[Goanet] IN VERSE: Motherland by Marcos Catao cata...@yahoo.com

[Goanet Reader]

M O T H E R L A N D

Marcos Catao cata...@yahoo.com

MOTHERLAND is where you are born
MOTHERLAND is where you've grown
Where the spirit blossomed
MOTHERLAND is the warmth that binds
A bond of all the people
Who are not related
Yet feel the warmth
Of that flame that glows.

MOTHERLAND is the piece of land
Bathed in filial sweat
The bed of fragrant flowers
Sprouting from love'.s care..

MOTHERLAND is not a lil' piece of paper
Bandied as Passport

MOTHERLAND does not dim
E'en if seemingly asleep
In an undesired exile.
MOTHERLAND is what seems
In the voice to quiver
When one returns home
After a long stay out.
MOTHERLAND is not forgotten
E'en in the moment of the last breath

Try then never to demerit
The MOTHERLAND where you were born
For it is the greatest gift
The Good LORD on you has endowed.

Dedicated to GOA, our unique and unforgettable MOTHERLAND

Translated from the original Portuguese “A PATRIA”, featured in a recent
book of poems ”Pedrinhas na Areia: poemas fortuitos de saudades d'outrora”
(Pebbles in the sand: random poems of nostalgic memories)

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: The Lusitanian In Hind (Aravind Adiga, in Outlook)

[Goanet Reader]

The Lusitanian In Hind

Francisco Luis Gomes, Goan
polymath, was one of our
earliest patriots.  He can't
lie forgotten.

Aravind Adiga

I was born in India, cradle of poetry, philosophy and
history, today its tomb, wrote the young Indian.  I belong
to that race which wrote the Mahabharata and invented Chess
-- two conceptions that bear in them the eternal and the
infinite. Yes, his homeland's weakness had allowed it to be
ruled by colonial powers -- India is imprisoned -- but the
young visionary believed in its resurgence: I pray for
India, liberty and light.

  Given that these sentences were written in 1861, it
  would be natural enough to assume that their author
  was a Bengali Hindu, writing either in Calcutta or
  in London.  In fact, it was a young Goan Catholic
  in Lisbon who composed these stirring phrases.  The
  Goan, Francisco Luis Gomes, also published a novel
  in Portuguese, Os Brahmanes (The Brahmins), that
  can claim to be one of the earliest Indian novels.
  Many Goans regard Gomes, who died in 1869, as their
  land's greatest son -- a homegrown version of
  Vivekananda, Tilak and Gokhale.  Not only have most
  Indians not heard about Gomes, but many would find
  it jarring to think of a Goan Catholic who wrote in
  Portuguese as a nationalist.  This speaks more
  about the narrowness of our present conception of
  Indianness than about the patriotism of 19th
  century Goans.  Under the familiar sights of Goa --
  which exists in the contemporary Indian imagination
  only as a landscape of fun -- lies an unexpected
  literary treasure: the neglected works of
  pioneering Indian thinkers, most of them Catholic,
  many of them writing in Portuguese.  Of these,
  Gomes is perhaps the most important.

The brutal start of Portuguese rule in Goa in 1510 resulted
in two unexpected boons for modern India. Forced to flee
their homeland in order to protect their faith, the Saraswat
Brahmins spread throughout the Konkan and Malabar,
fertilising commerce and culture everywhere they went. (The
Saraswat diaspora is described in  Kannada writer
Gopalakrishna Pai's historical novel, Swapna Saraswata, which
is being translated into English.)

That few Indians know of Gomes speaks more about the the
narrowness of our conception of Indianness.

The other boon was the development, in places like Margao and
Panjim, of an educated indigenous Catholic community, at
first subservient to white rulers, but soon capable of
dreaming of full equality -- and even of freedom.  In 1787, a
group of Goan priests resentful at seeing whites climb over
them in the church hierarchy met with sympathisers to plot
the overthrow of the Portuguese.  They even sent emissaries
to Tipu Sultan for help.  This, the ‘Pinto revolt', was
perhaps India's earliest organised anti-colonial conspiracy,
and it ended in true Indian style -- at the last minute,
someone betrayed the conspirators.  One of the revolt's
leaders was said to be a Goan priest named Abbe Faria, who, a
few years later, became a celebrity in Paris, where he
practised hypnotism on French ladies, dabbled in revolution,
was imprisoned in the infamous Chateau d'If, and inspired the
figure of the charismatic Abbe in Alexandre Dumas's The Count
of Monte Cristo.

Of course, no career like this was possible for a Goan in
Goa.  In 1835, a liberal government in Lisbon sent a man
named Bernardo Peres da Silva to Panjim -- as his portrait in
the gallery in old Goa notes, da Silva was a native of
India.  The first Indian to rule colonial Goa, he was also
the last.  Seventeen days into his reign, the white and
mixed-race officers who controlled the Goan army put da Silva
on a ship and told him to leave.  After that they butchered
his supporters.  From then until liberation in 1961, although
native Catholics rose high in the judiciary and clergy (and
some Hindus became fabulously rich), no Goan again ruled Goa.

This was the world into which Gomes was born in 1829, where
talented native Catholics, often fluent in Konkani,
Portuguese and French, were still doomed to a second-class
existence.  Gomes, however, wasn't simply tale­nted: he was a
prodigy.  By his early twenties, he had passed his medical
examination and was serving as an army surgeon; later he went
to Bombay to study Sanskrit and the Indian epics; barely 30
years old, he was elected to the Cortes -- the Portuguese
parliament -- from the southern talukas of Goa.  (Unlike
Britain, Portugal gave its colonies the right of
representation.)

The young man's first day in parliament was a rough one: he
heard another member demand that the government rescind the
right given to colonial savages to sit in a civilised
parliament.  The member from Goa, in his maiden speech,
counter-attacked.  Savages?  In India, he informed the
carnivorous Europeans, there 

[Goanet-News] How the Goan lost his art: The old secretariat chapter (VM in Times of India)

[Goanet Reader]

How the Goan lost his art: The old secretariat chapter

Vivek Menezes, TNN | Aug 25, 2013, 07.03 PM IST

Few places in the world have historically mismanaged and disrespected their
own artistic heritage as badly as Goa.

Succeeding waves of invaders and colonialists ruthlessly wiped out what
came before, but even today the peerless Goan artists who mightily fed
modern Indian art like an invisible river (Hoskote) continue to find
virtually no recognition in their own homeland.

Now the newly renovated old secretariat building (aka Palacio Idalcao) that
was re-dedicated to the cause of Goan Art seems to have come under dispute
between competing authorities with opaque plans. This perpetuates a
travesty that has lasted for more than a century: Goa consistently produces
some of the most extraordinary artists anywhere, but they have never been
properly acknowledged by their own state.

Even while the iconic Guggenheim Museum in New York busily plans its
first-ever career retrospective of an Indian artist for our own Vasudeo
Gaitonde (scheduled for next year) it's extremely discouraging to note we
still can't imagine a day when similar justice will be done to the artist
in his own homeland, or indeed, to any of his talented countrymen and
cohorts, from Chimulkar to Pai to Francis Newton Souza.

The sad fact is art lovers and students in London and Mumbai and Dubai can
easily visit, view and study the best paintings by Goan artists, but our
state's own cupboard remains conspicuously bare. It is an unforgivable
situation: as though Bengal stayed willfully ignorant of the Tagores, as if
only a couple of small, unrepresentative paintings by Monet and Matisse and
Gauguin combined hung on public display in the whole of France.

It's precisely this maddening paradox that led successive committees over
several years to insist the palatial old secretariat become the new centre
of gravity for the celebration and showcasing of Goan art. The Palacio
Idalcao spans more than 500 years of this territory's complicated history,
and is certainly a perfect location to make the necessary case for Goa's
artistic legacy. To the great credit of Prasad Lolayekar's quietly
outstanding department of art and culture, the project was pursued without
compromise: the renovation comprises the finest gallery spaces in India.
But what will happen now?

Defining artistic identity is no different from other existential
struggles. For example, Goans were told for a long time 'this is Portugal'.
Soon after 1961, Goans were informed they were actually Maharashtrians.
Ancient Konkani was called a dialect of Marathi. In each case, Goans were
forced into bruising, but ultimately worthwhile and successful battles for
broad acknowledgement of the realities of the basic building blocks of
their contemporary identity.

Goan art presents a similar challenge. There is great resistance in the art
establishment to acknowledge the reality of strong cultural bonds
connecting A X Trindade, the first distinguished native painter (and
faculty member) at India's first art college, to the savants Fonseca and
Chimulkar, to Mahatma Gandhi's favoured portraitist Antonio da Cruz, to
essential transcultural bridge figures to the west like Souza, Gaitonde,
Pai and Vamona Navelkar.

When you also link to the genius of Mario Miranda and the unique murals of
daunting polymathic scholar Jose Pereira, and how well each of these
artists knew the other, it would seem impossible to deny the obvious. That
is precisely what has happened over the past decades, with even local
institutions supposedly dedicated to art in Goa parroting denials that Goan
art exists in the first place. Physical colonization went away more than 50
years ago, mental colonization flourishes intact.

In the end, it will not take much to clear the cobwebs. For more than six
months last year, a huge mix of artists from across disciplines gathered
weekly at the invitation of the department of art and culture. In sessions
hosted and conceived by senior artist, and charismatic teacher, Apurva
Kulkarni (note: this writer was also involved) they eventually viewed and
discussed the work of more than 110 painters, photographers, sculptors,
performance and installation artists, musicians, poets and writers
practicing in the state. Here it became clear the best chapters in the
history of Goa's art could yet be waiting to be written.

This is precisely why the old secretariat's future is so important. Even
before fitted for the lavish technology now featured throughout, the
renovated galleries opened for three days in 2011 for a Golden Jubilee
workshop with speakers like Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, and Sudarshan Shetty.
The artists and art teachers of the state as well as distinguished visitors
soon became charged with excitement as they realized the transformative
impact this building can have on art in Goa, and the rest of the country
too. It is essential that promise is not squandered cheaply.

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The Lusitanian In Hind (Aravind Adiga, in Outlook)

[Goanet Reader]

The Lusitanian In Hind

Francisco Luis Gomes, Goan
polymath, was one of our
earliest patriots.  He can't
lie forgotten.

Aravind Adiga

I was born in India, cradle of poetry, philosophy and
history, today its tomb, wrote the young Indian.  I belong
to that race which wrote the Mahabharata and invented Chess
-- two conceptions that bear in them the eternal and the
infinite. Yes, his homeland's weakness had allowed it to be
ruled by colonial powers -- India is imprisoned -- but the
young visionary believed in its resurgence: I pray for
India, liberty and light.

  Given that these sentences were written in 1861, it
  would be natural enough to assume that their author
  was a Bengali Hindu, writing either in Calcutta or
  in London.  In fact, it was a young Goan Catholic
  in Lisbon who composed these stirring phrases.  The
  Goan, Francisco Luis Gomes, also published a novel
  in Portuguese, Os Brahmanes (The Brahmins), that
  can claim to be one of the earliest Indian novels.
  Many Goans regard Gomes, who died in 1869, as their
  land's greatest son -- a homegrown version of
  Vivekananda, Tilak and Gokhale.  Not only have most
  Indians not heard about Gomes, but many would find
  it jarring to think of a Goan Catholic who wrote in
  Portuguese as a nationalist.  This speaks more
  about the narrowness of our present conception of
  Indianness than about the patriotism of 19th
  century Goans.  Under the familiar sights of Goa --
  which exists in the contemporary Indian imagination
  only as a landscape of fun -- lies an unexpected
  literary treasure: the neglected works of
  pioneering Indian thinkers, most of them Catholic,
  many of them writing in Portuguese.  Of these,
  Gomes is perhaps the most important.

The brutal start of Portuguese rule in Goa in 1510 resulted
in two unexpected boons for modern India. Forced to flee
their homeland in order to protect their faith, the Saraswat
Brahmins spread throughout the Konkan and Malabar,
fertilising commerce and culture everywhere they went. (The
Saraswat diaspora is described in  Kannada writer
Gopalakrishna Pai's historical novel, Swapna Saraswata, which
is being translated into English.)

That few Indians know of Gomes speaks more about the the
narrowness of our conception of Indianness.

The other boon was the development, in places like Margao and
Panjim, of an educated indigenous Catholic community, at
first subservient to white rulers, but soon capable of
dreaming of full equality -- and even of freedom.  In 1787, a
group of Goan priests resentful at seeing whites climb over
them in the church hierarchy met with sympathisers to plot
the overthrow of the Portuguese.  They even sent emissaries
to Tipu Sultan for help.  This, the ‘Pinto revolt', was
perhaps India's earliest organised anti-colonial conspiracy,
and it ended in true Indian style -- at the last minute,
someone betrayed the conspirators.  One of the revolt's
leaders was said to be a Goan priest named Abbe Faria, who, a
few years later, became a celebrity in Paris, where he
practised hypnotism on French ladies, dabbled in revolution,
was imprisoned in the infamous Chateau d'If, and inspired the
figure of the charismatic Abbe in Alexandre Dumas's The Count
of Monte Cristo.

Of course, no career like this was possible for a Goan in
Goa.  In 1835, a liberal government in Lisbon sent a man
named Bernardo Peres da Silva to Panjim -- as his portrait in
the gallery in old Goa notes, da Silva was a native of
India.  The first Indian to rule colonial Goa, he was also
the last.  Seventeen days into his reign, the white and
mixed-race officers who controlled the Goan army put da Silva
on a ship and told him to leave.  After that they butchered
his supporters.  From then until liberation in 1961, although
native Catholics rose high in the judiciary and clergy (and
some Hindus became fabulously rich), no Goan again ruled Goa.

This was the world into which Gomes was born in 1829, where
talented native Catholics, often fluent in Konkani,
Portuguese and French, were still doomed to a second-class
existence.  Gomes, however, wasn't simply tale­nted: he was a
prodigy.  By his early twenties, he had passed his medical
examination and was serving as an army surgeon; later he went
to Bombay to study Sanskrit and the Indian epics; barely 30
years old, he was elected to the Cortes -- the Portuguese
parliament -- from the southern talukas of Goa.  (Unlike
Britain, Portugal gave its colonies the right of
representation.)

The young man's first day in parliament was a rough one: he
heard another member demand that the government rescind the
right given to colonial savages to sit in a civilised
parliament.  The member from Goa, in his maiden speech,
counter-attacked.  Savages?  In India, he informed the
carnivorous Europeans, there 

[Goanet] How the Goan lost his art: The old secretariat chapter (VM in Times of India)

[Goanet Reader]

How the Goan lost his art: The old secretariat chapter

Vivek Menezes, TNN | Aug 25, 2013, 07.03 PM IST

Few places in the world have historically mismanaged and disrespected their
own artistic heritage as badly as Goa.

Succeeding waves of invaders and colonialists ruthlessly wiped out what
came before, but even today the peerless Goan artists who mightily fed
modern Indian art like an invisible river (Hoskote) continue to find
virtually no recognition in their own homeland.

Now the newly renovated old secretariat building (aka Palacio Idalcao) that
was re-dedicated to the cause of Goan Art seems to have come under dispute
between competing authorities with opaque plans. This perpetuates a
travesty that has lasted for more than a century: Goa consistently produces
some of the most extraordinary artists anywhere, but they have never been
properly acknowledged by their own state.

Even while the iconic Guggenheim Museum in New York busily plans its
first-ever career retrospective of an Indian artist for our own Vasudeo
Gaitonde (scheduled for next year) it's extremely discouraging to note we
still can't imagine a day when similar justice will be done to the artist
in his own homeland, or indeed, to any of his talented countrymen and
cohorts, from Chimulkar to Pai to Francis Newton Souza.

The sad fact is art lovers and students in London and Mumbai and Dubai can
easily visit, view and study the best paintings by Goan artists, but our
state's own cupboard remains conspicuously bare. It is an unforgivable
situation: as though Bengal stayed willfully ignorant of the Tagores, as if
only a couple of small, unrepresentative paintings by Monet and Matisse and
Gauguin combined hung on public display in the whole of France.

It's precisely this maddening paradox that led successive committees over
several years to insist the palatial old secretariat become the new centre
of gravity for the celebration and showcasing of Goan art. The Palacio
Idalcao spans more than 500 years of this territory's complicated history,
and is certainly a perfect location to make the necessary case for Goa's
artistic legacy. To the great credit of Prasad Lolayekar's quietly
outstanding department of art and culture, the project was pursued without
compromise: the renovation comprises the finest gallery spaces in India.
But what will happen now?

Defining artistic identity is no different from other existential
struggles. For example, Goans were told for a long time 'this is Portugal'.
Soon after 1961, Goans were informed they were actually Maharashtrians.
Ancient Konkani was called a dialect of Marathi. In each case, Goans were
forced into bruising, but ultimately worthwhile and successful battles for
broad acknowledgement of the realities of the basic building blocks of
their contemporary identity.

Goan art presents a similar challenge. There is great resistance in the art
establishment to acknowledge the reality of strong cultural bonds
connecting A X Trindade, the first distinguished native painter (and
faculty member) at India's first art college, to the savants Fonseca and
Chimulkar, to Mahatma Gandhi's favoured portraitist Antonio da Cruz, to
essential transcultural bridge figures to the west like Souza, Gaitonde,
Pai and Vamona Navelkar.

When you also link to the genius of Mario Miranda and the unique murals of
daunting polymathic scholar Jose Pereira, and how well each of these
artists knew the other, it would seem impossible to deny the obvious. That
is precisely what has happened over the past decades, with even local
institutions supposedly dedicated to art in Goa parroting denials that Goan
art exists in the first place. Physical colonization went away more than 50
years ago, mental colonization flourishes intact.

In the end, it will not take much to clear the cobwebs. For more than six
months last year, a huge mix of artists from across disciplines gathered
weekly at the invitation of the department of art and culture. In sessions
hosted and conceived by senior artist, and charismatic teacher, Apurva
Kulkarni (note: this writer was also involved) they eventually viewed and
discussed the work of more than 110 painters, photographers, sculptors,
performance and installation artists, musicians, poets and writers
practicing in the state. Here it became clear the best chapters in the
history of Goa's art could yet be waiting to be written.

This is precisely why the old secretariat's future is so important. Even
before fitted for the lavish technology now featured throughout, the
renovated galleries opened for three days in 2011 for a Golden Jubilee
workshop with speakers like Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, and Sudarshan Shetty.
The artists and art teachers of the state as well as distinguished visitors
soon became charged with excitement as they realized the transformative
impact this building can have on art in Goa, and the rest of the country
too. It is essential that promise is not squandered cheaply.

[Goanet-News] Tiatrists... politics... and the State in Goa today (compilation)

[Goanet Reader]

It is a well-planned conspiracy to stifle voices of
tiatrists: Mariano Fernandes
TNN | Aug 13, 2013, 03.34 AM IST

  MARGAO: It's a well-planned conspiracy aimed at
  stifling the voice of the tiatrists.  In my tiatr I
  have portrayed the ills of the government and its
  policies and that has not gone down well with a
  section of politicians.  And with the kind of good
  response the tiatr is receiving from the tiatr
  lovers, they are afraid that my tiatr will cause
  damage to their political prospects ahead of the
  Loksabha elections.

This was how Mariano Fernandes, director of the tiatr Apunn
Apleak Dev Somestank in which Francis de Tuem is alleged to
have made some derogatory comments against the Nuvem MLA
Francisco Mickky Pacheco that led to the singer's arrest,
reacted to the police action against the 'kantarist.' Francis
de Tuem has been released on bail by the local court.

Else how would you explain the haste in which Francis de
Tuem was arrested simply based on a complaint that he made a
phone call demanding money? Did the police track his call
records before arresting him? Will the cops show such prompt
action while dealing with complaints of the common man? a
visibly upset Fernandes demanded to know.

  This view is shared by another well-known tiatr
  directior, Rio Menezes, who feels that the way
  Francis de Tuem was arrested was not appropriate.
  They should have followed the normal legal course
  of action.  We are in a democratic country and
  everybody has a right to express oneself.  There
  are hundreds of media of political satire across
  the world and tiatr is one among them.  And
  everybody here knows one's limits.  In my tiatrs, I
  ensure that the limits are not breached, Menezes
  said.

Extolling the virtues of the triatrists and the glorious
history of the theatre-art form, Fernandes said that the
contribution of tiatr in protecting Goa's identity was
immense.

Criticizing the politicians, highlighting the faults in the
system of governance, and pointing out the pitfalls in the
social arena are the strengths of a good tiatr. Even during
the Portuguese regime, tiatrists had displayed commendable
courage in hitting out against the oppression and harassment
meted out to freedom fighters, despite there being severe
restrictions in freedom of expression. Through the medium of
tiatr we try to educate the people, particularly the less
literate who may not have access to newspapers, about the
state of affairs of the government, Fernandes said.

Sources in the know, however, pointed out that the
controversy surrounding Tuem's arrest was remotely connected
with the contents of the tiatr or the song which he sang on
the stage. Mickky, of late, has been critical of tiatrists.
And when Tuem, while speaking on the tiatr stage - and not as
a part of the tiatr or his role in it - made some satirical
comments, Mickky took umbrage at it, a source among the
tiatrists fraternity told TOI.

  Former president of Tiatr Academy of Goa, Tomazinho
  Cardozo, underscored the need for tiatrists to
  observe restraint while criticizing others.  One
  should bear in mind that whatever he says doesn't
  infringe the right of the others.  The right to
  free speech and expression should be exercised by
  keeping within the limits.  Hitting somebody below
  the belt, targeting politicians' family members or
  their personal lives is bad.  It brings down the
  standard of the tiatr, Cardozo told TOI.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/It-is-a-well-planned-conspiracy-to-stifle-voices-of-tiatrists-Mariano-Fernandes/articleshow/21791080.cms


* * *

If I'm guilty, I'll quit tiatrs, says Francis
TNN Aug 11, 2013, 02.20AM IST

MARGAO/VERNA: Judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) granted
bail to tiatrist and singer Francis de Tuem in connection
with a complaint lodged by Nuvem MLA Francisco 'Mickky'
Pacheco on Saturday.

JMFC Margao directed the Verna police on Saturday to release
Francis on furnishing a bond of 10,000 as surety and directed
him to report to the police station on Sunday for further
investigation.

  The arrest of Francis has been widely condemned by
  the tiatr fraternity with fellow artistes making
  their presence felt at the Verna police station to
  express their solidarity with the tiatrist when he
  was released.  The arrest has sent shockwaves
  across the tiatr community, as Francis is known for
  his songs which are rich in political satire.

Francis claimed that if the charges levelled against him can
be proved, then he would leave tiatr; if not Nuvem MLA
Pacheco should quit politics. He further alleged that he was
threatened by Pacheco at the police station on Friday night.

[Goanet] Tiatrists... politics... and the State in Goa today (compilation)

[Goanet Reader]

It is a well-planned conspiracy to stifle voices of
tiatrists: Mariano Fernandes
TNN | Aug 13, 2013, 03.34 AM IST

  MARGAO: It's a well-planned conspiracy aimed at
  stifling the voice of the tiatrists.  In my tiatr I
  have portrayed the ills of the government and its
  policies and that has not gone down well with a
  section of politicians.  And with the kind of good
  response the tiatr is receiving from the tiatr
  lovers, they are afraid that my tiatr will cause
  damage to their political prospects ahead of the
  Loksabha elections.

This was how Mariano Fernandes, director of the tiatr Apunn
Apleak Dev Somestank in which Francis de Tuem is alleged to
have made some derogatory comments against the Nuvem MLA
Francisco Mickky Pacheco that led to the singer's arrest,
reacted to the police action against the 'kantarist.' Francis
de Tuem has been released on bail by the local court.

Else how would you explain the haste in which Francis de
Tuem was arrested simply based on a complaint that he made a
phone call demanding money? Did the police track his call
records before arresting him? Will the cops show such prompt
action while dealing with complaints of the common man? a
visibly upset Fernandes demanded to know.

  This view is shared by another well-known tiatr
  directior, Rio Menezes, who feels that the way
  Francis de Tuem was arrested was not appropriate.
  They should have followed the normal legal course
  of action.  We are in a democratic country and
  everybody has a right to express oneself.  There
  are hundreds of media of political satire across
  the world and tiatr is one among them.  And
  everybody here knows one's limits.  In my tiatrs, I
  ensure that the limits are not breached, Menezes
  said.

Extolling the virtues of the triatrists and the glorious
history of the theatre-art form, Fernandes said that the
contribution of tiatr in protecting Goa's identity was
immense.

Criticizing the politicians, highlighting the faults in the
system of governance, and pointing out the pitfalls in the
social arena are the strengths of a good tiatr. Even during
the Portuguese regime, tiatrists had displayed commendable
courage in hitting out against the oppression and harassment
meted out to freedom fighters, despite there being severe
restrictions in freedom of expression. Through the medium of
tiatr we try to educate the people, particularly the less
literate who may not have access to newspapers, about the
state of affairs of the government, Fernandes said.

Sources in the know, however, pointed out that the
controversy surrounding Tuem's arrest was remotely connected
with the contents of the tiatr or the song which he sang on
the stage. Mickky, of late, has been critical of tiatrists.
And when Tuem, while speaking on the tiatr stage - and not as
a part of the tiatr or his role in it - made some satirical
comments, Mickky took umbrage at it, a source among the
tiatrists fraternity told TOI.

  Former president of Tiatr Academy of Goa, Tomazinho
  Cardozo, underscored the need for tiatrists to
  observe restraint while criticizing others.  One
  should bear in mind that whatever he says doesn't
  infringe the right of the others.  The right to
  free speech and expression should be exercised by
  keeping within the limits.  Hitting somebody below
  the belt, targeting politicians' family members or
  their personal lives is bad.  It brings down the
  standard of the tiatr, Cardozo told TOI.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/It-is-a-well-planned-conspiracy-to-stifle-voices-of-tiatrists-Mariano-Fernandes/articleshow/21791080.cms


* * *

If I'm guilty, I'll quit tiatrs, says Francis
TNN Aug 11, 2013, 02.20AM IST

MARGAO/VERNA: Judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) granted
bail to tiatrist and singer Francis de Tuem in connection
with a complaint lodged by Nuvem MLA Francisco 'Mickky'
Pacheco on Saturday.

JMFC Margao directed the Verna police on Saturday to release
Francis on furnishing a bond of 10,000 as surety and directed
him to report to the police station on Sunday for further
investigation.

  The arrest of Francis has been widely condemned by
  the tiatr fraternity with fellow artistes making
  their presence felt at the Verna police station to
  express their solidarity with the tiatrist when he
  was released.  The arrest has sent shockwaves
  across the tiatr community, as Francis is known for
  his songs which are rich in political satire.

Francis claimed that if the charges levelled against him can
be proved, then he would leave tiatr; if not Nuvem MLA
Pacheco should quit politics. He further alleged that he was
threatened by Pacheco at the police station on Friday night.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Entrepreneurs ... with a passion for books (FN)

[Goanet Reader]

Entrepreneurs ... with a passion for books

  For the last two years, tiny Goa has been hosting
  an ambitious publishing conference.  Publishing
  Next [publishing-next.com] will happen again on on
  September 20-21 2013 at the Central Library in
  Panjim.  Frederick Noronha talks to Leonard
  Fernandes of Margao, the young returned expat who
  lead his team to kick-start this ambitious event
  which attracts some of the big names in the book
  trade nationwide.

  Says Fernandes: Publishing Next is managed
  entirely by the team at [the Margao-based]
  CinnamonTeal Publishing.  The conference is an
  extremely important part of our calendar.
  Excerpts:

FN: In your third edition of PublishingNext, what's the
focus? What's new? What makes it different from the earlier
two?

This year we wish to consolidate our focus on the publishing
ecosystem. We will therefore not concentrate on just one
aspect of publishing, rather on the parts that make the
whole. Therefore we will address topics such as the creation
of content, the e-publishing process, the various aspects of
book retail and the latest print technologies. We have tried
to ensure that there is something in the conference for
everyone.

Those attending the conference will tell you how the sessions
are paced so that there is enough opportunity to network
among others in the publishing sector. This year we have
partnered with several institutions who have promised us to
bring speakers from abroad. We are also working towards
putting together a panel discussion on SAARC publishing.

FN: What do you see as the achievements of PN so far?

I think the one thing we are most proud of is the fact that
we have put Goa on the Indian publishing map. There have been
already steps in this direction thanks to the phenomenal work
done by publishing houses such as Other India Press and
through individual efforts by many writers.

  That a conference of this magnitude happens in Goa
  must count for something.  In addition, the
  conference has been able to attract publishing
  professionals who attend the conference in their
  individual capacity to learn and interact with
  peers.  The overbearing corporate atmosphere is
  refreshingly absent.  We are proud of the fact that
  we have been able to get new voices each year and
  that the topics we have been able to address cover
  almost every aspect of publishing.

FN: What was the biggest challenge in making an event of this
scale (truly national, attracting some of the biggest players
in the field) happen out of Goa?

Financing the conference. We have been able to attract little
sponsorship or financial assistance, probably because
publishing does not have a glamour quotient attached to it.

It would have also helped if there were a pool of interns we
could bank on to help us with the smaller details. Otherwise,
having the conference in Goa works to our advantage as the
[attractiveness of the] state offers another reason for
people who wish to attend.

FN: Do you feel all segments in the publication/book-creation
process are adequately represented? If not, whom would you
like to get more of?

I think the service providers are inadequately represented.
We have few editors, translators, designers and such
providers attending the conference and would like to attract
more of such people.

To the extent we can, we try to include something that they
might be interested in. For example, this year, we are
planning to have a panel discussion on the trends in Indian
publishing to discuss topics and subjects that are being
published nowadays. That should give editors an idea of what
is the trend nowadays. Similarly, we are discussing with the
British Council the possibility of having a workshop on book
design. We hope that will attract a few service providers.

We hope that Indian language publishing was better
represented. Last year we had a panel discussion on Indian
language publishing where we discussed the issues faced by
some publishers. Unfortunately, Indian language publishing
cannot be covered in broad brush strokes and therefore we
have decided to continue that topic by having some other
languages represented. The idea is to have issues discussed
in the open with the hope that solutions can come from those
in the audience too.

FN: Goa is not a heavyweight location when it comes to
publishing. Do you feel it was bold on your part to site PN
here? What were the risks you anticipated at the launch?

  When we decided to have the first conference in Goa
  in 2011, we thought that we did not suffer any
  particular handicap by being in Goa.  In fact, we
  thought we could attract publishers in the west and
  the south [of India] because of their proximity to
  Goa.  We believe that 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Entrepreneurs ... with a passion for books (FN)

[Goanet Reader]

Entrepreneurs ... with a passion for books

  For the last two years, tiny Goa has been hosting
  an ambitious publishing conference.  Publishing
  Next [publishing-next.com] will happen again on on
  September 20-21 2013 at the Central Library in
  Panjim.  Frederick Noronha talks to Leonard
  Fernandes of Margao, the young returned expat who
  lead his team to kick-start this ambitious event
  which attracts some of the big names in the book
  trade nationwide.

  Says Fernandes: Publishing Next is managed
  entirely by the team at [the Margao-based]
  CinnamonTeal Publishing.  The conference is an
  extremely important part of our calendar.
  Excerpts:

FN: In your third edition of PublishingNext, what's the
focus? What's new? What makes it different from the earlier
two?

This year we wish to consolidate our focus on the publishing
ecosystem. We will therefore not concentrate on just one
aspect of publishing, rather on the parts that make the
whole. Therefore we will address topics such as the creation
of content, the e-publishing process, the various aspects of
book retail and the latest print technologies. We have tried
to ensure that there is something in the conference for
everyone.

Those attending the conference will tell you how the sessions
are paced so that there is enough opportunity to network
among others in the publishing sector. This year we have
partnered with several institutions who have promised us to
bring speakers from abroad. We are also working towards
putting together a panel discussion on SAARC publishing.

FN: What do you see as the achievements of PN so far?

I think the one thing we are most proud of is the fact that
we have put Goa on the Indian publishing map. There have been
already steps in this direction thanks to the phenomenal work
done by publishing houses such as Other India Press and
through individual efforts by many writers.

  That a conference of this magnitude happens in Goa
  must count for something.  In addition, the
  conference has been able to attract publishing
  professionals who attend the conference in their
  individual capacity to learn and interact with
  peers.  The overbearing corporate atmosphere is
  refreshingly absent.  We are proud of the fact that
  we have been able to get new voices each year and
  that the topics we have been able to address cover
  almost every aspect of publishing.

FN: What was the biggest challenge in making an event of this
scale (truly national, attracting some of the biggest players
in the field) happen out of Goa?

Financing the conference. We have been able to attract little
sponsorship or financial assistance, probably because
publishing does not have a glamour quotient attached to it.

It would have also helped if there were a pool of interns we
could bank on to help us with the smaller details. Otherwise,
having the conference in Goa works to our advantage as the
[attractiveness of the] state offers another reason for
people who wish to attend.

FN: Do you feel all segments in the publication/book-creation
process are adequately represented? If not, whom would you
like to get more of?

I think the service providers are inadequately represented.
We have few editors, translators, designers and such
providers attending the conference and would like to attract
more of such people.

To the extent we can, we try to include something that they
might be interested in. For example, this year, we are
planning to have a panel discussion on the trends in Indian
publishing to discuss topics and subjects that are being
published nowadays. That should give editors an idea of what
is the trend nowadays. Similarly, we are discussing with the
British Council the possibility of having a workshop on book
design. We hope that will attract a few service providers.

We hope that Indian language publishing was better
represented. Last year we had a panel discussion on Indian
language publishing where we discussed the issues faced by
some publishers. Unfortunately, Indian language publishing
cannot be covered in broad brush strokes and therefore we
have decided to continue that topic by having some other
languages represented. The idea is to have issues discussed
in the open with the hope that solutions can come from those
in the audience too.

FN: Goa is not a heavyweight location when it comes to
publishing. Do you feel it was bold on your part to site PN
here? What were the risks you anticipated at the launch?

  When we decided to have the first conference in Goa
  in 2011, we thought that we did not suffer any
  particular handicap by being in Goa.  In fact, we
  thought we could attract publishers in the west and
  the south [of India] because of their proximity to
  Goa.  We believe that 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader -- Calangute's rotunda, meia laranja... and the pre-beach feel (Carmo D'Souza)

[Goanet Reader]

CALANGUTE'S ROTUNDA, MEIA LARANJA ... AND THE PRE-BEACH FEEL

By Carmo D'Souza
carmodso...@gmail.com

Calangute is changing. In the process we are loosing some of
our old memory treasures.  The old order changes and gives
place to new.

  The beach users have changed, their requirements,
  demands and attitudes are different.  And so a new
  order takes over the old.  I recollect my childhood
  days when two strips of cemented road joined Betim
  ferry wharf to Calangute beach via the Saligao
  hill.  Then came the expansion of the last fifty
  meters to the beach, which ended into Rotunda.  The
  stretch was lighted in the summer months by Mr.  G.
  Corpo.  Two Petromaxes were sufficient to delight
  the kids.

In 1997 I wrote about Meia Laranja as below:

Meia Laranja (meaning half-an-orange in Portuguese) or the
Rotunda structure has become an identification mark of
Calangute beach.  This structure, recently renovated and
enlarged, existed from pre-Liberation days.

Here the kids used to get their pre-beach feel, a probation
period, till they could persuade their elders to let them go
down to the beach.  The elders sat on the parapet, engaged in
conversation.  Today, one may find loners, too, sitting on
the parapet in a romantic communication with nature,
interacting with the sound of the waves and breeze.

The old Rotunda once contained a lot of sand in which
children could run and play freely under the watchful eyes of
the elders.  The old structure collapsed due to the flow of
rain waters and a bigger and better structure has replaced
it.  However, the builders have forgotten to throw in sand,
depriving the holiday crowd specially children of the
pre-beach feel.

The circular structure leads to slopping steps landing onto
the beach.  Thus a tourist makes a royal entry onto the shore
via the Rotunda.

  At times children, in their enthusiasm to reach the
  sands first, jump over the sides of the Rotunda.
  One may see kids going up and down the steps of the
  Rotunda, counting them again and again.  Another
  favourite pastime for the kids is to walk on the
  parapet to the fear and apprehension of timid Goan
  parents.  After all Goans are an overcautious race,
  extending a protective parental cover to their
  siblings.

The Rotunda has become a part and parcel of Calangute beach.
Whoever sees a film shot of that structure in a T.V.
programme, or a film or a photograph is bound to shout,
“That’s Calangute Beach.” (Calangute: In Search of Sands p.26)

And that too will change!

It will never be the same again

-- 
Dr Carmo D'Souza is Honorary Director of the Ismilda Research
Consultancy http://www.ismilda.com

See a photo of the Rotunda:
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/27/100413004_4d457c8a3c_o.jpg

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.
Send in interesting articles for distribution via
f...@goa-india.org We offer no payment (Goanet is a
volunteer-driven network) but can promise a few thousand
appreciate readers!

[Goanet] Goanet Reader -- Calangute's rotunda, meia laranja... and the pre-beach feel (Carmo D'Souza)

[Goanet Reader]

CALANGUTE'S ROTUNDA, MEIA LARANJA ... AND THE PRE-BEACH FEEL

By Carmo D'Souza
carmodso...@gmail.com

Calangute is changing. In the process we are loosing some of
our old memory treasures.  The old order changes and gives
place to new.

  The beach users have changed, their requirements,
  demands and attitudes are different.  And so a new
  order takes over the old.  I recollect my childhood
  days when two strips of cemented road joined Betim
  ferry wharf to Calangute beach via the Saligao
  hill.  Then came the expansion of the last fifty
  meters to the beach, which ended into Rotunda.  The
  stretch was lighted in the summer months by Mr.  G.
  Corpo.  Two Petromaxes were sufficient to delight
  the kids.

In 1997 I wrote about Meia Laranja as below:

Meia Laranja (meaning half-an-orange in Portuguese) or the
Rotunda structure has become an identification mark of
Calangute beach.  This structure, recently renovated and
enlarged, existed from pre-Liberation days.

Here the kids used to get their pre-beach feel, a probation
period, till they could persuade their elders to let them go
down to the beach.  The elders sat on the parapet, engaged in
conversation.  Today, one may find loners, too, sitting on
the parapet in a romantic communication with nature,
interacting with the sound of the waves and breeze.

The old Rotunda once contained a lot of sand in which
children could run and play freely under the watchful eyes of
the elders.  The old structure collapsed due to the flow of
rain waters and a bigger and better structure has replaced
it.  However, the builders have forgotten to throw in sand,
depriving the holiday crowd specially children of the
pre-beach feel.

The circular structure leads to slopping steps landing onto
the beach.  Thus a tourist makes a royal entry onto the shore
via the Rotunda.

  At times children, in their enthusiasm to reach the
  sands first, jump over the sides of the Rotunda.
  One may see kids going up and down the steps of the
  Rotunda, counting them again and again.  Another
  favourite pastime for the kids is to walk on the
  parapet to the fear and apprehension of timid Goan
  parents.  After all Goans are an overcautious race,
  extending a protective parental cover to their
  siblings.

The Rotunda has become a part and parcel of Calangute beach.
Whoever sees a film shot of that structure in a T.V.
programme, or a film or a photograph is bound to shout,
“That’s Calangute Beach.” (Calangute: In Search of Sands p.26)

And that too will change!

It will never be the same again

-- 
Dr Carmo D'Souza is Honorary Director of the Ismilda Research
Consultancy http://www.ismilda.com

See a photo of the Rotunda:
http://farm1.staticflickr.com/27/100413004_4d457c8a3c_o.jpg

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.
Send in interesting articles for distribution via
f...@goa-india.org We offer no payment (Goanet is a
volunteer-driven network) but can promise a few thousand
appreciate readers!

[Goanet-News] Believing in herself... and spreading happiness (by Remediana Dias)

[Goanet Reader]

 on continuing for as long as
  possible.

Your vision for a unified world?
-

Personally and without any offence to anyone, I think the
only way we can have a unified world is if we respect/ignore
everyone's religions, beliefs, nationalities, geographical
boundaries, culture...  though I feel that real unity will
come when we choose to keep religion aside and look at every
individual for what they are and not for what or who they
believe in.

What are your values, principles, values in life?
-

I have many values in life and one of them is to do my own
thing and not interfere with anyone else.  I believe in my
passions and I let them be my guiding force and through
everything I try to remain true to myself and keep things as
real as possible.  If I see something is not right I will go
out of my way to correct it if it is in my jurisdiction,
especially if it is animal or environment related. I respect
nature and its animals and I try to do my bit for our
planet... as much as possible.

Any striking incident that left a deep impact in your life
or changed the course of your life?
-

There's one major turning point in my life that taught me a
valuable lesson. Family is not necessarily blood but it's the
people who choose to remain by your side when you need them
the most. Blood doesn't run thicker than water and in my case
blood has been really diluted.

  Like most Goan families it's always about the
  property and money and who needs to get more.  At
  least I got a chance to walk away with my dignity
  intact and my head held high.  That's all that
  matters in the end.  I know I didn't cheat anyone
  out of any share and my conscience is clear.  I
  learnt how to struggle to make my own way without
  any parental/relatives help it was all about hard
  work and a very supportive spouse.  I don't think I
  would have made it through without Ronald.

When where why and how did you start EatFor2?
-

EatFor2 [http://vimeo.com/55385337] was not started by me. It
was not even my idea.

Ronald's best friend Ronsley Vaz (based in Brisbane,
Australia) was down in August last year and came to meet us.
EatFor2 [http://eatfortwo.com.au/blog/] is his idea.  We
volunteered to help out with the planning and execution.  He
wanted to give something to society and thought about feeding
hungry children.

  He did all the research.  We stepped in to
  implement the plans.  I took over the weekly
  Sharing Sessions.  I would coordinate the place and
  meal we would take for the children.  We would set
  aside one day of a week and go spend time with the
  children.  We would visit a different home every
  week.  It has been one of the most amazing and
  uplifting experiences I have ever had.

About the Goan in you
-

  I may not be crazy about fish, curry and rice but I
  love everything else and most of all I love my
  homeland.  I love and respect my heritage and
  culture.  I couldn't be prouder being Goan.  I will
  definitely do what it takes to preserve and talk
  about our heritage and culture every chance I get.
  I am really proud of my little corner of the globe.

Tell us anything that you would like to share with the
readers?
-

Believe in yourself and follow your heart. Even though things
might seem difficult in the beginning it all falls into place
eventually. Do what you are most passionate about.  The
keyword here is B.E.L.I.E.V.E.!

Your message for Goans who migrate?
-

  No matter where you go in life or where you choose
  to settle, never forget your roots.  There's no
  shame in being proud of who you are.

Goanet Reader is compiled and circulated by Frederick
Noronha. Share your inspiring and little-known articles via a
submission to f...@goa-india.org

Send your feedback and comments to rodrigr...@yahoo.com with a cc to
goa...@goanet.org

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: One night at the tiatr (Joanna Lobo, DNA)

[Goanet Reader]

One night at the tiatr

Saturday, Aug 3, 2013, 23:03 IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
Joanna Lobo

This Konkani art form was born in Mumbai and 121 years later still finds
enthusiasts willing to create space for it in their lives, finds Joanna Lobo

A tiatr performance - DNA

Scene 1: Curtains go up. Enter stage left.

A young man in a black suit is testing the mic. The audience, that has
braved non-stop rain, flooded roads and frustrating traffic for this show,
egg him on. In a few minutes the problem is sorted and the performer breaks
into song. He finishes, the curtains rise and there’s a family on stage in
the middle of a dispute. There's a hush now. The uncomfortable seats of
Parel’s Damodar Hall start creaking as people settle in for the three-hour
long tiatr — Prince Jacob Productions’ Pap Tujem Prachit Mhojem (Your sin,
my repentance).

The tiatr (a stage drama/musical in Konkani), completes 121 years this
year. Tiatrs are doing good business in Goa, where they are staged
throughout the year. In Mumbai, the birthplace of this theatre form, it’s a
different story. Only a handful of tiatrs are staged now, most of which
come from Goa. Among these few, productions by Prince Jacob are the most
looked forward to.

Scene 2: Two brothers dressed in tailcoats and fake, twirly moustaches
saunter on stage and start singing.

Prince Jacob, born Miguel Jacob Carmo Luis Fernandes, is best known for his
humour, his ability to portray different (sometimes, female) characters and
his singing. He and his brother Humbert Fernandes have been working
together for 29 years and are a well-known comedy act; their performances
always end with calls for encores.

Backstage at the Prince Jacob show, the man in question is a complete
change from his on stage persona, all calm and collected. “I plan all my
tiatrs a year in advance so that people know what to expect. I am honoured
that whenever I perform here, I still get a good response,” he says.

“People will flock to a Prince Jacob production without any questions. If
it's an unknown director, there will be hundreds of doubts — where has he
performed before, what is the story about, who is singing?,” says Kenneth
(Kenny) Zuzarte, a singer who is best known for his female portrayal of
roles.

One of the reasons behind Prince Jacob’s popularity is the fact that the
troupe can be found in Mumbai twice a year — in January and in July.

It’s a similar story with Roseferns (Antonio Rosario Fernandes). In June,
the tiatrist recently staged seven shows of Waiter , his 75th production,
in Mumbai and Pune. “There are people watching tiatrs and youngsters are
keen on joining it. Tiatr is not dying anytime soon,” he says.

Scene 3: A side act references Mumbai, making fun of the Bombay-accented
Konkani spoken here and the way girls in Parel walk.

Tiatr has a long and illustrious history in Mumbai, the city of its birth.
The first tiatr Italian Bhurgo was staged on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1892,
at the New Alfred Theatre. Tiatrs were staged at Princess Theatre,
Bhangwadi (now shut), Mazgaon, St Mary’s Church, Byculla, Rang Bhavan and
the Birla Theatre opposite Bombay Hospital. They were frequented by people
who lived in the numerous kudds or clubs spread mostly across south Bombay.
A few actors were brought from Goa but the tiatrs were produced by Goans
working in Mumbai.

Eugene Correia has attended around 70-100 tiatrs in the 70s — he would
review them for the Free press Journal bulletin. “I would watch one every
week. My reviews were quite critical and didn’t go down well with
everyone,” he says. Correia could usually be found at Kayani’s at Kalbadevi
which was a popular haunt for tiatrists.

Today, the base has shifted to Goa, and getting a tiatr in Mumbai is an
expensive proposition. The publicity is usually word of mouth, sometimes an
announcement is made in advance at churches and flyers are handed out at
certain clubs and church events. The Goan Tiatr Academy gives financial aid
of Rs 30,000 to every tiatr that has a minimum five shows.

