[Goanet] India's Foreign Minister - Oil for Food program scam
-- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | || | by visiting this link and following the instructions therein | || | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -- November 03, 2005 Letter to Prime Minister on Sh. K. Natwar Singh, External Affairs Minister charged for corruption in Saddam Hussain regime Dear Prime Minister, Ever since the UN-sponsored independent committee headed by Shri Paul Volcker named External Affairs Minister Shri K. Natwar Singh as a "non-contractual beneficiary" of payoffs by the erstwhile Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq, the credibility of India in the international community has taken a nosedive. It is bad enough that the Minister who represents India in world affairs is implicated in a murky international scandal. What compounds the offence is that he continues to remain External Affairs Minister, with your full backing. Your comment that the UN-sponsored report contains "insufficient" evidence to warrant "any adverse conclusion" constitutes a total disregard of available facts. By rubbishing the report to score a narrow political point, you are mocking an important initiative to make the United Nations more accountable. Your defence of an errant colleague has tarnished the quality of our democracy. Read the rest of this letter from Arun Jaitley to the PM at: http://www.bjp.org/Press/nov_05/nov_0305.htm
[Goanet] Victoria thunder steals show
-- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | || | by visiting this link and following the instructions therein | || | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -- http://oheraldo.in/node/5506 BY HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 18 - The Deputy Speaker Victoria Fernandes stole the thunder in the Goa assembly during legislators' interaction with the President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam when she complained to him about the Ordinance empowering PDAs to convert any land in the State causing much embarrassment to the government as well as the Governor S C Jamir. During a 15 minute interaction session with the members of the Goa Assembly, Mrs Fernandes made it a point to draw the attention of the President of India to the Ordinance, which she alleged, gives sweeping powers to the PDAs to destroy fields and agricultural activities of farmers in the state of Goa. She snatched the golden opportunity that came her way as the President in his speech impressed the need to promote agriculture in the State. She urged Dr Kalam to advise the government what it should do on the ordinance, which she deemed as 'destructive.' When Dr Kalam quizzed the Speaker and Governor on the Ordinance, Mrs Fernandes marched up to him and presented him with a copy of the ordinance. To this the President said, "If it is a sudden ordinance you must debate, discuss and decide on it." He further said, "We are in a democratic country and everyone must give their views." Read the rest of this article at: http://oheraldo.in/node/5506 ----- Regards, Carlos -- | 1st Young Goans International Essay contest 2005 | || | Theme: WHAT CAN I DO FOR GOA | | More details at| | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/034190.html| --
[Goanet]Konkani 'Mai'- Victim Of Script
http://www.bellevision.com/upcevents.asp?upceid=178 - At the peak of the Konkani agitation in Goa in the mid eighties -- the Hindu Brahmins in Goa who rallied behind the "Konkani Porjecho Avaz" manipulated the "Cristaos" of Goan origin to accept Devnagiri as the script in lieu of Roman script (which they as well as the Church authorities were acquainted with) on the assumption that --- if the Devnagiri script was accepted the Hindu Bahujans (non Brahmins) would easily accept Konkani instead of Marathi as they were familiar with the Devnagiri script. The gullible "Cristaos" and the Church accepted this and so also present MP Mormugao Parliamentary Constituency Mr Churchill Alemao the backbone of the language agitation fell head over heel and introduced primary education in the mother tongue Konkani in an unfamiliar non standardised language and worst still in the Devnagiri script -- (of course his son studied in a top english school in Panaji)... Read the rest of the article at the above website ----- Regards, Carlos - End forwarded message -
[Goanet]Re: Vote bank politics to blame for Goa tragedy
Sachin, Does Dicarpale (where 11 people died) fall under Navelim Constituency? Regards, Carlos -Original Message- From: Sachin Phadte <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thu, 28 Jul 2005 10:22:06 +0530 In the report in the Indian Express, a serious allegation is made, namely: "Local authorities have failed to demolish these illegal constructions due to the interference of MLAs who see the slums as vote banks."
[Goanet]Fernandes Balcao!
