The Big Goan - Goa Holiday Blog

The government of Goa has issued a circular to this effect on Monday. The governments action comes in the wake of complaints that some PIOs were not furnishing information under RTI within a time-frame or were providing unsatisfactory information. The Goa government has therefore warned officers that they would have to engage their own lawyers in cases where they fail to adhere to the RTI Act scrupulously.

According to the circular, unless the officers concerned have acted within the framework of the act while disposing of the applications with due diligence,any request for a government panel advocate to argue their case would not be entertained

Such a situation would leave the PIOs to defend the appeal personally or engage an advocate at their own expense. The government of Goa would consider appointment of an advocate from the advocate panel only in genuine cases and after the request is accompanied by a self-contained note justifying the allotment of a government pleader, the circular said.

The first day of the Global Goans convention 2011 in London saw the assertion of Goan solidarity by various Goans assembled for the gala meet after having travelled to London from various parts of the world. This fifth edition of the convention organized by the Goan association(UK) under the patronage of the Indian high commission in London was attended by Goan expatriates not limited to the United Kingdom alone but extending to delegates from rest of Europe and the continents of Australia and Africa, besides Goans from the Middle East.

Hundreds of Goans therefore braved the distances to turn out at the convention and hear the speeches from various dignitaries which included the commissioner for NRI affairs Eduardo Faleiro who was the Goa government representative, The Labour MP ( Walsall South) Ms Valerie Vaz and the Indian High commission's consular affairs minister Mr Amitabh Mathur amongst others.

Earlier Rabi Martins from Watford Borough Council (UK) and Arjan Vekaria President of the Hindu Forum Britain, inaugurated the convention by lighting the traditional lamp accompanied by a special invocation song composed by members of the Goan cultural society UK.

Mr Mathur highlighted his happiness at being part of the convention in the UK and said that the Indian high commission was keen that Goans should contribute to society and enrich culture and heritage of the land. He said that the changing face of Goa has had an impact on the UK people. NRI commissioner Mr Eduardo Faleiro gave a clarion call to Goan expatriates all over the world to reunite themselves and echoed Mathurs sentiments egging on the congregation to assert Goan solidarity and let members form associations all over the world cheer on their motherland.

Mr Faleiro said that his office is always ready and willing to solve the problems and grievances of Goan expatriates and also outlined some of the schemes that the Goa government has initiated for the benefit of Goans especially the " know Goa" programme for children of expatriate Goans who are unaware of the progress made by India since its independence and since the Liberation of Goa.

British MP Valerie Vaz said that Goans are a strong force seen worldwide and urged Goans to play their role in making Goa a bigger part of the world stage in the future.

Post lunch, the convention focus shifted on the impending golden jubilee of Goa's liberation which begins in the month of December. Dr Damodar Sardessai professor Emeritus department of history university of California praised Goans as being " eminently intelligent" throughout known history and still showing promise in the modern age of today.

Dr Teotonio R de Souza professor of History, University Lusofona de Humanidades e Technologias in Lisbon Portugal said that Goa should remember its many liberations with people from different countries making the state their homeland over the last 50 years - a habit that has been commonplace since medieval Goa.

He also urged Goans to remain true to their identity with special focus of the language of Our ancestors - Konkani and all that which is associated with it like the food and culture of Goa. Dr Stella Mascarenhas- keyes, senior research officer in the UK government rounded off the day with a presentation, showcasing a study she has undertaken on the development and maintenance of the global Goan community.She enlightened the congregation about Goans who have proven themselves over the years and mused over whether future generations will look to migrate overseas in the same way as so many Goans have done till date.

Vakaria who migrated from Uganda to the UK gave an example of how the Gujarati community sought to preserve the Gujarati language and appealed to expatriate Goans to emulate their example by starting classes in the konkani language in the United Kingdom in a bid to preserve the Goan culture and identity. The function was compered By Mr Ravi Vaz vice President of the association (UK)

The celebration for the day was complete after a cultural programme of traditional Goan folk art and music by "Mandd Sammel" a group from Canacona.

Night vision cameras are rolling out on Goan beaches as the Goa tourism department puts into place its plans to install such devices at 32 beach locations in Goa in a bid to keep tabs on suspicious movements of miscreants on the beach and keep a close watch on such characters.

The tourism department of Goa has a proposal to install such night vision cameras at 32 beach locations, which include 13 locations in norht Goa covering the beaches in Pernem, Bardez, Tiswadi. In south Goa over 19 beach locations identified which include the talukas of, Salcete and Canacona.

The main purpose of the security CCTVs proposal is to ensure security on Goa's beaches and the night vision cameras are proposed to be installed on watch towers used by the beach lifeguards. The tourism department of Goa has already invited tenders for the supply, installation, commissioning and the maintenance of night vision cameras for three years. These cameras are expected to have remote viewing and recording facilities at the beaches,"

Upon the successful installation at the beaches there is a future plan to shift the existing CCTVs (day cameras) to other areas like parking lots in the cities.

