Re: [Goanet] [Goa Research Net] The Goan tailor
Selma, The tailoring business among Goa's Catholic shudra caste appears to have been inherited from the pre Christian past. Among the Hindus in Goa there is a sub caste called shimpi which is corruption of the word shiumpi(tailor). Even in England in the old days the seamstress was low down in the social scale, for reasons which are not very clear. In present day Goa there are lot of changes. Now that tailoring is lucrative business a good number of people from the upper caste have joined the occupation. They are not called tailors but fashion designers! Likewise those members of the upper castes who cut hair are not barbers but hair stylists or hair dressers! Its a matter of record that lowly Goan tailor taught the rest of India to dress western style. Similarly, the Africans were also taught to dress western style by Goan tailors. In East Africa the tailors were not admitted into the upper class Goan Society and even membership of clubs was barred for them. However, there was a tailors society of Goa with St.Francis Xavier as the patron saint. As the Goans left East Africa a former client of mine by name Piedade Fernandes of Mungul, Margao, brought back the large statue of St.Francis Xavier from Kenya and the same is now venerated at the Grace Church, Margao. Radharao F.Gracias On Thu, Aug 1, 2013 at 3:58 PM, Alfred de Tavares alfredtava...@hotmail.com wrote: Quite easily done, Selma, Compare him (they are mostly women now) to his contemporary brother(s). cousins other near ones in the familyif, he...she, have moved into the niches of their creation without them. AT Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 11:53:17 -0700 From: ericpin...@yahoo.com To: goa...@goanet.org Subject: [Goanet] [Goa Research Net] The Goan tailor - Forwarded Message - From: Carvalho elisabeth_...@yahoo.com To: goa-research-net Dear members, I would appreciate any light you can shed on the status of the Goan tailor in Goa, including the level of formal education he might have, what his traditional caste status would have been and if he endured similar ostracisation in Goa. Best wishes, Selma Many thanks, Selma __._,_.___ . __,_._,___
[Goanet] Fr.Victor Ferrao's There were no Hindus in Goa before Portuguese landed I have been following the debate and an article on the same by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati may help throw light on the
*Yoga and** the Words Hindu and Hinduism** by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati *SwamiJ.com http://www.swamij.com/index.htm* * http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm Index of sections below: Yoga, Hinduism and Physical Fitnesshttp://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#yoga Usages of the words Hindu and Hinduismhttp://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#usages Africanism, Americanism, and Europeanismhttp://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#africanism Confusing the Part and the Whole http://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#part Quotes about Hindu and Hinduismhttp://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#quotes Dates of Hinduism http://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#dates Wikipedia on Hinduism http://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#wikipedia Rethinking religion in Indiahttp://www.swamij.com/hindu-word.htm#rethinking *YOGA , HINDUISM AND PHYSICAL FITNESS* It is extremely useful for the modern practitioner of authentic, traditional Yoga to be aware of two major diversions from traditional Yoga as a system of pursuing the depth of pure consciousness (atman, purusha or whatever name you choose to refer to that consciousness). One diversion is the now common and incorrect view that Yoga is a physical fitness program, rather than a process of moving towards the realization of the unity (Yoga) of the individual and the universal consciousness. This is addressed in the article Modern Yoga versus Traditional Yogahttp://www.swamij.com/traditional-yoga.htm . The other diversion is the view that Yoga is but one aspect of a religion known as Hinduism.* Modern Yoga practitioners and teachers often face the assertion by people in their community that they are practicing or teaching Hinduism. However, few of these modern Yoga practitioners realize that it is extremely questionable whether there even exists a singular, unified religion known as Hinduism. Rather than being religious, the word Hindu historically was a geographic, social, and cultural term. The Indic history is one of tremendous diversity of principles and practices, and has only recently in history been invented into the concept of a single, homogenized religion called Hinduism. If there is, in fact, no unified religion known as Hinduism, then it can hardly be accurately claimed that Yoga is part of that religion, much less that Yoga itself is a religion. (See also the paper by Dr. Arvind Sharma on an Indic contribution towards understanding the word religionhttp://www.swamij.com/religion-indic-sharma.htm ) *Please note that the explanations given here are with great respect, admiration and love for the Hindu people and culture, as well as acknowledging that there are a wide range of indigenous spiritual or religious views and practices within the geographic region. *USAGES OF THE WORDS HINDU AND HINDUISM* The words Hindu and Hinduism are described in different ways by different people. The origins and usages of the terms are not universally agreed upon. As you'll see in the references below, Hindu and Hinduism have been variously used to describe one or another of culture, geography, or religion. Some say that the terms were not used by the indigenous people until fairly recently in history, brought on by foreign peoples and governments, not their own evolution. Many say that the original collective term used for the diverse teachings of this region of the world is Dharmahttp://www.swamij.com/sanatana-dharma-what-is.htm or Sanatana Dharma http://www.swamij.com/sanatana-dharma-what-is.htm. There is some impetus in the world today to advocate these terms, either along side of, or instead of the terms Hindu and Hinduism. Yet, it is also useful to know and bear in mind that some advocates of the words Hindu and Hinduism can be very aggressive towards those who are not, but instead prefer the concept of Dharma. This aggression can be strongly experienced by practitioners of pure non-theistc yoga, which is not necessarily linked with or promoting of any of the various sects of deity worship. *AFRICANISM, AMERICANISM AND EUROPEANISM* A comparison that should clarify the situation is to consider that Hindu has historically related to a geographic region. Then reflect on the geographic regions of Africa, America (including north, central, and south), and Europe (or any other region of the world). Imagine for a moment that somebody tried to talk to you about religions known as Africanism, Americanism and Europeanism. Anything that had ever been done in Europe, for example, in the name of spiritual or religious practice throughout human history would be lumped under one umbrella religion which had various denominations, sects or orders of Europeanism. So too, all of the practices done by any of the historical peoples in the Americas would be considered to be part of the Americanism religion. Imagine you live in the United States or Canada and somebody asks you Why does your religion practice human sacrifice? Just because some people have done this in the
Re: [Goanet] Was there any tea plantation in Goa during colonial times?
There appears to be no record whatsoever to indicate that tea was ever planted on a commercial scale in Goa. However, there is record of coffee plantation. According to A.B.Braganca Pereira (Ethnography of Goa, Daman Diu page 154 Large scale coffee plantations are found in Sattari). The Book written sometime in 1940 details all the crops grown in Goa and tea is not mentioned. It may be noted that in recent times hybrid heat resistant varieties of tea plants have emerged and I have myself seen such plantations in Siliguri in West Bengal where the weather is as hot as in Goa. I myself have a two year old potted tea plant which seems to grow well. Attached hereto is the photograph of my tea plant On Sat, Jun 1, 2013 at 1:18 PM, eric pinto ericpin...@yahoo.com wrote: - Forwarded Message - From: alan machado Tea needs an elevated and cool region and so is grown in some places on the inland slopes of the western ghats- Kelagur and a few other estates- very limited unlike coffee. Goa does not have this climate though I read some where of some wild coffee bushes- perhaps some experiment Further inland to the south east you get the higher Nilgiri mountains where tea is grown extensively. Then you go to the Himalayas- Assam and Darjeeling. That's it for India Alan Machado Thanks to Frederick Noronha. --- On Sat, Jun 1, 2013 at 9:51 AM, William Robert Da Silva wrote: There was once a D(eputy) C(ommissioner), Mangalore, in undivided South Kanara, a researcher in his own right while in bureaucratic harness. His name: H. L. Nagegawda. He translated as many as possible European travellers' -logue into Kannada in many volumes, called 'Pravaasi kann'da Indiaa.' You have material there on Coffee and Tea as discussed by travellers. He also wrote a monograph, Bet'ttadinda bat'ttalige (From Ghat to Glas), the story of divine elixir, kavveh of the Ethiopeans; and chai of Chinese (this latter partly). Later he turned to folklore and established a Folklore Museum, singlehanded. It is worth a visit. In Western ghats, besides Nilgiris, there is Kelaguru and Meguru; Kellaruuruu Matthias's cultivated tea; I have visited and passed days in their estate, celebrating Eucharist in their private chapel, in 1970s. I have also seen the Tea picking, Two leaves and a bud'; the process of various types of tea, until the 'dust tea' is left - famous in south India, cooked with milk, ginger, etc. and drunk. It is not merely boiled but cooked! This tea is called KeLgur Tea.' William -- Forwarded message -- From: Mário Moura Dear My name is Mário Moura, I am a PHD History sudent, I was born, raised and live in Azores, Saint Michael's Island, Portugal as I am completing a seminar on tea production and exportation in the ancient colonial portuguese empire, I wonder if you know if tea has been grown in Goa or elsewhere? Mário Moura __._,_.___ . __,_._,___
Re: [Goanet] Tradition of Mhar or Zudev celebration on 23rd June every year
Kill the Jew is part of the historical anti Jewish tirade of Christianity. The practice was observed in Goa on 23rd of June, i.e. on the eve of the Feast of St.John the Baptist. The date is significant and relates to the imprisonment and beheading of St.John the Baptist by King Herod of the Jews. Kill the Jew is reprisal for the slaying of St.John the Baptist ! On Sat, Jun 1, 2013 at 12:40 AM, Alfred de Tavares alfredtava...@hotmail.com wrote: Eric, I think there is an inadvertant miss' infra, as our jc would say... Should'nt it rather be 'mar'. 'Mhar' is a cobbler or bamboo-worker by profession which, lamentably, places the group as untouchable---casteless; Whereas, 'mar' is (to) kill; 'mar zudev/zudev mar' thus rendering it as kill (the) Jew. Although casteless, there was never any bitterness/animosity vs the shoe- or baset- makers, in Goa, unless, woebegone, one of them dared enter a Hindu brahmin house through the front door, enter a Hindu temple by whichever door or even cross the shadow of a H. brahmin, however tainted the later may be... Oh...I forgot, if the poor devil dared use a village well...he/mostly, she was done for. Chacha...trying to impress (a bit) on his knowledge of 'castology'. Date: Thu, 30 May 2013 22:58:05 -0700 From: ericpin...@yahoo.com To: joego...@yahoo.co.uk; goanet@lists.goanet.org Subject: [Goanet] Tradition of Mhar or Zudev celebration on 23rd June every year Kill the Jew ! The practice is banned. Israel had issued a formal protest to the Foreign Ministry several years ago. The government in Goa then responded.eric. On the 23rd June every year, a day before Sao Joao, we also celebrated 'mhar' or 'zudev', an old man made up of straw (with pant, shirt, shoes, hat etc) sitted on a chair, we carried him house to house where we used these pidde to hit or strike the ground saying 'Mhar re, Zud re, ku, ku, ku'. This was a tradition in salcette, don't know it's significance though (Zudev also mean Judev).