I have just returned to Canada from 2.5 months in Goa and when renewing my membership with Goanet I was requested to post my experiences. I am going to do this in three or four instalments. I wish to make clear that I am not soliciting argument from fellow-readers - this is what 'I found to be a happening or circumstance' and I am putting it out for your reading entertainment. The 'Fernandes Balcao' is a tangible and relaxing place at Martin's home. Martin is my neighbour on the opposite side of NH.17B which runs - in part - from Ponda to Cortalim. While my home was being renovated I B&Ld with Martin and the two of us - along with visiting neighbours - would spend many hours lounging on the expansive balcao to his 'old-portuguese' home, shooting the breeze, commenting on the villagers walking to their homes or to the Bus Place and revelling in harmless 'petty gossip' that favoured the "spec in your eye while ignoring the log in mine"! I am a seasoned 'wooden spoon' and took great pleasure in stirring Martin and the locals into outlandish solutions to all goa/world problems, while drinking coffee/tea. No smoking or boozing was permitted at the FB Café. - I have no idea how this morality came to be a practice at our Club. Martin: Carlos, you have been back a couple of days and should be rested now? How was your trip from Vancouver to Goa? Carlos: I am a day or so short of wide-awake Martin. It would help if you stopped your thunderous snoring at nights - have you tried a nose-strip? Martin: Hey, that is my wife; I simply stay awake all night. She claims that to be her way of beating the heat, humidity and the mosquitoes. Your trip? Carlos: Vancouver to London by British Airways; spent a night with my brothers and talked about Blair's chances of re-election; London to Mumbai by the same British Airways - empty plane - tons of room to stretch; Mumbai immigration, customs and Foreign Exchange laundering was a breeze; I have a PIO visa and that stood-up well to scrutiny - I was concerned as it was my first time under this facility. Jet Airways took me to the Domestic Airport and moved me to Dabolim after a pleasant 45 minute flight. My luggage arrived with me - (it had been to Australia once without me), caught a Yellow/Black Maruti home for Rs.350. Martin: You lie, maan. What about all these horrendous stories one reads about Indian customs/immigration? Anyway, you got screwed on the cab ride! Carlos: Martin, you scrooge, you are thinking I should have taken the Bus home for Rs.14? No chance. The cab-ride price has stayed constant and I have made two other trips here over the past year - another plus for Goa? No kidding, all my flights were excellent with a special mention for Jet Airways - they go the extra mile in service. I arrived Mumbai very late at night and that may have been a reason - but believe me, both immigration and customs were flawless. If the start is any indication, I am going to love all the progress in Goa/India. Besides Martin there were two other salty characters in our group this time and needless to say they had their own stories - mostly hearsay - of how bad my experiences should have been. They would not believe me, called me a BJP supporter, which I did not understand and on and on...! Carlos Mascarenhas
[Goanet]Two Goans among the Four Indian students - won the Intel ISEF awrds
http://www.zeenews.com/links/articles.asp?aid=217049&sid=NAT Four Indian students awarded at Intel ISEF Houston, May 13: Four Indian students have won awards at the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair being held in Phoenix, Arizona for innovation and invention in addressing basic human needs like health, water and shelter. Mihir Tandon and Riddhiman Yadav, both students of Modern School Vasant Vihar in Delhi, have won scholarship awards of USD 1,000 for designing an improvised artificial limb for above-knee amputees. The Delhi students won the national collegiate inventors and innovators alliance/Lemelson Foundation prize that is awarded for creativity, technological innovation and commercial promise. Suvrata Desai, 16 and Mallika Dhillon, 16, of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Goa, have won the second award of dollar 500 US savings bond for their Project "traditional spices as biopesticides". These awards have been presented by the 'Ashtavadhani Vidwan Ambati Subbaraya Chetty (AVASC)' foundation for projects that display outstanding creativity, ingenuity and have the potential to alleviate the human condition or mark a substantive advance in the scientific field. The Indian students reached the stage after competing with over 65,000 students at 550 regional, state-level national and international science fairs affiliated to the Intel ISEF. -------- Jai Hind! Carlos
[Goanet]GOA: "Doc" in police net for unnatural sex
