[Goanet] Goa be damned, it's all about freebies
Goa be damned, it's all about freebies May 13-19, 2013 Lionel Messias Goa's Movement for Special Status (GMSS) at the Dando grounds, Benaulim where cheques of government freebies such as the Ladli Laxmi and senior citizens schemes were distributed, proved to be a disaster because as it happened the people came there only to collect their cheques. Having collected their freebies, they left. This speaks volumes about Goans and issues being fought right now before your very eyes. It is also an indictment of environment minister Alina Saldhana who allegedly used the occasion to entice spectators to her faltering GMSS. Already there is criticism of her entering the anti-Mopa campaign too late, and we will never know if this is a rebound of that criticism. Goanspirit at least does not think so, because this is possibly the finest example of Goans being totally not with it. This is just one example. I, and admittedly rather foolishly, got dragged into an inane ball by ball debate on an equally idiotic post on Goa Speaks on Facebook. By the time you read this I shall have deleted myself as a participant of that forum. This particular post that triggered mostly angry replies (barring three respondents who were intelligent) was as a result of an earlier post by a maverick politician and dentist. What really happened was just one single person insidiously and not very ingeniously riled everyone else. This extremely clever person habitually signed off as Jai Ho. And what anger he created! My point: are Goans really interested in the issues activists are taking up? Or, are we just mere spectators? And there is a new breed of activists, believe me, who are spending their own money, time and energy, which they could have spent on their own families. I met some of them in Nuvem (read the next three cover stories beginning this week), and will meet one soon in Orlim. And would you believe it, many of them are women with school/college going kids and working husbands. And trust me they are not the kind that rush to the media (vice versa) like the older generation activists. And there are those warriors on FB whose only sacrifice is the possibility of getting carpel tunnel syndrome. It's possible many of them might already unknowingly be afflicted with it. Full story at: http://goanspirit.com/index.php/news-summary/278-goa-be-damned-it-s-all-about-freebies ~Avelino
[Goanet] Eternal damnation, Goan vs Goan...
Lion Roars-4 May 6-12, 2013 Eternal damnation Here is another festering sore of a tale to tell. A rich Delhi honcho is building his Goa abode on a road widening area in Cobra vaddo in Calangute, right in front of Our Lady of Piety Chapel where parishioners pray. The site was inspected by the Public Works Department (PWD) on April 9, 2013. The Town and Country Planning Department (TCP), Mapusa issued him an NOC on March 6, 2007 (DB/21628/07/705) to build what may be a residential house. The corrupt and truly morally bankrupt Village Panchayat (VP) of Calangute issued him a construction license on March 10, 2007 (VP/CAL/F-13/06-07/L/3914) and later renewed it on February 7, 2013 (VP/CAL/F-13/12-13/R-16/6302). Since the VP issued its license in exactly five working days from the date the TCP issued its NOC, I checked the March 2007 calendar and discovered March 10 was a Saturday, and March 6 was a Tuesday, that is, five days including the Sunday holiday! The PWD minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar says the construction is illegal and that punitive action must be taken against the authorities who approved the plans and issued the construction license. This was said in a written answer in the just concluded Legislative Assembly session, which means the battle against the Delhi honcho has been taken to the next level. That is why the PWD which is an interested party conducted the April 9 inspection. The problem is who will bell the cat, because there is big money to be made and in fact, the hat as you might have guessed has already been passed around. Complete article at: http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/bits-bytes/273-lion-roars-5 ~Avelino
[Goanet] Cobrapost expose: Banks suspend employees under FinMin heat
Cobrapost expose: Banks suspend employees under FinMin heat In the aftermath of Cobrapost 2, state-owned lenders including Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda (BoB) and IDBI Bank on Tuesday suspended cumulatively five officials allegedly involved in money laundering and KYC (Know Your Customers) violation norms. The finance ministry is exerting pressure on all institutions to take rapid actions, sources from the banking industry told moneycontrol.com. All those suspension can be revoked provided final investigation reports exonerate them. Online investigative news website Cobrapost had carried out a sting operation on 23 financial institutions including large public sector banks, insurance companies and some mid size private sector lenders. In a press conference on Monday, it alleged all those of helping people convert black money into white by way of investment in their schemes. India's third largest lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Tuesday suspended two out of three employees allegedly involved in Cobrapost expose. Those were working in South Delhi and Noida branches in the capacity of cheif manager and assistant general manager. However, decision is not yet taken on the third employee based in South Delhi. The bank prima facie has not found any evidence of violations. The conversations between Cobrapost and bank officials were purely of colloquial nature. Investigation is on. We are looking into the matter, said a senior official from PNB confirming the development. He did not wish to be quoted. More at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/cobrapost-expose-banks-suspend-employees-under-finmin-heat_866627.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Book review: The Mughals, the Portuguese and the Indian Ocean
http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/religion-trade-and-the-sea/article4689813.ece Excerpt from the link above: Goa occupied an important place in the maritime history of that time and in a chapter City in metaphor, almost 200 years of Goan history is told. Goa, originally known as Gopakapattanam, became the stronghold of Portuguese after the city was taken over by the latter from Bijapuris in 1510, and by 1520 became a major trading centre. To beat the Muslims and the Banias in trade, the Portuguese launched many innovative schemes luring the trader community. This brought about a process of urbanisation and building of the city opened more opportunities for trade. More political and religious mechanisms were used to augment the ability of Portuguese to use the space as a social base for perpetual control. This point is well brought out in this chapter and looks at the history of Goa in a fresh light. ~Avelino
[Goanet] BOOK REVIEW: Afterlife - Ghost stories from Goa
Creepy tales SHEILA KUMAR A triad of mysteries, two of them with other-worldly beings, makes for a rewarding read. Faleiro's collection of stories feature Goan ghosts in Goan locales. The Fonseca clan gathers to celebrate Savio's 75th birthday and, for some reason not really explained, one by one, they begin to tell of their experiences and encounters with denizens of the other world. Faleiro starts off tamely with the story of a much-loved son who has something to tell his ailing mother and comes in the form of a kogul bird. The tales start to get on stronger ground, if you will pardon the contradictory term, from then on. There are watery-eyes ghosts (indeed, a felicitous description) ghosts from the Portuguese Inquisition period; guilt-ridden nanny apparitions, and the like. Willy-nilly, the stories become a colourful background detail; the reader is basically gleaning a lot of information about the tale-tellers themselves, their quirks, their eccentricities, their belief or cynicism. And yes, life in Goa forms the subtle leitmotif. Falerio employs no artful device in the telling of her story. The style and language are uncomplicated and the descriptive passages have an informed elegance. Only thing, the reader is likely to be in on the game (the main stratagem, if you will) long before the denouement; at least, this reader was. Also, this slim volume of carefully calibrated; almost gentle ghost stories with a lovely black and white cover picture, so full of atmosphere. Minakshi Chaudhry curates supernatural sagas from Shimla and presents them for the reader's delight in the most simplistic manner possible. Indeed, at times, the stories are forced to stand purely on their merit, because Chaudhry seems to be more collator than writer. It's all there, right from the mist-laden trees on the jacket, the hoary chestnuts that attend to ghosts in hill towns: forlorn wraiths; churails who wander at 'water sources' between 12.00 noon and 3.00 pm; the dread sound of unseen hooves; the atmosphere always, but always, turning eerily chilly when a visitation is on; baleful and cranky ghosts balancing helpful and amiable ones; mostly unsuspecting victims and a couple who know or sense what they cannot see. The book has a charming idea at its heart but falls heavily on the execution front. A room becomes a house in the same story; punctuation takes frequent leave of absence in a most substantial manner; tenses play fast and loose with the text. Repetition forms the backbone of these stories; apparently most of the ghosts conform to some code of behaviour. I would say the reader can safely give this lot of stories a skip but the book is in its fourth impression, so obviously one person's lame ghost is another's terror-inducing phantom. The pick of this lot is Liddle's set of short stories, which are not so much spectral or supernatural in nature as slice-of-life tales that come with a mandatory twist to each tale's tail, a kicker that the reader starts to anticipate and second-guess soon. The people are everypeople, ordinary, banal but capable of mining their intrinsic base nature if the situation so required... and, in Liddle's world, the situation frequently calls for such regression. So, overtly nice people turn just a wee bit evil; murder is contemplated and committed; the disadvantaged and the deprived choose to shrug rather than drown; and yes, everywhere, people give in limpidly to temptation. Liddle does a nice line in creeps. Which is why the reader is willing to overlook minor league nuisances like italics where they don't need to be, an awkwardly constructed sentence or two, incongruencies like Indian children making mud pies. Because, in the end, that one sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious quirk placed inside each story is a most appealing quirk. http://www.thehindu.com/books/books-reviews/creepy-tales/article4679609.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] Parulekar's puritanical tourism outlook - 2
Parulekar's puritanical tourism outlook - 2 May 6-12, 2013 Lionel Messias Cuncolim: Work in progress on developing the Shree Chandreshwar Bhootnath temple at Parvat, Paroda, including construction of a toilet facility there; illumination of the Immaculate Conception church at Paroda. Quepem: Work in progress to build a compound wall and landscaping of Shree Shantadurga Kuncolienkarin temple at Fatorpa. Curchorem: A plan to acquire land at Nanda lake, Kakoda to promote hinterland tourism. Sanvordem: Construction of a toilet complex at Collem and high mast light at Codli Tisk, Dabal. Bicholim: Street lights from Pilgao to Shree Saptakoteshwar temple at Naroa-Bicholim; four high mast lights in Bicholim town. Poriem: Beautification around Shree Saptashati Bhumika temple at Poriem, Sattari. Valpoi: Beautification of waterfall at Charavane, Hirve in Dongurli Thane Village Panchayat. Porvorim: Beautification of creeks for boating, fishing etc from Paithon in Salvador-do-Mundo to Penha-de-Franca; creation of a musical art/theme park with facilities like a botanical garden, walking zone etc at Socorro; beautification/development of pathways with illumination in Porvorim; beautification/illumination of Chavdeshwar temple in Socorro; development of Torda lake in Porvorim; redesigning of fish market at Malim; development of coastline at Malim. Again GS feels that redesigning a fish market is surely not the task of the tourism ministry or has anything remotely to do with tourism. Tivim: Constructing a retaining wall at Shree Vithal Mauli temple at Revora; illumination of Our Lady of Victory Church at Revora; constructing a retaining wall at Shree Hanuman temple at Chandai, Pirna; constructing a retaining wall at Shree Bhuthnath temple at Nadora; beautification of St. Xavier church at Pirna; illumination and beautification of Shree Shantadurga temple at Assonora; illumination of St. Clara church at Assonora. Mandrem: Illumination and beautification of Shree Dev Maringhan temple at Chopdem; construction of footbridge and watch tower in Mandrem; and development of sweet water lake at Arambol. Saligao: Land acquisition for development of Salve spring/lake at Pilerne; high mast light at Ganpati temple at Nerul; development of Shervani spring (Salmona). Panjim: Renovation/upgradation of existing jetty at Patto-Panjim; constructing multilevel car park at Patto-Panjim; lighting at Azad Maidan; providing 30 m high mast light and control panel at Joggers park at Altinho; installing a 20 m high mast light at Patto-Ribandar. Santa Cruz: Installing a 20 m high mast light. Navelim: Beautification of Salpem lake by developing a walking track, parking lot, boating facilities, kiosks, shops, toilets etc at Nagmoddem. Cortalim: Beautification of Velsao beach by building toilets, changing room, and tiling and illuminating the approach road; beautification of Bandolem lake in Sancoale village from tourism point of view. (No explanation given). Mormugao: Beautification and development of Baina beach. This has been the longest standing promise of the BJP but till date nothing has been done, except for a few well publicized but cosmetic cleanups of the beach. Illuminating the Shree Ganesh temple, Bogda and Our Lady of Destero Church. Velim: Illuminating Our Lady of Merces church, Sirlim; St. Joseph Church, Dramapur; St. Joseph Church, St. Jose de Areal; St. Sebastiao chapel, Chinchinim; Mount Carmel chapel, Talaulim; Our Lady of Enformos Chapel, Sinquetim; Our Lady of Rosary chapel, Davorlim; and Maruti Mandir, Davortim. Nuvem: Construction of public toilet at Big Foot - Ancestral Goa, in Loutolim. GS: This is a privately owned popular business venture - why should the government bear the cost of building toilets there? Sanvordem: Construction of an interpretation centre at Tambi Surla with facilities like an exhibition hall, souvenir shop, restaurant, toilets etc. GS: This is the site of the Mahadev Temple, a 12th century Shaivite temple of Lord Mahadeva. Mapusa: Upgradation of rock garden at Mapusa Hillock. Priol: Illuminating Gajantlaxmi temple at Volvoi; upgradation of tourist accommodation complex at Mangueshi. Fatorda: Construction of convention centre at Fatorda-Margao. Panjim: Development of Goa Haat with exhibition hall, kiosks, stage etc; development of Miramar coastal circuit with parking, walkway along the beach, seating arrangements, viewing tower, toilets, souvenir shops etc. Tivim: Development of Colvale coastal circuit with parking area, jetties, toilets, cafeteria etc. Taleigao: Development of theme park at Dona Paula. Marcaim: Upgrading the tourist accommodation complex at Kavlem. Benaulim: Construction of a park at Colva; and a jetty at Cavellosim. Pernem: Beautification of Mauli spring at Sarmale. GS: This is the site of the Mauli temple. Shiroda: Beautification and illumination at/around Sidhanath Bole temple at Borim. (Concluded)
[Goanet] State Bank of India, Case 1 - All about black money
The government banker would offer us to open multiples accounts to put in our black money and give us as many lockers to keep our crores. He would even look for somebody who would send our cash abroad This branch of State Bank of India in Noida of Uttar Pradesh is very busy with queues of customers starting from its gates, so is the personnel the Cobrapost reporter walks up to. He has to discuss about some big investment, says our reporter. Could he take him to the branch manager, to talk in private. After a long wait, the banker finally takes him to Branch Manager P. Kumar. Taking a seat, our reporter comes straight to discussing the business: A minister wants to invest some big money in his wife's name, in some long-term plan. Could you suggest what is best, asks the reporter. Kaun bataya aapne (Who is that), asks Kumar wanting to know who the minister. Our reporter skirts the issue saying he is a minister and the investment has to be made in the name of his wife. Kumar asks: Account hai humare yahan na (Does she have an account with us). We would love to have one with your bank, says our reporter. The amount is big. Says Kumar: Khol denge ... saving mein dalwayenge abhi ... uske baad teen-chaar jageh karwa sakte ho (Will open ... will put in saving right now ... after that you can invest it at three-four places). Taking a cue, our reporter asks if we could open three accounts. It is about Rs. 5 crore. Hope there would be no problem. Reassures Kumar: Nahin, nahin ... koi problem nahin (No, no ... there will be no problem). Where should we invest all our crores, asks our reporter. What would be the best long-term plan for us? Kumar says: Long-term mein aapko bataoon ... aisa hai kuch toh mutual fund mein dalwa doonga main, kuch MetLife mein dalwa doonga, kuch savings mein pada rahega, kuch FD banwa doonga (In long term, shall I tell you ... it is like I will put some in mutual fund, will put some in MetLife, some will remain in saving, will put some in FD). Would it all be guaranteed, asks our reporter. Hope there would be no TDS. More at: http://www.cobrapost.com/index.php/news-detail?nid=509cid=32 ~Avelino
[Goanet] The Goan Gene in Bollywood movies
The Goan Gene in Bollywood movies Raji Monisha Goa's stereotypes busted Yaya Mayaya to the city I have come to love, thanks to Hindi movies. The sun, sand, the jade green sea, ooh!l ah! lah! music, spirits flowing free, parties and just letting yourself go. I have never ever questioned Bollywood's authority on Goa. A town that teenagers escape to, party-goers love and mothers hate- Baazigar Goa has always fascinated me with its beaches, booze, bikinis, thugs, drugs, mean streets and cold-blooded murders. Goa, Goa Gone. Goans to me could be people straight off the Irish Coast, true-blue small towners. Everyone knows everybody and their Eduardo, and interfere in each others business. Sorry! No MNCs here. The biggest hangout could be the palm -lined bar called Mariner's Paradise, surrounded by the all protecting church and a bakery, pharmacy, cloth store, caji's beef steaks at the shack, and antique shops.The last word in hospitality? Uncle D'Souza and Aunty Pereira. Jesus ka Wasta! They are ever welcoming and offer pork vindaloo and kokum curry when they are not praying to the RIP grave at their doorstep. Goa has to be a Christian town or so Hindi films will have you believe. You can't help but fall in love with the good-looking Goan Christian women who wear frocks and happily go doubles with the local guy on a cycle. They speak English easily where others struggle. A peg of the spirited variety never deflects their moral compass and they play the piano, do the foxtrot, wear a cross and bright red lipstick sent to them by Andrea aunty from London, hug, kiss, walk around with umbrellas when the sun gets hot, hot and hotter and actually reflect the spirit of all things: Freedom that's Goa. Zaroor yeh uska style Hoyenga. You can find them dancing with gay abandon to Maria Pitache (I found out that Pitache means something obscene in the urban dictionary) at Goan weddings when Johny marries Maria and blends easily with booze and all that frolicking. They are bold, they are courageous, they are openly flirtatious and they are Goa's very own Lilly, Julie or Maria. Full story at: http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/writer-s-flow/267-the-goan-gene-in-bollywood-movies ~Avelino
[Goanet] Mhadei tiger unique to Goa, claims expert
Mhadei tiger unique to Goa, claims expert May 2, 2013 Glenn Costa glennco...@herald-goa.com PANJIM: The verdict is out! At long last, Goa can authoritatively pride itself as being home to its very own big cat - the majestic tiger. The 'stripe matching' of the Goan tiger was authenticated by a top tiger expert, authorities said. New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;Tiger stripes are unique, with each one like a fingerprint and identifies the stately animal. Dr K Ullas Karanth, a conservation zoologist and leading tiger expert based in Karnataka, who is working closely with the state on tigers, has confirmed to the Forest Department that the tiger that was photographed recently was unique to Goa and not part of any of the 600 tigers who live in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There are only approximately 1400 tigers left in the entire country, which had a large tiger population. The stripes do not match (with tigers from other states). This is a new tiger, Richard D' Souza, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests told Herald, explaining that each tiger has a footprint that is unique. The stripes are like a finger print, he said adding that the expert is doing a survey for the next four years - till 2017 - and he would be using a lot of cameras to find out if there are any new tigers. The Wildlife Census conducted by the Goa Forest Department had indicated the presence of three and five tigers respectively in 1993 and 1997. The last 2002 census estimated that there are five tigers in the tiny state. There have been consistent reports of pug marks, actual sightings, cattle carcasses and in 2009 the media carried extensive reports of a tiger killed in Keri-Sattari. In June 2011, the then Environment minister Jairam Ramesh had written to the Goa Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat, asking him to consider setting up a tiger reserve in the state. But till date nothing has been done, though in an apparent change of heart, the Forest Department has acknowledged that the majestic cat is a 'Goenkar.' Mhadei situated in Sattari taluka of North Goa and spread over 208 square kilometre is being mooted as a tiger reserve and though small, it is a contiguous tiger landscape to Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka in the south-east and Anshi Dandeli Tiger Reserve in the south. This contiguous area has 35 tigers according to the All India Tiger Estimate, 2010 There is no tiger presence in Goa. If there are any tigers, they are only migratory. Goa's forests have no resident tigers, Dr Sashi kumar the then chief wildlife warden had told media when a tiger carcass was found in 2009. The Status of Tigers, Co-Predators and Prey in India, 2008, by the Wildlife Institute of India have stated that areas in Goa and their contiguous forests in Karnataka and Maharashtra could possibly be some of the best potential tiger habitats in the Western Ghats region and that restoration, conservation and strict protection can and will support a healthy population of large cats in this region. The 2010 estimation report says that Goa can be home to a small breeding population of tigers that can be sustained by Anshi-Dandeli and Sahayadri, and would benefit from being part of the tiger reserve complex. However, more than one third of Goa's 90-odd operational open cast iron ore mines, including those run by the most powerful business families are close to the states wildlife sanctuaries, --Mhadei, Netravali and Bhagwan Mahaveer - and setting up a tiger reserve would entail a monitored implementation of all wildlife norms and thereby create problems for mining. Surla, Sattari, Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Molem National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, Sanguem, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary - all forested - form a contiguous belt of primarily dense forest across Goa and connect the Western Ghats forests of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Goa's four wildlife sanctuaries are located on the eastern side of the state, in the Western Ghats, covering an area of about 750 km2 (290 square miles).The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park all fall within the Mhadei River basin. The Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is located between 15° 48 33' to 14° 53 54' N and 74° 20 13' to 73° 40 33' E. The Mhadei River~ known downstream as the Mandovi River, the lifeline of the state of Goa~ originates in Karnataka, travels28.8 km (17.9 miles) in Karnataka, passes 9.4 km (5.8 miles) through the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and meets the Arabian Sea at Panjim after meandering for 81.2 km (50.5 miles) in Goa. http://oheraldo.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/Mhadei-tiger-unique-to-Goa-claims-expert/73957.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Does the Bible Say the Garden of Eden Was in India?