Re: [Goanet] sale of vanxim islando
On Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 10:57 PM, Ana Maria Fernandes amferns_n...@hotmail.com wrote: Some readers are not aware that the church is a registered body registered under society act of 1860 under which all religious property is registered. This society has ordinary members and exccutive members and the entire property which you and i donate is the property of this society and the society is free to do what it wants and the people of vanxim are not the owners of this property. It is the idea of this society to convert most of the churches into five star so that if the church of goa crumples down like in the west then they can make money selling those edifices and you and i have no control over the same. That is the reason the church ins interested in building crux de milagres a 20 crore project which they can sell tomorrow for thousands of crores and the members can be rich over night. Many of the priests are not even aware that there is a society existing poor fellow. This is the hidden agenda of the church and many people pour money at the cruz milagres project. Quo vadis dominio. I am going back to calvary to die on the cross and this time my own people will crucify me. I am not jumping into multiple religions. all religions lead to same God the Father I do not agree that the church is governed by the Registration of Societies aUnfortunately for us Tct.It is governed by Regulamento das Confrarias an act of Portugese Parliament still in force in the state .The church is not empowered to sell any land under the said law. It can only lease it for short periods. Unfortunately for us the church isabove the law .IN case anyone is willing to test the position I am willing to help.
[Goanet] Cry, the beloved country
CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY By: Radharao F.Gracias Goa and Karnataka are two States, severely indicted by the Justice M.B.Shah Commission, for illegal mining. The loss to Goa is quantified, at Rs.35,000 Crores. The environmental damage is immeasurable, irreparable. Both in Karnataka and Goa, the BJP is in power. And yet, there is a huge difference in the action taken on the report, by the two States. In Karnataka, the Reddy brothers who were ministers in the BJP Government, were forced to resign, offences registered against them, both arrested and are presently in custody. No Court has granted them bail. In Goa no offence has been registered and each and every mine owner indicted by the Shah Commission, struts around, in full public view. In fact, one of the major players in the illegal mining business, recently, accompanied the official delegation of the Goa Government to participate in the “Semana da Cultura Indo-Portuguesa” in Lisbon. And this man, had the temerity, to demean the State and the nation publicly by painting a grim picture of the country in the presence of the Indian Ambassador and the Deputy Chief Minister of Goa. If only this man’s surname was Gracias or D’Souza or similar, he would be branded anti national and an offence registered against him for sedition, or at least, the Hindutva Brigade would be on the streets, demanding action! And this is the same man, who owns a beach resort off Panaji, where all Congressmen converge, the moment there is a crisis in that Party. And it is the same beach resort, a part of which was ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court. The then Chief Minister introduced legislation to overcome the Supreme Court Judgment. And it is the only legislation that was not opposed by the Opposition, during the term of the last Assembly. And the counsel, who drafted the legislation is now among the top Law Officers of the Country. He may even represent the State, in the petition against mining, pending before the Supreme Court. The destruction, wrought in the Talukas of Quepem, Sanguem, Bicholim and Sattari, in particular, is immense. Goa, which forms less than a fraction of one percent of the country’s total land mass exports sixty percent of the country’s iron ore. How long can it be sustained? And instead of being remorseful, the perpetrators are using every tool, legal and political to resume mining and complete the destruction of Goa. If you look at the list of those involved, you will find one mining house whose scion, a vice president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Another has his wife, a hardcore contributor to the RSS. Another has a grandfather upon whom Padma Shree was conferred by the Government of India. And yet another one is the descendant of a Viscount. And these are the people who condemn the Portuguese, with little or no provocation. And yet, these same people are relying on the mining concessions issued by the Portuguese, three quarters of a century ago to continue to over-mine and undermine Goa, at the same time. Why should these mining concessions, not be abolished altogether? If the Portuguese were bad, so are their mining concessions. After all, they were exploiters, we are regularly told. The Hindutva Brigade, does not spare an opportunity to cry, for Bharat Mata. The entire mining belt, is currently under the political stranglehold of the BJP, with each constituency being represented by that party. All the sarpanchas, in these areas owe allegiance to the BJP and all the sarpanchas and all the MLAs are cumulatively working, to resume mining on the ostensible ground, that the livelihood of the people is affected. But, how long will the mining last? At the current rate of exploitation, perhaps not more than ten years. And, after that where will the livelihood come from? And where will the people live, after the land is destroyed? And the Hindutva brigade is only demanding resumption of ‘legal’ mining. But, where is the scope for ‘legal’ mining after the Shah Commission has confirmed that all mining in Goa is illegal? Consider, what happened in 1962. The Chinese attacked India on the northern borders and are since occupying, several thousand square kilometers of our territory. Today, our ‘patriots’ are demanding, that they be permitted to continue to export, iron ore to China. It would be an irony, when (not whether) China attacks India again. The planes, tanks, howitzers and whatsoever will be made from iron ore exported from Goa, by our ‘patriots’. The difference between Goa and Karnataka, is that the illegal mining barons in Karnataka, are languishing in jail. But in Goa, we deal differently with our law breakers who have amassed huge wealth. Sometimes we make them members of delegations to foreign countries. But if you want to see who they are, please stand outside the gates of Raj Bhavan, 19th December late afternoon. All these ‘patriots’ whose surnames mostly end
[Goanet] avocado
Dear Rico, The avocado seems to grow pretty well in Goa without any particular care. I have two of the plants in my garden, which began yielding last year but did not flower this year. I have two neighbours Manuel Godinho and David Dias both of whom have trees in full yield this year. If you come to Margao you could just visit the clinic of Dr.Ricardo Telles along Abade Faria Road where you will find the tree in full fruit. However, it appears that the trees come as male, female or a combination of both. The former two will not fruit if grown singly or two of the same type. The same problem is noticed with nutmegs. Hence, the best option is to go for a graft. Radharao F.Gracias
[Goanet] (no subject)
*DENATIONALISED? WHO? ME OR YOU?* * * *Goa in the 1970’s*: The Catholic male dressed in western style, with shirt tucked in and shoes on the feet. The female would wear dress or unisex apparel. The hair could be short or long, styled in different fashions. Earrings, could be any fancy design. The Catholic, was vehemently pro Konkani, but education was invariably in English, was sports oriented, football being the main passion. Recreation meant western music and western dance, movies Indian or western/teatro. Food omnivorous and drink, essential. The Catholic Bahujan Samaj worked as seamen (Tarvotti) or in the “Gulf”. To study or work abroad, was a matter of pride. The Catholics had imbibed many of the characteristics of western culture, through their interaction with the Portuguese. The detractors of the community coined the derisive term “denationalised” to describe the Catholic Community. The Hindu in Goa, resolutely refused to give up any aspect of pre Portuguese Goan culture. Strangely, post liberation the Hindu gradually changed. The dhoti which was the quintessence of Hindu dress was given up and replaced by the trouser-shirt however, the shirt or bu-shirt was always worn over the trousers. Shoes were never worn, only chappals. The female dressed in saree, hair worn long and always plaited. Nose rings were mandatory and earrings meant rings and nothing else. The Hindu spoke Konkani but studied in Marathi. Food was largely vegetarian. Sports was not much of a concern. Recreation meant Hindi films or Indian music/natak. The Hindus stuck to Goa and rarely went abroad. The Hindu Bahujan Samaj were small time traders/motor cycle pilots. The behaviour was typically Indian. And so, the Hindu was “nationalist”. The Catholic and Hindu communities in Goa, could thus be easily differentiated and identified at a glance. *Goa 2012* : Today, it is impossible to distinguish a young Catholic and a Hindu Goan. Every male wears the shirt tucked in the trousers and has shoes on the feet (Manohar Parrikar may be the only exception). Food is omnivorous, drink universal. The saree has disappeared. It is now western style jeans or Islamic style salwar kameez. (Ironically, the Missionaries of Charity may soon be the only Indians seen in a saree) Music is regae/rap or some western contortion in desi imitation. The nose ring is a distant memory and earrings are anything but rings. The hair plaits are untangled. In my own neighbourhood, I meet sons of local barbers, masons and goldsmiths, who are working as seamen, doing the same work and eating the same food that the Catholics have done for ages. All in all, it is impossible to distinguish a Catholic from a Hindu, which by itself, is hugely welcome. Today, practically every well to do Hindu takes pride in saying, “mazo cholo/chali Amrikek xikta”. And, that includes the cream of the Hindutuva brigade not excluding the Chief Minister. How did this situation come about? Why did the Hindu who so strongly stuck to his dhoti during Portuguese rule give it up post liberation? Why has the Hindu now so unequivocally accepted the lifestyle that the Catholics had adopted centuries ago? Why has the Hindu opted to be “denationalised”? The answers to these questions are simple. Functional superiority of western lifestyle is prevailing over the superstitions and fake beliefs held so dear by our ancestors and which the Portuguese compelled those who embraced Christianity to give up. Today, Goa is emerging as a cohesive, cultural entity because everyone else is now accepting the Catholic way of life. It is for this reason that Indians from elsewhere are flocking to Goa because Goa represents a window to the west, which has emerged from the superstitions and false beliefs that keeps the rest of the country backward. The Goan propensity to adapt to any environment is what has enabled Leander Paes to represent India, and Siona Fernandes to represent New Zealand at London Olympics, Zeno Rodrigues to Captain the Mexican Hockey Team at Mexico 1968, Trevor Fernandes to represent the USA at Los Angelos 1984 and Steven Pereira to carry the Canadian Flag at Beijing 2008. By far, the Goan Catholics have assimilated seamlessly and merged with the local environment wherever they have settled, from London to Swindon, from Lisbon to Melbourne. The Goan Catholic is not “denationalised” but “universalised”. The others are following in their footsteps. The Ram Sena decision to set up a Goa unit is possibly in the context of the fact that all Goans are now getting “denationalised”. If Pramod Mahadik comes to Goa, he may not have to wait for fourteenth February. Every day in Goa, is Valentine’s Day.