The interested parties will have to hold a demonstration of the equipment considering the importance of the equipment from the point of view of security.

Goan food is famous all over the world owing to its assimilation of the east with the west. When the Portuguese came to Goa they brought not only their cultural traditions and religion to Goa but also their food habits, their ingredients and their finesse to the Goan table. Goan food has therefore gone through a series of updates from whatever ethnic Goan food might have been before the Portuguese set foot in the state and some of Goa’s original food recipes may have been lost due to the lapse of time and the loss of transmission to the next generation. However Goan food today, remains a very tasty and mouth watering proposition for anyone who wishes to indulge.

For one thing, Goans use natural resources more than anyone else in the country. Goans have an enslaved fondness for something Goan in terms of ingredients for their cooking. So while the rest of India happily relies on acetic acid to give the contribution of vinegar to their kitchens, Goans will only swear by Goan vinegar traditionally made from toddy which is extracted from the Goan palm tree. Coconut for the Goan fish curry has to be from Goa as its taste is distinctly richer compared to other varieties from Kerala or elsewhere invading in Goa. At one point of time even cooking oil was essentially Goan palm oil. However with the health factor intervening in recent times, Goans have reluctantly allowed all kinds of healthier packaged vegetable oils in preference to a happy heart instead of happy tastebuds.

The Goan brew “Feni”, is the source of many ballads, stories and some even some sort of fame for the Goan brand. Goan Feni can also be blended in a potent concoction as a treatment for common ailments such as common cold, stomach pains etc . Its close cousin is the Goan palm fenny also known as “Maddanchi Feni” in Goa which is a distilled produce of Goan toddy and which is also widely available in Goa.

For vegetable, be it the Goan tambddi bhaji, ladyfingers,gourd, pumpkin, or any common vegetable, the  bias is always for home grown fruit which is considered to be more richer in taste and unadulterated in terms of pesticides etc. Goa is also known to have several varieties of rice which have been considered far superior to other hybrid varieties which have found their place in Goa thanks to their commercial compulsions. However Goan varieties of paddy including the nostalgic variety of “azgo” has been considered as a great nutritional produce and was always a must for the traditional preparation of Goan “kanji”.

The cooking style of Portuguese has shaped the repertoire of Goan dishes over the years of colonial rule spanning over 450 years. The Portuguese influences on Goan food was complete with the introduction of its natural produce in Goa and you had vegetables and fruits coming all the way from Portugal to be sown in Goa. So you have the potatoes, tomatoes, aubergine (brinjals) , chillies, papaya, pineapple, guava, passion fruit etc being a direct influence of Portugal on Goa. Also in company are various herbal and spice introductions such as coriander, dried varieties of chillies, garlic and turmeric with the essential Goan vinegar which could round off the Portuguese influence on the ingredients in Goan cuisine.

The Goan chilli is essentially a straight import form Portugal and before its introduction to India, Goans were used to homegrown spices such as pepper and cloves to derive the requisite taste. However the chilli gave the much needed breadth in the dimension of Goan cooking and remained to define Goan food tastes forever.

Portuguese influences on Goan food also reflect strongly in Goan sweets which are a direct import from Portugal and still bear those distinct names.So you have the dedos da dama, petas de freiras, pasteis de natas, pasteis de Santa Clara decorating the Goan table at Christmas time along with the Dodol and the Bebinca which is inseparable from many Goan hearts.

In addition to the  popular sweets in Goa, the Portuguese brought to Goa their delight of guisados, caldei-radas and assados prepared with both fish and meats. The tangy and spicy delicacies of Prawn Balchao and the Pork vindaloo are delights which you wont miss anywhere in Goa during the traditional Goan feast with the Goan table also hosting the pork sorpotel and the traditional Goan sannas to compliment all the gravies on the table.

Some believe that Goan cuisine clearly reflects a rare combination of Arabian, Portuguese and Goa’s own native cultures to blend into a wholesome new cuisine in Goa which is a blend of rich yet simple cooking. Goa’s peaceful lifestyle and laid back moorings easily compliments its cuisine and endears its followers to be lured by the taste of its very infectious delights which are distinctly different from the rest of the country.

Seafood in Goa is a department on its own and the Goan palate is always ready for an extra bite of the sea with scores of dishes adorning the Goan menu. Shell fish and prawns are a sub category which have their own following in Goa and you can find various preparations of these two oceanic delights in Goa. The prawn curry rice is slurped up with as much voracity as is the crabs xec xec which is a craze at many restaurants Goa. Among other shell fish, the mussels and oysters are also a big draw.

Goan shacks stacked up by the beach have traditionally served Goan food to the various tourists coming to Goa for the Goan bite. However most of these outlets have turned commercial and have unfortunately lost their Goanness. Much of this is due to the reluctance of some shacks in welcoming Goan customers to their restaurants which is actually a negative sign for them as they do not get to know the level of deviation in food as the true critics can only be from Goa and anybody else will  only pamper their bad food.