The productions from Goa have to figure out their own food and lodging and
travel. There are a few halls in Bandra, Matunga, Parel and Borivli that
open their doors to tiatrists, but first preference is given to local
talent. “It’s very expensive,” admits Roseferns. “We have to organise our
own shows, provide lodging, food and transport. If we get a good crowd then
it’s ok, else it is risky.”

In suburban areas of Bombay, Goan tiatrists and others organise a few
shows. When Kenny isn’t part of the audience, he works with the Maharashtra
Konkani Kala Sanstha (MKKS) to promote the Konkani language and culture.
The MKKS are currently practising for a show that will be staged on August
4. Titled Konnem Lailo Uzo (Who lit the fire), the production is a tribute
to the late director and one of the biggest names in tiatr, C Alvares.

Scene 4: The two brothers produce a side show about marriage and cars and
has the audience in splits

Comedy has 

[Goanet] Believing in herself... and spreading happiness (by Remediana Dias)

[Goanet Reader]

 on continuing for as long as
  possible.

Your vision for a unified world?
-

Personally and without any offence to anyone, I think the
only way we can have a unified world is if we respect/ignore
everyone's religions, beliefs, nationalities, geographical
boundaries, culture...  though I feel that real unity will
come when we choose to keep religion aside and look at every
individual for what they are and not for what or who they
believe in.

What are your values, principles, values in life?
-

I have many values in life and one of them is to do my own
thing and not interfere with anyone else.  I believe in my
passions and I let them be my guiding force and through
everything I try to remain true to myself and keep things as
real as possible.  If I see something is not right I will go
out of my way to correct it if it is in my jurisdiction,
especially if it is animal or environment related. I respect
nature and its animals and I try to do my bit for our
planet... as much as possible.

Any striking incident that left a deep impact in your life
or changed the course of your life?
-

There's one major turning point in my life that taught me a
valuable lesson. Family is not necessarily blood but it's the
people who choose to remain by your side when you need them
the most. Blood doesn't run thicker than water and in my case
blood has been really diluted.

  Like most Goan families it's always about the
  property and money and who needs to get more.  At
  least I got a chance to walk away with my dignity
  intact and my head held high.  That's all that
  matters in the end.  I know I didn't cheat anyone
  out of any share and my conscience is clear.  I
  learnt how to struggle to make my own way without
  any parental/relatives help it was all about hard
  work and a very supportive spouse.  I don't think I
  would have made it through without Ronald.

When where why and how did you start EatFor2?
-

EatFor2 [http://vimeo.com/55385337] was not started by me. It
was not even my idea.

Ronald's best friend Ronsley Vaz (based in Brisbane,
Australia) was down in August last year and came to meet us.
EatFor2 [http://eatfortwo.com.au/blog/] is his idea.  We
volunteered to help out with the planning and execution.  He
wanted to give something to society and thought about feeding
hungry children.

  He did all the research.  We stepped in to
  implement the plans.  I took over the weekly
  Sharing Sessions.  I would coordinate the place and
  meal we would take for the children.  We would set
  aside one day of a week and go spend time with the
  children.  We would visit a different home every
  week.  It has been one of the most amazing and
  uplifting experiences I have ever had.

About the Goan in you
-

  I may not be crazy about fish, curry and rice but I
  love everything else and most of all I love my
  homeland.  I love and respect my heritage and
  culture.  I couldn't be prouder being Goan.  I will
  definitely do what it takes to preserve and talk
  about our heritage and culture every chance I get.
  I am really proud of my little corner of the globe.

Tell us anything that you would like to share with the
readers?
-

Believe in yourself and follow your heart. Even though things
might seem difficult in the beginning it all falls into place
eventually. Do what you are most passionate about.  The
keyword here is B.E.L.I.E.V.E.!

Your message for Goans who migrate?
-

  No matter where you go in life or where you choose
  to settle, never forget your roots.  There's no
  shame in being proud of who you are.

Goanet Reader is compiled and circulated by Frederick
Noronha. Share your inspiring and little-known articles via a
submission to f...@goa-india.org

Send your feedback and comments to rodrigr...@yahoo.com with a cc to
goa...@goanet.org

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Migrants' trail in words and proverbs (FN)

[Goanet Reader]

Migrants' trail in words and proverbs

Frederick Noronha
f...@goa-india.org

  Konkani proverbs have a certain charm about them.
  Not only do they reflect the reality of the region,
  but these pearls of wisdom take us back to another
  time -- when Goa was an agrarian, rustic, even more
  of a gender and class-dominated society.  There are
  quite a few titles in the market already.  But this
  is such a bottomless pit, that however many the
  books that come out, there is still more ground to
  be covered.

We already have books on proverbs by V.P. Chavan (AES, 1995),
S.S. Talmaki (1932), Manohar Pai Dhungat (Goa Konkani
Academi), Shripad Subrao Sukhatankar's Konkani Mhaniyo
(1995), S.S.  Talmaki (Popular).  Late Jesuit Antonio
Pereira's book was well received.  Expat Goans in Canada
Damian and Domnic Lopes crafted a book called 'A Handful of
Grams: Goan Proverbs'.  Domnic Fernandes of Anjuna and Tony
Fernandes of Guirim/Canada have also done work in collecting
the same.  So have other Konkani enthusiasts in cyberspace.
Engineer-turned-writer Jose Lourenco has also done useful
work on this front, by way of a desk-calendar.

This book before us comes from Kerala. It is written in
English and Devanagari Konkani (though not necessarily in a
dialect the reader in Goa might be familiar with).  The
author says at the start itself: The Konkani-speaking people
include various communities such as the Gowda Saraswat
Brahmins, Vaisyas, Kudumbis, Christians and Muslims.  The
present study is restricted to the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin
community.

Unlike earlier books on sayings, this one doesn't comprise of
neatly laid-out, topic-wise lists.  Instead, it has a large
number of Konkani sayings, all woven into a wider theory that
the author builds to paint the socio-cultural background of
the Gowda (or Gaud) Saraswat Brahmins.

Page after page is peppered with a lot of sayings from the
past, amidst explanations of the social context.  So that
makes for an interesting read, whether one is interested in
the wider point or not.  It recreates the vision of the past,
through sayings like: A look at the courtyard will tell you
about the quality of the house (p 2) or He who eats salt
will [sooner or later] drink water. (p 99)

This content is scattered within five different chapters, and
a conclusion.  To begin, aptly, is an overview of Konkani
proverbs.  Next, proverbs are linked to the social structure
and the history of the GSBs.  Further chapters look at the
relevance of proverbs to customs, manners, dharma and values.

Dr Bai initially tackles proverbs related to society (The
bridegroom looks at the bride's face, the priest looks for
his dakshina. He never gave food to his father when he was
alive; after death he offered him rice balls.)

She suggests that the proverbs reflect the true picture of
different relationships among members of society.
Grandfathers, sons-in-laws, daughters-in-law, mothers-in-law,
and others are touched on.  Coming from those times, one
interesting and forward-looking perspective: Don't be sad
that a girl is born to you, she will grind the coconut for
you; and don't be happy that a son is born to you, he will
torture you in many ways.)

There are other hints of changing power equations. The
mother-in-law, at times, looked upon her son's wife as a
slave.  On the other hand, the elderly woman also lived in
constant dread of her daughter-in-law.  The sometimes adverse
position of a newly-wed in the husband's home is also alluded
to in some sayings.  So are marital relations touched on: If
the husband and wife agree with each other, they can sleep
even on a tamarind leaf.

Some proverbs from the philosophical arena sound too
idealistic. For instance: The wealth you receive is
proportionate to your work. And: If you commit a sin today,
you will answer for it tomorrow. Life can be much more
harsh!

But some proverbs (related to moral and ethics) really sound
true and insightful.  Anger is the cause of self-destruction
and happiness is the cause of the destruction of others. Or,
If you lie you will gain a coconut shell (a mark of
poverty).

Given Goa's agrarian background, it's not surprising to see
the number of sayings connected with birds and animals:
crows, pigeons, parrots, cocks, hens, cuckoos, elephants,
dogs, cows, buffaloes, cats, tigers, donkeys and jackals!
Here's an unusual one: How much does the rat excrete and how
many cakes are made from the excretement?

  There are others on trees, plants and even cereals!
  Some proverbs deal with the history of the GSBs.
  Says the book: The Konkani language is supposed
  to be the main carrier of the culture of the Gowda
  Saraswat Brahmins.

Also interesting is the reflection of caste in proverbs. The
potter comes in (The potter has no unbreakable pots.) So do
goldsmiths, barbers, carpenters, fishermen, the
basket-weaving mahars, We're 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Migrants' trail in words and proverbs (FN)

[Goanet Reader]

Migrants' trail in words and proverbs

Frederick Noronha
f...@goa-india.org

  Konkani proverbs have a certain charm about them.
  Not only do they reflect the reality of the region,
  but these pearls of wisdom take us back to another
  time -- when Goa was an agrarian, rustic, even more
  of a gender and class-dominated society.  There are
  quite a few titles in the market already.  But this
  is such a bottomless pit, that however many the
  books that come out, there is still more ground to
  be covered.

We already have books on proverbs by V.P. Chavan (AES, 1995),
S.S. Talmaki (1932), Manohar Pai Dhungat (Goa Konkani
Academi), Shripad Subrao Sukhatankar's Konkani Mhaniyo
(1995), S.S.  Talmaki (Popular).  Late Jesuit Antonio
Pereira's book was well received.  Expat Goans in Canada
Damian and Domnic Lopes crafted a book called 'A Handful of
Grams: Goan Proverbs'.  Domnic Fernandes of Anjuna and Tony
Fernandes of Guirim/Canada have also done work in collecting
the same.  So have other Konkani enthusiasts in cyberspace.
Engineer-turned-writer Jose Lourenco has also done useful
work on this front, by way of a desk-calendar.

This book before us comes from Kerala. It is written in
English and Devanagari Konkani (though not necessarily in a
dialect the reader in Goa might be familiar with).  The
author says at the start itself: The Konkani-speaking people
include various communities such as the Gowda Saraswat
Brahmins, Vaisyas, Kudumbis, Christians and Muslims.  The
present study is restricted to the Gowda Saraswat Brahmin
community.

Unlike earlier books on sayings, this one doesn't comprise of
neatly laid-out, topic-wise lists.  Instead, it has a large
number of Konkani sayings, all woven into a wider theory that
the author builds to paint the socio-cultural background of
the Gowda (or Gaud) Saraswat Brahmins.

Page after page is peppered with a lot of sayings from the
past, amidst explanations of the social context.  So that
makes for an interesting read, whether one is interested in
the wider point or not.  It recreates the vision of the past,
through sayings like: A look at the courtyard will tell you
about the quality of the house (p 2) or He who eats salt
will [sooner or later] drink water. (p 99)

This content is scattered within five different chapters, and
a conclusion.  To begin, aptly, is an overview of Konkani
proverbs.  Next, proverbs are linked to the social structure
and the history of the GSBs.  Further chapters look at the
relevance of proverbs to customs, manners, dharma and values.

Dr Bai initially tackles proverbs related to society (The
bridegroom looks at the bride's face, the priest looks for
his dakshina. He never gave food to his father when he was
alive; after death he offered him rice balls.)

She suggests that the proverbs reflect the true picture of
different relationships among members of society.
Grandfathers, sons-in-laws, daughters-in-law, mothers-in-law,
and others are touched on.  Coming from those times, one
interesting and forward-looking perspective: Don't be sad
that a girl is born to you, she will grind the coconut for
you; and don't be happy that a son is born to you, he will
torture you in many ways.)

There are other hints of changing power equations. The
mother-in-law, at times, looked upon her son's wife as a
slave.  On the other hand, the elderly woman also lived in
constant dread of her daughter-in-law.  The sometimes adverse
position of a newly-wed in the husband's home is also alluded
to in some sayings.  So are marital relations touched on: If
the husband and wife agree with each other, they can sleep
even on a tamarind leaf.

Some proverbs from the philosophical arena sound too
idealistic. For instance: The wealth you receive is
proportionate to your work. And: If you commit a sin today,
you will answer for it tomorrow. Life can be much more
harsh!

But some proverbs (related to moral and ethics) really sound
true and insightful.  Anger is the cause of self-destruction
and happiness is the cause of the destruction of others. Or,
If you lie you will gain a coconut shell (a mark of
poverty).

Given Goa's agrarian background, it's not surprising to see
the number of sayings connected with birds and animals:
crows, pigeons, parrots, cocks, hens, cuckoos, elephants,
dogs, cows, buffaloes, cats, tigers, donkeys and jackals!
Here's an unusual one: How much does the rat excrete and how
many cakes are made from the excretement?

  There are others on trees, plants and even cereals!
  Some proverbs deal with the history of the GSBs.
  Says the book: The Konkani language is supposed
  to be the main carrier of the culture of the Gowda
  Saraswat Brahmins.

Also interesting is the reflection of caste in proverbs. The
potter comes in (The potter has no unbreakable pots.) So do
goldsmiths, barbers, carpenters, fishermen, the
basket-weaving mahars, We're 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Towards a Goan theology (Dale Luis Menezes)

[Goanet Reader]

Towards a Goan theology

Dale Luis Menezes
dale_mene...@rediffmail.com

Robert Eric Frykenberg's book *Christianity in India: From
the Beginnings to the Present*, opens by dwelling on the
intrinsic nature of the Gospel.  He says that evangelization
was not optional even in the earliest times and thus, The
Good News...  possessed qualities that were also
intrinsically disruptive and revolutionary.

Frykenberg asserts that the ideology of the Gospel, by its
very nature, [is] expansive, trans-cultural, and globalizing.
Yet, its spiritual and universalizing claims also required
flesh and blood -- incarnation -- concrete expression in the
particularities of each ethno-local culture. Since the
Gospel needed an earthly manifestation, it was altered and
remoulded with each successive wave of expansion without
contradicting itself or departing from what became the sacred
canon or established Scripture.

  It is through the work of such historians like
  Frykenberg, that we have learnt not to treat the
  history of Christianity and Christianity itself as
  foreign to India or Goa.  Now what does this mean
  for the people of Goa (and not just the Catholic
  population)?  Surely there needs to be a rethink on
  how the history of Goa has been written and the way
  Catholicism is being perceived.

For some time now, Fr. Victor Ferrao of the Rachol Seminary,
Goa has been devoting himself in the project of creating a
theological response to colonialism, conversion and the
challenges that Christians are facing in contemporary Goa.
In fact, his book *Being a Goan Christian* dealt with the
above mentioned issues.  Our Goan-ness and Christian-ness is
informed and influenced by perceptions of the past and hence
theology plays a role as a response of the church to the
existing, dominating and hegemonic discourses of Goan
history, particularly those post-decolonization discourses
that have come from upper-caste, Hindu locations.

  During a two-day seminar organized by the Pedro
  Arrupe Institute, Goa, (on June 22 and 23, 2013) on
  The Challenge of Being a Goan Christian, Ferrao
  asserted that till now theology has bracketed the
  colonial past and hence it is important to
  understand colonialism from a theological point of
  view.  Because Goa was exposed to Portuguese
  orientalism (which is different from a British
  one), we have a unique position from which we can
  understand ourselves as well as understand and
  theorize about India.

Thus, this opens a unique space to develop a theology in and
from Goa owing to different experiences of colonialism and
post-colonial times, whereby Goa becomes or is the 'other
India'.  The sense that the participants got was that such a
theology needs to emerge from a marginal location (i.e.  Goa)
which then can offer alternate theoretical positions to
critique dominant discourses not just in India, but also in
Asia as a de-historicized theology is not just an Indian
problem but an Asian one too, as Ferrao asserts.

  There were some interesting strands that emerged
  from the seminar.  Take the issue of 'conversion',
  for one.  Along with a therapeutic dialogue that
  would enable healing due to the trauma caused by
  conversion to both Hindus and Catholics, it was
  pointed out that we also need to inculcate such
  claims like the ones made by many Christian tribals
  (Gavddis) of Goa that conversion left them landless
  while their Hindu counterparts possess land today,
  in the theologizing.  On the issue of conversion we
  can profitably look towards alternate narratives
  such as those provided by Mahabaleshwar Sail's
  nagri-scripted, Konkani novel Yug Sanvar, where a
  'social inquisition' that operated within the then
  'Hindu' society can be observed.

Much of the thrust towards developing a new theology depends
on how we understand and read history (or at least this is
how Ferrao operates).  Therefore, a key strategy that emerged
was the need to take responsibility for our past.  This
becomes imperative because, as Ferrao claims, the Hindus as
well as the Christians are forgetting history (both for
different reasons) and are also suffering as a result.

  Thus, it becomes important for us to understand our
  pre-Portuguese past; how this past was not Hindu
  but was composed of multiple and fragmented
  identities and in this sense the Christians can own
  their past, rework and rewrite it.  While
  emphasizing the fragmented identities of Goa's
  pre-Portuguese past, Ferrao should also think about
  the Christianities other than Roman Catholicism
  that are existing in contemporary Goa as subjects
  for a theological 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Towards a Goan theology (Dale Luis Menezes)

[Goanet Reader]

Towards a Goan theology

Dale Luis Menezes
dale_mene...@rediffmail.com

Robert Eric Frykenberg's book *Christianity in India: From
the Beginnings to the Present*, opens by dwelling on the
intrinsic nature of the Gospel.  He says that evangelization
was not optional even in the earliest times and thus, The
Good News...  possessed qualities that were also
intrinsically disruptive and revolutionary.

Frykenberg asserts that the ideology of the Gospel, by its
very nature, [is] expansive, trans-cultural, and globalizing.
Yet, its spiritual and universalizing claims also required
flesh and blood -- incarnation -- concrete expression in the
particularities of each ethno-local culture. Since the
Gospel needed an earthly manifestation, it was altered and
remoulded with each successive wave of expansion without
contradicting itself or departing from what became the sacred
canon or established Scripture.

  It is through the work of such historians like
  Frykenberg, that we have learnt not to treat the
  history of Christianity and Christianity itself as
  foreign to India or Goa.  Now what does this mean
  for the people of Goa (and not just the Catholic
  population)?  Surely there needs to be a rethink on
  how the history of Goa has been written and the way
  Catholicism is being perceived.

For some time now, Fr. Victor Ferrao of the Rachol Seminary,
Goa has been devoting himself in the project of creating a
theological response to colonialism, conversion and the
challenges that Christians are facing in contemporary Goa.
In fact, his book *Being a Goan Christian* dealt with the
above mentioned issues.  Our Goan-ness and Christian-ness is
informed and influenced by perceptions of the past and hence
theology plays a role as a response of the church to the
existing, dominating and hegemonic discourses of Goan
history, particularly those post-decolonization discourses
that have come from upper-caste, Hindu locations.

  During a two-day seminar organized by the Pedro
  Arrupe Institute, Goa, (on June 22 and 23, 2013) on
  The Challenge of Being a Goan Christian, Ferrao
  asserted that till now theology has bracketed the
  colonial past and hence it is important to
  understand colonialism from a theological point of
  view.  Because Goa was exposed to Portuguese
  orientalism (which is different from a British
  one), we have a unique position from which we can
  understand ourselves as well as understand and
  theorize about India.

Thus, this opens a unique space to develop a theology in and
from Goa owing to different experiences of colonialism and
post-colonial times, whereby Goa becomes or is the 'other
India'.  The sense that the participants got was that such a
theology needs to emerge from a marginal location (i.e.  Goa)
which then can offer alternate theoretical positions to
critique dominant discourses not just in India, but also in
Asia as a de-historicized theology is not just an Indian
problem but an Asian one too, as Ferrao asserts.

  There were some interesting strands that emerged
  from the seminar.  Take the issue of 'conversion',
  for one.  Along with a therapeutic dialogue that
  would enable healing due to the trauma caused by
  conversion to both Hindus and Catholics, it was
  pointed out that we also need to inculcate such
  claims like the ones made by many Christian tribals
  (Gavddis) of Goa that conversion left them landless
  while their Hindu counterparts possess land today,
  in the theologizing.  On the issue of conversion we
  can profitably look towards alternate narratives
  such as those provided by Mahabaleshwar Sail's
  nagri-scripted, Konkani novel Yug Sanvar, where a
  'social inquisition' that operated within the then
  'Hindu' society can be observed.

Much of the thrust towards developing a new theology depends
on how we understand and read history (or at least this is
how Ferrao operates).  Therefore, a key strategy that emerged
was the need to take responsibility for our past.  This
becomes imperative because, as Ferrao claims, the Hindus as
well as the Christians are forgetting history (both for
different reasons) and are also suffering as a result.

  Thus, it becomes important for us to understand our
  pre-Portuguese past; how this past was not Hindu
  but was composed of multiple and fragmented
  identities and in this sense the Christians can own
  their past, rework and rewrite it.  While
  emphasizing the fragmented identities of Goa's
  pre-Portuguese past, Ferrao should also think about
  the Christianities other than Roman Catholicism
  that are existing in contemporary Goa as subjects
  for a theological 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: The Geography, History and Politics of Salt in Goa (Reyna Sequeira)

[Goanet Reader]

The Geography, History and Politics of Salt in Goa

By Reyna Sequeira
sequeira_re...@yahoo.co.in

Geography

The State of Goa lies on the south west coast of India and
its geographic position is between the latitudes 14°53'54 N
and 15°40'00 N and longitudes 73°40'33 E and 74°20'13 E.
To the north lies Sawantwadi taluka of Sindhudurg district
and the Kolhapur district, both of Maharashtra State.  To the
east and south lie Belgaum and Uttara Kannada districts of
Karnataka State.

Goa is surrounded on the east, north-east and south-east by
the sub-mountainous region of the Sahyadri ranges. It
comprises an area of 3702 square kilometers and is ensconced
in the ecologically-sensitive hilly Western Ghats of India.
Goa is bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea.

Goa is situated in the coastal belt known as the Konkan. The
palm fringed coast is interrupted at places by the sparkling
estuaries of the Mandovi, Zuari and a number of other small
rivers (Bhandari 1999: 7). This closeness to the coast is not
incidental in the development of the traditional salt
industry here. The salt industry in Goa first developed more
than a thousand years ago. The area we today know as Goa in
fact had virtually a complete monopoly over salt production
in the region.

Today, Goa's coast extends over 105 kilometers from Tiracol
in the north to Galgibag in the south. This coastline is
conducive to this sector as salt is extracted from the freely
available saline sea-water. Not all the villages that have
been known for their traditional salt production carry out
this activity currently. In Goa, salt is produced in four
talukas i.e. Pernem, Tisvadi, Bardez and Salcete taluka. Of
the coastal talukas, salt is not produced in Mormugao, Quepem
and Canacona.

Goa's Riverine System and Salt: Goa has an extensive riverine
system, which drains major parts of its lands. The rivers are
perennial in nature, and good sources of transportation.

  This riverine system is relevant to the economics
  of both the fishing and the salt industry of Goa.
  Salt making basically thrives on the tidal
  influence which occurs twice a day in the estuarine
  rivers, and Goa has a number of these estuarine
  rivers, hence significant salt production has taken
  place here over the centuries.  Elsewhere in India,
  rivers such as the Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari and
  Cauvery have no estuaries, but are delta rivers and
  a result of which no salt production takes place
  there.

Goa's waterways have always been the main means of
communication from the sea and to inland settlements. These
waterways developed Goa's fishing industry, its transport and
the systems of defensive forts (Rao 2003: 4).

The four talukas -- Pernem, Bardez, Tisvadi and Salcete --
are separated from each other by rivers descending from the
Western Ghats. In Pernem, the salt pans are situated on the
banks of the river Tiracol. Pernem also has the river Chapora
to the south. Salt pans in the taluka of Bardez are on the
banks of the river Baga at Arpora. In Tisvadi taluka, the
salt pans are located on the banks of the river Mandovi in
Panaji, Ribandar, and Santa Cruz and on the banks of the
Zuari river at Siridao, Curca and Batim. Salcete lies south
of Tisvadi and is separated from this taluka by the river
Zuari in the north and from its neighbouring eastern and
southern regions by the river Sal.

History of Salt

Salt has played an important role across human history.  No
substance other than water has been used with such regularity
as salt (Petch 2006:2).  The value of salt was probably known
long before humans began to write their history.  Given its
socio-cultural importance, many questions arise when one
undertakes a study of the salt makers.  Who produces salt?
How is it produced?  Why is salt produced?  When is it
produced?  How is salt sold?  What has been the economic
history and relevance of salt to Goa?  Behind all these
questions lie socio-cultural dimensions, many still not
adequately understood.

Salt extraction in Goa was discovered when sea-salt
formations on rock and cliffs and encrustations left by
receding salt-water on land were noticed by primitive man.
The secret of salt making was monopolised by the ‘Shamans' of
the ancestors of the Mithgauda community of Goa. Primitive
salt works probably began in the late megalithic period in
the South Konkan, Goa, Gokarna and Kumta. From these works
salt trails were laid out to the ghat areas for marketing
surplus salt. Halts on these trails became salt-camps and,
later on, nuclei of trading post (Mhamai 2000:11).

As the rest of India, Goa too has been a witness to the
Aryans entry from the north and their settling down in the
region. At a later part, the Aryans descended into the Konkan
area and Goa (Bhandari 1999: 135). There still exist some
tribes who were the original settlers much before the
Dravidians entered and occupied the Konkan region. It 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The Geography, History and Politics of Salt in Goa (Reyna Sequeira)

[Goanet Reader]

The Geography, History and Politics of Salt in Goa

By Reyna Sequeira
sequeira_re...@yahoo.co.in

Geography

The State of Goa lies on the south west coast of India and
its geographic position is between the latitudes 14°53'54 N
and 15°40'00 N and longitudes 73°40'33 E and 74°20'13 E.
To the north lies Sawantwadi taluka of Sindhudurg district
and the Kolhapur district, both of Maharashtra State.  To the
east and south lie Belgaum and Uttara Kannada districts of
Karnataka State.

Goa is surrounded on the east, north-east and south-east by
the sub-mountainous region of the Sahyadri ranges. It
comprises an area of 3702 square kilometers and is ensconced
in the ecologically-sensitive hilly Western Ghats of India.
Goa is bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea.

Goa is situated in the coastal belt known as the Konkan. The
palm fringed coast is interrupted at places by the sparkling
estuaries of the Mandovi, Zuari and a number of other small
rivers (Bhandari 1999: 7). This closeness to the coast is not
incidental in the development of the traditional salt
industry here. The salt industry in Goa first developed more
than a thousand years ago. The area we today know as Goa in
fact had virtually a complete monopoly over salt production
in the region.

Today, Goa's coast extends over 105 kilometers from Tiracol
in the north to Galgibag in the south. This coastline is
conducive to this sector as salt is extracted from the freely
available saline sea-water. Not all the villages that have
been known for their traditional salt production carry out
this activity currently. In Goa, salt is produced in four
talukas i.e. Pernem, Tisvadi, Bardez and Salcete taluka. Of
the coastal talukas, salt is not produced in Mormugao, Quepem
and Canacona.

Goa's Riverine System and Salt: Goa has an extensive riverine
system, which drains major parts of its lands. The rivers are
perennial in nature, and good sources of transportation.

  This riverine system is relevant to the economics
  of both the fishing and the salt industry of Goa.
  Salt making basically thrives on the tidal
  influence which occurs twice a day in the estuarine
  rivers, and Goa has a number of these estuarine
  rivers, hence significant salt production has taken
  place here over the centuries.  Elsewhere in India,
  rivers such as the Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari and
  Cauvery have no estuaries, but are delta rivers and
  a result of which no salt production takes place
  there.

Goa's waterways have always been the main means of
communication from the sea and to inland settlements. These
waterways developed Goa's fishing industry, its transport and
the systems of defensive forts (Rao 2003: 4).

The four talukas -- Pernem, Bardez, Tisvadi and Salcete --
are separated from each other by rivers descending from the
Western Ghats. In Pernem, the salt pans are situated on the
banks of the river Tiracol. Pernem also has the river Chapora
to the south. Salt pans in the taluka of Bardez are on the
banks of the river Baga at Arpora. In Tisvadi taluka, the
salt pans are located on the banks of the river Mandovi in
Panaji, Ribandar, and Santa Cruz and on the banks of the
Zuari river at Siridao, Curca and Batim. Salcete lies south
of Tisvadi and is separated from this taluka by the river
Zuari in the north and from its neighbouring eastern and
southern regions by the river Sal.

History of Salt

Salt has played an important role across human history.  No
substance other than water has been used with such regularity
as salt (Petch 2006:2).  The value of salt was probably known
long before humans began to write their history.  Given its
socio-cultural importance, many questions arise when one
undertakes a study of the salt makers.  Who produces salt?
How is it produced?  Why is salt produced?  When is it
produced?  How is salt sold?  What has been the economic
history and relevance of salt to Goa?  Behind all these
questions lie socio-cultural dimensions, many still not
adequately understood.

Salt extraction in Goa was discovered when sea-salt
formations on rock and cliffs and encrustations left by
receding salt-water on land were noticed by primitive man.
The secret of salt making was monopolised by the ‘Shamans' of
the ancestors of the Mithgauda community of Goa. Primitive
salt works probably began in the late megalithic period in
the South Konkan, Goa, Gokarna and Kumta. From these works
salt trails were laid out to the ghat areas for marketing
surplus salt. Halts on these trails became salt-camps and,
later on, nuclei of trading post (Mhamai 2000:11).

As the rest of India, Goa too has been a witness to the
Aryans entry from the north and their settling down in the
region. At a later part, the Aryans descended into the Konkan
area and Goa (Bhandari 1999: 135). There still exist some
tribes who were the original settlers much before the
Dravidians entered and occupied the Konkan region. It 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Salt, crucial across human history, taken for granted in today's Goa

[Goanet Reader]

Salt has been an important produce of coastal Goa for
centuries, and has been exported from here to countries in
Africa and Asia.  But today, the traditional salt sector lies
decimated and threatened by extinction, says a new book on
the subject.

  Goa once was a hub of salt making. Salt was the
  currency that allowed Goans to import essential
  commodities.  Today, the very same occupation lies
  derelict, its spine truly broken by a century and
  more of official polices, governmental apathy, low
  social status..., says a book authored by
  Benaulim-based sociologist Dr.  Reyna Sequeira.

Sequeira, who did her Ph.D. on the salt making communities of
Goa and is an associate professor at Quepem, says in the book
that traditional occupations must be remembered not as a
tapestry in a museum merely to be viewed, but as a living
part of our society.

Her field work, spread over a couple of decades involving
both her Masters and doctorate on this often ignored subject,
looks at salt makers in three villagers scattered across
diverse pockets of coastal Goa -- Agarvaddo (Pernem), Batim
(Tisvadi) and Arpora (Bardez).

Besides focussing on the salt making communities, she
highlights the geography, history and politics of salt in
Goa.  In the first two, one gets a hint of how the area of
salt extraction has shrunk particularly over recent decades,
but also since the late nineteenth century and the
Anglo-Portuguese Treaty.

In the politics of this section, Sequeira touches issues of
the salt sector's legal status.  She quotes other researchers
like Dr Harishchandra T Nagvenkar who say that steps taken to
promote salt production, marketing and competitiveness could
have made a huge difference to this sector in Goa.

Salt has figured only rarely in the Goa legislative assembly,
though some politicians have made attempts to raise the
issue.  Sequeira give a detailed description of the salt
making process in Goa.  While it may seem to be a simple
process, has carefully evolved over the centuries as drawings
from the field suggest.

Given the sociological approach of her book, Sequeira studies
the salt-makers in detail -- both from the Hindu and Catholic
communities, besides migrants from neighbouring Karnataka.
She compares and contrasts festivals, language, religion,
marriage and others followed along different parts of the Goa
coast.

The changing status of women -- a reality in today's Goa --
also throws up some interesting issues.  The family
involvement in salt work, and social problems, are also
covered, as is the economic life of the villages studied.

Sequeira notes age-old unsolved problems in transportation
that the salt makers face.  Likewise competition, sometimes
unfair, from the corporate world also comes up in the
256-page hard-bound book published by Goa,1556 and priced at
Rs 400 in Goa.

In Batim, not far from the Panjim-Margao highway, the local
salt farmers coexist with migrants.  From here, a number of
traditional marriage rituals are documented by the author.
Interesting syncretic practises -- which cut across the
religious divide -- are also studied.

Landlords, workers, tenants and migrants feature in the
crucial task of creating salt.

In Arpora, says the author, the salt pans have come under
immense pressure, due to factors like tourism and the
real-estate boom in the locality.  At the time of the
commencement of her research, there were four operational
salt pans in the village, but now just one exists.

Storage of salt and the hurdles to salt making are also
studied in the book.  Sequeira approached a number of
authorities under the Right to Information Act -- from
village panchayat upwards -- whose answers suggest a poor
understanding or complete lack of interest in salt making.

  Goa needs a deputy salt commissioner appointed for
  itself, and statistics on salt production should be
  systematically maintained, says Sequeira.  She also
  suggests a strict ban on the conversion of salt
  pans, amidst a number of other serious suggestions.
  The book will be released on coming Sunday, July
  21, 2013, at 10 am at Central Library, Panjim.  The
  function is open to the public.

Other suggestions deal with building awareness over the
importance of salt pans, badly-needed official support for
infrastructure, linking up Goa's isolated salt sector with
the national-level infrastructure, upgrading skills and
knowledge, training, special schemes for Goa's salt sector,
marketing support, promoting co-operatives, minimum support
prices for salt, de silting, reclaiming non-functional salt
pans, repairing sluice gates, providing roads for
transportation, and vocational training in salt making skills.

Responding via cyberspace to an announcement of the book,
Patrice Reimens, Netherlands-based cyber-campaigner who has
long followed issues in Goa, commented: In France,
traditional 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Salt, crucial across human history, taken for granted in today's Goa

[Goanet Reader]

Salt has been an important produce of coastal Goa for
centuries, and has been exported from here to countries in
Africa and Asia.  But today, the traditional salt sector lies
decimated and threatened by extinction, says a new book on
the subject.

  Goa once was a hub of salt making. Salt was the
  currency that allowed Goans to import essential
  commodities.  Today, the very same occupation lies
  derelict, its spine truly broken by a century and
  more of official polices, governmental apathy, low
  social status..., says a book authored by
  Benaulim-based sociologist Dr.  Reyna Sequeira.

Sequeira, who did her Ph.D. on the salt making communities of
Goa and is an associate professor at Quepem, says in the book
that traditional occupations must be remembered not as a
tapestry in a museum merely to be viewed, but as a living
part of our society.

Her field work, spread over a couple of decades involving
both her Masters and doctorate on this often ignored subject,
looks at salt makers in three villagers scattered across
diverse pockets of coastal Goa -- Agarvaddo (Pernem), Batim
(Tisvadi) and Arpora (Bardez).

Besides focussing on the salt making communities, she
highlights the geography, history and politics of salt in
Goa.  In the first two, one gets a hint of how the area of
salt extraction has shrunk particularly over recent decades,
but also since the late nineteenth century and the
Anglo-Portuguese Treaty.

In the politics of this section, Sequeira touches issues of
the salt sector's legal status.  She quotes other researchers
like Dr Harishchandra T Nagvenkar who say that steps taken to
promote salt production, marketing and competitiveness could
have made a huge difference to this sector in Goa.

Salt has figured only rarely in the Goa legislative assembly,
though some politicians have made attempts to raise the
issue.  Sequeira give a detailed description of the salt
making process in Goa.  While it may seem to be a simple
process, has carefully evolved over the centuries as drawings
from the field suggest.

Given the sociological approach of her book, Sequeira studies
the salt-makers in detail -- both from the Hindu and Catholic
communities, besides migrants from neighbouring Karnataka.
She compares and contrasts festivals, language, religion,
marriage and others followed along different parts of the Goa
coast.

The changing status of women -- a reality in today's Goa --
also throws up some interesting issues.  The family
involvement in salt work, and social problems, are also
covered, as is the economic life of the villages studied.

Sequeira notes age-old unsolved problems in transportation
that the salt makers face.  Likewise competition, sometimes
unfair, from the corporate world also comes up in the
256-page hard-bound book published by Goa,1556 and priced at
Rs 400 in Goa.

In Batim, not far from the Panjim-Margao highway, the local
salt farmers coexist with migrants.  From here, a number of
traditional marriage rituals are documented by the author.
Interesting syncretic practises -- which cut across the
religious divide -- are also studied.

Landlords, workers, tenants and migrants feature in the
crucial task of creating salt.

In Arpora, says the author, the salt pans have come under
immense pressure, due to factors like tourism and the
real-estate boom in the locality.  At the time of the
commencement of her research, there were four operational
salt pans in the village, but now just one exists.

Storage of salt and the hurdles to salt making are also
studied in the book.  Sequeira approached a number of
authorities under the Right to Information Act -- from
village panchayat upwards -- whose answers suggest a poor
understanding or complete lack of interest in salt making.

  Goa needs a deputy salt commissioner appointed for
  itself, and statistics on salt production should be
  systematically maintained, says Sequeira.  She also
  suggests a strict ban on the conversion of salt
  pans, amidst a number of other serious suggestions.
  The book will be released on coming Sunday, July
  21, 2013, at 10 am at Central Library, Panjim.  The
  function is open to the public.

Other suggestions deal with building awareness over the
importance of salt pans, badly-needed official support for
infrastructure, linking up Goa's isolated salt sector with
the national-level infrastructure, upgrading skills and
knowledge, training, special schemes for Goa's salt sector,
marketing support, promoting co-operatives, minimum support
prices for salt, de silting, reclaiming non-functional salt
pans, repairing sluice gates, providing roads for
transportation, and vocational training in salt making skills.

Responding via cyberspace to an announcement of the book,
Patrice Reimens, Netherlands-based cyber-campaigner who has
long followed issues in Goa, commented: In France,
traditional 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Ore, and more (FN, in Gomantak Times)

[Goanet Reader]

ORE, AND MORE

By Frederick Noronha
f...@goa-india.org

  It's always fascinating to read about the movers
  and shakers in any society.  More so when these
  stories come from the otherwise little-discussed
  world of business.  Not only do these narratives
  give an insight into the lives and times of the
  people that were, but they give deeper hints into
  how society works, what makes it tick.

Here we have the story of a doyen of Goan business,
Vishwasrao Chowgule.  In tiny Goa, along with other big names
like the Dempos, Salgaocars, the Chowgules, the Menezeses,
the Timblos (and a handful of others) have shaped the world
of business.  And, one could say, in some cases, even
politics, economics, news, and education.

This book was first published nearly a generation ago, around
1975.  But those were times when reviews of new titles hardly
happened -- probably less than even now.  So, the recent
second edition of this title is an excuse to look at it once
over again.

  Amidst Mario Miranda's typical drawings -- even the
  dusty port of Mormugao looks scenic when seen this
  way -- we get an image of Goa that was, and how it
  was built up.  Between a plethora of figures, and
  facts, an interesting picture emerges.

We see colonial Goa growing on iron-ore, in times when the
world was itself recovering from the ravages of World War II.
Strangely enough, it was the losers of the war -- the
Japanese and the Italians, through Sesa then -- that depended
more on Goan ore to reconstruct.

Interesting tidbits emerge from the many stories included in
this compiled volume.  Did you know, for instance, that the
first Japanese ore-carrier 'Shozen Maru' sailed for its first
consignment exported by the Chowgules way back in 1950.  Ore
was brought in country craft from the Sirigao mines!  The
Chowgule brothers supervised the loading operations personally.

  We hear shades of the debate which still continue
  till this day: Was Goan ore being sold cheap to
  Japan?  If so, why?  How did Goan ore compared with
  Australian?  Should Goa have its own steel plant?

In times where only a handful of books, if at all, were
published on Goa each year, this one takes on wider strokes.
For instance, it has an essay by author, journalist and
art-critic Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, who talks of the cultural
heritage of Goa.

In between the hard-bound covers, what we come across here
are contributions from various persons who knew Vishwasrao
Chowgule, one of the patriarchs of the Chowgules.  They
comment on his role in various spheres -- the Goan (and
Indian) economy, economic and capitalist growth in Goa,
Goa-Japanese ties in the iron ore trade (from an era when
Japan, not China, was Goa's main buyer), and tributes from
fellow industrialists, friends and admirers.

The last category includes individuals as diverse as former
Lt.  Governor S.K.  Banerji, ex-chief minister (and mine-owner
herself) Shashikala Kakodkar, and ambassadors, judges, union
leaders, ex-MPs and former editors.  Few of our generation,
for instance, would hear a bell ring out loud in the name of
V.H.  Coelho -- the Consul General in Goa between 1951-54,
before the post-Independent Government of India imposed its
economic blockade on this former Portuguese colony.

This is V.M. Salgaocar, the head of another business empire
in Goa, talking about Vishwasrao Chowgule in 1975: My
association with Shri Vishwasrao has been both long and
rewarding.  We first chanced to meet on the train from Vasco
to Mormugao, about forty years ago.  He gave an impression of
energy and earnestness.  Later he built himself up into a
leading industrialist and businessman.  Since then several
business and social occasions have brought us together.
During such meetings I discovered that Shri Vishwasrao, who
can be strong and firm, even tough, in business negotiations,
can also relax and be full of human warmth. Beyond the kind
words, it could be noted that here are two whose thoughts and
preferences shaped the Goa that we know.  Both played a key
role, directly or otherwise, in shaping the language
controversy of the 1980s, for instance.

One slightly confusing element is the inclusion of recent
images and photographs in the generation-old book.  So, it
would appear, the picture of the now-plush Chowgule College
(in Margao) and the Chowgule House, overlooking the waters,
are more recent additions to the earlier book.

Because of the structure of the book -- a story told through
the eyes of many who knew the man -- there is some element of
repetition, and one has to scour its many pages to build a
comprehensive picture.  Yet, this does emerge, given some
patience.

  For instance, we have a story of the Chowgules
  starting with their small-scale units, and textile
  mill, and the super-profits of World War II, the
  mining boom of the 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Ore and more (FN, in Gomantak Times)

[Goanet Reader]

ORE, AND MORE

By Frederick Noronha
f...@goa-india.org

  It's always fascinating to read about the movers
  and shakers in any society.  More so when these
  stories come from the otherwise little-discussed
  world of business.  Not only do these narratives
  give an insight into the lives and times of the
  people that were, but they give deeper hints into
  how society works, what makes it tick.

Here we have the story of a doyen of Goan business,
Vishwasrao Chowgule.  In tiny Goa, along with other big names
like the Dempos, Salgaocars, the Chowgules, the Menezeses,
the Timblos (and a handful of others) have shaped the world
of business.  And, one could say, in some cases, even
politics, economics, news, and education.

This book was first published nearly a generation ago, around
1975.  But those were times when reviews of new titles hardly
happened -- probably less than even now.  So, the recent
second edition of this title is an excuse to look at it once
over again.

  Amidst Mario Miranda's typical drawings -- even the
  dusty port of Mormugao looks scenic when seen this
  way -- we get an image of Goa that was, and how it
  was built up.  Between a plethora of figures, and
  facts, an interesting picture emerges.

We see colonial Goa growing on iron-ore, in times when the
world was itself recovering from the ravages of World War II.
Strangely enough, it was the losers of the war -- the
Japanese and the Italians, through Sesa then -- that depended
more on Goan ore to reconstruct.

Interesting tidbits emerge from the many stories included in
this compiled volume.  Did you know, for instance, that the
first Japanese ore-carrier 'Shozen Maru' sailed for its first
consignment exported by the Chowgules way back in 1950.  Ore
was brought in country craft from the Sirigao mines!  The
Chowgule brothers supervised the loading operations personally.

  We hear shades of the debate which still continue
  till this day: Was Goan ore being sold cheap to
  Japan?  If so, why?  How did Goan ore compared with
  Australian?  Should Goa have its own steel plant?

In times where only a handful of books, if at all, were
published on Goa each year, this one takes on wider strokes.
For instance, it has an essay by author, journalist and
art-critic Dnyaneshwar Nadkarni, who talks of the cultural
heritage of Goa.

In between the hard-bound covers, what we come across here
are contributions from various persons who knew Vishwasrao
Chowgule, one of the patriarchs of the Chowgules.  They
comment on his role in various spheres -- the Goan (and
Indian) economy, economic and capitalist growth in Goa,
Goa-Japanese ties in the iron ore trade (from an era when
Japan, not China, was Goa's main buyer), and tributes from
fellow industrialists, friends and admirers.

The last category includes individuals as diverse as former
Lt.  Governor S.K.  Banerji, ex-chief minister (and mine-owner
herself) Shashikala Kakodkar, and ambassadors, judges, union
leaders, ex-MPs and former editors.  Few of our generation,
for instance, would hear a bell ring out loud in the name of
V.H.  Coelho -- the Consul General in Goa between 1951-54,
before the post-Independent Government of India imposed its
economic blockade on this former Portuguese colony.

This is V.M. Salgaocar, the head of another business empire
in Goa, talking about Vishwasrao Chowgule in 1975: My
association with Shri Vishwasrao has been both long and
rewarding.  We first chanced to meet on the train from Vasco
to Mormugao, about forty years ago.  He gave an impression of
energy and earnestness.  Later he built himself up into a
leading industrialist and businessman.  Since then several
business and social occasions have brought us together.
During such meetings I discovered that Shri Vishwasrao, who
can be strong and firm, even tough, in business negotiations,
can also relax and be full of human warmth. Beyond the kind
words, it could be noted that here are two whose thoughts and
preferences shaped the Goa that we know.  Both played a key
role, directly or otherwise, in shaping the language
controversy of the 1980s, for instance.

One slightly confusing element is the inclusion of recent
images and photographs in the generation-old book.  So, it
would appear, the picture of the now-plush Chowgule College
(in Margao) and the Chowgule House, overlooking the waters,
are more recent additions to the earlier book.

Because of the structure of the book -- a story told through
the eyes of many who knew the man -- there is some element of
repetition, and one has to scour its many pages to build a
comprehensive picture.  Yet, this does emerge, given some
patience.

  For instance, we have a story of the Chowgules
  starting with their small-scale units, and textile
  mill, and the super-profits of World War II, the
  mining boom of the 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: A Lottlikar's story of life, pain and change.... (Remediana 'Remy' Dias)

[Goanet Reader]

A Lottlikar's story of life, pain and change

By Remediana 'Remy' Dias
rodrigr...@yahoo.com

  Just a moment! Yes, it is just one moment that
  matters.  A particular moment.  The moment of
  realization.  The moment of decision.  The moment
  when you accept a challenge and get committed to a
  task.  Aim or ambition!  You can win that moment
  into a moment of triumph.  You know life is
  challenging and full of opportunities.  Turning
  change into an opportunity is in your hands.  Meet
  Mario Cruz Pereira who has tried to make the best
  use of his opportunities, to advance the cause of
  empowering the less privileged in his role as
  Deputy Sarpanch of the village panchayat of
  Loutolim.