[Goanet] Great Goans
*GREAT GOANS* * * By: Radharao F.Gracias * * This last week, saw the death of Gracias Saldanha, undisputedly the richest Goan, in the world. At the time of his death, he was ranked 69thon the list of richest Indians, with a net worth of 805 million dollars, according to Forbes. No other Goan figures, in the list. He was low profile and not surprisingly, there was very little mention of him, in the Goan media. At the time of his death, he was Chairman Emeritus of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, a company, headquartered in Bombay, he founded with his pension fund in the year 1977. The company now, has drug manufacturing units in Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Goa and elsewhere. Glenmark has a presence in ninety five countries of the world. Saldanha earlier worked, with leading pharmaceutical companies like Abbott Laboratories and E Merck and was an MSc from Bombay University, with a diploma in management studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. His Business Profile reads: “Gracias Saldanha is another reclusive billionaire. This 70-year-old is the owner of Glenmark, one of India’s top pharmacy firms where he has clocked over four decades. The real difference between him and other pharmacy billionaires is his quest for drug discovery. He is betting big money not just on generic drugs, but also ensuring that he can find some new stand-alone products. This is a risky, expensive bet and could determine the kind of legacy he leaves the industry. His other push is acquisitions, with the latest being a Czech drug firm last year. Very little is known about his personal interests, but it is believed that he has a fondness for art and is also a collector of antiques.” Besides, pharmaceuticals Saldanha’s other interest was horse raising and “Game to Remember” a horse owned by him, won the upper division of the confucious plate, for horses, five years and over in Bangalore the day he died. Gracias Saldanha made the health of the nation, his priority and wealth followed. Saldanha hails from Saligao (where else? The village seems to have an uncanny ability to produce great men), and he still owns his ancestral house. Glenmark is now headed by his son Glen Saldanha. As Saldanha bloomed in Mumbai, the second richest Goan in the world, is flying high in Malayasia. Anthony Francis Fernandes, is the fifteenth richest man in Malayasia, with a net worth of 650 million dollars according to Forbes. Tony, as he is generally known, is the son of Dr.Steven Fernandes from Carxeta, Velim, Salcete, who married a Malacca Kristeng (descendants of christians from the former Portuguese colony of Malacca, where the body of St.Francis Xavier was initially buried after he had died in Sancian, China). Tony studied at Eton and later graduated from Epsom College. After working for Virgin Atlantic and Warner Music Group, he decided, to start a budget, no frills airline. He was advised by the Malayasian Government, to take over Air Asia, the heavily indebted and failing airline. Pulling all his resources, after mortgaging his house he took over the airlines and as others laughed at him, turned it around and today it is the most successful airline in South East Asia. He is also into hoteliering and has started a hotel chain, Tune Hotels which like his airlines is a no frills concept, with hotels in Malayasia and Indonesia. True to his Goan roots, he is into sports and is president of the ASEAN Basketball league. He is also into Formula car racing and is the owner of Lotus Racing F1 Team. And he has done something that every Goan should be proud of. He is now the chairman of Queens Park Rangers (QPR) holdings having purchased sixty six percent of the shares. He thus becomes the first Goan to own a football team in the English Premier League, which is an incentive for Goans to shift their allegiance from Manchester United to QPR. Fernandes has been honoured by King of Malaysia with title Tan Sri http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_title, Dato' Srihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malay_title and also by the government of France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France with the Legion d'Honneur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legion_d%27Honneur Order. In 2011, Tony Fernandes was awarded a CBE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBE or Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to promote commercial and educational links between Malaysia and the UK. He has won innumberable awards including the 2010 Forbes Asia Businessman of the Year. From the success of these two Goans, it is evident, that a Goan has to go out, to go on. And, it is equally clear, that one can achieve huge wealth through honest hard work, something which cannot be said about the super rich in Goa, who have amassed huge wealth, in one of two ways, namely, rampant destruction of the environment through dubious mining or real estate activity. And these are classified, as the patriotic
[Goanet] Press Note
UNITED GOANS DEMOCRATIC PARTY 2nd Floor, Casa dos Aliados, Abade Faria Road, Margao, Goa. * * * * Date: 18th July, 2012 * * *PRESS NOTE* * * The long delayed report of the Shah Commission which has severely indicted RSS Activist and former Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, is a surprise to no one. As said before, appointment of Commission of Enquiry is like going to the toilet. First there is a sitting then there is a report and finally the matter is dropped. It is almost certain that small fry in the mining department, would be sacrificed and the big fish will continue to thrive, in the cesspool of corruption. The Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, will look upon the report as an opportunity, to settle scores with Digambar Kamat, for having betrayed him and brought him down, as Chief Minister, not very long ago, and later usurped the chair. However, the RSS roots of Digambar Kamat will save him, as historically, the RSS has always protected its pracharaks, no matter what their political colour is. Moreover, most of the mine owners who are responsible for the corruption are either directly linked with RSS or are their financiers. Hence, the Shah Commission Report is going to be flushed down and end up in the septic tank, as happens after the use of a toilet. (RADHARAO F.GRACIAS) Vice President - UGDP
[Goanet] A High Court for Goa
*A High Court for Goa* Goa had the first High Court in the entire continent of Asia, with jurisdiction, over the scattered Portuguese empire in the east. Liberation, produced a demotion from the High Court to the Court of Judicial Commissioner. Upon persistent demands, a sop, by way of Bench of the Bombay High Court was set up at Panaji. The same interests, which had worked in vain, for the merger of Goa with Maharashtra, have this last quarter century, succeeded in denying a High Court for Goa. In the year 1992, I had raised the issue of our own High Court in the Legislative Assembly. The proceedings went something like this: Radharao Gracias: Will the Hon’ble Minister for Law be pleased to state what is the stand of the Government on a High Court for the State? Luisinho Faleiro (Law Minister) : The Government. .. Dr.Kashinath Jhalmi (interrupting): Goa is not mature for a High Court. Radharao Gracias : What was the stand of the previous Government on the issue? Luisinho Faleiro (after going through the papers) : The previous Government had written to the Union Government demanding a High Court for the State. Radharao Gracias : Who was the Law Minister at that time? Luisinho Faleiro : Dr.Kashinath Jhalmi Radharao Gracias : How could Goa which was mature for the High Court few months back when Dr.Jhalmi was the Law Minister, suddenly become immature now? All hell was let loose. Dr.Jhalmi lost his cool and hurled a paper weight at me. He had been thoroughly exposed and could not take it. The same hypocrisy still endures. The opinion poll verdict was against merger with Maharashtra. How come Goa has been judicially merged with Maharashtra? It is complete contempt of the verdict of 16th January, 1967, and a negation of democracy. Goa can be a full fledged State only after it has all the three organs; the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. The arguments of the detractors is that there are no competent persons in the State capable of being appointed to the High Court. The one reality is that Goa has efficient, competent and honest judicial officers as good as any in the country. Two Goans (Justice G.D.Kamat Gujarat and Justice Ferdino Rebello Allahabad) have become Chief Justices of other States. Several Goans have become justices on the Supreme Court of our former colonial masters Portugal including a Chief Justice. But no Indian has ever been found fit to be appointed to the higher judiciary in Britain. And the other reality is that we also have inefficient, incompetent and corrupt judicial officers as bad as any in the country. Unfortunately, I am not Shanti Bhushan to name them. I may have to exchange my black coat for the black Maria, if I do. Our national motto may be “Truth alone triumphs”, but the law says “Truth is no defence”. You and I have to abide by the law. Goa’s judicial merger with Maharashtra has only enabled Maharashtrians and others, to grab judicial positions in the State. Some fifteen non Goans have been appointed to the Goa judiciary (even without basic knowledge of Konkani) while only one Goan, has found favour in the Maharashtra judiciary, over the last twenty five years. Today, I am informed, even peons and orderlies at the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court are brought over from Maharashtra. Are there no Goans, fit even to be peons and orderlies? Recently, Congress Spokesperson, Abhijeet Manu Singhvi, so amply demonstrated the process and the procedure for the appointment of judges elsewhere, in the country. Do those who insist that Goa should not have its own High Court desire, that judges appointed by the Singhvi procedure be posted in Goa? Goans must be proud of the fact that so far not a single judge has been appointed in Goa with the intercession of Singhvi or his procedure. There was a great opportunity for our own High Court, when Ramakant Khalap became the Union Law Minister. He naturally opposed the move, after all, he is a Maharashtrawadi, now in Congress garb. Presently, Shantaram Naik has moved a Bill in the Rajya Sabha for our own High Court. Shantaram for certain, is genuine. No dispute on that. Perhaps, he is also the only Congressman in Goa. But does the Congress in Delhi care for him? I hope it does. For the sake of Goa. By: Adv.Radharao F.Gracias
