The NRI meet in Dubai -- My Take (Part I) by Eugene Correia
The reports on the visit of the three-member team from the NRI Facilitation Centre to the Gulf is not flattering. I have no information about the meeting in Abu Dhabi. The Kuwait meeting report by Rabindra Pimenta and The Emirates Evening Post report show that many Goans did not want to come and those who were present were not happy at the result. In a post before the team's visit I had echoed the same sentiments expressed by Godfrey Gonsalves that the trip is a waste of time and money. What made the Goa government to undertake this mission so early to the next Gomant Vishwa Samellan is beyond my understanding. I can infer that whoever suggested this trip wanted to come to the Gulf at the government's cost before there could be change of scenario with the appointment of Eduardo Faleiro as NRI Commissioner. Since Faleiro is still awaiting Terms of Reference to his appointment, as reported here on goanet, some wise members wanted to jump the gun and enjoy this joy ride. The Emirates story say how the Dubai meeting was conducted. I can go further and say that I was very disapointed with Herculano Dourado's handling of the meeting. Before the meeting I enquired with him about what would be the centre's position vis-a-vis Faleiro and he told me that they had met Faleiro before the trip. He also informed the gathering that the team had two meetings with Faleiro. However, he requested me not to raise questions regarding the issue of relationship between the centre and the Faleiro. I did not raise because at the start of the meeting Dourado specified that he was only seeking to hear problems and suggestions from NRGs. Besides, it was getting late and people were leaving the room because for many the next day (Saturday. I learnt about the meeting just one hour before its scheduled time 7:30 pm and that too from a person I just called to talk about something personal. The person told me that the meeting's annoucement appeared in Gulf News, which I hadn't read that morning. When a person asked Dourado to give background information on the centre, he began by saying that it was formed three or four years ago. I tried to point out that the NRI Facilitation Cell was its forerunner, but he cut me short saying that he will sit down and I can come and tell the people about the centre. His impatience to listen and also the tone of his voice made it clear to me that Dourado was going to conduct the meeting in an authorative manner. It was not something I expected of him when I raised a "point of order." As I think of it and begin to understand his behaviour, I feel I shouldn't have been surprised at all. I will later provide examples to show how Dourado has ruled over some organizations to the detriment of the organization's interests. When Pravin, the person who sort of coordinated the meeting, raised an issue and asked the people if what he said was true or not, Dourado admonished him by telling him not to be a "populist". Mind you, Pravin, as president of the Goan Sodality Group in the St. Mary's Church, went out of his way to get a church hall and also to get the church to make an announcement of the meeting, but both were denied. He said he called many people to come but few turned up. Dourado said that since no local groups could arrange a hall, the delegation members booked the hotel room from their own money. He said emphatically twice that he wanted to have the meeting at all cost to show that the team really cared for NRGs. But much later he admitted that the team found a benefactor in Nelson Silveira, who is known for his support of Goan football and also as the financier of the football team Vaxim Divar. Nelson paid the room's Dirhams 500 charge. Obviously, the team wanted to have the meeting at all cost or they would have lost face. One of the members told me before the meeting that they contacted the local Goan association, but found that it was "defunct". I am not sure if the Goan Cultural Society is defunct but surely the association is not functioning as it should. This raises an important question: Why did the Goa government sent a team without sufficient funds/budget? It looked ambarassing and probably many NRGs felt guilty when Dourado began saying the team had decided to pay from their pockets for the room charge. Perhaps the Emirates Evening Post reporter took away the impression that the Goa government lacks money to provide sufficients funds to its official team. Many Goans in the gathering would have willingly given money to pay towards the cost of the room if Pravin or someone who was connected in organizing the meeting had approached them with a request. Pimenta and the Evening Post's reports inform the nature of problems raised at both meetings. Dourado, himself a lawyer, gave legal interpretations to some of the problems that related to land and house disputes, and provided his understanding of some problems that related to get high electricity bills, etc. Dourado said that the justice system is moving fast nowadays with the result justice is dispensed within a year or two. He told the NRGs that they should have all their documents were in order to avoid unnecessary delays. How fast is fast is another matter. I repeat what I told the Evening Post report that Goans want a "single window" to get answers to their problems. I want to further add that NRGs would prefer a "fast-track" judicial system when it comes to their property problems. I say this because NRGs would want to make fewer trips to the courts and fewer trips to Goa from abroad to fight the cases. Most of the time their vacation is spent in courts or running from pillar to post trying to sort out other issues, as one point out regarding getting billed in thousands for electricity that he never used. The demand for an "NRG identity card" was one suggestion that would entitle them to quicker access to municipal or government departments to sort out their problems, especially when their on a vacation. When Pravin asked the team to do something about customs officers harassing -- as well as demanding bribes -- Gulf NRIs who get caught carrying items in excess of what is allowed, Dourado gave an example how he used his intuition to dogde the officials when he returned from a foreign trip with lot of goodies. He said that NRIs must use guile and smartness to outwit the customs. In whatever spirit one takes his example or his suggestion, it is not what the NRGs wanted to hear as a solution to their problems at the airports. Dourado, however, said the if the NRGs are not carrying anything exceeding the legal limit they must exercise their right to refuse bribes and pay the necessary peanlties if they have carrying anything for anything over the limit. The person wanted the team to convince the customs to be lenient with the NRGs. The Goa government would have to be firm if customs officials are to be put on guard. He said the limit on the worth of items allowed legally is quite high. (MORE TO FOLLOW) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: %(user_optionsurl)s This email sent to %(user_address)s