Does the Bible Say the Garden of Eden Was in India? By Barry Brown For most people, the Bible's story of the Garden of Eden -- with Adam, Eve and a talking snake -- is a fable of some imaginary paradise in the Middle East with no basis in reality. But what if all those assumptions are wrong? The Greek philosopher Plato wrote that when ancient civilizations fall, the survivors try to keep alive the old world by passing down its histories. But, he said, those survivors only remember the names of people, places, and events while the details are largely lost and forgotten. Is there a lost and forgotten history within the Garden of Eden story and if there is, can we find enough archaeological, linguistic, and historical records from other parts of the ancient world - such as India, China, and Mesopotamia to find it? To begin any search for the real Garden of Eden, we must first answer 2 questions: 1) Where was Eden? 2) When did this event of Eden and the loss of Eden take place? It will surprise many people to know that the Bible clearly says the Garden of Eden was in India. The word garden simply means an enclosed area, and the Bible says this garden was in the eastern part of a larger land called Havilah. According to Jewish Talmudic commentary and tradition, along with the writings of the fathers of the early Christian Church, Havilah was India. Further, of the 3 rivers said run through Havilah -- the Tigris, Euphrates, and Pichon -- those same sources suggest the Pichon is India's Ganges River. Leaving aside all the other evidence linking the people and culture of the early Bible to that of ancient India (detailed on my website, www.shalomaste.com), let's accept the earliest authorities of the Bible on the Bible's earliest history. According to tradition, Year One of the 5772-year-old Hebrew/Jewish calendar marks the time when Adam and Eve left Eden and journeyed west. There are 3 clues we can take from this story in a search for its roots in real history: 1) It happened about 6,000 years ago, 2) It involved the ancestors of the Hebrew people who are the ancestors of the Jewish people, 3) The fall of a peaceful, Eden-like civilization led to the outward, western migration of people from that older area. Is there some recorded, major world event that meets all those criteria? Yes. About 6,000 years ago, a great peaceful kingdom in ancient India was torn apart in a civil war between royal cousins and their allies. At the end of this war, called the War at Kurukshetra, 4 million men -- three generations of males -- were dead. In the post-war chaos of the new order millions of people began to migrate away from the Ganges River region in eastern India. With great hopes that they could establish a new and better civilization of peace and prosperity, these migrants from the east founded a new kingdom along the banks of the Indus River in western India. The earliest Bible stories offer another 3 clues for tracing the likely history behind them. 1) A long time after the events of Eden there is a Great Flood, 2) Noah, the main figure of the Bible's flood story, is safe in a boat when he sees the world destroyed by the flood, 3) After the flood, Noah's ark lands somewhere where he can see the Ararat Mountains that run from their heights in modern Turkey to its foothills near the Persian Gulf. There are more than 200 records of a great flood event that happened 4,500-4,800 years ago, and these ancient stories come from regions throughout the Middle East, South Asia, China, and the Pacific Islands. Among them, the tales of the worst devastation come from India where the walls of waters are reported to have ripped up the landscape for 100 miles inland. Recent studies suggest an asteroid impact in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar was the cause of this well-remembered catastrophe. The Bible reports that Noah saw the world destroyed by the flood. If Noah did not see the entire globe submerged, then what he witnessed was the end of a world civilization. Until the fall of the Roman Empire about 2,000 years ago, there was only one world center at a time. In the ancient world of 4,500 years ago that world center was the Indus Valley of ancient India. If Noah's ark floated away from the Indus River and traveled west for 40 days, his boat would have landed in the Persian Gulf -- within sight of the foothills of the Ararat Mountains. In the early Bible, we are told of 3 groups of people: 1) The Righteous Ones (Adam to Noah), 2) The Hebrews (Abraham to Joseph), and 3) The Israelites and Jews. The Hebrew people are introduced after the flood and their name gives us a final clue. The word Hebrew means wanderers who came from the East, and refers to immigrants coming into Mesopotamia in the Middle East from the Near East. If Noah had landed in Turkey, his descendants would have been called people who came from the North. And now you know why the Bible says the
[Goanet] Parulekar's listless tourism projects in Goa
Parulekar's puritanical tourism outlook? -1 April 29-May 5, 2013 Lionel Messias Last week Goanspirit promised to give you tourism minister, Dilip Parulekar's rather listless tourism projects planned for each of the Assembly constituencies in Goa. Not only do they lack the vibrancy needed to change the booze-drugs-entertainment image that has come to be the face of the tourism industry, they are not even vision driven as any new tourism policy ideated to attract tourists should be. At the worst Parulekar can be said to be still pondering on what to do. The huge list in fact looks like something that came out of the drawing boards of the Power Ministry and Public Works Department. Let's begin with Sanguem where Parulekar wants to build an interpretation centre at/near Selaulim dam on land owned by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC). Also proposed is a plan to develop the surroundings of Shree Datta Gufa temple, Shree Gopinath temple and Budbud lake in village Netorlim. Also known as Bubbles lake, it is a sacred lake of bubbles (reportedly these can be seen) attached to the Gopinath temple. But while Parulekar plans to build the interpretation centre from the ground up, he wants to lease out the tourist cottages owned by GDTDC to private investors. Goanspirit asks why not privatise both projects? Why one only? Canacona gets a plan to develop and provide minimum basic touristic facilities at Bamonbudo waterfall in Gaondongrim village. In July 2012, he had also proposed to develop and provide minimum basic tourism related facilities at the Bamonbudo waterfall, Gaondongrim village and Budbud lake. Then, he had said the delay in appointing a private consultant had caused the delays in implementing the projects. With his government on a high over acquiring privately-owned land, he plans to acquire a private island at Nagorcem-Palolem to promote hinterland tourism. Bondla: Construction of an interpretation centre at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary on land owned by the forest department. Surely this is for the forest and environment minister to decide, just as GS feels that Goa Forest Development Corporation Ltd is best suited to design and build the planned interpretation centre at/near Selaulim dam (see Sanguem). After all these are the two only genuine tourism projects so far that Parulekar could think of. Benaulim: Development of a Colva coastal circuit with parking, walkway along the beach, seating arrangements, viewing tower, toilets, souvenir shops etc. Blueprint of Colva Viewing Tower GS: We have signed copies of the blueprints for the Proposed Colva Circuit Development prepared by Lotus Environment and in all honesty they can only be described as alarming. Our most startling discovery was that the viewing tower will have among other amenities, a coffee shop and 15 other shops, obviously the souvenir shops Parulekar talks about. The first floor will house a kitchen and restaurant and the second floor will be entirely a restaurant. There is an information centre, book shop, rest rooms, ticket counter and lobby as well on the ground floor. This concrete monster will have to be built on a foundation of RCC piles. Now imagine for yourself the environmental impact it will have on an already overloaded Colva beach; if it can escape the scrutiny of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Delhi and the Bombay High Court under whose purview this project will surely end up, that is. As for the plans for the stinking creek which soaks up much of the sewerage from the nearby restaurants, the plan is to cover it with nylon mesh, after the existing parapet wall is strengthened with granite cladding and other concrete reinforcement. If you didn't know, the Panjim-based Lotus Environments is the current government's favourite consultant. Calangute: Construction of a ramp at Sinquerim; development of Baga coastal circuit with parking, walkway along the beach, seating arrangements, viewing tower, toilets, souvenir shops etc. GS: A walkway is currently being built on Malvan beach. GS was there only recently and saw the destruction caused by broken boulders used to create the elevated concrete walkover, left behind on the sand by the careless contractor. Bulldozers and forklifts used for the construction had churned up the sand, possibly beyond repair. This will happen in Goa too going by the proven shoddy work of the PWD registered contractors so much of which has been documented through RTI and clearly evident from the early repair work that has become the rule of the day. We also fear that drunken tourists will break their empty bottles with greater gusto over the walkway despite the new ban on drinking alcohol on the beach which the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) has been ordered to stop. Incidentally, it was glass shards injuring tourists that forced the ban. And we seriously don't believe the outnumbered IRB has the human
[Goanet] Controversial eco-tourism project proposed in Vanxim, Goa - Residents divided
An isle in dilemma SARITA BRARA Residents of the picturesque mangrove island of Vanxim in Goa are divided over a controversial eco-tourism project proposed there Vanxim is a tiny island on river Mandovi in Goa. One has to first go to Ribander jetty, take a ferry to Divar Island, then travel a distance of about six to eight km by road and take another ferry to reach this picturesque island. All along the way, migratory birds and mangroves greet the visitors. I meet Neves and her daughter Raita, who are going back to Divar after some shopping in Panjim. Earlier you could see paddy fields, now it is mangroves all the way, Neves says. They get down at Divar and I take the ferry for Vanxim. As one goes across the Naroa branching out of Mandovi, a Cross is visible in the midst of waters before approaching Vanxim. The Cross was constructed by the villagers in the memory of a doctor, Louis Cabral, who drowned at this point when his canoe capsized while he was on his way to see a patient in Vanxim Island. His grandson Mario Cabral, a writer and journalist, has written many articles about Vanxim. He says that once upon a time this island belonged to the Cathedral of Old Goa and about 30 to 40 Catholic families settled here. Poultry and paddy cultivation were the means of livelihood of their descendants. The inhabitants say that the fields have not been ploughed for more than three decades with many families leaving the island in search of employment. A church and a chapel built hundreds of years ago, a number of water bodies, a sea of mangroves, old Goan houses surrounded by papaya, coconut or jackfruit trees, is what this little island is all about though some houses have been constructed by new settlers. There are no medical facilities, no schools, not even shops. For every single need, Vanxin residents have to ferry across to Divar Island. In the past when there were no ferries, they used canoes. Vanxim has about 120 houses with a population of 500 to 600. Fishing is the only source of livelihood. In 2006, much of the 800,000 sq meter island was bought by a private dealer and sold to a builders' group that was eyeing this picturesque island to convert it into a resort. The residents are deeply divided over this controversial project and the issue has been hanging fire since then. A former panchayat member, Manuvel Furtado, says that they want firm assurances that the resort will be constructed on the barren land only and none of the houses and other structures will be affected and none will be evacuated. The group opposing the move argues that the deal is illegal because the water bodies cannot be bought and nor can the mangroves be cut. The developers have brought out a booklet wherein they quote a resolution of Sao Mathias Gram Panchayat, under which Vanxim comes, recommending an eco tourism project. The resort promoters have promised to develop infrastructure for basic needs, generate employment by tapping the local talent and has also assured that existing homes have not been acquired and no one will be evacuated. But there is an air of mistrust. In the nearby Divar Island, where the Divaaya resort hotel was constructed some years back, people say that the owners sold their land following an assurance that a spice garden and ponds for fishing would be developed there to generate employment for the local people. However, the promoters went back on their promise apart from employing some locals at the resort. Perhaps, Divar's experience has made Vanxim's residents edgy about the offer. Raita, who is a school teacher, says that Divar remains a quiet place away from the heat and dust of other towns and cities, even after the construction of the resort, because it is remotely situated and not many tourists come there. But, Vanxim's case is different because almost the entire island is being proposed to be converted into resort. Those opposing the project fear that no development will take place and the private group will make money at the cost of the island's ecology. But then there are people like Manoj who say that they would welcome the resort if adequate compensation is given and basic infrastructure is constructed. The promoters are already financially supporting a self-help group where women get training in making jute bags, tailoring, candle making and shell craft. http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/travel/an-isle-in-dilemma/article4660849.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] Transporters blink first - strike deferred
Transporters blink first Team GS Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has definitely won round one in the tussle with transporters from Maharashtra and Karnataka over the entry tax, which came into force at the two borders on April 15. Over the last ten days, Goa's supply of vegetables and other essential goods suffered shortages and prices were hiked (though prices do shoot up this time of the year) while Parrikar and the transporters were involved in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation while the Congress and United Goans Democratic Party looked on gleefully. It looked as if an impasse had been reached because Parrikar stuck to his guns, even lamenting that Goa's opposition parties were not solidly behind him in revenue generation and expressing outrage that a bunch of transporters were dictating economic policy to his government. Sensing his obstinacy, transporters and even some chambers of commerce in the neighbouring states backed off making flimsy excuses. The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) now says it has deferred the strike, which it began on April 20, till May 8 when the counting for the May 5 Karnataka Assembly elections begins. Trucks loaded with essential commodities have already started crossing into Goa. As face savers go, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) from Karnataka and Maharashtra, which met Parrikar on Tuesday, had a better and in fact, even a placatory one. Agreeing that it was Goa's right to impose an entry tax on National Highway 17 and 17B and 4A, they however pleaded for a concession. Parrikar was in turn generous saying, We have assured them (the chambers) that we will give the transporters a concession. We will work it out within seven days. Whether he will acquiesce to their proposals; that passes be issued to vehicles entering Goa regularly; that the concession should be 75 per cent for trucks carrying essentials and 50 per cent for trucks carrying industrial raw material; that they should have a separate lane to avoid delays and also that the current time frame of four hours (to enter exit Goa) be increased to six; remains to be seen. Cashing in on the measure Trucks have to pay Rs 500, cars and other four wheelers Rs 250, autorickshaws Rs 100 and heavy vehicles have to pay Rs 1000 to enter Goa. Parrikar said that the collection at the toll booths in the first five days was on an average Rs 8,00,000 a day. Significantly, this did not include entry tax on vehicles from the neighbouring districts of Kolhapur, Belgaum, Sindhudurg and Karwar which were exempted from the tax; he pointed out to emphasize that the issue was being blown out of proportion by vested interests. Congress MLAs had urged him in the ongoing Goa Assembly to roll back the tax. He shot back, The decision of the government to impose entry tax was clearly mentioned in last year's budget as it was meant to be a measure to recover money that was lost after the Rs 11 per litre reduction in the price of petrol. He also said, As far as Goa is concerned, the decision is constitutionally legal and my government has taken it only after taking proper legal advice. It had become a prickly issue with Parrikar because the widely-held perception was that Goa was dependent on neighbouring states for its essential goods. He indicated that a tit for tat approach was not beyond him when he said neighbouring states, should not forget that vehicles carrying fuels to these states pass through Goa. In fact the official memo referred to the touchy subject but only to mollify, While Goa depends on neighbouring districts for almost all of its essential commodities,we also need the business from Goa for our survival. It added, We have shared a long, cordial and mutually beneficial relationship with each other and we should do all that is possible to keep this relationship intact, acknowledging that it was a symbiotic relationship between Goa on the one hand and Karnataka and Maharastra on the other. While Parrikar won this bout on the governance parameter, victory was his even on the political front. In response to Congress MLAs urging withdrawal of the entry tax, South Goa district BJP president and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldesai had this to say, It is not right for some Congress MLAs to oppose the tax. The entry tax is not going to the BJP. It is going to the state. Full story at: http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/lion-roars/105-hotnews/260-transporters-blink-first ~Avelino
[Goanet] Mario Miranda Cartoon Festival
Lounge Preview | Mario Miranda Cartoon Festival Intolerance is the theme of a Mario Miranda commemoration event Drawing the line Intolerant chief ministers who throw cartoonists into jail have become the norm rather than the exception. The attack on humour because of an increasing lack of humour in public life is the leitmotif behind the Sunaparanta Mario Miranda Cartoon Festival, at the Sunaparanta-Goa Centre for the Arts in Panaji on 4-5 May. Miranda, one of India's most celebrated cartoonists, died on 11 December 2011. The event has been organized by Anil Dharker, columnist and founder of the annual Literature Live! festival in Mumbai, along with Dattaraj Salgaocar, businessman and chairperson of the arts centre. On the agenda are a lecture on Lack of Humour in Public Life by former Outlook editor Vinod Mehta, panel discussions on such questions as Can Cartooning Be Elevated to the Position of Art?, and a Goan tiatr, or traditional musical theatre, performed in the Konkani language by Prince Jacob. A selection of Miranda's works will be displayed, as well as old and new pieces of satire and commentary by newspaper cartoonists E.P. Unny (The Indian Express), Ravi Shankar (The New Indian Express), Hemant Morparia (Mumbai Mirror), and Keshav (The Hindu). It's not just about cartoons-we're also talking about the lack of humour in public life, says Dharker. The event will also draw attention to the art of political cartooning which, says Unny, is nearly as old as cinema. We have never used the cartoon to advertise the fact that we are a functioning democracy, Unny says. Click herehttp://www.sgcfa.org/index.php for event details. http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/HQN9OWdD4HfzGCjPw5YkwK/Lounge-Preview--Mario-Miranda-Cartoon-Festival.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] An Airport to Nowhere
An Airport to Nowhere Lionel Messias We were the first to break the story on the airport at Chipi slowly getting off the ground in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district almost next door to Mopa, so close in fact that when the planned Mopa airport is ready and running, pilots wanting to land at Chipi might confuse the Mopa airport for it; and vice versa. And we are not being funny, because this has happened around the world. Goanspirit now has pictures of the site which prove that work on the Chipi airport has started in right earnest. We also discovered that the land acquisition in Chipi went through unopposed because the land the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation chose was barren in the first place. All we saw for kilometers and kilometers was hard rock and no vegetation of any kind except for dried grass. And as you can see, pictures don't lie. What also went well for the project was the fact that the people of Malvan, the nearest town to Chipi are positive about the airport after a stuttering start, including at least three bhoomi pujas according to the Malvan taluka Bharatiya Janata Party president Vishnu Mondkar. We want Mopa also to come up as it will benefit us, which corroborates what those against Mopa have been saying all along, that it stands to benefit only south Maharashtra. According to him, the land acquisition process for the Rs 510 crore 'Sea World' theme park project, should also begin in a few months time. The world class project will be implemented through the public private partnership (PPP) mode and the viability gap funding by the state government will be Rs 100 crore. According to him, the massive project is coming up in Tondavli in Malvan taluka. Mondkar is himself in the tourism business and his firm Vighnaharta Tourism Development Pvt. Ltd is currently on to a new project. Chipi has people's blessings A retired bank employee told Goanspirit that when the Chipi airport is ready, it would facilitate people in the region to fly to Mumbai for specialized medical treatment. Whereas, at the moment Goa's Dabolim airport offers the only flight solution to Mumbai, he said, and an expensive one considering the cab fare from Goa to here as also the three and a half hours it takes. Land levelled for the project Three villagers trudging home in the afternoon sun on the newly built road that cuts a swathe between the land that has been acquired for Chipi appeared to have no rancour. The airport should come up soon. They acquired 272 hectares for the project, said one villager. While the project needed 250 acres of land, more was acquired, says a Malvan resident. With Narayan Rane, the minister for industry, port, employment and self-employment and Sindhudurg MLA, also the district guardian minister, the vast area will get whatever it wants and some. The same cannot be said for vast areas around Mopa. Literally, the planned airport project in Goa is akin to building an airport in the boondocks. Also in Chipi according to Mondkar, there was never any agriculture or farming taking place. Perhaps, when Rane invested in Hotel Green Park in Guirim, near Mapusa and in Hotel Neelam (named after his wife) in Calangute, he was far more astute then he is given credit for. Who benefits Sindhudurg district, several times bigger than Goa state, is serviced by the Konkan railway which has a railway station at Sindhudurg, though only a few trains stop there; and major railway stations at Kudal, Kanakavali and Sawantwadi. Says Mondkar, Chipi is necessary because an estimated 1,50,000 tourists come annually to see the Sindhudurg fort in Malvan and they stay back to travel, for instance, to another popular tourist destination,Tarkarli, just a few kilometers from here. Less than the official 7 kms in fact, as the beach town stretches towards Malvan (20-25 hotels) and has about 80 homestays according to him. These are visible along the road to Tarkarli which again is close to another tourist destination Devbaug (not to be confused with its Devbhag in Karwar, Karnataka). Chipi when it is ready will service all these popular-with-Maharashtrians tourist destinations. According to him, a popular Indian hotel chain has bought land in Tambaldeg beach in Devgad taluka about 40 km from Malvan to build a hotel. More at: http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/lead/249-an-airport-to-nowhere ~Avelino
[Goanet] Mining doesn't help Goans neither does tourism
Mining doesn't help Goans Lionel Messias They keep telling us how the tourism industry is our savior notwithstanding our firm dependence on St Francis Xavier. They said the same about the mining industry, only we discovered that some of the biggest gainers were a few of the men who turn out as your duly elected MLAs, and particularly even those who contested and lost. The thousands that get the fringe jobs because of the mining industry are largely migrant workers. Many of the barge owners too are non-Goans or politicians with deep pockets. And that goes for the barge crew too. Point is the tourism industry really doesn't help you and I, the real aam aadmi. In other words, we the people without the SUVs, pony tails, designer clothes, Page 3 mentions and that swagger that comes with piles of cash. Point is also, tourism has also degraded Goa to the worst extent. Only, it has never been recognized as so. With the exception of perhaps two originally Goan owned 5-star hotels, all the rest are owned by big chains based outside Goa. If my memory services me correct, no Goan has built possibly even a single 3-star-upwards hotel in Goa in the last decade. On the other hand, take the case of the shack owners who literally have to beg for a license on which the government has put a cap and which as happened this year, were issued quite late in the day. But when it comes to licensing hotels, it matters little where you want to build one. More at: http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/bits-bytes/256-lion-roars-2 ~Avelino
[Goanet] The Pathfinder is here — over 5 kilos of love for Indian art
The Pathfinder is here — over 5 kilos of love for Indian art Wednesday, Apr 24, 2013, 7:28 IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA Yogesh Pawar The Vikram Sethism warning how Suitable Boy could “strain your purse and sprain your wrists”, could very well apply to Pancham Nishad’s latest — Pathfinders — A journey through art and culture over 60 years of the Indian Republic — considering this 460-pager-Rs6,000 hardback weighs a humongous 5.1 kg! With six segments on music, visual arts, dance, theatre, literature and cinema, the mammoth treatise, which is being brought out on the occasion of World Book Day, features 150 artistes across segments researched and chosen based on their unique contribution that shaped India’s cultural scenario. With percussionist Ustad Zakir Hussain, santoor maestro Satish Vyas and kathak exponent Archana Joglekar on its advisory board, Pancham Nishad has been dedicated to promoting Indian classical music and culture for over 12 years. But why a book? “Why not?” asks the director of Pancham Nishad, Shashi Vyas. “Just think of how much poorer we’d be, culturally and artistically, as a nation without some of these leading legends.” Those left out are not amused and there has been criticism. Actor and filmmaker Amol Palekar, while praising the edifying treatise for being aesthetically enriching, said, “I hope many personalities who shouldn’t have been missed out from each category will be included in later editions.” It is something that Vyas himself admits to heartburn over. “Tempestuous arguments between Devina Dutt, Mukta Rajadhyaksha and I ensued over the year we worked on the book over the list of those featured,” he said. “I feel bad about leaving out leading artistes Vasudev Gaitonde and NS Bendre. As we were working on Bollywood alone, some brilliant maestros, such as Illayaraja and AR Rahman, have been left out too. But we were working with a limitation of 25 per segment.” He added, “We’ll ensure that the sequel makes amends.” Till then Vyas can let appreciation for his labour of love soak in. Leading theatre personality Vijaya Mehta said, “A book of this nature and scope about significance of performing and visual arts in India, as reflected in the work of leading artistes, was long overdue.” Others like leading classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj too have praised it for highlighting pinnacles where Indian culture has reached. “But this is something that I’ve come to expect of any Pancham Nishad venture.” Vocalist duo Rajan and Sajan Mishra too echo this sentiment and have called Pathfinders historic. “To bring together valuable information across segments of Indian arts and culture on a single platform, that too keeping the integrity of the content, deserves a rousing applause,” they said. http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1826293/report-the-pathfinder-is-here-and-mdash-over-5-kilos-of-love-for-indian-art ~Avelino
[Goanet] Land acquisition, flying circus and more...
Lion Roars Mopa(ian) size land acquisition in the offing? Goanspirit learns that there is a written proposal in the in tray in the office of the Collector, north Goa, put there by the Padmashri Vamanrao Sardesai Trust which wants land for its proposed Vedanta Institute. No, this is not that Vedanta that plunders Mother Earth to make its billions, but an institute which fosters the propagation of Vedas. What is worrisome to GS is that this government will acquire someone's land somewhere, as we learn that the proposal is being deliberated on by it. So, land owners, brace yourselves for yet another grab on your land. And say a quick prayer in the interim that this latest requirement will not be of a Mopa-ian size land grab. Flying circus is back Successive governments in Goa have been known for two things, arbitrary acquisition of people's land and for its ministers and officials travelling abroad on junkets. They have this obtuse way of brazening it out, but the depressing factor is, they are junkets any which way you look at it. This is the black box revelation of flights recorded and made by officials of the Tourism Department and Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) between March 2012 and 28 February 2013. The department's assistant director Rajesh Kale and Tallabathulla Ravishankar, a consultant, flew out to visit the ITB, Berlin 2012 from March 7-11. In the days March 21-24, Milin Chodankar, information assistant took off to the MITT, Moscow 2012. The deputy director of tourism, Pamela Mascarenhenas and assistant tourist officer Ganesh Teli flew closer home to the Indian Crafts Festival at Kathmandu, Nepal from April 27-May, 2012. Teli next took off to attend the ITB, Singapore 2012 along with Gajanan Mahale, information assistant, from October 17-19. If you wonder why GS has not given an account of their undoubtedly heavy expenditure, it is only because these flight happy officials have not had the time to submit their travel and allowance bills. But be assured that all of the 2012-13 budget of Rs 8,75,000 allotted to the Department of Tourism and all of the Rs 6,00,00,000 allotted to GTDC will be wiped clean by the end of the fiscal. They are getting there already. GTDC went a full mach ahead flying Vasco MLA Nilesh Cabral and the corporation's chairman to Lisbon and Portugal between October 8-13 spending a cool Rs 4,32,203 of your tax money. For company, he took along the MD Nikhil Desai (expenditure: Rs 1,86,765) and Deepak Narvekar, its public relations officer (expenditure: Rs 2,13,005). A month later, Desai jetted off to London for eight days spending Rs 2,05,422 of your hard earned tax monies. Earlier that year, GTDC's previous MD Melvyn Vaz flew to Berlin and Germany for nine days (March 5-13) blowing up Rs 2,84,455 of that hard earned money again. The free-spending corporation increased its carbon footprint sending Bernadetta De Souza, general manager-administration to Moscow between September 18-22 (expenditure: Rs 2,83,069) along with Thelma Moses, executive aide to the MD (expenditure: Rs 1,98,111). That's a total of Rs 10,37,395 and mounting. More at: http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/bits-bytes/253-lion-roars ~Avelino
[Goanet] Painting and Writing workshops...