[Goanet] traffic safety: weak
*Traffic Safety: Weak* By Adv.Radharao F.Gracias * * Goa has just celebrated another traffic safety week, which has been more unsafe than any other, so the record seems to indicate. What is it that makes our roads, so unsafe and our drivers so reckless? May be, the answer lies in the sudden wealth, that everyone in Goa seems to be now accumulating along with disdain for the law. I was traveling, through Sri Lanka a few years ago. Our vehicle crossed a level crossing, in Colombo and to my disbelief, it was not manned. I could not comprehend, how it could be so, in the capital city of the country. More over, the country, was in the midst of an armed conflict with the LTTE and there were road barricades, all over. And yet no barricade at the level crossing. Here in Goa, in my own village, we have been disadvantaged by the railway line for more than a century. Crossing the railway line has become even more difficult, with the advent of the Konkan Railway. The railways, refuse to provide a level crossing on the ground, that it incurs recurring expenses, to pay the personnel manning the gate. On my return journey in Colombo, I was particularly keen, to see, how traffic at the unmanned level crossing proceeded, trouble free. The answer was awaiting. The traffic had formed an orderly queue, on either side of the track. There was no traffic barrier so much a part of a manned level crossing in our country. There were only traffic lights. And the motorists respected them. No recurring expenses whatsoever. The traffic lights are linked, to the signal for the train and work in perfect harmony. And so, do the motorists. One cannot even imagine, slightest of respect for traffic lights here in Goa. The pedestrian, in the west is a motorist, who has just parked his car. He respects the pedestrian and the motorist possibly because, both are one and the same. Here, in Goa a motorist is a pedestrian, who has just purchased a car. He, then comes to own the road. And does not remember, that he ever was a pedestrian. Woe, to anyone crossing his path. The pedestrian is more likely, to end up as an obituary reference, in the local newspapers with the refrain “died under tragic circumstances”. Traffic circumstances, would perhaps be more appropriate. The procedure for obtaining a driving licence is clearly outlined, in the Motor Vehicles Act. Anyone, desiring to obtain a licence for a two wheeler is required, to make an “8” along the width of a standard road. I remember, in my school days, it was quite an ordeal and licence seekers would practice for hours together and still fail, to make the “8” at the first trial. However, now there is an option, in case one cannot make an “8” on the road. The alternative, is to make a “1000” in the pocket of the Motor Vehicles Inspector conducting the test. Your licence will reach your home, before you do. These days almost everyone, seems to prefer the latter option. S.Krishnamma an Englishman of Indian origin overcomes the harshness of the English winter by making his home in Majorda. He narrated to me an interesting experience on our roads. He was traveling on a narrow road when an on coming vehicle bleeped the lights, and so my friend proceeded, since in England the one who bleeps concedes the right of way. He almost ended in a collision. In India, it is the other way round. It seems that in India everything is the other way round. --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php ---
[Goanet] many liberations
*MANY LIBERATIONS* * * Goa has suffered many liberations down the ages, some mythical, some historical. The earliest recorded goes back into pre history. The Kshatriyas stole Kamdenu, the wish fulfilling cow, belonging to the father of Parashuram, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, so goes the tale. Aggrieved, Parashuram vowed vengeance and wielding his axe, fought twenty one battles and annihilated the kshatriyas. Parashuram was then faced with a problem. How could he settle Brahmins on land polluted by blood of the slain Kshatriyas? He had to find pristine land for them. So he laid down his axe, took up the bow and shot an arrow from atop the Sayadaris. The sea parted where the arrow fell, and land emerged. Thus was Goa first liberated; from the sea, where Parashuram, then settled the Brahmins. Their descendants are now mining and ruining Goa. A month before Christmas, five centuries and a year ago, came the second liberation. Goa had been conquered by Yusuf Adil Shah, a son of Amurad II, the Sultan of the Ottoman Turks. The Portuguese were not, as is wrongly believed, the first Europeans to conquer and occupy Goa. H.Morse Stephens writing in 1894 records about Adil Shah, “But his government was oppressive to the Hindu population; he doubled the taxes and by favouring his own creed made himself hated by all his Hindu subjects. When Timoja pressed Albuquerque to attack Goa the Mohammedan Governor whose name Malik Yusuf Gurgi is rendered by the Portuguese Malique Sufe Gurgij had made himself especially obnoxious from the cruelties wreaked by his Turkish garrison on the citizen……..” “Timoja pressed the Portuguese Governor to attack Goa as soon as possible. He informed him that Yusaf Adil Shah had now gone so far into the interior that he would be unable to relieve the city, and also that the garrison of Goa consisted not of more than 4000 Turks and Persians under the command of a general named Rasul Khan, whom the Portuguese called Rocalcao. Under these circumstances the Portuguese Governor resolved to attack, and in the beginning of November he sailed once more into the harbour of Goa with twenty-eight ships carrying 1700 soldiers, accompanied by a large number of native troops belonging to Timoja and the Raja of Gersoppa.” On Santa Catarina’s Day, the Christian Portuguese overthrew the Muslim Turks upon invitation of the defenceless Hindu Goans. And that singular event changed the history of Goa, the Konkan and India. The Sind had been Islamised by the Arabs, Gujarat and the Deccans were under a Sultanate. The whole of the west coast threatened to change colour; from saffron to green. Vaastu and Panchgaviya proved ineffective against the marauding Musalmans who rebuked Panchgaviya and instead ate the gavi. How could such a sacrilege be committed in Gomantak, the land named after the cow? Something had to be done. And so, an invitation was extended to the Portuguese, the latest entrants into the waters of the Arabian Sea and sworn enemies of the Musalman. That invitation proved historic and laid the foundation for Goa as it exists now. The Muslim armies were just a step away from subjugating the entire Konkan, which the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque averted. But for the Portuguese, there would be no Goa. Only a Gomantistan. There would be no Konkan. Only Pakistan. There would be no uniform Civil Code. Only the Sharia. There would be no BJP. Only the Taliban. There would be no INC. Only the PPP. And there would be no celebration of fifty years of liberation ! The Portuguese like everyone else overstayed their invitation and almost qualified to be permanent invitees to the CWC ! And the Portuguese proved to be no better than the Turks. They ate the gavi. And they ate the piggy too! And so, the people of Goa invited the Indian Army to do unto the Portuguese what the Portuguese had done unto the Turks. And the Indian Army did so, with great success. And have followed the example, set by the Portuguese. And stayed put. Ever since, seeing the Simon Bolivar like performance the Indian army, has been receiving invitations to liberate other territories. The Indian army marched into and promptly liberated Bangladesh in December, 1971, upon the invitation of the suffering local people. Few years later, the people of Sikkim extended an invitation to the Indian army as they were oppressed by the Chogyal. And Sikkim was liberated in double quick time. Earlier, in 1948 the Indian army was invited by Maharaja Hari Singh to liberate Jammu and Kashmir. That liberation is still an on going process. The use of armed forces to liberate Goa was contrary to the principles of Ahimsa that the country had been loudly preaching to the world. Operation Vijay resulted in the damning indictment by US President J.F.Kennedy who told the Indian Ambassador, “You spend the last fifteen years preaching morality to us, and then you go ahead and act the way any normal country would behave People are
Re: [Goanet] Did Bob Marley know Konkani?
