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South Asian Film Festival in Goa from Fri (June 27) to Mon (June 30) At Kala Academy, and ESG, Panaji, Goa http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-June/076384.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRAY THOUGHTS [Rajan Narayan in the Goan Observer] [EMAIL PROTECTED] * June 28-July 4, 2008 AAM AADMI CHIEF MINISTER SINGS TUNE OF MINING LOBBY AND A FEW more stray thoughts and a few more observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when Manohar Parrikar shot himself in the foot by making irresponsible allegations against social activists fighting the depredations of the mining lobby in Colamb and Advalpal. For a Sunday following the week when the Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat, betrayed his intimate links with the mining lobby. For a Sunday following the week when Sujoy Gupta, former Gomantak Times editor, made an ass of himself. For a Sunday following the week when yet another skeleton tumbled out of the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) cupboard. For a Sunday following the week when the campaign against the mega housing projects in Benaulim and Colva escalated. For a Sunday following the week when the Campal parade ground literally turned into a garbage dump. For a Sunday following the week when the income ceiling for availing of loans for studies in the country and abroad was raised to favour the Director of Higher Education and Chairman of the HSSC Board, Bhaskar Nayak. FOOT-IN-MOUTH AND a few stray thoughts on how Manohar Parrikar shot himself in the foot by claiming, at the meeting of the house committee on Home Affairs, that a Naxalite module has been functioning in the mining belt. With his usual bravado, Manohar Parrikar, who was presiding over the House Committee on Home Affairs, insisted that the protests against illegal mining in Colamb and Advalpal were being orchestrated by Naxalites. Parrikar even reportedly claimed that the locals, who are predominantly tribal, were being shown films on how to make 'koitas'. Which itself is absurd, because Goans do not need any instructions on making 'koitas'. Goans have been making 'koitas' for years and every home in the rural areas and possibly even in some urban areas has more than one 'koita'. Not because Goans are terrorists or Naxalites but because 'koitas' are essential for the plucking of coconuts. RAJESH PATNEKAR IRONICALLY, Parrikar's own party MLA, Rajesh Patnekar, has been extending support to those protesting against illegal and irresponsible mining operations, particularly the pollution caused during the transport of ore by road. Moreover, the Sanguem MLA, Vasudev Gaonkar, in which Colamb -- the epicentre of the anti-mining movement falls -- is also a member of the BJP. So much so, if as Manohar Parrikar alleges, Naxalites have infiltrated the anti-mining movement in Colamb and Advalpal (which falls under Bicholim constituency), the local MLA could not have been unaware of it. It is not as though protests against the depredations of mining in these villages is a recent phenomenon. In fact, I recall visiting the Colamb area almost five years ago, when the situation was already quite bad. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Manohar Parrikar is targeting the social activists in Colamb. In fact, I am convinced that the real target of Manohar Parrikar is not so much the mine owners but the Church, or more specifically the Don Bosco Order. REAL TARGET THIS is because it is Brother Philip of the Don Bosco Order who first took the initiative to mobilize the local villagers against the depedations of the mining lobby in the area. Obviously, Manohar Parrikar sees Brother Philip and his associates as threats to the BJp dominance of the Sanguem constituency. The targeting of Sebastian Rodrigues fits in the Parrikar agenda fo polarizing Sanguem along communal lines. Unfortunately for him, the largely Gawda and other Scheduled Tribe population are fully aware of who their real friends are. Caught on the wrong foot, and perhaps shaken by the outrage that his remarks provoked, Parrikar has tried to backtrack. Parrikar's comment about the alleged infiltration of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists into Goa is even more mischevious. Obviously, Manohar Parrikar is preparing a fresh campaign to target the minority Muslim community, which, he knows, has traditionally been a Congress votebank. He can always trigger another communal riot, as he did in Curchorem three years ago, by raising the bogey of SIMI activists having taken sanctuary in Goa. It is disturbing that no one has protested against the acquittal of those accused in the Curchorem rioting. BEHIND THE PRESSURE AND a few stray thoughts on Digambar Kamat, the self-proclaimed champion of the 'aam aadmi' exposing his intimate links with the mining lobby. I understand from Home Ministry and Police sources that it is Digambar Kamat who has been pressurising the police to crack-down on non-existent and imaginary Naxalite modules in the mining belt, particularly in Colamb and Advalpal. It is, of course, merely a coincidence that a mine-owner considered extremely close to Digambar Kamat has been the main target of social activists in Colamb. In raising the bogey of Naxal infiltration of the movement against