Having said that I must say there are some very good restaurants all over Goa who serve real good authentic Goan food which can match upto the best. A close look at these restaurants reveals that they are more comfortable with Goan customers and Goan families which patronize these restaurants helping them to keep up to the taste of Goan cuisine.

Goa tourism appears to be headed for a major overhaul with tourists on a holiday to Goa will very soon be able to take a pick from a helicopter, a sea plane and ropeway services to get a breathtaking experience of Goa from the skies.

In a bid to introduce such services the Goa state tourism department has already sought expression of interest from bidders to set up such services in Goa and the chosen bidder is to submit to the government a feasibility report on the same.

The helicopter services is planned to take off from Ela Goa in Old Goa and also from Sinquerim in Calangute and is later expected to be extended to other popular tourist locations of Goa such as Colva, Tiracol, Mollem and Santa Monica in the capital city Panjim.

The media in Goa has indeed come of age in recent years. For a long time it was ruled by mainly newspapers which were the lifeline of the Goan news bringing to Goans every daily happening occurring in the state of Goa. However nowadays the television media has also taken over and Goa has its share of news in different mediums and various languages which include English, Konkani and Marathi and has a wide readership among the masses of Goa. Here in this post, I am only detailing the Goan newspapers which have served Goa impressively since the liberation of Goa.

Goan newspapers in English
Broadly there are currently four newspapers in Goa serving the English palate. They are the Navhind Times, The Herald ,The Gomantak times and the recently launched Goa edition of the Times of India launched in Goa on 7 May 2008.

The Navhind Times is widely regarded as the newspaper with the highest circulation and is equally concentrated in north Goa as well as South Goa. As a result the Navhind times gets the major share of advertisements and its classified advertisement category is considered to be very populated compared to other English newspapers and has a wider range of subjects which helps its circulation permeate to all markets in Goa with the Goan news. The Navhind times is owned by the Dempo Group of companies, one of Goa’s major industrial houses and is one of the foremost newspapers from Goa and began its operations of covering Goa news since the year 1963.

The Herald goa,  the voice of Goa since the year 1900 and is a fierce traditional competitor to the Navhind times. It has a wide readership which is more prominent in South Goa where the Herald is a leader in circulation with almost every Goan household opting for the Herald Goan newspaper to make up their day. Herald has an edge over its competitors in terms of obituary advertisements and can be easily considered as a leader in this segment. Its classifieds segment is also fast catching up with some innovative schemes being launched to woo advertisers to the table. The Herald also specializes in compiling a lot of detailed local news from Goa which makes it endearing to Goans as the newspaper to look forward to every morning to get a bite of what’s happening in Goa on a daily basis to get the much awaited Goan news. The Herald is arguably the oldest newspaper to originate from Goa and was originally known as oHeraldo Goan newspaper in Goaduring the Portuguese rule , having established itself in the year 1900. It is owned by Mr R.F Fernandes and was made exceptionally famous during the stint of its former editor Mr Rajan Narayan who is known to have had a penchant for sensational news, humour and the “tehelka” factor. Mr Rajan Narayan has since left the newspaper to launch his own publication. The Goan herald newspaper has a nostalgic following among Goans worldwide to herald Goan news to them wherever they are

The Gomantak times is the English cousin of its Marathi sibling and was introduced in the last decade. It has much lower readership in compartison to the navhind Times and the Herald and its circulation is considered to be low. However it attracts a lot of public service advertsiemnts as well as personal advertiosemtns, court notices, legal notices, etc. Its classified section is almost non-existent but it has its own readership base and continues to serve Goan readers. Its weekend edition is known as “weekender” and has had a catchy readership due to its sensational headlines.

The Times Of India launched its Goa edition on May 7 2008 with a catchy Mario Miranda cartoon on its main page. It was marketed in goa under a very innovative marketing concept which was first credited to some major newspaper in southern India. It offered readers an option to subscribe to their newspaper by paying an annual fee of Rs 350/- odd for a 12 month subscription. Added to this was a token gift of a shoulder bag. the delivery was initially believed to be free at the doorstep but later was mired in controversies with local paper distributors. However the newspaper continued to offer such schemes every year offering gifts of clocks and umbrella in 2009 ad 2010.

The Times of India on the whole is a country specific newspaper but has adapted well to the Goan psyche.It focusses on pan-India news but ensures that Goa has its major share on its first few pages. It has a magazine called Goa times which often features various happenings in Goa with photographs of many prominent faces of Goa being splashed across its party pages. Its classified segment is slowly but surely catching up and advertising costs are a fraction of similar advertisements in its metro editions. Its quality of the English language is incomparable to any other newspaper in Goa and it has set a trend in Goan newspaper photography which is being quickly lapped up by its competitors. Its print quality and newsprint feel is absolutely outstanding and justifies its position as India’s premier news paper. The Times of India is a paper owned by Bennett, Coleman & co. ltd and its Goa edition is printed at Thivim in Goa

The other English publications include the weekly Observer, a news edition published by the former editor of Herald Mr. Rajan Narayan and strives to give Goans an insight into various notorious happenings in Goa. It is ably supported by many prominent Goans who contribute to its columns on a regular basis.

