This week has come up with a big 'S' in surprises, shocks, suggestions etc. with many a bold headlines in the news papers.
As if we need old festering wounds opened up, the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court are seen to be hallucinating when they say "A time has come for total prohibition of liquor" (NT-May 4, 2006). The moment anybody talks of liquor prohibition, I remember our enterprising PM, Mr. Morarji Desai who hated liquor enough to prohibit its consumption while his own son, Mr. Kantilal Desai was a liquor baron. A travesty indeed. Thousands of people have died and are still dying by consuming illicit distilled liquor (moonshine; bootleg; hooch; navsagar you name it) even when liquor is open. Entire compartments of trains in Mumbai have been transporting hooch distilled in swampy areas and hidden in tyres. Whenever I hear about prohibition of liquor, I remember the scene from 'The Good, The Bad, The Ugly where the man with the noose around his neck and about to be plunged, uses his last wish to curse the liquor bottle which sent him to the gallows. Shakti Kapoor is another example who drank like a fish and even peed on the Goa Marriot's lawns in open view of everyone. Do the Justices mean to say that this would not happen if liquor was prohibited? On the contrary, the guy in the movie or Shakti for that matter would pass out drinking hooch right into the coffins saving the trouble for the hangman or the Marriot's lawn keeper. Rather than prohibiting liquor, let the good Justices come out with clear-cut directives to the Central and State Governments to use a percentage of the huge revenues made from the sale of liquor to bring awareness to the people of the ill effects of liquor through print and audio visual media. The good Justices must know that prohibition of any sort has NEVER WORKED. 'Form apolitical peace committees at ward level: Ribeiro' NT- May 4, 2006. This is a good try, but as I see it, this is a complete waste of time, Julio Ribeiro or no Julio Ribeiro. The need of the hour is the 'WILL' of any government/s to abolish practice of religion in illegally built places of worship and all government offices coupled with non-vote-bank policies where anyone crossing the Laxman-Rekha line of religious discipline must be sure of losing the skin off the backs. In this respect, the sub-editorial "Illegal Shrines- Need to Set Some Criteria" is highly appreciated. (NT-May 6, 2006) . The writing on the wall which all politicians and religious leaders fail to see and acknowledge is that RELIGION is the number one culprit of all death and devastation throughout the world. It needs regulating so it does not interfere with others, democracy or no democracy. 'NCP urges government to keep check on foreigners buying land' (in Goa) - NT- May 4, 2006. This is indeed funny coming from the Goa NCP, for this particular Party's Goa unit must know that foreigners have somehow managed to buy Goans first, and, it is but natural that their lands will follow suit. Why get gray over matters like these? I wonder if Rajan Ghate, the NYC leader has had this press note vetted by Dr. Willy himself before handing it over to the press, considering that Dr. Willy is sightseeing in Dubai. It is wrong for a crab to walk backwards and want its off-spring to walk forward. Is it now !. And a word about Dr. Willy being in Dubai to sell Goa to Tourists. It is a shame for such a wasteful adventure. He would have been better off cleaning the beaches of Goa of the terrible litter. If he has no innovative ideas any more, he could use me free of cost with the right post and I would ensure that the earliest bird on Goan beaches would be hard pressed to find a single plastic coffee cup or what-have-you on the beaches even if it was required to save someone's life with the sands remaining that way throughout the day. 'Dabolim and Mopa are complementary' - Editorial NT- May 4, 2006. More than Rear Admiral S.M. Vadgaokar (Navy's Flag Officer Commanding Goa), Mr. Arun Sinha must know that it is not easy to fool Goans all the time. No! Dabolim and Mopa are not complementary. I consider Mopa to be a Sin. The Navy wants Mopa at all cost and is seen to be working tirelessly towards this end. Why? Because it has fallen in love at first sight with Dabolim and wants to elope with it. With Mopa around, the Navy will be able to tie the ultimate knot with strategic Dabolim, consummate and multiply its brood. Goans will never allow this to happen and the Navy is bound to go away to Sea Bird, Karwar or wherever with a heavy, broken heart. But if Goans do allow the Navy to have its way, which is unlikely, just like they allowed it to walk away with Anjedive Island, then for sure, Goans will not be Goans anymore. And Arun Sinha will have had his last laugh. And lastly, the talk of India, THE SAD DEMISE OF PRAMOD MAHAJAN. I concede that Mahajan has been getting nothing but highly acclaimed reviews all round despite his own blood brother doing him in. To quote the editorial (NT-May 5, 2006) "He was a GenNext politician in the truest sense, an excellent fund-raiser, a master strategist, a good organizer, a good orator, and a lover of good life. In short, a politician to whom success was more important than the way you got it" What did you say? Mr. Arun Sinha ! "Mahajan, a politician to whom success was more important than how he got it'? And this is how you measure greatness of a leader who was slated to be India's Prime Minister? Give me a break, will you?? You have just defined a prostitute. Another editor has this to says of Mahajan's brain-child the 'India Shining' campaign. " The fact that it did not sync with India's heartland looking for their next 'roti kapda makaan', takes nothing away from the concept." (GT- May5, 2006) Is that what you would have Goans believe? Mr. Sujay Gupta? I know the reason why you just couldn't plain simple say that the India Shining concept stunk. But I shall rather 'pass' than say it here. It is a fact that Mahajan lived to build castles in the air for the misguided BJP. It could be accepted that he was slated to take over as India's BJP Premier in the future, there being nothing better in the pipe-line. Fine. But two things: (1) "Man proposes and God disposes", and (2) "How does it benefits you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?". GOD, they say, works in mysterious ways. But to the extent of leading a blood brother to squeeze the trigger thrice over?? Some GOD that Is. And I am of the opinion, like the rest of India and perhaps the rest of the world that Pramod Mahajan loved life to the fullest. And it is beyond any reasonable doubt that he loved the Press EVEN MORE. Criticize the Press? Mahajan? Naah !!! He was smart to realize that his ticket to the PM's chair was the PRESS. And it was hurting to see the Press equating his slaying to the slaying of the Biblical Abel by his brother Cain. Only here it was perhaps the reverse. Abel slaying Cain for good measure? End _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)