Dears The terrorists attacked the Taj and Trident hotels in Mumbai. Both these hotels are back in business in Mumbai. Their sister hotels will continue to be in business in Goa. The terrorists did not attack Chowpatty or Juhu beaches in Mumbai.These beaches will see life this season while Goa's beaches will be deserted. All this is possibly only due to POLICE INTELLIGENCE. What a paradox that is?? A Moidekar or Benaulekar would have done a better job at the helm of our Administration and Police but we have to make do with Sardarjis becuase Goa University syllabus and Goan attt
The Government of Goa seems to have a distinct preference to the rich. The banning of the "beach parties" between 23 December, 2008, and 5 January next are a case in point. The sudden removal of the by now "traditional" food stalls at Miramar circle after an elite Club set up a restaurant is another. Whether the mechanism used is a court, executive order or the almost non-existent police "intelligence", is another matter. Of course, the Government has a vested interest. The establishments of the rich may Luxury, Service, Excise and other taxes from amounts they earn from the corporate sector junkets and other sources. In addition to the statutory ETP or STP, the hotels of the rich also have the mandatory slush funds needed to survive in big business. These are facts of life that every businessman or woman who has survived in business knows. It is as much a part of the "growing up" process as the clandestine sex education. The best business practices are not taught in the B-schools and I am yet to find a person who has learnt to make love through the course content of some "professional" college. One lives to learn, often the hard way if one is poor or "not so rich" in an affluent place like Goa withthe per capita income bloated by those who sell the very entrails of Goa in the form of iron ore. The terrorists attacked the Taj and Trident hotels in Mumbai. Both these hotels are back in business in Mumbai. Their sister hotels will continue to be in business in Goa. If there were fears that their business would face a slump due to poor tourist arrivals, they were misplaced. "Big Brothers" Government of Goa and the Goa Administration are there at their service for a small fee, perhaps payable in kind as complimentary tickets to their shows and other facilities. Relatives and friends keep popping up this season, you see. With low occupancy levels this season, there is really no expense in giving a few roooms for free! With beach parties banned, the borderline cases will opt for the stars. The terrorists did not attack Chowpatty or Juhu beaches in Mumbai. These beaches will see life this season while Goa's beaches will be deserted. We are in the midst of a Global recession or economic melt-down [whatever that means], so the foreign tourists in Goa would normally head straight for the shacks from their rent-back bed-and-breakfast facilities. They are less "fidalgo" than the Gujarati babus and babes on a holiday, but otherwise accustomed to starred hotels in their native lands. If the beaches were not to be deserted the starred hotels would be. Therein lies the terror: the terror of losing mega bucks from foreign tourists to the poor shack owners... if they have the beach parties. They must be banned. The Government did just that. It is heartening to see the shack owners protesting. The media has a responsibility to support the Goan people, native or settler, struggling to earn a decent living through their shacks and gaddas, licenced and paid for. Mr. Cruz Cardozo and the Goa Shack Owners' Welfare Society [G-SOWS] will reap the fruit of their labour, if they persist and persevere in their demand for compensation if the Government is adamant on enforcing the ban. The villagers of Candolim have shown what can be done. The Government has brought in Police reinforcements to prevent a repetition of that success. It is clearly on the side of the mine owners. The Tatas are the pioneers in iron ore mines and steel units, in case it has skipped your mind. More and more mine owners have gone into hotel trade and now into casinos. If they can protect their Portuguese colonial "Titulo de Concessao" to mine ore in Goa with the support of the state and faking an "Opinion Poll", they can also protect their hotel business and increase the number of casinos. It is the same story when it comes to the script for Konkani. Check who traditionally uses the Devanagri script and the Antruzi dialect and you will find all the answers you need. The Tiatr Akademi is another "natok" like the "Opinion Poll" for the gullible. Cough suppresants work only for some time. It is now time to cure the cold, together. Miguel Braganza -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts, Rajvaddo, Mhapsa Goa 403507 Ph 9822982676 miguelbraga...@yahoo.co.in -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. P.S. The news clippings below seem unreated, but have a common thread. ............................................... > http://www.countercurrents.org/gonsalves201208.htm > Our Politicians Are Still Not Listening > > By Colin Gonsalves > > 20 December, 2008 > Mail Today > > One would have thought that after the Bombay attack and the public > outpouring of resentment against politicians, that the establishment > would get its act in order. One would expect that careful thought > would go into the making of proposals to combat terrorism and to keep > the people secure. Instead what do we find? The same old clichés and > the usual attack on human rights activists. >Govt bans beach parties HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 20 Plans for parties in the open on the State's sandy shores which have been riding on the waves of high spirits, today came crashing down on the rocks with the Goa government deciding to ban beach parties from December 23 to January 5 as a security precaution. The Legislature Party of ruling Congress initially had recommended the ban but the Chief Minister on December 19 clarified that they might not ban the parties. India is safe for tourists:minister HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 20 Union Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on Saturday informed that a meeting of 22 Heads of Missions of different countries has been called on December 22 to create a global atmosphere of India being a safe destination for tourists in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks. More IRB personnel to man Goa HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 2 Perhaps as part of State's preparedness to tackle terror attacks, the Goa cabinet today gave an approval for setting up a new Indian Reserve Battalion of at least 1000 personnel in Goa. In a related development, the cabinet today decided to appoint a retired director of Kerala Forensic Laboratory for Goa's forensic lab at Verna. -- -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts, Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa Ph 9822982676 miguelbraga...@yahoo.co.in -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
