I would like to take this opportunity if I may, to clarify two points made by Melvyn Fernandes writing on Goan Convention:
" Getting back to the Goan Convention, my excitement was so great that by the time it came round I was too burnt out to participate. However, the Goan communication network the way it is, family, friends and global guests kept me fully informed and entertained as to what went on, in fact I felt I could have started by very own blog without ever attending. The next hot topic I hear presented was mining, our esteemed Goan guests must have found it interesting that having travelled half way round the globe to be with us in London they had to hear what was happening in their own country, of course it appears no-one can present a problem and a solution better than we can, I mean Powerpoint, Graphics, etc. One attendee said he really enjoyed the presentation made by a Brazilian lady. Forgive me into thinking but I thought these mines were in Goa! " Well, the person who presented the issue on mining in Goa , is GOAN , born and brought up in Goa and a fluent Konkani speaker, who visits Goa frequently. Yes my name is Carmen Miranda but I am not Brasilian. The person who introduced me before I spoke, for some unknown reason mentioned that I had just returned from a holiday in Brazil, and that was enough to create confusion as many people indeed thought I lived in Brazil. As the Convention organisers allocated plenty of time to discuss Goa's past history , I decided to talk about pressing issues of the present, and chose to speak about mining, because if we don't bring this industry under firm control, Goa itself will become history. Secondly, for your information it is in fact the Goans in Goa who most need the information I shared at the Convention, (and twice at the Festival on Sunday) because most Goans in Goa in fact are not aware of the seriousness of the devastation going on in their backyards. Yes they know there is mining and it is causing some inconvenience to villagers in the interior and believe that is prosperity .....Well, if the majority of Goans in Goa were well informed and aware, they would have by now got rid of the politicians who are ultimately responsible for allowing the rape of Goa's hinterland as the consequences of such environmental degradation will seriously affect the future of many generations to come. That is why I began my talk by dispelling some myths about the importance of mining to Goa's economy and employment. Yes the powerpoint had some powerful visual evidence of what I was talking about , which I believe brought tears to the eyes of many goans who saw it for the first time and were totally shocked and unaware of extent of destruction. I don't know how many thousands of Goans were at the Festival, but all I can tell you is that Save Goa Campaign UK tent at the Festival was buzzing with visitors and in one afternoon we got more than a 1000 signatures for our petition to the Chief Minister of Goa and his Cabinet to take immediate measures to start phasing out mining. Mining in Goa is not an issue to joke about. The fact that I was even allowed to speak on mining at the Convention is a great achievement by the G.O.A. who hosted the Convention in London and I thank them on behalf of Save Goa Campaign UK for their unconditional support. Carmen Miranda