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php --- *i heard the song and one can clearly discern the words tujea bapaichem kestanv in the last verse of the song after the words *I'm on the rock, (running and you running).Thereafter I went into www.sing365.com which gives the lyrics of the song as follows: * Iron, lion, zion* Artist(Band): Bob Marley I am on the rock and then I check a stock I have to run like a fugitive to save the life I live I'm gonna be Iron like a Lion in Zion (repeat) Iron Lion Zion I'm on the run but I ain't got no gun See they want to be the star So they fighting tribal war And they saying Iron like a Lion in Zion Iron like a Lion in Zion, Iron Lion Zion I'm on the rock, (running and you running) I take a stock, (running like a fugitive) I had to run like a fugitive just to save the life I live I'm gonna be Iron like a Lion in Zion (repeat) Iron Lion Zion, Iron Lion Zion, Iron Lion Zion Iron like a Lion in Zion, Iron like a Lion in Zion Iron like a Lion in Zion *You can see that the words tujea bapaichem kestanv do not appear in the lyrics. Instead the words I take a stock appear at 2nd line of the last verse. I have thereafter sent the following note to the aforesaid : www.sing365.com *if you listen to the song carefully, you can hear the words tujea bapaichem kestanv instead of I take a stock in the last stanza. The words can be very clearly heard. Incidentally the words tujea bapaichem kestanv in Konkani the language that is spoken in Goa, India, means your father's quarrel. How the words got into the lyric is a mystery. However it is not unlikely that there was a Goan in the band Wailers which provided music to Bob Marley. Goans are the premier exponents of western music in India. Further the name Bob Marley in Konkani means shouted which is almost the same as Wailers. *Your name and/or email: * graciasradha...@gmail.com On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 1:12 PM, Cecil Pinto cecilpi...@gmail.com wrote: --- http://www.GOANET.org --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php --- My fellow Aldonkar and good friend Gordon Lobo is convinced that Bob Marley had a Goa connection. The basis for this conviction is that, according to Gordon, Marley says Tujea bapaichem kestanv (your father's trouble/complaint) in the song Iron-Lion-Zion. Please listen to the video below from 1:40 to 1:44 and give me your opinion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tESLeLhYg0M Cheers! Cecil ===
[Goanet] Birds and I
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php --- *Birds and I* By: Radharao F.Gracias * * I was six, when my grandfather died. He was seventy eight. My memories of him are linked to birds, which were everywhere around our house. The runela plum (Jagom) tree in the front yard, was a favourite haunt of the green barbet, which hung precariously, as it stretched its neck to swallow the plum; whole. It did not know that the plum tasted sweeter, when gently rolled between the palms and softened. The backyard was mostly fowl play, with ducks, drakes, hens, roosters and an occasional turkey. The lintels of windows to the courtyard had caged mynahs, bulbuls, rose-ringed parakeets. The mynahs bred in the hollows of coconut trees scooped up by golden backed woodpeckers. The bulbuls came as nestlings from Nuvem, Raia, Verna, as there were no bulbuls in the wild in Majorda, in those days. Some years ago, my younger brother informed me that he had seen bulbuls in the vicinity of our house. I could not believe him. My brother is an expert on bulls not bulbuls. However, several days later my mother confirmed that she had indeed seen bulbuls. I could not disbelieve her. She knows her bulbuls. She can sing like one. So, when I walked home, for the weekend, I was not surprised, to see a red vented bulbul on the mulberry bush, with its tail cocked and head held high (influenced by Tagore perhaps!) and throwing an open throated challenge, to Remo and Hema, Sonia and Lorna. Yes, indeed the bulbul had arrived in my village. I see and hear them, everywhere now. I have consciously planted some bird specific trees on land I have inherited and where I now live. The carambola tree immediately served its purpose, as the rose ringed parakeets found it, no sooner it had borne fruit. The golden Oriole took a little time, to spot the Chinese lime. Even now, I am only a rare beneficiary, of its fleeting visits. The munias have monopolised the bamboo grove. The babblers are all over. The paradise flycatcher, with its silver streamers hovers in the air, like a ghostly troll. The hoopoe, puts in a rare guest appearance. I had kept some baby corn on the stalks, to ripen for seed. One day, I found only the cobs with no corn. On closer examination, I concluded that squirrels were the culprits, as the stalks had been finely chiseled away. But, by the next day, I had lost my status, as Sherlock Holmes. A solitary parakeet was cleaning away the remnants. The parakeets, which had been invited for lunch had overstayed for dinner. Now they are permanent invitees, (influenced by Luizinho Faleiro perhaps!). After the death of my grandfather, my tryst with birds continued, as I accompanied my father to scour the countryside for game birds. My father to me, was what internet is to his grandchildren; full of information. The countryside was then what a screensaver is to you now; pretty and beautiful. It was only occasionally that a giant heron (kensar) or a large egret (bollali) was shot, sometimes a coot (budd) was seen, but would dive underwater before the gun could be aimed. The laws changed after “A India Portuguesa” ceased to be so. The guns, soon went silent. It was then, that I realized that the gun was merely an excuse, for my father for his country walks. I and my siblings, continued to trudge behind him, along pathways choreographed in white sand that slalomed around coconut trees, slithered under stalactites of banyan roots, tunneled through an over growth of under bush and went every which way. We walked miles simply watching the birds and enjoying the breeze, with my father identifying the birds. Now back in my village, I hope to walk the same paths with my children in tow, recreating old memories.
[Goanet] The Dr.Barbosa: You did not know
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php --- *THE DR.BARBOSA: YOU DID NOT KNOW* There was in the years, following liberation a strong undercurrent, to the effect, that no Catholic is entitled to be the Chief Minister of the State. It was reasoned, that the Catholics had ruled for 450 years and it was the turn of the Hindus. And so, it was for nearly three decades under the rabidly anti Catholic, anti Brahmin MGP and later the Congress. By the dawn of the 1990s, the MGP realized that they could never come back to power, without support from the Catholic community and changed its stance. Seven Catholic members from the Congress, with the active instigation of the MGP broke away under the leadership of Dr.Luis Proto Barbosa. It was to be the first successful revolt in Goa’s post liberation democracy. K.B.Naik had failed in the seventies Dr.Wilfred D’Souza in the eighties. Dr.Luis Proto Barbosa was the first person to untie the Gordian knot. And he did so, majestically. Later, the D’Souzas, the Sardinhas and the Faleiros would cross the rubicon (the Mandovi if you please). Others too tried and some drowned in the process. In actual reality, as Dr.Barbosa was the Speaker, for technical and tactical reasons, it was Churchill Alemao, who had to do the Gulzari Lal Nanda. Dr.Barbosa, opened the way. Tragically, those who followed him have messed up the path, carved by the good old doctor. The PDF govt. was a wonderful experiment, in seeking the elusive Hindu-Catholic unity. It failed, because of greed. The MGP, after having come to power could not digest a Catholic leader. The betrayal followed, although not unexpectedly, for a party professing Hindutuva. I was in fact a beneficiary of the betrayal. I was elected to the Assembly in the vacancy arising out of his unconscionable disqualification. Dr.Barbosa belonged to the old school of leaders, dedicated to service. He was elected for three successive terms, after liberation and his further elections were to be mere formalities. There was no challenge for him in Cortalim. And yet in the year 1977, he gracefully withdrew to enable his friend late Speaker of the Assembly Froilano Machado to contest. Two terms later he was back after late Machado with equal grace made way for him. Can you imagine anyone else doing it? The elections in 1989, when Dr.Barbosa contested from newly created Loutolim Constituency were hotly contested. I was one of those who campaigned against the Congress. He won, by a narrow margin and graced the chair of the Chief Minister about three months later. A group of his former detractors from Verna, visited him at his residence for some work. He bade them in, made them sit. He then called out to his maid, “There are eggs in the fridge. Make an omlette, for my friends from Verna”. It was said with such aplomb. The visitors, realized the implications. That was Dr.Barbosa, at his very best. The jibe, was Dr.Barbosa’s response to the group who had vehemently opposed him and hurled eggs at him, at a meeting in Verna three months earlier. Having made his point Dr.Barbosa listened to the group and issued instructions for immediate redressal. He held no vengeance. As I see it Dr.Barbosa was no politician. He was a doctor. And this much is obvious. For his son Noel is also a doctor. And a wonderfully caring one known to be available to patients at low tide or high noon. Had Dr.Barbosa been a politician, his son would have been one too. By now, he would be a contender for a ticket somewhere ! After Dr.Barbosa said bye to politics or rather politics said bye to Dr.Barbosa, he retired to his farm. Nothing surprising. After all most politicians do so. But Dr.Barbosa retired to his ancestral land at the foot of Remedios Hill in Cuelim. And that’s the difference. He acquired no estate after such a long a stint in politics. Is there anyone to match? Dr.Barbosa was a warrior like his ancestors. Fittingly, he got the funeral of a warrior. The last post, the gun salute is something he would perhaps not care for. But none, deserved it more. If the Catholic version of heaven is a reality, then, Dr.Barbosa must be at peace, somewhere out there. Right now, perhaps he must be busy spreading cheer around with his imposing presence and commanding voice, the like of which Goans may not see, for a long time, to come. By: Adv.Radharao F.Gracias
Re: [Goanet] Vanxim agitation targets Bamon Raj in Goa