Born to Alfred Pereira, a chef, and late Maria Emilia
Pereira, a housewife, Mario Cruz did his schooling in Saviour
of the World High School, the local village school at
Loutolim in Salcete, and then graduated from Chowgule College
at nearby Margao.  He did a diploma in hotel management and
began working in the hospitality industry.  His love for
social work and helping those in need saw him get him elected
as a member of the village panchayat.

  So what's his success formula? Mario says, Firstly
  to succeed anywhere, a person must have the will to
  give his total commitment to what he is doing.  One
  should not approach the job with a chalta hai
  attitude.  Trying to achieve success by meeting the
  right kind of people, having the right contacts and
  networking is unlikely to work in the long run.
  Success can only come from your ability to perform
  and produce results. Do what you do and love what
  you do is his motto in life.

What, in your view,  are the major issues concerning Goa today?
-

I feel there are a number of issues concerning Goa like
disharmony in relationships, disregard for the elderly, youth
having their own battles and an I, me, myself attitude
invading our society.  The social fabric is being torn apart
and we need to fix it now.  Youth need to be aware of not
just rights but of responsibilities too.  We need to work
together to protect and save the beautiful environment of
Goa.  Of late, Goa has been portrayed negatively by the
media.  We need to work to improve the image of Goa.

How can we contribute in our own ways towards a better Goa?
-

I would say, render social service. Most of us, however busy
we might be, can still find time to do our bit in this
direction.  There are lots of us who are fortunately placed
by circumstances and can spare some extra time.

  One could volunteer in hospitals.  Another area
  where social work is very important is literacy.
  For example in Loutolim there are some grown-ups
  who could be made literate with a little effort on
  our part.  Each one of us owes a special
  responsibility to impart education to the less
  privileged members.  One doesn't need a school
  building to achieve this goal.  One could just
  devote one's spare time for 4-5 days a week to
  spread literacy at any place suitable for learning.

Different awareness campaigns can be organized by volunteers
in the village.  People could be made aware of cleanliness
and hygiene-garbage disposal, avoiding spitting, non-smoking
in public places, etc.  Vocational training and community
crèches are another area where much remains to be done.

  There are many elderly people in our village who
  feel lonely and lost.  A list could be prepared of
  these people and volunteers could go to visit them
  and make them feel cared and wanted.  Volunteers
  could also attend to some of their needs like
  providing medical help or financial assistance.
  There are many more who need our help.  Doing
  social service will bring one the satisfaction of
  having used one;s leisure time productively in the
  service and help of needy ones.  Our life is God's
  gift to us. Let us make it a gift to others by
  using our spare time effectively in the service of
  our society.

What is your vision for a better Goa?
-

We have to understand that no one is here to stay forever. So
we need to live in harmony, peace, friendship, by helping
each other, avoid controversies, misunderstandings, Cold Wars
or open rivalry between neighbours.  Live and let live.  Help
the poor and downtrodden but first help yourself.  Put in
efforts to stabilise the standard of living and try to live
in harmony and tranquility.

Any incident that left a deep impact on your life?

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: A Lottlikar's story of life, pain and change.... (Remediana 'Remy' Dias)

[Goanet Reader]

A Lottlikar's story of life, pain and change

By Remediana 'Remy' Dias
rodrigr...@yahoo.com

  Just a moment! Yes, it is just one moment that
  matters.  A particular moment.  The moment of
  realization.  The moment of decision.  The moment
  when you accept a challenge and get committed to a
  task.  Aim or ambition!  You can win that moment
  into a moment of triumph.  You know life is
  challenging and full of opportunities.  Turning
  change into an opportunity is in your hands.  Meet
  Mario Cruz Pereira who has tried to make the best
  use of his opportunities, to advance the cause of
  empowering the less privileged in his role as
  Deputy Sarpanch of the village panchayat of
  Loutolim.

Born to Alfred Pereira, a chef, and late Maria Emilia
Pereira, a housewife, Mario Cruz did his schooling in Saviour
of the World High School, the local village school at
Loutolim in Salcete, and then graduated from Chowgule College
at nearby Margao.  He did a diploma in hotel management and
began working in the hospitality industry.  His love for
social work and helping those in need saw him get him elected
as a member of the village panchayat.

  So what's his success formula? Mario says, Firstly
  to succeed anywhere, a person must have the will to
  give his total commitment to what he is doing.  One
  should not approach the job with a chalta hai
  attitude.  Trying to achieve success by meeting the
  right kind of people, having the right contacts and
  networking is unlikely to work in the long run.
  Success can only come from your ability to perform
  and produce results. Do what you do and love what
  you do is his motto in life.

What, in your view,  are the major issues concerning Goa today?
-

I feel there are a number of issues concerning Goa like
disharmony in relationships, disregard for the elderly, youth
having their own battles and an I, me, myself attitude
invading our society.  The social fabric is being torn apart
and we need to fix it now.  Youth need to be aware of not
just rights but of responsibilities too.  We need to work
together to protect and save the beautiful environment of
Goa.  Of late, Goa has been portrayed negatively by the
media.  We need to work to improve the image of Goa.

How can we contribute in our own ways towards a better Goa?
-

I would say, render social service. Most of us, however busy
we might be, can still find time to do our bit in this
direction.  There are lots of us who are fortunately placed
by circumstances and can spare some extra time.

  One could volunteer in hospitals.  Another area
  where social work is very important is literacy.
  For example in Loutolim there are some grown-ups
  who could be made literate with a little effort on
  our part.  Each one of us owes a special
  responsibility to impart education to the less
  privileged members.  One doesn't need a school
  building to achieve this goal.  One could just
  devote one's spare time for 4-5 days a week to
  spread literacy at any place suitable for learning.

Different awareness campaigns can be organized by volunteers
in the village.  People could be made aware of cleanliness
and hygiene-garbage disposal, avoiding spitting, non-smoking
in public places, etc.  Vocational training and community
crèches are another area where much remains to be done.

  There are many elderly people in our village who
  feel lonely and lost.  A list could be prepared of
  these people and volunteers could go to visit them
  and make them feel cared and wanted.  Volunteers
  could also attend to some of their needs like
  providing medical help or financial assistance.
  There are many more who need our help.  Doing
  social service will bring one the satisfaction of
  having used one;s leisure time productively in the
  service and help of needy ones.  Our life is God's
  gift to us. Let us make it a gift to others by
  using our spare time effectively in the service of
  our society.

What is your vision for a better Goa?
-

We have to understand that no one is here to stay forever. So
we need to live in harmony, peace, friendship, by helping
each other, avoid controversies, misunderstandings, Cold Wars
or open rivalry between neighbours.  Live and let live.  Help
the poor and downtrodden but first help yourself.  Put in
efforts to stabilise the standard of living and try to live
in harmony and tranquility.

Any incident that left a deep impact on your life?

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Heart to Heart: Reaching out through Heartcare and the Written Word

[Goanet Reader]

Heart to Heart: Reaching out through Heartcare and the Written Word

INTERVIEW---
By Remy Dias
rodrigr...@yahoo.com


  Dr. J. Anthony (Tony) Gomes, also known as Antonio
  Gomes, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the
  Electrophysiology and Cardiovasular Consultative
  Services at the Zena and Michael A.  Wiener
  Cardiovascular Institute, The Mount Sinai Medical
  Center.  He has been consistently listed for the
  last ten years in the Best Doctors in New York (New
  York Magazine 2000-2009) and The Best Doctors in
  America.  He has also been featured in Indians in
  New York and India Abroad.  He hails originally
  from Goa, India.  He studied in both English (in
  Bombay) and Portuguese (in Goa).  Besides, fluently
  speaks Spanish, Konkani and understand French and
  Hindi.  He immigrated to the US in 1970 after
  medical school.

After specializing in Cardiology, and Cardiac
Electrophysiology, he joined the Mount Sinai Medical Center
in New York, as Head of its Cardiac Electrophysiology
Department in 1984.  A pioneer in the field of Cardiac
Electrophysiology, he is credited for establishing the first
modern Cardiac Electrophysiology section and laboratory in
NYC.  Dr Tony has authored more than 170 original scientific
publications, more than 10 chapters in national and
international textbooks of Cardiology, and a textbook in
Cardiology entitled Signal Averaged Electrocardiography
(Kluwer Academic Press, 1993).

He was  one of the founding trustees of the Goa America Heart
Foundation, served on the Board, and remains in an advisory
category.

Antonio Gomes is also a published poet and a novelist. HIS
collection of poems written in 1991-1993 IS entitled The
Twilight Landscape and an epic poem The Poets Den is in a
book entitled Visions from Grymes Hill (Turn of River
Press, CT, 1994).  He has also published individual poems in
anthologies and magazines.  His first novel *The Sting of
Peppercorns* came out in 2012 (Goa,1556 and Broadway).  His
immediate writing plans include completion of his second
novel entitled *Have a Heart*, a medical novel entirely based
in New York.

In a tete-a-tete with Remediana Dias:

Tell us something about you yourself
---

I am a Professor of Cardiology, and my subspecialty is
Cardiac Electrophysiology, of which I am one of the pioneers.
I was recruited in 1984 by Dr.  Valentin Fuster, Chairman of
Cardiology and a renowned cardiologist of national and
international fame, to open the first cardiac
electrophysiology laboratory in New York City, and the
section of electrophysiology which was combined with the then
existing department of electrocardiography at The Mount Sinai
Medical Center and School of Medicine of New York University.
I have lectured extensively at national and international
conferences all over the world, and have been a Visiting
Professor at the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Johns
Hopkins University as well as in universities in Brazil and
Japan among others.

What sets you apart from others?
---

I believe I am an original thinker, a prolific writer, a
published poet and novelist.  My interests cover the
humanities, politics, and even finance.  I have a keen
interest in ballet and opera.

What are your hobbies?
---

Gardening and music.


Your vision for a unified world?
---


I have been a great fan of, and adherent of Gandhian
philosophy.  I am however somewhat disheartened by the world
we live in: the politicians of today, not only in India, but
in the US and the world at large.  We seem to be mired in
wars, self-interests, agendas, profits, corruption, and
propaganda to serve personal agendas.  Sadly the vision of a
unified world remains a bare figment of the past, a concept
that has lost much of its breath.

What are your values, principles, values in life?
---

  I have always held liberal views. I strongly
  believe in honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, and
  dignity.  I believe that a great society is defined
  by how it takes care of its disabled and poor.  I
  believe in conflict resolution by peaceful means.
  Here, perhaps my Goan upbringing has played a
  significant role.

What is the secret of your success?
---

I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps a certain degree of ambition,
and purposefulness; committed work, and honesty in my
dealings.  My mother was a great influence in my forming
years, and subsequently my wife, Marina Flores.

Any striking incident that left a deep impact in your life or
changed 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Heart to Heart: Reaching out through Heartcare and the Written Word

[Goanet Reader]

Heart to Heart: Reaching out through Heartcare and the Written Word

INTERVIEW---
By Remy Dias
rodrigr...@yahoo.com


  Dr. J. Anthony (Tony) Gomes, also known as Antonio
  Gomes, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the
  Electrophysiology and Cardiovasular Consultative
  Services at the Zena and Michael A.  Wiener
  Cardiovascular Institute, The Mount Sinai Medical
  Center.  He has been consistently listed for the
  last ten years in the Best Doctors in New York (New
  York Magazine 2000-2009) and The Best Doctors in
  America.  He has also been featured in Indians in
  New York and India Abroad.  He hails originally
  from Goa, India.  He studied in both English (in
  Bombay) and Portuguese (in Goa).  Besides, fluently
  speaks Spanish, Konkani and understand French and
  Hindi.  He immigrated to the US in 1970 after
  medical school.

After specializing in Cardiology, and Cardiac
Electrophysiology, he joined the Mount Sinai Medical Center
in New York, as Head of its Cardiac Electrophysiology
Department in 1984.  A pioneer in the field of Cardiac
Electrophysiology, he is credited for establishing the first
modern Cardiac Electrophysiology section and laboratory in
NYC.  Dr Tony has authored more than 170 original scientific
publications, more than 10 chapters in national and
international textbooks of Cardiology, and a textbook in
Cardiology entitled Signal Averaged Electrocardiography
(Kluwer Academic Press, 1993).

He was  one of the founding trustees of the Goa America Heart
Foundation, served on the Board, and remains in an advisory
category.

Antonio Gomes is also a published poet and a novelist. HIS
collection of poems written in 1991-1993 IS entitled The
Twilight Landscape and an epic poem The Poets Den is in a
book entitled Visions from Grymes Hill (Turn of River
Press, CT, 1994).  He has also published individual poems in
anthologies and magazines.  His first novel *The Sting of
Peppercorns* came out in 2012 (Goa,1556 and Broadway).  His
immediate writing plans include completion of his second
novel entitled *Have a Heart*, a medical novel entirely based
in New York.

In a tete-a-tete with Remediana Dias:

Tell us something about you yourself
---

I am a Professor of Cardiology, and my subspecialty is
Cardiac Electrophysiology, of which I am one of the pioneers.
I was recruited in 1984 by Dr.  Valentin Fuster, Chairman of
Cardiology and a renowned cardiologist of national and
international fame, to open the first cardiac
electrophysiology laboratory in New York City, and the
section of electrophysiology which was combined with the then
existing department of electrocardiography at The Mount Sinai
Medical Center and School of Medicine of New York University.
I have lectured extensively at national and international
conferences all over the world, and have been a Visiting
Professor at the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Johns
Hopkins University as well as in universities in Brazil and
Japan among others.

What sets you apart from others?
---

I believe I am an original thinker, a prolific writer, a
published poet and novelist.  My interests cover the
humanities, politics, and even finance.  I have a keen
interest in ballet and opera.

What are your hobbies?
---

Gardening and music.


Your vision for a unified world?
---


I have been a great fan of, and adherent of Gandhian
philosophy.  I am however somewhat disheartened by the world
we live in: the politicians of today, not only in India, but
in the US and the world at large.  We seem to be mired in
wars, self-interests, agendas, profits, corruption, and
propaganda to serve personal agendas.  Sadly the vision of a
unified world remains a bare figment of the past, a concept
that has lost much of its breath.

What are your values, principles, values in life?
---

  I have always held liberal views. I strongly
  believe in honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, and
  dignity.  I believe that a great society is defined
  by how it takes care of its disabled and poor.  I
  believe in conflict resolution by peaceful means.
  Here, perhaps my Goan upbringing has played a
  significant role.

What is the secret of your success?
---

I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps a certain degree of ambition,
and purposefulness; committed work, and honesty in my
dealings.  My mother was a great influence in my forming
years, and subsequently my wife, Marina Flores.

Any striking incident that left a deep impact in your life or
changed 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Goanet Reader: Exploiting disasters, and the disaster of exploitation (Radharao Gracias)

[Goanet Reader]

EXPLOITING DISASTERS, AND THE DISASTER OF EXPLOITATION

Radharao F.Gracias
graciasradha...@gmail.com

India dominated world hockey for about three and a half
decades either side of independence.  Today, we struggle even
to qualify for major tournaments. Teams we used to rout in
our glory days are now doing the same thing to us.

Some years ago, a group of people -- mostly Indians in Britain
-- were discussing the reasons for the decline. After
hearing the various opinions, an Englishman who was part of
the group disagreeing with them said, Not at all. It is
easy to see the reason, behind India's hockey decline.

What is that? interjected another member of the group.

Oh said the Englishman, you see, when the Indians are
awarded a corner, they convert it into a kiosk! He was
alluding to the tendency of immigrant Indians to set up
kiosks in every conceivable corner of England. Ironically,
two centuries earlier Napoleon Bonaparte had called Britain a
nation of shopkeepers. But then Napoleon had not heard of
the Banias.

Right now, all attention is focussed on the catastrophe
caused by unsettling weather conditions in the young north
Indian state of Uttarakhand. News reports coming from
survivors are disturbing. Those who are in need of urgent
food and care are being exploited, by cynical local people.

  A bowl of rice, is sold at Rs600, a chapatti at
  Rs180 and a litre of water at Rs100 which in the
  words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge would be a case of
  water, water everywhere...  and not a drop to
  drink.  We have not lost our shopkeeper mentality,
  even in the worst of human disasters.  The
  situation seems to say, Give Indians a disaster
  and they will convert it into a kiosk!

Compassion, mercy and charity (although not always adhered
to) is the basis of every religion. I had learnt in school
that the Shankaracharya had travelled all over the country in
the ninth century to revive Hinduism and he set up mutts at
Dwarka, Puri, Sringeri (I have been there) and Badrinath.

The latter along with Kedarnath, is the epicentre of the
present disaster. The area is holy and it is mostly pilgrims
and local residents who were the victims. I am left
wondering how in such a place there could be such complete
lack of piety, compassion, charity and mercy, the bulwarks of
all religion. Is this all that we see for the
Shankaracharya's efforts, all those long years ago?

There has been no report of any of the nationalist and
patriotic organisation in the rescue efforts at least in the
early days. Where exactly are the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal or
the Ram Sene? I suppose this disaster called for their
efforts. I would not be surprised, if all these
organisations make an appearance now, claiming post facto
heroism. We have been witnesses to such dubious heroism by
our freedom fighters, many of whom were collaborators with
the Portuguese but became freedom fighters after the
Portuguese were dislodged. In the bargain it is the genuine
freedom fighters who have languished and the frauds
prospered. Perhaps, the Hindutuva brigade would have been
fully active, if somehow the disaster was linked to the
'Jihadis'!

We have witnessed on TV, the untiring efforts of our armed
forces in rescuing the victims, under great peril to their
own lives. Seeing the self-sacrifices being made by these
brave-hearts, we are assured that our defences are in safe
hands. Several of the defence personnel have died in the
rescue missions but they have continued, undaunted. That is
what patriotism, courage and valour is all about.

  And now, enter Narendra Modi. He rescues fifteen
  thousand Gujaratis, in forty eight hours!  A world
  record perhaps!  And by this dubious claim the man
  tipped to be the next Prime Minister has demeaned
  and undone the herculean efforts of our armed
  forces, under overwhelming odds.  There is only one
  message from Narendra Modi, and that is: before he
  came on the scene, the armed forces were simply
  inefficient and incompetent and therefore the
  fifteen thousand Gujaratis had remained trapped!
  Is there any other interpretation possible?

I was not unhappy when Narendra Modi was anointed the
prospective PM by the BJP, here in Goa. The man appeared to
be focussed and we certainly do not need another five years,
of remote control by the Mambo Italiano. But then, within no
time Narendra Modi has shown that Godhra was no aberration.

In fact, the Godhra Albatross now hangs heavily around his
neck. Consider; a man projected as the next Prime Minister
goes in the disaster area and selectively rescues only
Gujaratis. Does he not know that in matters of rescue, all
that matters is humanity and there are no racial or regional
identifications?

After Godhra it was massacre the Muslims and protect the
Hindus. In Uttrakhand, it is save the Gujaratis, ignore the
rest. 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Marissa Coutinho Samake ... First Lady in Waiting (Devika Sequeira, Herald Review)

[Goanet Reader]

Marissa Coutinho Samake
FIRST LADY IN WAITING...

  From Goa to Bahrain to the US and now Mali, in West
  Africa, where her husband Niankoro Yeah Samake is
  standing for next month's presidential elections.
  The trajectory of Marissa Coutinho Samake's life
  has taken her on a journey few could have dreamt
  of.  In the heart of this sub-Saharan country with
  vast expanses of inhospitable desert overrun by
  Islamist militants till a few weeks ago, this is
  perhaps the closest we will get to chasing the
  dream of a Goan becoming the first lady of a
  country.  With a degree in business management from
  the US, Marissa has been a huge asset to the Samake
  campaign.  She is uniquely positioned to advise
  and support me every step of the way.  Her ability
  to remain neutral and see things from a different
  perspective is something that I find
  irreplaceable, Samake says of his first lady, as
  he goes into overdrive to a poll that will be as
  keenly watched in Goa

DEVIKA SEQUEIRA
devikaseque...@gmail.com

The UN will deploy its third largest peace keeping mission to
Mali on Monday, ahead of the July 28 election in the troubled
West African nation.

Mali has been in turmoil since early 2012, and the ground
realities seem to hardly favour a presidential election at
this juncture.  The bid to bring the African country back to
democracy after months of civil conflict that escalated with
the threat of northern Mali -- more than half of the country
-- falling into the clutches of Islamist militants, is
fraught with huge logistical and security challenges.

In Kidal, in Mali's vast desert expanses in the north,
temperatures had touched a searing 52 degrees Celsius last
week, worrying UN officials that sensitive components in
their mobile communications systems would melt, news agencies
reported.  The scorching heat in Kidal is the least of the
challenges.

Less than two weeks ago, Mali's chief negotiator Tiebile
Drame camping out in neighbouring Burkina Faso managed to
hammer out a deal with the Tuareg rebels to bring about a
ceasefire that will allow Malian troops to return to Kidal.
This paves the way for the nation-wide poll that the
international community sees as crucial to keeping stability
in the region.

Taking advantage of the power vacuum in the capital Bamako
after the March 2012 military coup in Mali, the nomadic
Tuaregs, grouped under the National Movement for the
Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) had swept across the Saharan
desert to create an independent region in north Mali in April
last year.  They still control the cities of Gao, Auguelhok
and Kidal.

Confronted with the real threat that the Tuareg rebellion was
being hijacked by  Al-Qaeda, France, with the help of Chadian
forces, launched a military intervention in Mali in January
this year at the request of the Malian president, to push
back Islamist fighters.  Many of them are said to have fallen
back into southern Libya.

One of Africa's most stable democracies till last year's
coup, given its strategic location -- the largely desert
country shares borders with Algeria in the north, Ivory
Coast, Burkina Faso and Guinea in the south, Senegal and
Mauritania in the west, Niger in the east—Mali's return to
peace is seen as imperative to stability in the region.

A former colony

Few people in Goa would have heard of Mali, 9200 km away on
another continent.  The two couldn't have been more
dissimilar.  Remote, landlocked, two-thirds of it covered by
swathes of desert, Mali, one of the poorest countries in the
world, is twice the size of France but so sparsely peopled,
that it has a smaller population (just 15 million) than
Mumbai.  But Mali too was a former outpost of a European
country.  It gained independence from France a year before
the Portuguese departure from Goa in 1961.

  In this sweltering desert, by a curious twist of
  fate, the Malian presidential election is possibly
  the closest we will ever get to chasing the dream
  of a Goan first lady of a nation.

  Marissa Coutinho and Niankoro Yeah Samake met at
  Bringham Young University, Utah, USA where he was
  pursuing a masters in public policy and she,
  studying for a business management degree.  They
  married some eight years ago and have two children,
  Keanen,7, and Carmen,5.

What sets Samake apart from the other nominees for the Malian
presidency race, is his faith.  In a country that is 95 per
cent Muslim, the Samakes are the only Mormons.  One would
imagine that this alone would make the running that much harder.

But in 2009 when Yeah Samake ran for mayor of Ouelessebougou,
his hometown, he sailed in with a big vote.  Mali is a very
open country and freedom of religion is one thing that
Malians espouse.  Yeah was voted mayor with 86 per 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Goanet Reader: Exploiting disasters, and the disaster of exploitation (Radharao Gracias)

[Goanet Reader]

EXPLOITING DISASTERS, AND THE DISASTER OF EXPLOITATION

Radharao F.Gracias
graciasradha...@gmail.com

India dominated world hockey for about three and a half
decades either side of independence.  Today, we struggle even
to qualify for major tournaments. Teams we used to rout in
our glory days are now doing the same thing to us.

Some years ago, a group of people -- mostly Indians in Britain
-- were discussing the reasons for the decline. After
hearing the various opinions, an Englishman who was part of
the group disagreeing with them said, Not at all. It is
easy to see the reason, behind India's hockey decline.

What is that? interjected another member of the group.

Oh said the Englishman, you see, when the Indians are
awarded a corner, they convert it into a kiosk! He was
alluding to the tendency of immigrant Indians to set up
kiosks in every conceivable corner of England. Ironically,
two centuries earlier Napoleon Bonaparte had called Britain a
nation of shopkeepers. But then Napoleon had not heard of
the Banias.

Right now, all attention is focussed on the catastrophe
caused by unsettling weather conditions in the young north
Indian state of Uttarakhand. News reports coming from
survivors are disturbing. Those who are in need of urgent
food and care are being exploited, by cynical local people.

  A bowl of rice, is sold at Rs600, a chapatti at
  Rs180 and a litre of water at Rs100 which in the
  words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge would be a case of
  water, water everywhere...  and not a drop to
  drink.  We have not lost our shopkeeper mentality,
  even in the worst of human disasters.  The
  situation seems to say, Give Indians a disaster
  and they will convert it into a kiosk!

Compassion, mercy and charity (although not always adhered
to) is the basis of every religion. I had learnt in school
that the Shankaracharya had travelled all over the country in
the ninth century to revive Hinduism and he set up mutts at
Dwarka, Puri, Sringeri (I have been there) and Badrinath.

The latter along with Kedarnath, is the epicentre of the
present disaster. The area is holy and it is mostly pilgrims
and local residents who were the victims. I am left
wondering how in such a place there could be such complete
lack of piety, compassion, charity and mercy, the bulwarks of
all religion. Is this all that we see for the
Shankaracharya's efforts, all those long years ago?

There has been no report of any of the nationalist and
patriotic organisation in the rescue efforts at least in the
early days. Where exactly are the RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal or
the Ram Sene? I suppose this disaster called for their
efforts. I would not be surprised, if all these
organisations make an appearance now, claiming post facto
heroism. We have been witnesses to such dubious heroism by
our freedom fighters, many of whom were collaborators with
the Portuguese but became freedom fighters after the
Portuguese were dislodged. In the bargain it is the genuine
freedom fighters who have languished and the frauds
prospered. Perhaps, the Hindutuva brigade would have been
fully active, if somehow the disaster was linked to the
'Jihadis'!

We have witnessed on TV, the untiring efforts of our armed
forces in rescuing the victims, under great peril to their
own lives. Seeing the self-sacrifices being made by these
brave-hearts, we are assured that our defences are in safe
hands. Several of the defence personnel have died in the
rescue missions but they have continued, undaunted. That is
what patriotism, courage and valour is all about.

  And now, enter Narendra Modi. He rescues fifteen
  thousand Gujaratis, in forty eight hours!  A world
  record perhaps!  And by this dubious claim the man
  tipped to be the next Prime Minister has demeaned
  and undone the herculean efforts of our armed
  forces, under overwhelming odds.  There is only one
  message from Narendra Modi, and that is: before he
  came on the scene, the armed forces were simply
  inefficient and incompetent and therefore the
  fifteen thousand Gujaratis had remained trapped!
  Is there any other interpretation possible?

I was not unhappy when Narendra Modi was anointed the
prospective PM by the BJP, here in Goa. The man appeared to
be focussed and we certainly do not need another five years,
of remote control by the Mambo Italiano. But then, within no
time Narendra Modi has shown that Godhra was no aberration.

In fact, the Godhra Albatross now hangs heavily around his
neck. Consider; a man projected as the next Prime Minister
goes in the disaster area and selectively rescues only
Gujaratis. Does he not know that in matters of rescue, all
that matters is humanity and there are no racial or regional
identifications?

After Godhra it was massacre the Muslims and protect the
Hindus. In Uttrakhand, it is save the Gujaratis, ignore the
rest. 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The Indian Navy in Goa: Understanding the Finer Points (Rahul Basu)

[Goanet Reader]

The Indian Navy in Goa: Understanding the Finer Points

By Rahul Basu
rahulba...@gmail.com

  There is some confusion surrounding the Indian
  Navy's operations at Dabolim.  A careful analysis
  of the Navy's present operations and its stated
  plans show that the Navy plans to vacate most of
  Dabolim airport within a decade at most. What may
  be left are the IL-38 maritime reconnaissance
  aircraft.

History of the Navy at Dabolim

The actual Naval Air Base at Dabolim is called INS Hansa. INS
Hansa was set up in 1964.  Let's look at the context for INS
Hansa.  INS Vikrant was commissioned in 1961.  It is clear
that after the China debacle in 1962, defence spending was
stepped up considerably.  The Mumbai airport, which was then
being used for naval fighter training, was also seeing a rise
in passenger flights.

Dabolim airport was set up in 1955. Until Liberation, there
were flights from Portugal by TAIP and TAP. However, the
flights were not very frequent, at best once a day.  Post
Liberation, in 1964, there was exactly one civilian flight
into Dabolim, a Dakota from Mumbai.

  Dabolim airport was used once a day, situated on
  the coast and at a superb natural harbour
  (Mormugao).  It was a natural choice for setting up
  a new base, not too far from Mumbai (where the
  Vikrant was stationed).  It is not clear whether
  the paperwork was done properly, etc., but the
  rationale at a national level is clear.  It is easy
  to look back from 2013 to say that it was a not the
  right decision, but in 1964, it is hard to justify
  not using a good airport for the Navy when only one
  flight was landing each day.

Present operations of the Navy at Dabolim

From a national security standpoint, Dabolim is currently a
poor choice for a naval air base. There are thousands of
foreigners flying in and out of the airport. That itself
creates a significant risk of foreign surveillance,
potentially even on foreign aircraft landing at Dabolim.

Further, the large foreign population resident in Goa creates
a situation where Naval officers can be lured into honeypot
situations to give away national secrets.

At INS Hansa, the Navy currently operates 8 squadrons. You
can read about each of these squadrons in great detail here:
http://indiannavy.nic.in/print/222
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Aviation/Squadrons.html

Squadron Aircraft   Role

INAS 551 Phantoms  Kiran Mk1 /2 / Hawk AJT Jet trainers
INAS 552 BravesSea Harrier Trainer Fighter trainer aircraft
INAS 300 White Tigers Sea Harrier  Fighter aircraft
INAS 303 Black Panthers MiG-29K /KUB   Fighter aircraft
INAS 310 CobrasDornier 228 - 201 IWMaritime patrol,
 electronic warfare
INAS 321 AngelsChetak helicopters  Search-and-Rescue
INAS 339 Falcons   Kamov 31AEW helicopters Airborne early warning
INAS 315 Winged Stallions IL 38Maritime reconnaissance,
 anti-submarine warfare

New Naval Air Stations near Goa

* Karwar Airport is currently planned to be a small facility
  of 52 hectares (128 acres) with an airstrip serving
  helicopters and Dornier-228.  This would require a runway
  of at most 1,000 mtrs.  Since this is an integral part of
  Project Seabird, it has a high probability of fructifying.

* Less well publicised is the fact that the Indian Navy has a
  very significant participation in the expansion of Sambra
  Airport at Belgaum.  The plan includes the acquisition by
  the Indian Navy of 420 acres (Dabolim civil enclave is only
  35 acres) and basing the MiG-29s (for INS Vikramaditya) at
  Belgaum for training purposes.

If we look at the Navy's plans, we can see the following:

* The Sea Harriers are scheduled for de-commissioning
  somewhere between 2015 and 2023.

* MiG-29K will move to Belgaum.

* It is reasonable to assume that the jet trainers, viz, the
  Hawk AJTs, will also move to Belgaum, along with the MiG29K.

* The Dornier 228s will move to Karwar.

* The helicopters (Chetaks and Kamow 31 AEW) will move to
  Karwar.  It is clear that the only aircraft that may still
  operate at Dabolim is the IL-38 (and possibly its
  replacement, the Boeing P-8i Neptune).  This would imply
  that most of the Navy's space at Dabolim will get freed up
  for Civil operations.

* It is likely that since Belgaum will be able to handle
  B-737s/A-320s, it will be able to handle IL-38/Boeing P8is
  (the Boeing P8is are built on a B-737 frame).  However, I
  have not been able to find out the runway length needed for
  these aircraft.

This analysis is based on a few scanty pieces of information.
However, it seems quite logical from a national security
perspective.  However, for security reasons, I don't think
the Navy will confirm this publicly any time soon.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Hope is not a strategy: The demand for Mopa (Rahul Basu)

[Goanet Reader]

Hope is not a strategy: The demand for Mopa

Rahul Basu
rahulba...@gmail.com

  The ICAO Report in 2007 was commissioned by the Goa
  Government.  ICAO was asked to examine the
  possibility of operating both Mopa and Dabolim.
  The ICAO Report concluded that air traffic of 28
  million per year would be the minimum needed to
  make this strategy economically viable.  Goa's
  traffic is currently only 3.5 million.  Mopa comes
  online in 2016-17.  Where will this incredible
  increase come from?

As this article goes on to show, there are no real executable
plans in place.  The Regional Plan 2021 has nothing that
supports such an increase.  The Goa Vision 2035 is only a
vision, possibly more a mirage.  The Tourism Master Plan is
still in development.  The Goa Investment  Industrial Policy
2013, which is expected shortly, is also not a strategy or a
plan of execution.  We are lead to the inevitable conclusion
that the proposal for Mopa is a castle in the sky -- with
foundations of hot air.

Given that a very substantial part of the resources of Goa
will be poured into Mopa, this is a very worrisome situation.
And we have numerous recent examples of failed greenfield
airports from around the world to give us pause for consideration.

Failed airports

All over the world, there are numerous examples of failed
airports, which were built in the hope that if they build it,
the traffic will come. Countries impacted include Spain,
China, South Korea, USA, UK, Canada, and Portugal.

In a few ghost airports around the world, not a single
flight has ever landed.  For instance, in South Korea,
Yangyang International Airport, Muan International Airport
and Uljin airports are poster children for failed airports.
And 11 out of 14 airports in South Korea are making losses.
For China, 134 out of 182 airports are making losses.  The
Mirabel airport, developed as a second airport for Montreal,
eventually failed miserably.  There is even an entire website
dedicated to tracking closed airports in the US.

  Spain in particular holds some lessons for Goa. It
  was economically very similar to Goa prior to its
  2007 crash -- an economy booming based on tourism
  and construction, especially for second homes.
  Today, the situation is so bad that of Spain's 48
  airports, 37 make losses, and there is a long list
  of failed new airports - Cuidad Real, Castellon,
  Huesca-Pirineos, Lleida-Alguaire, Badajoz, etc.

Clearly, even if you build it, the passengers may not
materialize.

Mopa can cost Goa dearly

If Mopa turns out to be a mistake, it will be extremely
expensive for Goa.  As per the CM, only 8% of Goa is
available for development, or 296 sq.  km.  The CM also
proposes to reserve 154 sq.km.  for Mopa, 8 sq.  km for the
airport itself, and the balance on account of the 7 km
no-development zone that he has announced.  This is over half
of the available land for development.  Further, resources
will go into six-lane expressways and other infrastructure to
support the airport and its related development.

The last available study on the feasibility of Mopa was
conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) in 2007 on behalf of the Goa Government.  ICAO
estimated the total passengers for Goa would reach 9.3
million only in 2034-35, around three times the current level
of 3.5 million.  ICAO states clearly that the enhancements to
Dabolim that were then in planning (the new terminal,
associated parking, an enlarged apron, a taxiway, etc.) were
adequate to meet this demand.

ICAO estimated that the minimum traffic required to support
both Dabolim and Mopa was 24 million passengers (at the time
of the report in 2007).  Due to the increased use of larger
aircrafts, this threshold would keep rising, estimated to
reach 28 million passengers in 2012.  In comparison, Goa's
air traffic has stagnated at around 3.5 million for the last
two years.  This is a huge gap.

It can be argued that if there are steeper projections of air
traffic growth, Dabolim will get saturated earlier than
2034-35.  For instance, the latest projections by the
Airports Authority of India (AAI) (in 2011) are that Goa's
air traffic will cross 10 million passengers in 2024-25.

There is vast unused land in Dabolim for further expansion.
The Navy is building two new Air Stations, at Belgaum and
Karwar, with the effect of decongesting Dabolim.  Even so,
if, despite this evidence to the contrary, we insist that
Dabolim cannot be expanded further, a second airport may
become necessary to take up the incremental demand.  This
would still occur only in 2024-25 (when the 10 million
threshold is crossed), over a decade away.

  Total Passengers
Year AAI (2011) ICAO (2007) Actual
2006-07  2.213   2.212
2009-10  2.629   2.946   2.629
2012-13  3.752  

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Hope is not a strategy: The demand for Mopa (Rahul Basu)

[Goanet Reader]

Hope is not a strategy: The demand for Mopa

Rahul Basu
rahulba...@gmail.com

  The ICAO Report in 2007 was commissioned by the Goa
  Government.  ICAO was asked to examine the
  possibility of operating both Mopa and Dabolim.
  The ICAO Report concluded that air traffic of 28
  million per year would be the minimum needed to
  make this strategy economically viable.  Goa's
  traffic is currently only 3.5 million.  Mopa comes
  online in 2016-17.  Where will this incredible
  increase come from?

As this article goes on to show, there are no real executable
plans in place.  The Regional Plan 2021 has nothing that
supports such an increase.  The Goa Vision 2035 is only a
vision, possibly more a mirage.  The Tourism Master Plan is
still in development.  The Goa Investment  Industrial Policy
2013, which is expected shortly, is also not a strategy or a
plan of execution.  We are lead to the inevitable conclusion
that the proposal for Mopa is a castle in the sky -- with
foundations of hot air.

Given that a very substantial part of the resources of Goa
will be poured into Mopa, this is a very worrisome situation.
And we have numerous recent examples of failed greenfield
airports from around the world to give us pause for consideration.

Failed airports

All over the world, there are numerous examples of failed
airports, which were built in the hope that if they build it,
the traffic will come. Countries impacted include Spain,
China, South Korea, USA, UK, Canada, and Portugal.

In a few ghost airports around the world, not a single
flight has ever landed.  For instance, in South Korea,
Yangyang International Airport, Muan International Airport
and Uljin airports are poster children for failed airports.
And 11 out of 14 airports in South Korea are making losses.
For China, 134 out of 182 airports are making losses.  The
Mirabel airport, developed as a second airport for Montreal,
eventually failed miserably.  There is even an entire website
dedicated to tracking closed airports in the US.

  Spain in particular holds some lessons for Goa. It
  was economically very similar to Goa prior to its
  2007 crash -- an economy booming based on tourism
  and construction, especially for second homes.
  Today, the situation is so bad that of Spain's 48
  airports, 37 make losses, and there is a long list
  of failed new airports - Cuidad Real, Castellon,
  Huesca-Pirineos, Lleida-Alguaire, Badajoz, etc.

Clearly, even if you build it, the passengers may not
materialize.

Mopa can cost Goa dearly

If Mopa turns out to be a mistake, it will be extremely
expensive for Goa.  As per the CM, only 8% of Goa is
available for development, or 296 sq.  km.  The CM also
proposes to reserve 154 sq.km.  for Mopa, 8 sq.  km for the
airport itself, and the balance on account of the 7 km
no-development zone that he has announced.  This is over half
of the available land for development.  Further, resources
will go into six-lane expressways and other infrastructure to
support the airport and its related development.

The last available study on the feasibility of Mopa was
conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO) in 2007 on behalf of the Goa Government.  ICAO
estimated the total passengers for Goa would reach 9.3
million only in 2034-35, around three times the current level
of 3.5 million.  ICAO states clearly that the enhancements to
Dabolim that were then in planning (the new terminal,
associated parking, an enlarged apron, a taxiway, etc.) were
adequate to meet this demand.

ICAO estimated that the minimum traffic required to support
both Dabolim and Mopa was 24 million passengers (at the time
of the report in 2007).  Due to the increased use of larger
aircrafts, this threshold would keep rising, estimated to
reach 28 million passengers in 2012.  In comparison, Goa's
air traffic has stagnated at around 3.5 million for the last
two years.  This is a huge gap.

It can be argued that if there are steeper projections of air
traffic growth, Dabolim will get saturated earlier than
2034-35.  For instance, the latest projections by the
Airports Authority of India (AAI) (in 2011) are that Goa's
air traffic will cross 10 million passengers in 2024-25.

There is vast unused land in Dabolim for further expansion.
The Navy is building two new Air Stations, at Belgaum and
Karwar, with the effect of decongesting Dabolim.  Even so,
if, despite this evidence to the contrary, we insist that
Dabolim cannot be expanded further, a second airport may
become necessary to take up the incremental demand.  This
would still occur only in 2024-25 (when the 10 million
threshold is crossed), over a decade away.

  Total Passengers
Year AAI (2011) ICAO (2007) Actual
2006-07  2.213   2.212
2009-10  2.629   2.946   2.629
2012-13  3.752  

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Down by the village well... memories of another time (Tony Fernandes)

[Goanet Reader]

DOWN BY THE VILLAGE WELL... MEMORIES OF ANOTHER TIME

By Tony Fernandes
tonfe...@hotmail.com

Pen and ink drawing by the author: http://bit.ly/VillageWell

  Like most houses in the olden days, Felicio's house
  had a modest little garden.  His mother planted
  different types of flower plants in it.  She
  fetched water from the nearby well, watered the
  plants, trimmed them and planted new ones once in a
  while.  As a young boy, Felicio had his own little
  patch with a set of plants that he tended to.

Every morning after young Felicio woke up, he would go to the
garden to have a close look at the plants and admire at the
blooms, and also check whether any new blossoms or buds had
developed.

During the rainy season, in one corner of the garden, there
grew a perennial creeper that bore beautiful and tiny
star-shaped red flowers that were one of Felicio's
favourites.  The plant seemed to grow at a rapid pace each
day.  Felicio had a string tied to the under-side of the roof
beams, from one side of the house to the other, running just
under the eaves drop, helping the creeper to get a hold on it.

Felicio was very anxious for the creeper to grow fast and
just couldn't wait for more buds to blossom into flowers.  On
some occasions, and time-permitting, Felicio would help his
mother in transferring the water she fetched from the nearby
well, into a small bucket to irrigate his plants before he
left to go to school which was situated on the distant hill
of Monte de Guirim.

The *vaddo* (ward) of the village, where Felicio lived had
about five communal wells.  Fortunately, his house was
located near one of the wells; the proximity of which made it
easier to carry the water to his house.  These wells provided
the village folks with crystal clear natural water for
drinking, cooking, washing clothes, cooking pots, pans and
utensils, bathing, watering flower plants that grew in their
front and rear gardens, and also the trees around their house
once in a while.

  A few winding narrow paths lead to the wells.  They
  were constructed from contoured laterite stones,
  very deep and of varying diameters.  The water
  table of the wells fell very low during the summer
  months, but in contrast they filled almost to the
  brim during the monsoons.  At such times people did
  not even need a rope to haul the water up.  The
  folks just leaned over the raised ledge of well,
  filled the small pot and hauled it up.

The village boys would earnestly hope for abundant rains to
fill the wells up prior to the days leading to the feast of
St.  John the Baptist, and also wished them to fill just to
the right level so that they could celebrate 'San Joao' by
taking their turns in jumping into the wells with the flower
wreaths placed on their heads and enjoying themselves eating
jack-fruit and mangoes served by the folks who used the
particular wells.

At times before sunrise, Felicio would be awakened by the
noise of copper pots as they were placed on the ledge of the
well near his house.  Some people also used clay pots.  The
rims of the wells had hollows in them to hold the pots
steady.

With a rope fastened to the neck of a smaller copper pot,
folks used it to fill a larger copper pot, maintaining
balance and adopting a certain posture and a firm stance to
haul the water pot up.  Womenfolk carried the pots home with
ease by placing the larger pot on their hips with the crook
of one arm, while at the same time carrying a smaller one
with the other hand.  Men carried water pots in both hands or
in tin buckets.

When Felicio was a young lad, the well near his house did not
have a pulley and it had been a little difficult; but in
later years, drawing water from the well was much easier --
fun, exuberance and pleasure.  This was after two laterite
posts were constructed, with wooden beam across them and a
pulley system installed over the well, through labour and
money contributed by the folks who used water from the well.

  In Goa, the most common and memorable greeting in
  *Konkani: Deu Boro Dis Dhium* (May God give you a
  *good day) were the first words of the morning to
  *one's neighbours, who also came to fetch water...
  *down by the village well.

Some of the good old days have now given way to overhead
tanks and electric water-pumps providing the village folks
with tap water, in addition to the benefit and ease of
sprinkling their gardens with rubber hose pipes.
--

Post your comments to the author Tony Felix (Felicio)
Fernandes tonfe...@hotmail.com and discuss this article via
goa...@goanet.org All comments are welcome. This article was
first published on the author's blog, and then on
Goanet@Facebook. Tony Fernandes has also authored a book on
his memories of Goa.

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha. If
you have an interesting

[Goanet-News] OBITUARY: Jazzy Joe, whose career spanned the growth of Jazz (Victor Hugo Gomes)

[Goanet Reader]

 went wild while the
  rest of the band members could not take the
  attention he was getting.  They took a break and
  stepped down the stage while Jazzy Joe continued
  alone mesmerizing the audience for another thirty
  minutes.

Despite his world tours in Singapore, Colombia, Bahrain,
Lahore and the most memorable was one in New Orleans night
clubs, he was simple and a humble person who enjoyed his
music.  He would say, The more I play jazz the harder I can
blow.

It was a weekend in November 2010.  Jazzy Joe had heard of
the Goa Chitra museum that I had just started and my struggle
to raise funds to keep the museum going.  Joe in his late
80s, felt that a project like Goa Chitra needs encouragement.
Not letting his age come in the way, he made a commitment to
perform live in concert at Goa Chitra despite all hurdles.

Yes, he gave me his final gift and performed at my fund
raising event completely free of cost; he refused to take any
money even for his travel.  He got emotional and announced to
the audience, After all victor has done for us musicians
this is the least I can do for a person who has done so much
for Goan musicians and promoting live music.

  Such was his sensibility. Paying this tribute to my
  dear hero, Jazzy Joe, this is the least I can do
  while biding him good-bye.The finale is always
  depressing when the notes are somber; the tune...
  a sad whisper of good bye especially when the
  opening act was so strong that it still vibrates
  and lingers.

--
Victor Hugo Gomes is an artist and founder of the Goa Chitra
museum in Goa Visit it online at http://www.goachitra.com

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.
Another version of this article was carried earlier in
Gomantak Times.

[Goanet] OBITUARY: Jazzy Joe, whose career spanned the growth of Jazz (Victor Hugo Gomes)

[Goanet Reader]

 went wild while the
  rest of the band members could not take the
  attention he was getting.  They took a break and
  stepped down the stage while Jazzy Joe continued
  alone mesmerizing the audience for another thirty
  minutes.

Despite his world tours in Singapore, Colombia, Bahrain,
Lahore and the most memorable was one in New Orleans night
clubs, he was simple and a humble person who enjoyed his
music.  He would say, The more I play jazz the harder I can
blow.

