Dears,
Freddy wrote almost rhetorically thus:
We blame the politicians for all the ills in Goa and it’s true, they are the
culprits, they are the traitors, they are the rapists, but the million
dollar question is, WHO ELECTED THEM? *The enemy is within, we need not go
far in our search, it’s each one of us contributing to the rape of our
beloved Goa by our inaction, doing nothing, to right, the wrong we did in
electing the corrupt, the selfish and the heartless, we are our own worst
enemies.* We need to get our priorities right and elect good people, with
ethics, honest, hardworking and with true love for Goa in their hearts, to
run Goa. This is the only choice we have. Are there any takers ? Freddy
Agnelo Fernandes ,Dubai/Nuem, Canacona
Nominations for the 50 constituencies of the Zilla Panchayats in Goa ...30
in North and 20 in South Goa ... are up for grabs from Monday. By Carnival
[13 February, 2010] , the scrutiny, withdrawal and finalization of the
candidates will be over. By Holi [01 March], the 'colour' of the candidates
will become visible and Maundy Thursday [It's no April Fool] the new ZPs
will begin spending the taxpayers' money as if it was their dowry. It is
time for a little exercise ... a walk to the polling booth to exercise one's
franchise. Each one of us is a francisee for Democracy.
It is time to ask the ZP candidates what is his or her [there is 33 %
reservation for women] considered position on:
1. the role of a Zilla Panchayat in executing the district development plans
and control over a]zonal agriculture offices and gram sevaks b] minor
irrigation c]social forestry d] cottage industry, including food processing
e] drinking water supply, including wells and bore-wells e] rural housing
f] primary health centres, g] primary and secondary education h] markets and
fairs as well as maintenance of community assets like fountains, springs,
play parks, gardens, etc. as enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the
Constitution of India.
2 the authority of the District Planning Committee or DPC in preparing the
"development" plans for the District , both Socio-economic and Land use
planning
3. the authority of the village panchayat to prepare its own plans, within
the framework of the law, and to execute them under the supervision of the
DPC.
If the ZP candidate has not read the Constitution of India's Article 243,
Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules thereof, ask him or her to read it first or
to withdraw from the fray. Copies in English and Konkani [Devanagri script]
are available for just Rs.150/- in the Goa Konkani Akademy, Patto Colony
[opposite Ruchi restaurant], Panaji.
If you live in a village ... or otherwise have a voting right in a village
... go and vote on 07 March, 2010 te get the good guys and gurlz into the
ZP. The ZP Adhyaksha will be the Chairperson of the District Planning
Committee [DPC] that will decide on the village development and budgets
...if you elect candidates with the courage to ask for their rights as per
the Article 243ZD of the Constitution of India after the 73rd and 74th
Amendments to the Constitution of India. We have already waited for 19 long
years. why should we wait longer.
Mog asundi
Miguel
------------------------------
* *
*The Enemy Within*
Goa, a jewel on India’s crown as it was known, was blessed with beautiful
pristine beaches on it’s west coast and high range of mountains called the
western Ghats on it’s eastern border, full of diversely rich forms of flora
and fauna for it’s crown, along with different species of wild life as it’s
inhabitants and rich varieties of ore for her underbelly. The very
geographical location had made Goa a paradise, call it the Maker’s or Nature
’s, generous gift to the people of Goa.
The first chapter in Economics tells us that, our wants are unlimited
and,the truth is, they are insatiable too, and in the quest to be the
masters of
commerce and economics, greed evolved as the worst evil, that has taken over
in totality the human mind, body, heart and soul. As vision is blurred by
greed, people fail to see the long term disasters that await them, in their
pursuit for short term gains. Goa is the prime example of this great folly.
We have heard the moralist story of the goose that laid the golden eggs,
umpteen number of times since we were kids, yet we fail to learn the ethical
moral of the story, when faced with reality. It’s not just a story for
building up morals in kids, but also for grown up adults, not to fall prey
to glandular greed.
Today, Tourism is the bread and butter of most Asian developing countries,
each competing with the other to get the larger slice of the tourism pie.
Goa was struck by the hippy culture which started off on its pristine
beaches way back in the late sixties, and thus spread the word of the new
found jewel to the outside world, Goa, in its virginity was a sight for sore
eyes, tourists then flocked to see this new found paradise on earth, and
over the years the word of Goa’s serene scenic beauty spread like wild fire
and thus Goa was posted as the top destination in world Tourism.