-- | 3rd Annual Konkan Fruit Fest, Goa - May 6-8, 2005| || | Today's Events include Fruit Carving - Decor - Watermelon eating | |Fancy Dress.Check out http://konkanfruit.swiki.net | -- BY HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 6: Panjim-based Anthony Lobo, known as "Dr" Tony, was arrested for molestation and unnatural sexual offences at around 11.30 pm on May 5. The complainant, a 20-year-old married woman hailing from Karnataka, was employed by the accused, "Dr" Tony to supervise two other minor girls who were residing at his Dona Paula residence. The complainant, who was job hunting in Goa, was referred to "Dr" Tony by a physiotherapist Dr Karla, who has also been arrested for abetment in the offence. Speaking to reporters Superintendent of Police (Crime) Krishnia stated that the complainant reported the case to the Women and Child Police station, Panjim but did not file a complaint. She had only sought shelter for her two-year old child, he said. She was sent to La Esparanca a shelter home in Anjuna where she narrated her experiences to the in-charge. A complaint was later filed against Dr Tony for molestation and unnatural sexual offences. The SP stated that the complainant stayed at the residence of "Dr" Tony for five to seven days along with two other minor girls. These two minors are believed to have been doing the cleaning, gardening and other domestic tasks. Dr Tony is also reported to have paraded naked and asked the three women for a massage. At the time of the police raid at his residence, only one minor girl was rescued, who has now been sent to the Apna Ghar shelter home. The other minor girl fled before the police raid, SP Krishnia, who is investigating the matter informed. Both the victim and the accused have been medically examined. "Dr" Tony, whose age is reported to be between 38 to 40 years, was not a medical doctor but the police were verifying his antecedents as to whether he was a PhD or not, the SP said. - Regards, Carlos --- * G * O * A * N * E * T *** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S * --- Make your mother in Goa happy on Mothers' Day. http://www.goa-world.com/goa/expressions/mothersday/ Limited "Mother's Happiness" packages. First come, first serve. ---
[Goanet]Re: Cafetaria Catholics -Priesthood is not about things he does, ...
George: I thought you were asleep and may not have read the papers. Are you on 24/7 schedule? Anyway, give my regards to Liam. Carlos
[Goanet]Don't let secularism become a doctrine of hate
connected with the sangh parivar was systematically (and snobbishly) kept out of the national mainstream, whether in politics, culture, academics, or the arts. 1975 and the imposition of Emergency first gave the Jana Sangh the opportunity to occupy a place within the larger Janata movement but the dual membership controversy put an end to the Jana Sangh's ambitions. But over the last fifteen years, the lines between "secular" and "communal" have blurred. In 1989 both the Left and the BJP supported the V.P. Singh government. And today, who is "secular"? Is Laloo "secular"? He waves the U.C. Banerjee Godhra interim report around and detained Pravin Togadia last year. Yet he has buried a report showing how shockingly the condition of the minorities has declined in his rule. Ram Vilas Paswan campaigns with an Osama look-alike and declares that he left the NDA because of Gujarat, but it was so pathetically clear at that time that he only left because he didn't get the telecom ministry. Is the DMK "secular"? It has the unique distinction of sharing power with all the last three governments at the Centre, and Karunanidhi praises Vajpayee and Sonia by turn. Is Mamata Banerjee "secular"? She fights with the Congress in state elections but with the NDA in national elections. The truth is that secularism as a liberal democratic ideal no longer automatically attaches to the Congress or to the anti-BJP forces. Instead of using "secularism" simply as a barrier to exclude the NDA at all costs, why does the Congress not give more substance to its secular aspirations by focussing on rule of law, building enduring social cohesion and democratising its functioning instead of clinging to its ridiculous antediluvian High Command culture. Hating the NDA as stupidly as Pravin Togadia hates Muslims is an injustice to the Indian voters' freedom of choice. Jai Hind! Carlos
[Goanet]Re: Cardinals
Winnie, I think there are only 5 Cardinals and approx 149 bishops in India. Ivan Cardinal Dias - Archbishop of Bombay - Age 68 Varley Cardinal Vithayathil - Archbishop of Ernakulam - 77 Telesphore Cardinal Toppo - Archbishop of Ranch - 65 Simon Cardinal Pimenta - Archbishop Emeritius of Bombay - 85 Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy - Based in Rome - 81 Only 3 Cardinals from India (below age 80) are eligible to vote for the new Pope. Regards, Carlos
[Goanet]Between the lines