It was a weekend in November 2010.  Jazzy Joe had heard of
the Goa Chitra museum that I had just started and my struggle
to raise funds to keep the museum going.  Joe in his late
80s, felt that a project like Goa Chitra needs encouragement.
Not letting his age come in the way, he made a commitment to
perform live in concert at Goa Chitra despite all hurdles.

Yes, he gave me his final gift and performed at my fund
raising event completely free of cost; he refused to take any
money even for his travel.  He got emotional and announced to
the audience, After all victor has done for us musicians
this is the least I can do for a person who has done so much
for Goan musicians and promoting live music.

  Such was his sensibility. Paying this tribute to my
  dear hero, Jazzy Joe, this is the least I can do
  while biding him good-bye.The finale is always
  depressing when the notes are somber; the tune...
  a sad whisper of good bye especially when the
  opening act was so strong that it still vibrates
  and lingers.

--
Victor Hugo Gomes is an artist and founder of the Goa Chitra
museum in Goa Visit it online at http://www.goachitra.com

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.
Another version of this article was carried earlier in
Gomantak Times.

[Goanet] DOCUMENT: Unfortunately, our open hearted cosmopolitan character has been misunderstood... (Goa memo to New Delhi)

[Goanet Reader]

This is the memorandum presented by the Parrikar Government
in Goa to New Delhi, as officially released by the Department
of Information  Publicity, Government of Goa:
---

MEMORANDUM ON SPECIAL STATUS FOR GOA PRESENTED TO THE HON’BLE
PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA BY THE ALL PARTY DELEGATION ON 12th
JUNE, 2013.

Goa is the smallest States of the Indian Union with just a
population of about 15 lakhs.  Over a period of time,
unrestricted migration into this tiny State is threatening to
make the Goans a minority in their own State.  We may be
permitted to explain to you in some detail how this has
happened and the consequences thereof.

2. When India became independent in 1947, the Portuguese
ruled enclaves of Goa Daman and Diu and the French ruled
Pondicherry, were the two Indian territories still under the
foreign yoke.  The first Prime Minister of India, Shri
Jawaharlal Nehru, had made it amply clear during the
discussions inside and outside the Indian Parliament that
both Goa as well as Pondicherry are integral parts of India
and no compromises on its freedom and integration with India
will be made.  When certain elements, both within and outside
Goa, demanded its merger with the neigbouring Maharashtra
State (the then Bombay province), none other than Shri Nehru
gave a categorical assurance that the merger or otherwise
with Maharashtra would be as per the wishes of the people of
Goa.  Nehru reiterated on 4th June, 1956 in a public meeting
in Bombay that “when Goa comes into Indian union, we are not
going to merge Goa into some district.  Goa will remain an
independent entity presumably under the Indian government”.
He perhaps meant the Union Territory status.  He had
repeatedly assured this both prior to the liberation as well
as after the liberation.

3. Drawing a parallel with the French possessions in India,
Nehru acknowledged that the history had given Pondicherry and
Goa an identity different from the rest of India.  The Goans
were assured that they shall have freedom to retain its
unique identity in a manner wished by its people.  The unique
and distinct identity of Goa was reaffirmed by the people of
Goa themselves by rejecting the proposal to merge Goa with
Maharashtra by over thirty thousand votes or 54% of the
electorate in a historical opinion poll held on the 16th of
June, 1967.

  4. Goa remained isolated from the rest of the
  country because Portuguese sought to insulate it
  from external influence by limiting educational
  opportunities.  The Portuguese restricted education
  to the school stage and that too predominantly in
  Portuguese language.  This effectively kept the
  Goans in the dark about rest of the country, let
  alone rest of the world.  Inspite of all efforts by
  the Portuguese rulers Goa still retained its Indian
  cultural roots albeit a distinct one.

5. During the Portuguese rule when there was State sponsored
imposition of western culture and life style, on the local
people, a syncretic culture developed which represented the
fusion of east and west.  The dominant Indian culture
influenced the colonial Goa while simultaneously, western
culture influenced the indigenous Goan culture.  The unique
Goan identity is born out of this cultural fusion.  It is
this culture which gave birth to cosmopolitanism unique to
Goa.  The common Civil Code which is put into practice in Goa
without any resistance from any section of the Goan society
is one of the examples of cosmopolitanism.  The way Goans
welcome with open arms the tourists and of late, the retiring
citizens from other parts of India are the results of this
cosmopolitanism.

6. Unfortunately, our open hearted cosmopolitan character has
been misunderstood to such an extent that the unrestricted
immigration and whole scale transfer of land is beginning to
submerge the unique Goan identity.  Though we have been
noticing this in the last decade or so, it has now reached
menacing proportions.  The apprehension is that by 2021 the
migrant population will outnumber the local Goans.  The
threat to Goan identity seems to be real as revealed by the
census data.  The 2001 census data estimates that the Konkani
speakers form only 51% of the total population.  The Konkani
and Marathi speakers put together form 2/3rd of the
population.  In other words, 1/3rd of the population are
immigrants.  This becomes a huge proportion to the total
population given the small size of Goa.

7. The above data confirms that migration is diluting the
ethnic character of Goa.  In the first decade after
liberation, the growth of population was 34.77%.  This trend
of migration contributing to population growth continues even
today.  The latest growth of population for the last decade
is 8.17%.

8. The increase in population of the State from around 5.8
lakhs at the time of liberation to 15 lakhs in 2012 is
primarily 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Excerpt... from *A Matter of Time*

[Goanet Reader]

BOOK EXCERPT: A Matter of Time

Carnival in Benfica
By Brenda Coutinho
brendacouti...@gmail.com

Carnival was always looked forward to by all in Benfica. It
was a common practice adopted by the young and old to wear
masks and roam in the village as rupnnem monne on the days of
carnival.  Paula, Lucia and Mandovi would wear masks and
dress up as rupnnem monne and go door to door selling sweets.
The money they collected would be divided equally.

Paula would keep hers in the earthen piggy box which she
would hide safely up on her mother's wooden cupboard, saving
it for the Benfica fair.

  A week prior to carnival, elders sat at a round
  table on wooden chairs, in the balcão, making hats.
  Chart paper was stuck on small polished rings of
  bamboo with a sticky paste made out of rice flour
  and water.  The hats were later distributed at the
  dance held on the third day of the carnival.  The
  children loved to offer help on such occasions.

The third day of the carnival was always dreaded by all. The
convent school would declare a holiday to avoid any chance of
an untoward incident.  The climax of the carnival was the
third night when big rupnnem monne would venture out at
night.  They would roam in gangs and enter any house found
open and march straight to the kitchen.  They would grab the
inmates and smear indigo on their faces.  Young children
would howl with fright and cling on to the elders while the
bigger children would run and hide inside the house.  Hearing
the commotion, the neighbours would bolt their homes and
switch off their lights.

Paula's mother turned to the children and said, I don't
think you'll should go as rupnnem monne on the third day.
You never know, water balloons may descend on you from any
corner.  Anybody and everybody feels it is their right to
smear indigo on the faces of other people.

Oh, mama! said Paula. Don't worry about us. We'll go and
return early before the big rupnnem monne venture out to
irritate people.

Mother continued, Last year, they found Santa Rita's house
open and marched straight into the kitchen and devoured
whatever food they could lay their hands on.  They pretended
to sweep, but instead scattered more dirt all over the
place.

One such carnival night, Paula's grandmother decided to keep
the rupnnem monne at bay.  On the evening of the third day,
she bolted all the doors and windows.  They put off all the
lights and put the small children to sleep early so that the
rupnnem monne would skip their house thinking everyone was
fast asleep.

* * *

Paula, considered the boldest child in the family, was
sleeping all alone in her bed.  She could have easily gone
and slept in their mother's room, but she decided not to as
she had to keep up her reputation of being the boldest.

She turned and tossed in her bed and when the clock struck
ten in her pitch dark room, she could not take it anymore.
She got up, wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, and
went to her grandmother's room.

Grandmother saw Paula and said with confidence, Don't worry,
there is no chance of them coming tonight.  They'll have to
go back even if they come.

Paula pulled out a mat from behind the cupboard and spread it
on the floor next to her grandmother's bed.  Just then there
was some sound on the tiled roof.

I think they are removing the tiles, said Paula, beginning
to tremble.  Grandmother stifled a laugh and said They'll
break their bones if they try any such stunts from such a
height...  it must be some cat chasing rats or squirrels.

Content with the explanation, Paula fell asleep.

  Five minutes later, there was a loud knock on the
  main door.  Bobby, the dog, started barking
  frantically.  All the elders groped their way in
  the dark and made it to the front door.  Paula woke
  up with a start and ran and hid behind her
  grandmother's huge bed.  Grandmother removed a
  small torch from under her pillow and went to the
  main door.

Who is it? she asked with an air of authority.

There was no sound. The rustling of leaves could be heard
outside.  Then there was pin drop silence and Bobby too
stopped barking.  Everyone in the house waited in anxiety.

  There was another knock, a faint one this time. A
  frightened voice from outside said, Mãe, I was
  returning home from my night shift and I saw the
  rupnnem monne entering the house on the turn.  They
  are at least twenty of them...  laughing and
  shouting and catching hold of anyone they see.  If
  they see me, they'll rag me.  Please let me in
  before they reach this side

Grandmother switched the front room light on and unlatched
the door.  Someone immediately pushed open the door and a big
gang of rupnnem monne entered the house amidst screams and
shouts of retaliation from the inmates.

They marched in like 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Review: The spooks return to Goa (Review, FN)

[Goanet Reader]

The spooks return to Goa

By Frederick Noronha

Sometime in December 2009, I first came across an
introduction to the work of Jessica Faleiro, a lady who
traces her roots to Margao.  She was then a young wanabee
writer.  Just like so many others who feel the urge to enter
the creative world, and believe they have the talent and
determination to get there.

  By 2012, Faleiro has come out with her book
  *Afterlife: Ghost Stories from Goa*, published by
  Rupa, promoted quite a bit and even noticed by the
  reviewers.  It's not every year that the pan-Indian
  reality condescends to take note of a Goa-related
  book.  So, when this happens, there's naturally a
  lot of curiosity over it back home.

In terms of a bare outline, the story is this: the Fonseca
family gathers in Goa before the 75th birthday of Savio
Fonseca.  It's raining heavy, the electricity fails.  (What's
new?) But then they choose to spend their time taking turns
narrating ghost stories to each other.

The ghost story is -- or has been -- something typically
Goan.  Anyone who grew up in the Goa of the 1960s or 1970s,
or earlier, would know how this reality dominated local life
then.  Everyone spoke of ghosts.  You couldn't escape them
(or, rather, stories of them).

  Things were far more scary in those times. Certain
  places were best avoided.  So was moving out
  late-evening.  Today, youth searching for kicks and
  hedonist tourists (together with a section of the
  local middle-classes, of course) have become ghosts
  of their own kind, in a way, haunting the local
  reality with their pleasure-seeking ways at all
  times of the day or night!

If you're skeptical, you could just say that Goa saw more
ghosts in those times because we were are more rustic and
agrarian society.  The dark, lonely and isolated nights let
our imaginations work more hyper-actively.  We had few
distractions.  With even villages being crowded (sometimes
excessively) with street-lights, where's the time and space
to even think of ghosts now?

That's where Jessica Faleiro comes in. Some like the Goan
artist-expat Venantius Pinto have been suggesting a Goan
ghost stories book for some time now.  But it was Ms.
Faleiro who actually got it done.

There are quite some plusses in her work. She writes with
flair, and surely knows how to tell a story.  At Rs 150, the
book is reasonably priced, and its 159 pages of text are a
good read.  The cover is charming indeed.  Besides, the book
has been promoted well, making it visible to all who might be
interested.

  Faleiro's work contains a number of 'ghost' stories
  woven around common, oft-narrated Goan themes.  The
  person who died tragically and gets reincarnated as
  a bird to visit family members.  The
  not-so-bad-after-all miser who guides his family
  towards his fortune.  A young boy possessed by
  the spirit of a man murdered by a relative.  A girl
  led to her suicide in the room where another woman
  had done likewise in another generation.
  Forewarnings by strange individuals we encounter at
  night

As would expect of any typical emigrant-based Goan Catholic
family, the ghost stories from Goa are not restricted to
Goa alone.  You have one based in Bombay (of course!) and
Martha's Vineyard, the affluent summer colony and island
south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Interestingly, Faleiro weaves all these disparate themes into
one common story, very well connected with each other, and
tied up neatly with the skill of someone who has learnt the
art of story-telling.

Not a coincidence. She has been based in London and worked
full-time in development work for an international charity,
and has also done an MA in Creative Writing part-time at
Kingston University, Surrey.  Faleiro has been into editing
non-fiction, contributing to Amazon's book and movie reviews,
and has kept her blog at itsawriterslife.blogspot.in

So does learning the art of creative writing make for better
story-telling?  This was just something being discussed
recently at the Goa Book Club on Googlegroups.

  Faleiro's story is interesting for another reason.
  It represents the returned expat, attempting to
  understand and interpret the story of their
  ancestral society.  One can see a few but growing
  number of such attempts happening in the
  English-language space in recent years -- from
  Victor Rangel-Ribeiro, to Dr Antonio Gomes,
  Margaret Mascarenhas (whose canvas is not
  restricted to Goa), Prof.  Peter Nazareth, and Ben
  Antao, among others.

Does Faleiro succeed?

One must have read the quick-paced text with an extra
critical dose, to find the answer to this question.  Her
adept story-telling skills stand her in good stead, and make
a 

[Goanet] Goanet Review: The spooks return to Goa (Review, FN)

[Goanet Reader]

The spooks return to Goa

By Frederick Noronha

Sometime in December 2009, I first came across an
introduction to the work of Jessica Faleiro, a lady who
traces her roots to Margao.  She was then a young wanabee
writer.  Just like so many others who feel the urge to enter
the creative world, and believe they have the talent and
determination to get there.

  By 2012, Faleiro has come out with her book
  *Afterlife: Ghost Stories from Goa*, published by
  Rupa, promoted quite a bit and even noticed by the
  reviewers.  It's not every year that the pan-Indian
  reality condescends to take note of a Goa-related
  book.  So, when this happens, there's naturally a
  lot of curiosity over it back home.

In terms of a bare outline, the story is this: the Fonseca
family gathers in Goa before the 75th birthday of Savio
Fonseca.  It's raining heavy, the electricity fails.  (What's
new?) But then they choose to spend their time taking turns
narrating ghost stories to each other.

The ghost story is -- or has been -- something typically
Goan.  Anyone who grew up in the Goa of the 1960s or 1970s,
or earlier, would know how this reality dominated local life
then.  Everyone spoke of ghosts.  You couldn't escape them
(or, rather, stories of them).

  Things were far more scary in those times. Certain
  places were best avoided.  So was moving out
  late-evening.  Today, youth searching for kicks and
  hedonist tourists (together with a section of the
  local middle-classes, of course) have become ghosts
  of their own kind, in a way, haunting the local
  reality with their pleasure-seeking ways at all
  times of the day or night!

If you're skeptical, you could just say that Goa saw more
ghosts in those times because we were are more rustic and
agrarian society.  The dark, lonely and isolated nights let
our imaginations work more hyper-actively.  We had few
distractions.  With even villages being crowded (sometimes
excessively) with street-lights, where's the time and space
to even think of ghosts now?

That's where Jessica Faleiro comes in. Some like the Goan
artist-expat Venantius Pinto have been suggesting a Goan
ghost stories book for some time now.  But it was Ms.
Faleiro who actually got it done.

There are quite some plusses in her work. She writes with
flair, and surely knows how to tell a story.  At Rs 150, the
book is reasonably priced, and its 159 pages of text are a
good read.  The cover is charming indeed.  Besides, the book
has been promoted well, making it visible to all who might be
interested.

  Faleiro's work contains a number of 'ghost' stories
  woven around common, oft-narrated Goan themes.  The
  person who died tragically and gets reincarnated as
  a bird to visit family members.  The
  not-so-bad-after-all miser who guides his family
  towards his fortune.  A young boy possessed by
  the spirit of a man murdered by a relative.  A girl
  led to her suicide in the room where another woman
  had done likewise in another generation.
  Forewarnings by strange individuals we encounter at
  night

As would expect of any typical emigrant-based Goan Catholic
family, the ghost stories from Goa are not restricted to
Goa alone.  You have one based in Bombay (of course!) and
Martha's Vineyard, the affluent summer colony and island
south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Interestingly, Faleiro weaves all these disparate themes into
one common story, very well connected with each other, and
tied up neatly with the skill of someone who has learnt the
art of story-telling.

Not a coincidence. She has been based in London and worked
full-time in development work for an international charity,
and has also done an MA in Creative Writing part-time at
Kingston University, Surrey.  Faleiro has been into editing
non-fiction, contributing to Amazon's book and movie reviews,
and has kept her blog at itsawriterslife.blogspot.in

So does learning the art of creative writing make for better
story-telling?  This was just something being discussed
recently at the Goa Book Club on Googlegroups.

  Faleiro's story is interesting for another reason.
  It represents the returned expat, attempting to
  understand and interpret the story of their
  ancestral society.  One can see a few but growing
  number of such attempts happening in the
  English-language space in recent years -- from
  Victor Rangel-Ribeiro, to Dr Antonio Gomes,
  Margaret Mascarenhas (whose canvas is not
  restricted to Goa), Prof.  Peter Nazareth, and Ben
  Antao, among others.

Does Faleiro succeed?

One must have read the quick-paced text with an extra
critical dose, to find the answer to this question.  Her
adept story-telling skills stand her in good stead, and make
a 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Roots -- tracking down long-lost family in Africa and Europe (Braz Menezes)

[Goanet Reader]

-alcobaca.pt

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: With the pastoralists of Kenya's northern desert once more... (Mervyn Maciel)

[Goanet Reader]

 as warriors (a Masai moran
had to kill a lion before he could marry a young girl --
lucky man!)

The Boran (or Borana) who live on Marsabit Mountain can trace
their origins to Southern Ethiopia.  Like the other tribes
I've described here, the Boran are also nomads who regard
their livestock as their prize possession.  To me, the Boran
always appeared outwardly proud; perhaps they felt they
were a cut above the other nomadic tribes?  As livestock is
so important to most nomadic tribes, the only time they
really have to move is when grazing is scarce.

I can fondly remember the Boran Chief (Galgallo Duba) and his
assistant (Jilo Tukena) of Marsabit, as it was to these two
men that we went whenever the cows they had 'hired' out to us
went dry!

  An important ceremony among the Boran is the
  'Gadamoji' -- which is celebrated every eight years
  according to the lunar calendar.  I remember
  attending one of these ceremonies in the company of
  my good friend, Dr.  Paul Baxter (the first English
  anthropologist who arrived in Marsabit in the early
  1950s to study this tribe).  Paul Baxter and I
  still keep in touch.

The small contingent of Burji who live in Marsabit can trace
their origins to Northern Ethiopia.

The Burji who lived around Marsabit during my time were
mainly agriculturalists; today, they can be found in the
capital Nairobi, and elsewhere.  A Burji friend (Elisha
Godana), who was a tax clerk in Marsabit during my time did
so well later and ended up as a Minister in the Kenyatta
government.  I still get news of him through another good
Burji friend of mine, the journalist and author (Woche Guyo).

From this article, which sadly is going to be the last in
this series, you will see how much I got to love the peoples
of the Northern Frontier of Kenya.  Some may be a warlike
tribe, but on the whole, they turned out to be great friends.

--
Mervyn Maciel is author of Bwana Karani
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bwana-Karani-Mervyn-Maciel/dp/0863032613

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.
Send your comments and responses to this article to the
author with a cc to goa...@goanet.org

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: With the pastoralists of Kenya's northern desert once more... (Mervyn Maciel)

[Goanet Reader]

 as warriors (a Masai moran
had to kill a lion before he could marry a young girl --
lucky man!)

The Boran (or Borana) who live on Marsabit Mountain can trace
their origins to Southern Ethiopia.  Like the other tribes
I've described here, the Boran are also nomads who regard
their livestock as their prize possession.  To me, the Boran
always appeared outwardly proud; perhaps they felt they
were a cut above the other nomadic tribes?  As livestock is
so important to most nomadic tribes, the only time they
really have to move is when grazing is scarce.

I can fondly remember the Boran Chief (Galgallo Duba) and his
assistant (Jilo Tukena) of Marsabit, as it was to these two
men that we went whenever the cows they had 'hired' out to us
went dry!

  An important ceremony among the Boran is the
  'Gadamoji' -- which is celebrated every eight years
  according to the lunar calendar.  I remember
  attending one of these ceremonies in the company of
  my good friend, Dr.  Paul Baxter (the first English
  anthropologist who arrived in Marsabit in the early
  1950s to study this tribe).  Paul Baxter and I
  still keep in touch.

The small contingent of Burji who live in Marsabit can trace
their origins to Northern Ethiopia.

The Burji who lived around Marsabit during my time were
mainly agriculturalists; today, they can be found in the
capital Nairobi, and elsewhere.  A Burji friend (Elisha
Godana), who was a tax clerk in Marsabit during my time did
so well later and ended up as a Minister in the Kenyatta
government.  I still get news of him through another good
Burji friend of mine, the journalist and author (Woche Guyo).

From this article, which sadly is going to be the last in
this series, you will see how much I got to love the peoples
of the Northern Frontier of Kenya.  Some may be a warlike
tribe, but on the whole, they turned out to be great friends.

--
Mervyn Maciel is author of Bwana Karani
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bwana-Karani-Mervyn-Maciel/dp/0863032613

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.
Send your comments and responses to this article to the
author with a cc to goa...@goanet.org

[Goanet-News] Konkan Fruit Fest begins today (Friday) in Margao... (Miguel Braganza, BSG)

[Goanet Reader]

Fruit punch: Spiraling costs keep common man away
TNN | May 10, 2013, 02.34 AM IST

Mango Mela today

PANAJI: It is not only the seasonal mango whose prices have
sky-rocketed, but the rising costs of fruits are forcing the
common man to cut them out of his diet.

Goa is heavily dependent on other states for its supply of
fruits, which keeps the prices beyond the control of local
vendors and makes them fickle, fruit dealers said.

  Most fruits come from outside the state and the
  prices are always high when the fruit first
  arrives.  This is true of all fruits and currently
  it is the case of mangoes.  Even in the case of
  pears, litchis, oranges and apples, the prices
  range between 250 and 300, said Javed Narangi, 32,
  a vendor at the Panaji market.

Vendors said that every year there is an increase in demand
for fruits in the summer because of the change in eating
habits which contributes to the hike in fruit prices.

Indian varieties of apples cost anywhere up to 140 per kg,
while the imported varieties are priced between 170 to 160
per kg.  The prices of oranges range from 80 to 120 based on
the varieties.

Litchi currently costs 300 per kilo and a musk melon can be
bought for 60 per piece.  Mango being in season at present,
its prices have come down as the season has progressed from
350 per dozen to 250, Mansur Biste, a Panaji-based vendor,
said.

The prices of fruits have sky-rocketed over the last few
years and are becoming increasingly unaffordable.  I have to
cut down on buying fruits like mangoes and apples to manage
my daily household, said Sajani Rai, a homemaker and
resident of Porvorim, said.

Maria Fernandes of Mapusa said, Though the prices are
increasing, as a homemaker I have to fit all the grocery
shopping in our fixed monthly budget.  This is becoming
tougher everyday. Sanjay Sabnis, 43, an engineer residing at
Bambolim, said that the government needs to keep a check on
prices.  The prices of fruits are just not affordable to the
common people.  The government needs to do something about
it.  The price of pomegranate was 120 only last week and now
it is 130 per kilo, he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Fruit-punch-Spiraling-costs-keep-common-man-away/articleshow/19978911.cms

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Botanical Society of Goa
Panaji-Goa

Konkan Fruit Fest begins TODAY at BPS Club, Margao

Press Release

The judging of fruits entered for competition at the
decennial Konkan Fruit Fest 2013 facilitated by the Botanical
Society of Goa in collaboration with the BPS Club, Margao-Goa
was conducted today by Alphonse Pereira, Principal of Fr.
Agnelo’s Institute of Hotel Management, Verna, Sanjeev
Kadkade , Head of Dept, IHMCT AN-Goa, Porvorim and Miguel
Braganza, Horticultural Consultant.  The event will be opened
to public by Mr.  Arthur da Silva, Chairperson of MMC at 10
A.M.  on Friday 10 May and remain open to public from 10 A.M.
to 7 P.M.  till 12 May, 2013.  There will be live music and
songs in Konkani by the Square Heads [Johnny and Bushka] on
Friday evening.

The prize winners for the Fruit competition are:

* CASHEW
1  2 Anand Pai Raikar, Ponda; 3. Shrihari Kurade, Cuncolim

* MANGO
A. Malcurada 1.Nina Figueiredo, Aldona-Bardez; 2. Rosy D’Sa
B. Nicolau Afonso 1. Mariano Monteiro, Assolna; 2. Shrihari
Kurade, Cuncolim
C. Kesar Spl. Mahamaya Nursery, Sal-Bicholim.
D. Totapuri Spl. Anand Pai Raikar, Ponda

* SOUR SOP

1.Laban D’Souza, Nuvem; 2 Zagoti Nature Farm, Bhirondem-Sattari

* KOKUM

12. Shrihari Kurade, Cucolim; 3. Mahamaya Nursery, Sal-Bicholim

* VELVET APPLE

1. Laban D’Souza, Nuvem; 2. Sergio Carvalho, Mapusa-Bardez

* JAMUN

1. Mahamaya Nursery, Sal-Bicholim; 2. Saptakoteshwar SHG,
Rivona; 3.Shrihari Kurade, Cuncolim

* WOOD APPLE/ BAEL

Spl.  Mrs. Sharad Keni, Cuncolim

* ROSE APPLE

1.Marlen Braganza, Caranzalem-Tiswadi 2. Shital Malkarnekar;
3.Gauri Naik, Maneri-Maharashtra and Estevao Paiva

* JACKFRUIT

1.Narayan Dhanu Sawant; 2. Sulochana Gawas, Sattari; Krishna
Gosavi, Sattari

* PINE APPLE

Govind Gaonkar; 2. Piedade Fernandes, Aldona-Bardez, 3
Prabhakar Kewni, Cuncolim.

A special display has been made of the fruits from Laban
D’Souza of Nuvem-Salcete.

  Mango, Chickoo, Guava,  Cashew,Rose Apple, Sour
  Sop, Lakoocha, Velvet Apple, Rambutan, Melon, and
  small fruits like Jamun, Carvandaas well as large
  fruits like Jack, Pumelo, Citron, etc can be seen
  on display.

While Lorna Fernandes has shouldered the major responsibility
of getting the venue and the permissions [often a frustrating
experience of running in circles between the Municipal
Council, District Collector, District Police Superintendent,
Fire Officer, Traffic Police, lawyer and typists for the
standard badly-worded affidavits], Yogita Mehra and Karan
Manral chipped in with the coordination of the participation,
designing of banners and leaflets and keeping things cool.

[Goanet] Konkan Fruit Fest begins today (Friday) in Margao... (Miguel Braganza, BSG)

[Goanet Reader]

Fruit punch: Spiraling costs keep common man away
TNN | May 10, 2013, 02.34 AM IST

Mango Mela today

PANAJI: It is not only the seasonal mango whose prices have
sky-rocketed, but the rising costs of fruits are forcing the
common man to cut them out of his diet.

Goa is heavily dependent on other states for its supply of
fruits, which keeps the prices beyond the control of local
vendors and makes them fickle, fruit dealers said.

  Most fruits come from outside the state and the
  prices are always high when the fruit first
  arrives.  This is true of all fruits and currently
  it is the case of mangoes.  Even in the case of
  pears, litchis, oranges and apples, the prices
  range between 250 and 300, said Javed Narangi, 32,
  a vendor at the Panaji market.

Vendors said that every year there is an increase in demand
for fruits in the summer because of the change in eating
habits which contributes to the hike in fruit prices.

Indian varieties of apples cost anywhere up to 140 per kg,
while the imported varieties are priced between 170 to 160
per kg.  The prices of oranges range from 80 to 120 based on
the varieties.

Litchi currently costs 300 per kilo and a musk melon can be
bought for 60 per piece.  Mango being in season at present,
its prices have come down as the season has progressed from
350 per dozen to 250, Mansur Biste, a Panaji-based vendor,
said.

The prices of fruits have sky-rocketed over the last few
years and are becoming increasingly unaffordable.  I have to
cut down on buying fruits like mangoes and apples to manage
my daily household, said Sajani Rai, a homemaker and
resident of Porvorim, said.

Maria Fernandes of Mapusa said, Though the prices are
increasing, as a homemaker I have to fit all the grocery
shopping in our fixed monthly budget.  This is becoming
tougher everyday. Sanjay Sabnis, 43, an engineer residing at
Bambolim, said that the government needs to keep a check on
prices.  The prices of fruits are just not affordable to the
common people.  The government needs to do something about
it.  The price of pomegranate was 120 only last week and now
it is 130 per kilo, he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Fruit-punch-Spiraling-costs-keep-common-man-away/articleshow/19978911.cms

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Botanical Society of Goa
Panaji-Goa

Konkan Fruit Fest begins TODAY at BPS Club, Margao

Press Release

The judging of fruits entered for competition at the
decennial Konkan Fruit Fest 2013 facilitated by the Botanical
Society of Goa in collaboration with the BPS Club, Margao-Goa
was conducted today by Alphonse Pereira, Principal of Fr.
Agnelo’s Institute of Hotel Management, Verna, Sanjeev
Kadkade , Head of Dept, IHMCT AN-Goa, Porvorim and Miguel
Braganza, Horticultural Consultant.  The event will be opened
to public by Mr.  Arthur da Silva, Chairperson of MMC at 10
A.M.  on Friday 10 May and remain open to public from 10 A.M.
to 7 P.M.  till 12 May, 2013.  There will be live music and
songs in Konkani by the Square Heads [Johnny and Bushka] on
Friday evening.

The prize winners for the Fruit competition are:

* CASHEW
1  2 Anand Pai Raikar, Ponda; 3. Shrihari Kurade, Cuncolim

* MANGO
A. Malcurada 1.Nina Figueiredo, Aldona-Bardez; 2. Rosy D’Sa
B. Nicolau Afonso 1. Mariano Monteiro, Assolna; 2. Shrihari
Kurade, Cuncolim
C. Kesar Spl. Mahamaya Nursery, Sal-Bicholim.
D. Totapuri Spl. Anand Pai Raikar, Ponda

* SOUR SOP

1.Laban D’Souza, Nuvem; 2 Zagoti Nature Farm, Bhirondem-Sattari

* KOKUM

12. Shrihari Kurade, Cucolim; 3. Mahamaya Nursery, Sal-Bicholim

* VELVET APPLE

1. Laban D’Souza, Nuvem; 2. Sergio Carvalho, Mapusa-Bardez

* JAMUN

1. Mahamaya Nursery, Sal-Bicholim; 2. Saptakoteshwar SHG,
Rivona; 3.Shrihari Kurade, Cuncolim

* WOOD APPLE/ BAEL

Spl.  Mrs. Sharad Keni, Cuncolim

* ROSE APPLE

1.Marlen Braganza, Caranzalem-Tiswadi 2. Shital Malkarnekar;
3.Gauri Naik, Maneri-Maharashtra and Estevao Paiva

* JACKFRUIT

1.Narayan Dhanu Sawant; 2. Sulochana Gawas, Sattari; Krishna
Gosavi, Sattari

* PINE APPLE

Govind Gaonkar; 2. Piedade Fernandes, Aldona-Bardez, 3
Prabhakar Kewni, Cuncolim.

A special display has been made of the fruits from Laban
D’Souza of Nuvem-Salcete.

  Mango, Chickoo, Guava,  Cashew,Rose Apple, Sour
  Sop, Lakoocha, Velvet Apple, Rambutan, Melon, and
  small fruits like Jamun, Carvandaas well as large
  fruits like Jack, Pumelo, Citron, etc can be seen
  on display.

While Lorna Fernandes has shouldered the major responsibility
of getting the venue and the permissions [often a frustrating
experience of running in circles between the Municipal
Council, District Collector, District Police Superintendent,
Fire Officer, Traffic Police, lawyer and typists for the
standard badly-worded affidavits], Yogita Mehra and Karan
Manral chipped in with the coordination of the participation,
designing of banners and leaflets and keeping things cool.

[Goanet-News] TonyCA -- Of Oxford, the village panchayat... and finding heaven

[Goanet Reader]

TonyCA -- Of Oxford, the village panchayat... and finding heaven

Priya Rau
priya...@yahoo.com

The wood cutter came to cut the tree.

We were relaxing with my father on the balcao and I watched
him shake his head in refusal.

‘The tree has done nothing to you,’ he said. ’It was here
before me. I cannot harm it.’

Ten days later my father passed away. The order for the
branches to be felled had come the day before.  Standing in
the clearing I saw a glaring new reality.  Life without
Father.

  He was the giant tree we had all sheltered under.
  The tree of life.  Growing up on its branches the
  four of us girls, joyful; content in the knowledge
  that we were safe under this protective umbrella.
  Safe from the storms and the unpredictable seasons
  that seemed to cloud human existence.  Now, he was
  gone.  Could we live without him?  Ever-wise,
  ever-kind, ever-loving, Pa.

My earliest memory of my father was of hiding behind his
large frame clutching his knees whilst my mother was bearing
down on me -- ready to administer a well-deserved spank.  My
father was preventing her saying, No.  No.  Let it be.  She
won’t do it again. My three sisters have undoubtedly shared
similar experiences.  He was our chief benefactor.

Protecting us right from childhood scrapes and teenage
heartaches to more burdensome adult cares.  The best father
a girl could ever hope to have.

Just his presence made us feel secure. As a child, I
remember waking up one night and after hearing his snores,
falling right back to sleep knowing everything was all right.

As a teenager, I remember sitting in an overheated car
waiting for Pa who was standing in a long queue posting my
grandmother's letters, buying stamps and replenishing her
Horlicks. He did this week after week and never complained,
even once.

  He taught us patience, by waiting everyday in the
  hot sun and the pouring rain to pick us up from
  school.

  He taught us love, by feeding our ailing mother
  daily, despite her recalcitrance.

  He taught us forgiveness, when even the not so
  welcome were given space at out table.

  He taught us kindness, by never giving way to
  harshness, no matter the circumstance.

  He taught us faithfulness, by being there for us
  even after we had all married and left home.

Improvement of village life in Goa was a matter dear to his
heart.  Despite his Oxford education he strived to contribute
to the village panchayat.  Seeing the destruction caused by
modern day living he set up an an environment trust to help
protect the village environs.

Not having a political bone in his body he bravely stood for
elections when he felt that corruption in public life had
reached a nadir.  I remember how he halted the car once,
simply to note down the location of a fused street light in
order to inform the panchayat.  He helped to set up a sports
club and offered scholarships to actively engage village
youth, who would have otherwise slipped into unwholesome
activities.  Pa taught us by example what it was to be a good
parent, a good spouse and a good human being.

  Goa had a special place in his heart and although
  he had lived and worked in Calcutta, Pune, and
  Mumbai, he knew he wanted to return here.  When his
  best man emigrated to Melbourne he wrote to say,
  Tony, come here.  I have found paradise. My
  father's response was, I am glad you have found
  your paradise, as I have found mine.  Now, we are
  both in paradise. When he passed away gently in
  his sleep, his face reflected the serenity and
  peacefulness of a man who had lived life to its
  fullest.  As the Bible says, I have fought the
  good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
  the faith. So, it was with Pa.

How do you say goodbye to someone who has come to mean so
much?  How does one bury one's childhood and all the things
that mattered so much?  Perhaps the answer lies not in
'Adios' but 'Au revoir.' We can carry on because he never
really went away.  His memory will live with us and our
families.  I still feel his presence.  I know that at home,
we all do.  Watching benignly from above, until we are
re-united again.  Ever-wise, ever-kind, ever-loving, Pa.

Messages, comments, feedback to:
priya...@yahoo.com and lalit...@yahoo.com

--
[Benaulim-based Tony Correia-Afonso was one of Goanet's earliest members in
Goa (circa 1995), and Goanet pays tribute to this kind man.]

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet] TonyCA -- Of Oxford, the village panchayat... and finding heaven

[Goanet Reader]

TonyCA -- Of Oxford, the village panchayat... and finding heaven

Priya Rau
priya...@yahoo.com

The wood cutter came to cut the tree.

We were relaxing with my father on the balcao and I watched
him shake his head in refusal.

‘The tree has done nothing to you,’ he said. ’It was here
before me. I cannot harm it.’

Ten days later my father passed away. The order for the
branches to be felled had come the day before.  Standing in
the clearing I saw a glaring new reality.  Life without
Father.

  He was the giant tree we had all sheltered under.
  The tree of life.  Growing up on its branches the
  four of us girls, joyful; content in the knowledge
  that we were safe under this protective umbrella.
  Safe from the storms and the unpredictable seasons
  that seemed to cloud human existence.  Now, he was
  gone.  Could we live without him?  Ever-wise,
  ever-kind, ever-loving, Pa.

My earliest memory of my father was of hiding behind his
large frame clutching his knees whilst my mother was bearing
down on me -- ready to administer a well-deserved spank.  My
father was preventing her saying, No.  No.  Let it be.  She
won’t do it again. My three sisters have undoubtedly shared
similar experiences.  He was our chief benefactor.

Protecting us right from childhood scrapes and teenage
heartaches to more burdensome adult cares.  The best father
a girl could ever hope to have.

Just his presence made us feel secure. As a child, I
remember waking up one night and after hearing his snores,
falling right back to sleep knowing everything was all right.

As a teenager, I remember sitting in an overheated car
waiting for Pa who was standing in a long queue posting my
grandmother's letters, buying stamps and replenishing her
Horlicks. He did this week after week and never complained,
even once.

  He taught us patience, by waiting everyday in the
  hot sun and the pouring rain to pick us up from
  school.

  He taught us love, by feeding our ailing mother
  daily, despite her recalcitrance.

  He taught us forgiveness, when even the not so
  welcome were given space at out table.

  He taught us kindness, by never giving way to
  harshness, no matter the circumstance.

  He taught us faithfulness, by being there for us
  even after we had all married and left home.

Improvement of village life in Goa was a matter dear to his
heart.  Despite his Oxford education he strived to contribute
to the village panchayat.  Seeing the destruction caused by
modern day living he set up an an environment trust to help
protect the village environs.

Not having a political bone in his body he bravely stood for
elections when he felt that corruption in public life had
reached a nadir.  I remember how he halted the car once,
simply to note down the location of a fused street light in
order to inform the panchayat.  He helped to set up a sports
club and offered scholarships to actively engage village
youth, who would have otherwise slipped into unwholesome
activities.  Pa taught us by example what it was to be a good
parent, a good spouse and a good human being.

  Goa had a special place in his heart and although
  he had lived and worked in Calcutta, Pune, and
  Mumbai, he knew he wanted to return here.  When his
  best man emigrated to Melbourne he wrote to say,
  Tony, come here.  I have found paradise. My
  father's response was, I am glad you have found
  your paradise, as I have found mine.  Now, we are
  both in paradise. When he passed away gently in
  his sleep, his face reflected the serenity and
  peacefulness of a man who had lived life to its
  fullest.  As the Bible says, I have fought the
  good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
  the faith. So, it was with Pa.

How do you say goodbye to someone who has come to mean so
much?  How does one bury one's childhood and all the things
that mattered so much?  Perhaps the answer lies not in
'Adios' but 'Au revoir.' We can carry on because he never
really went away.  His memory will live with us and our
families.  I still feel his presence.  I know that at home,
we all do.  Watching benignly from above, until we are
re-united again.  Ever-wise, ever-kind, ever-loving, Pa.

Messages, comments, feedback to:
priya...@yahoo.com and lalit...@yahoo.com

--
[Benaulim-based Tony Correia-Afonso was one of Goanet's earliest members in
Goa (circa 1995), and Goanet pays tribute to this kind man.]

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: How Much Gold Does a Goan Need? (Fatima M Noronha)

[Goanet Reader]

BOOK EXTRACT

How Much Gold Does a Goan Need?

By FATIMA M NORONHA
fatimamnoro...@gmail.com

  THE GUN, if that is what it was, was held to my
  third thoracic vertebra.  I did not have the
  curiosity to look round into the gunman's face.  He
  may have noticed my heirloom earrings swinging
  rhythmically as I walked briskly ahead of him, but
  he made no attempt to snatch them.  His attention
  was elsewhere.

That is how you may yet see me, on very special occasions,
sporting my grandmother Luisa's filigree earrings.
Exquisitely worked gold chrysanthemum petals surround a tiny
sapphire in the open flower which dangles an inch below the
delicate bud on the lobe.

Nowadays even my middle class friends and relations go in for
diamonds and platinum and bank lockers, but a few decades ago
we all believed in gold: gold with pearls, gold with cameos,
gold with corals, gold with the ubiquitous green stone, gold
toned down with silver and revved up with marcasite chips.

Goans have always been particular about their jewellery.
Workmanship counts for much more than the material.  It is
not as elsewhere in India, The dowry was three kilograms of
gold. Thanks to the brilliant Marquis of Pombal, women in
Goa inherit a share of family land, so gold is almost only
decorative.

In those days I was so fond of the metal that I carried my
entire hoard of it on my only visit to my brother in
California.  Two delicate bracelets, the harp-shaped studs my
musical Aunty Ninette gave me, my parents' gift of thick
gypsy rings, Avòzinha's sapphire-punctuated danglers, all
accompanied me around the Wild West.

Twenty-two carat, wow! raved our American friends. Here
it's all fourteen carat. Many of the women wanted to know
more about my gypsy earrings with the embossed money plant
round the edges.  They asked about the traditions that
produced such ornaments.  They wanted to know how much such
jewellery cost.  How would I know?  Gold was always a gift,
its price unknown.  Like a jet black dress, it was always
classy, regardless of price.

On weekends my brother drove me around the magical
countryside or to a musical performance in San Francisco.
During the week our lifestyle was austere. Since Des worked
late at the lab, I used the Santa Clara County transit system
and got to know Palo Alto and Stanford on my own. I admired
the efficiency of the bus drivers who could count the fare as
each passenger dropped coins into the transparent box, and
hand out a ticket and a greeting without missing a beat.

It was cold and sometimes scary walking home from the bus
stop those winter evenings. My way led down a bright street
lined with pretty houses and gardens, then over a humped
bridge across a creek and suddenly along a darkened lane.
Struggling students and petty criminals could afford the
rents in those apartment blocks on our side of the creek.

One evening it was so cold I wrapped my black cashmere shawl
round my head and shoulders. A car followed me over the dark
humped bridge. The brakes screeched.

Ma'am! Ma'am! yelled a panicky voice. With that black
thing over your head you can't be seen!  I almost hit you!

To think that I had carefully dressed all in black,
considering it fashionable!

  Even so, that Saturday, when we went to the guitar
  concert, I wore my black ensemble again, including
  the new square-toed shoes -- like a prison
  warden's, a friend told me later.  From the
  typewriter ribbon box which served for coffer, I
  took out the filigree earrings, although gypsy
  rings might have gone better with acoustic guitars.
  Our friend Annie wore a Dracula cape.  Des wore the
  one jacket he owned.  Our dandy cousin Ian was with
  us for the weekend and his red scarf was the only
  colourful touch to our foursome.  Off we drove to
  San Francisco to see and hear Al di Meola, John
  McLaughlin and the newcomer Paco de Lucia who
  turned out to be the most impressive of the three.

It was so chill and gusty when we came out of The Warfield
Theatre that we ran along the three streets that separated us
from the little silver Fiesta in the parking lot.  Des was
taken aback to find a window open.  He quickly searched the
car for ominous signs but, reassured that the music system
and glove compartment were intact, he said, Thieves don't
come in through an open window but through a double-locked door.

Immediately all of us had thieves on our minds. That very
afternoon the postman had seen a tall dark man in blue jeans
-- I said howareyadoin' to someone of that description I met
yesterday on our staircase, said Des, climbing out of the
apartment manager's ground floor window.

  Being Indian, I never could understand the logic of
  American windows: even when closed they are all
  glass, not a single grille or bar to deter thieves.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: My Dad Eustace (Tribute, Lalitha D'Souza)

[Goanet Reader]

 Anne's Bandra spoke
in glowing terms about his exemplary efforts to hear Mass
even until the weeks before he passed away when he was barely
able to walk.

His love and dedication to the Army and his beloved Maratha
Regiment is legendary in our family.  My mother always
accepted that his first love was the Marathas.  She never
fought this and supported his love for them in her own
imitable way, cooking fabulous dishes and feeding everyone
who came through the door.

He remained in close contact with the officers and men who
were his age, and even those who joined after he retired.  At
his funeral a young army officer described how he was
inspired by my father's passion for the regiment.  The eighty
something year old General D'Souza stood addressing his old
1st Battalion the Maratha Light Infantry introducing this
same young man as his 'gift' to his 1st battalion.  I don't
know who was more touched, the young man or his new family!
He was Colonel of the Maratha Light Infantry, their
godfather, for many years and -- I do know -- gave up that
post reluctantly some years after retirement.

  Listening to the Army citation read out at his
  memorial service I had to sit up to hear of some of
  his travels and achievements for the first time.
  He was commissioned as an officer in the Army at
  the age of 22 years and soon after was sent off to
  fight in World War II -- Italy, Egypt, North
  Africa.  He also saw active service in Japan.

On his return to India he rose quickly in the Army, going
from one key post to another, he fought in in two wars at
India's borders with Pakistan and with China.  This bright
and intelligent officer rose to the rank of Major General and
commanded an Infantry Division up in Kashmir.  He ended his
army career in 1975 as GOC Delhi area.  He was awarded the
PVSM by the President of India.

I can remember him proudly leading the famous Republic Day
Parade from an open jeep way back in the 1970s riding towards
India Gate.  The only time in my life I ever saw him weep was
on his very last day in service, after a long procession from
Delhi Area offices to Flag Staff House.  Anyhow, my father
never really left the army; he remained there in spirit right
to the end even as the bugler played the Last Post as his
coffin was lowered into the family grave.

After retirement when I thought my parents would start
winding down, they got a new lease of life.  He became even
more active.  He wrote and published books on military
history, and got passionately involved in a multitude of
causes -- the environment, the neighbourhood, hockey, peace
in Bombay, indeed peace across the world.

In a very quiet way he was kind and unreservedly generous
with those people who cared for him towards his end.
Phyllis, our lovely Goan cook did more for him in his last
days than all of his family could do -- cooking, serving and
more than that listening to him on those lonely days towards
his end.