Tourists were attracted to the natural beauty of Goa, mountains full of
trees, fields lush and green, springs, rivers, lakes and most of all the
endless clean pristine beaches, the generosity, simplicity and the good will
of Goans added to the flavour, more than making up for the lack of basic
infrastructure that the western world was used to, but they still made a bee
line, over and over again and still they couldn’t get it out of their
system.
Now with the ever increase in tourism, the seeds of evil greed were sown,
politicians and bureaucrats forgot their promises to work for the good of
man and sold their souls to the devil, looking for ways and means, more foul
than fair to enrich themselves, using the clout of their political power and
position, taking optimum advantage of gullible Goans. Preservation of our
natural beauty to enhance tourism was forgotten and corruption flourished
and became the “modus oparandi”, the name of the game. Land being acquired
and sold to the highest bidder and unwarranted development in the form of
mega housing, putting more pressure on the already weak over burdened
infrastructure, destroying our hills, fields and plains started the rape of
virgin Goa.
With increase in tourism, criminal activities too increased, drug trade at
its highest, murders and rapes everyday occurrences, gambling and
prostitution flourishing, our corrupt politicians and police patronizing
criminals for their share of the spoils, our pristine beaches littered with
waste, shacks and beds, some areas even cordoned off by elite “mafisos”. The
maiden has indeed lost her most precious virtue, she has been violated. Goa
is no more virgin.
The lives of coastal Goans have become a living hell, as basic amenities are
atrocious and prices of land, housing units and durable commodities rising
steeply, law and order situation are at it’s worst and to add to all their
woes, the mother of all woes CRZ has come in furry destroying the homes and
devastating the lives of poor Goans. How will the poor coastal Goans
survive? Or will they have to move to the cities to survive, creating a
vacuum in coastal Goa? Why do they have to pay the price for the greed of
some men in the name of commerce and economics?
Mining has no doubt contributed a great deal to the coffers of the Goa
Government, initially even the limited form of mining had an adverse effect
on ecology and the water bodies, but not to a great extent. Now with wealth
dangling in front of our noses, overtaken by greed, we have gone full
throttle, shredding the underbelly, least interested in the devastation and
havoc caused to the crowning glory of the western Ghats, displacing
it’svery inhabitants, the wild life and destroying the water bodies, a
life line
to the very existence of human and wild life.
The rural villages where rampant mining is carried out have had to bear the
worst atrocities, air pollution being on the high, not only most of their
houses are covered in dust but they also have to breathe in the dust,
causing health problems. The fields which the people of these areas lived on
were rich and fertile, today they remain barren and scorched, covered by the
rejects and the unfertile dust of mining. Their wells, ponds, springs and
streams have gone dry over the years. Police and politicians have become
puppets of the mining barons intimidating and harassing the locals who are
fighting for their right to survive. How will these people survive in
their villages
? Or will they have to move to the cities to survive creating a vacuum in
rural Goa ? Why do they have to pay the price for the greed of some men in
the name of commerce and economics?
The cities too are congested and polluted with the infrastructure crumbling,
sewage overflowing, garbage becoming a monstrous issue with no solution in
sight, traffic ever increasing, parking vastly inadequate and unplanned,
taps more often dry, than running, bulbs and tubes more often off, than lit,
life in urban Goa, is already mired in misery, so how will rural and coastal
Goa survive in urban Goa ? More importantly will Goa survive ?
Mining and tourism are the main sources of income for the Goa government,
but at what cost ? When nature is destroyed the ambience changes and this in
turn, can lead to a catastrophe, as we all saw in the case of floods at
Canacona. The fury of nature is what man has failed to conquer. To survive
we have to respect nature and live in ambience with nature.
We blame the politicians for all the ills in Goa and it’s true, they are the
culprits, they are the traitors, they are the rapists, but the million
dollar question is, WHO ELECTED THEM? The enemy is within, we need not go
far in our search, it’s each one of us contributing to the rape of our
beloved Goa by our inaction, doing nothing, to right, the wrong we did in
electing the corrupt, the selfish and the heartless, we are our own worst
enemies. We need to get our priorities right and elect good people, with
ethics, honest, hardworking and with true love for Goa in their hearts, to
run Goa. This is the only choice we have. Are there any takers ?
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Dubai/Nuem, Canacona
http://www.mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=166593
------------------------------
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Rajvaddo, Mapusa 403507 Goa
Ph +91-9822982676;91-832-2255913
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