Marathi and Konkani Newspapers in Goa include the Devnagrai Konknni newspaper “Sunaparant” which is Goa’s only daily konkani edition to hit the stands. The Tarun Bharat, Gomantak, Sanatan Prabhat, Govadoot and the Navprabha are Goas’ marathi editions catering to the marathi speaking population of Goa

Other Goan publications in the state include the monthly English magazine “Goa Today” , Vavraddeancho Ixtt which is the oldest Roman script Konkani weekly newspaper, the Goa Messenger, Gulab – a konkani magazine and Bimb (Devanagari-script Konkani) .

Besides these newpapers, Goa also receives the editions of “The economic times Mumbai, The Business Line, the Financial times, The Indian Express and many other vernacular editions catering to the Gujarati, tamil, malayalam and kannada communities.

The Goa beach has long been the place to unwind from the din of the world and pamper yourself on the seashore by simply lazing into the clear soft sand and let the breeze do its natural work on you.

You can  choose to sunbathe on the Goan beach and let the sun do the talking on your wonderful body allowing yourself the tan that you always wanted to have but could never devote the time to get. Meanwhile let your kids and family enjoy the waves of the Goan seashore and indulge themselves in some beach activities of building castles, playing  beach soccer or a game of beach cricket.Volleyball can also interest you on the Goan beach.

Goan beaches are divided into north and south Goa and the north Goa beaches are relatively crowded compared to the south and are more frequented by tourists from all over the world. North Goa also has more share of parties than the south. but tranquility and peaceful holidays normally get the attraction of south Goa which has a peaceful outlook.

So if you are seeking serenity and wish to spend your vacations away from the maddening crowds south Goa beaches are ideal else the north opens its arms in a broad welcome. Beaches in the north are Anjuna, Agonda, Baga, Dona Paula, Vagator, Calangute and Arambol. Popular beaches in the south are Colva, Benaulim, Majorda, Utorda, Mobor, Arossim etc. You can also indulge in some good beach activities in Goa which include parasailing, snorkeling, windsurfing, scuba diving, water-scooting and many more such activities.

When you look for a holiday to Goa, you indeed look to make your vacation a memorable event and there is no better place for this than the idyllic destination called Goa. Going to Goa is an exciting thought  as you are imagining beaches, green landscapes, beautiful temples and majestic Churches and above all a westernized culture to top a beautiful place.

Indeed holidays in Goa are bound to guarantee the gleam of the beaches, green coated picturesque landscapes, historical forts, gushing water bodies and exciting nightlife parties that dwell long into the night. Such excitement is enough to woo holidaymakers to Goa in droves and that’s why Goa is always besieged with tourists all year round.

Known as the beach capital of India, Goa is a laid back place full of  fun and frolic . This beautiful place was once ruled by the Portuguese who reigned in Goa from the year 1510 till 1961 for over 450 years which left a deep western legacy on Goa and Goans which brought in a merger of traditions, cuisines and cultures. If one interacts with people in Goa who are very affable and friendly, one will understand the reason why Goa is such a fun place to be in.

When it comes to parties, Goa has them by the houseful and there is a feast at every church in Goa once a year and for the hundreds of churches in Goa, the Goans love their feasts which comes with a lot of festive activities and parties that one would feel like living forever in Goa.

Parties and carnival in Goa often go hand in hand.Goa’s unique lifestyle is unmatched by any other state in India and its relaxed attitude with a pleasant climate , some stunning attractions and beautiful locations truly draws and fascinates tourists arriving in Goa.

So if you wish to just unwind by rolling on the sandy beaches or immerse yourself in the beach waters or better indulge in sports activities all over the sea, the fun is there for the taking and Goa suddenly becomes the favorite sport for all your hidden iota of undiscovered talents. The soothing breeze of the beach will leave you spellbound by its magical weave and send you into a tailspin of a good afternoon nap if you wish to take that succegado Goan siesta.

Goa is also known for its ancient temples which are mostly part of the new conquest in areas such as Ponda, Mangueshi, Mardol, Bicholim etc and Goa also has its share of Portuguese and Moorish influenced colonial architecture and beautiful churches built according to gothic design.

Built by the Portuguese rulers,  when they conquered Goa in 1510 from the Adil shah of Bijapur, the temples, monuments, churches and the old towering monumental architecture of this state make it a interesting destination for history lovers.