rly the power of the judiciary and that of legislatures. The Congress should confront the BJP on this point. The issue is so important from the point of view of the constitution's basic structure of federalism that there should be a public debate on the subject as well as a reference to the Supreme Court. The Congress is mistaken if it believes that going along with the BJP is possible. Some political experts are indulging in a guess-game that the Congress and the BJP can develop an understanding of sorts. L.K. Advani's comment in a television interview that the two have not been talking to each other "enough" is considered significant. Lord Megnath Desai, an Indian economist based in London, has gone to the extent of saying that the Congress and the BJP should cooperate "in the interest of country's progress." The Congress is wrong in its assessment. The BJP will continue to create more and more difficulties for the Congress because the BJP wants to step in its place at New Delhi. It has also begun to nourish the hope that the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), which includes both the Congress and the Left, may disintegrate in 2006 when the two will be in direct electoral clash during elections in West Bengal and Kerala. What is sad about the whole thing is that the Congress, which should be fighting the BJP on every front, is seen compromising with it. The Congress does not realize that its strength lies in taking an unequivocal stand against the communal forces. The more it dilutes its stand, the more distant it will go from the people who defeated them in the last election. The country's ethos is pluralism, not the parochialism and prejudice that the BJP fosters. The Congress should have at least understood by this time. *** Forwarded by Carlos Aqui é Goa, Aqui é India Wish all Goenkars a very happy EasterKuldip Nayar writes from New Delhi It appears that the BJP is beginning to retrieve the territory it had lost. After the defeat at the Lok Sabha polls nearly one year ago the party was in the dumps. The media paid it hardly any attention. The BJP tried to play the Hindutva card but made no headway. There was no response to even the emotive issue of building a temple at the place where the Babri masjid stood once. The ruling Congress itself is responsible for making the BJP relevant. Initially, the stalling of parliament rattled the Congress unnecessarily. The more the government sought the BJP's cooperation, the more intractable it became. This was the game that the Congress too had played when it was in the opposition. It should have figured out how to face such situations.What really put the Congress on the defensive was its effort to grab power, first in Goa and then in Jharkhand. The party adopted the same old methods to get into the seat through the Congress-appointed governors even though the party and its allies had not the necessary numbers. People were shocked to see the flouting of constitutional methods.Defeat either evokes defiance or the desire to compromise. The Congress has opted for the latter. Maybe, it has found that the BJP leaders, from L.K.Advani to Sushma Swaraj, are too ferocious for the Congress to challenge with the timid and the inarticulate lot it has on its side. Maybe, the Congress has decided not to join issue with the BJP. Whatever the reason, it is apparent that the Congress does not want to pick up the gauntlet which the BJP throws down so often. Those who saw Congress president Sonia Gandhi taking on the then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the Lok Sabha are disappointed over the squeamishness of the Congress leaders. Something has gone wrong somewhere because Sonia is still the party president. Either Sonia has some other considerations in view or her advisors have given her poor advice.Therefore, New Delhi's overreaction to the denial of US visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi does not come as a surprise. Washington's step was an act of indiscretion and, hence, highly objectionable. The State Department could have ticked Modi off by withdrawing the diplomatic visa while sustaining the ordinary one. True, America bungled. But the pitch to which New Delhi took the incident was so disproportionate that it made Modi look like a martyr. He is responsible for the Gujarat carnage and remains unrepentant.The BJP's attitude was understandable. It had to go to town because it had been groping for an issue for a long time to be in the limelight. The party converted the visa's denial into an issue of "national pride." When in power, the party did not say a word over the stripping of George Fernandes at New York, although he was India's defence minister at that time. L.K. Advani was then on a different trip: how President Bush dropped in when Advani was sitting with Secretary of State Powell. The party wanted to take credit for proximit
[Goanet]Executive dunnit