A close family friend wrote a touching letter to us ending
with 'He had the same care and respect for the Pope or the
peon.  That is always the mark of a truly great man.'

###

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: My Dad Eustace (Tribute, Lalitha D'Souza)

[Goanet Reader]

 Anne's Bandra spoke
in glowing terms about his exemplary efforts to hear Mass
even until the weeks before he passed away when he was barely
able to walk.

His love and dedication to the Army and his beloved Maratha
Regiment is legendary in our family.  My mother always
accepted that his first love was the Marathas.  She never
fought this and supported his love for them in her own
imitable way, cooking fabulous dishes and feeding everyone
who came through the door.

He remained in close contact with the officers and men who
were his age, and even those who joined after he retired.  At
his funeral a young army officer described how he was
inspired by my father's passion for the regiment.  The eighty
something year old General D'Souza stood addressing his old
1st Battalion the Maratha Light Infantry introducing this
same young man as his 'gift' to his 1st battalion.  I don't
know who was more touched, the young man or his new family!
He was Colonel of the Maratha Light Infantry, their
godfather, for many years and -- I do know -- gave up that
post reluctantly some years after retirement.

  Listening to the Army citation read out at his
  memorial service I had to sit up to hear of some of
  his travels and achievements for the first time.
  He was commissioned as an officer in the Army at
  the age of 22 years and soon after was sent off to
  fight in World War II -- Italy, Egypt, North
  Africa.  He also saw active service in Japan.

On his return to India he rose quickly in the Army, going
from one key post to another, he fought in in two wars at
India's borders with Pakistan and with China.  This bright
and intelligent officer rose to the rank of Major General and
commanded an Infantry Division up in Kashmir.  He ended his
army career in 1975 as GOC Delhi area.  He was awarded the
PVSM by the President of India.

I can remember him proudly leading the famous Republic Day
Parade from an open jeep way back in the 1970s riding towards
India Gate.  The only time in my life I ever saw him weep was
on his very last day in service, after a long procession from
Delhi Area offices to Flag Staff House.  Anyhow, my father
never really left the army; he remained there in spirit right
to the end even as the bugler played the Last Post as his
coffin was lowered into the family grave.

After retirement when I thought my parents would start
winding down, they got a new lease of life.  He became even
more active.  He wrote and published books on military
history, and got passionately involved in a multitude of
causes -- the environment, the neighbourhood, hockey, peace
in Bombay, indeed peace across the world.

In a very quiet way he was kind and unreservedly generous
with those people who cared for him towards his end.
Phyllis, our lovely Goan cook did more for him in his last
days than all of his family could do -- cooking, serving and
more than that listening to him on those lonely days towards
his end.

A close family friend wrote a touching letter to us ending
with 'He had the same care and respect for the Pope or the
peon.  That is always the mark of a truly great man.'

###

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet-News] TODAY-450th YEARS LATER: Remembering Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India (Miguel Braganza)

[Goanet Reader]

Miguel Braganza
miguelbraga...@yahoo.co.in

The Goa University's Departments of Portuguese and Botany
bring to you an interesting session on Garcia da Orta's book
with a long title that begins thus: Coloquios de simples e
drogas  at the Central Library Hall, 1st floor,
Sanskruti Bhavan, Patto, Panaji, opposite Dempo Tower and
behind Ginger hotel today, April 10, 2013 at 6 om.

If the name sounds familiar to most Goans, it is thanks to
the naming of the Municipal Garden near the Panaji Church
after this medical practitioner and botanist who documented
our plants and wrote it in Latin but published it in a simple
language of that era for all to be able to read, understand
...  and benefit from what he had to write.

Dr. M.K.Janarthanam has the knack for making Botany simple
...and kindled my interest in that subject two decades ago
in 1992 during our colloquios in the Goa University
canteen, then located in the parking lot of the VC's
office.  I am NOT a Goa University student or faculty.  I was
its official gardener then and Dr.  M.K. Janarthanam was a
brand new Lecturer, just weaned away from the Botanical
Survey of India.

Use the links below for more information.

Mog asundi
Miguel


Garcia de Orta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcia_de_Orta
Garcia de Orta (1501 or 1502–1568) was a Portuguese
Renaissance Sephardi Jewish physician and naturalist.  He
was a pioneer of tropical medicine.  Life - His Work -
Notes - References

Garcia da Orta (English Version)
http://www.vidaslusofonas.pt/garcia_da_horta2.htm
WHEN IT ALL HAPPENED... 1499?: Garcia da Orta is born in
Castelo de Vide, Portugal, the son of Fernando (Isaac) da
Orta and Leonor Gomes.  – 1523: He ...

GARCIA DA ORTA
http://antiquecannabisbook.com/chap2B/India/Garcia-Orta.htm

GARCIA DA ORTA - Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India.
Garcia da Orta in Goa: pioneering tropical medicine. | BMJ
http://www.bmj.com/content/303/6817/1593
by IA D'Cruz - 1991 - Cited by 2 - Related articles

Garcia da Orta in Goa: pioneering tropical medicine. BMJ 1991; 303 doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.303.6817.1593 (Published 21
December 1991).  Cite this ...

Escola Secundária Garcia de Orta
http://www.es-garciadeorta.pt/ - Translate this page No
âmbito do processo de autoavaliação de escola, irá
decorrer, entre os dias 10 e 19de abril, um questionário
sobre práticas pedagógicas para o qual se ...

Garcia da Orta | Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Garcia-da-Orta/106079766099536
Garcia da Orta. 167 likes · 0 talking about this. ...
Garcia da Orta.  Like · Create a Page · Privacy · Terms.
Garcia da Orta.  School.  Porto, Portugal · 167 people
like ...

Municipal Garden (Garcia-Da-Orta) - Panaji
http://wikimapia.org › India › Goa
Municipal Garden Garcia-Da-Orta. Nearby cities: Altinho
district of Panjim city, Goa, Panaji, Vasco da Gama
Coordinates: 15°29'58N 73°49'41E ...

Garcia da Orta e o seu temp : Ficalho, Francisco Manuel
de Melo ...  http://archive.org › Ebook and Texts Archive
Brandeis University Libraries Purchased from O Mundo do
Livro, Lisbon, 9/20/56.
http://archive.org/details/garciadaortaeose00fica

[Goanet] TODAY-450th YEARS LATER: Remembering Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India (Miguel Braganza)

[Goanet Reader]

Miguel Braganza
miguelbraga...@yahoo.co.in

The Goa University's Departments of Portuguese and Botany
bring to you an interesting session on Garcia da Orta's book
with a long title that begins thus: Coloquios de simples e
drogas  at the Central Library Hall, 1st floor,
Sanskruti Bhavan, Patto, Panaji, opposite Dempo Tower and
behind Ginger hotel today, April 10, 2013 at 6 om.

If the name sounds familiar to most Goans, it is thanks to
the naming of the Municipal Garden near the Panaji Church
after this medical practitioner and botanist who documented
our plants and wrote it in Latin but published it in a simple
language of that era for all to be able to read, understand
...  and benefit from what he had to write.

Dr. M.K.Janarthanam has the knack for making Botany simple
...and kindled my interest in that subject two decades ago
in 1992 during our colloquios in the Goa University
canteen, then located in the parking lot of the VC's
office.  I am NOT a Goa University student or faculty.  I was
its official gardener then and Dr.  M.K. Janarthanam was a
brand new Lecturer, just weaned away from the Botanical
Survey of India.

Use the links below for more information.

Mog asundi
Miguel


Garcia de Orta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garcia_de_Orta
Garcia de Orta (1501 or 1502–1568) was a Portuguese
Renaissance Sephardi Jewish physician and naturalist.  He
was a pioneer of tropical medicine.  Life - His Work -
Notes - References

Garcia da Orta (English Version)
http://www.vidaslusofonas.pt/garcia_da_horta2.htm
WHEN IT ALL HAPPENED... 1499?: Garcia da Orta is born in
Castelo de Vide, Portugal, the son of Fernando (Isaac) da
Orta and Leonor Gomes.  – 1523: He ...

GARCIA DA ORTA
http://antiquecannabisbook.com/chap2B/India/Garcia-Orta.htm

GARCIA DA ORTA - Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India.
Garcia da Orta in Goa: pioneering tropical medicine. | BMJ
http://www.bmj.com/content/303/6817/1593
by IA D'Cruz - 1991 - Cited by 2 - Related articles

Garcia da Orta in Goa: pioneering tropical medicine. BMJ 1991; 303 doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.303.6817.1593 (Published 21
December 1991).  Cite this ...

Escola Secundária Garcia de Orta
http://www.es-garciadeorta.pt/ - Translate this page No
âmbito do processo de autoavaliação de escola, irá
decorrer, entre os dias 10 e 19de abril, um questionário
sobre práticas pedagógicas para o qual se ...

Garcia da Orta | Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Garcia-da-Orta/106079766099536
Garcia da Orta. 167 likes · 0 talking about this. ...
Garcia da Orta.  Like · Create a Page · Privacy · Terms.
Garcia da Orta.  School.  Porto, Portugal · 167 people
like ...

Municipal Garden (Garcia-Da-Orta) - Panaji
http://wikimapia.org › India › Goa
Municipal Garden Garcia-Da-Orta. Nearby cities: Altinho
district of Panjim city, Goa, Panaji, Vasco da Gama
Coordinates: 15°29'58N 73°49'41E ...

Garcia da Orta e o seu temp : Ficalho, Francisco Manuel
de Melo ...  http://archive.org › Ebook and Texts Archive
Brandeis University Libraries Purchased from O Mundo do
Livro, Lisbon, 9/20/56.
http://archive.org/details/garciadaortaeose00fica

[Goanet-News] REVIEW: Goa, The Army, and migration.... (FN in Gomantak Times)

[Goanet Reader]

Goa, The Army, and migration

--
Bash on Regardless
Lt. Gen. WAG Pinto, PVSM (Retd)
Pune, March 2011.
Rs 300. Pp 146. March 2011.
--

Review by Frederick Noronha
f...@goa-india.org

This book comes from a prominent retired Army-man, one of our Army's
foremost battlefield commanders, and a soldier with his roots in Goa.  It
was for the last reason that I chose to borrow it from the Central Library
shelves for new arrivals.

We're told on the back cover: Lieutenant General W.A.G.  Pinto's
experiences as a wartime divisional commander during the 1971 Indo-Pak war
form the pivot of these memoirs Pune-based Pinto served the Indian
Army during the not-so-peaceful times of 1943 to 1982, and retired as the
General Officer Commanding in Chief, Central Command.

As one could expect, the story is often told in military (or militaristic)
terms: thrust into Pakistani territory...  the epic Battle of Basantar...
 decimated the opposition...  knocked out one infantry and one armoured
brigade... (p.  vii)

If you're wondering where the title of the book comes from, we're told that
early on, in the foreword itself.  Apparently, Indian soldiers entering
captured Pakistani territory were faced by eye-catching signboards.
 One said: You are entering Pakistan.  No passports required.  Bash on
Regardless. Another read: Pak Mines Only.  Bash On Regardless.

At the start of the book, Pinto talks about his Goan connect.  His father
was from the Gustavo Pinto branch of the Pintos of Santa Cruz, Goa.  Like
all Goan migration stories, Walter Anthony Gustavo's sister was born in
Pakistan, he had another brother (Major General Sydney Alexander) in the
Army, and the loss of property back home forms a crucial part of the
narrative.

He writes: In the distant past, one of my early ancestors was a Hindu of
the Nayak caste or class.  All the property from Campal, Santa Inez, Mira
Mir, Gaspar Dias, Caranzalem, Donna Paula, Vanganim, Taleigaon, Santa Cruz,
Bambolim was all his, a mighty fortune and also a misfortune.  What
happened to it all and how did it happen?

Pinto says says a receipt for Rs 20 shows his father sold his share of the
Vanganim property to his brother.  The starred Hotel Cidade-de-Goa on the
high ground overlooking the beautiful lagoon is now located on the
property, he writes.

It is tougher to believe that the land on which the old Goa Medical
College stands today was donated by one of my grand or great-grand
parents.  (Didn't the government simply acquire land of the politically
un-influential for such purposes?) Unusual too is the story his father's
lease of his share of the property called Mira Mar, where the estuary of
the Mandovi River meets the Arabian Sea, to a Portuguese gentleman, who
put up a hotel called Hotel Mira Mar.

Turns out that the place later turned out to be notorious as a house of
ill repute.  When Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, who spent his honeymoon
there in Portuguese times, was at parties at which either of the Pinto
brothers were present he always said that he was proud of his army; he had
two Generals, both brothers, who were running a brothel in Goa!  (p.  2)

Pinto complains about the loss of family property to legalised
land-grabbing, specially in the form of the law of adverse possession.

In his story, many Goans names crop up. He studied at Bangalore, Pune and
Jabalpur, before the family settled at Pune, the pensioner's paradise in
his parents' time in the 1950s.  Summer meant holidays in Goa, the
ancestral home at Santa Cruz, and short excursions to Calangute and
Caranzalem beaches, Old Goa and Chandor.

But Pinto's story is primarily about the Army, of course. He takes us from
joining the World War II-time training at Lahore, then in pre-Partitioned
India.  Those were times of the British Cadet Wing and Indian Infantry
Divisions.  War meant a compressed syllabus, and then chapters on fighting
on the British side in Burma, Siam (today's Thailand), and even an
occasional love story en route.

India and Partition is next. But not before a Carnival-time visit to Goa,
where he says at his aunt's insistence he requested the Governor
General's wife for a dance (p.21)!

Depending on what one's interest is, you might rush through certain
sections, or read others more closely.

In the line of duty, Pinto had lunch with Governor General C.
 Rajagopalachari (treated as a member of his personal staff), and visited
Chandigarh when it was still an open and scrubby area and had a large
camping ground.  Pinto's contemporaries, we are told, called Gen.
 Cariappa Currypapa!

Pinto goes through the Indian Army slots, then in the process of being
handed over from the Brits or being set up in Independent India, not
without its colonial legacy -- Shillong, the Wellington Staff College, the
Regimental Centre in the erstwhile small princely state of Kota, Rajasthan,
Jammu  Kashmir, Sikkim, the Cabinet Secretariat, the 66 Mountain Brigade,
among others.

But the heart of the story is Gen. Pinto's 

[Goanet] REVIEW: Goa, The Army, and migration.... (FN in Gomantak Times)

[Goanet Reader]

Goa, The Army, and migration

--
Bash on Regardless
Lt. Gen. WAG Pinto, PVSM (Retd)
Pune, March 2011.
Rs 300. Pp 146. March 2011.
--

Review by Frederick Noronha
f...@goa-india.org

This book comes from a prominent retired Army-man, one of our Army's
foremost battlefield commanders, and a soldier with his roots in Goa.  It
was for the last reason that I chose to borrow it from the Central Library
shelves for new arrivals.

We're told on the back cover: Lieutenant General W.A.G.  Pinto's
experiences as a wartime divisional commander during the 1971 Indo-Pak war
form the pivot of these memoirs Pune-based Pinto served the Indian
Army during the not-so-peaceful times of 1943 to 1982, and retired as the
General Officer Commanding in Chief, Central Command.

As one could expect, the story is often told in military (or militaristic)
terms: thrust into Pakistani territory...  the epic Battle of Basantar...
 decimated the opposition...  knocked out one infantry and one armoured
brigade... (p.  vii)

If you're wondering where the title of the book comes from, we're told that
early on, in the foreword itself.  Apparently, Indian soldiers entering
captured Pakistani territory were faced by eye-catching signboards.
 One said: You are entering Pakistan.  No passports required.  Bash on
Regardless. Another read: Pak Mines Only.  Bash On Regardless.

At the start of the book, Pinto talks about his Goan connect.  His father
was from the Gustavo Pinto branch of the Pintos of Santa Cruz, Goa.  Like
all Goan migration stories, Walter Anthony Gustavo's sister was born in
Pakistan, he had another brother (Major General Sydney Alexander) in the
Army, and the loss of property back home forms a crucial part of the
narrative.

He writes: In the distant past, one of my early ancestors was a Hindu of
the Nayak caste or class.  All the property from Campal, Santa Inez, Mira
Mir, Gaspar Dias, Caranzalem, Donna Paula, Vanganim, Taleigaon, Santa Cruz,
Bambolim was all his, a mighty fortune and also a misfortune.  What
happened to it all and how did it happen?

Pinto says says a receipt for Rs 20 shows his father sold his share of the
Vanganim property to his brother.  The starred Hotel Cidade-de-Goa on the
high ground overlooking the beautiful lagoon is now located on the
property, he writes.

It is tougher to believe that the land on which the old Goa Medical
College stands today was donated by one of my grand or great-grand
parents.  (Didn't the government simply acquire land of the politically
un-influential for such purposes?) Unusual too is the story his father's
lease of his share of the property called Mira Mar, where the estuary of
the Mandovi River meets the Arabian Sea, to a Portuguese gentleman, who
put up a hotel called Hotel Mira Mar.

Turns out that the place later turned out to be notorious as a house of
ill repute.  When Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, who spent his honeymoon
there in Portuguese times, was at parties at which either of the Pinto
brothers were present he always said that he was proud of his army; he had
two Generals, both brothers, who were running a brothel in Goa!  (p.  2)

Pinto complains about the loss of family property to legalised
land-grabbing, specially in the form of the law of adverse possession.

In his story, many Goans names crop up. He studied at Bangalore, Pune and
Jabalpur, before the family settled at Pune, the pensioner's paradise in
his parents' time in the 1950s.  Summer meant holidays in Goa, the
ancestral home at Santa Cruz, and short excursions to Calangute and
Caranzalem beaches, Old Goa and Chandor.

But Pinto's story is primarily about the Army, of course. He takes us from
joining the World War II-time training at Lahore, then in pre-Partitioned
India.  Those were times of the British Cadet Wing and Indian Infantry
Divisions.  War meant a compressed syllabus, and then chapters on fighting
on the British side in Burma, Siam (today's Thailand), and even an
occasional love story en route.

India and Partition is next. But not before a Carnival-time visit to Goa,
where he says at his aunt's insistence he requested the Governor
General's wife for a dance (p.21)!

Depending on what one's interest is, you might rush through certain
sections, or read others more closely.

In the line of duty, Pinto had lunch with Governor General C.
 Rajagopalachari (treated as a member of his personal staff), and visited
Chandigarh when it was still an open and scrubby area and had a large
camping ground.  Pinto's contemporaries, we are told, called Gen.
 Cariappa Currypapa!

Pinto goes through the Indian Army slots, then in the process of being
handed over from the Brits or being set up in Independent India, not
without its colonial legacy -- Shillong, the Wellington Staff College, the
Regimental Centre in the erstwhile small princely state of Kota, Rajasthan,
Jammu  Kashmir, Sikkim, the Cabinet Secretariat, the 66 Mountain Brigade,
among others.

But the heart of the story is Gen. Pinto's 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: The Pope of Surprises (Fr. J. Loiola Pereira)

[Goanet Reader]

The Pope of Surprises

Fr. J. Loiola Pereira
loiol...@gmail.com

Pope Francis has surprised us all... and this is only the
beginning!

The first non-European, the first Jesuit, the first to choose
the name of Francis

And here's another list of firsts (or suprises), which I
compiled, as they came hitting me, from the moment I saw him
on the famous loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.

  For all I know, he was the first Pope to turn his
  maiden speech into a warm heart-to-heart chat,
  beginning with a simple good evening and ending
  with good night, sleep well. There was an
  instant, electric connect between the man and the
  millions who were watching him, both from the
  square and from all over the globe.  We are at the
  dawn of the Pope Francis wave!

Before imparting his first blessing to the people, he asked
them to bless him, in a way, and to pray to God for him.
The prayer of the people for their bishop, he said.  And he
bowed profoundly.  One could hear a pin drop in the square.
I wonder if any other Pope in history did that!

  The Cardinal harbinger had announced, Habemus Papam
  -- We have a Pope! But the Pope, who followed him
  on the balcony, did not utter that word even once.
  He referred to himself as the Bishop (of Rome).
  He even spoke of Benedict XVI as the Bishop
  Emeritus. Contrast this with the sentences we have
  often heard our Popes use in recent times: The
  pope loves you! The pope shares in your pain! It
  looks like Francis is trying to make a very
  significant statement, which will make us look at
  papacy with new eyes.

We all read about his antecedents: how he gave up his
archbishop's palace and his limousine and lived in a small
apartment, cooking his own meals and taking public transport
and visiting crime-ridden slums often -- he, the
Cardinal-Archbishop of the largest city in South America!

We saw how he refused to sit on the cathedra on that first
day, in order to receive the obeisance of the cardinals,
which, according to time-worn tradition, they are supposed to
pay kneeling before the Pope.  Instead, he chose to stand by
the side of the throne and embraced each cardinal warmly.

We also came to know that, on the next day of his election,
the Pope 'sneaked out' of the Vatican, not in the papal
limousine, but in a Vatican gendarmerie vehicle, to go to
pray to the Madonna in the Basilica dedicated to Her (the
Santa Maria Maggiore), and that, on his way back, he went
personally to pick up his bags from the Priests' Residence
where he was lodging before he entered the Conclave.  And how
he insisted on paying the bill!

On his first Sunday as Pope, he celebrated Mass in the Parish
Church of the Vatican.  For the first time I saw a pope leave
his seat and walk briskly to the lectern, to deliver an
impromptu homily, which lasted...  five minutes!  (Usually
popes -- and, sometimes, bishops -- sit and preach, to
symbolize their teaching authority).

  Simple language, profound teaching and great
  eye-contact!  He brought to my mind Pope John Paul
  I, the pope who, in his very brief ministry in the
  year 1978, had conquered the world with his flashy
  smile and strikingly down-to-earth teachings.

Later that day, at his first Angelus address from the papal
window, Pope Francis was cheered lustily by his three hundred
thousand listeners down below when he ended with buon
pranzo, the greeting one hears ten times a day in Italy --
Have a good lunch!

He seems to have effectively departed from the age-long
tradition of the pontiff preaching from the chair.  Both
during the very official Mass of the inauguration of his
Ministry, on March 18, and during the solemn Palm Sunday
liturgy, he chose to stand and preach.  Like any other
priest.  And that is another very significant statement!

A little known fact is that, on the inauguration day, a
wide-eyed garbage scavenger from Buenos Aires, Sergio
Sanchez, stood with the Pope as he addressed the VIPs.  In
the words of Sanchez, We walked behind him and entered a
large hall; there were the presidents, the kings, but we were
there...  like his family. Sanchez was among the few
Argentinian hoi polloi, personally known to the Pope, who had
been invited to the occasion.  Three days later, Sanchez was
back in Buenos Aires, sifting through the city's garbage.

In the year he was created cardinal (2001), Bergoglio is
known to have celebrated his Holy Thursday Mass in a hospice
and washed and kissed the feet of AIDS patients who had been
abandoned by their families. In 2008 he did the same to drug
addicts at a rehabilitation centre in Buenos Aires.  Coming
to the Vatican hasn't changed him.  Today he becomes the
first Pope to celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass, not in St.
Peter's Square, but at a juvenile detention centre in Rome.
The Pope is 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Conversions and convulsions -- 21st century thoughts (Radharao Gracias)

[Goanet Reader]

CONVERSIONS AND CONVULSIONS: 21ST CENTURY THOUGHTS

Adv. Radharao F.Gracias
graciasradha...@gmail.com

The Portuguese conquered Goa beginning from 1510. The first
decree that Afonso de Albuquerque passed after the conquest
was to ban Sati, the practice of cremating widows, on the
funeral pyres of their husbands.  However the Portuguese felt
that Sati was barbaric and banned it.  It was for the first
time a conqueror had dared interfere with local
religious/cultural practice.

The Muslims, who had conquered large parts of the country
over the preceding seven hundred years had either converted
the people to Islam or permitted them to continue with their
practices on payment of jizya (the poll tax that early
Islamic rulers demanded from their non-Muslim subjects).

The Portuguese came to India as traders of goods --  material
(spices) and spiritual (souls) -- and wherever there was
local reluctance to trade, force was used to procure the
goods.  Those were the days my friend, which the Portuguese
thought would never end!

The Portuguese had not encountered religions other than Islam
before venturing into India. The local people did not have
any religion in the European sense of the term. The response
of the people to the question on their religion was that they
were either Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishas, Shudras or any of
their sub-castes.

All these people did not cumulatively identify themselves as
followers of a common religion.  The Portuguese could not
comprehend the religious practice which came to be called
'Konkanne' after the locale.  Thus, there were no 'Hindus'
when the Portuguese conquered Goa.  The name 'Hindu' itself
was similarly coined by foreigners, to identify the religious
practices of Indians.

  The Portuguese genuinely believed that the local
  people needed to be saved and, for them, the only
  way to do so, was to Christianise them and they
  spared no efforts, in this direction.  The
  Portuguese certainly did not mean to harm the local
  people, but invested manpower and money in trying
  to make them mirror images of themselves.  If the
  Portuguese were not to concentrate on conversions,
  they would have been a stronger trading and
  military power, than either the British, French and
  Dutch, who did not waste energies on spiritual
  activities.

The question before us is not whether the Portuguese did use
force for conversions, but was force needed at all?

The record of conversions in Salcete is pretty clear.  The
first person to embrace Christianity was the escrivao of the
Comunidade of Cortalim who was a Brahmin.  Upon conversion he
was christened as Pedro Mascarenhas.  His descendants
continue to live at Raia and one of them was married to a
former Union Minister.  Soon Gaonkars in various villages met
and resolved to convert to the new religion.  Everything went
on smoothly till the Kshatriyas of Cuncolim offered
resistance about the year 1583.  And what happened five
hundred years ago is identical to what happens in Goa, now.

Today religious conversion is hardly an issue, but political
conversion is.  Goa has set a national, if not an
international, record in defections.  And defection is
nothing but conversion from one ideology to another.

Look at Ramakant Khalap, Churchil Alemao, Ravi Naik, Wilfred
Mesquita, Digambar Kamat, Wilfred D’Souza, and a host of
others.  They have moved seamlessly, from the far right to
the far left, from Hindutuva to secular politics and back
again.  And their supporters have followed them, wherever
they have gone, all in the name of development.

  Our ancestors also did the same thing.  It is a
  natural trait in us to join the winners.  No force
  is required.  The Portuguese won and we kowtowed to
  them.  Had Tipu Sultan succeeded in defeating the
  British in 1799, his sultanate would have perhaps
  extended to Goa.  All of our ancestors would have
  embraced Islam, without demur.

The Gaud Saraswat Brahmins in Goa, till about the thirteenth
or fourteenth centuries, were all Shaivites (adve).  Around
that time, a Shankaracharya came to Goa and converted a
section of the Brahmins to Vaishnavites (ube).  Today, the
majority of the Brahmins in Goa are Vaishnavites.  Right now,
among the Catholics number of people are converting to
'Believers'.  Conversion thus is not something new, but a
part of growth of civilisations.

  The use of force, if it is perceived to be for the
  good of the individual and society, has always been
  the rule.  I can distinctly recall my own
  resistance, and that of several classmates, for
  vaccination against small pox, when I was a primary
  school student.  All, who resisted were then
  brought under control, by older students who
  physically held us, to facilitate the vaccination.
  

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The Pope of Surprises (Fr. J. Loiola Pereira)

[Goanet Reader]

The Pope of Surprises

Fr. J. Loiola Pereira
loiol...@gmail.com

Pope Francis has surprised us all... and this is only the
beginning!

The first non-European, the first Jesuit, the first to choose
the name of Francis

And here's another list of firsts (or suprises), which I
compiled, as they came hitting me, from the moment I saw him
on the famous loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.

  For all I know, he was the first Pope to turn his
  maiden speech into a warm heart-to-heart chat,
  beginning with a simple good evening and ending
  with good night, sleep well. There was an
  instant, electric connect between the man and the
  millions who were watching him, both from the
  square and from all over the globe.  We are at the
  dawn of the Pope Francis wave!

Before imparting his first blessing to the people, he asked
them to bless him, in a way, and to pray to God for him.
The prayer of the people for their bishop, he said.  And he
bowed profoundly.  One could hear a pin drop in the square.
I wonder if any other Pope in history did that!

  The Cardinal harbinger had announced, Habemus Papam
  -- We have a Pope! But the Pope, who followed him
  on the balcony, did not utter that word even once.
  He referred to himself as the Bishop (of Rome).
  He even spoke of Benedict XVI as the Bishop
  Emeritus. Contrast this with the sentences we have
  often heard our Popes use in recent times: The
  pope loves you! The pope shares in your pain! It
  looks like Francis is trying to make a very
  significant statement, which will make us look at
  papacy with new eyes.

We all read about his antecedents: how he gave up his
archbishop's palace and his limousine and lived in a small
apartment, cooking his own meals and taking public transport
and visiting crime-ridden slums often -- he, the
Cardinal-Archbishop of the largest city in South America!

We saw how he refused to sit on the cathedra on that first
day, in order to receive the obeisance of the cardinals,
which, according to time-worn tradition, they are supposed to
pay kneeling before the Pope.  Instead, he chose to stand by
the side of the throne and embraced each cardinal warmly.

We also came to know that, on the next day of his election,
the Pope 'sneaked out' of the Vatican, not in the papal
limousine, but in a Vatican gendarmerie vehicle, to go to
pray to the Madonna in the Basilica dedicated to Her (the
Santa Maria Maggiore), and that, on his way back, he went
personally to pick up his bags from the Priests' Residence
where he was lodging before he entered the Conclave.  And how
he insisted on paying the bill!

On his first Sunday as Pope, he celebrated Mass in the Parish
Church of the Vatican.  For the first time I saw a pope leave
his seat and walk briskly to the lectern, to deliver an
impromptu homily, which lasted...  five minutes!  (Usually
popes -- and, sometimes, bishops -- sit and preach, to
symbolize their teaching authority).

  Simple language, profound teaching and great
  eye-contact!  He brought to my mind Pope John Paul
  I, the pope who, in his very brief ministry in the
  year 1978, had conquered the world with his flashy
  smile and strikingly down-to-earth teachings.

Later that day, at his first Angelus address from the papal
window, Pope Francis was cheered lustily by his three hundred
thousand listeners down below when he ended with buon
pranzo, the greeting one hears ten times a day in Italy --
Have a good lunch!

He seems to have effectively departed from the age-long
tradition of the pontiff preaching from the chair.  Both
during the very official Mass of the inauguration of his
Ministry, on March 18, and during the solemn Palm Sunday
liturgy, he chose to stand and preach.  Like any other
priest.  And that is another very significant statement!

A little known fact is that, on the inauguration day, a
wide-eyed garbage scavenger from Buenos Aires, Sergio
Sanchez, stood with the Pope as he addressed the VIPs.  In
the words of Sanchez, We walked behind him and entered a
large hall; there were the presidents, the kings, but we were
there...  like his family. Sanchez was among the few
Argentinian hoi polloi, personally known to the Pope, who had
been invited to the occasion.  Three days later, Sanchez was
back in Buenos Aires, sifting through the city's garbage.

In the year he was created cardinal (2001), Bergoglio is
known to have celebrated his Holy Thursday Mass in a hospice
and washed and kissed the feet of AIDS patients who had been
abandoned by their families. In 2008 he did the same to drug
addicts at a rehabilitation centre in Buenos Aires.  Coming
to the Vatican hasn't changed him.  Today he becomes the
first Pope to celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass, not in St.
Peter's Square, but at a juvenile detention centre in Rome.
The Pope is 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Conversions and convulsions -- 21st century thoughts (Radharao Gracias)

[Goanet Reader]

CONVERSIONS AND CONVULSIONS: 21ST CENTURY THOUGHTS

Adv. Radharao F.Gracias
graciasradha...@gmail.com

The Portuguese conquered Goa beginning from 1510. The first
decree that Afonso de Albuquerque passed after the conquest
was to ban Sati, the practice of cremating widows, on the
funeral pyres of their husbands.  However the Portuguese felt
that Sati was barbaric and banned it.  It was for the first
time a conqueror had dared interfere with local
religious/cultural practice.

The Muslims, who had conquered large parts of the country
over the preceding seven hundred years had either converted
the people to Islam or permitted them to continue with their
practices on payment of jizya (the poll tax that early
Islamic rulers demanded from their non-Muslim subjects).

The Portuguese came to India as traders of goods --  material
(spices) and spiritual (souls) -- and wherever there was
local reluctance to trade, force was used to procure the
goods.  Those were the days my friend, which the Portuguese
thought would never end!

The Portuguese had not encountered religions other than Islam
before venturing into India. The local people did not have
any religion in the European sense of the term. The response
of the people to the question on their religion was that they
were either Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishas, Shudras or any of
their sub-castes.

All these people did not cumulatively identify themselves as
followers of a common religion.  The Portuguese could not
comprehend the religious practice which came to be called
'Konkanne' after the locale.  Thus, there were no 'Hindus'
when the Portuguese conquered Goa.  The name 'Hindu' itself
was similarly coined by foreigners, to identify the religious
practices of Indians.

  The Portuguese genuinely believed that the local
  people needed to be saved and, for them, the only
  way to do so, was to Christianise them and they
  spared no efforts, in this direction.  The
  Portuguese certainly did not mean to harm the local
  people, but invested manpower and money in trying
  to make them mirror images of themselves.  If the
  Portuguese were not to concentrate on conversions,
  they would have been a stronger trading and
  military power, than either the British, French and
  Dutch, who did not waste energies on spiritual
  activities.

The question before us is not whether the Portuguese did use
force for conversions, but was force needed at all?

The record of conversions in Salcete is pretty clear.  The
first person to embrace Christianity was the escrivao of the
Comunidade of Cortalim who was a Brahmin.  Upon conversion he
was christened as Pedro Mascarenhas.  His descendants
continue to live at Raia and one of them was married to a
former Union Minister.  Soon Gaonkars in various villages met
and resolved to convert to the new religion.  Everything went
on smoothly till the Kshatriyas of Cuncolim offered
resistance about the year 1583.  And what happened five
hundred years ago is identical to what happens in Goa, now.

Today religious conversion is hardly an issue, but political
conversion is.  Goa has set a national, if not an
international, record in defections.  And defection is
nothing but conversion from one ideology to another.

Look at Ramakant Khalap, Churchil Alemao, Ravi Naik, Wilfred
Mesquita, Digambar Kamat, Wilfred D’Souza, and a host of
others.  They have moved seamlessly, from the far right to
the far left, from Hindutuva to secular politics and back
again.  And their supporters have followed them, wherever
they have gone, all in the name of development.

  Our ancestors also did the same thing.  It is a
  natural trait in us to join the winners.  No force
  is required.  The Portuguese won and we kowtowed to
  them.  Had Tipu Sultan succeeded in defeating the
  British in 1799, his sultanate would have perhaps
  extended to Goa.  All of our ancestors would have
  embraced Islam, without demur.

The Gaud Saraswat Brahmins in Goa, till about the thirteenth
or fourteenth centuries, were all Shaivites (adve).  Around
that time, a Shankaracharya came to Goa and converted a
section of the Brahmins to Vaishnavites (ube).  Today, the
majority of the Brahmins in Goa are Vaishnavites.  Right now,
among the Catholics number of people are converting to
'Believers'.  Conversion thus is not something new, but a
part of growth of civilisations.

  The use of force, if it is perceived to be for the
  good of the individual and society, has always been
  the rule.  I can distinctly recall my own
  resistance, and that of several classmates, for
  vaccination against small pox, when I was a primary
  school student.  All, who resisted were then
  brought under control, by older students who
  physically held us, to facilitate the vaccination.
  

[Goanet-News] When do-gooders are made into villains (Goa Newsletter)

[Goanet Reader]

When do-gooders are made into villains (Goa Newsletter)
Goa,Politics, Sun, 03 Mar 2013 IANS 

Panaji, March 3 (IANS) After duping the state treasury of billions of
rupees, one would think illegal mining would be villain No. 1 for the
Goa government and rapacious mining companies the faces of this brazen
villainy.

But if one goes by the recent statements of Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar and the state government's communique to the Supreme Court of
India, the blame for Goa's post-mining ban woes lies squarely on the
shoulders of green NGO Goa Foundation, which has been locally
spearheading the legal fight against illegal mining.

Parrikar's comments earlier this week only summed up the frustration
of the ruling mining-friendly Bharatiya Janata Party-led dispensation
towards Goa Foundation and its secretary Claude Alvares.

How to give these people safety is my worry. Goans are normally cool,
but things are boiling up. That is the police report we are getting,
Parrikar told reporters, while speaking about public ire against those
like Alvares and other activists, whose campaign against illegal
mining and a subsequent petition in the Supreme court led to a ban on
all mining in Goa since last October.

According to Ramesh Gauns, a tireless anti-mining crusader, Parrikar's
publicly expressed doubts about Alvares's safety only showed that the
state was trying to browbeat activists who are protesting against the
rapacious mining operations, which are responsible for the multi-crore
mining scam, as estimated by the Justice M.B. Shah commission of
enquiry.

The kinds of statements he (Parrikar) has been making are the most
irresponsible by any chief minister since liberation (from the
Portuguese in 1961). It is very clear that he is increasingly
frustrated, Gauns told IANS.

A cue of Parrikar's concern for Alvares can be sourced from an
affidavit filed by the Goa government's principal secretary (Mines)
Rajani Kant Varma in the Supreme Court while making an impassionate
plea to restart mining. The affidavit says that Goa Foundation had
unclean hands and had exceeded its limits as an NGO in filing the
petition with suppressed facts.

I further state that the petitioner's secretary has been found
instigating and making press statements that it is the state
government which is to be blamed for stopping the mining operations
and that it is the state government which is responsible for complete
halt of economic activities in the mining belt in Goa making
politically unwarranted, uncalled for, the Goa government has
claimed.

Admitting that the mining lobby in Goa was powerful comprising rich
and famous people, the affidavit claims that the Parrikar government
through bold and assertive decisions had acted tough against the
mining lobby at the cost of incurring its wrath.

Alvares, it says, had tried to convince the court otherwise.

The petitioner made serious allegations against the state government
and presented a picture as if the state government is in collusion
with the mine owners in undertaking illegal mining operations in the
state of Goa, the affidavit said.

Adding mystery to the Goa's governments attempt to nail Goa Foundation
is a mysterious sealed cover submitted to the Supreme Court which it
has requested to be kept secret from the litigants. The sealed
envelope, the affidavit says, contains a report received from state
intelligence as regards certain situations and developments in the
state, deeply concerning the present matter.

Alvares has refrained from commenting to the media, preferring to put
forth his case before the apex court.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhusha...@ians.in)

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/03/03/166--When-do-gooders-are-made-into-villains-Goa-Newsletter-.html

* * *

MARGAO MINING SEMINAR FIASCO: COPS SHYING FROM REGISTERING CASE?

Team Herald (O Herald, March 4, 2013)

MARGAO: In an interesting development, the Goa police on Sunday said
they have not registered any case against anyone in connection with
Saturday's ugly incident wherein mining-dependent people stormed the
city and heckled activists, for want of a complaint.

While Margao police said no case stands registered against anyone in
the absence of a complaint, the district Police Chief, Shekar
Prabhudessai has virtually ruled out the question of the police
registering a case against any person suo moto. When there is no
complaint from anyone against any person, why should the police act
suo moto, Prabhudessai asked.

Replying to another question,, SP Prabhudessai denied there was a dely
in sending additional reinforcements to the spot to ensure safety and
security of the activists holed up in the CD Blue Chip hall, on
political considerations.

The police had no knowledge whether any relative of a MLA from a
mining belt was part of the group that descended outside the hall, he
said, while replying to a question whether the police delayed in
dispatching additional reinforcements 

[Goanet] When do-gooders are made into villains (Goa Newsletter)

[Goanet Reader]

When do-gooders are made into villains (Goa Newsletter)
Goa,Politics, Sun, 03 Mar 2013 IANS 

Panaji, March 3 (IANS) After duping the state treasury of billions of
rupees, one would think illegal mining would be villain No. 1 for the
Goa government and rapacious mining companies the faces of this brazen
villainy.

But if one goes by the recent statements of Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar and the state government's communique to the Supreme Court of
India, the blame for Goa's post-mining ban woes lies squarely on the
shoulders of green NGO Goa Foundation, which has been locally
spearheading the legal fight against illegal mining.

Parrikar's comments earlier this week only summed up the frustration
of the ruling mining-friendly Bharatiya Janata Party-led dispensation
towards Goa Foundation and its secretary Claude Alvares.

How to give these people safety is my worry. Goans are normally cool,
but things are boiling up. That is the police report we are getting,
Parrikar told reporters, while speaking about public ire against those
like Alvares and other activists, whose campaign against illegal
mining and a subsequent petition in the Supreme court led to a ban on
all mining in Goa since last October.

According to Ramesh Gauns, a tireless anti-mining crusader, Parrikar's
publicly expressed doubts about Alvares's safety only showed that the
state was trying to browbeat activists who are protesting against the
rapacious mining operations, which are responsible for the multi-crore
mining scam, as estimated by the Justice M.B. Shah commission of
enquiry.

The kinds of statements he (Parrikar) has been making are the most
irresponsible by any chief minister since liberation (from the
Portuguese in 1961). It is very clear that he is increasingly
frustrated, Gauns told IANS.

A cue of Parrikar's concern for Alvares can be sourced from an
affidavit filed by the Goa government's principal secretary (Mines)
Rajani Kant Varma in the Supreme Court while making an impassionate
plea to restart mining. The affidavit says that Goa Foundation had
unclean hands and had exceeded its limits as an NGO in filing the
petition with suppressed facts.

I further state that the petitioner's secretary has been found
instigating and making press statements that it is the state
government which is to be blamed for stopping the mining operations
and that it is the state government which is responsible for complete
halt of economic activities in the mining belt in Goa making
politically unwarranted, uncalled for, the Goa government has
claimed.

Admitting that the mining lobby in Goa was powerful comprising rich
and famous people, the affidavit claims that the Parrikar government
through bold and assertive decisions had acted tough against the
mining lobby at the cost of incurring its wrath.

Alvares, it says, had tried to convince the court otherwise.

The petitioner made serious allegations against the state government
and presented a picture as if the state government is in collusion
with the mine owners in undertaking illegal mining operations in the
state of Goa, the affidavit said.

Adding mystery to the Goa's governments attempt to nail Goa Foundation
is a mysterious sealed cover submitted to the Supreme Court which it
has requested to be kept secret from the litigants. The sealed
envelope, the affidavit says, contains a report received from state
intelligence as regards certain situations and developments in the
state, deeply concerning the present matter.

Alvares has refrained from commenting to the media, preferring to put
forth his case before the apex court.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhusha...@ians.in)

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/03/03/166--When-do-gooders-are-made-into-villains-Goa-Newsletter-.html

* * *

MARGAO MINING SEMINAR FIASCO: COPS SHYING FROM REGISTERING CASE?

Team Herald (O Herald, March 4, 2013)

MARGAO: In an interesting development, the Goa police on Sunday said
they have not registered any case against anyone in connection with
Saturday's ugly incident wherein mining-dependent people stormed the
city and heckled activists, for want of a complaint.

While Margao police said no case stands registered against anyone in
the absence of a complaint, the district Police Chief, Shekar
Prabhudessai has virtually ruled out the question of the police
registering a case against any person suo moto. When there is no
complaint from anyone against any person, why should the police act
suo moto, Prabhudessai asked.

Replying to another question,, SP Prabhudessai denied there was a dely
in sending additional reinforcements to the spot to ensure safety and
security of the activists holed up in the CD Blue Chip hall, on
political considerations.

The police had no knowledge whether any relative of a MLA from a
mining belt was part of the group that descended outside the hall, he
said, while replying to a question whether the police delayed in
dispatching additional reinforcements 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: 'I can teach a plumber to cook... but...' (Remy Dias, interview with Chef Jerry Dias)

[Goanet Reader]

 animals.

  Goa is a boiling pot of cultures, traditions and
  religions and with that people bring their
  heritage.  It's a cultural mix of everything from
  Portuguese, Indian, practically just everything.
  It's wonderful.  We as chefs try and use as much
  native and local ingredients which we are really
  proud of and work to sustain.

What does it take to be a good chef?
-

  Becoming a chef can be a good career move only if
  you have the right personality, and it is
  definitely not as glorious as it seems on TV.
  Working under constant pressure to deliver the food
  fast without sacrificing quality throughout the
  process, standing on your feet for long hours,
  enduring cuts and burns, heavy lifting, noise,
  heat, smoke and fumes, working on evenings,
  weekends and holidays and almost anytime when the
  rest of the world is not working, are just a few of
  the things you must go through as a chef.

When you finally become a head chef you might not have to do
the heavy lifting, but your responsibilities will increase
significantly.  Executive chefs, or head chefs, are in charge
of coordinating the work of the kitchen staff, control food
cost, determine serving sizes, plan menus, order supplies,
ensure quality and presentation of food is correct, schedule
staff, train the cooks on public health regulations and how
to store all products in order to control waste.

All that being said, however, the chef's profession has many
advantages over a 9-to-5 job.  For one, you'll never be bored.

There is always something going on in a kitchen. You will
always be trying to outdo yourself and cook the most
memorable meal possible for each of your patrons. Add to this
a dash of the good comments of your customers, a sprinkle of
the satisfaction that comes with a job well done at the end
of the night, the camaraderie and teamwork in the kitchen,
the possibility to apply your creativity on a daily basis,
the lifelong learning and prospects of advancement, and you
have all the ingredients for a successful and satisfying career.

  Cooking is the easy bit in being a good chef. I can
  teach a plumber to cook.  It's everything else that
  goes with it -- the stamina, the focus you need to
  have everyday, the discipline, respect not just for
  people around you but understanding the produce
  too, without which we are nothing.  It's a lot of
  little things that you got to connect into one, and
  if one of those things starts to veer, that's when
  things start to go down.  You need to allow your
  mind to create because being a chef is not just
  about chopping carrots.  It's about dreaming.  I
  dream when I am awake and when I am sleeping
  because I want to remember everything.

What do you do to relax?
-

I don't quite relax much. I need people around me. I am a
workaholic. I love it as it gives me energy. I love being
there for my two daughters and listening to people.

My mother taught me that we don't learn anything when we talk
all the time, we need to listen.  I value my days off and
really try to treat them as a break from the rhythm that is
the rest of my week.  I try not to plan anything on these
days.

Typically, I'll spend the mornings reading, then maybe grab
lunch with a friend or my family or go for a bike ride if the
weather is nice.  All in all, though, I keep it pretty
low-key and try to use the day to rest and prepare for the
upcoming week.

Send your feedback and comments to the writer AND to
goa...@goanet.org

Goanet Reader is edited and compiled by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: 'I can teach a plumber to cook... but...' (Remy Dias, interview with Chef Jerry Dias)

[Goanet Reader]

 animals.