As appearing in the Herald newspaper in the opinionated column dated 31/3/2011

In response to the rally of the Forum for rights to childrens education(FORCE) a new opposition seems to be foisted by old minds warped by their outdated mode of thinking. Besides inducing the vandalism of politics into a subject which is the sincere anguished voice of parents of Goan children, these anarchic brains are actually batting for the unaided schools lobby whose trade is virtually threatened by the genuine demand of parents to include English as a medium of instruction in aided schools of Goa.

This new outfit, pompously called “Bharatiya Bhasha suraksha manch” is full of retired brittle bones and is actually a front of unaided private schools who are ensuring that some opposition worth the salt is made lest the demand for inclusion of English has a smooth passage and their own private trade closes down.

Heading this manch is a spent force called Shashikala kakodkar whose father unsuccessfully failed to merge Goa to Maharashtra . She is obviously nursing his wounds upon herself and energizing herself to fulfill her fathers lost causes by instead opposing English and pitching for Marathi. (Most Goans who even voted for her father in the opinion poll will be thanking their stars today that his plans never took shape else Goa would have been relegated to another rambling district of Maharashtra.) Add to this group a certain Mr Arvind Bhatikar, incidentally an IAS officer, who seems to have found a new arena to spend his retirement days after the GBA venture. To him, saving Goa has probably taken a new dimension and it appears that saving Goan children from excelling is his latest mantra. His support for this unholy cause obviously undermines the ideals of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan and will befittingly serve to dwarf his credentials. To add some saffron colour to this group is the voice of Mr Suresh Amonkar and you do not need to imagine hard to discover the wisdom of his presence. Throw in a freedom fighter in Mr Naguesh karmali, whose stubborn colonial hangover simply refuses to relieve him. Curiously, in this group enters a seemingly errant clergyman in Fr Mousinho Ataide who threatens to be the rebellious martyr owing allegiance to no one but to his own brand of Konkani and Marathi and whose mysterious penchant for unwittingly inducing closure of the Archdiocesan board of schools seems to be unrelenting. Pillioning his joyride is another priest Fr Jaime Couto. Together they bring the desperate catholic flavour to the table. Sprinkle all these language policemen with a stale heap of septuagenarian and octogenarian self-appointed educationists and you have a perfect recipe of redundant ingredients shaping up an insipid crusade.

Most of these people have no idea where the world is currently placed or where it is headed. Instead they are desperately wishing to enforce an era of their whims. An era which they wished existed. They live in the cloistered past and have no vision for the future because their eyesight has turned myopic, they bite more than their few teeth can chew and their legs are weak and bereft of any strength of direction. Their views showcase their shrunken minds and their foresights are the joy of a beggars dream. They have no wisdom to perceive proposals or plans for the employment of Goan children but their frailties surprisingly gush with the last remnants of fossilised energy with detrimental plans galore to lead our children into the throes of a backward class.

In a few years they will be history, but they wish their hegemony of dictatorial thought continues. Despite being under one banner pitching for mother tongue as medium of instruction, all these characters have their own private mother tongues. For some it is Konknni Devnagari .Some others are immersed in “shudh” Marathi for the super tongue, and while the two clergymen should have been obvious ambassadors of Romi Konkani, their behavioral symptoms indicate that it is either Devnagari Konknni or Shudh Marathi galloping in their veins. These two appear to be twiddling on the fence probably wondering which side is more greener to take the plunge. This whole team of strange bedfellows who otherwise bayed for each others blood on each others mother tongue now speak a language of convenience. Their motivation is only to oppose English which has brought the world together. This motivation to oppose English seems to be clearly inspired by the strong lobby of private unaided English schools who have lost their sleep ever since the massive rally demanding English to be included in aided schools was made. Most unaided schools face certain closure if English is made the medium of instruction while the ones who survive will have fewer takers and so this lobby appears to have worked overtime to carve a boring club of so called champions of many mother tongues( and its bitter cousins) which is merely a front for the unaided lobby. Probably even on their payroll.

One would think that since the Forum for rights to children education(F.O.R.C.E) have not antagonized any language or religion but have merely pleaded for inclusion of English as a medium of instruction, everybody would live happily ever after. Every Goan having the choice to decide where to educate their children was their sincere plea. But instead of hailing such noble and harmless pleas, the self attested language protectors have displayed their bankruptcy of thought to oppose the move.

If you call these people over their mobile phone to enquire about their new sense of madness , the first thing they are bound to greet you with is the all too English “hello”. Obviously their private mother tongues failed to provide them with an appropriate translation. But the lack of ordinary depth of their mother tongues does not matter to them. They are like horses with blinkers, in a hurry to transform Goans into donkeys.

If these lazy bhasha champions have any love for their language they should conduct mass awakenings among their Marathiwadis and ensure that those aided schools have good enrollment. But who are these wasted brains to tell the rest of Goans to follow their brand of education? The two priests who have joined these Marathiwadis are not only a disgrace to the community but an insult to the church which has finally woken up to the harsh reality awaiting it.