r is the servant of the House. In the cases cited above, the speaker's purpose seemed to be furthering a particular political plank, not giving the House free expression. In 1964 and 1992, the judiciary intervened to protect third parties ' Keshav Singh in Uttar Pradesh, Manilal Singh in Manipur - from the wrath of a speaker. In Jharkhand, their Lordships stepped in to adjudicate a fight between rival legislators themselves. The struggle isn't between legislature and judiciary, it is a civil war, fostered by the executive, within the legislative wing. Speaker William Lenthall's observation that he had "neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me" is famous. Less well known is the Dunning resolution of 1780 that "the influence of the Crown has increased, is increasing and ought to be diminished" Substitute "Crown" for "executive", and here, Mr. Speaker, is a graver issue to discuss with your fellow presiding officers. - Posted by Carlos
[Goanet]Goa takes 11 hrs to react to oil spill
RAJU NAYAK Posted online: Friday, March 25, 2005 at 0148 hours IST PANAJI, MARCH 24: Despite threats to the environment and warnings from environmentalists, the Goa government, the Coast Guard and the Marmagao Port Trust failed to procure adequate equipment in time to tackle the oil spill off the Goa coast on Wednesday, official sources said here on Thursday. Faced with lack of equipment, the authorities looked on helplessly for 11 hours even as the oil slick threatened to inch closer to the Goa coast. According to L.U. Joshi, Chairman, Goa Pollution Control Board, it took 11 hours for the authorities to react to the oil spill as the equipment had to be obtained from elsewhere. Two Dornier aircraft from Daman were pressed into service to spray dispersants into the sea, and two ships have been requisitioned from Mumbai. The delay saw parts of the oil slick break and disperse, and it is feared that some of it may reach the shores of Goa and harm maritime life. However, the authorities were confident that the oil slick would be contained by Thursday. According to M.P.S. Varde, Director, Science and Technology Ministry, to prevent the oil slick from breaking up, ‘‘special booms’’ are needed to be thrown from the sea. Special polymers are then sprayed on the slick and suction equipment are used to pull the contaminants out of the water. However, such equipment are expensive, and it was earlier suggested that a special authority be set up to oversee oil slicks on the Western Coast. Environmentalists say the Western Coast is susceptible to oil slicks due to the heavy maritime traffic. "Ships often clean their tanks in the high seas because of which the contaminants are washed ashore," says Joshi. Often the waste are washed ashore in the shape of tar balls during the monsoons, he adds. Meanwhile, Shrikant Pai Fondekar, a scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, said water samples were being collected to examine any danger to fish. -- Posted by Carlos
[Goanet]India can be major bulwark against China: US
Press Trust of India New York, March 22, 2005|20:09 IST Taking strong exception to demands made by some American lawmakers for supply of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, an influential former US Senator has asked the administration to adopt a robust pro-India stance and said treating both the countries the same was a great mistake. India is a democracy with a free market and a highly developed system of human rights, former Republican Senator Larry Pressler said. He called for a fundamental "policy shift" in America's priorities in the subcontinent. "It could become our major bulwark against China in East Asia. It also has a large Muslim minority and, generally speaking, is an example of tolerance. And we have a mutually beneficial trade relationship with India that is helping us keep our technological edge," Pressler said. Pakistan, on the other hand, is corrupt, absolute dictatorship, he said in an article published in the New York Times. "It has a horrendous record on human rights and religious tolerance, and it has been found again and again to be selling nuclear materials to our worst enemies. It claims to be helping us to fight terrorism, although many intelligence experts have suggested that most of our money actually goes to strengthening the rule of Gen. Pervez Musharraf," he said. Calling for a fundamental "policy shift" in the subcontinent, he said, "First, we should enthusiastically improve our treatment of India. We should not reject Pakistan entirely "we need it as an ally" but to treat India and Pakistan as the same is a great mistake." - Carlos
[Goanet]Job Opportunities in Ireland
Ireland is looking to India for skills in IT & healthcare TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2005 About a year after the Embassy of Ireland introduced the outsourcing of visa operations in India to VFS on a pilot basis, the service has been formally launched by the Irish minister for trade, Mr Michael Ahern, who visited New Delhi recently. Applicants from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa continue to make their applications to the Irish Consulates in Bangalore and Mumbai. The big rise in numbers for visa applicants to Ireland in different categories like students, business, work permits, dependants and tourists has been to a great extent due to the economic boom in both the countries. “The pull factor from Ireland is very