  Goa is a boiling pot of cultures, traditions and
  religions and with that people bring their
  heritage.  It's a cultural mix of everything from
  Portuguese, Indian, practically just everything.
  It's wonderful.  We as chefs try and use as much
  native and local ingredients which we are really
  proud of and work to sustain.

What does it take to be a good chef?
-

  Becoming a chef can be a good career move only if
  you have the right personality, and it is
  definitely not as glorious as it seems on TV.
  Working under constant pressure to deliver the food
  fast without sacrificing quality throughout the
  process, standing on your feet for long hours,
  enduring cuts and burns, heavy lifting, noise,
  heat, smoke and fumes, working on evenings,
  weekends and holidays and almost anytime when the
  rest of the world is not working, are just a few of
  the things you must go through as a chef.

When you finally become a head chef you might not have to do
the heavy lifting, but your responsibilities will increase
significantly.  Executive chefs, or head chefs, are in charge
of coordinating the work of the kitchen staff, control food
cost, determine serving sizes, plan menus, order supplies,
ensure quality and presentation of food is correct, schedule
staff, train the cooks on public health regulations and how
to store all products in order to control waste.

All that being said, however, the chef's profession has many
advantages over a 9-to-5 job.  For one, you'll never be bored.

There is always something going on in a kitchen. You will
always be trying to outdo yourself and cook the most
memorable meal possible for each of your patrons. Add to this
a dash of the good comments of your customers, a sprinkle of
the satisfaction that comes with a job well done at the end
of the night, the camaraderie and teamwork in the kitchen,
the possibility to apply your creativity on a daily basis,
the lifelong learning and prospects of advancement, and you
have all the ingredients for a successful and satisfying career.

  Cooking is the easy bit in being a good chef. I can
  teach a plumber to cook.  It's everything else that
  goes with it -- the stamina, the focus you need to
  have everyday, the discipline, respect not just for
  people around you but understanding the produce
  too, without which we are nothing.  It's a lot of
  little things that you got to connect into one, and
  if one of those things starts to veer, that's when
  things start to go down.  You need to allow your
  mind to create because being a chef is not just
  about chopping carrots.  It's about dreaming.  I
  dream when I am awake and when I am sleeping
  because I want to remember everything.

What do you do to relax?
-

I don't quite relax much. I need people around me. I am a
workaholic. I love it as it gives me energy. I love being
there for my two daughters and listening to people.

My mother taught me that we don't learn anything when we talk
all the time, we need to listen.  I value my days off and
really try to treat them as a break from the rhythm that is
the rest of my week.  I try not to plan anything on these
days.

Typically, I'll spend the mornings reading, then maybe grab
lunch with a friend or my family or go for a bike ride if the
weather is nice.  All in all, though, I keep it pretty
low-key and try to use the day to rest and prepare for the
upcoming week.

Send your feedback and comments to the writer AND to
goa...@goanet.org

Goanet Reader is edited and compiled by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The UGC Chair in Diaspora Studies at the GU: a note (Dr. Satyanarayana Adapa)

[Goanet Reader]

 the
non-recurring grant necessary infrastructure pertaining to
the scheme, like computers, furniture, etc., are being
acquired.  Under the non-recurring grant, provision is made
for research staff, library grant, seminars/conference,
travel grant, contingency and office expenses.  Efforts are
being made to undertake field work, purchase books and
organize seminar/conference as per UGC grant during the
academic year, 2012-13.

--
Prof. Adapa Satyanarayana has a Dr.phil. in South Asian
History from the Department of History, South Asia Institute,
Heidelberg University, Germany: an M.Phil (Modern Indian
History) from JNU, New Delhi and an M.A.(History) from the
Osmania University, Hyderabad.  He was Professor at the
Department of History in Osmania University.

His writings have focussed on intra-Asian migrations in the
era of globalisation, migration of South Indian labour to
Burma, the Telugu diaspora, beyond a Eurocentric history
of migrations, the Indian diaspora in the Middle East,
situating Indian migration in global history, development
remittances, among other issues.

Goanet Reader is compiled and edited by Frederick Noronha.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: A Tribute at Eighty-Eight (Fernando do Rego, Panjim)

[Goanet Reader]

 with us to continue his apostolate at
this time.  And two of almost same age: Fernando CA, a great
friend of mine, today no longer with us, and me waiting for
my chance!  He was one of the many lawyers in our family and
me an agriculturist like his son Pedro and his grandsons
Joaquim CA and Tony CA.

And how many doctors? I remember just these: Mario Cordeiro,
Claudio Rocha Pinto, Cesar Rocha Pinto, Joao Filipe do Rego,
and Mimi do Rego (Silveira), Claudina Ca Po, Ines Maria Po...

  Our family roots are in Aldona from our father's
  side and in Benaulim from our maternal side.  What
  is Benaulim?  I quote our friend the late Bernardo
  Pinto Pereira in his Lagrima de Saudade (Pg 40):
  Essa aldeia minha, nasceu assim Batizada com o um
  nome lindo: Benaulim com muitos tontos e loucos
  Talves mais loucos do que tontos. (This village
  where I was born and baptized, with a lovely name
  Benaulim has many fools and madmen)

At 88, I feel you are neither *tonto* nor *loucos*.  Am I
right?  The old saying states: Si cum Jesuites...  cum Jesu
non ites. (If you go with Jesus don't go with the Jesuites.)
May Ignatius Loyola forgive me, because I myself owe much to
the Jesuits, from the time when I was in the St.  Mary's High
School (Byculla-Bombay) and at the famous St.  Xavier's
College (Bombay), and to you.

I close with our prayers  good wishes for your apostolate
Amchi porbim tuka...  Parabens a Voce...  Happy Birthday...
Joyeux anniversaire...  Mog assundi Fernando.  Those who wish
to convey their wishes (in Konkanni, English, Portuguese,
French, Marathi  Hindi) directly to Fr.  Vasco do Rego s.j.
you can contact him on vascodor...@gmail.com or phone +91 020 635 3363.

--
Fernando do Rego is a senior citizen, based at 143,
Fontainhas, Panjim 403001 Goa.  Ph +91-832-2226353

An earlier recording of Fr Rego and his work on Konkani
Konkani audio: http://archive.org/details/FrVascoRego

Goanet Reader is edited by Frederick Noronha f...@goa-india.org

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: A Tribute at Eighty-Eight (Fernando do Rego, Panjim)

[Goanet Reader]

 with us to continue his apostolate at
this time.  And two of almost same age: Fernando CA, a great
friend of mine, today no longer with us, and me waiting for
my chance!  He was one of the many lawyers in our family and
me an agriculturist like his son Pedro and his grandsons
Joaquim CA and Tony CA.

And how many doctors? I remember just these: Mario Cordeiro,
Claudio Rocha Pinto, Cesar Rocha Pinto, Joao Filipe do Rego,
and Mimi do Rego (Silveira), Claudina Ca Po, Ines Maria Po...

  Our family roots are in Aldona from our father's
  side and in Benaulim from our maternal side.  What
  is Benaulim?  I quote our friend the late Bernardo
  Pinto Pereira in his Lagrima de Saudade (Pg 40):
  Essa aldeia minha, nasceu assim Batizada com o um
  nome lindo: Benaulim com muitos tontos e loucos
  Talves mais loucos do que tontos. (This village
  where I was born and baptized, with a lovely name
  Benaulim has many fools and madmen)

At 88, I feel you are neither *tonto* nor *loucos*.  Am I
right?  The old saying states: Si cum Jesuites...  cum Jesu
non ites. (If you go with Jesus don't go with the Jesuites.)
May Ignatius Loyola forgive me, because I myself owe much to
the Jesuits, from the time when I was in the St.  Mary's High
School (Byculla-Bombay) and at the famous St.  Xavier's
College (Bombay), and to you.

I close with our prayers  good wishes for your apostolate
Amchi porbim tuka...  Parabens a Voce...  Happy Birthday...
Joyeux anniversaire...  Mog assundi Fernando.  Those who wish
to convey their wishes (in Konkanni, English, Portuguese,
French, Marathi  Hindi) directly to Fr.  Vasco do Rego s.j.
you can contact him on vascodor...@gmail.com or phone +91 020 635 3363.

--
Fernando do Rego is a senior citizen, based at 143,
Fontainhas, Panjim 403001 Goa.  Ph +91-832-2226353

An earlier recording of Fr Rego and his work on Konkani
Konkani audio: http://archive.org/details/FrVascoRego

Goanet Reader is edited by Frederick Noronha f...@goa-india.org

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Matata Times Three (a review by Peter Nazareth)

[Goanet Reader]

 was
assassinated in early 1965 and is considered to be
Independent Kenya's first martyr without any concern about
the fact that he was a Goan.  To this day questions are asked
about who killed him -- when it is well known who did and
why.

So the notion that Goans stayed out of politics was a cover
for political involvement in Kenya and an ongoing debate
about whether those working for the British could go against
British interests.  A lot of such debates take place in the
novel in the Goan Gymkhana and the other Goan institutes.
Braz Menezes explains why Goans were docile.  The Goans were
docile, probably because of the inquisition that left them
mentally castrated.  As long as they were praying, singing
and dancing all was fine.  But if they had the audacity to
think, they would be in trouble.  This was what was beaten
into the Goan over 250 years.  And sing and dance and pray
and build churches is what they did in Kenya too.  They were
no matata.

In fact, we should have been warned by the strategies Lando
used to survive boarding school in Goa and getting his
parents to take him back to Kenya that he is sharply aware of
political strategies being used.  He is aware of the meaning
of Harold MacMillan's famous Wind of Change Speech and he
is aware of who will pay the price, as he suggests in his
parodic title from the children's song, When the Wind Blows,
the Cradle will Rock (chapter 22, page 192).

The British realized they were losing the war to the Mau Mau
guerillas so they came out with a new strategy, which
included new scapegoats: the Asians.  Suddenly the problem
for Africans was not land alienation but the Asian dukawalla.
By the time Independence Day came, on December 12, 1963, it
is going to take the form of handing over power to those who
will see things through western eyes and who will become what
some people have called the spare parts bourgeoisie.

So the Goans, who had served the colonialists and carried the
burden of the white man's bureaucracy, can now just be
junked.  Without their knowing what is happening.  Except
that they do know what is being done.  As usual, the issues
are discussed in the bar of the Goan Gymkhana and the
Institute.

Mervyn Maciel, author of BWANA KARANI, says: of the novel:
For me, a former civil servant of colonial and independent
Kenya, some of the chapters revived memories of old friends
like Pio and Rosario Gama Pinto, Olaf Ribeiro, L.  D'Cruz and
many others who feature prominently in the pages of this
book.  Lando and his friends relied heavily on the B.B.C.
World Service for news, but there was also the other 'Goan
Grapevine Service' often provided by visiting Goan civil
servants from up-country who, throwing caution to wind and
forgetting they were all bound by the Official Secrets Act,
freely dispensed with the latest news on the security
situation during the Emergency-this no doubt from the 'inside
information' they had as trusted civil servants.

However, we have not come to the end of the story.  How is
the third novel to pull things together?  What relationship
develops between Lando and Saboti after they meet again?  She
has two sons, a daughter, three grandsons, her husband has
passed away; Lando is single again.  What about Pio Gama
Pinto, whose widow Menezes thanks for filling in some gaps
in the narrative on Pio.

Lando places the story in a wider context with his Prologue
about waiting for the 2012 re-election of Obama, which he is
discussing by phone with Saboti.  Things can change.  How
will the third novel pull it all together?  Matata is a
Kiswahili word that means trouble, but it has as many
nuanced meanings as the writer chooses to give the word,
depending on the time, place and context.  I thoroughly
recommend MORE MATATA as a 'must read' for anyone interested
in the recent history of Kenya, as seen through eyes that
are neither black nor white.

--
Peter Nazareth (born April 27, 1940) is a Ugandan-born critic
and writer of fiction and drama.  His novel set in East
Africa amidst the Goan community is called 'The General is
Up'.  He also edited 'Goan Literature: A Modern Reader', one
of the first anthologies of Goan writing, as an issue of the
Journal of South Asian Literature, East Lansing: Michigan
State University, 1983.

Goanet Reader is edited by Frederick Noronha and welcomes
well-written articles of relevance to Goa and its people for distribution
via cyberspace. Readers are encouraged to send their feedback
to the author and goa...@goanet.org

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Matata Times Three (a review by Peter Nazareth)

[Goanet Reader]

 was
assassinated in early 1965 and is considered to be
Independent Kenya's first martyr without any concern about
the fact that he was a Goan.  To this day questions are asked
about who killed him -- when it is well known who did and
why.

So the notion that Goans stayed out of politics was a cover
for political involvement in Kenya and an ongoing debate
about whether those working for the British could go against
British interests.  A lot of such debates take place in the
novel in the Goan Gymkhana and the other Goan institutes.
Braz Menezes explains why Goans were docile.  The Goans were
docile, probably because of the inquisition that left them
mentally castrated.  As long as they were praying, singing
and dancing all was fine.  But if they had the audacity to
think, they would be in trouble.  This was what was beaten
into the Goan over 250 years.  And sing and dance and pray
and build churches is what they did in Kenya too.  They were
no matata.

In fact, we should have been warned by the strategies Lando
used to survive boarding school in Goa and getting his
parents to take him back to Kenya that he is sharply aware of
political strategies being used.  He is aware of the meaning
of Harold MacMillan's famous Wind of Change Speech and he
is aware of who will pay the price, as he suggests in his
parodic title from the children's song, When the Wind Blows,
the Cradle will Rock (chapter 22, page 192).

The British realized they were losing the war to the Mau Mau
guerillas so they came out with a new strategy, which
included new scapegoats: the Asians.  Suddenly the problem
for Africans was not land alienation but the Asian dukawalla.
By the time Independence Day came, on December 12, 1963, it
is going to take the form of handing over power to those who
will see things through western eyes and who will become what
some people have called the spare parts bourgeoisie.

So the Goans, who had served the colonialists and carried the
burden of the white man's bureaucracy, can now just be
junked.  Without their knowing what is happening.  Except
that they do know what is being done.  As usual, the issues
are discussed in the bar of the Goan Gymkhana and the
Institute.

Mervyn Maciel, author of BWANA KARANI, says: of the novel:
For me, a former civil servant of colonial and independent
Kenya, some of the chapters revived memories of old friends
like Pio and Rosario Gama Pinto, Olaf Ribeiro, L.  D'Cruz and
many others who feature prominently in the pages of this
book.  Lando and his friends relied heavily on the B.B.C.
World Service for news, but there was also the other 'Goan
Grapevine Service' often provided by visiting Goan civil
servants from up-country who, throwing caution to wind and
forgetting they were all bound by the Official Secrets Act,
freely dispensed with the latest news on the security
situation during the Emergency-this no doubt from the 'inside
information' they had as trusted civil servants.

However, we have not come to the end of the story.  How is
the third novel to pull things together?  What relationship
develops between Lando and Saboti after they meet again?  She
has two sons, a daughter, three grandsons, her husband has
passed away; Lando is single again.  What about Pio Gama
Pinto, whose widow Menezes thanks for filling in some gaps
in the narrative on Pio.

Lando places the story in a wider context with his Prologue
about waiting for the 2012 re-election of Obama, which he is
discussing by phone with Saboti.  Things can change.  How
will the third novel pull it all together?  Matata is a
Kiswahili word that means trouble, but it has as many
nuanced meanings as the writer chooses to give the word,
depending on the time, place and context.  I thoroughly
recommend MORE MATATA as a 'must read' for anyone interested
in the recent history of Kenya, as seen through eyes that
are neither black nor white.

--
Peter Nazareth (born April 27, 1940) is a Ugandan-born critic
and writer of fiction and drama.  His novel set in East
Africa amidst the Goan community is called 'The General is
Up'.  He also edited 'Goan Literature: A Modern Reader', one
of the first anthologies of Goan writing, as an issue of the
Journal of South Asian Literature, East Lansing: Michigan
State University, 1983.

Goanet Reader is edited by Frederick Noronha and welcomes
well-written articles of relevance to Goa and its people for distribution
via cyberspace. Readers are encouraged to send their feedback
to the author and goa...@goanet.org

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: A Mapusa that grew out of Gaunsavaddo (Domnic PF Fernandes)

[Goanet Reader]

A Mapusa that grew out of Gaunsavaddo
--
BOOK EXTRACT: By Domnic P.F. Fernandes

  Mapusa was a small sleepy town in Bardêz that grew
  from the settlement by the river known as
  Gaunsavaddo, and Angodd, but which is now set
  around an altinho (small mount).  Mapusa lies about
  13 kilometres away from the capital Panjim or
  Panaji, and is one of the oldest towns of Goa.

It has been the capital of the old province of Bardêz and is
now the third largest city of Goa. 'The crown of Bardêz',
as it is also known, consists basically of a market place
which forms the hub of North Goa. It is today an important
transit point for those visiting North Goa, and a place for
shopping.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/
_/   Goanetter Domnic PF Fernandes' book of reminiscences of
_/   Mapusa is getting ready for a release on coming Sunday,
_/   October 7, 2012 at the Mapusa municipal hall (at 4.45 pm).
_/   Goanetters and members of the public are cordially
_/   invited. Please pass the word around. Check out some
_/   photo-sketches at http://bit.ly/Mapusa
_/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Mapusa has a history of its own. It is said that long before
the Portuguese, and other settlers and rulers invaded Goa,
the town was an agrarian community with a well-established
ganvkari (community farming) system. In the community farming
system, the villagers formed associations, worked on
community land, and shared their produce in a pre-determined
measure every three years.

Places in Mapusa were named according to the trades that
dominated the area, and, consequently, the castes.
Catholicism may not preach casteism but the caste system is
prevalent there, too, even today, long after religious
conversions.

  Thus, we have Kansarvaddo, famous for making copper
  utensils, Kenivaddo, for making sweets,
  Telangvaddo, for tel or oil, Xettyevaddo for making
  jewellery, Mharvaddo (now renamed St.  Sebastian
  Vaddo) for making bamboo products, Khumbarvaddo for
  making pots and other similar places.

The ganvkars (original settlers or sometimes referred to as
freeholders or landlords) of Mapusa are the Gauns, Naiks,
Khalaps, D'Souzas, Coutinhos, De Mellos, Farias, Carrascos,
Braganças (now written Braganzas), Mendonças (now written
Mendonsas), Pintos, Pinhos, Vazes or Palhas and Esteveses.
The last two have almost entirely migrated to Goa Velha and
Merces-Vaddy, respectively.

The general body meeting of the Comunidade brings the
residents into contact with Mapusa ganvkars settled in
Belgaum, Khanapur, Satarda, Bhirondem, and other far-flung
areas of Karnataka and Maharashtra or Goa Velha and Merces in
Goa. Gone are the days when the ganvkars thought of land as
common community inheritance. Today, land means real estate -
that is the only reality!

Mapusa was the most important commercial capital of North Goa
before the Mandovi Bridge was built in the 1970s, where the
weekly Sukraracho bazar (the Friday market) took place.
Market day was, and still is, an important event where goods
were brought in from surrounding places to a central area.

The older part of Mapusa town lies along the base of the
hill. It became popular as a market centre - thanks to the
festivals organised in honour of the god Kanakeshwar Baba
also called Bodgeshwar, worshipped at the Bodgeshwar Temple,
and the ancient tar (jetty) near the present day Church of
St. Jerome, where canoes and sailboats brought merchandise
via the Mapusa River.

During the Portuguese regime, Goa was divided into three
principal regions -- Bardêz, Salcete and Ilhas or Tiswadi.
The name Bardêz is derived from Bará-dês, signifying twelve
dessaídos, or small feudal centres that, after being under
the rule of several indigenous rulers, were united under the
Portuguese State.

Mapusa is also the administrative headquarters of the Bardêz
Taluka (the province gets its name for comprising of 12
villages), one of the Old Conquests of Goa besides Salcete,
including Mormugão, and Ilhas or Tiswadi. It was categorised
as a vila (town) by a decree dated September 14, 1858. By
Order No. 1911 of the Governor General, dated December 29,
1933, the town was designated a cidade (city).

In the absence of public means of transportation, people were
earlier confined to their respective areas of habitation. In
fact, it was difficult, if not impossible, to travel even
from one village to another.

In the middle of the last century, when I was growing up,
most Goans worked and lived for the day. They tilled fields,
cultivated paddy, grew all kinds of cereals and vegetables,
and were quite self-sufficient.

  There was no electricity in suburban and rural Goa.
  The word 'technology' was unknown to us.  In the
  1960s, the Africanders (Goans who worked in British
  East Africa and kept 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: A Mapusa that grew out of Gaunsavaddo (Domnic PF Fernandes)

[Goanet Reader]

A Mapusa that grew out of Gaunsavaddo
--
BOOK EXTRACT: By Domnic P.F. Fernandes
Feedback to domval...@hotmail.com


  Mapusa was a small sleepy town in Bardêz that grew
  from the settlement by the river known as
  Gaunsavaddo, and Angodd, but which is now set
  around an altinho (small mount).  Mapusa lies about
  13 kilometres away from the capital Panjim or
  Panaji, and is one of the oldest towns of Goa.

It has been the capital of the old province of Bardêz and is
now the third largest city of Goa. 'The crown of Bardêz',
as it is also known, consists basically of a market place
which forms the hub of North Goa. It is today an important
transit point for those visiting North Goa, and a place for
shopping.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/
_/   Goanetter Domnic PF Fernandes' book of reminiscences of
_/   Mapusa is getting ready for a release on coming Sunday,
_/   October 7, 2012 at the Mapusa municipal hall (4.45 pm).
_/   Goanetters and members of the public are cordially
_/   invited. Please pass the word around. Check out some
_/   photo-sketches at http://bit.ly/Mapusa
_/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Mapusa has a history of its own. It is said that long before
the Portuguese, and other settlers and rulers invaded Goa,
the town was an agrarian community with a well-established
ganvkari (community farming) system. In the community farming
system, the villagers formed associations, worked on
community land, and shared their produce in a pre-determined
measure every three years.

Places in Mapusa were named according to the trades that
dominated the area, and, consequently, the castes.
Catholicism may not preach casteism but the caste system is
prevalent there, too, even today, long after religious
conversions.

  Thus, we have Kansarvaddo, famous for making copper
  utensils, Kenivaddo, for making sweets,
  Telangvaddo, for tel or oil, Xettyevaddo for making
  jewellery, Mharvaddo (now renamed St.  Sebastian
  Vaddo) for making bamboo products, Khumbarvaddo for
  making pots and other similar places.

The ganvkars (original settlers or sometimes referred to as
freeholders or landlords) of Mapusa are the Gauns, Naiks,
Khalaps, D'Souzas, Coutinhos, De Mellos, Farias, Carrascos,
Braganças (now written Braganzas), Mendonças (now written
Mendonsas), Pintos, Pinhos, Vazes or Palhas and Esteveses.
The last two have almost entirely migrated to Goa Velha and
Merces-Vaddy, respectively.

The general body meeting of the Comunidade brings the
residents into contact with Mapusa ganvkars settled in
Belgaum, Khanapur, Satarda, Bhirondem, and other far-flung
areas of Karnataka and Maharashtra or Goa Velha and Merces in
Goa. Gone are the days when the ganvkars thought of land as
common community inheritance. Today, land means real estate -
that is the only reality!

Mapusa was the most important commercial capital of North Goa
before the Mandovi Bridge was built in the 1970s, where the
weekly Sukraracho bazar (the Friday market) took place.
Market day was, and still is, an important event where goods
were brought in from surrounding places to a central area.

The older part of Mapusa town lies along the base of the
hill. It became popular as a market centre - thanks to the
festivals organised in honour of the god Kanakeshwar Baba
also called Bodgeshwar, worshipped at the Bodgeshwar Temple,
and the ancient tar (jetty) near the present day Church of
St. Jerome, where canoes and sailboats brought merchandise
via the Mapusa River.

During the Portuguese regime, Goa was divided into three
principal regions -- Bardêz, Salcete and Ilhas or Tiswadi.
The name Bardêz is derived from Bará-dês, signifying twelve
dessaídos, or small feudal centres that, after being under
the rule of several indigenous rulers, were united under the
Portuguese State.

Mapusa is also the administrative headquarters of the Bardêz
Taluka (the province gets its name for comprising of 12
villages), one of the Old Conquests of Goa besides Salcete,
including Mormugão, and Ilhas or Tiswadi. It was categorised
as a vila (town) by a decree dated September 14, 1858. By
Order No. 1911 of the Governor General, dated December 29,
1933, the town was designated a cidade (city).

In the absence of public means of transportation, people were
earlier confined to their respective areas of habitation. In
fact, it was difficult, if not impossible, to travel even
from one village to another.

In the middle of the last century, when I was growing up,
most Goans worked and lived for the day. They tilled fields,
cultivated paddy, grew all kinds of cereals and vegetables,
and were quite self-sufficient.

  There was no electricity in suburban and rural Goa.
  The word 'technology' was unknown to us.  In the
  1960s, the Africanders (Goans who worked in 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Understanding Portuguese writing from the Goa of another century (Eufemiano Miranda)

[Goanet Reader]

Understanding Portuguese writing from the Goa of another century

Priest-scholar Dr Eufemiano
Miranda, from Cortalim and now
in the parish at Chicalim,
explains how his recently-
published book in Portuguese
charts out the contours of Goan
writing in that language.

BOOK EXTRACT: By Eufemiano Miranda

eufemianodejesusmira...@gmail.com or +91-832-2714005

This study attempts to be a humble step to take further prior
surveys of Indo-Portuguese literature, namely the monographs
by Vicente de Braganza Cunha (Bombay, 1926), Filinto Cristo
Dias (Goa, 1963), Vimala Devi and Manuel de Seabra (Lisbon,
1971).  It tries to analyse the content or themes of the
literary works dealt with by Indo-Portuguese writers.  The
word literature is taken to mean literary productions of a
creative nature or of fiction.

  Indo-Portuguese refers here to ethnically Indian
  writers in whom there is a harmonious confluence of
  European standards and motifs of local inspiration.
  Five themes are identified: (i) Brahmanism in
  conflict with Liberalism as embodied in Francisco
  Luis Gomes’ writings, principally his novel Os
  Brahamanes (ii) The world of landlords (batcaras)
  and tenants (mundkars) as reflected principally in
  Orlando Costa's O Signo da Ira (iii) The
  fascination with the mystery of Bharat-Mata (Mother
  India) (iv) The temple dancer of India (v) The land
  and her people as depicted in Gip's Jacob e Dulce
  and Agostinho Fernandes’ Bodki, themes that reflect
  the social history of Goa.

The chapter Panorama da Vida Social de Goa nos Séculos XIX e
XX aims at getting a bird's eye view of the socio-historical
background of the 19th and 20th centuries and understanding
the influence of the Portuguese presence in Goa on the
formation of the homo goanensis.

The scenario of education and learning, the establishment of
the printing press and, as a result, the evolution of
journalism and social life, are briefly examined.

The Christian segment of the society, principally, as
compared to the Hindu sector, went through a cultural
separation.

As a consequence of it, social customs and ideas of the
converted were changed.  The acculturation that took place in
Goa could rightly be called a Luso-tropical civilization, to
use the expression coined by Gilberto Freyre, the Brazilian
sociologist-writer who visited Goa in the 1950s.

Next comes 'Francisco Luís Gomes: O Bramanismo em Conflito
com o Liberalismo'.  The Constitution of 1822, that the
Portuguese Parliament voted for after the Revolution of 1820,
and the Constitutional charter of 1826, given by King Pedro
IV to the nation and its overseas territories, were a
concrete fallout of the Liberal ideas proclaimed by the
American and French Revolutions.

Francisco Luis Gomes of Navelim, a doctor by training and a
member of Parliament, became the representative par
excellence of Liberalism in Goa.  In Parliament, he fought
for freedom in his beloved Goa.

  His novel Os Brahamanes was born of his Liberalism
  coupled with his Romanticism, inspired by the
  Gospel and a vision faithful to the Portuguese
  nation.  The novel portrays the dramatic conflict
  between the White and the wheat-complexioned
  Brahmanism superiority) or the two types of pride
  rooted in race and culture.  The resolution or the
  moral of this conflict is found in the words that
  Francisco Luis Gomes puts in the mouth of his
  character Tomas: My victory will be the reform of
  all codes by the Gospel.

This is followed by the chapter 'O Signo da Ira e o Mundo dos
Batcarás e Manducares'.  Goan society comprised of a class of
landowners (batcaras) and another of rural labourers.  The
latter lived to serve the former.  The small middle class
comprising just around ten per cent.  This social reality
lends itself to fiction.

Vimala Devi, Laxmanrao SarDessai and R.V.  Pandit portrayed
it in their short stories and poems.  A work of high
aesthetic value was Orlando Costa's O Signo da Ira, a
masterpiece in Neo-Realism which earned its author the
Ricardo Malheiros Prize in Portugal.

Indian philosophy, religion and mythology are intertwined and
form a living tradition.  They are still very much part of
the life, and society, where they were born and have
blossomed.  India's mystery and fascination lies in them.

Our literature has been enriched with short stories and poems
that reflect the philosophical tenets or hymns of praise to
the gods, to their functions, or homage-portrayals of the
great personalities of Indian history.

In Indian society, particularly in Goa, there existed a woman
taken to symbolise a contradiction: the temple dancer
(kalavant).  Over time, the devadasi, or servant of the gods,
became a woman who sold herself.  Historians and 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Understanding Portuguese writing from the Goa of another century (Eufemiano Miranda)

[Goanet Reader]

Understanding Portuguese writing from the Goa of another century

Priest-scholar Dr Eufemiano
Miranda, from Cortalim and now
in the parish at Chicalim,
explains how his recently-
published book in Portuguese
charts out the contours of Goan
writing in that language.

BOOK EXTRACT: By Eufemiano Miranda

eufemianodejesusmira...@gmail.com or +91-832-2714005

This study attempts to be a humble step to take further prior
surveys of Indo-Portuguese literature, namely the monographs
by Vicente de Braganza Cunha (Bombay, 1926), Filinto Cristo
Dias (Goa, 1963), Vimala Devi and Manuel de Seabra (Lisbon,
1971).  It tries to analyse the content or themes of the
literary works dealt with by Indo-Portuguese writers.  The
word literature is taken to mean literary productions of a
creative nature or of fiction.

  Indo-Portuguese refers here to ethnically Indian
  writers in whom there is a harmonious confluence of
  European standards and motifs of local inspiration.
  Five themes are identified: (i) Brahmanism in
  conflict with Liberalism as embodied in Francisco
  Luis Gomes’ writings, principally his novel Os
  Brahamanes (ii) The world of landlords (batcaras)
  and tenants (mundkars) as reflected principally in
  Orlando Costa's O Signo da Ira (iii) The
  fascination with the mystery of Bharat-Mata (Mother
  India) (iv) The temple dancer of India (v) The land
  and her people as depicted in Gip's Jacob e Dulce
  and Agostinho Fernandes’ Bodki, themes that reflect
  the social history of Goa.

The chapter Panorama da Vida Social de Goa nos Séculos XIX e
XX aims at getting a bird's eye view of the socio-historical
background of the 19th and 20th centuries and understanding
the influence of the Portuguese presence in Goa on the
formation of the homo goanensis.

The scenario of education and learning, the establishment of
the printing press and, as a result, the evolution of
journalism and social life, are briefly examined.

The Christian segment of the society, principally, as
compared to the Hindu sector, went through a cultural
separation.

As a consequence of it, social customs and ideas of the
converted were changed.  The acculturation that took place in
Goa could rightly be called a Luso-tropical civilization, to
use the expression coined by Gilberto Freyre, the Brazilian
sociologist-writer who visited Goa in the 1950s.

Next comes 'Francisco Luís Gomes: O Bramanismo em Conflito
com o Liberalismo'.  The Constitution of 1822, that the
Portuguese Parliament voted for after the Revolution of 1820,
and the Constitutional charter of 1826, given by King Pedro
IV to the nation and its overseas territories, were a
concrete fallout of the Liberal ideas proclaimed by the
American and French Revolutions.

Francisco Luis Gomes of Navelim, a doctor by training and a
member of Parliament, became the representative par
excellence of Liberalism in Goa.  In Parliament, he fought
for freedom in his beloved Goa.

  His novel Os Brahamanes was born of his Liberalism
  coupled with his Romanticism, inspired by the
  Gospel and a vision faithful to the Portuguese
  nation.  The novel portrays the dramatic conflict
  between the White and the wheat-complexioned
  Brahmanism superiority) or the two types of pride
  rooted in race and culture.  The resolution or the
  moral of this conflict is found in the words that
  Francisco Luis Gomes puts in the mouth of his
  character Tomas: My victory will be the reform of
  all codes by the Gospel.

This is followed by the chapter 'O Signo da Ira e o Mundo dos
Batcarás e Manducares'.  Goan society comprised of a class of
landowners (batcaras) and another of rural labourers.  The
latter lived to serve the former.  The small middle class
comprising just around ten per cent.  This social reality
lends itself to fiction.

Vimala Devi, Laxmanrao SarDessai and R.V.  Pandit portrayed
it in their short stories and poems.  A work of high
aesthetic value was Orlando Costa's O Signo da Ira, a
masterpiece in Neo-Realism which earned its author the
Ricardo Malheiros Prize in Portugal.

Indian philosophy, religion and mythology are intertwined and
form a living tradition.  They are still very much part of
the life, and society, where they were born and have
blossomed.  India's mystery and fascination lies in them.

Our literature has been enriched with short stories and poems
that reflect the philosophical tenets or hymns of praise to
the gods, to their functions, or homage-portrayals of the
great personalities of Indian history.

In Indian society, particularly in Goa, there existed a woman
taken to symbolise a contradiction: the temple dancer
(kalavant).  Over time, the devadasi, or servant of the gods,
became a woman who sold herself.  Historians and 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Clearing the Hurdles... (Pamela D'Mello, Herald Review)

[Goanet Reader]

Clearing the Hurdles

The new mining policy and the selective action against only
the small operators sends out the signals that the Manohar
Parrikar government is clearing the field for the big players
in the industry, reports Pamela D'Mello
dmello.pam...@gmail.com (in Herald Review, Goa)


Quote:  Life will be a worse
hell for people in the mining
areas.  Does he not have a
heart?  Has he forgotten that
these people have voted for
him, not the five or ten mining
families? asks Alvares.

Quote: Sardessai also alleges
that former CM and long time
mines minister Digambar Kamat
is on the same page as
Parrikar on these matters,
pointing to Kamat now heading
the Public Accounts Committee,
when a previous PAC had
indicted him!

Spread over the first page of the new mining policy is a
picture postcard image of Goa's lush Western Ghats, rain
clouds hanging low over a canopy of verdant green forest.

Few would miss the irony of the image on a draft document
that permits 45 million tonnes of iron ore to be shipped out
annually to China and elsewhere -- volumes that will
officially increase once mining corridors and dedicated roads
are fast tracked into existence.  The corridor alone is
slated to mow down a swathe of 27 hectares of forest.

Manohar Parrikar is going totally commercial on mining. The
environment is not his consideration at all, says
Independent legislator Vijai Sardessai.

Environmentalists who have dozens of petitions against the
industry are far more scathing of the chief minister clearing
all hurdles for the industry.  Manohar Parrikar is doing
everything to see that mining goes on and the major firms
increase their throughput, says activist and industry watcher
Claude Alvares.

Life will be a worse hell for people in the mining areas.
Does he not have a heart?  Has he forgotten that these people
have voted for him, not the five or ten mining families,
asks Alvares.

  The draft policy ostensibly puts a cap on mining
  exports at 45 million tonnes per year (a long way
  from the 30 million tonnes cap he proposed as
  Opposition leader), green flags dump handling --
  despite explicit instructions from the Union
  Ministry of Mines -- and manifests its irritation
  at the Centre's imposition of a 30 per cent export
  duty and other measures taken by the union
  government that it says are affecting Goa's main
  industry and its GDP.  The National Mineral Policy
  2009 made exports a third priority after import
  substitution and value addition, in that order.
  the policy states.

Sardessai says the policy amounts to open defiance of the
Centre. The whole idea seems to be to push the blame onto
the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and the Centre for issuing
environment clearances, while taking a regional stance to
safeguard the interest of Goan mineowners. Sardessai also
alleges that former CM and long time mines minister Digambar
Kamat is on the same page as Parrikar on these matters,
pointing to Kamat now heading the Public Accounts Committee,
when a previous PAC had indicted him!

Proposals in the policy that State authorities will classify
dump sites and decide the optimum level of fresh mining that
can be undertaken, seek to make the IBM redundant in Goa,
he points.  He wants to usurp the powers of the Centre on
mining, commented one Congress spokesman.

How the Centre will react to this, is yet to unfold.  An
indication of the trajectory for this potential confrontation
came from leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane.  One has to
see what is in the dumps.  If there is ore there, it is a
major mineral, and technically would amount to a new mining
lease, which has to be approved by the Centre, Rane told
HeraldReview.

The invisible script of the draft policy is certainly not
lost on the Opposition Congress in Goa, that saw an
ignominious exit, thanks largely to the illegal mining
accusations of the past five years. Quotas for party fund
collections for the 2014 general elections are a political
reality, especially for State governments in power.

  For an industry like mining, where government
  policies can swing fortunes either way by thousands
  of crores of rupees, it becomes an accessible
  source.  The Opposition sees a lot of significance
  that Parrikar initially threatened that government
  would auction dumps, but mysteriously nothing more
  is being said on this.  Last week, mining majors
  and the chief minister were ensconced in a series
  of meetings before the policy announcement and the
  Stamp Act amendment was passed.

Also keenly watching the scenario are some of the bigger
players among the now ousted traders.  Clause 7.5 of the
policy which allows for  case to case permits for clearance
of old/existing dumps for leases that are not current is
seen as an opportunity by some of the bigger traders, 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Stepping beyond Indian soil: rewind to 1970 (Brenda Rodrigues)

[Goanet Reader]

Stepping beyond Indian soil: rewind to 1970

Yeh patloon Englishtani ... Phir bhi dil hai Hindustan
-
These trousers are English ... But even so, my heart is Indian.

By Brenda Rodrigues
brendarodr...@gmail.com
Bandra, Mumbai.

I first saw England in the far distance, from the top of a
hill in the village of Dongri, located in a suburb of Greater
Bombay.  At least, that was what we youngsters were told by
an older cousin who had taken us for a ramble.  I was just
about eight years old, and we children believed him
implicitly.  Even as the others turned and continued their
walk, I stayed back, staring with awe into the distance, just
wondering and wondering.

Later, as a young schoolgirl, I would read repeated forecasts
in the newspapers predicting that I would travel the world.
Living in a family that struggled to make ends meet, we could
not afford to think of a simple holiday, leave alone a
journey abroad -- that was definitely in the realm of the
Impossible.

It was only after I started working that I went on short
excursions to neighbouring Pune and Matheran, and made one
trip to Bangalore in 1968.  For some strange reason though,
one of my school friends, Mida, was quite convinced that I
would indeed travel to many parts of the world, and she kept
telling me so.  Maybe my subconscious mind registered that
implanted thought, accepted it unquestioningly, translated it
into belief...  and eventually I 'created' a reality which
manifested itself in my later years.  Never had I consciously
dared to imagine that I would one day traverse not only the
length and breadth of our own country but also journey to
exotic lands overseas.

'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'
For me, it all began with a single thought.  It was just
after my birthday in June 1970, that I suddenly got it into
my head that I would like to go to England.  Considering how
rooted I had been in Bombay, it was a most audacious thought.

  Though I had been working for six years, I had not
  saved much, and I recall that my bank account held
  just a little more than I would need.  In those
  days, the return fare to England on Air India cost
  me the princely sum of Rs.5,756.  (I still have the
  receipt.) Of course, with two elder sisters, Lily
  and Mabel, living in England, I did not bother to
  think beyond the cost of my airfare.

We took off from Bombay on 2 October 1970.  It was my first
ever flight.  I can still vividly recall that long torturous
route -- Bombay to Delhi to Cairo to Frankfurt and finally
London.

Interestingly, my travelling companion in Economy class was
none other than the legendary actor, Raj Kapoor, who was
going to London to collect the prints of his film 'Mera Naam
Joker' (Joker Is My Name).  We got to chatting and he was
most impressed by the fact that I could solve crossword
puzzles, which I had carried with me to pass time.  He
attempted one clue but soon gave up.  Instead, he spent the
best part of the journey checking out how much whisky he
could hold until he reached London.

At some time during the night, he gave up this pursuit and
generously handed over to me half a bottle of Scotch, though
I told him I did not want it.  Much later, one of the cabin
attendants came to me and said that Raj had enquired if he
could have it back for a session with the crew.

As we were getting ready to touch down at Cairo, I
experienced an agonizing pain in my ears.  Nobody had warned
me about this side effect of air travel and it was a relief
when the pain subsided after we landed.

At the airport, several of us disembarked to use the
washroom, and once again, nobody had also warned me about the
dangers of going to an airport toilet alone, late at night.
Of course, they were deserted but I did not think anything of
going in by myself.  When I came out, there was a local guy
(possibly an airport menial) pretending to wash his hands at
a basin.  What the heck was a man doing in a ladies' toilet?!
He had an odd gleam in his eye and a leery smile on his face,
neither of which was reassuring.  Alarm bells began clanging
in my head.  I almost froze.  I still believe it must have
been my guardian angel who grabbed my hand and made me run
out without a backward glance.  Thereafter I was more
careful.

Arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, we learnt that there was a
red alert ('highjack' was just entering the lexicon of air
travel) at the airport, and no passengers were allowed to
alight.  Instead, a uniformed official came on board, gave us
a disarming smile and wished us a polite ‘Good morning’.  The
next instant, his smile evaporated; his eyes narrowed and his
voice had a steely edge as he ordered: 'Your passports,
please.' A chill ran through me and I immediately thought of
all those books I had read on the Third Reich.  The moment
passed and I settled back to reflect 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Stepping beyond Indian soil: rewind to 1970 (Brenda Rodrigues)

[Goanet Reader]

Stepping beyond Indian soil: rewind to 1970

Yeh patloon Englishtani ... Phir bhi dil hai Hindustan
-
These trousers are English ... But even so, my heart is Indian.

By Brenda Rodrigues
brendarodr...@gmail.com
Bandra, Mumbai.

I first saw England in the far distance, from the top of a
hill in the village of Dongri, located in a suburb of Greater
Bombay.  At least, that was what we youngsters were told by
an older cousin who had taken us for a ramble.  I was just
about eight years old, and we children believed him
implicitly.  Even as the others turned and continued their
walk, I stayed back, staring with awe into the distance, just
wondering and wondering.

Later, as a young schoolgirl, I would read repeated forecasts
in the newspapers predicting that I would travel the world.
Living in a family that struggled to make ends meet, we could
not afford to think of a simple holiday, leave alone a
journey abroad -- that was definitely in the realm of the
Impossible.

It was only after I started working that I went on short
excursions to neighbouring Pune and Matheran, and made one
trip to Bangalore in 1968.  For some strange reason though,
one of my school friends, Mida, was quite convinced that I
would indeed travel to many parts of the world, and she kept
telling me so.  Maybe my subconscious mind registered that
implanted thought, accepted it unquestioningly, translated it
into belief...  and eventually I 'created' a reality which
manifested itself in my later years.  Never had I consciously
dared to imagine that I would one day traverse not only the
length and breadth of our own country but also journey to
exotic lands overseas.

'The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'
For me, it all began with a single thought.  It was just
after my birthday in June 1970, that I suddenly got it into
my head that I would like to go to England.  Considering how
rooted I had been in Bombay, it was a most audacious thought.

  Though I had been working for six years, I had not
  saved much, and I recall that my bank account held
  just a little more than I would need.  In those
  days, the return fare to England on Air India cost
  me the princely sum of Rs.5,756.  (I still have the
  receipt.) Of course, with two elder sisters, Lily
  and Mabel, living in England, I did not bother to
  think beyond the cost of my airfare.

We took off from Bombay on 2 October 1970.  It was my first
ever flight.  I can still vividly recall that long torturous
route -- Bombay to Delhi to Cairo to Frankfurt and finally
London.

Interestingly, my travelling companion in Economy class was
none other than the legendary actor, Raj Kapoor, who was
going to London to collect the prints of his film 'Mera Naam
Joker' (Joker Is My Name).  We got to chatting and he was
most impressed by the fact that I could solve crossword
puzzles, which I had carried with me to pass time.  He
attempted one clue but soon gave up.  Instead, he spent the
best part of the journey checking out how much whisky he
could hold until he reached London.

At some time during the night, he gave up this pursuit and
generously handed over to me half a bottle of Scotch, though
I told him I did not want it.  Much later, one of the cabin
attendants came to me and said that Raj had enquired if he
could have it back for a session with the crew.

As we were getting ready to touch down at Cairo, I
experienced an agonizing pain in my ears.  Nobody had warned
me about this side effect of air travel and it was a relief
when the pain subsided after we landed.

At the airport, several of us disembarked to use the
washroom, and once again, nobody had also warned me about the
dangers of going to an airport toilet alone, late at night.
Of course, they were deserted but I did not think anything of
going in by myself.  When I came out, there was a local guy
(possibly an airport menial) pretending to wash his hands at
a basin.  What the heck was a man doing in a ladies' toilet?!
He had an odd gleam in his eye and a leery smile on his face,
neither of which was reassuring.  Alarm bells began clanging
in my head.  I almost froze.  I still believe it must have
been my guardian angel who grabbed my hand and made me run
out without a backward glance.  Thereafter I was more
careful.

Arriving in Frankfurt, Germany, we learnt that there was a
red alert ('highjack' was just entering the lexicon of air
travel) at the airport, and no passengers were allowed to
alight.  Instead, a uniformed official came on board, gave us
a disarming smile and wished us a polite ‘Good morning’.  The
next instant, his smile evaporated; his eyes narrowed and his
voice had a steely edge as he ordered: 'Your passports,
please.' A chill ran through me and I immediately thought of
all those books I had read on the Third Reich.  The moment
passed and I settled back to reflect 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: If you care for Konknni, go by the ground reality... (Pratap Naik, SJ)

[Goanet Reader]

If you care for Konknni, go by the ground reality...

By Pratap Naik, S.J.
pratapnai...@gmail.com

When the Sahitya Akademi of New Delhi gave recognition to
Konknni there was no mention of the script it was to use, in
the minutes.  On 21 November 1981, the Advisory Board for
Konknni, which consisted of a majority of Devanagari
proponents, through their shrewd manipulative skills,
recommended that Devanagari should be the script for Konknni.