It is a known fact that at the time of implementing the regional languages as the medium of instruction, the government had also stipulated not to allow any more English schools in Goa. However the government flouted its own provision by allowing the number of English private schools to rise from a mere 11 schools to a staggering 127. How come this number rose so high if there was no demand for English schools from Goans? Today middle class Goans have to pay thousands in fees to educate their children in English, which is the obligation of the government. And while there is a hue and cry about the prices of petrol, milk , onions and chicken, average Goans are quietly being robbed daily of their hard earned money by unaided schools for the basic right of education, because the government of Goa desires so. As one speaker at the FORCE meeting pointed out- “ the education in English is only for the rich and not for the Aam Aadmi” . The Aam Aadmi of Goa is condemned to learn in the vernacular tongue or spend a huge sum for education in English.

A close look in unaided English schools in Goa will clearly reveal that Goans irrespective of religion are more keen to send their children to English medium schools. Our MLAs are themselves bent on English medium schools. Why are they then bent on applying another standard for the rest of Goans? Why are our leaders resisting our desire?

The FORCE should also demand closure or takeover of all unaided schools which have sprung up in Goa after 1990 since their introduction was in direct contravention of the provisions laid down by the government. If there is no desire to see aided English among Goans how can unaided English among Goans be justified?

If our politicians do not rise up and show their strength of character to include English as the medium of instruction , the Church should show its mettle by opposing all these candidates in the forthcoming elections. The FORCE should also abandon any reluctance to stay away from elections and field its own candidates and canvass to open the eyes of the masses to the deception of the government in power. While this may help communal forces, it is preferable to reject people who do nothing to improve our living and are instead playing to the gallery of thoughtless comedians

Twentieth of August saw the inclusion of Konkani in the eight schedule of the constitution and the day was celebrated by all lovers of the language. However for many Goans, especially the Catholics of Goa, the day was a non-event. These same Goans had strived and fought for the inclusion of the language in the eight schedule but now after 17 years of its inclusion all they can feel is a sincere betrayal by the stubborn lobby of the Devnagri konkani supporters who seem to have lost their vision for the wholesome support of the language.

In the name of Devnagri Konkani all attempts have been successfully made by this lobby to stifle the voices of the lovers of Romi Konkani which is the language spoken by Catholics in Goa in their everyday life. Devnagri Konkani is however spoken among the Hindus of Goa. While we must respect the wishes of our Hindu brethren in Goa to use Devnagri, the same compliment needs to be extended to the catholic community in Goa by accepting that Roman Konkani be given a similar status as its sister Devnagri.

However instead of doing that, our Devnagri brothers have insisted that it is the only script to follow which is a dictatorial attitude. catholic children find it hard to digest devnagri Konkani and yet it is being forced down their throats in the government aided primary schools as a medium of instruction.

To a great extent, the fault lies with the people who inserted the meticulous note of including the language of Konkani for official purposes in Goa - in Devnagri only.  This was a complete betrayal to the aspirations of the people who were actually fighting for the dual cause of Konkani in Devnagri and Romi. However the former won and the Romi lovers are currently running from pillar to post to make their voices heard. To no avail.

The clergy in Goa is also silent on the issue and despite the medium of speech and instruction in the Church of Goa being Romi Konkani, this silence and lack of interest to pursue this matter is highly surprising.In contrast, the Hindu political elite of Goa have had their way.

It is therefore our right to the language that needs to be exercised in all forums and the government of Goa needs to stop ignoring the genuine pleas of Romi konkani lovers, an issue which is threatening to influence an ugly divide in the Goan community. we Goans need to therefore stand up and speak for our script of Konkani without being drowned under bogey of Konkani only in Devnagri.

The days of Goa appear to be numbered. And it has nothing to do with the new "number plate" resentments. Instead, a new law awaits Goa and most importantly, Goan villages which threatens to change the Goan demography, Goan landscape, Goan beauty, Goan environment and the Goan way of life - forever. With disastrous implications.

The amendment to the Panchayati raj act 2009, which was unanimously passed by the ruling Congress woven coalition in the Goa assembly this month is yet another attempt to hoodwink Goans and foist on us the gargantuan plans of concrete jungles designed to satisfy the potbellies of real estate barons, politicians from Goa and elsewhere, bureaucrats and an increasingly alarming migrant workforce.

The way the bill itself was passed is pretty disgusting. The opposition party, the BJP which cries hoarse at every flimsy opportunity aimed at nailing the ruling combination chose to have a token protest, lest it not be said that they were supporting the bill. Simply exposes how powerful the builders lobby in Goa is.

Manohar Parrikar and his band of boys, instead of a thorough dressing down of the bill and the government, decided to concentrate on the purview of the miniscule issue of the panchayat secretary's boss and his creator of commands as being ambiguous in the bill. With the answers not fulfilling his satisfaction, the BJP stalwart decides to stage a walkout with his men, which facilitates the bill to have a safe passage .While leaving he makes sure that the world hears his words of protest as he shouted " we will not be a party to this bill". There could not be a better tiatr, could there?