strong with a big skills shortage in the IT and healthcare sectors. Universities in Ireland have always been very well recognised and are now pitching strongly to attract students from India and we have at least 500- 600 students going to study in Ireland every year. The institutions have increased the numbers of seats for foreign students and are holding education fairs in India to market their courses,” Bourne said. While fees for single entry visas for Ireland are Rs 4,000, multiple entry visas, which are usually not given to first time travellers, come at Rs 6,400. Working visas also come for Rs 6400. While many applications are decided within two working days others, such as those from people intending to work, study or visit Ireland as a tourist, may have to be referred for decision to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in Dublin. For these applications, processing time can take 6 weeks. In all cases, therefore, applicants should apply at least six weeks in advance of the intended date of departure for Ireland. We are looking at bigger numbers of Indian students availing themselves of the excellent educational institutions in Ireland. Some of the popular international courses are in management, English language specialisations and medicine. We are looking into the issue of work permits being given to the students who get a job while they are in Ireland and a decision could be arrived at within six months,” Ahern said. Special arrangements are also in place to facilitate medical practitioners who are applicants for temporary registration with the medical council, medical, health and social care professionals who obtain full registration/validation while in Ireland or who possess the relevant registration/validation and are already in legal employment on a valid work permit. At present the designated categories for skills shortages include: • Information and computing technologies professionals • Information and computing technologies technicians • Architects, including architectural technicians/technologists • Construction engineers, including engineering technicians • Quantity surveyors and building surveyors • Town planners; • Medical practitioners • Registered nurses • Dentists, and The following specified professionals in the public health and social care sectors, including voluntary bodies: • Diagnostic or therapeutic • Radiographer • Audiologist • Dietician - social worker -- Good Luck, Carlos
[Goanet]Doordarshan plans diaspora channel in Britain
Indo-Asian News Service New Delhi, March 19, 2005|13:43 IST Public broadcaster Doordarshan is planning a TV channel for the Indian diaspora in Britain, Prasar Bharati Corporation CEO KS Sharma said in New Delhi. "If all goes well, the new British channel will take off in around three months' time," Sharma told the agency. - Jai Hind! Carlos
[Goanet]Goa to London Flight
Entertainment News- London, Mar 18(ANI): A drunk passenger hit a cabin crew member and made racist and homophobic abuse aboard an airline. According to The Mirror, Frederick Cunliffe hit Ian Richardson on board Monarch Airlines on the Goa to London flight. Cunliffe mixed vodka and Valium, and yelled: "You f***ing queer, you f***ing Paki." The flight was diverted to Larnaca in Cyprus. Cunliffe faces jail after admitting in Hove crown court to endangering the plane and assault. (ANI) Jai Hind! Carlos
[Goanet]Visa issue: US 'assessing' India's request
Saturday, March 19, 2005 (UNI) (New Delhi): The US is assessing India's request for reconsideration of the decision to deny a visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. "The request has been forwarded to the State Department. It is being assessed," said David Kennedy, spokesperson of the US Embassy in New Delhi. The United States had revoked Modi's visa on grounds that he had used his position in the government to violate religious freedom. Modi, who was scheduled to go to the US this Sunday to attend a conference, was also denied a diplomatic visa. Strong reaction Earlier today, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reacted strongly to the denial of the visa to Modi, saying it was an "uncalled for decision" which "lacked sensitivity." He said the United States cannot take a subjective decision to revoke and not issue Modi a visa on the basis of mere allegations. "We do not believe it is appropriate to use allegations or anything less than a due process of law to make a subjective judgment to question a constitutional authority in India," he said. In a clear reference to the known anti-Modi stand of the Congress, Singh also said the matter was one of principle, not partisan politics. "It is not a matter of partisan politics, it is a matter of principles. The government of India's immediate and urgent response equally shows our principled stand in this matter," he told the Rajya Sabha. Jai Hind! Carlos
[Goanet]Goa - No member can be prevented from voting in legislature