Since then, the Sahitya Akademi accepted Devanagari script as
the official script of Konknni.  Konknni speakers, writers
and leaders of various other scripts were not consulted while
taking such a major decision.  There was no public debate to
reach a consensus on this important issue of script. The
entire process was a clandestine exercise of a few.

  Subsequently whenever the question of script was
  raised, the proponents of the Devanagari script
  silenced the voice of their opponents by
  vociferously proclaiming that the Sahitya Akademi
  had recognized Konknni only in Devanagari script!

When Konknni was included in the Eighth Schedule of the
Constitution of India on 20 August 1992 there was again no
mention made of its official script.

The Sahitya Akademi's awards are given exclusively to books
written in Devanagari script.  Sahitya Akademi's recognition
to Konknni first sowed the seed of division among the
supporters of Konknni and supporters of Marathi.  Secondly,
it created a rift between supporters of Devanagari script and
the supporters of other two major scripts of Konknni, namely,
Roman and Kannada scripts.  This gap is widening day by day.

Prior to the recognition, these three groups lived and worked
together with dignity.  The Sahitya Akademi's recognition did
more harm to the unity and harmony of Konknni than good!

In 1985 the Goa Government-founded Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA).
GKA was filled with Devanagari proponents and they
interpreted Konknni to mean Konknni in Devanagari script.

Till 2005, the GKA hardly did anything to fulfill its primary
objective.  In 2005, due to the demands of Roman script
supporters, the Government ordered the GKA to give financial
assistance to books written in Roman script as well.

  Since the inception of the Goa Konknni Akademi, not
  a single Roman script writer has been appointed as
  the President of it.  The Kala Academy stopped
  giving awards to Konknni books written in Roman
  script from 1987.  So far, not a single book
  published in the Roman script has been given a
  Sahitya Akademi award.  Why is the Devanagari lobby
  silent about this injustice?  They used Devanagari
  as a tool to suppress and oppress the minority
  community, to perpetuate their supremacy in the
  field of language and literature and to grab
  awards, felicitations, positions, jobs, power and
  government funds.

On 4 February 1987, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed the
Official Language Bill.  In the Official Language Act (OLA),
under definitions 2(c) it is stated that 'Konkani language'
means Konkani language in Devanagari script. Who created
this deliberate mischief to include the definition for
Konknni?  What was the need to include such a definition?

The main objective of the State Language is to give
preference to native speakers for government jobs. The OLA
is biased towards one section of the Goan community.

In Goa, for the purpose of securing government jobs, a
knowledge of Konknni in the Devanagari script is essential
and the knowledge of Marathi is desirable.  With this policy
those who know Konknni in the Devanagari script and Marathi
are given preference for jobs.

Due to this, the present OLA does not promote unity and
harmony in Goa.  Instead it has created disunity, mistrust
and divisions in Goa.  Prior to the passing of the OLA, the
situation in Goa was much more cordial and friendly.

  It was falsely presumed that Konknni in the
  Devanagari script would promote unity in Goa.  But
  the reality is that the Hindu community continues
  to use Marathi for religious services, education,
  the mass media and in cultural domains.  In Goa
  neither the Hindu community nor the Catholic
  community has fully accepted Konknni in Devanagari
  script.  It is nobody's baby, yet this unwanted
  baby is being artificially kept alive through
  generous grants of the government.

In Goa, Konknni for oral communication and English for
written communication will definitely unite all Goans --
irrespective of their caste, creed and region.  Whatever may
be the medium of instruction, the proponents of Devanagari
script should have demanded from the government to make
Konknni a compulsory subject in schools.  So far they have
not done so.  Why?

  The reason is crystal clear.  As per the OLA,
  

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: If you care for Konknni, go by the ground reality... (Pratap Naik, SJ)

[Goanet Reader]

If you care for Konknni, go by the ground reality...

By Pratap Naik, S.J.
pratapnai...@gmail.com

When the Sahitya Akademi of New Delhi gave recognition to
Konknni there was no mention of the script it was to use, in
the minutes.  On 21 November 1981, the Advisory Board for
Konknni, which consisted of a majority of Devanagari
proponents, through their shrewd manipulative skills,
recommended that Devanagari should be the script for Konknni.

Since then, the Sahitya Akademi accepted Devanagari script as
the official script of Konknni.  Konknni speakers, writers
and leaders of various other scripts were not consulted while
taking such a major decision.  There was no public debate to
reach a consensus on this important issue of script. The
entire process was a clandestine exercise of a few.

  Subsequently whenever the question of script was
  raised, the proponents of the Devanagari script
  silenced the voice of their opponents by
  vociferously proclaiming that the Sahitya Akademi
  had recognized Konknni only in Devanagari script!

When Konknni was included in the Eighth Schedule of the
Constitution of India on 20 August 1992 there was again no
mention made of its official script.

The Sahitya Akademi's awards are given exclusively to books
written in Devanagari script.  Sahitya Akademi's recognition
to Konknni first sowed the seed of division among the
supporters of Konknni and supporters of Marathi.  Secondly,
it created a rift between supporters of Devanagari script and
the supporters of other two major scripts of Konknni, namely,
Roman and Kannada scripts.  This gap is widening day by day.

Prior to the recognition, these three groups lived and worked
together with dignity.  The Sahitya Akademi's recognition did
more harm to the unity and harmony of Konknni than good!

In 1985 the Goa Government-founded Goa Konkani Akademi (GKA).
GKA was filled with Devanagari proponents and they
interpreted Konknni to mean Konknni in Devanagari script.

Till 2005, the GKA hardly did anything to fulfill its primary
objective.  In 2005, due to the demands of Roman script
supporters, the Government ordered the GKA to give financial
assistance to books written in Roman script as well.

  Since the inception of the Goa Konknni Akademi, not
  a single Roman script writer has been appointed as
  the President of it.  The Kala Academy stopped
  giving awards to Konknni books written in Roman
  script from 1987.  So far, not a single book
  published in the Roman script has been given a
  Sahitya Akademi award.  Why is the Devanagari lobby
  silent about this injustice?  They used Devanagari
  as a tool to suppress and oppress the minority
  community, to perpetuate their supremacy in the
  field of language and literature and to grab
  awards, felicitations, positions, jobs, power and
  government funds.

On 4 February 1987, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed the
Official Language Bill.  In the Official Language Act (OLA),
under definitions 2(c) it is stated that 'Konkani language'
means Konkani language in Devanagari script. Who created
this deliberate mischief to include the definition for
Konknni?  What was the need to include such a definition?

The main objective of the State Language is to give
preference to native speakers for government jobs. The OLA
is biased towards one section of the Goan community.

In Goa, for the purpose of securing government jobs, a
knowledge of Konknni in the Devanagari script is essential
and the knowledge of Marathi is desirable.  With this policy
those who know Konknni in the Devanagari script and Marathi
are given preference for jobs.

Due to this, the present OLA does not promote unity and
harmony in Goa.  Instead it has created disunity, mistrust
and divisions in Goa.  Prior to the passing of the OLA, the
situation in Goa was much more cordial and friendly.

  It was falsely presumed that Konknni in the
  Devanagari script would promote unity in Goa.  But
  the reality is that the Hindu community continues
  to use Marathi for religious services, education,
  the mass media and in cultural domains.  In Goa
  neither the Hindu community nor the Catholic
  community has fully accepted Konknni in Devanagari
  script.  It is nobody's baby, yet this unwanted
  baby is being artificially kept alive through
  generous grants of the government.

In Goa, Konknni for oral communication and English for
written communication will definitely unite all Goans --
irrespective of their caste, creed and region.  Whatever may
be the medium of instruction, the proponents of Devanagari
script should have demanded from the government to make
Konknni a compulsory subject in schools.  So far they have
not done so.  Why?

  The reason is crystal clear.  As per the OLA,
  

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: To the Lighthouse (Suresh Kanekar, book excerpt)

[Goanet Reader]

To the Lighthouse

BOOK EXCERPT: GOA, LIBERATION AND THEREAFTER


Suresh Kanekar, a
professor in the US,
reminisces of his life
and times in colonial
Goa, including as a
prisoner of conscience
for half a decade. Here,
he talks of his times
at Aguada. Email contact:
sureshvkane...@yahoo.com

AGUADA WAS infamous for its military prison and famous for its
lighthouse, the revolving beacon of which could be spotted
from miles away, although I never could see it during my long
stay in Aguada. It had previously been a watering place for
ships, hence the name Aguada, agua being Portuguese for
water. Aguada had also been the site of an unsuccessful Dutch
attack against the Portuguese in the seventeenth century.

We were ordered out of the Black Maria and shepherded into an
Indian file, sandwiched at intervals by soldiers with rifles,
accoutered in battle gear and under the command of a
fierce-looking sergeant who barked his orders in a rasping
voice. We entered the fort through the first gate and walked
for a while on level ground before climbing a little to the
second gate that led through an arch to an elevated part of
the fort wherein the prison halls were located.

  Mulgaonkar, Kamat, and I came from Panaji, but I do
  not remember who else came from Panaji.  Some
  prisoners had been brought from Margaon, like
  Shankar Sardesai, a teacher of Portuguese primary
  school, whom I knew because his family had lived in
  the same building as my family did in Fontainhas in
  Panaji.  There was a total of twenty-one detainees
  brought that day to Aguada.  We were escorted into
  a big hall furnished with twenty-one cots, along
  with a long dining table with a few chairs
  sprinkled around it, and a couple of kerosene
  lanterns.  There was a kitchen at one end of the
  hall, with a raised platform with provision for two
  wood fires.  Bordering the kitchen was a water
  closet which could double as a bathing place.

On that first evening, there was a lot of jubilation in the
hall, liberated as we were from the intimidating and
oppressive atmosphere of the police lockups. People met
former acquaintances or friends, and made new acquaintances
or friends. Freedom is a matter of degrees and we were more
free in the Aguada prison than in police custody. For one
thing, we did not have to depend on the convenience of the
guards for our toilet and bathing activities.

We had a makeshift dinner. I had found myself a cot near a
window and had an uneasy first night in Aguada, listening to
the waves colliding against the wall of the fort and also to
the shouts of the sentries. I could not make out what they
were saying, given my poor knowledge of Portuguese, but it
turned out later that they were shouting the Portuguese
versions of Are you alert? (Está alerta?) and I am alert
(Estou alerta) back and forth. The syncopated shouting of
the sentries against the counterpoint of the crashing waves
kept me more alert than I cared to be. Fortunately, these
calls from the sentries lasted only a few days.

On our second day in Aguada, a Portuguese officer came into
our hall and identified himself as Lieutenant Costa Afonso,
commandant of the military garrison of Aguada,  working under
the command of a retired lieutenant who was the commandant of
the fort itself. Kamat was appointed the hall chief and in
the course of their conversation Costa Afonso told Kamat that
when he was in the hall every prisoner had to keep standing.
Some of us, including me, were sitting on cots listening to
the conversation with rapt attention; we had to stand up when
Kamat told us what the lieutenant had said.

The daily monetary allowance for a prisoner was 14 annas, all
of which went into the general fund used mainly to buy
groceries for our meals. Thus we had no money for cigarettes,
toothpaste, and other such personal expenses. Life was very
difficult in these circumstances, especially for smokers.
There was a lot of cadging, and tempers were sometimes frayed.

  We scrounged as best as we could, some of us (not
  me, though) being fortunate enough to have their
  own money to spend.  Fortunately, our financial
  straits ended soon when we received word that our
  daily monetary allowance was increased by fifty
  percent to one rupee and five annas.  This made us
  comparatively wealthy.  Each of us contributed one
  rupee to the joint fund for meals and other
  communal expenses like cleaning items, and had for
  himself five annas for personal expenses.  Smoking
  was no longer a problem.

We organized ourselves into three-member groups for kitchen
duty, with one member designated as the head of the team or
chief cook, culinary prowess being the only 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: To the Lighthouse (Suresh Kanekar, book excerpt)

[Goanet Reader]

To the Lighthouse

BOOK EXCERPT: GOA, LIBERATION AND THEREAFTER


Suresh Kanekar, a
professor in the US,
reminisces of his life
and times in colonial
Goa, including as a
prisoner of conscience
for half a decade. Here,
he talks of his times
at Aguada. Email contact:
sureshvkane...@yahoo.com

AGUADA WAS infamous for its military prison and famous for its
lighthouse, the revolving beacon of which could be spotted
from miles away, although I never could see it during my long
stay in Aguada. It had previously been a watering place for
ships, hence the name Aguada, agua being Portuguese for
water. Aguada had also been the site of an unsuccessful Dutch
attack against the Portuguese in the seventeenth century.

We were ordered out of the Black Maria and shepherded into an
Indian file, sandwiched at intervals by soldiers with rifles,
accoutered in battle gear and under the command of a
fierce-looking sergeant who barked his orders in a rasping
voice. We entered the fort through the first gate and walked
for a while on level ground before climbing a little to the
second gate that led through an arch to an elevated part of
the fort wherein the prison halls were located.

  Mulgaonkar, Kamat, and I came from Panaji, but I do
  not remember who else came from Panaji.  Some
  prisoners had been brought from Margaon, like
  Shankar Sardesai, a teacher of Portuguese primary
  school, whom I knew because his family had lived in
  the same building as my family did in Fontainhas in
  Panaji.  There was a total of twenty-one detainees
  brought that day to Aguada.  We were escorted into
  a big hall furnished with twenty-one cots, along
  with a long dining table with a few chairs
  sprinkled around it, and a couple of kerosene
  lanterns.  There was a kitchen at one end of the
  hall, with a raised platform with provision for two
  wood fires.  Bordering the kitchen was a water
  closet which could double as a bathing place.

On that first evening, there was a lot of jubilation in the
hall, liberated as we were from the intimidating and
oppressive atmosphere of the police lockups. People met
former acquaintances or friends, and made new acquaintances
or friends. Freedom is a matter of degrees and we were more
free in the Aguada prison than in police custody. For one
thing, we did not have to depend on the convenience of the
guards for our toilet and bathing activities.

We had a makeshift dinner. I had found myself a cot near a
window and had an uneasy first night in Aguada, listening to
the waves colliding against the wall of the fort and also to
the shouts of the sentries. I could not make out what they
were saying, given my poor knowledge of Portuguese, but it
turned out later that they were shouting the Portuguese
versions of Are you alert? (Está alerta?) and I am alert
(Estou alerta) back and forth. The syncopated shouting of
the sentries against the counterpoint of the crashing waves
kept me more alert than I cared to be. Fortunately, these
calls from the sentries lasted only a few days.

On our second day in Aguada, a Portuguese officer came into
our hall and identified himself as Lieutenant Costa Afonso,
commandant of the military garrison of Aguada,  working under
the command of a retired lieutenant who was the commandant of
the fort itself. Kamat was appointed the hall chief and in
the course of their conversation Costa Afonso told Kamat that
when he was in the hall every prisoner had to keep standing.
Some of us, including me, were sitting on cots listening to
the conversation with rapt attention; we had to stand up when
Kamat told us what the lieutenant had said.

The daily monetary allowance for a prisoner was 14 annas, all
of which went into the general fund used mainly to buy
groceries for our meals. Thus we had no money for cigarettes,
toothpaste, and other such personal expenses. Life was very
difficult in these circumstances, especially for smokers.
There was a lot of cadging, and tempers were sometimes frayed.

  We scrounged as best as we could, some of us (not
  me, though) being fortunate enough to have their
  own money to spend.  Fortunately, our financial
  straits ended soon when we received word that our
  daily monetary allowance was increased by fifty
  percent to one rupee and five annas.  This made us
  comparatively wealthy.  Each of us contributed one
  rupee to the joint fund for meals and other
  communal expenses like cleaning items, and had for
  himself five annas for personal expenses.  Smoking
  was no longer a problem.

We organized ourselves into three-member groups for kitchen
duty, with one member designated as the head of the team or
chief cook, culinary prowess being the only 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Affordable housing: no easy way out over a vexing problem (Eduardo Faleiro)

[Goanet Reader]

Affordable housing: no easy way out over a vexing problem

Eduardo Faleiro
lokseva...@gmail.com

There is a genuine concern in Goa about the non-availability
of land to the sons of the soil, particularly those belonging
to the lower and middle income groups.  In Panjim and some
other areas, the cost of land may go up to Rs 100,000 per
square metre and in Salcete, Bardez and Tiswadi no land
below Rs. 2000 per square metre is available except perhaps
in some very remote areas.

  The Supreme Court of India has pronounced in
  several judgements that the State has a duty to
  provide adequate facilities for shelter to every
  citizen so that the fundamental right to life is
  meaningful.  In Goa, a special provision under
  Article 371 of the Constitution was sought for this
  purpose.  Neither the Union Government nor the main
  Opposition Party agreed to the demand.  However,
  the State Government itself can take several
  measures to provide affordable housing.

Why are prices of land so high in Goa? One of the reasons is
the large scale purchase of land by outsiders. In July 2007,
Government disclosed in our Legislative Assembly that as per
the records of the Land Registrar, 562 foreigners from 27
countries had bought 21.44 lakh sq mts of land in Bardez
taluka during the previous three years.

In Salcete, within the same period, 482 foreigners from 22
countries purchased 12.44 lakh sq mts of land.  Most of the
other talukas have witnessed a similar sharp rise in the
number of foreigners buying land in Goa.  Morjim is now known
as 'little Moscow' and Arambol might well be named 'little
Tel Aviv'.

According to RBI guidelines, foreigners can acquire immovable
property in India only if the concerned individual has
established a place of business in this country according to
FERA or FEMA, the property is necessary to carry such
business and all applicable laws, rules, regulations and
directions have been duly complied with.  It is reported,
however, that many foreigners evade these requirements.

The National Security Council Secretariat has cautioned that
real estate projects by foreigners in Goa might include drug
trafficking, gun running and prostitution and that some
foreign drug cartels are attempting to turn Goa into a base
for their activities.  Government should scrutinize all land
deals by foreigners and if they find any illegality,
confiscate the property and impose punishment on the offender
and his local associates, if any.

  The economic benefits as well as the social costs
  of tourism need to be evaluated.  It is necessary
  to formulate a development strategy which provides
  employment to our people whilst being less
  dependent on tourism.

Another reason for the high cost of land is inadequate
implementation of the Industrial Policy.  According to the
Goa Industrial Policy, the mission of the Industrial Policy
is above all to create sustainable employment for the local
youth in the State.  This does not appear to have been
achieved to any significant extent, though large tracks of
land and other facilities are provided to industries.

Information Technology enterprises seem to be the most
suitable for the youth of Goa in view of the rather high
literacy rate in this State.  IT industries require smart
work rather than hard physical work.  These are the
industries of the Knowledge Society and they will continue to
grow.

Affordable housing is a most important concern across the
world.  Planning mandates in the United Kingdom have
generated 20 to 30 percent of all affordable units built over
the last decade.  South Africa distributes free plots for
houses to its poorest income group.  Singapore provides
public housing for more than 80 percent of its population.

In India, in Rajasthan for example, the State Government
makes available thousands of houses as well as plots to
people belonging to different income groups.  Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot has proposed that the statutory right to shelter
should be included in the forthcoming Five Year Plan.

In Goa, an Action Plan needs to be drawn to provide
affordable housing to the average Goan.  It will require an
efficient Housing Board, interest rate subsidies and other
financial devices to make housing affordable to all.

(The writer is a former Union Minister).

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Rule of One (Devika Sequeira, in Herald Review)

[Goanet Reader]

Cover story: Rule of One

Devika Sequeira
devikaseque...@gmail.com

An intriguing story has been doing the buzz in media circles
here.  An ambitious new BJP minister from South Goa who
accepted a gift for an official favour received a visit from
a party functionary.  Acting on instructions from the chief
minister, the BJP man asked the embarrassed minister to make
over the 'gifted' amount to the party treasury.

The shamed politician also received a signed receipt for the
Rs 50,000.  Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's admirers --
currently they are legion -- see this as yet another example
of his unimpeachable integrity and resolve to keep his band
in line.  To his critics, these are glaring instances of the
second-time CM's obsessive need to crack the whip to show who
calls the shots.

  After years of fragmented governance (two power
  changes to be precise since Parrikar's 2000-2004
  stint) we have a single power centre and a modicum
  of sanity in administration, a senior bureaucrat
  tells me.  He sees this as good for Goa.  Another
  official who was regularly kicked around in the
  whimsical administrative shifts and reshuffles -- a
  ploy used by most politicians to keep state civil
  servants on a leash -- also expresses relief that
  there is someone in command -- at last.

Surprisingly, the praise for the new chief minister is also
tempered with a large degree of uneasiness among those in his
administration, just four months after his takeover.  At the
core of this is the question of his sincerity to his new
secular avatar given his quiet yet resolute moves to
delegate key institutional positions to men who are deeply
saffron or Saraswat or both, and the extent of his commitment
to the stack of pre-electoral promises.

His body language may have changed, but has his ideology? a
former Congress minister who has rubbed shoulders with
Parrikar for years, asks.  The question is relevant to those
on both sides of the divide.

Among the mostly faceless line-up of new BJP legislators the
politically travelled Vishnu Wagh stands out and is the only
one willing to speak candidly: The chief minister is a far
more accommodating politician than he was earlier, he says.

  I can understand his compulsion on the medium of
  instruction (MoI).  It was a promise he had to
  keep, and some compromise was to be expected. But
  Wagh sees little clarity in Parrikar's MoI decision
  favouring Diocesan schools.  Will it continue or is
  there a time-frame for the assistance?  BJP cadres
  are not happy, he says, and within the RSS there is
  even more resentment over the decision.

Conceding that Parrikar is on tricky gradient on the mining
issue, the BJP MLA says one doesn't get the picture that the
government is tackling it with an iron hand.  The chief
minister's twists and turns on mining in the current session
of the state assembly lend credence to the suspicion that
having used the issue politically to shame and sink the
Digambar Kamat government, the BJP leader is likely to adopt
a far more forgiving approach with the cash-rich mining
marauders now that he is at the wheel.

Don't forget, one of his bureaucrats stresses, that at
least five BJP MLAs (Nilesh Cabral, Ganesh Gaonkar, Subhash
Phaldesai among others) have interests in the iron ore export
business.  Mining and casino funds fuelled a large dose of
the March 3 election campaign and its fallout is showing on
government policy, he says.

One of the biggest advantages of the clear mandate is that
Parrikar can be his own man.  In his previous stint as chief
minister he was hampered by the pulls and counter-pulls of
coalition politics, says UGDP leader Radharao Gracias.  With
the Cabinet in his control and the likes of the Dhavlikars in
check, Gracias expects we'll see more and more of Parrikar
and less and less of his other Cabinet colleagues.  Even a
senior minister like Francis D'Souza, the number two in the
ministry line-up, is hardly seen, he points out.

  Parrikar makes a good administrator, but he is so
  distrusting of his colleagues and their abilities
  to perform in government to the point of being
  contemptuous, Wagh believes.  He looks down on
  others.  I've never seen him taking advice from
  anyone, he says.  The chief minister's compulsive
  need to be in absolute control, vet every file and
  make every decision, is a major irritant for his
  officials.  One of them said he had been waiting
  days for an appointment with the overburdened head
  of government, even though there were urgent
  matters to clear.

With a judicious mix of accommodation and ideology, Manohar
Parrikar has managed to reinvent his political persona
pre-March 3, cultivating the image of a balanced politician
and new-found 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Rule of One (Devika Sequeira, in Herald Review)

[Goanet Reader]

Cover story: Rule of One

Devika Sequeira
devikaseque...@gmail.com

An intriguing story has been doing the buzz in media circles
here.  An ambitious new BJP minister from South Goa who
accepted a gift for an official favour received a visit from
a party functionary.  Acting on instructions from the chief
minister, the BJP man asked the embarrassed minister to make
over the 'gifted' amount to the party treasury.

The shamed politician also received a signed receipt for the
Rs 50,000.  Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's admirers --
currently they are legion -- see this as yet another example
of his unimpeachable integrity and resolve to keep his band
in line.  To his critics, these are glaring instances of the
second-time CM's obsessive need to crack the whip to show who
calls the shots.

  After years of fragmented governance (two power
  changes to be precise since Parrikar's 2000-2004
  stint) we have a single power centre and a modicum
  of sanity in administration, a senior bureaucrat
  tells me.  He sees this as good for Goa.  Another
  official who was regularly kicked around in the
  whimsical administrative shifts and reshuffles -- a
  ploy used by most politicians to keep state civil
  servants on a leash -- also expresses relief that
  there is someone in command -- at last.

Surprisingly, the praise for the new chief minister is also
tempered with a large degree of uneasiness among those in his
administration, just four months after his takeover.  At the
core of this is the question of his sincerity to his new
secular avatar given his quiet yet resolute moves to
delegate key institutional positions to men who are deeply
saffron or Saraswat or both, and the extent of his commitment
to the stack of pre-electoral promises.

His body language may have changed, but has his ideology? a
former Congress minister who has rubbed shoulders with
Parrikar for years, asks.  The question is relevant to those
on both sides of the divide.

Among the mostly faceless line-up of new BJP legislators the
politically travelled Vishnu Wagh stands out and is the only
one willing to speak candidly: The chief minister is a far
more accommodating politician than he was earlier, he says.

  I can understand his compulsion on the medium of
  instruction (MoI).  It was a promise he had to
  keep, and some compromise was to be expected. But
  Wagh sees little clarity in Parrikar's MoI decision
  favouring Diocesan schools.  Will it continue or is
  there a time-frame for the assistance?  BJP cadres
  are not happy, he says, and within the RSS there is
  even more resentment over the decision.

Conceding that Parrikar is on tricky gradient on the mining
issue, the BJP MLA says one doesn't get the picture that the
government is tackling it with an iron hand.  The chief
minister's twists and turns on mining in the current session
of the state assembly lend credence to the suspicion that
having used the issue politically to shame and sink the
Digambar Kamat government, the BJP leader is likely to adopt
a far more forgiving approach with the cash-rich mining
marauders now that he is at the wheel.

Don't forget, one of his bureaucrats stresses, that at
least five BJP MLAs (Nilesh Cabral, Ganesh Gaonkar, Subhash
Phaldesai among others) have interests in the iron ore export
business.  Mining and casino funds fuelled a large dose of
the March 3 election campaign and its fallout is showing on
government policy, he says.

One of the biggest advantages of the clear mandate is that
Parrikar can be his own man.  In his previous stint as chief
minister he was hampered by the pulls and counter-pulls of
coalition politics, says UGDP leader Radharao Gracias.  With
the Cabinet in his control and the likes of the Dhavlikars in
check, Gracias expects we'll see more and more of Parrikar
and less and less of his other Cabinet colleagues.  Even a
senior minister like Francis D'Souza, the number two in the
ministry line-up, is hardly seen, he points out.

  Parrikar makes a good administrator, but he is so
  distrusting of his colleagues and their abilities
  to perform in government to the point of being
  contemptuous, Wagh believes.  He looks down on
  others.  I've never seen him taking advice from
  anyone, he says.  The chief minister's compulsive
  need to be in absolute control, vet every file and
  make every decision, is a major irritant for his
  officials.  One of them said he had been waiting
  days for an appointment with the overburdened head
  of government, even though there were urgent
  matters to clear.

With a judicious mix of accommodation and ideology, Manohar
Parrikar has managed to reinvent his political persona
pre-March 3, cultivating the image of a balanced politician
and new-found 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Affordable housing: no easy way out over a vexing problem (Eduardo Faleiro)

[Goanet Reader]

Affordable housing: no easy way out over a vexing problem

Eduardo Faleiro
lokseva...@gmail.com

There is a genuine concern in Goa about the non-availability
of land to the sons of the soil, particularly those belonging
to the lower and middle income groups.  In Panjim and some
other areas, the cost of land may go up to Rs 100,000 per
square metre and in Salcete, Bardez and Tiswadi no land
below Rs. 2000 per square metre is available except perhaps
in some very remote areas.

  The Supreme Court of India has pronounced in
  several judgements that the State has a duty to
  provide adequate facilities for shelter to every
  citizen so that the fundamental right to life is
  meaningful.  In Goa, a special provision under
  Article 371 of the Constitution was sought for this
  purpose.  Neither the Union Government nor the main
  Opposition Party agreed to the demand.  However,
  the State Government itself can take several
  measures to provide affordable housing.

Why are prices of land so high in Goa? One of the reasons is
the large scale purchase of land by outsiders. In July 2007,
Government disclosed in our Legislative Assembly that as per
the records of the Land Registrar, 562 foreigners from 27
countries had bought 21.44 lakh sq mts of land in Bardez
taluka during the previous three years.

In Salcete, within the same period, 482 foreigners from 22
countries purchased 12.44 lakh sq mts of land.  Most of the
other talukas have witnessed a similar sharp rise in the
number of foreigners buying land in Goa.  Morjim is now known
as 'little Moscow' and Arambol might well be named 'little
Tel Aviv'.

According to RBI guidelines, foreigners can acquire immovable
property in India only if the concerned individual has
established a place of business in this country according to
FERA or FEMA, the property is necessary to carry such
business and all applicable laws, rules, regulations and
directions have been duly complied with.  It is reported,
however, that many foreigners evade these requirements.

The National Security Council Secretariat has cautioned that
real estate projects by foreigners in Goa might include drug
trafficking, gun running and prostitution and that some
foreign drug cartels are attempting to turn Goa into a base
for their activities.  Government should scrutinize all land
deals by foreigners and if they find any illegality,
confiscate the property and impose punishment on the offender
and his local associates, if any.

  The economic benefits as well as the social costs
  of tourism need to be evaluated.  It is necessary
  to formulate a development strategy which provides
  employment to our people whilst being less
  dependent on tourism.

Another reason for the high cost of land is inadequate
implementation of the Industrial Policy.  According to the
Goa Industrial Policy, the mission of the Industrial Policy
is above all to create sustainable employment for the local
youth in the State.  This does not appear to have been
achieved to any significant extent, though large tracks of
land and other facilities are provided to industries.

Information Technology enterprises seem to be the most
suitable for the youth of Goa in view of the rather high
literacy rate in this State.  IT industries require smart
work rather than hard physical work.  These are the
industries of the Knowledge Society and they will continue to
grow.

Affordable housing is a most important concern across the
world.  Planning mandates in the United Kingdom have
generated 20 to 30 percent of all affordable units built over
the last decade.  South Africa distributes free plots for
houses to its poorest income group.  Singapore provides
public housing for more than 80 percent of its population.

In India, in Rajasthan for example, the State Government
makes available thousands of houses as well as plots to
people belonging to different income groups.  Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot has proposed that the statutory right to shelter
should be included in the forthcoming Five Year Plan.

In Goa, an Action Plan needs to be drawn to provide
affordable housing to the average Goan.  It will require an
efficient Housing Board, interest rate subsidies and other
financial devices to make housing affordable to all.

(The writer is a former Union Minister).

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Panjim... working towards a likeable capital (Tallulah D'Silva)

[Goanet Reader]

Panjim... working towards a likeable capital

Tallulah D'Silva
tallulahdsi...@gmail.com

The third edition on NoMoZo (Non-Motorized-Zone) was a huge
success with young enthusiasts -- school and college students
-- landing up at the venue rather early as the Traffic
Police, Corporation of the City of Panjim and volunteers of
Aamchi Panaji hastened to get the area cordoned off, swept
clean and free of cars and two wheelers.

There were more than 2000 people cycling, walking, playing,
chatting and also jostling for space in the unexpectedly
crowded melee.  Little kids on their little cycles, teenagers
in large groups, parents accompanying tiny tots eager to
explore the car free length of road, senior citizens calmly
ambling along, police constables mingling in, the atmosphere
and activities just perfect for a Sunday well spent.

  The idea of a car free space is gaining popularity,
  isn't it?  It simply proves that Panjim and its
  residents are ready and support the
  pedestrianisation of some of its overcrowded
  streets.  18th June Road is an ideal case in point,
  as it is a shopping street and like the rest of the
  city, relatively deserted on weekends and holidays.

That brings us back to the question of why pedestrianisation
is one of the key solutions to the city's ever mounting
traffic congestion.  To understand the city's traffic woes
let us examine threadbare its myriad problems.  What are the
traffic and mobility related issues in our city today?
Here's perhaps a comprehensive list:

Current issues: Increased traffic loads, primarily cars- at
peak times

  Possible reasons: Everybody owns a car or
  motorcycle and prefers to use this to travel to the
  nearest point to hop on to a shuttle bus service.
  High capita income-everybody owns two cars adding
  to city congestion.

Current issues: Narrow roads in city core and heritage areas
causing congestion, widening roads is not possible in old
areas.  Ribandar-Patto junction also gets clogged.  Old
Ribandar road is heavily crowded and movement is slow in the
heritage area.

  Possible reasons: No scope for widening existing
  roads in the city core and outer limits of the city
  bound by river, back waters, khazan lands that
  further constrains expansion

Current issues: Inadequate public transportation

  Possible reasons: City buses ply at a low
  frequency, are often overcrowded and incur long
  waits at bus stops.  Private run buses only cater
  to the lucrative main routes.

Current issues: KTC junction gets clogged with the
intermingling of through traffic and intra city traffic

  Possible reasons: Bridges are small for current
  carrying capacities and the KTC junction is common
  for intra and inter city traffic

Current issues: Most of the major junctions suffer traffic
jams at peak hours and the intermingling of pedestrians,
buses, cars, two-wheelers, ferry users, cyclists.

  Possible reasons: Increase in the number of cars
  and users coming to the city

Current issues: Absence of public transportation in the city core

  Possible reasons: Small size of city population
  does not allow for the introduction of a mass rapid
  transit system like in other large metros.

Current issues: City core is chock-a-block with on street
parking reducing the capacity of the carriage way.

  Possible reasons: No space with residents, traders,
  businesses, taxis, visitors struggling for parking
  space.

Current issues: No pedestrian zones- pavements are
fragmented, road crossings are risky, uniform levels not
maintained- for residents, citizens and pedestrians who walk
across the city core.  No textural surfaces for blind and
disabled citizens to enable easy movement along pavements and
building edges

  Possible reasons: New buildings disregard
  maintaining level pavements to connect adjacent
  edges seamlessly.  City not made disabled-friendly.

Current issues: Improper and inadequate signage for
direction, information and warnings

  Possible reasons: No comprehensive signage both in
  heritage areas as well as business core

Current issues: Lack of proper infrastructure for road
junctions/crossings like zebra crossing, footbridges, traffic
lights, etc

  Possible reasons: Traffic calming measures like
  raised paved areas in level with adjoining pavement
  absent in most parts of the city.

Current issues: Lack of maintenance of stepped streets used
largely by residents and tourists

  Possible reasons: No importance given to these
  traditional walkways perhaps because these lie in
  less prominent areas.

Current issues: Lack of dedicated parking spaces in the city
to ease the parking loads on the street.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Clothing up Goa beyond nationalist, Orientalist, racist frameworks (Jason Keith Fernandes)

[Goanet Reader]

Clothing up Goa beyond nationalist, Orientalist, racist frameworks

A story of how the choice of style makes a difference

Jason Keith Fernandes
jason.k.fernan...@gmail.com

  Released early this year, Wendell Rodricks' book
  *Moda Goa: History and Style*, a work that presents
  a history of Goan costume, clothing and
  accessories, has garnered a good amount of
  unstinted praise from the popular press.  This
  review will not however follow suit, but will
  attempt a more critical position on this work.

To begin with, one should recognize that in having
consolidated the plethora of views on 'Goan' style and
costume, *Moda Goa* has effectively created the foundation
for a discreet line of study; style and costume in the areas
around what has come to be called Goa.  With the lavish
images, and acknowledgement of sources, Rodricks provides
future researchers with a starting point to commence their
discussion of the themes that he attempts to consolidate.

We should also acknowledge that unlike so many other books, a
good number of the images in *Moda Goa* point to the identity
of the individuals, who are otherwise unfairly left without
mention.  However, some credit for this democratic act should
perhaps also be shared with Rajan Parrikar, given that these
acknowledgements accompany Parrikar's photographs in the book.

By popular accounts, *Moda Goa* would in fact live up to its
promise, of presenting a narrative of History and Style.

The book continues the grand tradition of understanding and
writing about Goa that was first established by Goan public
intellectuals in the late nineteenth -century.  Toward that
end, Rodricks must rightly be held to have joined that
company, demonstrating also the continuity of intellectual
traditions that Rodricks is heir to.

  The problem with this tradition however, is that it
  is one that is in severe need of updating in light
  of theories propounded by scholars working outside
  of the narrowly nationalist, orientalist and racist
  frameworks that marked nineteenth century
  scholarship.  Rodricks' work would have benefitted
  immensely had he engaged with contemporary scholarship.

Indeed, had he done so, it is more than likely that Rodricks
would have crafted a remarkably different book.  For example,
Rodricks currently attempts an encyclopedic presentation of
style and design, presenting a narrative of a linear history
of Goan costumes, stretching from the prehistoric to the
contemporary.

The result is a work that is markedly thin in a number of
areas, allowing him to suggest for example, it was the
Emperor Ashoka's Greek wife Helen that 'set the style for
Indian women who continue to drape their saris in much the
same way even today'.  While this may be a part of the story,
failing to mention research that indicates the more
contemporary origins of the story of the sari leaves us with
the idea of a pristine garment that has come down to us.

Contemporary research suggests that the contemporary Indian
sari, along with the blouse and petticoat, was a Victorian
era adaptation in nationalist Bengal, this model being
popularized through Raja Ravi Varma's wildly popular
depictions of brahmanical goddesses.

  Another example is his suggestion that 'The Muslims
  who traded with Goa after the Inquisition was
  lifted wore traditional fez caps' challenging the
  suggestion from scholarship that the fez gained
  popularity in the sub-continent around the time of
  the Khilafat movement, the deliberate adoption of a
  fez cap being a mark of solidarity with the deposed
  Ottoman Sultan-Caliph.

It is possible that, given the general disregard for the
nuances of sub continental histories outside of
British-India, Rodricks is in fact overturning established
scholarship through reading the largely ignored
Indo-Portuguese archive.  However his failure in following
standard academic norms of citations prevent us from
ascertaining if this is the case, or if Rodricks is simply
extending commonsense back into time.

Engagement with this body of research would also have ensured
that at the very least Rodricks would have problematized the
linear history he makes use of. Linear history is eminently
suited to nationalist agendas that see the culmination of
history in the idea citizen for the nation. Once this ideal
citizen has been identified all else is held of dubious
value.

Given that the ideal citizen for the Indian nation is largely
imagined as the upper-caste Hindu, the history that Rodricks
crafts is an upper-caste history that often runs counter to
the evidence that he himself provides.

Thus for example, the departure of groups from Portuguese
controlled Goa, was not necessarily that of Goans, but often
of upper caste groups, especially those who had already,
prior to the arrival of the 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Clothing up Goa beyond nationalist, Orientalist, racist frameworks (Jason Keith Fernandes)

[Goanet Reader]

Clothing up Goa beyond nationalist, Orientalist, racist frameworks

A story of how the choice of style makes a difference

Jason Keith Fernandes
jason.k.fernan...@gmail.com

  Released early this year, Wendell Rodricks' book
  *Moda Goa: History and Style*, a work that presents
  a history of Goan costume, clothing and
  accessories, has garnered a good amount of
  unstinted praise from the popular press.  This
  review will not however follow suit, but will
  attempt a more critical position on this work.

To begin with, one should recognize that in having
consolidated the plethora of views on 'Goan' style and
costume, *Moda Goa* has effectively created the foundation
for a discreet line of study; style and costume in the areas
around what has come to be called Goa.  With the lavish
images, and acknowledgement of sources, Rodricks provides
future researchers with a starting point to commence their
discussion of the themes that he attempts to consolidate.

We should also acknowledge that unlike so many other books, a
good number of the images in *Moda Goa* point to the identity
of the individuals, who are otherwise unfairly left without
mention.  However, some credit for this democratic act should
perhaps also be shared with Rajan Parrikar, given that these
acknowledgements accompany Parrikar's photographs in the book.

By popular accounts, *Moda Goa* would in fact live up to its
promise, of presenting a narrative of History and Style.

The book continues the grand tradition of understanding and
writing about Goa that was first established by Goan public
intellectuals in the late nineteenth -century.  Toward that
end, Rodricks must rightly be held to have joined that
company, demonstrating also the continuity of intellectual
traditions that Rodricks is heir to.

  The problem with this tradition however, is that it
  is one that is in severe need of updating in light
  of theories propounded by scholars working outside
  of the narrowly nationalist, orientalist and racist
  frameworks that marked nineteenth century
  scholarship.  Rodricks' work would have benefitted
  immensely had he engaged with contemporary scholarship.

Indeed, had he done so, it is more than likely that Rodricks
would have crafted a remarkably different book.  For example,
Rodricks currently attempts an encyclopedic presentation of
style and design, presenting a narrative of a linear history
of Goan costumes, stretching from the prehistoric to the
contemporary.

The result is a work that is markedly thin in a number of
areas, allowing him to suggest for example, it was the
Emperor Ashoka's Greek wife Helen that 'set the style for
Indian women who continue to drape their saris in much the
same way even today'.  While this may be a part of the story,
failing to mention research that indicates the more
contemporary origins of the story of the sari leaves us with
the idea of a pristine garment that has come down to us.

Contemporary research suggests that the contemporary Indian
sari, along with the blouse and petticoat, was a Victorian
era adaptation in nationalist Bengal, this model being
popularized through Raja Ravi Varma's wildly popular
depictions of brahmanical goddesses.

  Another example is his suggestion that 'The Muslims
  who traded with Goa after the Inquisition was
  lifted wore traditional fez caps' challenging the
  suggestion from scholarship that the fez gained
  popularity in the sub-continent around the time of
  the Khilafat movement, the deliberate adoption of a
  fez cap being a mark of solidarity with the deposed
  Ottoman Sultan-Caliph.

It is possible that, given the general disregard for the
nuances of sub continental histories outside of
British-India, Rodricks is in fact overturning established
scholarship through reading the largely ignored
Indo-Portuguese archive.  However his failure in following
standard academic norms of citations prevent us from
ascertaining if this is the case, or if Rodricks is simply
extending commonsense back into time.

Engagement with this body of research would also have ensured
that at the very least Rodricks would have problematized the
linear history he makes use of. Linear history is eminently
suited to nationalist agendas that see the culmination of
history in the idea citizen for the nation. Once this ideal
citizen has been identified all else is held of dubious
value.

Given that the ideal citizen for the Indian nation is largely
imagined as the upper-caste Hindu, the history that Rodricks
crafts is an upper-caste history that often runs counter to
the evidence that he himself provides.

Thus for example, the departure of groups from Portuguese
controlled Goa, was not necessarily that of Goans, but often
of upper caste groups, especially those who had already,
prior to the arrival of the 

[Goanet] DEBATE: Revisiting the controversy over Goans in Portuguese-ruled East Africa -- another view

[Goanet Reader]

Revisiting the controversy over Goans in Portuguese-ruled East Africa
-- another view

J. Oscar Correa Noronha
jofr1...@yahoo.com

On reading the editorial page article Goan Fortune Hunters
in E Africa -- Historical Explorations (Herald, Goa, June 1,
2012) I had a very strong sensation of discomfort.  As an
engineer by training, I am oriented to the future, not the
past.  I also have a keen interest in social engineering.  I
understand that one needs a well-grounded perspective of
History, but I am not, neither do I propose to be, a
historian.  With this preamble, let me analyse this article.

A fortune hunter is by definition from Webster A person who
seeks wealth through marriage.  Other extended definitions
and synonyms include: gold-digger, seeker of wealth,
moneygrubber, and self-server.  Further in thesaurus.com, the
visual thesaurus relates the expression to: cheat, cheater,
deceiver, trickster, and beguiler.  None of these has any
positive, edifying connotation, and we just stop short of the
expression scoundrel

I have no difficulty in understanding why Manuel Antonio de
Sousa, and other mercenaries of his ilk should be dubbed
fortune hunters.  Their records are an affront to common
decency, and are a shame to Goa.

  I wonder why Aquino Bragança and Oscar Monteiro are
  dumped in the same bag.  At least Aquino, whose
  mother happened to be a close neighbor of my
  ancestral home, could have initially gone to
  Moçambique in search of better horizons, given the
  limitation of opportunities in colonial Goa.  I
  guess the columnist left Goa and went to live in
  Lisbon for the similar reasons.  Does this make him
  a latter day fortune hunter?  Or does he suggest
  that Aquino moved to Moçambique lured by the
  prospect of amassing political power and may be the
  wealth that comes with it?  We Goans can be proud
  of Aquino and Oscar, for having risked their
  comfort and may be their lives, to fight for ideals
  that they considered larger than themselves,
  whether we agree with them or not.

Let me make it clear at the outset that, in my opinion, there
is an abyssal difference between the vast majority of
Portuguese people, an affable and decent lot as a whole, and
either the fortune seekers in the colonies, or the despots
who have ruled them at home with an iron hand.  As a student,
they, that is the Portuguese, were my hosts for two years.  I
refuse to issue a blanket condemnation or demonize the entire
Portuguese nation, as some of the Goan freedom fighters do.

But it is the coverage given to Bishop Dom Altino Ribeiro de
Santana what leaves me most indignant.  It practically
occupies half the article.

I have the utmost respect for Adrian Hastings, a Professor of
Theology at my alma mater.  Prof Hastings had exposure to
Moçambique, and was instrumental in denouncing the atrocities
there.  I wonder what the connection is between Satyagrahis
in Goa (which Dr.  Hastings did not witness first hand), and
violence in Moçambique, except for the same perpetrating
colonial regime.  What does it have to do with Goan Fortune
hunters in E Africa?

There are some who criticize Dom Altino's term at the
Diocese of Beira.  The columnist states that he (Dom Altino)
was scared and not outspoken enough at the atrocities
committed by the Portuguese neo-fascist administration under
Marcelo Caetano and earlier under Salazar.  We understand
that Dom Altino's tenure at the head of the Diocese was
limited to 10 months, even though he was appointed on
February 19, 1972, and died on February 27, 1973.

The journalist Jose Pedro Castanheira of the Portuguese
Jornal Expresso writes: D.  Altino arrived in Beira at the
height of the crisis of priests from Macuti, detained for
months without bail, under the watch of a military tribunal.
Dom Eurico (Dias Nogueira) remembers that his colleague had a
first heart attack in the course of judicial hearings,
precisely on the day that he was expected to testify.  While
he was talking to some people next to the court room during a
break, he fell flat to the floor with no support to dampen
the fall, and lost consciousness . Recovered, after some
days of rest, Dom Altino was able to make his Court
deposition  --  which, added to those of three other bishops,
led to the Tribunal (possibly military) determine the freeing
of the accused.  This, however, was followed by a new
campaign of agitation against the two priests, by the same
folks who had unleashed the storm.  (Portuguese
counterparts of South African Boers).