However in doing the above, the wily politician may believe that he satisfied everyone while probably helping himself to a good laugh besides other things. One, he ensured that the bill was passed without much of his protests which should satisfy all stakeholders in the passing of the bill. Two he lived upto the reputation of opposition parties (and his own) to atleast oppose a bill come what may. Third he ensured that the general Goan public opposed to the bill, find it difficult to club him and his party with the supporters of the bill. However while he may have fooled some Goans, most will surely see through his actions and I am sure those voices will be heard sooner than later.

Can you imagine a law intended to deny Goans their right to speak against the rampant development of land with concrete jungles emerging all over? All powers vested in the bureaucracy of Goa? In short all powers vesting in the ministers, their accomplices, their henchmen and their greedy wolves who can decide what, how ,when and why your village needs thousands and lakhs of new inhabitants with more garbage, rationed water, more floods, lesser greenery, more migrants and more crime?

With such a dangerous situation on hand, our opposition party has lived up to their reputation of opposing trivial issues and ignoring the more important ones. While the whole of Goa and every panchayat in the state is gearing up for an agitation against the draconian bill, our opposition party has chosen to shift focus and agitate against some inconsequential , pedestrian issues such as the Shimnit Utsch number plates . Are vehicle number plates more important to the welfare of Goa? Or has Shimnit failed to satisfy the aspirations of our political class across the whole spectrum which the builders lobby may have smartly managed?

As if we didn't know!

Patolleo, for Goans rings a bell. It is a sweet dish prepared in most Goan homes with a touch of the real Goan feeling. Patolleo and its effervescent flavour has the potential to take you down the Goan memory lane and leave you dreaming for hours. A mere bite into the sweet dish is very satisfying and Goans look forward to the turn of the patolleo every year on 15th August, it being the feast of the assumption, and patolleo seem to be wedded to this feast for the catholics in Goa.

The village of Salvador do Mundo in the north of Goa goes one step further and has been known to celebrate the whole feast as the 'patolleo fest' which is to be celebrated this year on Sunday, 16th August 2009. For the villagers of Salvador do Mundo, the festival is not merely the making of patolleos but it does seem that there is a genuine concern to revive and maintain good old Goan traditions which have somehow rusted over the years and mostly forgotten.

So the elders of Salvador do Mundo also engage in teaching the youngsters the methods and means of preparing the old Goan sweets thereby ensuring that the tradition continues without being corrupted by the modern times. Besides the Patolleo, the villagers from this area also get their act together to prepare "pudde" or 'Kholle' which are similar to patolleo but are covered with a jackfruit leaf instead of turmeric leaves and are shaped in the form of a cone. Jaggery sannas also form part of the festivities here.

The festivities are normally  accompanied with music and song and an eco friendly set up is maintained to add the lustre of the old Goan setting. The festival is celebrated outside the St Sebastian Chapel at Baddem and food is served on banana or jackfruiit leaves and the traditional rice kanji is served in large coconut shells. Thus the festival is meant to showcase the essence of Goa and the organisers avoid any sponsors for the event in a bid to de-commercialise the festivities.

The event surely is a tribute to Goa and its rich cultural traditions and the rest of Goa and its villages must try and emulate this effort to ensure that Goa and Goans take their traditions forward for the sake of posterity in the least.

While people in Goa look for all kinds of avenues to cool themselves in the Goan summer, the air-conditioner is still considered a small time luxury in most Goan homes.

Come April - May and Goans make a beeline for the picnics and outing spots far away from home and mostly located near Goan springs, beaches and water bodies such as lakes and pools. It is a desperate attempt to cool oneself from the blistering heat thumping down in Goa at this time of the year. The springs, lakes, pools and beaches of Goa in the summer are therefore filled to the maximum with revelers frolicking to get that extra stream of coolness.

The air-conditioners are however still not looked upon as a necessity in Goa despite the fact that the humidity in the summer can sometimes be very uncomfortable. In the good old days the summer in Goa was quite bearable with lesser humidity levels and it was considered that air-conditioners were the belonging of the gulf and the more extreme weathered countries. However with the passage of time, air conditioners have come to Goa to stay and there is a gradual transition in the mindset of Goans to install an air-conditioner at least in the bedroom of their homes.

The increased demand has resulted in better models, lowered prices and a greater choice for the consumer in Goa. For residential use, there are basically two choices the Goan has to make.

The Window AC : These are so called because a convenient and suitable opening is made in a window. Often a separate opening known as AC window is also made beside the main window as is provided by all the major reputed builders today in Goa. Ideal height is 5 to 6 feet since cool air sinks downwards. Today many brands of the window air-conditioner are as silent as the split air conditioners and are available in both manual as well as remote version. It is pertinent to note that home consumers should not opt of the “simple remote” which is suitable for restaurants and offices but not for homes since it does not have a timer or “bio-sleep” function.

