 4 & #5 above, do you believe that you got the
deserved attention in the Press to counteract the grass-root cultivation
which Alibaba was conducting from a few years prior, with the additional
support of politicians elsewhere?
HAD the Goa Press (and I mean the Journos NOT those outstation Editors) done
some dogged
work, Do you believe that you would have had a better chance at succeeding?
The second important sine qua non about Marketing, I am led to believe, is
the Name of the Company which stands behind a product.
I ask, once again, ONLY because I don't know:
IF we had one sales representative marketing a NEW cough medicine made by
(say) Lokk Pharma,
and another marketing a Cough Medicine made by (say) Congress/BJ/UG/MG/
Cipla Pharma, which
one would an 'undecided' customer likely purchase?
This has been my feeling about Gomant Lokk Poxx or Goa Suraj ...or this and
that Jagruti Fauz or whatever. I say to those who choose names for Political
Parties: THINK again WHY
Successful Manufacturers choose the product names they do. Besides, IF 5
years go by, and we still have to explain the MEANING of the NAME.... we are
destined to remain in the lane
of non-success - Especially when the
Goa alleged "journos" who are busy with spinning bogus stories, are of no
assistance.
3: Like it or not, and Never mind what we think, the main decisions wrt Goa
are made by one
High Command or another in Delhi. The chance to establish the "LOCAL" train
a la Chandra Babu Naidu, has long gone. It's now Rajdhani all the way.
Those who wish to make a difference need to jump on that train and hope to
make a difference from within.
It's going to be hard and heartbreaking, but that is the Hobson's choice
that concerned Goans have. For the upright Goan to succeed, he has to
co-habit with the Alibaba gang without compromising himself or his
priciples.
No point wondering IF it could have been different; IF ONLY the Freedom
Fighters (the genuine ones) had worked out a transition government with
Nehru and Menon in 1960 i.e. BEFORE the invasion/annexation or whatever we
may wish to call it....et al
That was then, Now is now.
sincerely
jc
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