Dear,Sebastian I have been following the controversy relating to Vanxim . I think the church is not permitted to sell land belonging to it under the law . The church could at the most lease land for a maximum period of 30 years. However the church in Goa has been selling land with impunity as no one seems to challenge them . It maybe worthwhile to file a suite to challenge the entire sale transaction which would also help settle the law whether the church can sell land at all .. Maybe your legal cell could look into the matter . I shall be willing to associate with the cause . * * *Radharao F. Gracias * On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 6:37 PM, sebastian Rodrigues sebydesio...@hotmail.com wrote: http://bharatmukti.blogspot.com/2011/10/vanxim-agitation-targets-bamon-raj-in.html Ilha de Vanxim Association has been blamed for preventing of development of Vanxim Island for this very purpose we called this press conference. As we had 3 mega meetings (all on record with us) people from different places of Goa including NGOs supported Ilha de Vanxim Association. We call upon all our supporters all Goa to strengthen their full support for our Ilhas de Vanxim Association. As we have heard through reliable sources that Vanxim Capao Island is going to come under settlement zone, where in it comprises of fields, mangroves, orchard land, mud flats, internal rivulets and sluice gates. How can these be shown under settlement zone? Where was Pandurang Madkaikar local MLA for the last long 15 years (to do the development of our Vanxim Island) and also to repair bunds, damaged poles, jetty, pathways as published on Navhind Times dated 1st october 2011. Can such MLA be relied upon for any more development of our village? Massive corruption involved in our Combhurjua Constituency under the so called leadership of Pandurang Mankaikar. 5 buses full consisting of 300 people came to the Town and Country Planning Department. On 27/09/2011 whereby some people from Diwar, Malar, narva including migrant labourers and a handful of people from Vanxim - most of them were given Rs.1000/- each by Pandurang Madkaikar's agents. This is a case of massive corruption and it needs to be thoroughly investigated by the concerned bureau, Vigilance Department, CBI, Income Tax, etc. Corruption in Vanxim through Local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar must be brought under the purview of Justice Shah Commission. Time and again we gave our objections through Gram Sabha Resolutions including widening of road, children's park, bridge, etc. Memorandum letters with our signatures are also forwarded to various Departments such as Governor, Chief Secretary, Chief Town Planner, CRZ, etc. Local MLA Pandurang Madkaikar published in Herald on 10th September 2011 saying a new bridge will come at Vanxim. When he cannot meet the basic needs of the Vanxim villagers, how he can fool our people and given false promises. On the 27th September 2011, at the Town and Country Planning - how could Edgar D'Mello, Assis Furtado adn his brother panch Manuel Furtado say - 'bhatkaracho kainch guneanv nam (Battkar) Bishop Felip Neri Ferrao (Archdiocese of Goa). Manuel Furtado, local panch is fully supporting the so called project by saying 'we need development' in the village so that the locals would not have to travel far in search of employment. People from Divar and Malar too would benefit, he optimistically says. This shows he is fully involved in causing damage and disaster to our paradise virgin island. This rightfully enforces the creation of Baman Raj because seller as well as buyer are Bamons and all the Islanders who are (Mulnivasis) are sought to be made into slaves. Jai Mulnivasi! Jai Bharat! Jai Ilha de Vanxim Association! Sd/- (Maggie Silveira) Jai Bharat! Jai Ilha de Vanxim Association! Sd/- (Maggie Silveira)
[Goanet] democracy
*D E M O C R A C Y* I have this habit, of picking up plants wherever I go. And planting them, wherever I please. My plants, have now grown into trees. The mangoes and the mangosteens, the avocados and the rambutans. They thrive and yield in good measure. These are tropical plants. Peaches and litches, plums and pears too, I have. These merely survive, flower, but do not yield. Because, these are plants from the temperate climes. Our democracy, is like my trees from the temperate climes. It is a transplant. It survives but does not thrive, in the tropics. After more than six decades, our democracy, flowers and fades, does not fruit. Democracy, in Britain was not achieved, in a day. The British, took a small step towards democracy, when King John II was forced in AD 1215, to put his seal on the Magna Carta. The giant step, came over a period of several centuries through struggles, sufferings and sacrifice. Democracy, in Britain, came by way of a process, not as a one time event. We merely copied democracy, from the British. Our history, our culture and our traditions are a complete antithesis of democracy. The concept of equality of all men is a negation of the very foundations of our way of life. Hence, democracy fits into our society, as a square peg fits in a round hole. The ingrained inequities, refuse to die. Transplanted democracy refuses to take deep roots, in our soil. Of course, it is true that we are a democracy. Our democracy is functional; not performing. Casting a vote, electing a government and a peaceful transition of power is not the be all and end all of democracy. The purpose of democracy is to create a prosperous and vibrant society. We have certainly failed on this count. The country is now beset with scandals and scams. The Congress and the BJP are equally enmeshed in the mess. There is no solution in sight. Anna Hazare is a mere mirage. Take our electoral system. A fine success in Britain. An utter failure in India. I myself envisage several reforms in the electoral law. However, at by nightfall, I wonder whether we need reforms in the law or reforms in our society. The best of laws can be of no use before a society which is utterly dishonest, lacks integrity, discipline and thrives on pseudo patriotism. *As a people, we seem to have been bobitised since much before Lorena came on the scene !* Our voters, are split into two categories. The purchasable, which is an overwhelming majority and the non purchasable, which is a pitiable rump. And the purchasable are not merely those who sell their votes but includes all those who cast their votes for favours received or for considerations other than legislative merit. You may blame the politicians for all your worth. *The truth, however, is that the MLA reflects the true personality of the voter*. I recall reading “The Continent of Circe” in my college days. I was then young, full of hope and optimism for the country. Nirad Chaudhury painted a bleak picture and a dull future. I believed he was wrong. I have to revise my opinion. I increasingly feel that if India is not actually the continent of Circe, we are fast moving towards it. We have either been turned into swine, or are on the verge of it. The book, is possibly the best analysis of our country by a fellow countryman, as post independent events indicate. *We have converted the West Minister model into the worst minister model !* Let us face it. Democracy is a wonderful form of Government. For those, who know its worth. Nothing better has been invented. But there is a rider, that goes with democracy. *No people, get a government better than what they vote for. *We need a change. Not of the system. Not of political parties. Not of politicians. We need a change of attitudes. We need character, above all. By: Adv.RADHARAO F.GRACIAS
[Goanet] nutty business
NUTTY BUSINESS Coconut water, good for your daughter, sings Harry Belafonte. Coconut oil good for all, says Anacleto Viegas and gives me a copy of The Coconut Oil Miracle, a book by Dr.Bruce Fife. I am relieved, that Anacleto is not opposing coconut oil as a medium for cooking ! After all, our families frequently eat out together and we can avoid oily debates on the dining table. The Book is a detailed study and calls the coconut nature’s elixir to lose weight, prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes, strengthen the immune system, beautify skin and hair. The book seems to back everything that we Goans have grown up with but now refuse to acknowledge. An extract from the book reads: “The tropical oil war was in full swing. At stake was the $3-billion-a-year vegetable oil market in the United States, where the dominant domestic soy oil producers had launched a vicious propaganda war against foreign competitors. The tropical oil industry, having few allies and comparatively little financial muscle to retaliate, couldn’t match the combined efforts of the ASA (American Soybean Association), the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest), and others. Few would listen to the lone voices protesting the dissemination of the false information attacking tropical oils. Researchers familiar with tropical oils were called on to testify at Senate hearings on the health implications of these products. “Coconut oil has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol, even in situations where coconut oil is the sole source of fat,” reported Dr.George Blackburn, a Harvard Medical School researcher who testified at a congressional hearing about tropical oils held on June 21, 1988. “These (tropical) oils have been consumed as a substantial part of the diet of many groups for thousands of years with absolutely no evidence of any harmful effects to the populations consuming them,” said Mary G.Enig, Ph.D., an expert on fats and oils and a former research associate at the University of Maryland. Dr. C.Everett Koop, former surgeon general of the United States, called the tropical oil scare “foolishness.” Commercial interests either trying to divert blame to others or ignorantly following the saturated-fat hysteria were “terrorizing the public about nothing.” Dr.David Klurfeld, chairman of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University, called the anti-tropical oils campaign “public relations mumbo jumbo.” He pointed out that tropical oils amounted to only about 2 percent of the American diet and that even if they were as bad as the ASA claimed, they wouldn’t have much of an effect on health: “The amount of tropical oils in the U.S. diet is so low that there is no reason to worry about it. The countries with the highest palm oil intakes in the world are Costa Rica and Malaysia. Their heart disease rates and serum cholesterol levels are much lower than in western nations. This [tropical oils scare] never was real health issue.” Despite testimonials of respected medical professionals and lipid researchers, the media paid little attention. The saturated-fat crisis was news, and that got headlines. Major newspapers and television and radio networks picked up the anti-saturated-fat ads and developed alarming news stories. One such story was titled “The Oil from Hell.” Those who knew the truth about coconut oil were ignored and even criticized by those brainwashed by the media blitz. Because of the frenzy stirred up by the ASA and their friends, the fictional message they trumpeted won out over scientific fact.” The message of the book is simple and clear. Those of us who live in the tropics, must not discard the coconut which has served us so well for so long. Sadly no one seems to care. I visited Benaulim village the heartland of coconut in Salcete. The village has earned an enviable reputation for the quality of its nuts. (Yes, both varieties indeed !) Coconut saplings are no more being planted in the village. Coconut is being replaced by concrete. The Benaulim variety of nuts may disappear forever. Several reasons are being cited for the decline of the coconut, falling prices being one of them. And for this everyone agrees that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat is to blame. He gave up the family business of coconut merchants and entered politics. The result low coconut prices and even lower standards of governance, it is said. Coconut pluckers are difficult to come by complains one landlord. Why should we continue the hereditary business? Asks an old and grizzled plucker whose father and grandfather were also in the same occupation. My son has become a lawyer, says he. And it is true. Lawyers have become pluckers complains a litigant. And it may not be untrue. Why should we climb coconut trees? Asks another plucker. The job is risky and everyone looks down upon a plucker.
Re: [Goanet] QUIZ: Four cardinals
Telaulim or Navelim. I really do not know. However, it is interesting to note that Telaulim and Navelim are two separate villages with their own separate panchayats but have always constituted on parish. Telaulim has a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Carmel and even its own cemetery, but the chapel is affiliated to the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Navelim. Strangely, Navelim Villages does not have its own comunidade as it forms part of Comunidade of Margao. However, Telaulim Village has its own comunidade. It may not be out of place to add that whilst Cardinal Ivan Dias has served the Church with distinction, his brother Lt.Gen.Francisco T.Dias was General Officer Commanding Southern Command in the nineties when Gen.Sunit Rodrigues was the Commander in Chief of the Indian Army. Radharao F.Gracias, Margao. On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 9:04 PM, Gabe Menezes gabe.mene...@gmail.com wrote: On 3 August 2011 14:29, Joaquim Loiola Pereira loiol...@gmail.com wrote: It is mistakenly believed that Cardinal Valerian Gracias traces his roots to the village of Navelim. Navelim can claim only to ‘half’ of his roots, as it is the native village of his mother. His father, Jose Gracias, was born in the village of Dramapur, which was then part of the parish of Chinchinim. That Dramapur does not figure in his biography is perhaps due to the fact that Jose died when the future cardinal was barely two years old and the boy was brought up entirely by his mother in Karachi, where the Graciases had migrated soon after their marriage in Chinchinim. So Navelim, his mother’s village, became since his effective Goan connection and earthing. QUESTION; Was it not Telaulim ? -- DEV BOREM KORUM Gabe Menezes.