Painting workshop by Shilpa Nasnolkar Sunaparanta - Goa centre for the arts, Altinho-Panaji, will host a painting workshop by ShilpaNasnolkar on introduction to acrylic on canvas, from April 23 to 27, between 10am and 12 noon. For details and registration, call on 2421311 or email at i...@sgcfa.org. Workshop on fiction writing: Writer Victor Rangel-Ribeiro will conduct a workshop on fiction writing for 'advanced writers' from April 26-28 at Fundacao Oriente, Fontainhas-Panaji. On April 26, the workshop will be held from 5pm to 7pm; on April 27 from 10am to12.30pm and 2.30pm to 5.30pm; and on April 28 from 10am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 5.30pm. For details and registration call on 2230728 or 2436108; or email at forie...@dataone.inmailto:forie...@dataone.in. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Painting-workshop-by-Shilpa-Nasnolkar/articleshow/19641621.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] So, what's the big idea of the entry tax
So, what's the big idea of the entry tax Pushpa Iyengar Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar told the Legislative Assembly last week that the government is determined to tax non-Goa vehicles entering the state from April 15. But there seems to be a slip between the cup and the lip. On April 10, Goanspirit counted well over two dozen bars and liquor shops, not to mention a petrol bunk in the 21 km distance between the Goa excise check post and the spanking new toll booth in village panchayat Dhargal, strangely the first one in the second panchayat as you enter Goa from Maharashtra on NH 17. This toll booth - which has the legend in the form of a huge board that informs you of the different tariffs - definitely defeats the purpose if you want to check petrol and liquor smuggling. Those who come from Mahrashtra to get liquored up are hardly going to venture beyond the toll booth to say cheers when they can get to the bars and liquor shops dotting this 21 km stretch and drink at Goa's enviable low prices. The minister said that the government is going to offer a deaf ear to all the noises emanating, particularly from the Canacona side of the border by Karnataka politicians with that state due to go for elections on May 5. He buttressed Goa's argument - the state hopes to collect Rs 50 crore annually from this measure - that different places in Karnataka (Chikodi, a town nestled among hills in the Belgaum district of Karnataka, bordering Goa) collect taxes from vehicles, so why not Goa. One estimate puts the number of vehicles coming from Karnataka at 3,000 and from Maharashtra at 5,000. That apart, any person coming to Goa with cars, utility vehicles even, continue to live here for years without re-registering their vehicles in Goa. Moolah for the coffers The commercial taxes department, which has a big hole now that there is no revenue from mining which used to fetch Goa about Rs 1,000 crore, had received several complaints about petrol smuggling from Goa and was trying to find a way to tax those who were indulging in it. Petrol which is cheaper in Maharastra and Karnataka earlier became even cheaper (by Rs 11) after CM Manohar Parrikar reduced VAT to the statutory 0.1 per last year. But at least at Dhargal, they can forget any hopes of increasing the cash in their coffers because there is a petrol bunk on the highway between the check post and the toll booth. So vehicles can fill up their tanks and drive away richer and none would be wiser in the Goa government. Dhavalikar's logic is flawed when he says, If any of us has to go to Shirdi, and there are many of us who go to Shirdi including MLAs, the toll is about Rs 400, to travel to Bangalore via Belgaum the toll is about Rs 600. In Bangalore, you have to pay a fee to enter the Tipu Sultan palace, the garden, and other places. But here, there is no toll/fee anywhere and yet after entering you get to see good beaches, museums and other places of historical importance. Entry fee to museums, gardens and palaces don't justify levying a tax to enter Goa because tourists have to pay to see some sights. For instance, in the stately Braganza house in Chandor, you have to give a 'donation' of Rs 150. Again some of the heritage temples do encourage you to buy a brochure. It's another matter that the Goa government does not get its fair share from this because it has no policy. Besides nowhere in India, whether Chennai which has the longest beach in Marina, Pondicherry which has a beautiful promenade or Vizag does one have to pay to go to the beach. However, what is true about Dhavalikar's justification is that Goa has good roads even in villages whereas most states have no roads in rural areas and roughly asphalted ones in district towns. But then again, tourist areas stand out in the country because roads are well-maintained and that's a part of the tourism policy to attract sight-seers. The revenue that we earn will be used for maintaining Goa's roads, the minister said. But cynics don't buy this. Now, let us say that you were from another planet and therefore did not know this simple fact, that the PWD is the cash cow for politicians. Churchill Alemao, if you remember was his predecessor and you know what happened. Point is also, CM Manohar Parrikar who assumes this paragon of virtue halo must explain to us aam aadmi why the toll booth was so strategically located that it will help so many bars and liquor wholesale shops. Seriously, when you put a toll booth so deep in to Goa who are you trying to serve? http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/lion-roars/105-hotnews/248-so-what-s-the-big-idea-of-the-entry-tax-so-what-s-the-big-idea-on-the-entry-tax ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goa's Valid Claim
Goa's Valid Claim Team GS Jawaharlal Nehru's speech Former PM Jawaharlal Nehru made this speech in Bombay on June 4, 1956, five years before Goa was liberated after 450 years of Portuguese rule. Excerpts: If the people of Goa, that is minus the Portuguese government - if and when the Portuguese go and the people of Goa deliberately wish to retain their separate identity - I am not going to bring them by force or compulsion or coercion into the Indian Union. I merely say that my national interest involves the removal of the Portuguese from Goa, not coercion being used in bringing about the union of Goa with India, although I wish it, I desire it and it is the only solution. That is a matter ultimately for the people of Goa to decide. I want to make it perfectly clear that I have no desire to coerce Goa to join India against the wishes of the people of Goa. But the point is that we feel that Goa's individuality should remain and that whenever the time comes for any changes, internal or other, it will be for the people of Goa acting freely to decide upon them. When he came to visit Goa in 1963, Nehru reiterated his earlier promise to preserve, protect and nurture this unique culture and identity of Goa. Goa's Valid Claim Jammu and Kashmir and North eastern states have been conferred Special Status on the basis of difficult terrain, because they are border states or because their majority population is tribal. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Puducherry, even Rajasthan and now, Bihar have joined the me-too chorus. Most of these states demand Special Status because they are backward and the sub-text to this is that they want the central government to fork out more money. But Goa has made it clear it wants no financial input and that it should be given Special Status only so it can preserve its heritage. Is that too much to ask? Why Goa deserves Special Status a) The Customary law and procedure, its language, culture and ethos. b) Ownership and transfer of land and the exploitation of its resources and the preservation of its natural and architectural heritage. c) The regulation of entry and settlement of persons who are not of Goan origin/migrants. d) Establishment of industries and employment therein. e) Protection of age-old traditional institutions such as Gaumkaris (Comunidades-village communities) and their assets. f) Protection of the original SCs, STs and Gounli (Dhangars) belonging to the state. Benefits of Special Status 1) Will reduce in-migration so that Goa's resources like land, water can be better managed and distributed. 2) Will create conditions where Goa's unique culture and identity will thrive and grow. 3) Will lower prices and better the quality of life of Goans as the clamour for homes, schools, roads, hospitals from non Goans will come down. 4) Will reduce crime, which has gone up because of migration. 5) Romi Konkani will thrive. http://www.goanspirit.com/index.php/lead/246-goa-s-valid-claim ~Avelino
[Goanet] THE GREAT GOAN GROOVE
THE GREAT GOAN GROOVE by Jose Lourenco Dancing is hot in the land of music All societies have music, and we humans are wired to appreciate melodies and rhythms. But not all societies love music equally - and it's fair to say that on the spectrum of love for music and dance, Goa falls at the extreme favorable end. Whereas in other places a band will fire up and have to coax and beg partygoers to join the dance floor, here it's an effortless exercise. The dance floor fills up on its own. And while there haven't been any formal studies, it's fair to assume that the per capita ratio of musicians to the general population is far greater here than the global average. Now, in an already music crazy land, we're seeing a mad rush to learn all sorts of dances - from ballroom to hiphop to funk to folk. This is the story of the dance rage in Goa - it's big, it's vibrant and it's bringing Goa's music and party scene to a whole new level. Zumba, with its fitness-inducing mixture of ballroom, latino, cha cha cha, hip-hop and many other genres, is the biggest craze at the moment. But there's a growing affinity for many other types of dancing, including the tango, the paso doble and the quick step. Aside from traditional folk dance, the most Goan of all dance forms is undoubtedly ballroom. It's a rite of passage for many Goans, especially Catholics. The mandatory wedding march at the reception and the first dance by the newly wedded couple is always a ballroom dance. For me dancing is a passion. I wouldn't say it's about having a romance with somebody, though if you're dancing with your life partner, sure, that intimacy brings a certain grace and adds to the ease of dancing, explains Fatima Noronha e Vaz, who has been holding ballroom dance classes for close to two decades in Margao. There's also a commercial side to the dance craze. Many of the folks emerging from Goa's many dance academies end up performing in some capacity in Goa's booming tourist industry. Mostly, however, the students are looking for an improved joie de vivre at social gigs. Almost every nook and corner of Goa these days boasts a summer dance camp, with literally hundreds of dance camps being held from this week onwards. Goa is the only place in India where people dance on all social occasions, says Snaden Shawn D'Souza of the Snaden Shawn Dance Academy, which holds dance classes all over Goa. From being a DJ and dancer, Sylvester Coutinho, owner of the One Dance Studio in Margao, started organizing an inter-collegiate dance competition called Dancezone so as to spot dance talent from all over Goa. He says the demand for professional dancers in Goa is greater than the supply. As an event organiser I get a lot of shows and there's a lot of money to be made, but we don't get enough quality dancers for the troupes, he laments. There's huge scope for professional dancers in Goa, which today's youngsters need to realize. While all this is great news for the kids, it's the adult dancers who seem to have forgotten their moves. In Goa you can often see men and women, born in the sixties and seventies, fumbling away on the dance floor at weddings and balls, looking enviously at the expert footwork of their parents and grandparents as the older gents and ladies waltz, tango and shashay the night away. Those post-Liberation generations didn't really learn dancing properly, they just did what everyone else was doing, sometimes abandoning their worn out universal 'walking waltz' to swing solo and wave their hands and feet in the air. It's bad, says 39-year-old dance instructor Sylvester Coutinho. I'd gone for a wedding yesterday and I was watching the way people were dancing. The couples were all dancing only one step. When I was a kid, he continued, I used to go to places like Clube Harmonia (in Margao) and it used to be like a scene straight out of a Spanish film or something, everybody would be dancing so beautifully, in sync with the music, everybody would be doing the right steps. Those days are gone. But there are people who are trying to bring back those glory days. Like Vasco-based Dr Martin D'Costa, the president of the Goa Dancesport Association who has been teaching ballroom dance for many years now You can learn social ballroom dancing in two-three weeks, but it will take you a minimum of three years to be a good competitive, ballroom dancer, he says. Jason of the Jason and Sylvia Dance Academy says many of his students are non-Goan. They come because they want to go for a Goan wedding or party where they will have to do a ballroom dance, and when they come back again on a holiday they also come again for a couple of weeks to my classes to learn more. Jason is convinced that ballroom dancing is here to stay, even if zumba is the latest craze. Ballroom dancing will never die. It is there throughout the lives of Goans, at every feast, wedding and celebration. Sunita Karambolkar is a Goan Hindu
[Goanet] 10 GEMS IN MARGAO
10 GEMS IN MARGAO by Jose Lourenco on Apr 11, 2013 Margao is famously known as the commercial capital of Goa, but there's quite a bit more to this city than commerce. The area from Holy Spirit Church to the Municipal building abounds with fascinating sights. Let's walk from the Kadamba bus stand to 10 places worth seeing. 1. The Old Municipal Building near the Holy Spirit Church looks benign enough, but it was the site of a massacre - on 21st September 1890. Supporters of the Partido Indiano political party led by Jose Inacio Loyola protested against rigged elections. The local authorities opened fire, killing 22 of the protestors. The Old Market shops and a small Chapel stand near the adjacent Communidade building. Down the road from the Old Market shops stands the District Court building, with its origins in 1777. 2. Holy Spirit Church - The first mass at the original church at this location was celebrated 449 years ago! The present church, the fifth structure on this site, was built in 1675. The gold-leaf gilt screen behind the altar and the stone vaulted roof are magnificent. Indian influences can be seen in the motifs on the interior of the church (peacock, nagas) as well as the exterior (flowerpot finials). The gable of the church is crowned by a beautiful Pozzoan pediment. The parochial house is two-storied with a timber floor and a well maintained courtyard garden. 3. House of Alvares near Holy Spirit church. Two cannon shots from the firing of 21st September 1890 remain lodged in the wall of this house. Circular plaques around the embedded shots mark the date 21.9.1890. 4. The House of Seven Gables is set on a high plinth off the busy Borda road. Oyster shell windows are fronted by balconies supported by corbels. This palatial house of the Silva family has its own Baroque Chapel within. An ancestor, Sebastiao da Silva, was Secretary to the then Portuguese Viceroy, an important post that merited a palace like this! Baroque stucco work abounds everywhere. 5. The St. Joaquim Chapel was built in 1783-86, the porch being a later addition. Twin bell towers flank the Neo-Roman Mannerist façade. The sacristy of this Chapel is adorned with frescoes painted by the muralist and theologian José Pereira depicting Christ and Creation. Scenes from the Goan way of life, like a fish market, a cowshed, cooking a wild boar for a feast, etc. cover the vault and walls. 6. The Damodar Sal on the Abade Faria Road is a family temple open to devotees. The word Sal originates from 'sala', the Portuguese word for a formal hall. The idol of Lord Damodar was installed in a part of the house of the Naik-Shankwalker family over 250 years back, and the temple came to be known as Damodar Sal. Swami Vivekananda visited this house and stayed here in 1892. 7. The house of the Lourenco family, a single-storied house on Abade Faria Road with a continuous veranda, has a unique feature. The veranda railing is made from Chinese porcelain, in the 'eternity and lion's feet' pattern. The shutters at the end of the house are fitted with oyster shell lozenges fitted onto timber battens, a popular translucent alternative for the days before glass became freely available. 8. House of Monte da Silva on Abade Faria Road - The upper floor veranda of this double storied house runs across the entire front, supported by corbels. Four leafed clovers decorate the ground floor windows while exquisite tracery adorns the five-cusped first floor windows. The twin stairway within is built in stone and the sala (hall) is graced with elegant period furniture. Inner courtyards ventilate the front and rear parts of the house. 9. The Margao Municipal Council building was built in 1905, in a Neo-Classical architectural style. The Municipal Library is on the ground floor. Arched arcades, verandas and a balustrade at the roof grace all the façades of the building. The Margao Municipal Garden has memorials to four prominent Goans.The northern segment of the Garden is called the Aga Khan Children's Park. 10. The New Market to the south-east was built in 1890-1910 and was known as Afonso de Albuquerque Market till Liberation. The covered market stalls bustle with activity from dawn to dusk. Eateries like the very economical Bombay Cafe and veteran stationery shops like TG Borkar are located around the Pimpalkata shrine. The Francisco Luis Gomes Road also known as Station Road leads on to the Old Railway Station, connecting to the Victor Apollo Hospital and the road to Aquem. Pictures at: http://goastreets.com/goa-news/10-gems-in-margao/ ~Avelino
[Goanet] School-going girl gang-raped in Goa, five youths held
School-going girl gang-raped in Goa, five youths held Wednesday, Apr 17, 2013, 13:14 IST | Place: Panaji | Agency: PTI A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in Mapusa town, police said today. Five youths have been arrested in this connection last night, after the victim lodged a complaint against them, police said. The incident had taken place twenty days back, when the girl was invited by one of the accused at his house, claiming that his mother wants to speak to her, Vishram Borkar, Superintendent of Police (North) said. However, the girl was forced to drink some beverage laced with a sedative, following which she fell unconscious and was later gang-raped, he said. The complaint was lodged days after the incident as the school-going victim could not muster up the courage to tell her parents about the incident. However, a complaint was lodged yesterday after she narrated the incident to them. Even after the incident, the accused had been demanding sexual favours from the girl by threatening her to defame her socially. Results of the medical examination conducted on the girl are awaited, police said. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1823530/report-school-going-girl-gang-raped-in-goa-five-youths-held ~Avelino
[Goanet] Due Credit for the artist
Due Credit for the artist. To access the above article, click on the link below and select page 15. http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9eddate=04%2f15%2f2013 ~Avelino
[Goanet] SAGA OF A VOLCANIC SAGE
SAGA OF A VOLCANIC SAGE by Jose Lourenco on Apr 11, 2013 This artist may appear mild and philosophical. But his paintings, like that of a grotesque skull-bedecked ogre, or a cow being ripped apart by crows and vultures, speak of a barely contained ferocity. I am a Buddha on the outside and a Fujiyama inside, says Vamona Ananta Sinai Navelcar (82), referring to the volcanic Mount Fuji in Japan. Vamona Navelcar's saga through Portuguese-ruled Goa, Portugal, Mozambique and finally back to modern Goa is chronicled in a new book by Anne Ketteringham. This biography titled Vamona Navelcar, An Artist of Three Continents will be launched in Goa at Gallery Gitanjali at Panjim on 12 April 2013, with an exhibition of Vamona Navelcar's works over the decades. Streets Editor José Lourenço talked with Ketteringham about her book. JL: You are a retired aeronautical engineer. Please tell us something about your life and career, and your interaction with Goa. AK: I started late at 29 but made the grade in my qualifications as a licensed Aircraft engineer in the Avionics discipline. In January 2008, I was given a one month detachment in Goa to assist with aircraft turn rounds at Dabolim Airport. Whilst travelling to Goa I met a gentleman who introduced me to Goa by showing me around on one of my rest days, but that is virtually all I saw of Goa due to business commitments. In April of that year I retired from aviation and moved to the South of France for better weather. But in November of that year the snow came early, so I decided to come back to Goa to explore more. I am an avid bird photographer so Goa suited me well as there are many species here which I certainly have captured with my camera. So Goa's countryside, flora and fauna and I hit it off well and I have been returning ever since during the winter season. In early 2009, not long after my first visit to Goa, a kind gentleman by the name of Antonio E Costa, a well known artist in his own right, was showing me a little of Goa. As we were heading from Moira where he lived, before bolting for the Nilgiri hills to find a more affable climate than Goa's, to Pomburpa springs, he suddenly stopped the car, leaped out and bolted across the street. He went to an old Indo-Portuguese house and waived to someone through a wire security door. As the door opened he beckoned me to join him at the entrance. To my amazement, I stood in front of a rather frail looking gentleman with dancing mischievous eyes. We shook hands, with Antonio saying, This is my dear friend Vamona Navelcar, an artist who has no boundaries. We laughed and chatted for a while like old comrades. Then Vamona took us into his rather small and austere studio to show me some of his work. I was taken aback by the sheer power of his work, never before experiencing this, slipping into a deeper and deeper admiration for this gentle man with a soft voice resonating with quotations from philosophers, poets and writers, most of whom I had never heard of. Soon it was time to leave after tea and nibbles in the parlor at the back of the house, but not before Vamona made me promise to return to visit him again. We moved on to Pomburpa springs with my mind still humming and singing the sound of the brush strokes on the canvases and paper, so strong was the encounter. Later, I mentioned the chance encounter with this wonderful artist in Pomburpa to a friend who is an art collector and his response was instant. You are writing a book on your bird photography, why don't you write about Vamona? He needs to be brought out and dusted off a little so that he is more visible to the public eye. Some weeks later another friend took me back to Vamona's place and I fell in love with this gentle man and his art. After several more visits, I suggested that I write about him and his life, a biography if you like to call it that. At this point I started the fascinating and wondrous journey through Vamona's life with him at the helm. JL: Tell us about your experience researching and writing the book. AK: Most of the information was provided of course by Vamona himself through many interviews recorded during my six month stays in Goa over the winter months. When away, Vamona and I wrote to each other with questions and answers, but that took time. In fact, with my poor hearing and Vamona's softly spoken voice I had great difficulty, so had to have all the interviews typed out into hard copy. This whole process took about three years from 2009 to the present time, although I did not actually start to write until January 2011. The process of pulling together all the multi layers of Vamona Navelcar's life took time, in six month bursts with a slower pace in the summer months whilst away from Goa. There was some information on Navelcar on the Internet, but very little. On two occasions I went to Portugal to meet some of Vamona's old friends. JL: Does the biography contain
[Goanet] Moonlight kayaking in Goa's Zuari river soon
Moonlight kayaking in Goa's Zuari river soon MUMBAI, APRIL 14: Goa-based kayaking club, Goa Kayaking, in association with Goa Tourism and Goa Tourism and Development Corporation (GTDC) are to conduct a limited-edition moonlight kayaking programme this April. Kayaking in the moonlight is a unique activity in India, with Goa Kayakng being the only one to offer it so far. Nilesh Cabral, Chairman of GTDC, said, Moonlight kayaking on the Zuari is a special activity and we encourage everyone to participate in it. Moonlight kayaking will be offered only for five days, daily between April 24 and 28. It will start from Cortalim Ferry Jetty and end at the San Jacinto Island in approximately two hours from 9 pm to 11 pm. Prakash Alfonso, Director of Goa Kayaking, said, We have chosen these days since April 25 will have a full moon and will make for a well-lit night. It will be perfect for midnight kayaking. Although we say two hours, kayakers enjoy this so much that it goes on till midnight. We will be conducting only one trip a day and limiting the number of participants to 12 a trip which is available at Rs 2,500/ person.'' Participants will be provided with all equipment, flotation devices, kayaks, and paddles along with instruction sessions from experts. Vasco-based Goa Kayaking specialises in kayaking and canoeing excursions along the coast, rivers and backwaters of Goa. It also conducts training programmes since 2009 during the summer and Diwali holidays. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/travel/moonlight-kayaking-in-goas-zuari-river-soon/article4617349.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] Portrait of an unknown Artist
Portrait of an unknown Artist Pallavi Pundir : Sun Apr 14 2013, 23:08 hrs In a sleepy village in Goa lives an artist whose oeuvre spans three countries - India, Portugal and Africa. Now, Vamona Navelcar's life and art have been documented in a biography There's something romantic about obscurity. In case of Vamona Ananta Sinai Navelcar, one is also intrigued by how little is known about an artist whose works have left an imprint on the histories of two foreign countries - Africa and Portugal. Though he has been living in India for the past three decades, Navelcar's is a sweeping tale - in the early '50s, he was appointed by the Portuguese government to study art in Portugal; a few years later, he was made a professor in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Here, he was arrested for his controversial works during Mozambican War of Independence. The 82-year-old lives in the sleepy village of Pomburpa in Goa and art is the reason he gets out of bed every day. Navelcar has created more than a thousand works, showed at numerous exhibitions in London, Lisbon, Macao and Goa, and found mention in the Dictionary of 20th Century Portuguese Artists as well as Encyclopedia dos Artistas de Portugal. Now finally, a biography has attempted to capture his life and the worlds he inhabited. The book was launched in Goa's Gallery Gitanjali on April 12, and coincides with a retrospective of 31 works by the artist. Titled Vamona Navelcar : An Artist of Three Continents (Rs 900, Reality PLC Pune, supported by Village Sanctuary Arts), the biography is by Anne Ketteringham, a retired aeronautical engineer and photographer. With the zeal of an art ignoramus, who wants to know more, Ketteringham delves into the life of the feisty artist, who was constantly in trouble with the Portuguese authorities. What I did not want was for the book to become was a catalogue of Vamona's work. I wished to produce the book while he is still with us, says Ketteringham, adding that the biography was triggered by a chance meeting with the artist four years ago. More at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/portrait-of-an-unknown-artist/1102436/ ~Avelino
[Goanet] A gentile writes back
A gentile writes back Alexandre Moniz Barbosa | Apr 15, 2013, 06.25 AM IST The 16th-century epic poem The Lusiads by Luis de Camoes, which sings paens to the Portuguese adventures in the sea and their reign in Goa, has just received a response from a 'gentile'. Over 500 years after the Portuguese captured Goa and 50 years after the European nation left India's shores, a Goan writer and retired philosophy professor has strung together words and verse in Portuguese to tell Camoes that his fantasy was not without its flaws, and that the 'gentiles' (the word by which the Portuguese of Camoes' era described the Goans) aren't the unlettered people the Portuguese believed them to be. O vaticinio do swarga... is a literary essay inspired by the colourful mythology of India, with a view to present a construct of the dignity of the erstwhile scorned gentile from Goa, for the sake of a more equitable and enriching Indo/Goan-Portuguese cultural encounter through the medium of literatures of the two peoples, says Ave Cleto Afonso, the author of the manuscript. Afonso, 69, taught philosophy in a Panaji college. He's also dabbled in journalism, compiled a Konkani-Italian dictionary and written books on the succession and inventory laws applicable in Goa. Regarded as Portugal's epic poem, The Lusiads is a fantastical interpretation of Portuguese exploratory voyages that resulted in the discovery of the sea route to India. Camoes did make the sea journey to India in the 16th century, though not with Vasco Da Gama who had discovered the route decades earlier, and spent time in Goa. The poem drew from his experiences in the land and also glorified the Iberian adventurers of the sea. For instance, The Lusiads describes the battles fought by the then Portuguese governor Castro in India as follows: And then, this one in the field shows up, / Strong victor and brave, before the mighty / King of Cambay, and the sight gives him fright / Of the ferocious throng of the four legged. / No less his lands ill defends / The Adil Shah, against the triumphant arm / That goes punishing Dabul on the coast. / Even Ponda in the wilderness escapes him not. Afonso has a different take in O vaticino do swarga, which he says, may be seen as a reply of the erstwhile 'gentiles' to the glorification of the Portuguese heroes (including the missionaries) whose feats in Goa caused unending misery and injustice, which still remain to be duly owned up and albeit symbolically repaired. This is a modest attempt rooted in firm conviction and utmost sincerity to pay tribute to the memory of ancestors who suffered at the paw of the colonialist adventurers and their fanatical co-religionists and to assert the cultural identity and pride of the oriental race as well. The book tries to follow the same course of events as in The Lusiads, but Afonso has expanded and extended the ambit and sequence of events with the introduction of a few new historical elements generally meant to bring to the fore the perspective of the victim of colonial and missionary atrocities as the dominant context of the present narrative. While The Lusiads borrows from Greek mythology for its characters, O vaticino do swarga dives into Indian mythology, with the arrival of the gods for the council being described thus: Of the first ones to arrive, Surya was already there / With the aditya that suited him well then / (Thereafter came others as it pleased them), / But Soma, commonly Chandra, himself was delaying. / Parashurama in hurry clouds was leaping. / Since the matter pertained him more. / Rama and Sita escorted by the loyal Hanuman, / Were entering alongside solid Himavan. Besides a preface that is in prose, the book has six chants in nearly 500 stanzas that seek to follow camonian poetic style. Interestingly, the poem begins with a chant to Ganesh. Ohm!Ganneshayah namaha - kind god / Of those who endeavour with letters and pen; / Wise Sarvatman, merciful / To all those who seek your boon; / Hale Vakratunda, brave son / Of noble parents whose valour the worlds fear, / - Grant me of thy skill, of thy art, / Not more than a small part. Afonso hopes that publishers in Portugal and Brazil will be interested in publishing his work so that the people in their countries get a view of 16th-century Goa from a Goan's eyes. For though The Lusiads is a literary work of ingenious poetic history, it is hardly a record of pure history. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/A-gentile-writes-back/articleshow/19552357.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goa to host Heritage Festival
