------------------------------------------------------------------------ * G * O * A * N * E * T **** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To Goa with Love - Three unique Valentine Day packages from EXPRESSIONS Say "I Love You!" in style this year For details, photos and pricing check out:
http://www.goa-world.com/expressions/valentines/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Eugene, First and foremost I am not an anti-NRI person. I have both family members and friends all over the world...and I love them no less. Having said that, I admire Goan people [by birth or descent] who are willing to make a sacrifice economic prosperity to be here in Goa to stem the tide of de-Goanization that will soon overwhelm us. There is no point crying over spilt milk. The time to act is when the milk is on the boil. Goa is on the boil right now. The SAVE GOA Campaign has inspired people in Goa to come out of their cozy cocoons and speak out or stand up for their rights. The Regional Plan 2011 is being de-notified from the date it was notified. There is a lot of work to be done. Many hands make light work. I am not taking pot shots at NRIs. There are petty guys who enjoy that. I hope you do not count me among them. However, I do appreciate people like Principal Dr. [Fr.] Antonio Nicolau Pereira who came back from Maryland-USA to teach in a village called Bastora in Goa, Prof. George Moraes who did not go abroad, Dom Moraes who came back in his sunset years. They are no more. Victor Rangel Ribeiro spends half the year in Goa [in the other half he is in USA] helping budding writers and journalists, moving in Goa and writing about issues that concern us. Remo came back and put Goa on the Pop Music map. He also helped other singers to rise. Hema Sardessai is an example. He lends his voice and name to causes. Wendell was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He is doing his bit for Goa. Dr.Claude alvares is neither of Goan parentage nor born in Goa but doing tremendous work here. So is Heta Pandit. Dr.Ajit Shirodkar was born in Vengurla, studied in Purdue, worked in Mumbai but is doing great things as a resident of Goa. The Cacora born Mr. P.G.Kakodkar worked all his life outside Goa but is helping to keep Goa green. I have no further comment to offer on your references to Adv. Aires Rodrigues or writer- journalist Tony Martin [Anthony Barreto, actually]. Both of them have been abroad for short stints. Both of them have been discussed on the Goanet quite a few times. It is no big shake if one is a Goan residing in Goa. What matters is what one is doing for Goa. If one is only amassing wealth at the cost of the welfare of the state, I would rather that they do it elsewhere ...and see if they can get away with it. Marlon Menezes, George Pinto, Herman Carneiro, Dr.Santosh Helekar, Constantino Hermanns Xavier, Gasper Almeida and others are NRIs who work for the welfare of Goa.A true Goan is one who has the goodness of Goa and the welfare of Goa at his/her heart. It is easiest to be a part of the movement to keep Goa Goan if one is a Goan in Goa. All voids are filled either by the non-Goan or worse, by the anti-Goan who treats our Motherland as a piece of Real Estate or speculative investment opportunity. They are no better than the Russian Mafia that has over-run parts of Pernem and have the audacity to put sign boards on the shacks that read "No Indians, please" as if the word "Please" makes the signboard decent!! As anyone who knows me in flesh and blood will acknowledge, I am no armchair critic. I am not an easy to get along person , either. I insist that one puts his money where his mouth is and does things that one feels need to be done. I had offers to go abroad to USA and UAE and there is one which I am considering right now...to Afganistan in an agriculture mission. Goa gets me first. Everything else can wait. Ask anyone in my family, they will tell you that they are a second priority. Home is whaere the heart is. My heart is in a clean and green Goa. So I must stem the tide of pollution...of thought, word and action....to the extent I can..... "Jinkum kivam marum" [ Whether we win or die]as the MGP theme song told the world during my childhood days. Shivaji's soldiers used to cut the ropes after they scaled the fort. There was no chance of retreat...no third choice...just two...win or die. That was the secret of Shivaji's tremendous success. It is the way to wage a struggle. It needs a strong heart. Dr. Oscar Rebello has found one as Patricia Pinto did a few years back...to lead from the front....one citadel at a time. Viva Goa. Miguel