The campaign included a motorcade rally the publication in
a local paper and the diffusion of anonymous and insulting
scripts.  The high point was the explosion of a device
(bomb) next to the Bishop's residence, where the two priests
were sheltered. Why in the columnist's article no mention is
made of the prelate's ill health?

The whole tone 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: The A.A. Miracle -- to hell and back is a possible journey

[Goanet Reader]

THE  A.A. MIRACLE: TO HELL AND BACK IS A POSSIBLE JOURNEY

by JP

  'You can take a horse to the water, but you can't
  make him drink'.  Doctors, especially, are loathe
  to use this phrase as they tell their cirrhosis
  patient that he has to stop drinking or else...
  But, there is a certain group of folks, ex-drunks
  so to say, who have an interesting twist to this
  truism.  Sure, you cannot force the horse to
  drink, but we make even a donkey thirsty enough to
  make him want to drink.  These are the members of
  Alcoholics Anonymous, or just 'A.A.'

Some have joined the group understanding the name literally,
thinking it is one place where you can booze quietly without
anyone knowing anything about it.  But once at a meeting
place they realize it is all a very different ball game from
the ones they played at the bars and taverns.

You were made most welcome and asked to take a seat.  And
while you waited, all you got were stories of one speaker
after another sharing the story of his or her life -- to hell
and back.  Not one told you not to drink.  Interestingly, you
were not told to do anything, not even to put your mite into
the collection box which passed around.  This was for members
only.  They wanted nothing from you -- not even your money.

At the end of it all everyone stood up recited some
mumbo-jumbo ending with a loud 'Keep Coming Back -- It Works'.

  And, you were left wondering what the hell was that
  all about.  But something told you that you wanted
  what these folks had, though at the time you could
  not place your finger on it, or spell out what
  exactly it was that they offered you on a platter
  free of cost with no strings attached.

It all started exactly 77 years ago, when two ex-drunks sat
together gaining strength by sharing their weakness for the
bottle and thus helping one another to stay sober just for
that day. This was 10th June, 1935, called Founder's Day of
the group later to be named as 'Alcoholics Anonymous'.

  The two were Bill and Dr.  Bob.  The former a New
  York stockbroker, while the later a surgeon from
  Akron.  At the time they did not know the 'why' of
  why they could not drink like other normal people;
  or, the 'how' of how they could keep sober
  tomorrow.  All they knew was that for just one day
  if two drunks could honestly acknowledge their
  weakness for booze, it would give them the strength
  to stay sober one day at a time.

Soon they began to search for others who felt they too were
prisoners of the bottle and share their own weakness which
was now soon to become their strength. Number 3 was a lawyer
found in a hospital badly battered in his battle against the
bottle. From there on it was a game of 'give and receive':
giving hope to the still suffering alcoholic, and, in turn,
receiving sobriety for one more day.  The idea began to catch
on.  It was the first of its kind -- pyramid sales in its
infancy, selling sobriety for nothing but your own sobriety.

They got the name 'Alcoholics Anonymous' some years later
from the title of their first major publication which was,
and still is, fondly referred to as The Big Book. The
chapters contain the entire philosophy of the movement with a
number of stories appended at the end which makes any active
alkie wonder what makes him different.

  Chapter 5 is the high water mark of the book.  It
  starts with a fascinating observation: Rarely have
  we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed
  out path It then goes on to explain the crux
  of the path they took to gain sobriety, and which
  by now has become the famous 12 step programme.
  This starts with an admission of powerlessness over
  alcohol and culminates in carrying the message to
  the still suffering alcoholic.

Today there are thousands of this fellowship  all over the
world where these ex-drunks meet to share their experience,
strength and hope with each other in order to stay sober,
and to help others to recover from alcoholism. The only
requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

No, there are no dues or fees for membership.  As a matter of
fact one hears innumerable number of stories of members
sharing how they entered because of the free 'tea and snacks'
they got at the meetings. Some of them could not even hold
the cup due to the 'tremors' and was grateful to another
sober member literally giving him a helping hand.

A.A. is self-supporting through their own contributions
received freely from grateful and sober members.  It's a
rather funny organization which deliberately declines outside
contributions.  No cash from even relatives of the grateful
dead.  No  means no, as far as outside contributions are
concerned.

This is one 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Circulars are plenty on mining, but theh situation is untouched -- Claude Alvares

[Goanet Reader]

CIRCULARS ARE PLENTY ON MINING, BUT SITUATION IS UNTOUCHED -- CLAUDE ALVARES

Much was expected from the new government on the issue of
mining in Goa. HERALD spoke to long time anti-mining
campaigner, Dr Claude Alvares to find out what changes have
come about on the ground. Excerpts from  the interview.

Q: How effective  do you think the new government has been
in dealing with the mining issue?

A. They've been passing a circular a week, but the principal
scenario is untouched.  Trucks are coming out from mining
areas without any controls.  Traffic is still blocked.

Q  Then government would argue  it is a transportation
problem, that requires a mining bypass to sort out.

A. I don't know why the government is so bothered about
keeping mining going.  It is as if there is some commitment
of the Goa government to the mine owners to keep the mines
going.  The government of Goa does not know what is coming
out of any mine.  Till today, I can tell you categorically,
whatever activities are taking place, are taking place
without the knowledge of the IBM [Indian Bureau of Mines], or
the department of mines and geology.  It is very clear, there
is no officer on site.  Nothing.  They go once in a way for
an inspection.  So as of now it is a factual thing that ore
is being extracted, and taken out, above environment
clearance limits.

Q. But some mines have been closed down.

  A. Maybe 30-35 out of 90 are closed, as a result of
  our litigation.  Government has not closed a single
  mine.  As a matter of fact, closed mines have
  opened during Parrikar’s rule.  Dinar Tarcar is a
  very famous case.

When Dinar Tarcar reopened after the elections, the Mines
Department said it did not know.  I pointed out that Dinar
Tarcar's mines are on the top of the list of the BJP's PAC
report.  But he is operating.  Nothing is changing.  Mr
Parrikar could have immediately called for the file and asked
how did this happen.  When a government wants to do
something, the government will do it.  But when the
government wants to use some excuse

Q. So what is the status as of now? Do you think the
government is taking action against illegal mining?

  A. I will give you an example of the  Sonshi mines.
  The dump has gone to the height of 90 metres.  30
  metres is permissible.  Till today the mine is
  going on operating.  Now they have closed for the
  monsoons.  And there is an illegal dump 2 km long,
  the biggest in the state of Goa, completely done by
  Sesa Goa, in full view of everybody, in full view
  of all the authorities.  Their license has not been
  revoked, consent has not been revoked.  They have
  destroyed a good amount of forest by making the
  dump.  We've seen it on Google pictures.  The
  forest was there, now there is no forest there.
  Mud has been put on the trees and buried.

Q So what is this thing about the 400 traders having to
re-register?

A. That is to bring some control. Because all these traders
were stealing from here, there, one truck would suddenly
disappear somewhere. This is all because of not having any
control.

The chief secretary's  high powered committee  came out with
a decision last year, that every truck will have a label,
will have this, will have that.  They refuse to implement
anything.  RFID can be manipulated wherever you want.  RFID
is based on you having an officer on the site.

The excise revenue of Goa is nothing compared to mining's Rs
22,000 cr. Yet, there there is an excise inspector posted in
every liquour  producing plant in Goa, they fight over
transfers, officials get shifted out for transferring people.

You can put one official inspector at every mine, on a
strict job that if you find any truck coming out of a mining
lease without  a proper assessment, what is quality and
quantity of ore etc, you lose your job in 24 hours. You could
set up a system if you want.

Q They have divided the issue into legal and illegal mining.

  A. I have said that show me any mine and I will
  show you how they are all illegal.  Somebody is
  operating in brazen violation of conditions laid
  down in the Environment Protection Act.  What is
  it, legal or illegal?

Q. These are called irregularities. Not like in Bellary,
where anyone was just excavating in land that did not have
any permissions to start with.

A. In this business you only create new terms for continuing
the same rubbish. U V Singh said Goa was worse than Bellary.
Somebody taking out twice the amount of ore is just an
irregularity?  Why not see what independent people say?

The government could have set up two committees, one for
North and South Goa. Put 2-3 NGOs on them and give them the
powers to go and visit all the mines. Go in groups, check
their environment clearance, consent terms. If they are in
violation, stop them on the spot.

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Circulars are plenty on mining, but theh situation is untouched -- Claude Alvares

[Goanet Reader]

CIRCULARS ARE PLENTY ON MINING, BUT SITUATION IS UNTOUCHED -- CLAUDE ALVARES

Much was expected from the new government on the issue of
mining in Goa. HERALD spoke to long time anti-mining
campaigner, Dr Claude Alvares to find out what changes have
come about on the ground. Excerpts from  the interview.

Q: How effective  do you think the new government has been
in dealing with the mining issue?

A. They've been passing a circular a week, but the principal
scenario is untouched.  Trucks are coming out from mining
areas without any controls.  Traffic is still blocked.

Q  Then government would argue  it is a transportation
problem, that requires a mining bypass to sort out.

A. I don't know why the government is so bothered about
keeping mining going.  It is as if there is some commitment
of the Goa government to the mine owners to keep the mines
going.  The government of Goa does not know what is coming
out of any mine.  Till today, I can tell you categorically,
whatever activities are taking place, are taking place
without the knowledge of the IBM [Indian Bureau of Mines], or
the department of mines and geology.  It is very clear, there
is no officer on site.  Nothing.  They go once in a way for
an inspection.  So as of now it is a factual thing that ore
is being extracted, and taken out, above environment
clearance limits.

Q. But some mines have been closed down.

  A. Maybe 30-35 out of 90 are closed, as a result of
  our litigation.  Government has not closed a single
  mine.  As a matter of fact, closed mines have
  opened during Parrikar’s rule.  Dinar Tarcar is a
  very famous case.

When Dinar Tarcar reopened after the elections, the Mines
Department said it did not know.  I pointed out that Dinar
Tarcar's mines are on the top of the list of the BJP's PAC
report.  But he is operating.  Nothing is changing.  Mr
Parrikar could have immediately called for the file and asked
how did this happen.  When a government wants to do
something, the government will do it.  But when the
government wants to use some excuse

Q. So what is the status as of now? Do you think the
government is taking action against illegal mining?

  A. I will give you an example of the  Sonshi mines.
  The dump has gone to the height of 90 metres.  30
  metres is permissible.  Till today the mine is
  going on operating.  Now they have closed for the
  monsoons.  And there is an illegal dump 2 km long,
  the biggest in the state of Goa, completely done by
  Sesa Goa, in full view of everybody, in full view
  of all the authorities.  Their license has not been
  revoked, consent has not been revoked.  They have
  destroyed a good amount of forest by making the
  dump.  We've seen it on Google pictures.  The
  forest was there, now there is no forest there.
  Mud has been put on the trees and buried.

Q So what is this thing about the 400 traders having to
re-register?

A. That is to bring some control. Because all these traders
were stealing from here, there, one truck would suddenly
disappear somewhere. This is all because of not having any
control.

The chief secretary's  high powered committee  came out with
a decision last year, that every truck will have a label,
will have this, will have that.  They refuse to implement
anything.  RFID can be manipulated wherever you want.  RFID
is based on you having an officer on the site.

The excise revenue of Goa is nothing compared to mining's Rs
22,000 cr. Yet, there there is an excise inspector posted in
every liquour  producing plant in Goa, they fight over
transfers, officials get shifted out for transferring people.

You can put one official inspector at every mine, on a
strict job that if you find any truck coming out of a mining
lease without  a proper assessment, what is quality and
quantity of ore etc, you lose your job in 24 hours. You could
set up a system if you want.

Q They have divided the issue into legal and illegal mining.

  A. I have said that show me any mine and I will
  show you how they are all illegal.  Somebody is
  operating in brazen violation of conditions laid
  down in the Environment Protection Act.  What is
  it, legal or illegal?

Q. These are called irregularities. Not like in Bellary,
where anyone was just excavating in land that did not have
any permissions to start with.

A. In this business you only create new terms for continuing
the same rubbish. U V Singh said Goa was worse than Bellary.
Somebody taking out twice the amount of ore is just an
irregularity?  Why not see what independent people say?

The government could have set up two committees, one for
North and South Goa. Put 2-3 NGOs on them and give them the
powers to go and visit all the mines. Go in groups, check
their environment clearance, consent terms. If they are in
violation, stop them on the spot.

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Goa needs much more work in the areas of gender and sexuality – Anjali Arondekar (FN)

[Goanet Reader]

Goa needs much more work in the areas of gender and sexuality – Anjali Arondekar

  Anjali Arondekar's work has drawn attention in
  academic circles for some time now, and Goa got a
  chance to listen to her during the December 2011
  conference at the Goa University.  With well-argued
  perspectives and deep scholarship, this Associate
  Professor of Feminist Studies and Literature at the
  University of California, Santa Cruz, makes her
  point without mincing words on contentious issues
  relating to Goa.

Dr Arondekar's research engages the poetics and politics of
sexuality, colonialism and historiography, with a focus on
South Asia.  She has authored For the Record: On Sexuality
and the Colonial Archive in India (Duke University Press,
2009; Orient Blackswan, 2010), and is winner of the Alan Bray
Memorial Book Award for best book in lesbian, gay, or queer
studies in literature and cultural studies, Modern Language
Association (MLA), 2010.  Her second book-project, Margins of
Desire: Sexuality, Historiography, South Asia, is a natural
extension of her interest in the “figurations of sexuality,
ethics and collectivity in colonial British and Portuguese
India”, to use her words.  Excerpts from an e-chat with
FREDERICK NORONHA.

Goa is often projected as a happy example of enlightened
attitudes towards women compared to the rest of South Asia.
Would you accept that logic?

Yes and no.

Why so?
--

Yes, Goa (by comparison to say the state of Rajasthan, to
take a clichéd Northern Indian example!) may indeed provide
better political, social and economic opportunities for
women.

  But such opportunities, as is the case everywhere
  in South Asia, have to be understood within
  interconnected contexts of caste, religion, class
  and of course language.  Also, one should be wary
  of falling into the tourist stereotype of Goa being
  more progressive by virtue of its so-called
  Westernisation (read Christian presence!) and such.
  Goa does indeed have much to celebrate but much
  more work needs to be done in the areas of gender
  and sexuality.

Briefly, how would you explain your own research, specially
its connections with Goa?
--

My research engages the history of colonial and post-colonial
Goa from the vantage of sexuality.

As we embark on a memorialization (albeit with some healthy
historical skepticism) of the events pre and post 1961, I
want to also recall (with similar  skepticism) a different
and equally compelling narrative of liberation.

I want to turn to the liberation (cum grano, of course) of a
devadasi community, the Gomantak Maratha Samaj and its
burgeoning presence in the ranks of power, culture and
capital in  colonial and post-colonial Goa.  A presence, I
would point out, that is spectacularly absent in any account
of Goa.

Even as we speak of the enduring shadow of Portuguese
colonialism and its aftermath, the history of the Gomantak
Maratha Samaj provides  an alternative relationship to the
celebratory embrace of post-colonialism.

  In case your readers think I am about to embark on
  a diatribe against Brahmin despotism and their
  continued exploitation of the Gomantak Maratha
  Samaj, or lambast Goan scholars for ignoring such a
  robust history (all of which is true) let me
  clarify what I mean.  Simply put, I’m interested in
  asking what is gained if we juxtapose the Samaj’s
  history alongside more established historiographies
  of Goa, and what is lost if we fail to do so.

If I understand right, your thesis on the position of the
'devadasis' in Goan society, and what this work meant for
them, quite goes against the received wisdom.  How would you
explain it briefly?
--

  I think my work on the Goan devadasis, specifically
  those who formed the early backbone of the Gomantak
  Maratha Samaj, continues the recuperative work
  being done on Devadasis across India – in the
  states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for example.

  But  instead of merely celebrating Devadasis as
  lost repositories of arts and culture, I am equally
  interested in linking their presence of histories
  of capital, caste and most importantly sexuality.

To put it more simply, can we think of Devadasis in other
terms beyond their doomed attachment to sexuality?

Despite the distance you're located at, you've engaged with
Goan (including diaspora Goan issues) very closely.  What
would you see as the yet-to-be-researched issues dealing with
women in Goa today?

More historical work needs to be done on the role of gender
in  the emergence of Goa as 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Goa needs much more work in the areas of gender and sexuality – Anjali Arondekar (FN)

[Goanet Reader]

Goa needs much more work in the areas of gender and sexuality – Anjali Arondekar

  Anjali Arondekar's work has drawn attention in
  academic circles for some time now, and Goa got a
  chance to listen to her during the December 2011
  conference at the Goa University.  With well-argued
  perspectives and deep scholarship, this Associate
  Professor of Feminist Studies and Literature at the
  University of California, Santa Cruz, makes her
  point without mincing words on contentious issues
  relating to Goa.

Dr Arondekar's research engages the poetics and politics of
sexuality, colonialism and historiography, with a focus on
South Asia.  She has authored For the Record: On Sexuality
and the Colonial Archive in India (Duke University Press,
2009; Orient Blackswan, 2010), and is winner of the Alan Bray
Memorial Book Award for best book in lesbian, gay, or queer
studies in literature and cultural studies, Modern Language
Association (MLA), 2010.  Her second book-project, Margins of
Desire: Sexuality, Historiography, South Asia, is a natural
extension of her interest in the “figurations of sexuality,
ethics and collectivity in colonial British and Portuguese
India”, to use her words.  Excerpts from an e-chat with
FREDERICK NORONHA.

Goa is often projected as a happy example of enlightened
attitudes towards women compared to the rest of South Asia.
Would you accept that logic?

Yes and no.

Why so?
--

Yes, Goa (by comparison to say the state of Rajasthan, to
take a clichéd Northern Indian example!) may indeed provide
better political, social and economic opportunities for
women.

  But such opportunities, as is the case everywhere
  in South Asia, have to be understood within
  interconnected contexts of caste, religion, class
  and of course language.  Also, one should be wary
  of falling into the tourist stereotype of Goa being
  more progressive by virtue of its so-called
  Westernisation (read Christian presence!) and such.
  Goa does indeed have much to celebrate but much
  more work needs to be done in the areas of gender
  and sexuality.

Briefly, how would you explain your own research, specially
its connections with Goa?
--

My research engages the history of colonial and post-colonial
Goa from the vantage of sexuality.

As we embark on a memorialization (albeit with some healthy
historical skepticism) of the events pre and post 1961, I
want to also recall (with similar  skepticism) a different
and equally compelling narrative of liberation.

I want to turn to the liberation (cum grano, of course) of a
devadasi community, the Gomantak Maratha Samaj and its
burgeoning presence in the ranks of power, culture and
capital in  colonial and post-colonial Goa.  A presence, I
would point out, that is spectacularly absent in any account
of Goa.

Even as we speak of the enduring shadow of Portuguese
colonialism and its aftermath, the history of the Gomantak
Maratha Samaj provides  an alternative relationship to the
celebratory embrace of post-colonialism.

  In case your readers think I am about to embark on
  a diatribe against Brahmin despotism and their
  continued exploitation of the Gomantak Maratha
  Samaj, or lambast Goan scholars for ignoring such a
  robust history (all of which is true) let me
  clarify what I mean.  Simply put, I’m interested in
  asking what is gained if we juxtapose the Samaj’s
  history alongside more established historiographies
  of Goa, and what is lost if we fail to do so.

If I understand right, your thesis on the position of the
'devadasis' in Goan society, and what this work meant for
them, quite goes against the received wisdom.  How would you
explain it briefly?
--

  I think my work on the Goan devadasis, specifically
  those who formed the early backbone of the Gomantak
  Maratha Samaj, continues the recuperative work
  being done on Devadasis across India – in the
  states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for example.

  But  instead of merely celebrating Devadasis as
  lost repositories of arts and culture, I am equally
  interested in linking their presence of histories
  of capital, caste and most importantly sexuality.

To put it more simply, can we think of Devadasis in other
terms beyond their doomed attachment to sexuality?

Despite the distance you're located at, you've engaged with
Goan (including diaspora Goan issues) very closely.  What
would you see as the yet-to-be-researched issues dealing with
women in Goa today?

More historical work needs to be done on the role of gender
in  the emergence of Goa as 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Portuguese language in higher education in today's Goa (Delfim Correia da Silva)

[Goanet Reader]

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN TODAY'S GOA

  Delfim Correia da Silva is Director of the Centro
  de Língua Portuguesa/Instituto Camões, at Agva
  House, on Dada Vaidya Road in Panjim, and professor
  at the Goa University.  In this bilingual note
  below, roughly translated into English, he explains
  the position of Portuguese in higher education in
  today's Goa...

Delfim Correia da Silva
clp...@gmail.com

Here we are once again, ready for a new academic year! The
first weeks of June were spent to plan and schedule new
courses that begin today, June 25, at the Centro de Língua
Portuguesa/Instituto Camões in Panjim.

Given space limitations we can only offer two courses till
October, the intensive courses in Portuguese language and
culture, level basic (A2) and pre-intermediate level (B1).

  Also beginning this week at the University of Goa
  is the M.A.  (Master of Arts) in Portuguese.  The
  slight delay was due to extending the deadline for
  admissions granted by the Registrar.  Of the nine
  new candidates, seven passed the change of faculty
  test. Again, this is a positive turn in relation
  to the recent past over the profile of candidates.
  There are more young people in India, and specially
  in Goa, who seek an education at the area of
  Portuguese Studies.

Since the reopening of the Department of Portuguese at the
Goa University in 2005-2006, and the reintroducing of the MA
programme in 2006, there have been already 36 students who
enrolled in this advanced Portuguese Studies program that
exists in the subcontinent of India.  This makes for almost
as many between the creation of the Department in 1987 and
2001, the year that activities were provisionally suspended!
In only six years, some 26 Masters in the Portuguese Language
and Culture left the University of Goa.

We will continue to support, under the protocols and
agreements that have been set up with other institutions in
Goa, courses and activities to promote and dissemination of
the Portuguese Language and Culture of Lusophone Countries,
particularly with Smt. Parvatibai Chowgule College, Margao
and the Goa Institute of Management in Sanquelim.

  Are of now, two Institutions in Goa offer a BA in
  Portuguese.  In addition to St.  Xavier College in
  Mapuça, from the 2012-2013 academic year, the
  Chowgule College opens a BA in Portuguese course,
  and will have the support of a teacher formed at
  the Faculty of Arts, University of Porto.  The
  arrival of the Dr.  Gilda Machado, with a Master's
  degree in the Portuguese Language and a Fernao
  Mendes Pinto-Instituto Camões scholarship, will
  certainly takes things forward in Goa on this front.

I take this opportunity to wish everyone a great academic
year and meaningful professional matters, and for those who
will still enjoy their well deserved summer holidays, best
wishes for a quiet tranquility

* * *


Cá estamos de novo preparados para um novo ano letivo! As
primeiras semanas do início de junho serviram para planificar
e programar os novos cursos que se iniciam hoje, dia 25 no
Centro de Língua Portuguesa/Instituto Camões em Panjim.  Como
é habitual é muita a procura para aprender a Magna Língua
Portuguesa, uma língua especial que cada vez mais está na
moda!

Dada as limitações de espaço só podemos oferecer dois cursos
até outubro, os cursos intensivos de Língua e Cultura
Portuguesa, nível básico (A2) e nível pré-intermédio (B1).

Na Universidade de Goa, também se iniciam esta semana as
aulas do Master of Arts em Português.  O ligeiro atraso
deveu-se ao alargamento do prazo para admissão concedido pelo
Registrar.  Dos 9 novos candidatos, 7 passaram no “change of
faculty test”.  Mais uma vez, é notória uma certa viragem,
relativamente ao passado recente, no que diz respeito ao
perfil dos candidatos.  Há cada vez mais jovens na Índia, e
em Goa em particular, a procurarem uma formação académica na
área dos Estudos Portugueses.  Desde a reabertura do
Departamento de Português na Universidade de Goa em
2005-2006, e a reintrodução do MA em 2006, foram já 36 os
alunos que se inscreveram no mais avançado programa de
Estudos Portugueses que existe em todo o subcontinente
indiano, quase tantos como desde a criação do Departamento em
1987 até 2001, ano em que foram provisoriamente suspensas as
atividades!  Em apenas 6 anos saíram da Universidade de Goa
26 Mestres em Língua e Cultura Portuguesa!

Vamos continuar a apoiar, no âmbito dos protocolos e acordos
que temos com outras instituições em Goa, os cursos e
atividades de promoção e divulgação da Língua Portuguesa e da
Cultura dos Países Lusófonos, designadamente com o Smt.
Parvatibai Chowgule College em Margão e o Goa Institute of
Managment em Sanquelim.

São agora duas as institutições em Goa a 

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Portuguese language in higher education in today's Goa (Delfim Correia da Silva)

[Goanet Reader]

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN TODAY'S GOA

  Delfim Correia da Silva is Director of the Centro
  de Língua Portuguesa/Instituto Camões, at Agva
  House, on Dada Vaidya Road in Panjim, and professor
  at the Goa University.  In this bilingual note
  below, roughly translated into English, he explains
  the position of Portuguese in higher education in
  today's Goa...

Delfim Correia da Silva
clp...@gmail.com

Here we are once again, ready for a new academic year! The
first weeks of June were spent to plan and schedule new
courses that begin today, June 25, at the Centro de Língua
Portuguesa/Instituto Camões in Panjim.

Given space limitations we can only offer two courses till
October, the intensive courses in Portuguese language and
culture, level basic (A2) and pre-intermediate level (B1).

  Also beginning this week at the University of Goa
  is the M.A.  (Master of Arts) in Portuguese.  The
  slight delay was due to extending the deadline for
  admissions granted by the Registrar.  Of the nine
  new candidates, seven passed the change of faculty
  test. Again, this is a positive turn in relation
  to the recent past over the profile of candidates.
  There are more young people in India, and specially
  in Goa, who seek an education at the area of
  Portuguese Studies.

Since the reopening of the Department of Portuguese at the
Goa University in 2005-2006, and the reintroducing of the MA
programme in 2006, there have been already 36 students who
enrolled in this advanced Portuguese Studies program that
exists in the subcontinent of India.  This makes for almost
as many between the creation of the Department in 1987 and
2001, the year that activities were provisionally suspended!
In only six years, some 26 Masters in the Portuguese Language
and Culture left the University of Goa.

We will continue to support, under the protocols and
agreements that have been set up with other institutions in
Goa, courses and activities to promote and dissemination of
the Portuguese Language and Culture of Lusophone Countries,
particularly with Smt. Parvatibai Chowgule College, Margao
and the Goa Institute of Management in Sanquelim.

  Are of now, two Institutions in Goa offer a BA in
  Portuguese.  In addition to St.  Xavier College in
  Mapuça, from the 2012-2013 academic year, the
  Chowgule College opens a BA in Portuguese course,
  and will have the support of a teacher formed at
  the Faculty of Arts, University of Porto.  The
  arrival of the Dr.  Gilda Machado, with a Master's
  degree in the Portuguese Language and a Fernao
  Mendes Pinto-Instituto Camões scholarship, will
  certainly takes things forward in Goa on this front.

I take this opportunity to wish everyone a great academic
year and meaningful professional matters, and for those who
will still enjoy their well deserved summer holidays, best
wishes for a quiet tranquility

* * *


Cá estamos de novo preparados para um novo ano letivo! As
primeiras semanas do início de junho serviram para planificar
e programar os novos cursos que se iniciam hoje, dia 25 no
Centro de Língua Portuguesa/Instituto Camões em Panjim.  Como
é habitual é muita a procura para aprender a Magna Língua
Portuguesa, uma língua especial que cada vez mais está na
moda!

Dada as limitações de espaço só podemos oferecer dois cursos
até outubro, os cursos intensivos de Língua e Cultura
Portuguesa, nível básico (A2) e nível pré-intermédio (B1).

Na Universidade de Goa, também se iniciam esta semana as
aulas do Master of Arts em Português.  O ligeiro atraso
deveu-se ao alargamento do prazo para admissão concedido pelo
Registrar.  Dos 9 novos candidatos, 7 passaram no “change of
faculty test”.  Mais uma vez, é notória uma certa viragem,
relativamente ao passado recente, no que diz respeito ao
perfil dos candidatos.  Há cada vez mais jovens na Índia, e
em Goa em particular, a procurarem uma formação académica na
área dos Estudos Portugueses.  Desde a reabertura do
Departamento de Português na Universidade de Goa em
2005-2006, e a reintrodução do MA em 2006, foram já 36 os
alunos que se inscreveram no mais avançado programa de
Estudos Portugueses que existe em todo o subcontinente
indiano, quase tantos como desde a criação do Departamento em
1987 até 2001, ano em que foram provisoriamente suspensas as
atividades!  Em apenas 6 anos saíram da Universidade de Goa
26 Mestres em Língua e Cultura Portuguesa!

Vamos continuar a apoiar, no âmbito dos protocolos e acordos
que temos com outras instituições em Goa, os cursos e
atividades de promoção e divulgação da Língua Portuguesa e da
Cultura dos Países Lusófonos, designadamente com o Smt.
Parvatibai Chowgule College em Margão e o Goa Institute of
Managment em Sanquelim.

São agora duas as institutições em Goa a 

[Goanet-News] Confessions of a Timeshare Marketeer (Open Magazine)

[Goanet Reader]

Confessions of a Timeshare Marketeer

If you lose your client in those 90 minutes, he will never come
again. The money has to be emotionally coerced out of him

My job is to sell timeshare holidays. After our call centre zooms in
on potential customers, we invite them for a short presentation. I get
90 minutes to convince them. I deal with three such clients a day.

They are normally couples with children in tow. There is a huge market
among the middle and upper middle class who can spare Rs 4-6 lakh for
a timeshare.

Once I settle them down, I chitchat for a while and that gives me a
fair idea of how gullible they might be. I ask them casually about
their last holiday. I focus on their negative experiences and give a
list of reasons why it wouldn’t happen in our resorts.

Then I ask about their dream holidays. And then give them the spiel of
getting a three- or five-star holiday for as little as Rs 4,000 a
year. Once the wife perks up, it’s time to move in for the kill and
show them an apartment.

When we come back to the office, I can sense they are converting
rupees to dollars. That’s when I get the manager for the final kill.
He tells them he is willing to give it at a special on-the-spot
discount. This is the make-or-break moment. If you lose your customer
in those 90 minutes, you can be sure he will never come again. The
downpayment has to be emotionally coerced out of him then and there.
We give him incentives like paying in EMIs, etcetera.

Some get hooked, others don’t. One client told us he would come back
next year. The manager immediately told him: “I don’t believe you.
Only two men said they will come back—Jesus Christ and Arnold
Schwarzenegger.’’ I have heard that stale line so many times but for
appearance’s sake, I join in the laughter. We tell them this offer is
up for grabs only now.

At this point, many walk away and I keep hoping the next one signs up.

+++

(This marketing professional has three years experience selling
timeshares in Goa)

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/confessions/confessions-of-a-timeshare-marketeer

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: Just Matata, a review by Aamera Jiwaji (Awaaz, Nairobi)

[Goanet Reader]

Extract from April 2012 Issue. Awaaz Magazine, Nairobi, Kenya

Just Matata
Author: Braz Menezes
Publ: Matata Books (291pp)  e-book
Reviewer: Aamera Jiwaji

When I was a child, I would play with a group of eight
colourful barrels, each marginally smaller than the next,
fitting one into the other in sequence, starting with a tiny
pink one and ending with a large blue one.  Reading *Just
Matata* by Braz Menezes was like playing with the barrels.

*Just Matata* is book one in the Matata trilogy.  Each
chapter can stand alone as a short story.  And within each
chapter there are beautifully phrased extracts that capture a
facet of human nature in a gentle and insightful manner.  One
barrel fitting into the next, and then the next...
Discovering these small gems was just one of the delights in
what is a truly enjoyable reading experience.

In looking back to the arrival of Chico Menezes in Kenya and
tracing his family's life through the eyes of his eldest son
Lando, *Just Matata* speaks to being a Kenyan of Indian or
South Asian origin.  It offers the opportunity to look back
and reflect on what Kenya was like nearly 100 years ago,
critically examine, what has and has not changed in the
country, and compare it to our contemporary lives and
routines.

This is the broad stroke of Menezes' book and it communicates
the overarching theme that is the coming together of two
cultures that are joined by the Indian Ocean.  The idea is
captured by Menezes in his opening extract taken from The
Tree of Life: 'When cultures fuse Together We call it the
Tree of Life The Tree that nurtured You Has been transplanted
in a new Land Each sapling will send out its own Roots And
adapt in order to Survive.'

The merging of cultures is an experience that can never be
the same for two people or two families but reading Lando's
story allows us to reflect on how our own Indian cultures
have been moulded by our host country, regardless of whether
we live in Kenya or elsewhere in the world.

The smaller insights developed by the narrative are just as
poignant, such as the short, simple sentence at the start of
chapter 9, In 1948 I can walk to the ends of my world in
just minutes which offers an extraordinary glimpse into the
life of young Lando.

  Menezes also engages with all five of the senses
  when he is writing and the combined effect by the
  end of a chapter, let alone the end of the book, is
  vividly intense.  My personal favourites are the
  car ride to Nakuru and Kericho, and the sea voyage
  to Goa.  These enhance the relationship that is
  built between the reader and Lando, and we are
  encouraged to see and experience everything as he
  did, down to the tangy taste of the mango masala
  that he and his best friend Jeep enjoy at Ali's
  kiosk.

As the narrative builds, the link between the reader and
Lando does too.  Events and activities are no longer
described in a leisurely manner, which detracts from the
detail and intensity of feeling that was central to the
beginning of the book, and while the word Matata was peppered
through the first three quarters of the book, serving as
breadcrumbs to the development of the plot and adding spice
to the read, the references disappear altogether towards the end.

These stylistic changes alter the rhythm and speak to Lando's
feelings of anxiety and alienation.  And this continues to
enhance the close identification that has developed between
the reader and Lando.  'More persons in more parts of the
world consider a wider set of possible lives than they ever
did before’ simply because through media products they are
offered the opportunity to engage with different social
scenarios in a vicarious manner,' says Dr Arjun Appadurai
(1996), a social cultural anthropologist.

  *Just Matata* is Lando's story -- that doesn’t
  change.  But because Menezes builds a strong
  relationship between the reader and the narrator,
  we are able to vicariously engage with the
  different social scenarios that Lando experiences,
  and his growing up, his awareness of the country of
  his birth and the country of his cultural roots,
  and his journey of self discovery, gradually become
  our own.

--
[This book is also available in Goa, copublished by Broadway
Book Centre and Goa,1556 goa1...@gmail.com]

[Goanet] Confessions of a Timeshare Marketeer (Open Magazine)

[Goanet Reader]

Confessions of a Timeshare Marketeer

If you lose your client in those 90 minutes, he will never come
again. The money has to be emotionally coerced out of him

My job is to sell timeshare holidays. After our call centre zooms in
on potential customers, we invite them for a short presentation. I get
90 minutes to convince them. I deal with three such clients a day.

They are normally couples with children in tow. There is a huge market
among the middle and upper middle class who can spare Rs 4-6 lakh for
a timeshare.

Once I settle them down, I chitchat for a while and that gives me a
fair idea of how gullible they might be. I ask them casually about
their last holiday. I focus on their negative experiences and give a
list of reasons why it wouldn’t happen in our resorts.

Then I ask about their dream holidays. And then give them the spiel of
getting a three- or five-star holiday for as little as Rs 4,000 a
year. Once the wife perks up, it’s time to move in for the kill and
show them an apartment.

When we come back to the office, I can sense they are converting
rupees to dollars. That’s when I get the manager for the final kill.
He tells them he is willing to give it at a special on-the-spot
discount. This is the make-or-break moment. If you lose your customer
in those 90 minutes, you can be sure he will never come again. The
downpayment has to be emotionally coerced out of him then and there.
We give him incentives like paying in EMIs, etcetera.

Some get hooked, others don’t. One client told us he would come back
next year. The manager immediately told him: “I don’t believe you.
Only two men said they will come back—Jesus Christ and Arnold
Schwarzenegger.’’ I have heard that stale line so many times but for
appearance’s sake, I join in the laughter. We tell them this offer is
up for grabs only now.

At this point, many walk away and I keep hoping the next one signs up.

+++

(This marketing professional has three years experience selling
timeshares in Goa)

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/confessions/confessions-of-a-timeshare-marketeer

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Just Matata, a review by Aamera Jiwaji (Awaaz, Nairobi)

[Goanet Reader]

Extract from April 2012 Issue. Awaaz Magazine, Nairobi, Kenya

Just Matata
Author: Braz Menezes
Publ: Matata Books (291pp)  e-book
Reviewer: Aamera Jiwaji

When I was a child, I would play with a group of eight
colourful barrels, each marginally smaller than the next,
fitting one into the other in sequence, starting with a tiny
pink one and ending with a large blue one.  Reading *Just
Matata* by Braz Menezes was like playing with the barrels.

*Just Matata* is book one in the Matata trilogy.  Each
chapter can stand alone as a short story.  And within each
chapter there are beautifully phrased extracts that capture a
facet of human nature in a gentle and insightful manner.  One
barrel fitting into the next, and then the next...
Discovering these small gems was just one of the delights in
what is a truly enjoyable reading experience.

In looking back to the arrival of Chico Menezes in Kenya and
tracing his family's life through the eyes of his eldest son
Lando, *Just Matata* speaks to being a Kenyan of Indian or
South Asian origin.  It offers the opportunity to look back
and reflect on what Kenya was like nearly 100 years ago,
critically examine, what has and has not changed in the
country, and compare it to our contemporary lives and
routines.

This is the broad stroke of Menezes' book and it communicates
the overarching theme that is the coming together of two
cultures that are joined by the Indian Ocean.  The idea is
captured by Menezes in his opening extract taken from The
Tree of Life: 'When cultures fuse Together We call it the
Tree of Life The Tree that nurtured You Has been transplanted
in a new Land Each sapling will send out its own Roots And
adapt in order to Survive.'

The merging of cultures is an experience that can never be
the same for two people or two families but reading Lando's
story allows us to reflect on how our own Indian cultures
have been moulded by our host country, regardless of whether
we live in Kenya or elsewhere in the world.

The smaller insights developed by the narrative are just as
poignant, such as the short, simple sentence at the start of
chapter 9, In 1948 I can walk to the ends of my world in
just minutes which offers an extraordinary glimpse into the
life of young Lando.

  Menezes also engages with all five of the senses
  when he is writing and the combined effect by the
  end of a chapter, let alone the end of the book, is
  vividly intense.  My personal favourites are the
  car ride to Nakuru and Kericho, and the sea voyage
  to Goa.  These enhance the relationship that is
  built between the reader and Lando, and we are
  encouraged to see and experience everything as he
  did, down to the tangy taste of the mango masala
  that he and his best friend Jeep enjoy at Ali's
  kiosk.

As the narrative builds, the link between the reader and
Lando does too.  Events and activities are no longer
described in a leisurely manner, which detracts from the
detail and intensity of feeling that was central to the
beginning of the book, and while the word Matata was peppered
through the first three quarters of the book, serving as
breadcrumbs to the development of the plot and adding spice
to the read, the references disappear altogether towards the end.

These stylistic changes alter the rhythm and speak to Lando's
feelings of anxiety and alienation.  And this continues to
enhance the close identification that has developed between
the reader and Lando.  'More persons in more parts of the
world consider a wider set of possible lives than they ever
did before’ simply because through media products they are
offered the opportunity to engage with different social
scenarios in a vicarious manner,' says Dr Arjun Appadurai
(1996), a social cultural anthropologist.

  *Just Matata* is Lando's story -- that doesn’t
  change.  But because Menezes builds a strong
  relationship between the reader and the narrator,
  we are able to vicariously engage with the
  different social scenarios that Lando experiences,
  and his growing up, his awareness of the country of
  his birth and the country of his cultural roots,
  and his journey of self discovery, gradually become
  our own.

--
[This book is also available in Goa, copublished by Broadway
Book Centre and Goa,1556 goa1...@gmail.com]

[Goanet] Goanet Reader: Goa -- regulatory collapse on mining (excerpts from the Human Rights Watch report)

[Goanet Reader]

Goa Case Study: Regulatory Collapse and its Consequences

Background

  Goa is far better known for the two million
  vacationers who throng its beaches every year than
  for its iron mines.  But starting just a few
  kilometers inland from its coastal resorts, the
  state has about 90 working mines that yielded some
  45 million tons of iron ore in 2010 -- 20 percent of
  India's total.

Goan iron was worth well over Rs 21.5 crore (US$5  billion)
in 2011 and production has skyrocketed in recent years in
response to rising global prices.

State government officials estimate that the mining industry
directly employs some 20,000 people and indirectly supports
the livelihoods of tens of thousands more.

Goa is a tiny state and many of its mines are clustered
closely together and directly adjacent to nearby communities.
The local industry is dominated by three large firms that all
have their roots in the state: Fomento, Salgaocar and Sesa
Goa; the last of which was acquired by mining giant Vedanta
in 2007.

A Total Lack of Governance

The mining industry in Goa stands as a stark example of the
broader patterns of regulatory collapse described later in
this report.  Goan anti-mining activists complain that mine
operators flout the law while government institutions plagued
by incompetence, incapacity or corruption stand by and do
nothing.

Surprisingly, when Human Rights Watch put these allegations
to key state government and industry officials, many
acknowledged that they were true.  A senior official with one
of Goa's top three mining companies, speaking on condition of
anonymity, put it this way:

  There is a total lack of  governance in the mining
  sector.  The government has no idea what is going
  on  Absent a real change in governance, there
  will just be more corruption and more chaos from
  year to year.

An official in Goa's own mines department complained to Human
Rights Watch that the state and central governments' approach
to oversight of the mining sector was lethargic to an
extreme.

Even mining industry spokesman S. Sridhar estimated to Human
Rights Watch that 40 percent of all mining operations in Goa
fail to comply with at least some laws and regulations and
that perhaps another 5 percent is entirely illegal, taking
place on land miners have no right to work on.  The
remaining mining is done legally, he said.

Then Goa Environment Minister Alexio Sequeira told Human
Rights Watch he thought the true figures were less alarming
but added, He [Sridhar] should know better than me.

P.S. Banerjee, general manager for Fomento, one of Goa's big
three mining companies, told Human Rights Watch that his
company's own operations were meticulous in adhering to the
letter of the law.  But speaking of the industry more
broadly, he said that Mining in Goa works in shades of gray.
The problem is not just legal versus illegal mining, but
there is a huge gray area in between and that is the most
important issue. Banerjee described this approach to the law
euphemistically as creative compliance.

But in practical terms, creative compliance simply means
non-compliance that government regulators fail to detect or
respond to.

Failure to Track Basic Indicators of Compliance
Consent to Operate

On paper, Goa's Pollution Control Board has the
responsibility to verify whether mining companies (and other
industries) are complying with India's air and water acts.

  Those laws are important tools to help ensure that
  mines do not cause serious harm to human health and
  the environment.  But in practice, the board is
  ineffectual and carries out little meaningful
  oversight activity of mining or any other industry.
  As of late 2011, the board had only 16 technical
  staff to oversee the environmental and
  pollution-related practices of the entire mining
  industry as well as of every other business in the
  state -- including even visiting cruise ships.

Then, Goa Environment Minister Alex Sequeira was dismissive
of the board's oversight role, calling it a mere post
office that did little more than ferry paperwork between the
central government and operations based in Goa.

But in principle, the board is one of Goa's key  oversight
institutions.  It has the power to conduct surprise
inspections, including of mine sites, and to shut down
operations that do not maintain consents to operate issued by
its staff -- but it does not have the manpower to do either
of these things.  Board Chairman Simon DeSousa told Human
Rights Watch that with his office's small staff, We are
handicapped.  It is impossible to oversee all these
industries.

Perhaps worse, Dr. DeSousa admitted to Human Rights Watch
that he had no idea whether mining firms and other companies
were bothering to maintain the consent to operate from his
own office they are legally 

[Goanet-News] Goanet Reader: A Vatican II generation priest looks back... at Goa and the Church

[Goanet Reader]

 universe of outer space; or
through a cataclysmic disintegration.  In each possibility he
saw that the critical factor was the same: the confrontation
between East and West.

  But John viewed this confrontation uniquely. He did
  not see it as a facing off of Christ with
  Antichrist, nor of religion with anti-religion.
  Looking beyond the obvious externals, he saw that
  in East and West, and in the new nations of Africa
  and Asia, men were building a self-contained,
  man-dominated, self-satisfied ethos of human
  behavior -- which could only lead to an aseptic
  hell on earth.  With many another modern thinkers,
  John saw the modern dilemma as one of moral
  dimensions.  His pain came from the fact that
  Christianity was taking such a small part in
  solving this dilemma. (Inside the Council, 1963, p14)

In his opening address to the Second Vatican Council, Pope
John XXIII said, As regards the initiative for this great
event which gathers us here, it will suffice to repeat as
historical documentation, our personal account of the first
sudden welling up in our heart and lips of the simple words
Ecumenical Council ...  It was completely unexpected, like
a flash of heavenly light shedding sweetness in eyes and
hearts.  And, at the same time, it gave rise to a great
fervor throughout the world in expectation of the holding of
the Council.

His words also reflected his hope for renewal of the Church.
We feel we must disagree with those prophets of gloom who
are always forecasting disaster, as though the end of the
world were at hand...  The Council now begins in the Church
like daybreak, a forerunner of most splendid light.  It is
now only dawn, and already at this first announcement of the
rising day, how much sweetness fills our heart.

He released the hitherto long suppressed ambiguous forces of
creativity and dissent from below and mobilized them from
above to update and transform the Catholic Church in the
Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

This is the key principle for the total renewal of a society
or institution: not an orderly, deductive (top-down) process
as Pius XII tried through his 46 encyclicals during his
nineteen year pontificate, nor a merely inductive (bottom-up)
process which revolutionaries believe in, of overthrowing the
government from below and then forming a new government
that oppresses the people from above. Rather, the
groundswell of creative forces from below once released
have to be held together by a credible, participative
leadership from above.

  Otherwise, as Michael Gorbochev, learned to his
  everlasting dismay, the groundswell will explode
  into numerous fragments like the Soviet Union did.
  Pope John XXIII and his successors, to a greater or
  lesser extent, have taught the world this
  fundamental process of social transformation:
  release the creative forces from below but hold
  the groundswell from above through a credible,
  participative leadership.

###

Goanet Reader is edited and compiled by Frederick Noronha.