Goa to host Heritage Festival India Blooms News Service Panaji, Apr 15 (IBNS) The Goa Tourism Department, along with Goa Tourism Development Corporation, will organize the Goa Heritage Festival at Saligao from April 18-21 that will showcase and promote the state's heritage. The festival coincides with World Heritage Day which also falls on April 18. The venue of the festival is near Mae de Deus Church, Saligao - a 125-year-old heritage structure in Saligao. It will be inaugurated by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the presence of state Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nilesh Cabral, Principal Secretary Tourism R K Verma and other officials. Parulekar said that the Government of Goa wants to promote heritage tourism and showcase Goa's rich heritage. Through this festival, domestic as well as international tourists will get an opportunity to witness our heritage and even interact with local artisans. We invite everyone to come and experience this authentic Goan festival, he said. The festival will be an ideal opportunity for Goans and tourist to witness, understand and enjoy Goa's rich heritage. Visitors will be able to witness artisans displaying their crafts with live demonstrations. There will also be stalls exhibiting unique Goan crafts like pottery, woodcraft, crochet, marco, handicrafts, and coconut craft. A Goan food court will tickle the taste buds of visitors with exotic traditional cuisine along with Goan desserts. A special gallery will be set up to exhibit ancient Goan photographs titled 'Great Goans in History' that will showcase the traditional way of life for Goans. There will be a section for heritage items used by the Goans along with Konkani books. Visitors will also be able to participate in workshops for traditional Goan dramas, dances and other forms of art. Konkani films will also be screened during the festival. The entertainment programme will include performances of Goan dances like Dhalo, Mando, Fugdi, Ghode Modni, Goff, Divli dance, Kunbi dance, Kalshi dance, and fisherfolk dance along with a special exhibition on extinct Goan traditional items like Jagor, Morulo, Khel Tiatr, brass band, etc. There will be a fashion show on traditional Goan wear by well-known Goan designer Verma D'Mello, Konkani songs by Sonia Shirsat, and classical performance by Praveen Gaonkar among others. Goa's artistic history will be highlighted by Kanta Gawde Troupe, Amelia Dias and Troupe, John Fernandes Troupe, Ajit Kundaikar Troupe, Pundalik Sawant Troupe, Marianela Gina Troupe, Mil Mel Nel, etc. Eminent personalities from Goa will be felicitated in appreciation of their contribution in various fields. http://www.indiablooms.com/TravelDetailsPage/2013/travelDetails150413a.php ~Avelino
[Goanet] Five books from India in race for Commonwealth Writer's Prize
Five books from India in race for Commonwealth Writer's Prize IANS Apr 12, 2013, 06.03PM IST NEW DELHI: Five contemporary English fiction titles from India - Misi Saran's The Other Side of Light, Jeet Thayil's Narcopolis, Em and the Big Hoom by Jerry Pinto, The Wildlings by Nilanjana Roy and God on Every Wind by Farhad Sorabjee - have been nominated for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2013. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-12/india/38490678_1_commonwealth-writers-commonwealth-prize-narcopolis ~Avelino
[Goanet] How the Goan lost his art: The Vasudeo Gaitonde Chapter
How the Goan lost his art: The Vasudeo Gaitonde Chapter Vivek Menezes Apr 13, 2013, 07.05AM IST Jubilation in Nagpur when one of Vasudeo Gaitonde's paintings topped the latest Sotheby's auction of Indian art. That city's edition of this very newspaper headlined the news prominently, Nagpur artist's painting fetches 5.2 crore, and quoted a local artist saying, It's heartening that Nagpur's artists are getting such acclaim. The curator of the Central Museum in Nagpur was reported saying, We are honoured that our museum has Gaitonde's work...I hope more people will be inspired to come and see. But if Vasudeo Gaitonde has become a Nagpur artist because he was born in that city, we should start calling P G Wodehouse and George Orwell Bihari writers, because they were both born there, in the colonial era. That appellation obviously makes no sense. In fact, Vasudeo Gaitonde is a thoroughbred Goan, and even if Nagpur has finally woken up to him just this instant, this news is only the latest in stunning series of auction results his artwork has achieved, right alongside those by his lifelong friend-and proud son of Saligao-Francis Newton Souza. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-13/goa/38510339_1_nagpur-artist-goans-local-artist ~Avelino
[Goanet] Portrait of a Genius
Click on the link below and then click on page 17 to read 'Portrait of a Genius'. http://epapernavhind.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=10042013 ~Avelino
[Goanet] Konkani poetry collection released
Konkani poetry collection released 'Jeeva Sankalp', an anthology of the Konkani poems of N Balakrishna Mallya was released on Saturday at Swarna Bhavan at IS Press Road by eminent Konkani writer and Sahitya Akademi award winner from Goa, Damodar Mauzo. The first copy of the book was handed over to M Govindaraj Pai. Anand G Kamath, P G Kamath Foundation, Konkani writers Sivananda Shenoy, and Saratchandra Shenoi, Payyannur Ramesh Pai, the chairman of the state Konkani Sahitya Akademi. R S Bhaskar, president, All India Konkani Sahitya Sammelan also attended the function. After the releasing function there was a show of the first Konkani digital film from Kerala, 'Yore'. The book is published under 'Pailo Chanvar' scheme of Goa Konkani Akademi. PG Kamath Foundation publishes the book. http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1535187.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] A walk through the history of modern Indian art (Book Review)
A walk through the history of modern Indian art (Book Review) Book: 'Manifestations IX: 20th Century Indian Art'; Publisher: Delhi Art Gallery; Editors: Kishore Singh Shruti Parthasarathy; Pages: 219; Price: Rs.4,750 The idea of buying and collecting art has changed in the last decade with a flood of informed publications and inroads by the Internet that are guiding buying choices with educated hand-holding. A series of publications and displays of works by the pioneering masters of Indian modern and contemporary art, 'Manifestations IX', is reaching out to art lovers and buyers across collectors' segments in the country to educate them about the legacy of Indian art and to archive aesthetic history for posterity. Published by the Delhi Art Gallery, home to a wide collection spanning 300 years, the 'Manifestations' series chronicles the evolution of the indigenous idiom in Indian art at the beginning of the 20th century. That was when the first lot of Indian artists, fired by the zeal of nationalism, struggled to grow out of the 19th century European impressionism, abstract impressionism and the regimented documentary style of the British East India Company art to develop a personal language that drew from traditions to look ahead at modernism. 'Manifestations 1X', a colourful anthology featuring 75 icons of modern art, was unveiled this week at in the Hauz Khas Arts Studio Village in the capital. The launch coincided with an exhibition of the works by the masters profiled in the compendium. The works have been sourced from the gallery's archives. The colourful illustrated anthology begins with a profile of one of the early 'Bombay progressive' artist Ambadas (1922-2012). It chronicles masters like Shanti Dave, Sohan Qadri, Manu Parekh, G.R. Santosh, K.K. Hebbar, Nandalal Bose, P.V. Janakiram, Jamini Roy, F.N. Souza, Chittoprasad, Bikash Bhattacharya, Paritosh Sen, Baburao Painter, Vivan Sundaram and several others. The rare nature of the art works taken up for textual interpretation and analysis makes the series special. One of the gems of 'Manifestations IX' is a watercolour wash on paper, 'Shiva Drinking World Poison', which is among one of Nandlal Bose's most important works. 'It is also one of the largest of Nandalal Bose's works in size,' project editor Kishore Singh said. The visual canvas of Shiva sitting with a bowl of poison with the snakes fleeing in the distance uses the Japanese wash tradition made popular among 20th century Bengal masters by Kakuzo Okakura, who taught Abanindranath Tagore. Tagore passed on the skill to his star student Nandalal Bose. Untold stories shine between the pages. Vishwanath Nageshkar, who lived and worked in Germany, was inspired by European Cubist and war-time abstractionist. His canvas of genocide - bodies piled on a hill - in a colour palette of green and red has an eerie holocaust feel to it, shocking viewers with the bleakness of death and destruction. A student of J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, Nageshkar went to Paris to study at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts with Amrita Sher-Gil and then trained in Germany between 1938-40. It was not easy for an Indian artist to survive in war-time Germany and many of Nageshkar's paintings housed in Berlin and Wurzburg were destroyed during the war. Vivan Sundaram's oil composition on canvas, 'Passage' spreads like a centre-page in the anthology. The work was the piece de resistance of art critic and curator Geeta Kapur's exhibition, 'Place for People'. The origin of the work was in a series of art workshops that Sundaram held in the hills of Kasauli. Sundaram chooses three of his friends - Bhupen Khakkar, Nalini Malani and Sudhir Patwardhan - as the figurative studies for his canvas, which takes a look at urban life outside and inside the domestic spaces. 'The works chosen for the anthology represent the growth of modern art across regions like Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, across groups and mediums. You get a massive map of India at a glance. With each 'Manifestations', we introduce newer artists and show the richness and depth of our collection. We try to make it easy for people to understand and study art,' Kishore Singh said. (Madhusree Chatterjee can be contacted at madh...@ians.inmailto:madh...@ians.in) http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/04/10/58--A-walk-through-the-history-of-modern-Indian-art-Book-Review-.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] The Goa Project - Live coverage
Correction: The Goa project was covered live by NH7 here: http://live.nh7.in/ ( First 7 pages) ~Avelino
[Goanet] More on The Goa Project
The Goa Project, India's first Collaborative 'Unconference' By Sinead McManus In the perfect setting of Marbela Beach Resort, North Goa - The Goa Project, an experimental platform for diverse people to meet, solve problems, build relationships, and enable new collaborations, kicked off its first annual event last Thursday and Friday in Goa. The event brought together people from different walks of life, broken down into six tracks: entrepreneurship, performing arts and music, society, visual arts, fringe, and film. The Goa Project was the first platform in the country to bring together a kaleidoscopic collection of people through a grassroots, grounds-up, unconference format. The entire event was run by a group of 40 volunteers from across various disciplines. Moreover, the agenda was completely crowdsourced: all participants nominated a talk ahead of time on an online funnel, through which others could vote and decide which topics they wanted to be a part of The Goa Project experience. This meant that there was no difference between leader and listener, speaker and participant - everyone was an equal. Even a significant amount of the funding for The Goa Project came from personal contributions from individual supporters across the country. The final itinerary included a wide diversity of sessions, from a workshop on krav maga to a behind the scenes look at sex workers; from a teach-in on guerrilla filmmaking, to a lesson on pinhole photography; from debate on how to design Indian language solutions, to a futuristic gaze into robots. There were over 90 speakers, including: CEO of Only Much Louder, Vijay Nair; Former CRO of Air Deccan, John Kuruvilla; Director of PVR Director's Rare, Shiladitya Bora; Founder and Chief Dreamer for Teleradio Solutions, Sunita Maheshwari; Co Founder and Creative Chief at Dream:In, Sonia Manchanda; and founding partner at Seedfund, Mahesh Murthy. It was thrilling to see such deep dialogue and collaboration amongst people who had never met before - who never had a reason to meet before, states one of The Goa Project organisers, Vijay Anand. We've put the wheels in motion for a new paradigm of collaboration, about great leaders existing in fertile relationships with a diverse and motivated group of thinkers. Preetham VV, another organiser, added, Every participant achieved something here that they could not have achieved alone. Nor could they have achieved it in a space dedicated solely to their profession or place. Beyond the creative projects and initiatives that will come out of these two days, I believe we've also started a larger, much-needed dialogue about the need for cross-pollination of people and perspectives to solve the bigger problems that India faces today. http://www.navhindtimes.in/iexplore/goa-project-india-s-first-collaborative-unconference For pictures: http://www.facebook.com/TheGoaProject ~Avelino __ On Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 8:13 AM, vrangel...@aol.com vrangel...@aol.com wrote: Thanks for this very intriguing report, Avelino. Will there be detailed reports on any of the events? That way, those of us who could not be present will also benefit. Warm regards, Victor -Original Message- From: Avelino D'Souza fuloi.goenk...@gmail.com To: goa-research-net goa-research-...@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sun, Apr 7, 2013 1:11 am Subject: [Goa Research Net] The Goa Project - Unbridled cross-pollination of ideas Creative wonderland
[Goanet] The Goa Project -Unbridled cross-pollination of ideas
Creative wonderland Unbridled cross-pollination of ideas... That's what happened over two days, 90 talks and 10 workshops at The Goa Project Over 300 creative professionals - entrepreneurs, filmmakers, performing and visual artists, designers, social workers, travellers, inventors, among others - made it to Goa for a rather unique social experiment and unconference called The Goa Project recently to bond and share ideas by the beach through 90 talks, 10 workshops and umpteen bottles of beer. I saw a lawyer master pinhole photography. I saw technologists become engaged with the art of smells and scents. I saw artists collaborate with politicians on urban design. The moments were all beautiful and stimulating. Because they were about more than ourselves, or the type of person we represent, as Caitlin Marinelli, one of the core group members of The Goa Project, sums up the success of the inter-disciplinary unconference that experimented with cross-pollination of ideas. LIFE STORIES The sessions were a mix of personal motivational stories and observations of public behaviour. As Vijay Nair, founder of Only Much Louder (the company that launched NH7), one of the keynote speakers on day one, said: Take stereotypes seriously. Because they are mostly true. South Bombay kids. If there's a concert in Pune, they would drive down. Goregaon, they don't show up. Or as John Kuruvilla, the innovator responsible for Air Deccan's launch and take-off, shared how he risked going to jail by almost flouting prescribed safety standards for aircrafts or for pizza kitchens at petrol bunks, to find ways to exploit opportunities in the unlikeliest of situations. From actor Seema Rahmani's deeply personal spiritual talk to entrepreneur's Shiladitya Bora's hilarious account of his journey to building a brand to traveller Mahesh Murthy's inspiring session on hacking global travel that instantly made everyone want to take an international holiday, the sessions opened up minds. Being at TGP was like spending time in creative wonderland. To discover so many talented individuals in such a gorgeous informal beach setting was exceptional and a first-of-a-kind experience, says Sandeep Makam, ad man and track manager of Visual Arts, who flaunted a name badge that read 'Already Drunk. Do Not Disturb'. PEOPLE FASCINATION It was also an opportunity to network with the dream merchants themselves. During his session, we had the producer of radical Tamil films, Sashikant from Y Not Studios, give out his email address in public, asking people to mail him concepts. We had a pitch session where people could quickly pitch their movie ideas and get feedback from experts, says Javeeth Ahmed, who managed the Film Track. For Udhay Shankar, from the core team behind The Goa Project, It was a way of continuing my lifelong fascination with collecting interesting people. Given both the breadth and depth of conversations on offer, the only thing in shortage was boredom. And sleep. The project was put together not by an organisation but by collective collaboration of 40 volunteers. Sumeet Anand, from the core team, said, I was sad not being able to attend any of the tracks, but the biggest gift from TGP was the relationships I made, some new, some evolved, some won! It was a meeting great minds, all wanting and chasing powerful dreams. And one of those dreams was the success of TGP itself. At the end of it, the hosts Vijay Anand and Preetham VV were in a daze. It changed us all, says Vijay. In the midst of a meeting of equals - all having goals, and insights and visions bigger than themselves, ego left the building, and opened up an opportunity to share, learn and embrace. As Seema Rahmani said, it's the union of the anomalies, the unreasonables through which come progress. http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/creative-wonderland/article4584683.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] Lizards out of reach, goats may salvage Goa's ghumat
Lizards out of reach, goats may salvage Goa's ghumat Panaji, April 7 (IANS) Stringent wildlife laws are hammering long, legal nails into the coffin of one of Goa's very few indigenous musical instruments, the ghumat. Could goats be an alternative to the monitor lizard, whose tough treated skin is stretched taut across the mouth of the ghumat, which is actually a unqiuely designed clay-pot? While monitor lizards, once hunted frequently across the state's forested hillsides, are now protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act and their hides are rare and very expensive contraband, taking the ghumat - Goa's answer to the dholak and the tabla - to the brink of extinction. But help could be at hand. There is no point ruing about anything. We switched to goat skin after monitor lizard skins became rare, said Vinayak Akhadkar, 62, a leading ghumat player in Goa who has a troupe that plays at several competitions as well as Ganesh Chaturthi ceremonies, during which a 'ghumat arti' has a special significance. According to Rohan Khaunte, an independent member of the Goa assembly, we should accord it official recognition as a traditional state instrument and then find ways to salvage it or we will lose it forever. Khuante had moved a private member's bill during the budget session of the Goa assembly last month to safeguard the fading thump of the ghumat. What Goa's lawmakers agreed during the discussions to salvage the ghumat was that the instrument perhaps needed to adapt to survive in a world which was keen to value its wildlife, at least when it comes to public commitments. Chief minister Manohar Parrikar summed it up in one line. You have to change with the times. We have to find out substitutes for monitor skin, he said. Apart from goats, there could be other alternatives. Vishnu Wagh, a versatile artiste and also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator claims that synthetic material could also be developed to ensure that the legacy of the ghumat survives. It's a matter of getting the sound right. The pores and scales on the monitor lizard creates that special ghumat sound. Synthetic material could be developed to calibrate the same sound effect, he said. (Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhusha...@ians.inmailto:mayabhusha...@ians.in) http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/04/07/93--Lizards-out-of-reach-goats-may-salvage-Goa-s-ghumat-.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] The new Indian Art Centre promises to be a mesmerising journey for art enthusiasts and collectors in London
The new Indian Art Centre promises to be a mesmerising journey for art enthusiasts and collectors in London London's newest art gallery, The Indian Art Centre, claims that its mixture of Indian Art and Antiques will take every visitor on a journey of their own; helping reflect India in its richness, differences, mixture and complexity Posted: 5 April 2013 This press release has received 48 unique views (Source: Google API) London, United Kingdom, April, 2013 -- One of the most awe-inspiring qualities of art, be it ancient or contemporary, is that a single piece can hold a different meaning for each person that sees it; a single painting can hold a separate meaning for every individual that stops to admire it because their perspective is altered by their personality and what they've experienced. Based on this principle, London's newest art gallery, The Indian Art Centre, claims that its mixture of Indian Art and Antiques will take every visitor on a journey of their own; helping reflect India in its richness, differences, mixture and complexity. The Indian Art Centre website allows viewers to browse the gallery, which has also been dubbed an online curated showroom for Indian Art Antiques, before deciding whether or not to request an in-person demonstration. According to Lucie Marchelot, owner of The Indian Art Centre, there is a growing demand for art online and the online Art Market is getting stronger with sales conducted via online galleries and online auctions. The centre has invested heavily into creating an online showroom with high resolution photography of each piece, combined with accurate descriptions - allowing people to view the pieces from the comfort of their own home. Each piece that we display on our website has been examined for signs of forgery and undergone significant research to help provide the buyer with as much information as possible on the pieces that they are most interested in. The Indian Art Centre ensures the legitimacy of every piece by using a combination of high-resolution photography and the skills that I picked up while earning my degree in Art History and the Art Market, explained Marchelot. For those interested in selling Indian Art Antiques, The Indian Art Centre offers a special consignment scheme for those wishing to sell their pieces through the gallery; rather than taking a sizeable commission from both the buyer and the seller, Marchelot says the gallery takes a small percentage of the sale on the seller's side to cover costs associated with marketing. The owner can keep hold of their individual piece until a sale is concluded, to help eliminate issues with delivery and insurance. An extensive list of collectors and dealers have already signed up to the Indian Art Centre, the website can be found at www.theindianartcentre.comhttp://www.theindianartcentre.com. http://www.journalism.co.uk/press-releases/the-new-indian-art-centre-promises-to-be-a-mesmerising-journey-for-art-enthusiasts-and-collectors-in-london/s66/a552583/ ~Avelino
[Goanet] Release of artist Vamona Navelcar's biography
Release of artist Vamona Navelcar's biography Apr 3, 2013, 04.35AM IST Gallery Gitanjali, Panaji, will host the launch of artist Vamona Navelcar's biography on April 12 at 6pm. Entitled 'Vamona Navelcar: An Artist of Three Continents', the book by Anne Kettringham will be a limited edition print signed personally by Navelcar. The book launch will also mark the opening of Navelcar's retrospective exhibition. The exhibition will continue till April 19. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-03/goa/38247237_1_iranian-film-sachin-chatte-sunaparanta ~Avelino
[Goanet] Curryland Chronicles: Burning Down the House
Curryland Chronicles: Burning Down the House by ALLISON COHN on Apr 2, 2013 * 6:47 am Down the street there is a tiny bakery. There is no sign out front and I am not sure if it even has a name. It is a modest store front with two steps up to get inside. The place is immaculate. There is always at least one pair of sandals out front- sort of like the dollar in the hypothetical tip jar- making sure that others know to follow the subtle example. The white floors gleam and the walls are painted neon green. There is a small display case inside containing the day's fresh picks with hand written labels: chocolate balls, chocolate forest cake, cheese cake, coconut cookies, and of course, the signature mango pie. Made from fresh mangoes every morning. Where is the kitchen? Right there, covered up behind a black hanging cloth curtain from what appears to be a laundry line that runs from wall to wall. There is one table that sits against the wall with drab table cloth on it and several plastic stools around. The menu offers egg sandwiches on homemade brown bread and they serve masala tea in small glass cups without handles. Something we often take for granted at home is the tradition of serving hot beverages in mugs with handles or some sort of heat resistant materials. Here, not only is the tea serving boiling hot, but the cups are often 8-12 oz and plain old glass. So you daintily pick up the cup with your finger tips in the fraction of space between where the top of the tea and the top of the glass barely meet and take baby sips. Or simply wait until the tea cools enough to touch the glass. The bakery closes tomorrow. The sweet Nepalese girl who is often working there once shared with us her orange with a soft, Yes, please, as she held out the slivers of fruit to us. She has become a staple in my day. As I walk by the bakery, I always give her a warm smile and an attempted head wobble and she grins back. It is a strange thing: the end of the tourist season in Goa. It feels like that summer I stayed at college in between semesters. The crowds cleared out. There were no lines at the grocery store. Some places closed for weeks or months at a time to remodel or simply because there wasn't enough business to be had. There is something sort of sad about the crowds all fleeing until next year. It is sort of bittersweet, but also like being a part of an exclusive club. The travelers who came to enjoy themselves in a scenic place, not the tourists who came during the peak of the parties and festivals. Either way, I'm definitely going to miss that mango pie. But here in Arambol, the bars and restaurants and guest houses that are closing down literally disappear. When returning a day later to the place we had eaten lunch at less than 24 hours ago, all that remains is the bamboo skeleton structure. The floor cushions and tapestries in a pile in the sand, the sign tossed aside, the tables stacked haphazardly, no one in sight. Recently, when trying to return to a local eatery for a cup of tea, we walked up the road and back, confused. Had we passed the place? Surely not. Upon retracing our steps back up the street, we realized that the smoldering pile of ashes and debris we hadn't given a second glance to (assuming it was just another trash fire) were the remains our attempted destination. It's like the end of Burning Man, once the gigantic art pieces begin to burn down you lose all of your previously noted landmarks and can't find your way back to camp. After talking to Raj, the owner of a well-known local coffee house, it was made apparent that every year the businesses disassemble at the end of the tourist season, but before the monsoons come, only to be entirely reconstructed the following year. This made lots of sense all of a sudden, as I remembered trying to find Dylan's (Raj's coffee shop) upon our arrival in Arambol and was extraordinarily perplexed to find it located behind a massive yellow guest house, when I could have sworn that last year it sat in front of this place (it's interior was laid out identical to last year's configurations). Raj assured me that, yes, this year they had built the cafe behind the guest house, but next year they would be back in front again. Raj was preparing to make his post-Goa season trek north, as are many of the other Indian and Nepali shop owners and employees. It seems that hardly anyone actually lives in Goa. Our taxi driver friend, Santan, is Goan and proud, boasting of how the local taxi boys often have to band together to settle disputes with drunken and unruly Russian boys. Also the local bookshop keeper, Vishwa, is a Goan native who claims to never have been to the north, except for the one time he went to Delhi for a business excursion but he promptly got on a plane and flew straight home after only a few hours. Vishwa claims that Delhi scares him, with people dressed poorly and on drugs (the same way the
[Goanet] Goa considering Playboy's proposal to set up club: Minister
Goa considering Playboy's proposal to set up club: Minister Panaji: Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar told the state legislative assembly today that the government is considering Playboy's proposal to set up a club at Candolim beach, responding to a question by BJP legislator Michael Lobo on the floor of the House. Mr Lobo had asked whether permission has been granted to Playboy to operate a shack at Candolim beach, while Mr Parulekar replied that the proposal is under consideration. However, the tourism minister said that the government will not encourage tourism trade which promotes vulgarity. The minister's statement contradicts the announcement made by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who had publicly assured that Playboy would not be allowed in the state as it might promote vulgarity. The Indian franchise of the US-based group had announced its plans in November last year to set up a club in Goa. Playboy's property at Candolim beach has been planned as the first among 100-odd properties the group intends to open in India during the next ten years. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/goa-considering-playboy-s-proposal-to-set-up-club-minister-348910 ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goa packs the year ahead with fun, frolic festivities
Goa packs the year ahead with fun, frolic festivities Your favourite holiday destination, Goa, is soon going to get a cultural lift. The state tourism department is planning a tourism calendar. The Goa government, headed by IIT-Bombay graduate Manohar Parrikar, is trying to woo tourists throughout the year by organising cultural festivals and constructing theme parks. Besides beaches and the food, Goa has a rich culture and vast ecological wealth. We want the world to experience this side of Goa too, said Dilip Parulekar, the tourism minister of Goa. The government has planned an extensive event calender that features at least one festival every month. This will be an attraction for tourists during the off season too. Goa attracts nearly 13% of foreign tourists coming to India. Nearly 30 lakh tourists including five lakh foreigners visited the state in 2012-13. Nikhil Desai, managing director of Goa Tourism Development Corporation, said, We don't want to promote the state as conducive for rave parties or cheap liquor. We would like to project Goa as a safe destination for women and wonderful experience for the entire family. With Western Ghats on one side and Arabian Sea on another, Goa has wildlife sanctuaries, sacred groves, waterfalls, lakes and coconut and cashew plantations. Festivals like Shigmo and Narakasur Vadh are also being publicised by the government. A huge convention centre, for events and exhibitions, is underway. With the theme parks, we want to position Goa as a holiday destination for families. We wish to attract double income single-kid families, Desai added. A new airport terminal opening in June will decongest the present terminal. The budget of Shigmo festival which is Rs3 crore this time will touch Rs5 crore next year. Road shows To attract Indian tourists during monsoon, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation will organise a road show in May in UP, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. These states are very hot in June while monsoon has already set in in Goa. Goa attracts nearly 13% of foreign tourists coming to India. Nearly 30 lakh tourists including five lakh foreigners visited the state in 2012-13. Event calendar January Wine festival Feb 2014 Goa Carnival March 2014 Shigmotsav April Heritage festival May Cashew and coconut festival June-July Rain festival Oct- Nov Narkasur Vadh celebration December Christmas and feast of St Francis Xavier http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/1817941/report-goa-packs-the-year-ahead-with-fun-frolic-and-festivities ~Avelino
[Goanet] Book Review: Afterlife: ghost stories from goa
