Dear Mr.Agnelo Fernandes, Thank you for your encouraging words - during my stint in the army I used to get ridiculous postings ( we called them punishment postings ) sometimes in the North East , sometimes on the borders of East Bengal and even Indo- Pak (including Siachen )- and I always carried some black and white pictures of Goa in my suitcase which at nights I would just look at and dream of the day I would go back home to my peaceful and beautiful Goa - and finally I retired some years back and sadly I can say that things are worsening year after year - the filth and garbage ( smell of burning garbage and plastic is everywhere , sometimes I have to keep my windows shut during the day ) , unorganised planning of roads and infrastructure etc and ofcourse Calangute is not the same - majority in the market area either speak in Kannada, Marathi or are Bhayyas from the North and we dont have the basic infrastructure to support this influx of migrants . As a result they even urinate and defecate in open areas and Malaria cases are on the rise .Now everytime anyone gets a fever they are advised to do blood tests. *This was not the Goa I was planning to retire and live in - *
Despite my poor health I make it a point to attend all GramSabhas ( Joseph Sequeira heaves a sigh when I dont )and highlight these issues . *I wish to once again thank Mr.Ashley* for taking up this onerous task of being the RP convenor and at the same time *opposing the road that is going to destroy the hillsides of Saligao.* *Col.Cyril P.D'Souza ( Retd.)* Calangute On 3/21/09, Agnelo Fernandes <afernan...@cbi.com> wrote: > > > On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:21:03 +0530, Ashley Delaney <ashley...@gmail.com> > wrote on the subject: > Re: [Goanet] what have Saligao Youngsters and playground got to do with the > road Mr. Bonnie (full text deleted) > > > Hello Mr Cyril, Mr Bonnie, and my dear friend ASHLEY, > > I apologize to young Ashley for not having sent in the Congratulatory > message on Thursday, 19 March, on the great efforts he is putting in as a > Convenor for taking up and fighting the social evils in Saligao. It takes > collossal commitment besides one's own work schedule and businesses. May > the best be with him and a lot of courage too. > > I apologize to Col. Cyril for not having put down a word of appreciation > for his efforts highlighting and fighting social evils in Calangute / > Saligao, etc. May the best be with you too, Sir. > > I failed to understand the message in Bonnie's post. Playground and the > by-pass road are two different issues and the issue in question here is the > "bypass road". > > Bonnie, please try to understand the immediate need of paying our attention > according to priorities. It is not right for us to just punch keys on our > keyboards, pass judgements, issue instructions, accuse inactions, whereas > we, who want others to do the dirty work, are far away from Amchem Goa, > waiting at the slightest opportunity to bug and criticise our fellow Goans > who take up evils right there in Goa. They know the ground realities, they > know the time, effort, and commitment that is needed to go through daily > headaches and heartaches to see our Goa get back the place of pride of > remaining the "Rome of the East". Let us at least send in a word of > encouragement if we cannot do anything better from far or near. If we know > some kid going the wrong way, let us hold his or her hand and try to gently > bring back that child - personally. I have done this and know the time and > effort, and I know Bonnie, you too can. Internet correspondence won't help, > personal touch, personal presence, personal pain and personal supervision > is the need of the hour. > > Being a Calangute resident, I know how Calangute, Saligao, Parra and Mapusa > looked like since my early days. The peace, tranquility, belonging, etc, is > now missing in many areas. > > Let us keep on track, not divert from the relay we are running for a common > goal. > > God Bless our Villages and our Goa. > > Agnelo Fernandes > Calangute / Dubai > >