Dear Samir and Cecil,
First, a word on what Cecil said. Contesting, winning and then
holding public office is NOT, imho, a "contribution" to one's
homeland. For a straight man like Mathany, contesting itself may
incur sacrifice. For the crooks in power, it could be viewed as a
"contribution" ... but working in reverse gear! What matters is
what one does, or sincerely tries to, when one holds public office.
Any of such achievements could be a 'contribution' -- but then,
in a severely limited way. (Why are people elected to public office
but to achieve some good?)
And Samir, if your idea of "contribution to Goa in recent years" is
to have got yourself nominated (by my friend Manohar Parrikar, when
a BJP Chief Minister of Goa?) as director of Goa Infotech Corpn
and then "bitten the hand that fed you" (with good reason, I know!),
I'm afraid I would have little to say about my own "contribution to Goa
in recent years" -- neither Parrikar nor Digambar deigned me fit to be
appointed director on any state Corporation :-)
(The only person who did that, without asking me, was my respected
senior college lecturer in Mercantile Law, by now a Minister of State
in Delhi's Union Govt, Eduardo Faleiro -- who put me on some board
of the then 'Prasar Bharati' TV region HQ-ed in Bombay. I didn't attend
a single meeting -- and neither encashed a single cheque sent by way
of "sitting fees." But I ain't a saint.)
That apart -- the fact that neither Parrikar nor Digambar appointed me a
director on any state Corporation -- I would never blow my own trumpet
to tell you and Goanet what a great Goan "contributor" I've been. (Would
have said this earlier, but was curious to see how you would respond to
my earlier rejoinder, which, characteristically, you chose not to.)
If truth be told, I think I have 'contributed' nothing, but am now, in my own
little way and in my area of competence, hoping to contribute something
in the near future.
I guess you and me are the same age. What I did when Municipal
President of Margao in 1985-87, you ought to have known -- or found
out from old timers among the citizenry, councillors, perhaps even
municipal employees themselves ... who hated me while I was in
the chair, but I'm told the surviving ones think differently today. Why,
you could have asked your own dad, who was a prominent Trustee of
the 'Novem Goem Pratisthan' -- at least he might have remembered
how I got the then Council (that included present Goa ministers like
Digambar Kamat and Babu Azgaonkar, and former ministers like
Luis Alex Cardoso) to adopt a policy that the municipality's advertising
must go primarily to local newspapers ... Rashtramat & Novem Goem,
both, alas, defunct.
You could have phoned friends who lived in Margao in 1985-87, who
might have told you that this rascal called v "contributed" nothing, but did
make a slight difference to their experience with officials/staff whenever
they had occasion to visit the municipal offices on their work. Or people in
Malbhat or so many other former pigsty places round town ... that one today
even boasts of a noted hospital chain in India.
You made me open my mouth. But pointers are only what I will utter having
done that.
From your parting thoughts on me below, may I ask, do you take me for some
kind of a crusader? The Crusades happened long ago! This is the era of
hard politics, money, and whatever more it takes. I'm not made of the stuff fit
to be a politician. That's one reason I politely declined election tickets from
established political parties, to contest the Goa Assembly polls from Margao.
I will not name names (and embarrass friends who are around), but if you
enquire enough locally, you will know I'm speaking the truth.
Now to the other part of your original mail (Goanetters still around, please
click the 'delete' button, unless you want to die from boredom!)
Are you trying to suggest that Digu Kamat and Avdhoot Timblo have done
no good to Goa at all? I'm not saying they are saints -- are you and I ??
Take a break. Come to Goa. Ask around. Try and delve into the record of
former MLAs elected from Margao from 1963. Heaven bless them, none are
around, save my much-esteemed senior friend, Udaybab Bhembre. Then
tell me who's done most for Margao. I will repeat: I am not suggesting Digu is
a saint, much like me and you.
Avdhoot Timblo. Granted, a mineowner (forget he may like to regard himself
a nature farmer, of mineral ore.) You and I, and uncles and aunts, have some
money. Have you -- not me, to be sure -- spared however a tiny of fraction of
it for any "contribution" to Goa? To keep for posterity a bit of Goan cuisine,
music, folklore? At least Anju & Avdhoot have done it, like Shivanand & Dattaraj
(never mind the 'Prince,' Anil.)
Please don't take a world view with the goggles of a horse. There's a limit to
demonising people...
And please don't go off at a tangent, beyond the goalposts set by you in this
thread (even by minor things like changing the Subject line, or see below when
you
replied to Cecil.) Else, you won't get another response from me!
Rgds, v
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cecil Pinto" <cecilpi...@gmail.com>
To: <goa...@goanet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 7:17 PM
Subject: [Goanet] Contribution of Valmiki, Digambar, Timblo to Goa
Samir Kelekar wrote:
Jesus said --- let him throw the first stone who has not created any sin.
I would like to know the contribution of the following to Goa in the past
few years.
1) Valmiki Faliero.
2) Digambar Kamat
3) Auduth Timblo.
Only when they have done so, they have the right to comment on Mathany.
Otherwise, they ought to shut up!!
Jai Hind!
----------------
Dear Samir,
Both Valmiki and Digambar have stood in elections for public office
and won. They have served terms in these offices and thus
automatically have contributed to Goa and Goans.
I agree with you that Mathany is relatively a better choice than the
others but if you are asking anyone who is critical to first show what
is their contribution to Goa then you should go first.
What Samir is your contribution ot Goa and is it more (or better) than
that of the three you have named above?
Cheers!
Cecil
P.S.
Before Samir asks; I have not contributed anything to Goa but I do
believe I have made a few Goans laugh occasionally.
========
----- Original Message -----
From: "Samir Kelekar" <samir_kele...@yahoo.com>
To: <goanet@lists.goanet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 7:17 PM
Subject: [Goanet] Contributions to Goa --- Cecil
Cecil says that Valmiki, Digamber have won public office and so have
automatically contributed to Goa.
While I dont want to comment on specific cases, and I will take their
answer at face value, Cecil seems extremely naive about the whole concept
of holding office.
The raking of crores on holding office is a criminal activity and cannot be by any means called contribution to Goa. Indeed
Valmiki himself through
his column told us of crores that are being raked in by some of the current
ministers.
As to what are my contributions. They arent much but surely whatever little
they are, I am extremely proud of.
As a director of Infotech corporation, I have fulfilled my duty keeping
in mind the highest tradition of serving the people. Though I could have
easily raked in crores, I have not just refused but exposed those who
were doing so. I have got at least one direct offer to hold another position
with
an offer to make crores in bribe money but i have refused to do so.
Let Digambar come out in the open and say the same thing about himself and my
vote will
be for the Congress. Let Auduth Timblo come out and say he is not destroying
Goa and I will be with him.
As to Valmiki, I leave it to him to answer the question. Sure I know
Valmiki has contributed to the public but that was a while back. As
we know the situtation has gone worse in the last few years, the temptations have become more, and it is more and more difficult
to be
upright in these days. Certainly, I am not accusing Valmiki but I would
have expected him to lead the Save Goa fight. A person with his experience was
what was needed now.
I am wondering why he is taking an ambivalent stand at this crucial juncture.
regards,
Samir