Beyond the grave By Chethana Dinesh, March 31, 2013: It's Savio Fonseca's 75th birthday. His daughters Carol and Joanna, and son-in-law Sam, have come all the way from the US for the happy occasion. On the eve of the grand celebrations, it starts to rain heavily and Savio Fonseca's paternal cousin Eduardo drops in with his family. At that very moment, the power fails, and candles are lit. Even as they all settle down comfortably in their seats and treat themselves to generous amounts of yummy bibinca, the setting proves perfect to swap stories, stories of their encounter with the preternatural. The fact that Joanna is woking on her third book, a fictitious collection of ghost stories, gives the gathering a perfect excuse to dig into their memories and recount their experiences with the 'Other'. Thus begins Jessica Faleiro's debut novel, Afterlife: Ghost Stories from Goa. As we turn the pages, interesting stories start tumbling out, and skeletons from the cupboards too, piquing our interest. A relative visits the family matriarch in the form of a koel; a young priest participates in his first ever exorcism of a seven-year-old boy possessed by an old man's spirit; a girl who dares to sleep in a haunted library, as part of her ragging by her seniors, is found hanging the next morning; in his hurry to reach home, a man takes a shortcut through an abandoned burial place, only to be pulled up for it by a face he can't seem to forget; a 10-year-old sees her dead uncle's chair rocking in his house next door... Well, these are just teasers of the many spooky stories the book holds within itself. Stories that make us wonder if shadows have a face, or if the incessant cawing of the crow outside has a message for us, from 'you-know-who'. Well, that's how convincing Jessica Faleiro's narrative is. As the stories unfold, Afterlife... introduces us to some uncomfortable truths about the Fonseca family and more, truths that Savio had guarded his children against; that the Fonsecas are the result of an illegitimate affair between a Catholic priest and a Portuguese aristocratic lady at a time the Inquisition was about to end in Goa, adding spice to the narrative. The very fact that the author uses Goan history as the backdrop to her stories deserves to be commended, though the details of the Inquisition are, at times, highly disturbing. At once lyrical and gripping, Afterlife... is a page-turner right from the word 'go'. Though the stories in the collection are not scary in the real sense of the word, they are experiences which most of us have either heard, or read about, somewhere, sometime. But, there ends the comparison. Towards the end of the book is the real twist, something none of us are prepared for, that leaves us thoroughly shaken. The author has lent all her characters, especially Lillian (Savio's wife) and Joanna (the narrator), such great charm that their strength of character lingers in our minds long after we have closed the book. They could be anyone from our own families. And, the book has a distinct Goan flavour to it, in the mention of its cuisine and the happy-go-lucky attitude of the many characters who people the book. However, the title, Afterlife, Ghost Stories from Goa, is a bit misleading, for, the story narrated by Sam is set in Martha's Vineyard, in faraway Massachusetts! In short, a perfect read for a rainy evening, when the power snaps... Afterlife: ghost stories from goa Jessica Faleiro Rupa 2012, pp 157 Rs 150 http://www.deccanherald.com/content/322722/beyond-grave.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] ‘Digant’ is Goan, and we are very proud of that: Moghe
‘Digant’ is Goan, and we are very proud of that: Moghe Joseph Zuzarte, TNN | Mar 31, 2013, 04.55 AM IST PANAJI: 'Digant' (Boundless), a Goan Konkani movie, has been shortlisted as one of the official Indian entries to the prestigious Cannes film festival in France later this summer. STOI met the film's director Dnyanesh Moghe to find out more. Is Digant in the competition section? I really don't know for sure, but I think it's in the competition section. We came to know through the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) of India in Delhi. We're very happy and extremely proud that the DFFI has sent 'Digant' to France for participation to Cannes. But we know our technical limitations, and we know the standard of 'Digant', so we're not expecting a miracle. This is our first major film made with a humble budget of 40 lakh. To be honest, we did not expect our film to be selected as the official entry, so we're very proud. Did you finance it yourself? No, we made this film under the finance scheme of the Entertainment Society of Goa. They gave us 15 lakh. Besides which they give Rs 5 lakh if your film is shown at Indian film festivals, as our film was shown at Iffi forum and MAMI, we got 10 lakh. We had also sent the film to the Berlin festival, but it was not selected. But we couldn't send to other Indian festivals because we were late. Who has produced the movie 'Digant'? The film has been produced by Sanjay Shetye of Vinson Graphics. It is 90% made in Goa with Goan actors, technicians, and others. Only some post-production was done in Mumbai, likecolour correction, Dolby. So it's Goan and we're very proud of that. We shot the film on the Goa border with Maharashtra in Bicholim because it's about the Dhangar community who have their houses there. A lot of people helped, so we could manage in the small budget. Was the story written by you? The story is by Prasad Lolienkar but the screenplay and dialogues are written by me. I am the director. I have made a lot of Konkani films and documentaries. You may have heard of 'Kantneantle Full' which was made by me. I've made a lot of films for Manfa Productions. Because of that, I thought I should do a serious film, which is how 'Digant' came about. When we made the film we thought of sending it to the different Indian film festivals, but we never thought it would go for an international film festival like Cannes. Have you thought of dubbing and releasing it in Hindi or Marathi? Frankly we don't have that kind of budget to do dubbing. Also you need a lot of money for distribution, dubbing, publicity, and I don't think we will be able to recover that kind of money even if we manage to do the dubbing and release it in Hindi. We have to look at the practical side of it. Even if you take original films in Hindi and Marathi only about four or five succeed from the hundreds released, so I don't think it will work. Moreover, it's a Goan film meant for a Goan audience because of the Goan ethos it portrays. Also it already has English sub-titles, so it's not difficult to understand for non-Konkani speaking people. We're now going to show the film free of cost in different Goan villages through the ESG which gives 5,000 for each show. If you achieve something in Cannes then you can show it at other international festivals? It will be a miracle. I know the standards of films shown at Cannes, so I'm quite realistic of the standard of my film, compared to the other films. I'm honoured that it has gone so far. Is a second film going to come? We're already working on the screenplay for the second film which is also being written by Prasad Lolienkar. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Digant-is-Goan-and-we-are-very-proud-of-that-Moghe/articleshow/19300970.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goan lad 'scores' memorable goal at Anfield
Goan lad 'scores' memorable goal at Anfield Goa,Sports, Mon, 25 Mar 2013IANS Panaji, March 25 (IANS) Young Goan entrepreneur Anish Quenim has scored the goal of his life on the hallowed green turf of Anfield, home to Liverpool, a legendary English football club. And no, Anish, a rough and tumble rugby player himself, did not pick a pass from the team captain Steven Gerard and slammed the football home. Instead, smartly dressed in a suit and a striped red tie, the kopite, a dyed-in-the-wool fan, got hitched earlier this year at the 121-year old Anfield football stadium in an almost fairytale tribute to his two loves; his sweetheart Natasha and the Liverpool football club. Since I was a little boy, I used to say, if I marry, it will be a princess and it will be in a kingdom and that 'kingdom' for me was always Anfield. Today, I'm glad I achieved both dreams. I always wanted to step on the Liverpool Pitch someday, if not as a player, if not as an owner, if not as a staff then at least as one of Liverpool FC's most passionate supporter, Anish told IANS. The Goan lad runs a chain of hospitality businesses, including a lounge bar and diner, a beach club in partnership with renowned entertainer DJ Aqeel, features on the British football club's official website as one of the star fans. Anish Quenim and Natasha Mistry made the 6,800-mile trip from Goa to tie the knot at a ceremony inside the club's L4 home. After making their vows, it was off for a tour of the world-famous stadium before a wedding breakfast in one of the boxes overlooking the hallowed turf, Liverpool football club's official website says, sporting photos of the beaming couple. Anish cannot get over the fact that his dream of associating himself with Liverpool FC since the age of three has finally come to fruition and how! When I was three, my uncle gifted me the Liverbird crest (the official emblem of club) and ever since I've grown up to envision myself as a supporter and dreamt of someday associating with the Club, he said. According to him, a dream marriage on the football pitch could even set a trend of sorts. Well, would love to set a benchmark and a trend for weddings. But hopefully it'll inspire many to achieve many a dream, not just marriage, he claims. And the hospitality specialists at the English club are only ready for more on-pitch weddings. The club has even floated a special wedding package, Get married at Anfield for just 4,499 pounds, which is approximately Rs.3.73 lakh. The club also offers services of a specialist wedding co-ordinator, civil ceremony room on hire, a three course breakfast and meals and access to vantage spaces in Liverpool and its hallowed museum. Our wedding packages are designed with simplicity in mind. You can select from unique Wedding Breakfast Packages or Evening Buffet Packages where all of the work is done for you, the club's website states. A kopite all his life, Anish swears by the service on offer. No fee or figure can compensate the incredible experience we had in Liverpool. Special love and regards to the incredible hospitality at Anfield. They do exhibit You'll Never Walk Alone (the club's motto) in some style, he says. http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/03/25/234--Goan-lad-scores-memorable-goal-at-Anfield-.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] When processions dance in tribute to myth legend
When processions dance in tribute to myth legend Young and old dance rhythmically to the beats of the ghumat (drum made of monitor lizard skin), shamel (small drum made of goat skin), tasha, cymbals and gongs as the tonya mell form of folkdance takes centrestage at the pandals of every household in Canacona during Shigmo. Songs eulogizing the rich legacy of spiritualismare sung to the accompaniment of folk instruments and to artistes dancing in a rhythmic motion. This art form, practiced especially by the tribals in Goa, is a fountain of amusement that connects the past to the present. Similar to the garbha, with the exception that only men perform it, tonya mell is the preferred choice of youth and children as it requires a lot of energy. The word tonyo or toni means a stick, while mell is a troupe of dancers. The hand movements have many similarities with those used in Gujarat's dandiya raas. Rhythmic harmony of the highest quality is required when it comes to performing the tonya mell. Says Janu Velip of Mollar, Tonya mell is an integral part of our life. Our forefathers practiced it and now the new generation is following suit. This folkdance needs a big push at the national front. Most religious festivals see the tonya mell performed enthusiastically. Babuli Mokhardkar of Poinguinim adds, The songs help us dwell deeply on our rich cultural heritage and societal values... it is sheer amusement and a confluence of the past and the present. Taal gadi: Deities' legends come alive in Ponda Taal gadi is a popular folkdance performed especially in Antruj Mahal as the Ponda taluka is known. Taal means rhythm and gadi means men. A group of artistes perform a short play based on mythological or historical significance accompanied by drums, trumpets, cymbals, flutes, etc. This outdoor dance is mostly performed during festivals and rituals associated with spring and is noted for its elegance. The legends of prominent deities which are enshrined in our literature come alive through taal gadi, as the roles are performed in a sequential manner by the group artistes. The culture and traditions of all those who ruled Goa during the four yugas find manifestation in this art form. The dancers wear colourful costumes and dance to the beats of the ghumat, shamel, zanj (cymbals) etc. The dancers move around the village giving performances in the courtyard of every house. We have kept our age-old traditions alive through this art form and it is quite encouraging that the new generation takes keen interest too, says Madhukar Naik of Ponda. Moral values are imbibed through the performance, he adds. Kishore Mardolkar of Ponda says, I participated in taal gadi as a child, now I teach it to youngsters. We can learn many lessons of religious importance through taal gadi. Romta mell: When maands march in thanksgiving Romta mell is a marching procession-cum-ceremonial thanksgiving dance performed by the stakeholders of various maands (place within a village temple's precincts where the community prayer is offered). Behind a huge banner strung to poles at either end villagers dressed in colourful attire march in a rhythmic motion carrying ceremonial red velvet umbrellas, festooned sticks and batons. The procession is taken around the village. Sometimes, the procession is led by a character disguised as Lord Hanuman. Young and old also disguise themselves as mythological figures and perform before the crowd. The size of the romta mell procession depends on the number of members enrolled at the designated maands. It is the great unifying factor for the village community as they try to portray themselves as the biggest romta mell for which the presence of all members is imperative. The procession is often deafening, albeit spellbinding, as the participants march to the loud beats of dhols (huge percussion instruments), trumpets, cymbals and gongs. Divlyancho naach (lamp dance): Performing the divlyancho naach is a tightrope walk for folk artistes. It is very popular among the tribal community. Flexibility of the dancers is paramount as they balance a brass lamp on the head while their hands hold burning wicks. The accompanying instruments include the ghumat, shamel, cymbal and harmonium. The choreography includes exquisite, matching footwork. Practices begin a month ahead of Shigmo as there is no chance for error, says Nanu Gaunkar of Gulem in Canacona taluka. The artistes have to take care and precaution as balancing the lamp on the head and the wicks in the hands require hard work, determination and a positive attitude, he explains. Community member Saju Gaonkar adds, We have kept our tradition alive despite all odds. In the present day, artistes cannot devote their time fully to this art form as the remuneration is not much and there is no support from authorities. However, he says, We will showcase this form of art in the future too come what may.''
[Goanet] The Goa Project Two-Day Arts Conference Set for March 28-29
The Goa Project Two-Day Arts Conference Set for March 28-29 On March 28th and 29th, thought leaders from various disciplines will convene in Goa for an event that promises to bring confluence among interesting and diverse people. The Goa Project is a two day unconference, made up of six tracks - entrepreneurship, film, society, performing arts and music, fringe, and visual arts. Each track is a creative hybrid of workshops, teach-ins, and roundtables - tossed together with jam sessions, exhibitions, and show-and-tell. The goal is to create an engaging environment where people from different walks of life can expand their horizons, broaden their perspectives, and share their skills. Preetham VV, one of the organizers of the event, says that India is in dire need of an event like The Goa Project. In a nation as diverse as ours, with such extensive cultural and thought diversity, the only way to bring about significant and widespread change is through meaningful cross-disciplinary collaboration. Indeed, the event is being attended by reputable members of all communities, from technology to art, social work to physics. It has even attracted diverse speakers, ranging from the founder of Only Much Louder, Vijay Nair, to Sunita Maheshwari, one of the most influential women in healthcare in India. Bringing motivated, smart people outside the confines of their limited social and professional networks is a critical ingredient towards personal inspiration and national progress, explains Vijay Anand, another one of the brains behind the initiative. And it is taking place in Goa in order to transplant people from the hustle and bustle of their cities into a setting that promotes open-mindedness. The Goa Project has been compared to other collaborative initiatives, such as Ted Conferences, Telhelka's ThinkFest, and South by Southwest in the U.S. However, the event stands out for its 'unconference' format and people-oriented approach. Attendees submit topics for discussion and debate on The Goa Project Funnel before the event. Everyone who shows up is a potential speaker, and those who don't speak contribute by posting photos, blog entries, podcasts, and video clips of the proceedings. The organizers believe that attendees will learn new skills, challenges their assumptions, and form partnerships for their work. More importantly, however, the long term impact of The Goa project will be a thought movement, where society recognises the value in new and different perspectives, and cross-pollination of ideas becomes a standard of progress. To register for The Goa Project, visit www.thegoaproject.com. http://india.broadwayworld.com/article/The-Goa-Project-Two-Day-Arts-Conference-Set-for-March-28-29-20130312 ~Avelino
[Goanet] After Goa Carnival's samba, get ready for Shigmo cymbals
After Goa Carnival's samba, get ready for Shigmo cymbals Goa, Sun, 24 Mar 2013IANS Panaji, March 24 (IANS) Now that the Goa Carnival's samba season is well and truly over, get ready for the deafening cymbals of Shigmo, often referred to by historians as the Goan adaptation of the Holi festival. The lull of post-carnival Lent in Goa will be broken by the Hindu spring festival, which, like the carnival, is marked by street parades, colour and fanfare and the ring of traditional instruments. The 14-day Shigmo will get under way on Holi, March 27. Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said close to Rs.1.75 crore has been invested to organise this year's celebrations, as part of the state government's effort to promote Goa as a cultural tourism destination. We want to ensure that Goa's traditions and culture are brought out from villages and showcased to tourists who come here. Our job is to bring to the fore the real Goa with Shigmo celebrations, Parulekar told IANS. Parulekar said the festival would attract 100,000 tourists to the state. The Goa Carnival and Shigmo share several common practices like parades of floats where khells (plays) are depicted. Khell was originally a Shigmo custom. It was enacted on the ground itself in pre-Portuguese days. The Portugal-inspired carnival later started enacting these plays on float parades, said renowned theatre artiste and former speaker of Goa assembly Tomazinho Cardozo. The traditional khell traces its origins to the classical Yakshagana dance of Karnataka and is based on old Hindu tales with a Sutradhar or narrator and a jester called a Kodangi, he added. The Shigmo procession begins with brass bands reminiscent of the Maratha conquerors, followed by a series of Kunbi (an indigenous Goan tribe) folk dances performed by women bedecked with gold and wearing brightly coloured sarees. Long before Christianity arrived, Hinduism was the major religion practised by Goa's people. Shigmo is a proof that Goans were fun-loving people much before the arrival of the Portuguese. Besides a unique form of entertainment, Shigmo is also a cultural exhibition of Goa's history from time immemorial, according to historian Anil Naik. Men march with tall and colourfully draped wooden poles to the beat of drums, while others dance with decorated umbrellas. Both men and women in elaborate costumes, representing various deities, can also be seen during Shigmo parades, which are held in all major towns in the state. The procession culminates in a march of illuminated floats, atop which larger than life mechanical figures represent important deities and some even re-enact historic and mythological feats. And this is just the kind of culturally rich and vibrant fare that the state's Shigmotsava committee, which organises the festival, wants to promote. Goa is so rich in culture. Our effort is to ensure that through Shigmo, the village culture of Goa, is there for everyone to see, said Srinivas Dempo, who heads the Panaji Shigmotsava Committee. (Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhusha...@ians.in) http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/03/24/71--After-Goa-Carnival-s-samba-get-ready-for-Shigmo-cymbals-.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] 'Kelekar enriched Konkani'
'Kelekar enriched Konkani' Jnanpith award winner Ravindra Rajaram Kelekar was an eminent litterateur who brought name and fame to the Konkani language through his writings, Konkani activist and Sahitya Akademi award winner N Purushothama Mallaya has said. Inaugurating the national seminar on the life and work of Ravindra Kelekar at the Maharaja's College the other day, Mallaya said the Konkani language possessed the historical background and the literary wealth to stand shoulder to shoulder with any other language in the country. The seminar was organised by the Malayalam Department of the Maharaja's College jointly with the Ernakulam Cluster of Colleges as part of the G Sankara Kurup Memorial Jnanpith Puraskar lecture series. Maharaja's College Principal Mary Mettilda presided over the function. Kerala Konkani Sahitya Akademi chairman Payyannur Ramesh Pai delivered the keynote address. It was followed by the presentation of paper by R S Bhaskar on Ravindra Kelekar's literary contributions. Saratchandra Shenoi presented a paper on the views of Kelekar in Bharatiya Sanskriti and P N Sivananda Shenoi presented a paper on the role of Ravindra Sahitya in the freedom movement. http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1509806.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] Mumbai-Goa bus accident, at least 37 killed
http://www.indianexpress.com/picture-gallery/pics-mumbaigoa-bus-accident-at-least-37-killed-/2330-4.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Exhibition of rare paintings by Goan, Antonio Xavier Trindade, captures Christ's life
Life of Christ By Michael Gonsalves Mar 14 2013 As Christians observe season of Lent, an exhibition of rare paintings by Antonio Xavier Trindade captures Christ's life Art curator Dominic Corda is holding an exhibition of a series of rare paintings at St Patrick's Town in Pune on various facets of Jesus Christ that fit into the theme of the ongoing season of Lent observed by Christians around the world. The collection of paintings by renowned Goan portrait painter Antonio Xavier Trindade (1870-1935) fittingly puts the visitors in a deep meditative mood of Lent season, the 40-day period of fasts, prayers and sacrifices. The prolonged days and nights of retrospection and examination of life beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 20) are reminder to 'remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,' to the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, to the joyful Easter on Sunday (March 31). The 40-day season of Lent that leads to the joy of Easter is the most sacred and spiritually powerful journey in the Christian calendar, and therefore, this exhibition coincides with it, Corda, 50, told FC Roar. He said these paintings are carefully selected to fit into the Christian theme of 40 days of fasts and prayers. Lent is a time when Christians are invited to examine their faith, and deepen the commitment to live the Christian life of love, service and charity. The painting of a Biblical woman washing Christ's feet is an invitation to turn away from sin, ask for forgiveness and surrender at the feet of the lord, Corda said. His series on Christ such as The Last Supper, Ecco Homo (Christ with a crown of thorns), Meditation at Garden of Gethsemane, Death on the Cross, The Good Shepherd, The Samaritan Woman at the Well, Healing St Peter's wife's mothery John the Baptist, The Young Rich Man, Resurrected Christ appearing to Mary Ma, On the way to Emmaus, St Peter and Christ, The Flight to Egypt, Christ's Baptism b gdalene et all draw viewers to a deep meditation on the meaning of life and a soul-searching journey. The series offers an opportunity to viewers, especially Christians, to walk together with Christ as pilgrims through this season of Lent and discover one's inner voice until Easter Sunday on March 31. These visuals are so powerful that viewing them lends itself to walking with Christ and experience the power of divinity to purify one's soul, Corda said. Today these paintings are priceless, Corda said, adding that The woman washing Christ's feet oil on canvas painting was quoted at around £25,000-30,000 in Bonhams Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings, September 2006, London. This painting illustrates a combination of European style and religious themes found in his oeuvre, Corda said. He said Trindade, trained at the age of 19 in the Sir J J School of Art in Mumbai and later appointed as a teacher there, had a strongly Roman Catholic upbringing in the Portuguese colony of Goa. He was an expert in handling pencil, charcoal and watercolour as well as oil painting. Referred by the art critics as 'Rembrandt of the East', the artist, hailing from Asnova village in Goa, shot to fame for his masterful portraits and landscapes winning several prizes in Bombay Art Society's annual exhibitions. He won a gold medal in 1920 at the same society for his portrait of a Maharashtrian Lady. This painting is showcased at the J J School of Art and one can see the quality of his workmanship and skill as a great master artist, Corda said. Interestingly, Trindade had a unique style of painting. I was surprised to find in my collection his unique style of painting scenes and portraits. For example, the Flight to Egypt wherein Joseph takes his foster wife Mary and baby Jesus on a donkey, to escape the wrath of King Herod, who had ordered to kill all males below the age of two, is first sketched in sepia ink (a reddish-brown colour) and then, the final painting in oil on canvas is perfected, Corda, a finder and collector of art for the last 12 years, said. According to legend, Trindade had lots of paintings on religious themes, which were rarely seen by anyone. In that sense, this collection is unique which showcases his deep spiritual inner journey, Corda said. He said there is great similarity between the style of Dutch portrait painters and Trindade's works. The effects of his paintings are slightly dull, but the technique of blending and merging colours in the paintings show his great versatility and craftsmanship of creating masterpieces, he said. Among the Indian portrait painters, the Goan painter had a distinctly classical approach. His Roman Catholic upbringing in Portuguese Goa greatly influenced both his technique and the theme that he chose. Besides oil portraits of well-known figures of his time, Trindade's oeuvre also included several intimate domestic scenes featuring his family, servants and itinerant mendicants. Corda said due to his
[Goanet] Goa govt announces e-note books for fifth and sixth graders
Goa govt announces e-note books for fifth and sixth graders Thousands of fifth and sixth graders in government and aided schools in Goa will be given e-notepads from academic year 2013, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said today. The students studying in fifth and sixth standards will get the e-notepads in June, when schools restart, said Parrkiar, who also holds Education portfolio. He said the electronic writing pads would be loaded with the e-content in terms of curriculum. The state government will also extend the scheme to fifth and ninth graders from academic year 2014. Next year (2014), students from fifth and ninth standards would be given e-notepads, Parrikar said, adding the government had initially decided to give them e-tabs. The chief minister informed that the Education department had already received applications from students for the gadgets, which are being processed. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/goa-govt-announces-e-note-books-for-fifth-and-sixth-graders-113031300436_1.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Photographer celebrates nomadic Goa in an exhibition complete with lace, leather, tattoos and piercings
It makes for an irresistible cocktail when two of the biggest names from art and fashion come together. Veteran fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani is hosting a solo exhibition, Goa Style, featuring exquisite pictures shot by master photographer Rohit Chawla. The display begins today at the Religare Art Gallery. Chawla's body of work is known for its avant-garde style, blending drama and originality. More at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/article-2289846/ITS-FRIDAY-Photographer-celebrates-nomadic-Goa-exhibition-complete-lace-leather-tattoos-piercings.html?ito=feeds-newsxml ~Avelino
[Goanet] Never home alone
http://www.punemirror.in/article/56/201303042013030408325335922ad6a40/Never-home-alone.html Excerpt from the link above: Claudina and David Athaide have been married for 28 years and have 15 children; Susanna, Deborah, Rebekah, John, Gideon, Benjamin, Hannah, Chloe, Nathan, Timothy, Cassia, Jesse, Jemima, Asher and Julia- phew! That's eight girls and seven boys. ~Avelino
[Goanet] Cognizant’s Francisco D’Souza becomes youngest GE Director
BANGALORE: Francisco D'Souza, CEO at outsourcer Cognizant Technology Solutions, has been named an independent director on the board of General Electric. The 44-year-old D'Souza, the son of a career diplomat, will be the youngest director on the board of GE, a 120-year-old conglomerate whose other independent directors include Alan Lafley, former CEO of Procter Gamble, and Rochelle B Lazarus, chairman emeritus of Ogilvy Mather. D'Souza joins a growing list of Indian-origin executives occupying board seats at global corporations. Ratan Tata and Infosys' NR Narayana Murthy were on the boards of Fiat and HSBC respectively, while Naina Lal Kidwai serves as a director at Nestle. It is a matter of pride for all of us and it is well-deserved, said Som Mittal, president of IT industry grouping Nasscom. Frank has demonstrated great skills at Cognizant. I am sure he will add a lot of value to GE. In 1994, Nairobi-born D'Souza co-founded New Jersey-based Cognizant and became its chief executive officer in 2007. Under him Cognizant became one of the fastest growing software firms, with its revenues more than trebling from $2 billion in 2007 to $7.4 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) in 2012. Two years ago it overtook Wipro by sales and is closing in on second-ranked software company Infosys. Because of his father's job, D'Souza studied in places such as Panama, Zaire, New Delhi, New York, Trinidad, Hong Kong, and Pittsburgh. After his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of East Asia in Japan, he earned an MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University in the US, from where was recruited as a management associate by Dun Bradstreet. In 1993, the 25-year-old was sent to India to set up DB's IT arm, which later became Cognizant. GE, which has awarded some of the largest outsourcing contracts to Indian IT firms, does not count Cognizant as one of its vendors. A great move. Roughly 55% of all capital invested by Fortune 500 companies is on technology, and GE has a large globalisation agenda, says Phaneesh Murthy, chief executive officer, iGate. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-announcement/cognizants-francisco-dsouza-becomes-youngest-ge-director/articleshow/18535872.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Government will now prefer ‘hinglish’ words over Hindi translation
Government will now prefer ‘hinglish’ words over Hindi translation New Delhi: In a bid to overcome problems posed by difficult Hindi words, Government has asked section officers to use their ” hinglish” replacements for easy understanding and better promotion of the language. The order issued by the Rajbhasha unit of Ministry of Home Affairs was recently re-circulated in various offices after it was officially mentioned that such puritan use of Hindi generates disinterest among masses. The circular recommended that difficult Hindi words can be replaced with English alternatives in Devanagari script for official work. Citing examples, Department of Official Language at Home Ministry said ‘misil’ can be replaced with file, ‘pratyabhuti’ with guarantee, ‘kunjipatal’ with keyboard and ‘sanganak’ with omnipresent ‘computer’. It also advocated use of popular Hindi words and English alternatives to make the language more attractive and popular in offices and masses. “Whenever, during the official work, Hindi is used as translating language, it becomes difficult and complex. There is an urgent need to make changes in the process of English to Hindi translations. Translations should carry expression of the original text rather than word-by-word Hindi substitute,” the circular said. It said use of popular words of Urdu, English, and other regional languages should be promoted in official correspondence. Pure Hindi should be for literary purposes while practical ‘mixed’ version for work purposes. It said it is better to use English terms in Devnagri script than to translate them in pure Hindi. PTI http://www.firstpost.com/india/government-will-now-prefer-hinglish-words-over-hindi-translation-148557.html ~Avelino --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
Re: [Goanet] Photos of 1961...