New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) Home Minister Shivraj Patil today admitted in the Lok Sabha that presiding officers of legislatures have no powers to prevent any member from participating any voting in the House. ''I have not come across any rule or law which empowers the presiding officer'' to bar any member from voting, he said while making a clarification to a point raised by Mr Varkala Radhakrishnan. The Home Minister was apparently surprised when Mr Radhakrishnan, who was in the chair when the House was considering the statutory resolution for approving President's rule in Goa, sought the clarification even as Mr Patil got up to give his reply to the debate on the resolution. President's rule was imposed in Goa on March 4 after the Pratapsinh Rane government won a vote of confidence which was made possible by the Pro-tem Speaker's action in not allowing a member from participating in the trial of strength. Mr Radhakrishnan also wanted to know whether there was any Constitutional provision to keep any assembly under suspended animation. Mr Patil said this provision had been suggested by the Supreme Court in the Bommai case to avoid any ''pecular situation'' arising from the imposition of President's rule not getting Parliament's approval. Any observation of the apex court automatically became law, he clarified. Mr Raghunath Jha (RJD) wanted to know whether there was any provision to deny the duly elected members of their pay and allowances which should be made available from the date the election of the members was notified by the Election Commission. Mr Patil said he would clarify this point tomorrow --- Jai Hind! Carlos
[Goanet]BJP to press for recall of Goa, Jharkhand Governors -- Carlos
The Hindu: March 16, 2005 BJP to press for recall of Goa, Jharkhand Governors The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to continue its demand for the recall of the Goa and Jharkhand Governors, S.C. Jamir and Syed Sibtey Razi. The issue was discussed at today's meeting of the BJP parliamentary party, the party spokesperson, V.K. Malhotra, told reporters. "The two Governors were guilty of a fundamental sin, and we should not allow this to be forgotten," he said. At the meeting, chaired by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, L.K. Advani, it was decided to continue the "demand for recall of the two Governors, both inside Parliament and outside," Mr. Malhotra said.
[Goanet]Landscaping
Dear Goanet: I am looking for Landscapers to undertake work at my renovated home in Salcette, Goa, before the coming rains. Could you forward me the names and email addresses of a number of these so that I may dialogue with them and arrange to meet them on my upcoming trip to Goa? Thank you. Carlos Mascarenhas.
[Goanet]Wind Energy Systems in Goa?
Dear Goanet: Would anyone in our Club point me towards some person, expert on wind energy systems, association for wind energy in Goa? Thank you. Carlos Mascarenhas.
[Goanet]A Congress gift to Goa
Instability: A Congress gift to Goa Sixteen chief ministers in eighteen years! That tells the story of how, ever since Goa was conferred statehood on May 30, 1987 by delinking it from the other Union Territories of Daman and Diu, the Congress party has been playing ducks and drakes with democracy in this small state.How has the political culture in Goa been rendered so unstable? Let us look at Goa's history. Goa is a tiny state blessed with incredible natural beauty -- sun, sand, sea and greenery. For four hundred years it was ruled by the Portuguese, The Portuguese did not leave Goa voluntarily after India won independence in 1947. A determined indigenous struggle for liberation and merger with India, combined with the stationing of the Indian Army on the borders of Goa, saw the collapse of the Portuguese rule in Goa on December 19, 1961. Subsequently, Goa, Daman and Diu became a Union Territory with Shri Dayanand Bandodkar, belonging to the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), becoming its first Chief Minister in 1963. During his 10-year-rule, he was regarded as a visionary and philanthropic leader. After his demise, the reins of the Union Territory were taken over by his daughter Smt. Shashikala Kakodkar. She provided a stable government from 1973 to 1979. That is when the Congress party at the Centre began to play its game of destabilizing non-Congress governments in Goa by engineering defections. Kakodkar's government was toppled with defections from the ruling MGP by the then United Goans Party with the active support of the Congress high command in Delhi. Lo and behold, the entire United Goans Party merged with the Congress party overnight! In January 1980, Shri Pratapsingh Rane became the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu for the first time. The political culture of Goa was sent into a tailspin by arbitrarily doubling the number of constituencies. A tiny Goa, which is smaller than a district of Maharashtra, was to have 40 MLAs, two Lok Sabha seats and a Rajya Sabha seat. Elections were held and Shri Rane was elected for a