Re: [Goanet] Ghar or Sap: (Gliding, flying lizard - lacerda ocelata)
The Ghar and Saap are the Marathi and Konkani names respectively for the Monitor Lizard which is zoologically called the ‘*Varanus Bengalensis*’. Legend has it that to breach a fort, a rope was tied around the Monitor Lizard and it was set free to climb the walls. Once the lizard was inside it would either entangle itself in the vegetation or hold on to its vice like grip when the rope was pulled. Soldiers would then climb up the walls of the fort by means of the rope. In Goa, there is a belief that the blood of the lizard drunk fresh, mixed with feni prolongs life and is a cure for Asthma. Accordingly, (though protected) the reptile is caught and killed both for its blood and meat. The American cousin of the Monitor Lizard is called the Iguana. The reptile which was rare earlier, is now quite frequently seen in my neighbourhood at Majorda. It is the largest lizard in India. There is now an artificial surface available for the ‘ghumott’. Use of lizard skin for the same is illegal and punishable. The flying lizard is a different species and has nothing to do with the ‘saap’. By: Radharao F.Gracias On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 8:40 PM, Domnic Fernandes domval...@hotmail.comwrote: Asthma sufferers were made to drink fresh blood of the gaar mixed with cashew feni as a cure. The patient held his/her nose with left hand and drank the mixture with right hand - just as we were made to drink Epsom salt purgative! Maratha warriors used the gaar with ropes attached for climbing high walls of forts. Moi-mogan, Domnic Fernandes Anjuna, Goa Mob: 9420979201 Fred, We used to pronounce it as 'gaar' as in 'thand gaar' or icy cold. To me, 'ghar' is an eagle. Is it not a species of the Indian Iguana?I remember folks with asthma being made to drink the blood of the 'gaar' as a cure!I had a friend, who drank it, but was not convinced that it cured him. Naguesh Naguesh Bhatcar
[Goanet] medium of confusion
*Medium of Confusion* by Radharao F.Gracias The struggle to delink grants from medium of instruction, appears to be gaining momentum. The movement may turn, into a typhoon and blow the detractors, into the dustbins of history or may not even gain gale force and simply, dissipate away. The critical factor is the Church, which has taken twenty years to grant annulment of its earlier policy, to oppose instruction in English. I do feel cynical. I am aware that the Church is essentially for Christ, all the year round. However, when elections come, it is for the Congress! And this, is an election year! The argument against releasing grants for English medium, seem to hinge on the imputation, that English is an import and that, our native culture would be adversely affected, if children study in the foreign language. However, it is difficult to comprehend, what exactly constitutes Indian culture, considering that our country has been conquered dominated and subjugated for thousands of years, by invaders. We were witnesses in recent weeks, to euphoria generated by the Indian victory, in the Cricket World Cup. We are still wallowing, in our glory and feel on top of the world. And with valid reasons too. After all we are, the world champions. But then, is cricket any less foreign than the English language? If we pride in our achievement of dominance in world cricket why don’t we have a right to achieve world dominance, in the English language? We have watched with glee, the performance of Sachin Tendulkar on the cricket field. Anyone who has followed his cricket will know that he took to playing cricket, when he was just a toddler and represented the Country at the age of sixteen. Now imagine that Sachin Tendulkar was a Goan and was bound to follow the advice, of our “patriotic” experts who insist, that a child must finish primary education in the mother tongue. Extend the same logic, to sports and it follows that Sachin, would have to play gilly-danda (gonzo-bar) for the first four years, being a native game and take up cricket, only thereafter. Sachin would have ended up saying “Holay” instead of “How’s that”. He would be doing “abling” “doubling” “tibling” and never would have a chance, to reach a century of centuries in cricket. The same patriotic experts, seem to be citing an UNESCO report of the year 1953, which recommends that primary education must “as far as practicable” be in the mother tongue. There are many other things, that the United Nations has recommended. Are these “patriots” also suggesting, that we should accept the Security Council resolution, to hold a plebiscite on the issue, of whether Jammu Kashmir should be part of India, Pakistan or be independent? All of us, would like to know. The Saraswats, who are at the forefront of opposition to English medium claim to be the most patriotic of the people of the State, (read Chandrakant Keni for details) who vehemently fought the Portuguese and preserved and protected, the pre Portuguese culture. History shows, that the Saraswats were the earliest of Goan Hindus, to study in Portuguese from the Primary level, and become part of the colonial Portuguese administration. Did they lose their culture? Have you ever attended the Annual Saraswat Food Festival? If you have, you should be wondering what the Saraswats ate, before the Portuguese arrived, in Goa and introduced their food habits and their flora? The food which the Saraswats serve, at the Food Fesitval is more Portuguese than Goan. It is nearly impossible to find any food item, not “polluted” by the Portuguese. I have not found any item at the Festival, which does not have at least a chilly, potato, tomato, onion, pineapple, chickoo, cashew, papaya, asofoetida or some foreign introduced vegetable/fruit as one of the ingredients. If the saraswats, can continue to claim to be patriots and flaunt their culture, after eating food so much “contaminated” by the foreign introduced vegetables and fruits, how does one become less cultured and less patriotic by merely studying a foreign language, which language, binds the Country together? If saraswats have not lost their culture by imbibing foreign foods, why should we fear, that others would, by learning a foreign language? And I still wonder, what the saraswats ate, before the Portuguese conquered Goa. And I wonder even more, why the “patriotic” saraswats gave up their traditional food for that introduced by the Portuguese. And of course, we have Democracy, the very basis of our Nation today. Democracy is a completely foreign concept alien to the culture that evolved in our country before European colonisation. Democracy is founded on the concept that all men are equal. Our entire way of life has evolved over thousands of years on the opposite concept that all men are not equal. That man, is born high and low and that each one, is to discharge duties enjoined on one, by the caste, in which one is born. Today,
[Goanet] History repeats!
*History repeats!* * * We live in a mystifying regime teeming with trickery, fraud, hypocrisy and dishonesty. At the caprice of the passions or of emotions, or at the whims of that half dozen of characters who have taken over the reins of the future of Goa, reputations are made and unmade, foot stamping is quelled with an impudence that sends shivers down one’s spine. The Governors and the governed live at the mercy of a whim or the egoism of a smugglers’ cartel, which has impudently captured the politics in the State. Those who bend to the tyranny of the impositions are commended, even proclaimed, as worthy lads; while others who maintaining their self respect, resist the incredible exigencies of those who command, are shooed away. Displaying neither discernment nor principle, the citizens like a docile flock of sheep, applaud or boo, according to the wiles of those who have elected and who direct them to cheer or jeer. The honest intelligentsia, rather than reacting effectively to the intolerant dictatorship that dictates the law in Goa, converting white to black and overturning social stability, prefer in a gesture of resigned defeat to sit back with arms crossed and watch the shameful spectacle unfold. And as they establish their law – their predominant arrogance in full view – the administration gains courage, capturing all and establishing their brutal despotism everywhere, through threats and bribery. It is precisely those who are at odds with the aspirations and feeling of Goa that speak in the name of Goa – as if they hold Goa in their palms. Those that should have bowed their heads in shame and avoided being seen in public, strut along the streets, in ostentatious insolence, a majestic air about them. In an incredible inversion of all principles, these leaders, sinister creatures, that the people of Goa, in the past as in the present, have every motive to hate and hang, these men as though anointed by their popular election, come armed in the defence of the proletariat. Like mushrooms taverns have been sprouting all over, unplanned and unwelcome. There’s one every few paces, and what’s worse is that they are all well patronized. All of them, teeming with customers, prosper before your very eyes. Pick any village at nightfall and you will be witness to a large gathering at the entrance of every tavern. They drink and they gamble. Farmhands returning from the fields, pour half, if not more, of their already meager wages into the tavern. The number of alcoholics in each village is frightening and a survey of them would be both intriguing and enlightening. The Archdiocese of Goa is living on appearances. Its religiosity is a mask. We have many churches, where many feasts and high masses are celebrated. We have many priests, an abundance of monsignors and of baccalaureates in the sacred theology. Yet, with all this ostentation, Portuguese Goa – this land where rests the body of St.Francis Xavier – is a pagan nation. Our religiosity is a mere buff, our beliefs superficial. All are *Catholics*, but very few are *Christians*. We desire to see the worship in our churches purified of all the vulgarity – ear splitting music, fireworks, décor of hideous gentile fashion – that which robs it of all its grandeur and spirituality. We desire that in the area of religious aspects simplicity, sobriety and spirituality should dominate. Preachers who would take to the pulpit must be led by the fervour of setting afire the faith of the listeners and not by pride of exhibiting their oratorical abilities. Vicars who would know how to teach their flock to worship God with their hearts rather than by words, to love God by doing good, being charitable, aiding the afflicted and the needy and not flitting away money in showy feasts, that neither help the splendour of the religion nor the salvation of souls. Faith is augmented neither by shindigs in the church halls nor by ostentatious processions with canons, monsignors and baccalaureates in Sacred Theology. Periodically, the press rouses from its slumber. A newspaper will occasionally raise its voice to make half a dozen points, which are forgotten as fast as they are read, somewhere one terrified soul will raise his hand to the heavens and let out a shout of alarm, the echo of which quickly fades, and just as quickly, everything returns to a sepulchral silence. What you have just read, you would agree (except for apologists of those wielding power, political or ecclesiastical) most appropriately sums up Goa, as it is now. None of it, is written by me. (I would not be able to write so succinctly) None of it, has been written now. The first three paras are from the essay “Frankly Speaking” dated October 6, 1926; the fourth and fifth from “Mushrooming Taverns” dated October 17, 1926; the sixth and seventh from “Missionaries” dated
[Goanet] article
