Folks, Having spoken to the NRI Commissioner this morning and the President of the Goan Association (UK) and after having had a good laugh, my response is as follows to the spurious charges made here on Goanet: (Eugene please Note - this is not the NRI COmmissioners nor the President's response. You have a habit of quoting me inaccurately in Goa papers - next time ask me for a quote). 1. The Global Goans Convention is an NRI event. The NRI office approaches local associations each year to help them in the organisation of this event. The local bodies then contribute financially to the organisation of this event from their own kitty and through local sponsors - There is no question of "donations" to anyone nor overseas Goans having a "party" at the expense of the Goan exchequer.
2. I'm surprised the Convention cost just 12 lakhs. To put 12 lakhs into perspective has anyone done a comparative study? How much did these Conventions cost when they were held in Goa and other places? How much does it cost the Tourism Board to represent Goa at the Travel Mart, how much would it cost the Minister of Industries and Commerce to drum up foreign investment? How much would it cost a delegation of Government officials to resolve the issues faced by NRI Goans? The remit of the NRI Commissioner is to represent NRI Goans. Did anyone expect that an NRI Commissioner would sit in Goa and represent the problems of NRI Goans? Or is it reasonable to expect that the NRI Commissioner would occasionally venture into those countries where Goans are found in large numbers to hear their problems and attend to their needs. Incidentally, even as I write this the NRI Commissioner has forwarded a proposal to issue long term visas to Karachi Goans - an issue which came up during that "London Convention." 3. Since when did NRI Goans cease to be part of Goa? The vast majority of NRI Goans, the bulk of whom come from the Gulf are still fully fledged Indian nationals, who remit huge amounts of money back into the economy and buffer it so that the people of Goa, can continue living in a reasonably decent Goa. Should the Goa Government stop representing these people. Who decides that 12 lakhs is too much to be spent on NRI Goans? The purpose of the Convention is NOT TO RESOLVE Goa's issues. It is to RESOLVE NRI Issues. Why the fuss only for the London Convention? Is it because the Convention was successful and high-profile and some people can't bear this thorn in their flesh? 4. Apart from touching on NRI Issues, the Convention also serves various other purposes. It serves as a cultural anchor for Goans in the Diaspora wherein a healthy dose of networking takes place. It's an international platform for Goa - which quite frankly doesn't even manage to get a national platform unless a murder or rape is involved. It is a defacto representation of a Cultural attache, Tourism Minister and Minister for Industries and Commerce all rolled into one. 12 lakhs is darn good value for money. 5. The Convention was open to all. Nobody stopped non-Goans, Hindus, Muslims, Animists or Atheists from attending this Convention. Don't now dance the fudgi (as Doc would say) and tell us this was a Convention for Goan Catholics. We Goans are a peg lower than cows. One person will write some rubbish and 12 others will nod their heads. Is the Convention perfect? Of course not. Nothing in life ever is. But improving things takes constructive criticism - not criticism for the sake of it and grinding personal axes. Eugene, if you're in hospital, I suggest you seriously take the medicine prescribed to you. Best, Selma