Couple of photos at: http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/Finds/FindsMilitary.html ~Avelino ___ From: Frederick FN Noronha * फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا fredericknoron...@gmail.commailto:fredericknoron...@gmail.com Date: 2011/12/6 Subject: [Goanet] Photos of 1961... To: Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994! goanet@lists.goanet.orgmailto:goanet@lists.goanet.org Would anyone have photos of the end of Portuguese rule in Goa in 1961? Or if you know where these could be accessed, kindly let me know. Thanks! FN -- FN +91-832-2409490tel:%2B91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436tel:%2B91-9822122436 f...@goa-india.orgmailto:f...@goa-india.org Saligao Goa IN http://fn.goa-india.org Skype: fredericknoronha --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] How to Succeed in Business? By Reading, India Says
How to Succeed in Business? By Reading, India Says It was a different kind of shopping trip for Pallavi Rao, 24, a trendy human-resources consultant who normally picks up things like sunglasses, bags and short jackets. After work last week, she browsed among dozens of stalls at Bangalore's annual book fair and carefully selected a handful of titles on management and leadership. Books are my personal mentors, they inspire me to do better at work, said Ms. Rao. Indian readers, particularly young ones, have been devouring books on business, management, careers and money in recent years. In storefront displays and airport bookstores across India, these tomes get pride of place, relegating fiction and books about politics to the back row. Bangalore's annual book fair, which was held over 10 days this month in the grounds of the Bangalore Palace, a Windsor Castle lookalike from the Raj days, attracted dozens of business-focused publishers and retailers with catchy names like Success and Genius, as well as more than 200,000 attendees. Young Indians graduating from management schools are voracious readers of nonfiction, they read to get a competitive edge, says Krishan Chopa, chief editor for nonfiction at HarperCollins Publishers India. India's growing economy has accelerated changes in business and at the workplace, he said, and authors who write about these changes are popular because the country's book-reading public is eager to stay updated. Bestsellers in India do not sell in the millions, as some do in the West; the most popular titles sell about 50,000 copies the year they are released. (Walter Issacson's biography of Steve Jobs, by comparison, sold more than 379,000 copies in its first week in the United States). India's publishing market, when compared to the West's, is still tiny, fractured and hard to measure. But more people are reading, which, along with a competitive printing industry, appears to be fueling a publishing boom. As literacy rates climb (to 74 percent, according to the latest census) and as expenditure for private consumption grows (projected to rise 7.5 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2012, according to the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy) , book buying is expected to ascend as well. India's educated, savvy middle class has caused the market for business and management books to explode, said the Bangalore-based IT entrepreneur Subroto Bagchi, an author and the vice chairman of MindTree, a Bangalore base software services firm. This is especially true in smaller Indian cities, he said. Mr. Bagchi's three books include The Professional and The High-Performance Entrepreneur,'' both published by Penguin; together they sold more than 150,000 copies. With his fourth book, Business at 16, Mr. Bagchi hopes to get teenagers interested in business, partly by using fictional anecdotes, including boy-meets-girl stories. Business biographies and management guides are a top-selling category at the online retailer FlipKart, whether the author is Indian or foreign, said the company's chief executive, Sachin Bansal. Successful entrepreneurs are young India's role models and their narratives offer valuable lessons, he said. Sales of such books on FlipKart are up 191 percent in the first ten months of 2011 compared to the entire year before, he said. Among the current chart toppers is Rashmi Bansal's I Have a Dream, on social entrepreneurs. Penguin Allen Lane launched a separate imprint for business books called Penguin Portfolio in India in 2006, when readership for the genre began accelerating. Indian readers are more informed, curious and proactive than ever, says Udayan Mitra, publisher of Penguin's Allen Lane and Portfolio.There is a desire to read in and around the area people work in. That segment has seen 100 percent growth in value terms over the last three years, and makes up about one-third of nonfiction sales at his publishing house, Mr. Mitra says. Two distinct categories have emerged within the segment, Mr. Mitra said. High-end corporate biographies, such as the low-cost airline founder G.R. Gopinath's Simply Fly or The TCS Story . . . and Beyond by the former Tata Consulting Services chief executive S. Ramadorai, and leadership strategy books command a significant slice of one end of the market, as do mass-market business self-help books. Over 700 readers crammed into a bookstore at a mall in Delhi's Vasant Kunj neighborhood recently for the release of the real-estate tycoon K.P. Singh's autobiography Whatever the Odds. The author, founder of the development company DLF, made a video appearance from his Florida home via satellite. It is an exciting time to be a publisher in India, says Kapish Mehra, managing director of Rupa Publications. Mr. Mehra published the retail entrepreneur Kishore Biyani's autobiography, It Happened in India, which sold over 200,000 copies at 99 rupees, or about $2,
[Goanet] Five FTII films to be screened at Goa fest
--- Goanet Classifieds --- Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa Those interested can email enescil@gmail.com by 15 November 2011 Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training --- Five FTII films to be screened at Goa fest Pune: Five student films from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) have been selected for the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Panaji, Goa, from November 23 to December 3. Airawat by Renu Savant, Tashi Delek by Sanyukta Sharma, Open Cafe v 2.5 by Naveen Padmanabha, Ru Cube by Satindar Bedi and Fish by Pranjal Dua will be showcased in the students' films section at IFFI. All the films are second-year projects by the students. Airawat has won a jury mention at the 4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival held in Kerala in July. It has also been selected for screening at the River to River 2011 Film Festival, to be held in Florence (Italy) in December. Tashi Delek (May good things come to you) is about the connection between two women staying in a guest house in Sikkim. Ru Cube talks about the chaos of mourning. And Fish is about how a power game starts when a new employee is introduced to the fishbowl existence of a glass-panelled office. Naveen Padmanabha, a third-year direction student at the FTII said, My film, Open Cafe v2.5, is about what happens when an old man ventures into the virtual world. It underlines the fact that sometimes we tend to believe in the virtual world, rather than the real one. http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MAH-PUN-five-ftii-films-to-be-screened-at-goa-fest-2580555.html ~Avelino --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] Hear the One About the Greek, the German and the Haircut?
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php --- Hear the One About the Greek, the German and the Haircut? Published: Thursday, 27 Oct 2011 | 4:51 AM ET Every dark cloud has its humorous lining and Europe's seemingly non-stop debt and currency crisis is no exception. From the heavily indebted nations of the euro zone, which seem to be dragging the rest of the continent down with them, to the finance ministers, prime ministers and chancellors trying to steer the ships of state safely clear of the debt iceberg, no one escapes the humorists' barbs. Why did Greece fail to get the latest installment of EU/IMF aid? goes one of the riddles making the rounds, many of which finger Greece as the most catastrophic of the euro-debt basket cases. Because no one in Greece works long enough to complete the application form. A Greek, an Irishman and a Portuguese go into a bar and order a drink. Who picks up the bill? A German. And from the website of the German newspaper Deutsche Welle: There's a joke doing the rounds in Bratislava - 'For 400 euros you can adopt a Greek. He'll stay at your place, sleep late, drink coffee, have lunch and then take a nap, so you can go to work.' Sometimes, it almost gets personal. A Reuters correspondent of Greek nationality was asked, with a smirk, by a hairdresser in Amsterdam: So are you willing to accept a 50 percent haircut? - the reference being to a plan to ask Greek bondholders to take 50 percent losses - known as a haircut in financial parlance. Sometimes - but not often - the joke does not involve Greece. What's the difference between Iceland and Ireland? went one popular riddle at the time when Ireland looked as if it would follow the tiny island nation of Iceland, whose banking system collapsed in the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis. One letter and about six months, was the answer. Greeks React in Kind The Greeks have not taken all this lying down and are especially incensed at criticism from Germany, which has revived historic enmities. Some cartoons have sprung up depicting the troika of senior EU officials as soldiers in World War Two German uniform, and some Greeks are beginning to resent German tourists. And what of the continent's heavy hitters whose meetings, mostly in Brussels but also in Luxembourg, Hungary, Finland, Poland and elsewhere have tried to come up with a rescue plan, but have dragged on for many months? Their parlays and personalities are fertile territory too. Q: How many European finance ministers does it take to change a light bulb? A: None. There's nothing wrong with the light bulb. Or: Q: What economic model correctly forecasts the outlook for the European economy? A double-dip recession, a V-shaped recovery, or something else? A: The bathtub. A steep decline, then a period of stagnation, then it goes down the drain. And: Q: How do you know it's going to be a double-dip recession? A: Greek exports of taramosalata and tzatziki have plunged. Germany's dominant role in the rescue talks, and German criticism of those countries that have racked up huge debts, is also a target. The Portuguese newspaper Public's humor section, Public Enemy, commented a few weeks ago: Germany does not rule out leaving the euro zone, but taking all the euro notes and coins with it. Personalities, too, are grist for the mill. The humor requires only a passing knowledge of the fact that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's country is the strongest economy in Europe, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni just had a baby, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi likes to party and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's country is the butt of almost every joke. Hence, the official schedule for a eurozone summit this week was appended, in a wag stealth attack, as follows: Working session of the European Council 19.15 Working dinner 20.00 Bilateral meetings/Eurozone only session 22.00 Press Conference... 22:05 - Silvio Berlusconi heads off to the nightclub; drinks on him...Angela declines because she wants to, Sarko because he has to, Papandreou because he can't afford the taxi back. A little more knowledge of European history, back to the Cold War era when East was communist and had an economic union called COMECON, and West was capitalist and joined up in the EU, helps readers appreciate this update of an old Hungarian wheeze: What's the coat of arms of Comecon? Seven skin-and-bone cows in a green pasture milking each other. These days it's 27 cows and the EU. Humor can
[Goanet] Anna welcomes move to make public audios of Lokpal parleys
Anna welcomes move to make public audios of Lokpal parleys Anna Hazare tonight welcomed as a good step Government's move to make public the audio recordings of proceedings of the Joint Drafting Committee constituted to draft the Lokpal Bill. Congress on its part said the government was not under any pressure to bring out the deliberations of the Committee in public domain. Hazare, the 74-year-old anti-corruption crusader, said the Government move will lead to more transparency and build up the public confidence in the Government. A key Team Anna member Santosh Hegde however voiced apprehensions whether the CDs containing the recordings will be edited. He said the Government decision was belated. Hazare in his response from his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra said, It is a good thing. Transparency should always be there. If more transparency is there, public confidence will build up. So this Government's decision is good. The Committee held seven meetings over a period of two-and-a-half months. The Gandhian recalled that Team Anna had made a request to the Government for video recording of the proceedings but it was turned down. Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi said, We should appreciate the decision of the GovernmentPeople will come to know about our stand and their(Team Anna) stand, We did not do it under pressure, he added Hegde appeared to raise questions at what he called a sudden belated decision by the Government. He said that as per his information the CDs may feature only the edited version of the proceedings. Whether the CDs are genuinely edited or deliberately edited, we can find out, he added. My only problem is if they edit and do it in a manner which is not in the larger interest of conversation between the two groups then that will create some controversy, he said. Kiran Bedi, another key Team Anna member, wanted the Government to make available the transcript of the proceedings and actually publish it on its website. It will be good to have the script...We will exactly know what was said and done, she said. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/current-affairs/anna-welcomes-move-to-make-public-audioslokpal-parleys_596012.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Constitution has given us the right to protest: Anna
Constitution has given us the right to protest: Anna Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has warned the Congress that he will go on fast again if the Government doesn't pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament, saying that the Constitution has given us the right to protest. Hazare also said that he will campaign against the Congress in the polls if the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed in the Winter Session of Parliament. Hazare plans to tour the five poll-bound states and said that he will start his campaign from Uttar Pradesh. If the Congress doesn't approve the Jan Lokpal Bill, I will go to all poll-bound states and ask people not to vote for the Congress, Hazare said. After the Congress on Tuesday called Anna Hazare's warning to campaign against the party a 'political' move, the anti-corruption crusader hit back and said that he was not being political. If the Congress thinks that I have entered politics, let them say that. The people of the country know the truth, Hazare said. Attacking the Congress, Hazare said that the Congress does not have the will to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. In the last 42 years, the Congress was in power, why wasn't the bill passed in the last 42 years? The Congress doesn't have the will to pass this bill, Hazare said. Hazare appealed to Hissar voters in Haryana, which has by-polls this month saying they shouldn't vote for the Congress. He also said that he has been forced to take up the campaign against political parties as there was no other way to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed. But Hazare said, though he will campaign against parties who do not support Jan Lokpal Bill, he will not enter politics. If I become the leader of a political party, then I will not be able to do what am doing today, it's better to remain outside, Hazare said. There were some lessons for the Prime Minister as well as Hazare asked the Prime Minister to face an 'agnipareeksha' to cleanse his name in the 2G scam. The Prime Minister should be ready for an 'agnipareeksha'. His name has come up in the 2G scandal, Hazare said. From initially abusing the entire political class to now identifying one party as a clear enemy, Hazare seems to have moved on. But he did clarify that his opposition to the Congress shouldn't be interpreted as support for the BJP. To re-emphasise his point he even criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for arresting suspended IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt. Those who think that I am with the BJP are mentally unfit, Hazare said. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/current-affairs/constitution-has-given-usright-to-protest-anna_594148.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Apple's Steve Jobs, Visionary Leader, Dead at 56
Apple's Steve Jobs, Visionary Leader, Dead at 56 http://www.cnbc.com/id/44795413 ~Avelino
[Goanet] Radar system to forecast natural calamities soon
Radar system to forecast natural calamities soon PANAJI: A radar system to forecast natural calamities is set to be installed at the state meteorological centre soon, Rajya Sabha member from Goa Shantaram Naik said on Sunday. Naik was speaking at the 44th Engineers' Day celebrations at Dona Paula organized by the Goa chapter of the institution of engineers (India). Speaking on the theme 'Engineering Preparedness for Disaster Mitigation', Naik said that a system to forecast natural calamities was the first step to disaster management. Naik said that the North and South Goa collectors have identified flood-prone areas in the state, but proper planning in risk-prone areas is still awaited. Naik stressed on the need to include disaster management in school curriculums. Naik said, Around 58.6% of our landmass is prone to natural disasters and 12% of land is prone to floods. Out of 7,516 km, 5,700 km is prone to floods and tsunamis and 68% to draught. He appealed to the engineering community and other experts in the field to volunteer to lecture students on the subject to prepare them to face any eventuality. Naik advised the association of engineers to constitute a disaster management cell of their own and said that a representative of the association should be nominated on disaster management committees of the state government and at the district levels. Director of fire and emergency services Ashok Menon made a case for a separate cadre of fire services. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Radar-system-to-forecast-natural-calamities-soon/articleshow/10036646.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Anna Hazare, youth made Lokpal movement a success, says Kiran Bedi
Anna Hazare, youth made Lokpal movement a success, says Kiran Bedi Attributing the success of the anti-corruption movement to people's participation, Team Anna member and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi on Saturday implored the young delegates at the Mind Rocks India Today Youth Summit 2011 that their support should continue so that the government is forced to legislate a strong Lokpal Bill during the winter session later this year. The movement was a success because of you and all credit goes to Anna Hazare, Bedi told the summit, which was held on Saturday in Delhi. She attributed her association with the movement to RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, calling it an 'opportunity.' She called for people to end their indifference towards how government is run, else it would give the people in power a free run to do corrupt dealings. They should be held accountable, she said, calling the government draft of the Lokpall bill ineffective. Bedi said the government proposes to create two CBIs - saying the first CBI will be under the government control, while the other, the new one, would only investigate new cases of corruption. She asserted that a senior minister told her that the government is worried that an independent CBI under Lokpal may reopen old corruption cases like that of Bofors gun deal. The fear of going to jail and usurping of property created by corrupt means will act as an effective deterrent for people like Suresh Kalmadi and A. Raja, she added. On being asked what makes her sure the Jan Lokpal will not become corrupt, Bedi said, It's very transparent. It has a search committee and it is very accountable. All its functioning will become website-oriented. It will be a harbinger of change. Bedi summed up saying that she is still youthful at heart. Her passion, determination and drive to be just and fearless against pressure and adversaries remain intact. That is so because she trained hard as a sportswoman earlier in her life. She told the youth that what they do now in their formative years will have a lasting bearing on the rest of their life. She shared her experiences with the youth on how to deal with life. The former IPS officer, who calls herself a rebel by nature, told the gathering, her passion to stand against the unjust has remained undiminished since her childhood. She attributed this to her devotion to sports. Bedi was an ace tennis player and women tennis's Asian champion at the age of twenty. Sports gave right focus to immense store of energy in her that helped her lifelong, she said. Bedi feels spiritual, mental and physical are all essential components of education and sports provide best training in the formative years. Saying she never lost her focus in life, Bedi said she joined the Indian Police Service at the age of 22 in 1972, a profession considered taboo for women. She added soon she became a role model for men during training years. She called it 'destiny' that she was transferred to Delhi. In 1975, she had a frank talk with the then IG Police (now called Commissioner) Delhi, P.R. Rajgopal, to persuade him to lead the January 26 parade in 1976. This is one event that announced the arrival of women in the police force, she says raising fist in the air. She never looked back. In 1982, Bedi issued a ticket to the driver of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi when her car was wrongly parked. She was in power, so was I, Bedi said, asserting the point that policing has to be just and equitable. There cannot be two different standards for the rich and the poor. She explained that she was perhaps not made the commissioner of Delhi Police, because she would have not bowed down to the will of politicians. Earlier, she was not given the charge of anti-terror wing of Delhi Police simply because she would have released people held illegally in the name of anti-terror investigations, she said. Motivating the youth, she said, Had I not been somebody, I would have been nobody. So, I never lost track of my priority. At 16, I knew when to say yes, when to say no... What you did in teenage returns to you at 20-23. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/anna-youth-force-made-lokpal-movement-successful-kiran-bedi/1/151708.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Panaji Port was illegal mineral export gateway: Official
Panaji Port was illegal mineral export gateway: Official PANAJI: The Panaji Port in Goa could have served as a gateway for the export of nearly five million tonnes of illegally extracted iron ore, a top official has said. P. Mara Pandiyan, chairman of the Mormugao Port Trust, Goa's only major port, has written this in a Sep 15 letter to the state Chief Secretary Sanjiv Srivastava. Pandiyan's letter clearly holds the state government responsible for allowing five million tonnes of illegally extracted ore to be exported out of Goa. As far as the Panaji Port is concerned, the whole operation is falling within the administrative ambit of the state government from the point of licensing mines, movement of iron ore by trucks to the loading point, loading of iron ore into the barges, movement of barges through the rivers and thereafter loading into the ship, Pandiyan, an Indian Administrative Service official said. It is estimated about five million tonnes have been exported through the Panaji Port as unaccounted iron ore, Pandiyan stated. Urging the chief secretary to suspend the operations of the Panaji minor port in national interest, Pandiyan said the port did not have any surveillance mechanism to monitor the quantity of ore exported. The movement of ships has to be monitored by Vessel Traffic Management System, a sea surveillance method, but Panaji Port does not have this surveillance system, Pandiyan said. The barges carrying unaccounted illegal ore have access to the ships at Panaji Port. Some of the exporters seem to have taken advantage of the lack of bare minimum facilities at Panaji Port, the letter further states. Mormugao Port Trust has been examining the operational requirement of Panaji Port for quite some time. Panaji Port exists only for namesake on record. It does not have any berth. It operates as an 'outer anchorage port' wherein any exporter can load anything to the ship, and does not follow the security norms, he added. Goa's illegal mining scam has been pegged at Rs.10,000 crore by ruling Congress legislator Dayanand Narvekar during his deposition to the Justice M.B. Shah commission appointed by the Supreme Court to probe illegal iron and manganese ore in the country. Goa extracted nearly 54 million tonnes during the last financial year according to official data. The opposition claims 20 per cent of the exported ore was illegally extracted. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/metals-mining/panaji-port-was-illegal-mineral-export-gateway-official/articleshow/10027996.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Illegal mining: HC notice to govt on revenue loss
Illegal mining: HC notice to govt on revenue loss PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday issued notices to the director of mines (DoM), Goa State Pollution Control Board ( GSPCB) and Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) in a public interest litigation (PIL) pointing out revenue loss to the state exchequer pegged at over 10,000 crore due to illegal mining. The court has sought replies from the government authorities and posted the matter for hearing on September 27. The state, which has to answer to the commission on illegal mining constituted by the Central government, now has to also respond to allegations made in the PIL. A division bench comprising justice A P Lavande and justice R P Sondurbaldota issued the notices after hearing the PIL filed by Mapusa NGO Goa Foundation challenging illegal extraction of ore in excess of statutory permitted limits. The petition points out that as per publications of the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association about 20.4 million tonnes of ore have been illegally extracted from 2002 to 2010 and exported, leading to a loss of revenue valued at 10,800 crore at $120 (approximately 6,000) per tonne. Appearing for Goa Foundation advocate Norma Alvares sought directions to the authorities to install a comprehensive information and communication technology (ICT) based system for monitoring and control of production, transport and sale of mineral ore produced in the state within a time frame. The government must oversee mining activity in the state and ensure adequate controls over quantities of ore produced and transported, Alvares suggested. All mine owners must also be directed to erect name boards at mine entrances which will disclose relevant details and permissions to operate, she submitted. Goa Foundation also sought reliefs to prevent illegal mining in the forthcoming mining season which commences in November. From P1 The petition also seeks directions to the authorities for implementing measures to enforce the production limits laid down for each mine under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 and for regulating the transport of ore. The NGO claimed it has carried out research on quantity of ore being extracted from Goa's approximately 91 working mining leases, by collating data from replies given to the state assembly by the mines minister during the past four years. Goa Foundation stated it has tried to match this record against the production limits imposed on these mining leases by the environment clearances and consent orders. It found that a large number of mines have greatly exceeded their production limits during the period 2006-10. Goa Foundation said that the quantities of ore illegally exported from the state are also staggering indicating that in addition to the excess produced, large-scale illegal mining is also taking place, having serious environmental implications. Earlier the court, on August 26, 2011, in another petition filed by the NGO had issued notices to 48 mining companies that had been allegedly carrying on illegal mining having serious environmental implications. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Illegal-mining-HC-notice-to-govt-on-revenue-loss/articleshow/9987679.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Blast outside Delhi HC, 9 killed, 47 injured
Blast outside Delhi HC, 9 killed, 47 injured New Delhi: Terror struck Delhi when nine people were killed and at least 45 injured in a blast this morning outside the High Court premises jampacked with visitors waiting to get entry passes. Union Home Secretary R K Singh said the blast was of medium to high intensity and created a deep crater at the site of explosion at the reception area between Gate No 4 and 5 of Delhi High Court. The blast occurred around 1015 AM. It was the second blast in four months outside the High Court premises. Screengrab/ibnlive Asked whether the blast was a terror strike, Singh said it had all the makings of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) set up by a terror group. Singh said 45 people were injured with some eyewitnesses saying some of the injured were in a critical condition. Special Commissioner Dharmendra Kumar told reporters the bomb was apparently kept in a briefcase. It was the second blast in four months outside the High Court premises. No one was injured in the previous explosion on 25 May. The Gate No.5 was crowded with 100 to 200 people waiting in queue to get entry passes. There were several lawyers at the spot. We are investigating how the brief case was placed there It is not a controlled area. There were lots of people, said Kumar. Delhi police suspected use of potassium nitrate in the bomb. Court proceedings were adjourned till 2 PM. The main court premises where all the courtrooms are housed have been evacuated. Singh said the bomb was kept in a suitcase since some of its remains were still in it. He said all the injured have been rushed to RML, Safdarjung and AIIMS hospitals. Many of them suffered burn injuries. Singh said there was no prior intelligence input about a possible attack at Delhi High Court. The blast happened in a public area where anyone can just come and drop a suitcase and walk away, he added. Teams of National Investigating Agency(NIA), National Security Guards(MSG) and Forensic department have been rushed to the spot. Court business is usually heavy on Wednesday which is listed as a Public Interest Litation(PIL) day when the visitors come to the court in large numbers. Ambulances and fire tenders were also rushed. An explosion on 25 May triggered panic prompting the authorities to sound a high alert in the capital and tighten security at public places. No one was injured. Low-intensity explosives, wrapped in a polythene bag and kept close to the car parked near Gate No. 7, went off around 1.30 PM. Ammonium nitrate, a battery-like object, wires and some nails were found at the site by forensic experts. The previous worst terror attack in the Capital was on 13 September, 2008 when a series of five synchronised bomb blasts took place within a span of few minutes at various locations in Delhi. 30 people killed and over 100 injured in this strike. There was no immediate claim of any responsibility for the blast. After the bomb blast ripped through the reception area, panic-stricken people ran helter-skelter as it was chaos at the Delhi High Court premises. Rahul Gupta, a litigant, was at the reception counter just 10 metres away from the blast site. I was just 10 metres from the site of the blast, said Gupta, adding, he saw large number of injured people being taken to hospital. A middle-aged woman, who had come to the High Court to get bail for her relative and was asked to make a pass at the Reception by her lawyer, said she is in a state of shock. She was talking to the clerk when the explosion occurred. I heard a loud noise and hallowing smoke coming out and heard cries of people, said Narendra Kumar Singh, a guard at a construction site outside the court. Several eyewitnesses said they momentarily lost their hearing capability after the explosion. http://www.firstpost.com/fwire/blast-outside-delhi-hc-9-killed-47-injured-78105.html?utm_source=MC_HOME ~Avelino
[Goanet] Land Acquisition Bill tabled in Parliament
Land Acquisition Bill tabled in Parliament The much-anticipated upgrade on India's antiquated land acquisition laws was tabled today in Parliament. The rehabilitation and resettlement (RR) provisions will be applicable to the entire project area, only 5% of irrigated, multi-crop land can be acquired and highways have been excluded from the purview of the bill. The current parliamentary session ends on Friday and the bill is unlikely to be passed before parliament reconvenes later this year. Compulsory land acquisition for the public good is a contentious issue as crowded India seeks to industrialize, with major factories, housing and transport projects held up by conflicts over land. The new bill proposes punishment for offenses by companies and company directors, other executives can be prosecuted for any wrongdoings. Farmers complain they are not adequately compensated for their land, while companies are wary of making large investments for fear that courts will strip them of their holdings. According to the bill, the collector will use higher value of the land while fixing award. The minimum value of the land will be determined by the district collector. The government can temporarily acquire arable land for three years. The bill has broadly been praised by industry for setting clearer rules, but some in the private sector say a proposal to pay farmers multiples of market value for their land will push project costs up too far. It suggests setting up land acquisition authority. The state and national highways have been excluded from the new land bill purview. The provisions of the bill will be applicable to private companies and public private projects. First created in 2007, the bill would replace an 1894 law written by the British. The bill has until now been held up by political wrangling. The government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been criticised for failing to push through more quickly this and other reforms seen as vital for driving growth. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/landacquisitionbilltabledinparliament_583595.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] James Bond movie to be shot in Goa’s Dudhsagar falls