five-year term. But he fell a victim to the other pastime of Congressmen: when they are not busy conspiring to pull down a non-Congress government, they take to destabilizing their own government in Goa. When Rane had gone for a short pilgrimage to Kolhapur in Maharashtra, 'defections' were engineered leading to the installation, in March 1990, of a government headed by Shri Churchill Alemao. This, however, was only a stop-gap arrangement. Churchill Alemao stepped down to pave the way for Dr. Luis Proto Barbosa. Soon the Barbosa government was overthrown by Shri Ravi Naik, who defected from the MGP to the Congress, to become the chief minister. Funnily enough, he got himself admitted in a hospital for a month to avoid facing the trial of strength on the floor of the House! That gave him enough time to cobble together the necessary numbers and yet avoid violation of the Anti-Defection Law introduced by the Rajiv Gandhi government. The tug-of-war within the Congress forced Shri Ravi Naik to hand over the reins in April 1991 to a senior leader of the Congress party, Dr. Wilfred D'Souza. An eminent doctor, he worked meticulously to grow into a mass leader in his own right with the backing of the majority community. By this time Rajiv Gandhi passed away and Shri Narsimha Rao became the Prime Minister of India. Shri Naik again began his machinations to topple the D'Souza government. However, he had the anti- defection sword dangling on his head on account of a petition filed by an MGP MLA, supposedly funded by D' Souza himself. The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court disqualified Shri Naik from membership of the legislative assembly. And this saw Dr. Wilfred D'Souza of the Congress taking over the mantle of the Chief Minister of Goa in May 1993. As palace coups go, what Governor Bhanu Prakash Singh did in 1994 truly takes the cake. This 'Maharaja' from an erstwhile princely state had played a major role in installing Dr. D'Souza as the Chief Minister. In return, he expected the chief minister to pay obeisance to him as to a Maharaja. When Dr. D'Souza failed to do so, Bhanu Prakash Singh dismissed his government and installed Shri Ravi Naik as the Chief Minister. This arbitrary action of the Governor created such a storm that not only was he recalled by the President of India, but Dr. D'Souza had to be re-installed as the chief minister. The BJP was not a force to reckon with in Goa till then. In the 1994 elections, which saw Shri Rane heading yet another Congress government, the BJP formed an alliance with the MGP, which was then the major opposition party, and won four seats. It was a time when the grand old man of Goan politics, Dr. Wilfred D'Souza, was feeling suffocated working as deputy chief minister under Shri Rane. With the help of the BJP and the MGP, he was able to put together a coalition under his stewards
[Goanet]RE: GoanetReader -- Beauty pageants booming in Goa, but at a price
Excellent piece. CM. -Original Message- Sent: January 18, 2005 3:50 PM Subject: [Goanet]GoanetReader -- Beauty pageants booming in Goa, but at a price BEAUTY PAGEANTS BOOMING IN GOA, BUT SURELY AT A PRICE By Bindu Vaz vaz_bindu at rediffmail.com What's wrong with looking beautiful? What is so bad about being judged the most beautiful girl in Goa? What is so ugly about putting yourself up for public scrutiny? Nothing. There's nothing wrong, especially considering the enormous perks that come with being a Beauty Queen. The money, the adoration, the red-carpet treatment and the big boost to your self-esteem.
[Goanet]Time Share for Sale.
Dear subscribers: (From Canada/USA). You folks must have heard of our fantastic all-year-round, world-class resort, in Whistler, British Columbia. The real-estate prices there have been going through the roof and the Winter Olympics of 2010, along with all the road-way and infrastructure investments on going now, have been fuelling this even more. We have an excellent time-share there which we would like to sell - we have owned and enjoyed this asset for 7 years, but are looking to upgrade. If this might interest anyone on our list, please reach me directly at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and I will provide you the details and other information you might desire. Best regards, Carlos Mascarenhas. ## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##
[Goanet]Dual citizenship - India
Dear subscribers: I am of Goan origin and Canadian citizenship. I have been hearing lately that there is a bill before the Indian Parliament to allow dual citizenship. I have been trying to research this 'rumour' and have not made any progress to date - including an inquiry with the Indian High Commission here. Have any of you been following this devbelopment and what can you tell me about its putpose, intended benefits, status etc? Is there a website I can go to and bone up on this item? I would be grateful for your help. Carlos Mascarenhas [EMAIL PROTECTED] ## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##