--- http://www.GOANET.org --- NEW BOOK: 'PATRIOTISM IN ACTION: Goans in Indias Defence Services' With Foreword by Gen SF Rodrigues, PVSM, VSM, ADC (retd) former Chief of Indian Army Staff and Governor, Punjab Administrator, Chandigarh UT For copies of this book see footer of this message --- Dear Fredrick, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Please display the article on your site and oblige. Radharao F.Gracias * * *STRAWS IN THE WIND* “Power will go into the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters. These are the men of straw, of whom no trace will be found after a few years. They will be fighting among themselves, and India will be lost in political squabbles”. So observed Churchill (the original version), arguing against independence to India. For once the greatest British leader of all times has been proved wrong. The men of straw have not disappeared. On the contrary, they have followed the Old Testament. They have gone forth and multiplied! Now, it is straw, straw all the way. From the Yeddys to the Reddys. From Varca to Barkha. Men of straw. Women of straw. It is straw, straw and more straw. The entire country has become one huge haystack. And yet, all the cows do starve! There is a proverb, rendered redundant by technology, “People living in glass houses must not throw stones at others”. Nowadays, whichever way you go you see nothing but glass houses. And people living in them hurl stones at each other. But nothing happens. Science has made glass unbreakable. However, the occupants do not realize that glass albeit unbreakable, is not opaque. The occupants are seen undressing with the curtains up and the lights on. And we have all become voyeurs enjoying the expose. Day in and day out. On television. On newspapers. On the internet. And we fire missiles at them. Once again nothing happens. Our missiles are merely dummies. The only effective missile we have is the vote. But we have never learnt to fire it. Don’t by a cynic I am told, the tide will turn. “There will be light at the end of the tunnel”. I have waited long. I have travelled here and there. Elsewhere in the world, I have seen light not merely at the end but inside every tunnel. But in our country it is a different world. The tunnels are dark and deep (darker than Robert Frost’s Woods) and I have travelled in the hope of finding light at the end. Only to encounter power failure! The fear is, when the tide does turn, it may be a Tsunami. We have a Prime Minister, who is branded as downright honest. Perhaps so. But whoever said that the country needs an honest Prime Minister? We need a Prime Minister, who is efficient and effective. We need a Prime Minister, who commands majority on his own. We need a Prime Minister, whose honesty percolates down through and through. We need a Prime Minister, who is decisive. We need a Prime Minister, not remote controlled by anyone. Least of all by Mambo Italiano! How did this come to pass? If you want an answer travel to the countryside or whatever is left of it. These days, the empty spaces in the village appear to be covered by a mantle of snow. The mirage is caused by Congress grass in full bloom. The Congress grass is no grass but a shrub which overwhelms and smothers every other plant in its neighbourhood. It spreads far and wide and destroys the fertility of the soil. When the wind blows the pollen takes to the air, if inhaled sends you to bed with cough and cold. The plant has practically colonized the whole country with no benefit to the host. The miniscule seeds of the plant gained entry as stowaways in bags of wheat sent to the country to avert famines in the fifties of the last century under a law called Public Law 480 (PL 480) by the US. The person who named the plant Congress grass deserves Nostradamus Award for prophecy (if there is such an award). The Congress grass has had the same effect on the countryside as the Congress has had on the country. Both are parasites, thriving on the country’s soil and soul. The country has been impoverished while Congress grass and Congressmen have prospered. --- NEW BOOK: 'PATRIOTISM IN ACTION: Goans in Indias Defence Services' Copies now available at: GOA: Literati (2277740), Other India (2263306), Broadway (6647038), Mandovi (2427904), Noel DSilva Associates (9823120454 / 9096781714), Confidant / Golden Heart Emp (2732450), David Co (2730326), Vardaan (9527463684) SERV / RETD Def Offrs in Goa: O/o Sainik Co-op Hse Bldg Sty, Def Col, Porvorim (2417288) MUMBAI: David Co (22019010) PUNE: Manneys (26131683), Popular (25678327) BENGALURU:
[Goanet] chauvanism versus patriotism
I fail to understand whether Santosh Helekar is deliberately misinterpreting the contents of my article or he lacks knowledge of the English language. In my article, I have stated: Our contribution to civilization, (and it cannot be disputed) is zero. “No pun intended. I maintain, reiterate and reconfirm it. It is well known and undisputed fact that India invented “zero” and it cannot be disputed that it is our contribution to World Civilisation and that is why I have put the word “zero” in inverted commas. I have thereafter used the words “no pun intended” expecting someone like Santosh Helekar, may get confused. But in vain. There is no need for me to move any goal posts. It is our post independence hockey team, that may have to do so ! We may then at least qualify for the next Olympics. It has never been my case that Indians in India are not involved in scientific research. But it is my case that nothing substantial has been achieved by Indian research post independence. There are and always will be intelligent people aiming to achieve some scientific break through as we Indians certainly do not lack intellect. If it was not for our “way of life”, we would have dozens of Nobel Prize winners. Why has Santosh Helekar migrated to the USA if everything is hunky dory in India? Is he a hypocrite? It is not unlikely that the great personalities which Santosh Helekar has mentioned would have done much better if they had a more conducive environment. Again there is misinterpretation of my submissions by Santosh Helekar. I have not at any time said that Turkey is an ideally developed nation. What I pointed out is that at a critical juncture Turkey had in Kemal Attaturk a leader who understood the reasons for the backwardness of his country and pushed it on the path to modernity by discarding age old superstitions and rotten traditions, the type which still prevail in our country. It cannot be disputed that Turkey alone of all the Islamic nations stands out as a modern forward looking country with a secular law where a Muslim can have only one wife at a time. I am not concerned with the number of Nobel prizes that Spain or Portugal has won. I hold no brief for those countries. However, I am certainly concerned that my own country with a billion and two hundred million people, (fifteen times more than the combined population of Spain and Portugal) has no Nobel prize to its credit post independence. In the concluding part of his comments in answering the two queries raised by me as to why Indians have to go abroad to achieve fulfillment, Santosh Helekar has unwittingly backed my arguments by stating “As I mentioned earlier, many of them have achieved it in India. But it is easier to do so in the U.S. today because of the reasons stated above. To wrap up, I would just like to say that my own criticism of present day India from the standpoint of scientific advancement is its lumbering bureaucracy, poor choice of priorities, lack of philanthropy and absence of serious financial commitment to cutting edge research from the government and private sector”. Precisely so, I would like my country to be what the US is today. And the only way we can do it, is by discarding superstitions, jingoism, bigotry and the ill founded belief in our greatness. Let us strive to be great. Radharao F.Gracias Vindicated? How convenient it is to move the goal post when caught in a blatant falsehood! Here is what Adv. Gracias said self-assuredly in his Herald article:Our contribution to civilization, (and it cannot be disputed) is zero. No pun intended..Adv. Radharao Gracias And now he says this:Santosh Helekar has in his several comments pointed out the names of Srinivasan Ramanujan, S.N.Bose, P.C.Mahanabolis and C.V.Raman to buttress his point about the greatness of India. In doing so, he has completely backed my argument. It is not my case that India per se is bad but, our “way of life” has made it so. Each of the four individuals mentioned above were born in the nineteenth century and lived most of their productive lives in British India..Adv. Radharao GraciasSo which side of Adv. Gracias' mouth should we believe? The one which says we Indians have made zero contribution to civilization, no pun intended. Or the one which claims that we made our contributions only when the British were ruling over us.What's worse is he will have to move the goal post again, or this time speak from his nose or something, because the truth is Indians have continued to make original scientific contributions in the post-independence era. The reason Adv. Gracias does not know this is because he has not bothered to find out. Yes, no Indian working in independent India has yet won the Nobel Prize in scientific subjects, but that has more to do with the high cost and advanced state of scientific research today than anything else. As the famous Physics Nobel Laureate Paul Dirac once remarked, referring
[Goanet] chauvanism versus patriotism
By: Adv. Radharao F.Gracias I wrote the article “Chauvanism versus Patriotism” for the Herald, after a deep sense of frustration at the way things are turning out in our country. The purpose was to make the readers think, and debate the issue. The purpose has been more than served. I have not been on goanet before but I now realize that I have actually missed a lot. I hope to continue being on the net. I must compliment Santosh Helekar, at the outset, for proving me right. He has taken over the leadership of the chauvanists. I feel vindicated by the response that has come from fellow Indians settled abroad. In my article I had quoted Alberuni’s comment that: “If they (Indians) travelled and mixed with other nations they would soon change their minds for their ancestors were not as narrow minded as the present generation is” (reference is to the eleventh century). From the comments of Indians who have settled abroad it is clear that they have indeed changed their mindset after having “travelled and mixed abroad”. Congratulations. Alberuni was a prophet indeed ! Santosh Helekar has in his several comments pointed out the names of Srinivasan Ramanujan, S.N.Bose, P.C.Mahanabolis and C.V.Raman to buttress his point about the greatness of India. In doing so, he has completely backed my argument. It is not my case that India per se is bad but, our “way of life” has made it so. Each of the four individuals mentioned above were born in the nineteenth century and lived most of their productive lives in British India. It is under British rule that they blossomed and flowered. That is precisely my point that the British system encouraged intellectual development. Two Indians got the Nobel Prize, Rabindranath Tagore for literature in 1913 and C.V.Raman for Physics in 1930. They were both British subjects. No citizen of the Republic of India has got a Nobel Prize in any discipline except Mother Teresa for peace. And she was a naturalized Indian of European origin ! Contrast this with the fact that out of an Indian Diaspora estimated at fifteen million, five persons have won Nobel prizes between the years 1968 and 2009. They are Dr.Hargobind Khorana in 1968 for medicine, Dr.S.Chandrashekar for Physics in 1983, V.S.Naipaul for literature in 2001, Amartya Sen for Economics in 1998 and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan for chemistry in 2009. I have always argued that we Indians are intellectually inferior to none. But to prove our intellect we have go to the west and earn the rewards. If India is so great why do our people have to go abroad to reach intellectual fulfillment? If India is great why would these people achieve greatness only after forsaking the country and living in the West? Will Santosh Helekar please answer? To know what exactly the state of affairs in our country I would suggest that Santosh Helekar read a book of fiction, the ‘White Tiger’ by a fellow Indian Arvind Adiga which won the Booker Award two years ago. Literature, as we know, is a reflection of life and Adiga’s book reflects the social milieu in the Country accurately. In her response, Amita Kanekar seems to counter my argument that India has been invaded innumerable times by submitting that India is not the only country but other countries have also suffered such invasions. May be so. But India is the only country that has been invaded and conquered so many times without having ever retaliated. On the other hand other ancient civilizations like the Persians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and others have all been invaded and have also invaded. Ours is the only civilization where every battle has been “a home match”. And we have lost every “home match” ! My other grievance is that there were just two points of entry into the country, the Bolan and the Khyber passes through which invaders came. Fortifying and sealing the said passes would have been the easiest of tasks, considering that the passes are less than ten metres in width at some spots. Had we fortified the passes, the doors of Somnath Temple would not end up in Afghanistan ! The Chinese faced with similar threats of invasions, designed and built the Great Wall of China with a length of nearly five thousand kilometers to protect their country. The only reason for our failure to protect ourselves is what we call our “way of life”. The question is, should we continue with “a way of life” which has so miserably failed?