The Split AC “ The split ACs are divided into two parts. The hotter portion of the AC unit is kept outside the room and only the cold evaporator is installed inside the room. Popular splits are the high mount type mounted on a wall at ceiling height and piped outside to the outdoor condensing unit. The drawback of these units is felt most often in high rise buildings where such units if installed outside are serviced diligently by the air-conditioner dealers or company servicemen as these units are dangerously mounted at tall heights. The better option for such high rises is therefore to install such units in their balconies or outdoor units and open terraces or over a wide ‘catwalk” so that technicians can safely work on them.

For large rooms, living dining or showrooms, the best solution is the floor mounted tower AC. It has the silence of a split air conditioner combined with the air throw of a window AC along with side to side oscillating fins for ideal distribution of cold air. For mounting of the outdoor unit, the same recommendations of the high mount wall split unit are applicable here.

Nowadays in Goa there is also an attractive option and that is to rent out an AC be it window or split. For those living in rented premises, this is a good option where the rentals are at around Rs 700 per month per unit. The Air-conditioner however seems to have come to Goa to stay more as a necessity than as a mere luxury.

With the heat and humidity mixing up to undesirable levels in Goa, the directorate of health services has launched  an awareness campaign to prevent possible cases of heat stroke in the state.

The meteorological department has already predicted that the temperatures could hit around 40 degrees Celsius in Goa and this has prompted the health authorities to advise people in the state on measures to prevent the occurrence of heat strokes in the state.

People are therefore advised to drink plenty of water, avoid tea, coffee, soda and alcohol. They should wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in light colours. Wearing a hat, sunglasses and carrying an umbrella is also very helpful in order to protect oneself from the sun.

Some first aid measures have also been suggested by the department such as moving the victim from the heat and getting him  indoors.

The victims clothes should be loosened and he/she should be kept down lying in a cool place with the feet elevated by about 12 inches. Cold compresses can also be placed on the victim's neck, groin and armpits. The victim can also be wrapped in cool wet sheet and fanned vigorously.The patient should also be given cool water or beverages to sip ( specially with electrolyte).

Just when you take a breather about a certain issue folding its back on the devastation of Goa, there comes another. Goa's political abyss which has been left with the littlest of credibleness is desperate to prove that it has got much in its armour to take itself into the bottom of a hole. But it seems that the bottom is an unending pit.

The promulgation of the ordinance to save a portion of a hotel in Dona Paula is just another case where our law makers are showing their prowess in bending the law to suit their fancies. It is a matter of great shame for Goans that we have elected such leaders who have no qualms about turning jet black into crystal white. Overnight.

The disgracefulness with which this act was executed with scant respect to the orders of the honourable Supreme court shows the sense of disregard for the rule of law. The government made a mockery of the 17 long years legal battle waged by the Goa foundation in public interest which was recently disposed of by the apex court in favour of the Goa foundation.

The twist and churn of the law by promulgating an ordinance the effect of which comes retrospectively, is therefore a travesty of justice for the common man of Goa. It only proves that the high and mighty in Goa are above the law of the land. And it is unbelievable that the government of Goa helps to inculcate this sense of belief.

The befuddling part is that none of the 40 legislators actually opposed this ordinance vehemently. There were some feeble voices from the opposition party grumbling a bit, lest it not be said that they didn't resent the move. However their wanton and lazy mumbles were soon lost in the ink of the governor who whetted the ordinance with his most desired autograph.

The issue wasn't without an interesting sideshow which provided the government the much needed fodder to substantiate such a shameful act. A strange " staff welfare association" of the hotel was constituted with claims that the hotel was ready to divest them of their jobs, should the demolition come through. It seems all labour laws and all employee rights are tied down to pillars and structures of hotels which have been built through questionable means and which are ordered to be axed by the highest court of the land. Many would wonder if the government fell for the bait of the 650 odd employee jobs.  Rather in this case, it seems that the government was itself the bait, the rod, the hook, the sinker and the catch.

The effect of this ordinance is so loud and deafening that it has hit many ear drums. Goa is fortunate to have many citizen organizations such as the GBA( Goa Bachao Abhiyan) and the GGRM ( Ganv ghor rakhon Manch) as also "the council for social justice and peace" among many others, who have sprung up to checkmate every dirty move that our politicians have on their mind to deface Goa. In times like these, they are our only hope. Our only pride. Our only strength. If not for them Goa would have been battered long ago. With them in charge, all that we need to do as Goans is support them in every way possible. We owe it to ourselves.

The next few weeks, months and the rest of the year will be quite interesting. With Lok sabha elections in April-May 2009, the ordinance will be coming into effect only after the next assembly session in Goa meets up and ratifies it. Will all the 40 legislators support it? Will even 20 of them support it? Why will they support it? Will their conscience be so hollow and deprived? Will the supreme court of India be a silent spectator to the subversion of its order?

This ordinance has the potential to open a can of worms. Hopefully it will.