James Bond movie to be shot in Goa’s Dudhsagar falls Hollywood seems to have rediscovered India. Gone are the days of orientalism when snake-charmers and sadhusabundantly occupied scenes depicting India. The new James Bond movie will now be shot in Goa’s picturesque Dudhsagar Falls. If sources, in charge of distributing the yet-to-be-named movie, are to be believed, the shooting at the waterfalls has been scheduled between January and March. Currently known as Bond 23, the Sam Mendes-directed movie will also be filmed in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The India connection would be augmented with Slumdog Millionaire actor Freida Pinto, they added. The sources said that the South-Western Railway, which operates trains right under the waterfalls, will host the filming unit by giving them access to the spot. The forest department too has given its nod for shooting in the nearby reserves. The last Bond movie to be filmed in India was Octopussy, which was shot in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The 1983 flick with Roger Moore in the lead, also featured Kabir Khan and Vijay Amritraj. http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_james-bond-movie-to-be-shot-in-goas-dudhsagar-falls_1584282 ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goa: Tyres of AI flight burst while landing, passengers safe
Goa: Tyres of AI flight burst while landing, passengers safe The passengers of an Air India flight had a close shave on Tuesday when two tyres of the flight from Kuwait burst as it was landing at the Goa airport on Tuesday. The flight had 105 passengers on board and all of them were safe. The flight is still standing on the runway. The air scare comes just a day after the Turkish Airways flight that was stuck at the Mumbai airport for three days, after it skid off the runway, was finally removed on Monday. The Mumbai airport's main runway had to be shut for three days following the incident. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/goa-tyres-of-ai-flight-burst-while-landing/181672-3.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Congress must learn lessons, not teach Team Anna new ones
Congress must learn lessons, not teach Team Anna new ones Akshaya Mishra Caught on the wrong foot repeatedly during the Anna Hazare movement, the Congress has let loose the hounds on members of Team Anna. It appears to be in unholy hurry to teach them a lesson. The problem is it has not learnt its lessons from the developments over the last few months well. If its action reeked of arrogance and muddled thinking earlier, it swings between the vengeful and the desperate now. While the vengeful part explains itself in the light of the running animosity between both sides, the desperation part appears intriguing. Someone with political common sense would let the dust settle before launching a calculated assault on one's adversary. Even better, one would try to bury the bitterness, however difficult it is, and gain some PR (public relations) points out of that. But the Congress does not seem to be guided by common sense these days nor is it bothered about its public image. It is consumed by the malicious eagerness to show Team Anna the powers of the state and the party. In the current climate of distrust, any move by the government against Team Anna will be attributed a motive. AFP Photo A couple of days after the government slapped a notice on Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to pay up Rs 9.27 lakh for violating bond clauses while going on study leave for two years, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has charged him with flouting service rules as a serving Indian Revenue Service officer and collecting lakhs of rupees for his NGO through donations. In the current climate of distrust, any move by the government against Team Anna will be attributed a motive. It is a certainty that neither of the charges against Kejriwal would wash with the public, irrespective of whether they are genuine to some degree. It is interesting that senior members of the Congress, who are no novices in the games of trickery, fail to grasp this. Their unreasonable insistence on cutting to size Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan, other members of Team Anna, through parliamentary privilege motions appears aimed at assuaging hurt egos more than anything else. The party has diminished a lot ever since a spate of big ticket scandals surfaced in the last couple of years; it diminished further due to its inept handling of the Anna movement. Now it does not care. It's either too arrogant to see the reality or too incapable of accepting public humiliation with some show of grace. A misplaced sense of heroism seems to have consumed the members of Team Anna. Their continuing combativeness, even after the heartening developments in Parliament, is confounding. They still look confused between the government and Parliament. All the members, including the venerable Anna Hazare, have been busy calling people names over the last week. Anna called the Centre a 'government of fools' and Chidambaram a 'liar and a cheat'. He has threatened that the civil society would go on war path if the government did not mend its ways. Kiran Bedi has asserted that she is not sorry about her comments on parliamentarians, and promised to re-enact her ghoongta skit before Parliament if required. Kejriwal maintains his confrontational tone in all his interactions with the media. Is it the sense of disappointment speaking out? Despite all claims of triumph in the media, Team Anna would be nursing the hurt that in reality it has achieved little in terms of its original goals. In hindsight, the government did not give up as much as it had expected. That the Jan Lokpal Bill was put on an equal footing with four other bills would be hurting too. The only success of the team - a significant one though - was to force Parliament to accept its suggestions. With all parties looking equally bad, the government did not have much to lose. With neither side relenting on attacking the other, both end up looking ugly. Moreover, it is pointless at this juncture. Team Anna should be focusing on a renewed mobilisation for other worthy causes. It has done its bit for the Lokpal Bill; it should look beyond it. The government must focus on other business and stop looking more and more stupid by its actions on Team Anna. It's time for a truce, ceasefire at least. http://www.firstpost.com/politics/congress-must-learn-lessons-not-teach-team-anna-new-ones-76436.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goa's Cardozo Mancurad to grow across country
Goa's Cardozo Mancurad to grow across country PANAJI: Goa's Cardozo Mancurad has reason to blush some more. It has been picked by the country's agriculture scientists as a mouth-watering choice for Indian farmers to grow. The delicious and pulpy Cardozo Mancurad, now growing on a single tree in the Cardozo family compound in Mapusa, is poised to break its boundaries. This unique variety has been registered by national bureau of plant genetic resources, (NBPGR) New Delhi on the basis of its performance and approved for release in the public domain, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) director N P Singh said. The registration of the mango variety also logged a first of sorts for the state. The recognition is the first instance of a plant genetic resource and also a mango germplasm, Singh added. After it bagged first prize at the Konkan fruit festival some years back, the luscious variety caught scientists' eye. Its performance and various parameters were assessed and its potential was identified at ICAR's Old Goa lab, ICAR agriculture scientist A R Desai said. Considering its commercial potential, ICAR had applied to NBPGR for registration of the variety in March this year. Scientists are gaga over its characteristics and advantages. It's a promising selection and a farmer's variety, says Desai. The Cardozo variety has several advantages over the popular parental variety Mancurad, including its regular bearing habit. Normally, Mancurad bears fruit one year and no fruit at all or less fruit the next year, Desai said. The Mapusa variety has a better shelf life and an attractive colour as compared to the normal Mancurad. Its fruit can last seven days while Mancurad starts rotting after three to four days. It also has a reddish blush to its skin as compared to Mancurad's uniformly yellow shade, Desai said. The fruit has a deep orange, firm pulp with scanty fibre and a better flavour. We will raise a progeny orchard of this species to produce more plants for grafting, Singh said. While ICAR, Old Goa has the right to produce and sell the plants, the kin of late Dr A B Cardozo, owners of the tree are also entitled to marketing rights. His son Fausto Cardoso, who exhibited the fruit at exhibitions in the past said, I am happy about the development as all steps can be taken to preserve and propagate this species, which has a few advantages, including its bigger size than an average Mancurad. By virtue of its selection, Cardozo Mancurad is identified as national active germplasm site (NAGS). As a policy, such selections are conserved at Central institute of sub tropical horticulture (CISH), Lucknow, a national conservatory for mango genetic resources, Singh said. As plants and tropical fruits are natural resources, they are sought to be registered under Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Goas-Cardozo-Mancurad-to-grow-across-country/articleshow/9780139.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] 14 artists to produce works for 'Vice-Versa'
14 artists to produce works for 'Vice-Versa' TNN | Aug 29, 2011, 11.45AM IST PANAJI: Fourteen artists from across the country have arrived in Goa and will be producing works of art for the second edition of 'Vice-Versa', a festival of art and ideas. The group, which includes 10 leading artists and four emerging artists, consists of Anandajit Ray, Avijit Dutta, Anjana Mehra, Baiju Parthan, Brinda Miller, Sunil Padwal, Karl Antao, Walter D'souza, Manisha Baswani and Theodore Mesquita, Charudutta Prabhudessai, Wilson D'souza, Siddarth Gosavi and Aadhi Vishal. Theodore Mesquita, convener of the festival, disclosed plans to make the festival an annual affair of international standards. Every place has its own ethos. The cultural ambience and heritage of Goa will aid artists in expressing themselves, Mesquita said. Charudutta Prabhudessai, an artist of Goan origin, who has come for the festival from Pondicherry, said Young artists can learn from experienced artists through this festival. Avijit Dutta, a young artist from Kolkata, said, The old heritage homes will inspire and help give rise to new ideas. The artists are being housed in groups at four heritage homes in Colvale, Saligao, Loutolim and Chicalim. No theme has been set for the festival and artists are free to paint or sculpt as they desire. The artists will also paint one canvas collectively, informed Mesquita. Goa has a fine tradition of producing artists. But as far as art is concerned, Goa lacks exposure, he said. The works of art will be displayed at an exhibition on August 31 at Maquinez Palace art gallery, Panaji and will later be housed in an art museum. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/14-artists-to-produce-works-for-Vice-Versa/articleshow/9780201.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Anna Hazare has enthusiasts in China too
Anna Hazare has enthusiasts in China too Beijing, Aug 29: Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, which caught the imagination of Indians, also found its admirers in China where enthusiasts paid rich tributes to him at the India Day meeting while the Chinese media highlighted his success in using fast as a weapon. The India Day celebration by the Indian community here yesterday had its 'Anna' moment when a participant sang Rabindranath Tagore's inspirational song 'Go it alone' Ms Chitralekha Basu, a Beijing-based Indian journalist who sang the song told the gathering that she dedicated it to the 'man of the moment', Anna Hazare, for his anti-corruption crusade. She said she chose Tagore's song as a tribute to Anna's 'go it alone' struggles, which finally fetched him the much needed public support because his convictions were right. Some IT executives who attended the gala event said they wanted to attend it wearing the 'I am Anna' Gandhi caps but gave up the idea after the Gandhian had called off his fast by then. The Anna effect has not been confined to the Indian community, but appears to have made a mark on the Chinese media as well which gave ample coverage to the events related to his campaign, surprising many observers here. Savouring Victory, read the headline in China Daily which featured a photograph of him on the front page, drinking honey laced coconut water offered by children. India celebrates Hazare's win, read the headline in another state-run newspaper Global Times which also carried a cartoon of Anna with a stitched mouth, with the angel of Mahatma Gandhi looking admiringly at him from behind. The coverage extended to Anna's protest moment both in China's English and Chinese language media surprised many here. Only a few months ago the Chinese government had clamped down hard on the coverage of the 'Jasmine' revolutions in the Arab world, fearing it may spur similar protests here as well. Such was the clampdown that the word jasmine was blocked by the famous Chinese software firewalls which removed even the traces of it from the country's emerging microblog media, whose numbers have crossed 200 million, posing a major challenge to the official media. Anna's movement appears to have made moderate impact among microbloggers who spoke of China's own woes of corruption. Many said China too has its share of concerns with corruption, recalling President Hu Jintao's pledge to make its eradication the number one priority of his government during his speech on the 90th year anniversary celebrations of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC). http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/economy/article2408916.ece ~Avelino
[Goanet] India celebrates people's victory as activist ends fast
India celebrates people's victory as activist ends fast By Annie Banerji NEW DELHI | Sun Aug 28, 2011 2:35am EDT (Reuters) - Sipping coconut water and honey, a self-styled Gandhian anti-corruption reformer ended a 13-day hunger strike on Sunday that had sparked India's biggest protests in decades, besieged the government and ushered in a new middle class political force. It's a proud moment for the country that a mass movement which was carried out for 13 days was peaceful and non-violent, Anna Hazare in a crisp white kurta smock and cap told thousands of cheering supporters from a stage at an open ground in New Delhi that has become the epicenter of a nationwide crusade. The people's parliament is bigger that Delhi's parliament. After initially arresting Hazare and dismissing him as an anarchist, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government caved in to the demands of the 74-year-old veteran activist as parliament backed anti-graft legislation that met many of his demands. Hazare has tapped a groundswell of public anger against endemic corruption, uniting the country's bulging middle-class against a hapless political class and underlining voter anger at Singh and the ruling Congress party. Anna wins it for the people, splashed the front page of India's Sunday Times newspaper, as supporters flocked to Hazare's fast site to revel in victory after parliament gave its support to many of the activist's demands late on Saturday. Tens of thousands of mostly urban and wired voters across India celebrated the achievement of an unprecedented movement that may usher in a new force in Indian politics and damage the ruling Congress party in crucial state elections next year. The veteran activist, whose health has seriously deteriorated, said that he would break his fast after a special session of parliament saw lawmakers backing a resolution by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to push for a law to create an independent ombudsman with wide-ranging power to investigate lawmakers, the judiciary and bureaucrats. Undermined by graft scandals and seen as out-of-touch with voters battling high inflation, Congress' failure to deal with Hazare's campaign before it flared up into a national issue spells danger for the ruling party in state polls next year ahead of the 2014 general election. While protests in India are not uncommon, the sight of many well-off young professionals using Twitter and Facebook taking to the streets of Asia's third-largest economy suggest an awakening of a previously politically-ambivalent middle-class. NATIONWIDE SUPPORT Supporters surged to Hazare's protest site in a sea of saffron, white and green from nearby metro stations on Sunday, as smiling protesters with the national flag painted on their faces chanted long live Anna and victory to mother India. It is a historic day, said Aamir Pratap, 37, who brought his wife and three sons to the site in central New Delhi. Anna and the whole country succeeded in uniting the parliament yesterday for such a crucial bill. Mukherjee announced parliament's support for Hazare's demands after over nine hours of fervent debate in both chambers of parliament that highlighted just how much the activist's campaign had rocked India's political establishment. Hazare's trademark white cap has been sported by thousands of protesters across the country, and the slogan I am Anna has become a rallying cry for a generation of young people disillusioned by their graft-stained politicians. It is a victory for Anna but as he was fighting for the people, this is a victory for the people, Santosh Hegde, former solicitor general and Hazare aide told CNN-IBN. The activist, who lost over 7.5 kgs (16.5 lbs) during his almost fortnight-long hunger strike, will go straight to a hospital outside India's capital after breaking his fast. Hazare is not some out-of-the-blue phenomenon, however. Deep-seated change has been underway for years in India as its once-statist economy globalizes, bolstered by a widely used freedom of information act, aggressive private media and the election of state politicians who have rejected traditional caste-support bases to win on governance issues. After a botched arrest as part of a hardline approach to Hazare, a government U-turn saw ministers praise the activist, suggesting a leadership deficit in Congress without party head Sonia Gandhi, who is recovering after surgery for an undisclosed condition. Congress pledged a slew of economic reforms after winning re-election in 2009 that would have made foreign investment easier and tax collection more effective. But graft and anger over inflation has stymied attempts to debate the legislation. Transparency International rates India in 87th place on the most corrupt countries, according to a 2010 survey. Several scandals linked to the government, including a bribery scam involving the granting of telecom licenses that led to the arrest of
[Goanet] The men and the woman behind Team Anna
The men and the woman behind Team Anna IANS | Aug 28, 2011, 12.37PM IST NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare has become a powerful brand for people-driven change. But a brand is not built in isolation. It took, amongst others, the father-son due of a former law minister and an activist lawyer, a former police officer and an income tax officer-turned RTI activist to power the 24x7 Anna Hazare show that fired the nation's imagination like no other. These five people were part of his 'inner circle' of advisers: 1) Arvind Kejriwal: Hazare's right-hand man, an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur, was additional commissioner of Income Tax, Delhi, at the young age of 27 before he turned against the establishment. Founder of Parivartan, a Delhi-based NGO pushing for transparent governance, the 43-year-old's tireless crusade educating people about the Right to Information Act won him the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emerging Leadership in 2006. 2) Shanti Bhushan: One of the two legal brains behind Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal campaign, 86-year-old Shanti Bhushan has been in the news for advocating reforms of higher judiciary. He, along with his son Prashant Bhushan, set up Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reform (CJAR). As law minister in the Morarji Desai government, he introduced the Lokpal bill in parliament in 1977. He was also co-chairman of the joint committee set in April 2011 for the Jan Lokpal Bill and played a key role in brokering a compromise that led to the parliament agreeing in principle to Hazare's key demands. 3) Prashant Bhushan: Better known for filing public interest litigation (PIL), taking up diverse issues from environmental violations to corruption, the bespectacled lawyer was in the small team that co-drafted the Jan Lokpal bill. Bhushan, 57, shot into the limelight for a PIL filed by him that led to unearthing of the multi-million dollar scandal in the allocation of 2G telecom spectrum. He has been a key confidant of Hazare and part of his negotiating team with the government. 4) Kiran Bedi: India's first female police officer, Bedi hit the headlines in the early 1980s when she got prime minister Indira Gandhi's car towed away for a parking violation. Known as a no-nonsense officer who instilled both fear and discipline in her men, she undertook sweeping reforms in New Delhi's Tihar Jail and is part of the trio, along with Prashant Bhushan and Kejriwal, who have been negotiating with the government over the Lokpal bill. She drew adverse attention by her theatrics on the Ramlila stage and was criticised for mocking MPs and the way they made fool of those who elected them. 5) Medha Patkar: The woman who led the Narmada Bachao Andolan, espousing the rights of those displaced by the construction of the Narmada and other large dams. In 1991, she undertook a three-week fast against the Sardar Sarovar dam that brought her almost close to death. That year, she won the Right Livelihood Award along with Baba Amte. Patkar was a late entrant to the Anna cause. A postgraduate in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Patkar has been an outspoken and hardline member of the movement. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/The-men-and-the-woman-behind-Team-Anna/articleshow/9767845.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Anna Hazare: A fasting activist turns a national icon
Anna Hazare: A fasting activist turns a national icon 28 AUG, 2011, 12.39PM IST, IANS NEW DELHI: He drove a truck for the army during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, but when Anna Hazare broke his fast on day 13 Sunday after the Indian parliament agreed to his three demands for a stronger anti-graft legislation the school dropout had won for the people a war against the powerful establishment. It was a civic-government standoff, broadcast live to the nation by the incessantly chattering 24x7 TV news channels, and at the centre of this spectacular reality show was a frail and fasting 74-year-old man who became a veritable nightmare for the ruling political class, but a hero of the urban middle class reeling under pervasive corruption and an unresponsive system. Heroes are born in trying times, and in Hazare, who once sold flowers for a living, middle India has found an icon who echoed their growing disgust with scandal after scandal. Filmstar Aamir Khan spoke for many in India when he told Anna supporters amid singing and chanting that Anna is the real hero. Anna has inspired us all. He has acted as a symbol of public aspirations and a bridge between the old and the youth against the increasing corruption, says Goverdhan Singh Jamwal, 84-year-old major general, who took part in the Hazare movement. Hazare, who has deftly deployed Gandhian weapons of fasting to protest against corruption and injustice in his native village of Ralegan Siddhi and in Maharashtra where he has taken up diverse causes, came into the national spotlight in April when he fasted for five days for a strong Lokpal bill. It forced the government to form a 10-member panel to draft the legislation. Four months later, Hazare undertook another fast for the same cause when he saw that the government had not agreed to all their conditions and this time he captured the people's imagination - thanks to 24X7 TV coverage of his movement - like few have in the last few decades. He became a national icon when he was arrested Aug 16 before he began his fast and was put in Tihar jail and was released under mounting public pressure. After 12 days of fasting and sustained media attention, fed astutely by his SMS-wielding tech-savvy minders, Hazare may have got unprecedented national limelight now, but the diminutive activist, clad in the traditional white kurta-pyjama and a Gandhi cap, has been a quiet revolutionary back in his home state Maharashtra for decades. Much like Mahatma Gandhi, Anna Hazare -- born Kisan Baburao Hazare -- began his activist life in a humble way. His first target was his own village, Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district. It was a miserable and drought-prone place with insufficient rainfall and lacking any economic base. In 1975, he launched watershed development programmes and persuaded people to change their ways and managed to transform the barely breathing village to one Mahatma Gandhi would have been proud of. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/anna-hazare-a-fasting-activist-turns-a-national-icon/articleshow/9767887.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] What we gained, and what we lost with the Anna movement
What we gained, and what we lost with the Anna movement By R Jagannathan http://www.firstpost.com/politics/what-we-gained-and-what-we-lost-with-the-anna-movement-71673.html Excerpts from the link above: Corruption has been firmly put on the nation's agenda. Civil society and the people have sought to engage the law-makers. Parliament, politicians and civil society rejected the simple, universal remedy. The middle class' involvement means change is round the corner. The rise of the youth brigade is now irreversible. Accountability is the key to electability. When one institution fails, another steps in. Our political parties are still irresponsible. Our intellectuals and media are simply too shallow and too politically aligned. It is not parliament that is supreme, but the people. ~Avelino
[Goanet] Lokpal Bill: Government draft agrees to all 3 conditions, Anna may end fast
Lokpal Bill: Government draft agrees to all 3 conditions, Anna may end fast NEW DELHI: Team Anna has received a communication from Parliament that states that all three conditions of Anna Hazare have been agreed upon, according to Times Now. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to move an appeal at 4.30 pm in Parliament. Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit speaking in Lok Sabha supported fasting Anna Hazare's three key demands related to a powerful anti-corruption Lokpal bill. Dikshit said he was in complete unison with Hazare's team on its demand for having Lokayuktas in states, framing Citizen's Charters for all government departments and including the lower bureaucracy in the ambit of Lokpal. He suggested that the central government can send a model Lokpal bill to states so that they create their Lokpals. On framing Citizen's Charter, he said the government was trying to include this also in the anti-corruption mechanism. On bringing the lower bureaucracy under the ambit of the watchdog, Dikshit said this was important as this where the common man connects with the government. BJP said it found considerable merit in three contentious issues raised by Team Anna, including covering the entire bureaucracy and Citizens' Charter for public grievances under Lokpal and favoured Lokayuktas in the states. However, it said inclusion of Prime Minister under Lokpal should be with the exception of certain areas like national security. Responding to a specific enquiry by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee whether there can be a central law for Lokayuktas in the states, Jaitley, an eminent lawyer, said there can be enabling laws. While there is merit in this, Lokayuktas should not be appointed by the Centre. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Saturday urged Anna Hazare to positively end his hunger strike by 6 in the evening. Anna Hazare today trained his guns at MPs saying that around 150 of them were facing criminal charges and people should not elect useless lawmakers next time. In his second address to supporters within two hours, the 74-year-old Gandhian said people expected a lot from the MPs but they did not live up to the expectations and that he would tour the country to appeal to people not to vote for them again. Hazare, who did not address his supporters for nearly 38 hours since August 25 night, emerged on the dais at around 10 am and declared that he will continue his protest till his last breath for a strong anti-corruption law. Amid mounting worries over the 74-year-old Gandhian's health, Hazare said he could fast for another three-four days and nothing will happen to him. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/lokpal-bill-government-draft-agrees-to-all-3-conditions-anna-may-end-fast/articleshow/9756963.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Mhadei Tiger Reserve Local Support petition signature
Hi, I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed: Mhadei Tiger Reserve Local Support http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mhadeitigerreservelocalsupport/ I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes just a few seconds of your time. Thanks!
[Goanet] Hands off the treasures that belong to Lord Vishnu
Hands off the treasures that belong to Lord Vishnu By R Vaidyanathan The news has been splashed from Auckland to Alaska. The temples of India contain several billion dollars worth of treasures. The opening of the vaults in the Sri Padnamanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, according to a court order comes at a dangerous time for our polity. The mainstream media continues to sensationalise the size of the treasure. One of them gushes that treasures tumble out of the temple - as though this is illegal money stashed in the Cayman Islands. Let's be clear: these treasures were donated by the temple's devotees over centuries, and rightfully belong to Lord Vishnu, who cannot even be fully seen from any angle by devotees. He is the true owner of this wealth and this truth should be internalised. It is unfortunate that this discovery should take place in Kerala, where the percentage of idol-worshippers is a minority - if one excluded Muslims, Christians and Marxists from the fold. The mere act of opening up the vaults and tunnels is thus fraught with significant dangers for Hindu society and our ancient civilisation. The present times are most inappropriate to try to list the billions of rupees worth of diamonds and rubies and sapphires owned by our temples. We all know that a significant portion of our politicians have a criminal background and even parts of the judiciary are corrupt. The bureaucracy is compromised by a saga of loot and plunder. In this context, where government finances are completely out of alignment with revenue realities, the temptation will be to use these invaluable treasures to fulfill the insatiable personal and political greed of our politicians to fund populist schemes like food security for all with resources belonging to Lord Vishnu. Already more than 80% of the incomes of major temples is used for secular causes rather than for sacred purposes. The opening of the vaults in the Sri Padnamanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, according to a court order comes at a dangerous time for our polity. Reuters It is not improbable that some jholawala economist will calculate - by dividing his mobile number with the pin code - that more than 70% of the people below poverty line can be lifted out of poverty if only this money is available to the government. The unaccountable civil society group under Sonia Gandhi - also called the National Advisory Council - might formulate a bill (since they are the law framers in the present dispensation) to open up all vaults from the Amarnath to Ayappa temples and from Somnath to Kamakhya. There will be half-baked debates about using it for social justice. The only people who can have some say on this wealth are those who visit the temple on a daily basis and who can chant, in this case, the Vishnu Sahasranamam. I am not even sure if those who are counting these treasures are eligible to deal with the sacred on the orders of the secular. One can say that this is the last battle waged by Nehruvian secularists against the 'sacred even though, in this particular case, it might appear to be a simple case of counting. Actually counting, enumerating and documenting are secular ways of dealing with sacred treasures in our temples, since the sacred is never documented but just observed and meditated upon. Some imported white or brown non-resident Indian expert will suggest a way of leveraging these billions and even propose investing a part of it in our stock markets to propel second generation reforms. Wall Street bankers, with colorful ties and multiple lies, should be tremendously interested. The wealth seen in temples becomes a target for jehadi terrorists and Wall Street bankers - who are no different except for the kind of killing they go for. The memories of the plunder of Somnath are embedded in the brain cells of every citizen of this country. Let us be clear. The town and the temple are already marked by global terrorists. The Kerala home minister says he will increase the number of pot-bellied constables to protect the treasures, as if the global jehadis can be handled by them. Quite clearly, this is the most inappropriate time to be listing the Lord's wealth. When a street is full of thugs and dacoits, no woman would venture out wearing her jewels and finery. One wonders why the courts have got into this, when they should have been focusing on the Hasan Alis, Rajas and Kalmadis of the world. It is puzzling why the acharya sabhas or Hindu organisations are silent on this issue. They may not have understood the full import of what is happening. For the sake of Dharma and for God's sake, our courts and powers should stop digging for treasures in our temples. R Vaidyanathan is Professor of Finance, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and can be contacted at vai...@iimb.ernet.in. The views are personal and do not reflect that of his organisation.