the depredations of the mining lobby, Digambar is only echoing the mischevious insinatuions of mine owners close to him. DIGAMBAR EXPOSED MINE owners are particularly agitated over the intensification of the agitation against illegal activities of the mine owners, because Colamb and Advalpal are literally gold mines for the mining industry. The agitations are affecting their revenues badly and this is the main provocation for spreading misinformation and disinformation that Naxals have infiltrated these gold mines. Digambar owes his chief minister's kodel to the mining lobby and has no choice but to dance to their tunes. What he does nto understand is that the victims of the depredations of the mining companies are also aam aadmis. So much so, his readiness to not only endorse but act on the misinformation and disinformation of mining barons, has only resulted in exposing the hypocrisy of his claims to be the champion of the 'aam aadmi'. The government of Goa and the people of Goa may not derive any benefit from the mining industry or the recent boom in the demand for Goan ore, and the windfall profits that the mining industry has made consequent to the steep increase in the prices of ore in the international market, but politicians cutting across party lines have always been major beneficiaries of the generosity of mine owners. And heading the list of people who have benefitted from the generosity of mine owners, at least in the recent past, is Digambar Kamat. RANE LINKS AMONG the other beneficiaries of the mining lobby have been Pratapsing Raoji Rane and Manohar Parrikar. Indeed, according to Parrikar, as many as ten MLAs are agents of the mining lobby. Since mine owners contribute so much to the personal welfare and well-being of politicians in Goa, it is not surprising that politicians have always extended patronage and protection to the mining lobby. Indeed, it is alleged that Digambar Kamat's son-in-law, Govindraj Dempo, is now deeply involved in mining in partnership with Dinar Tarcar. Successive chief ministers in Goa have refused to see any evil, hear any evil or speak any evil against the mining industry. But labelling social activists as Naxalites is already boomeranging on the politicians. SUJOY GUPTA AND a few stray observations on how Sujoy Gupta, the former editor of Gomantak Times and till recently the metropolitan editor of the NDTV, made a complete ass of himself in his new avatar as public relations consultant to a major mining group. Sujoy Gupta is alleged to have masterminded the press conference at which a horticulturist, Venkatesh Desai, and some mining transport contractors, endorsed the irresponsible accusation of Manohar Parrikar that Naxals had infiltrated the movement against the depredations of the mining industry in Colamb and Advalpal. The first principle in public relations is that people or groups making a counter allegation should have some credibility. It should have been clear to Sujoy Gupta, or whoever put him up to it, that the rag tag group of so-called horticulturists and locals dependent on, and beneficiaries of, the mine owners would not have any credibility. At the solidarity meeting held on Monday, not surprisingly, several speakers targeted Sujoy Gupta. The anger and indignation was even greater because, in his earlier avatar as editor of the Gomantak Times, Sujoy Gupta had earned goodwill and credibility for exposing the misdeeds of politicians and businessmen. I have always been appalled by the stupidity of corporate organisations anxious to do damage control, when they are caught out in their sins of ommission and commission. When you are wrong, the best strategy is to admit your transgressions and at least profess repentance. Adopting a belligerent attitude, or worse still, getting involved in a slanging match, is always counter productive. In fact, by his ham-handed attempt at media management, Sujoy has only made the situation worse for the mining industry. Sujoy, by his lack of understanding of the ground situation in Goa or perhaps in his anxiety to please his new employers, has destroyed his own credibility and forfeited the goodwill he enjoyed in Goa and among Goans. CCP SKELETONS AND a few stray thoughts on the new skeletons that have been tumbling out of the cupboards of the Corporation of the City of Panjim. Close in the wake of the parking scam, comes the casino scam. On May 11, 2008, the CCP unanimously passed a resolution against the proliferation of casinos in the River Mandovi. The resolution made it clear that the CCP would not grant any permissions or licenses for on-shore facilities for the new casinos in Panjim which falls under its jurisdiction. This would have effectively frustrated the attempts of the new casinos to park themselves in the River Mandovi. This is because even offshore casinos need to have ticketing offices and lounges for their customers, not to mention adequate parking space for those intending to patronize the casinos. The case in point being the offices and reception areas of the sole existing so-called offshore casino, the Caravela, which has almost 200 square metres of built up space close to the River Mandovi. But apparently, the resolution of the CCP, like I suspect most of its resolutions, was really intended to facilitate extortion of money from the prospective casino operators. Now, it