[Goanet] FORCE refutes allegations of ‘pressure on parents’
FORCE refutes allegations of ‘pressure on parents’ Published on: June 27, 2011 - 01:29 The Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE), on Sunday, said that it was willing to bring all those almost 40,000 parents that had opted for education in English for their children before the department of education (DoE) authorities, reacting to the accusations of pressure on parents to sign the forms. PANAJI: The Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE), on Sunday, said that it was willing to bring all those almost 40,000 parents that had opted for education in English for their children before the department of education (DoE) authorities, reacting to the accusations of pressure on parents to sign the forms. The circular on the cabinet decision has already been sent to schools, choices submitted and the guidelines set to come out by June 30. If they give a date and time we can march these 40,000 parents to Celsa Pinto and Anil Pawar (director and deputy director of Education) and ask them to take a head count, FORCE’s Mr Savio Lopez told media. FORCE is in the forefront of the fight for choice to parents in the medium of instruction in schools. Mr Lopez also opened up another front stating that they were waiting for the final outcome of the forms that were filled and submitted to the government and wanted to know which schools had not submitted the forms. We will wait for the official results and then see if any parents in those schools want education in English. We will follow it up, he promised. Parents alleged that this fight was more of the one between the Congress and its opponents like the BJP, rubbishing reports that it was being fought on communal lines given that the choice to parents was being supported by present Congress heavyweights like the PWD Minister, Mr Churchill Alemao and the Bharatiya Basha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), agitating against the choice to parents being backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the main opposition party, that was giving the muscle to the movement. There were reports that there were some schools in the state including, from the capital, where parents had not been given forms to fill to give their choice according to government directions. The grants to English medium schools issue has turned murky even after the cabinet decided to given grants to schools having English as their medium of instruction along with the mother tongue, Konkanni and the associate language Marathi as government officials are making some contradictory statements, with the circular being issued to schools and the guidelines on the MoI set to come out by June 30. This has led some parents to doubt the intentions of the government and question its intent as even as the Education Minister has clearly stated that there were no hurdles. Our demands as on now have been accepted by the government, and I do not think it is possible to revert it back, anyway the parents will not allow even the going slow on the issue, Mr Lopes said not refusing to be drawn into the controversy or accuse the government of going slow. He, however said that they appreciate the efforts put in by Mr Brar (Central Congress leader who is in charge of Goa state) to fulfill the desires of the parents. On Saturday, the Education Minister, Mr Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate had reiterated that the circular would be brought into force this year itself and schools will be allowed to open English medium divisions this year if parents want…, and refuted reports that appeared in various sections of the media that the circular has been referred to the cabinet for correction as ...as there is nothing wrong with the circular. Also reacting to the Leader of Opposition Mr Manohar Parrikar allegation that the circular was not vetted by the law department or the finance department, Mr Monserrate had said that the decision could not have been taken by the cabinet if the legality of this had not been looked into before its approval by the cabinet. The four-member committee appointed to advise on the smooth implementation of the MoI decision is headed by the education secretary and has director of education and director of higher education as its members. Mr Monserrate also had said that anyone who doubted the legality of the circular, despite attempts by the state for its smooth implementation, was free to approach the courts for justice. Sources among the parent community were more forthcoming saying that they were willing to come out on the streets in case the government or any other interest tried to sabotage what had been promised and intensify the agitation. They also said that they were in touch with the Congress high command and had briefed them about the various positions taken and the various comments made by various players in the grants to medium of instruction issue. On the flip side, the PWD Minister on Saturday had threatened to quit the cabinet and
[Goanet] Book Review by class 8 student of Fatima Convent, Margao
http://katorrebhaji.blogspot.com/2011/06/mystery-of-mindnet.html ~Avelino
[Goanet] Violent protests over English language
Violent protests over English language Press Trust Of India Panaji, June 06, 2011 Road traffic has been paralysed in Goa since morning, as protesters have descended on roads to enforce the 'Goa bandh' over state government's decision to grant recognition to English as a Medium of Instruction (MOI) in the primary schools. Goa government recently decided to recognise English as an MOI, alongwith Marathi and Konkani, and to give grants to English-medium schools. But the decision has led to howls of protest, with the fear that it would undercut the vernacular-medium schools. Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) has given a call for strike on Monday, which is supported by BJP, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), and Shiv Sena. It is also backed by 67 institutions across the state. Since morning, no buses could ply on the inter-city routes. A few buses were seen on city roads here, with a few passengers. Most schools remained closed, though on Monday was the first day of the current academic year. In the schools which opened, teachers could not reach on time, and very few students turned up. Police sources stated that two buses of government-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) were stoned in Margao and Bicholim towns. Another two buses, carrying school children, were also attacked by the protesters. The students were made to get down and the buses were smashed up, an eye witness said. The students were later taken back to their homes by by the agitators themselves. A few KTCL buses, though half-empty, managed to ply under police protection on the inter-city routes. In Panaji, the parents were seen standing outside some schools, to ensure that agitators do not close the schools forcibly. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Violent-protests-over-English-language/Article1-706264.aspx ~Avelino
[Goanet] Criminal complaint against NCP leader for illegal mining
Panaji, Feb 14 (IANS) Right to Information (RTI) activists in Goa Monday filed a criminal complaint against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national secretary Jitendra Deshprabhu and several top bureaucrats for illegal mining worth Rs.50 crore. Activists Kashinath Shetye, Ketan Govekar and Pradeep Kakodkar have said Deshprabhu had cheated the state government to the tune of Rs.50 crore due to the illegal extraction of ore in his mine located at the Pernem subdistrict in north Goa. 'We have filed a complaint against Deshprabhu for illegal mining and the chief conservator of forests, director mining, director transport and chief of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and the local panchayats for abetting the illegal mining, by not taking action against the crime in time,' Shetye told IANS. The complaint comes a fortnight after Chief Minister Digambar Kamat told the Goa legislative assembly that the senior NCP leader ran an illegal mining outfit. Kamat, also Goa's minister for mines, told the Goa legislative assembly Feb 1 that Deshprabhu has already been fined Rs.1.72 crore by the state mining department for illegally extracting nearly 50,000 tonnes of iron ore. Deshprabhu, however, has maintained that while the mine was located in his property, he was not responsible for the extraction of ore because he had leased the property to a contractor. Illegal and unchecked mining is a sensitive issue in Goa, with civil society groups and the opposition voicing concern about the issue repeatedly. According to data submitted in the monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly, ore worth Rs.4,000 crore was illegally mined and exported out of the Goa to countries like China, Japan, Romania, etc. Leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar claims that nearly 18 percent of Goa's total 40 million tonnes mining output comprises illegally mined ore. He has also accused Kamat and several of his cabinet ministers of being in hand-in-glove with the illegal mining lobby. http://www.sify.com/news/criminal-complaint-against-ncp-leader-for-illegal-mining-news-national-lconOfjijac.html
[Goanet] A cardiologist's search for roots
A cardiologist's search for roots MANGALORE: Children born into Konkani community in general and GSB community in particular learn one truth early in their life -- their ancestors hailed from Goa and were driven out by the Portuguese. And this historical truth has been handed down for many generations by word of mouth. But if one wants to read up on this truth, there is not much to go by way of written word and the few records available are in Braga in Portugal. Trying to fill these lacunae in the lives of the Konkani people is K Mohan Pai, an eminent cardiologist, who undertook a historian's penance to pen 'For the Love of Mandovi', which is a fiction based on facts about the struggle put by Konkani people in Goa in the first part of 16th century against the conquering Portuguese. His explanation for penning this novel that took him eight years -- There is no book on people like us. Dr Pai, whose novel will be released on Tuesday at the Town Hall here, told TOI that idea for this novel sprouted after his earlier Kannada work -- Dhruvathareyaru, which dwells on Konkani people who migrated to Mangalore from Bhaktal post Tipu Sultan. All that we know on migration of Konkani people from Goa is what our 'malgad lok' (family elders) have told us, and which we have passed on to our children, he says. It is the archives in Goa and several institutions in the neighbouring state that fuelled Dr Pai's research. Dr Pai also undertook trips to Braga to access the official Portuguese records that spoke on the exodus of Konkani speaking people from Goa. There are more than 35,000 official records in Braga, which the authorities there readily shared with me, Dr Pai says adding that English translation of some of these records too came in handy. Anath Kakba Priolkar's 'Goa Inquisitions' and the doctoral thesis of Pratima P Kamath of the department of history, Goa University too serves as the reference material for this novel. The story in 'For the Love of Mandovi' that starts on the day Alfonso Albuquerque attacked Goa and unfolds a number of hitherto unknown facts about the background of the conquest and the complicated historical facts, Dr Pai observes. Will his novel -- part fiction and part history withstand the historian's scrutiny? Yes, says Dr Pai without a hint of hesitation. The fact that the novel is based on a host of official documents, and deals with a historical event, albeit seen in my own way, lends credence to the work, he avers. Regular romantic interludes and deeds of heroism, which are interspersed in the book, should make the readers feel enthralled, he adds. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/A-cardiologists-search-for-roots/articleshow/7206665.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goan kids to aim for the stars
Goan kids to aim for the stars PANAJI: On Saturday, January 8, Goan children with stars in their eyes will head to the public astronomical observatory at Junta house in Panaji at 6.30pm as the Astro-kids club will be launching their fourth edition. The club is the children's branch of the association of friends of astronomy (AFA). ''It is open to all children aged between 9 and 15 and aims at inspiring young minds to take up astronomy as a hobby or as a serious profession,'' said AFA president, Percival Noronha. ''Every January we innaugurate the club and enroll new members. From January to October they have a special 10 month programme where members avail of all the fun activities,'' said AFA secretary, Satish Nayak. And fun it sure is as explains 13-year-old Attarva Joshi. ''We have workshops, films, slide shows, aero modelling, presentations and picnics throughout the year and we meet every Saturday. The best thing for me is meeting so many people with the same interests. I also enjoy going around with my telescope and star gazing and educating the public by acting as their guide and imparting whatever knowledge I can.'' ''We usually focus on a theme set by the Unesco each year. This year is the international year of forests so our activities will revolve around it besides the usual astronomy related events,'' said Nayak adding that they are supported by the department of science and technology and focus on various sciences besides astronomy. At the moment the Astro-kids club constitutes 350 children from Goa and every year the numbers increase, a clear indication that interest in the field is mounting. ''It is great to have young blood in our association and see them enjoying while they learn rather than just sitting in front of the idiot box or video games. We give them some monetary incentives when they help out at the centre or conduct lectures and seminars so they can earn a bit while they learn,'' Nayak added. It looks like these kids are aiming for the stars quite literally. For other interested star-gazers around, the AFA will organize a sky observation program for the public on January 9 from 6.30pm onwards at their Mapusa centre, next to Bodgeshwar temple. Participants will be able to view Jupiter, the moon and other celestial objects through telescopes. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Goan-kids-to-aim-for-the-stars/articleshow/7238733.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography translated into Konkani
Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography translated into Konkani The Konkani translation of 'My experiments with truth', the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, was recently released by Ushaben Gokani, Gandhi's granddaughter at a function held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. Among those present were chief minister Digambar Kamat, Konkani writer Gurunath Keleker, who translated the book, and Fr Muzinho de Ataide Auction of usufruct mango, cashew trees: The auction for collection of usufruct of 90 mango trees and 105 cashew trees of the government cattle breeding farm, Copardem-Sattari, will be held on December 27, at 11am, at the office of the assistant director, government cattle breeding farm. The initial bidding price for the mango and cashew trees for the period of three years, from January 2011 to May 2014, is fixed at Rs20,000 and 7,000, respectively. Those interested should deposit Rs1000, which is refundable, as entry fee for each auction one hour before the start of the auction, states a press note. For more details contact the government cattle breeding farm. Release Mario Miranda's 5-book series: Architecture Autonomous will release cartoonist Mario Miranda's five-book series on January 8, 2011, at the Kala Academy. 'Goa', 'Travels', 'Bombay' and 'Best Cartoons Book 1' and 'Best Cartoons Book 2' are the titles of the books. According to Gerard da Cunha, the series editor, 'none of the pictures appear in the coffee table book Mario de Miranda'. Copies of the books can be booked at the at the Kala Academy (KA) from December 22 (except on December 25) till the release day, for a 'bargain prepublication offer'. The books are hardbound and are priced at Rs 495. There will also be a clearance sale of Mario Christmas gifts from December 22 to 24 at KA. Prize distribution at Bal Bhavan: The prize distribution of the drawing competition and greeting cards design contest will be held on December 21, at 3pm, at Bal Bhavan, Campal, Panaji. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mahatma-Gandhis-autobiography-translated-into-Konkani/articleshow/7135981.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Poor sanitation cost India $54 bn
Poor sanitation cost India $54 bn NEW DELHI: Inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the country's GDP in 2006. Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related with diarrhoea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health-related impacts. These estimates are from '' The Economic Impacts of Inadequate Sanitation in India'', a new report released on Monday by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), a global partnership administered by the World Bank . Christopher Juan Costain, WSP regional leader for South Asia pointed out that the report helped to quantify the economic losses to India due to inadequate sanitation and also showed that children and poor households bore the brunt of poor sanitation. More than three-fourth of the premature mortality-related economic losses are due to deaths and diseases in children younger than five. Diarrhoea among these children accounts for over 47% of the total health-related impact, that is nearly $18 billion dollars. The report estimates that in rural areas, where 50% of households are said to have access to improved sanitation, there are almost 575 million people defecating in the open. Similarly, in urban areas where 60-70 % of the households are said to have access to sanitation, 54 million people defecate in the open and over 60% of the waste water is discharged untreated. This has led to huge public health costs, besides causing 450,000 deaths. It has led to an estimated 575 million cases of diarrhoea, and 350,000 deaths from diarrhoea alone, in the under-five age group. It is the poorest who bear the greatest cost due to inadequate sanitation. The poorest fifth of the urban population bears the highest per capita economic impact of Rs 1,699, much more than the national average per capita loss due to inadequate sanitation, which is Rs 961. Among rural households too, the poorest fifth bears the highest per capita loss in the rural area at over Rs 1,000. '' And these are hugely underestimated estimates because we have excluded mortality impacts,'' Costain says. The report admitted that many economic impacts like other diseases influenced by hygiene and sanitation and the impacts on pregnant women, low birthweight and long-term health had not been covered. Health impacts, accounting for the bulk of the economic impacts, are followed by the economic losses due to the time spent in obtaining piped water and sanitation facilities , about $15 billion, and about $0.26 billion of potential tourism revenue lost due to India's reputation for poor sanitation, the report says. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/poor-sanitation-cost-india-54-bn/articleshow/7137047.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Common facilities spanning 55, 000 sq m for Cujira complex
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Book Release: Goanetter Valmiki Faleiro's Patriotism in Action Dec 18, 2010 (Sat) at 5.30 pm at Goa Chitra, Benaulim, Goa Copies available at: Hotel Mandovi or Broadway (Panjim), OIB (Mapusa), Sainik Co-Op (Porvorim), Literati (Calangute), David Co, Confidante (Margao) David Co Mumbai, Mumbai Catholic Gymkhana; Manney's and Popular (Pune), Narayan (Bangalore), Ritana Books (Delhi). Online: http://goa1556.notlong.com --- Common facilities spanning 55,000 sq m for Cujira complex PANAJI: The integrated educational complex being planned at Cujira by the directorate of education (DoE) will provide common facilities across 55,000 sq m of land to the 13 institutes that will be shifted there from the capital city. Planned to serve the dual purpose of decongesting Panaji and providing the city institutes with facilities most of them presently lack on account of space constraints, the complex will have playgrounds, gymnasiums and common halls. The DoE has already issued an order allotting 8,000 to 10,000 sq m of land to the six institutes presently issued land at Cujira. The allotment is based on each institute's personal requirement. After allotment of land for each institute, around 55,000 sq m of free land in the complex will be available to the DoE, said sources. The directorate therefore plans to develop common facilities on this land. The facilities include a bigger common hall and a larger playground for all the schools put together to use for larger gatherings. This common hall and playground will be other than the ones to be developed by each institute within the land allotted to them at the complex. While 13 city institutes had applied for land under the scheme, six have been approved by the state in phase one of the complex. These are Mushtifund High School, Dr K B Hedgewar High School, Anjuman Nurul Islam High School, Rosary High School, Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Arts and Science, and Voicuntrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Commerce. The institutes are currently spread across Mala, Panaji, and Miramar. The DoE is also in the process of identifying more land around the school complex for phase two of the integrated education complex. The state will sign leases of 99 years with the institutes for the use of the government land in the complex. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Common-facilities-spanning-55000-sq-m-for-Cujira-complex/articleshow/7125380.cms ~Avelino
[Goanet] Correa Wins Gomantak Vibhushan
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Book Release: Goanetter Valmiki Faleiro's Patriotism in Action Dec 18, 2010 (Sat) at 5.30 pm at Goa Chitra, Benaulim, Goa Copies available at: Hotel Mandovi or Broadway (Panjim), OIB (Mapusa), Sainik Co-Op (Porvorim), Literati (Calangute), David Co, Confidante (Margao) David Co Mumbai, Mumbai Catholic Gymkhana; Manney's and Popular (Pune), Narayan (Bangalore), Ritana Books (Delhi). Online: http://goa1556.notlong.com --- Correa Wins Gomantak Vibhushan Panaji, Dec 19: Gomantak Vibhushan, Goa's highest award to a person of Goan origin who has done the state proud through outstanding contributions in their respective field, has gone to renowned architect and planner Charles Correa. Correa, who has designed the Kala Academy, is a member of the Task Force. He is also in the state-level committee for the Regional Plan 2021. http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=91972n_tit=Panaji%3A+Correa+Wins+Gomantak+Vibhushan ~Avelino
[Goanet] Goa is also about its Konkani heritage
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Book Release: Goanetter Valmiki Faleiro's Patriotism in Action Dec 18, 2010 (Sat) at 5.30 pm at Goa Chitra, Benaulim, Goa Copies available at: Hotel Mandovi or Broadway (Panjim), OIB (Mapusa), Sainik Co-Op (Porvorim), Literati (Calangute), David Co, Confidante (Margao) David Co Mumbai, Mumbai Catholic Gymkhana; Manney's and Popular (Pune), Narayan (Bangalore), Ritana Books (Delhi). Online: http://goa1556.notlong.com --- Goa is also about its Konkani heritage The state of Goa has been ruled by many dynasties and foreign rulers, but it has sustained its indigenous Vedic socio-religious fabric against cultural invasion. The first Konkani Ramayana was found in the folk traditions of Goa in the form of 'fugddis' (folk songs accompanied with dances). They were performed by kudmis (tribals) 1000-1200 years back. It was also sung as a lullaby. The earliest form of written Ramayana was Godde Ramayana composed by Koles and Mundaris (early Goan settlers), says Uday Bhembre, a senior Konkani Scholar. He adds that the Godde Ramayana was given further finesse by 16th century Konkani scholars, which even today is accepted as the 'original Goan Konkani Ramayana'. The Goa Konkani Academy has created a special chair for studying the Konkani Ramayana and Mahabharata. The academy's president Shivadas says, Goa's culture and language was too strong for any alien invaders to shake. Our studies have revealed that the Godde Ramayana was one of the variants of Ramayana that has as wide acceptance an as the Valmiki Ramayana or Ramacharitmanas in the world of Ramayana scholars Jayanti Naik, senior research fellow of the Goa Konkani Academy says, Konkani Ramayana has many variations. If we compare the Godde Ramayana to Valmiki Ramayana or Ramacharitmanas, in Godde Ramayana, King Dashrath had only two wives Kouslaya and Kaikayi. The third wife Sumithra is non existent. Eighty-year-old Inocio Fernandez of Vasco-da-Gama, who was the first to give the Hindu scriptures to the Goan government in 1969, says, My ancestors who had been in the service of the Portuguese government in early 20th century, spoke of the Portuguese banning Konkani language and the reading of Konkani Ramayana in 1684 in an effort to break traditional Konkani society. But even after 450 years of rule, the Portuguese could not achieve that. It was the Konkani Ramayana which held Goan society together. After Goa's liberation, Hindu families did bring out their old copies of literature, hidden in their homes to protect them from the Portuguese rulers, says Ramdas Nayak, a native. In that sense, the natives have put in as much effort as scholars, who hid books in Nalanda and Takshashila, when alien marauders and pillagers set fire to these centres of learning, says Bhembre. Let us not look at Goa as a centre of pleasure and tourism alone but as a centre of ancient studies of epics, he urges. http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_goa-is-also-about-its-konkani-heritage_1474257 ~Avelino
[Goanet] DKA's 'Romi Lipient Konknni Borounchi Promann Rit' Book Release on Dec 18
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Book Release: Goanetter Valmiki Faleiro's Patriotism in Action Dec 18, 2010 (Sat) at 5.30 pm at Goa Chitra, Benaulim, Goa Copies available at: Hotel Mandovi or Broadway (Panjim), OIB (Mapusa), Sainik Co-Op (Porvorim), Literati (Calangute), David Co, Confidante (Margao) David Co Mumbai, Mumbai Catholic Gymkhana; Manney's and Popular (Pune), Narayan (Bangalore), Ritana Books (Delhi). Online: http://goa1556.notlong.com --- DKA's 'Romi Lipient Konknni Borounchi Promann Rit' Book Release on Dec 18 Panjim, Dec 14: A scholarly book, 'Romi Lipient Konknni Borounchi Promann Rit' written by eminent Konknni stalwart and Director of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK) Fr Pratap Naik will be released at a special function organized by Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA) at the Conference Hall of Tiatr Academy, Goa Campal Trade Centre here on Saturday December 18 at 5.00 pm . Dr Nandkumar Kamat, renowned scientist in Botany department of Goa University will be the chief guest and release the book. Vincy Quadros, vice-president of Goa Konknni Akademi will speak on the book. Premanand A Lotlikar, president of Dalgado Konknni Akademi will preside. It is observed that the writers of Konkani in Roman script write their works without following one particular method. DKA hopes that the publication of this book will help the Konkani writers in achieving uniformity in writing Konkani in Roman script. All lovers of Konkani particularly the writers in Konkani in Roman script are requested to attend the function. http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=91636n_tit=Panaji%3A+DKA%92s+%91Romi+Lipient+Konknni+Borounchi+Promann+Rit%92+Book+Release+on+Dec+18 ~Avelino
[Goanet] Princess Indian Cuisine - The coming of a Goan Age
Princess Indian Cuisine - The coming of a Goan Age Princess Indian Cuisine is the dream of a little boy now realized. Bob Lopez, now in his late 20s is a happy man. As a boy of 12 his dream was to own his restaurant and bar. He has gone two steps further by adding a Banquet Hall and a Casual Lounge with a full service bar that opens weekdays for anyone young at heart between 4 PM to 2 AM, Tuesday - Sunday. Princess Indian Cuisine has a Goan influence from its owner Bob Lopez who grew up in Goa, India. He works with a well known chef Lorenzo Fernando, who is also Goan, who worked 9 years straight in Banjara restaurant, in Virginia. The restaurant formerly Pavani Indian Cuisine is now Princess Indian Cuisine. Bob Lopez has added 4 new plasma TVs in the lounge, 3 in the restaurant area. The interiors look more spiffier and inviting. With over 30 dishes for everyday's buffet, weekdays are $9.95 and weekends are $12.95. On Fridays there is a special Goanese style fish curry. On Sundays there is the Puri Bhaji Special. On weekends there are more meat items plus a special fish dish created by Lorenzo's culinary inspiration. He is a chef who specializes in North Indian cuisine. The restaurant can comfortably seat 100 people. The buffet has separate South Indian and North Indian dishes. Tandoori chicken has a light smoky flavor mildly spiced, Madras Goat - with tender goat meat pieces on the bone in rich flavorful gravy, Butter chicken, Chicken Vindaloo - diced chicken with tomato gravy and potatoes, fresh Nan and plain Basmati rice, Lemon Basmati Rice that has an original tart flavor with fried red chillies, Mushroom with peas, Eggplant with Tomato curry, Saag Panneer, Dal Makhani, Vegetable Rice pilaf, Idli with a side of Rasam and Sambar, two famous South Indian stews. Rasam (called Mulligatawny in English after the name Milaghu Tanni) tastes original flavored with black pepper corn, tamarind extract and red chilies. The buffet is accompanied by an appetizer bar which has Onion Spinach Pakoras, with Mysore Bonda. There is also a desert bar which has Gulab Jamun, Golden colored Kesari Halwa with cashews and raisins that is goodness in every bite, really soft and melts in your mouth. On the left to the buffet bar are the pickles, salads, rice pudding and a fruit selection for the day. The mango lassi is a classic, with crushed cardamom seeds and rich mango flavored thick buttermilk that is simply a delicious cool drink. The Lounge has karaoke on Friday nights from 7 - 10 pm. Desi music is played on Friday and Saturdays 11-2 pm. The lounge has a capacity of 80 people with a dance floor, bar area, seating for 30 with a special DJ glass booth to mix and play music. The lounge has the latest in technology - hi-def plasma televisions and great sound systems. People can book the lounge for special parties served along with food and wine. Both North Indian and South Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes can be served at special group events. The televisions in the lounge are all upgraded for the latest in sports. There is also the pool table to have fun and hooka to experience. The Banquet Hall can seat 120 people great for small parties, offer business product promotions and hold conferences, and family occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and other important events in life. There are two outside patios the one facing the Beltway 8 can seat 30 guests, and the one facing highway 59 can seat 20 guests. Princess Indian Cuisine has recently catered a large family event of 800 guests successfully serving them South Indian cuisine. Encouraged by its success and word of mouth referrals, Bob Lopez, owner is now ready to stretch his catering limits to 1500 people per sitting. The restaurant has a cozy feel to it with booth style seating and individual, wood paneling, rich wood finish pillars and indoor plants. Every T.V keeps playing a different program - some Bollywood songs, while others play food or vineyard documentaries. While Bob Lopez is still adding small finishing touches to the renovations and upping the ambiance inside his restaurant, he is offering his guests a chance to join the Princess Indian Cuisine club membership.Visit their web site, sign their form to become a free member. They will remind the guests by e-mail of upcoming weekly events, receive special dinner and lunch deals, savings coupons and percentage discounts on a monthly basis. Bob Lopez is willing to listen and take in as much feedback on the food and the service, as he can get to keep his diners happy and coming back to enjoy more great food. That is his immediate goal. Let him know about your dine-in or catering experience. Ph: 713-272-8259 * www.princessindiancuisine.com * Located: 10554 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas http://www.indoamerican-news.com/?p=804 ~ Avelino
[Goanet] American actor plays lead role in O Maria
American actor plays lead role in O Maria Konkani film O Maria, waiting to be premiered for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2010, has an American actor playing the lead role. Filmmaker Rajendra Talak said that Cory Goldberg, who was spotted in Incredible India campaign, is playing the lead role in the film which speaks of a current day Goa. Talak said that he saw a glimpse of Cory in Incredible India campaign advertisement and since then wanted him to cast him in his next movie. Cory had a small but significant presence in the campaign advertisement. He was shown bathing elephants and later signing Incredible India card, the National award winning filmmaker said. In the run up to make O Maria, Talak went scouting for Cory in Mumbai. I met a few agents and asked them about this actor. Finally, I managed to get him, he said. In the film, Cory has played a role of a foreigner who comes to Goa. The film also features Shernaz Patel, Sulabha Arya, Tiku Talsania, Meenacshi Martins, Aryan Khedekar, Kevin D'mello, Rosefern and John D'Silva beside others. Internationally-renowned Goan singer and composer Remo Fernandes has given music for the film and also sung three songs. The music for the film will be released on November 16 in Panaji, Talak said. O Maria has already received Censor Board certificate and is waiting to be premiered at IFFI 2010, which is beginning from November 23 in Panaji. http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_american-actor-plays-lead-role-in-o-maria_1466441 ~Avelino _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ tambdimati: the Goa review is a community blog of original _/ art, writing, music, news and commentary from and about the _/ smallest state in the subcontinent. check out the newest _/ member of the Goanet family daily at _/ http://www.tambdimati.com. _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
[Goanet] Invisible helmet provides instant protection thanks to accelerometers
Invisible helmet provides instant protection thanks to accelerometers October 26, 2010 Helmets have been in the news lately, what with the attention being given to the danger in NFL players getting violently hit. Conversely, some people simply don't want to wear helmets at all either because of the added discomfort, or the lack of cool factor, or because they perceive the risk as minimal in something as mundane as, say, riding a bike. Thanks to the availability of low-cost, accurate MEMs accelerometers, Hovding, a startup company in the Netherlands is developing an invisible helmet that's essentially a wearable airbag. More at: http://www.edn.com/blog/PowerSource/39949-Invisible_helmet_provides_instant_protection_thanks_to_accelerometers.php ~Avelino
Re: [Goanet] Home for the Aged, Tivim
Rico, The one in Bodiem Tivim is called The Home for the Beautiful http://wikimapia.org/4051777/Home-For-The-Beautiful-Bodiem-Tivim ~Avelino Can someone please tell me the name of one of the better homes for the aged, which, I believe, is run in Tivim? Got an enquiry on this, from the UK, and it's a bit late to ask around here. (Excuse, excuse: I just keep forgetting!) While on this point, does anyone have good experiences with homes for the aged in Goa? What would you recommend if someone asked your advice? Thanks in advance, FN Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490