turns out that, despite the resolution adopted by the CCP on Tuesday, June 11, not to provide any permissions or licenses for onshore facilities within the jurisdiction of the CCP, a license has been granted to the casino promoted by the Leela group which has already been granted a parking lot in the Captain of Ports jetty. The allegation is that the Leela casino has been granted permission to set up an onshore casino for a kickback of Rs 50 lakhs. Apparently the original sum demanded was Rs 1 crore. Since the beneficiaries of all the extortion rackets int he CCP are members of the ruling group, which comprises the Babush faction, the Opposition group, which has been deprived of the loaves and fishes, understandably seesk to sabotage the illegal deals. It is not a coincidence that it was Surendra Furtado, the NCP MLA, who has taken on the role of whistle-blower both in the case of the parking scam and the casino scam. Neither of which could have happened without the knowledge or the benediction of the de factor Mayor of Panjim, Babush Monserrate. It is no secret that Naguesh Karishetty,the corporator arrested in connection with the parking scam, is a close associate of the Monster Rat and in fact participated actively and vigorously in the Babush-led attack on teh Panjim police station. The allegation is that the license granted for an onshore facility for the Leela casino was pre-dated to give the impression that it was issued before the CCP resolution opposing casinos. MEGA PROJECTS AND a few stray observations on the continuing campaign agaisnt mega housing projects. As we had predicted, the Directorate of Panchayats has stayed the actions taken by sarpanchas in Benaulim and Colva. The sarpanchas, under pressure from local activists, had selectively ordered Stop Work orders on the construction of mega housing projects. Apparently the Director of Panchayats had ignored the gram sabha resolutions of even the recommendations of the sarpanchas and stayed the Stop Work orders. On the contrary, the Director of Panchayats and the officials are accused of subverting the gram sabha resolutions. This led to the Benaulikars targetting the office of the Director of Panchayats. The activists in Benaulim were demanding that licenses for the mega housing projects should be cancelled, which the Deputy Director of Panchayats was not willing to do. There have also, however, been accusations that the Benaulim activists owing alleigance to Churchill Alemao have been selective in targetting builders. In Colva, the police have incurred the wrath of the local activists by arresting them when they allegedly threatened the representatives of the builders and drove away the labour employed from the site. The builders obviously do not seem to have woken up to the fact that their political patrons cannot protect them any longer. That they cannot ride roughshod over the will of the people. That functionaries who are caught up in the middle are sarpanchas and panchas who have facilitated the licenses for the mega housing projects. CAMPAL GROUND AND a few stray thoughts on the degeneration of the Campal parade ground. The Campal parade ground, as the name itself suggests, was created to hold important parades on occasions like Republic Day and Liberation. The Campal ground has also historically been the venue for the majority of the consumer exhibitions that keep being held in Goa, much to the anger of the ordinary shop-keepers. The Campal ground is also adjacent to the prestigious Bal Bhavan, which promotes a number of activities for children. It is also adjacent to the Home Science College and the Architecture College. Flanking one side of the Campal parade ground is the Campal Clinic, which houses the consulting rooms of several doctors in Panjim. The Panjim YMCA is also located close to the Campal parade ground. It is therefore all the more shocking that it has become the the latest dumping ground for the city's garbage. Surely, the dumping of garbage at the Campal parade ground can be injurious to the health of the children patronising the Bal Bhavan, not to mention the students of the ARchitecture College and the Home Science College. Or, maybe, the CCP has started dumping garbage on the Campal ground for the benefit of the doctors of the Campal Clinic. Does this mean that the Campal parade ground will now only see parades of garbage? And a last stray thought for yet another Sunday. The income ceiling of parents for their children to avail of scholarships by the Goa government has been icnreased steeply. Now the creamy layer can also benefit from the increase in the ceiling. To avail of a scholarship to study in the country, a parent's income had to be below Rs 400,000 (per year). This figure has now been raised to Rs 500,000. To avail of a scholarship to study abroad, the ceiling was Rs 500,000 which has now been increased to Rs 600,000. But I understand that the real reason why the ceiling has been increased is to make the daughter of the new chairman of the SSC Board and the Director of Higher Education, Bhaskar Nayak, eligible for scholarship to study abroad. Even more interesting is the fact that the scholarships are only open to those who wish to pursue post-graduate studies abroad. Bhaskar Nayak's daughter is pursuing a doctorate, but is still regarded as eligible for the scholarship!