[Goanet] Hijab in exam halls cannot be a compulsion
Around a year and a half back, our Goan girl Ivana Furtado was asked to wear the hijab while participating in the Asian chess championship in Shiraz, Iran, which is the custom of that Country. Ivana did not consider it as a big deal. She wore the hijab, focussed on her chess, played and won to be crowned as Asian Junior Chess champion. What if she had refused to wear something not part of her beliefs, wouldn't she have missed such a significant achievement in her life? Recently, a young lady missed her exams by holding steadfast to staunch beliefs and clearly she made an error in judgement. Life and career are more important than holding on to beliefs as if they are the beginning and end of the world. Every place has its own sanctity and an examination hall will have its own sanctity and discipline too. Why should codes, customs and discipline be restricted to religion only? One should recall a similar matter where some Islamic organisations had gone to the Court against the CBSE for prescribing dress codes for examinations. At that time, the Apex Court in very clear and unambiguous terms had endorsed the guidelines laid by the board for fair examinations. The bench in that matter had said: "The CBSE has come out with a dress code for the sake of keeping the examination fair and proper. It is a matter of three hours. You observe the dress code mandated by the CBSE for three hours and then wear the scarf as long as you want." The bench was of the view that the dress code notified by CBSE is a reasonable restriction and meant to proper conduct of exam, in view of the fact that the Supreme Court itself had ordered re conduct of the exam due to reported irregularities. "This is an examination. If during the examination you do not tie the scarf, you would not be commiting a sin. No discourtesy will be shown to the religion if you appear in the examination without a scarf. You go and appear in the test and don't waste time in the Court," the bench said. Mountains should not be made of molehills. While religious freedom needs to be respected, codes, rules and guidelines must be too in a secular progressive country. No religion compels one to act rashly. Discretion as they say is the better part of valor. Sometimes broad-based thinking and liberal decisions need to be taken and God certainly won't be upset with that. Regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] State Veterans Badminton Tournament at Peddem (November 25 to 27)
State Veterans Badminton Tournament at Peddem (November 25 to 27) Morning Badminton Club in collaboration with Goa Badminton Association and the Sports Authority of Goa will organize the State Masters (Veteran) Badminton tournament 2018 (Double Points), at Multipurpose Stadium, Peddem, Mapusa from November 25 to 27, 2018 . The championship will be held in the categories of Men's 35+ and 40+ Singles and Doubles and Men's 45+, 50+, 55+ and 60+ Doubles. In all other Veteran’s categories for Men’s, Women’s and Mixed, there will be selection trials for the 43rd Indian Masters (Veteran) Badminton championships to be held in Goa in 2019. In Non Ranking category, there will be Men's Doubles. Participants must submit their entry by sms to 7745090470 or online submission at https://form.jotform.me/goabadminton/gbaentry latest by November 22. On November 25, matches will start at 9.45 am and on November 26 and 27, matches will be held from 6pm onwards. Draws, schedules and updates will be available at facebook.com/goabadminton Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Secretary Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Happy National Sports Day
In school, we had lessons on “Dhyan Chand”, considered as India’s greatest hockey players of all times and one of the World’s greatest. During those times, the game used to be played on grass where a lot of flair, elegance and skills were required. I have watched some outstanding hockey players play though this was in later years when synthetic turf was introduced. By then, the game had evolved and had become much faster and more technical. Those who have watched the game in that era will not forget the name of one player, Mohammad Shahid, who used to be extremely impressive. On the field, he was like a magician who could dribble past three and four opponent players with ease. A name to reckon with in the World and an extremely graceful player who would score a lot of goals or make the dazzling runs followed by that exquisite defence splitting pass. Then there was Zafar Iqbal who had amazing class and speed and a few other names which I can recollect from those times are Mervyn Fernandes, Pargat Singh and M P Singh who fared well for the Country. In later years, India witnessed the emergence of another of its brightest talents, Dhanraj Pillai. Dhanraj was the mainstay of our team for many years and few of us at Indoor stadium, Campal had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with him when he had come down to Goa. Joaquim Carvalho, a Goan who donned the colours for India was there along with him and it was an honour and proud moment for us to share a few sporting moments with the two hockey greats. Talking of Pakistan, they too have had very strong teams over the years and produced some of the most breathtaking players in the game, Hasan Sardar, Shahbaz Ahmed Snr, Sohail Abbas to name a few. No wonder a game between India and Pakistan has always been such a wonderful spectacle to watch. Today is August 29, the National Sports Day. It marks the birth anniversary of Dhyan Chand, considered a hockey wizard who won three gold medals for India in Olympics and scored over 400 goals in his illustrious career. India has had such a glorious past and dominated when he played the game. Hopefully, we will dominate once again, not only in hockey but in every sporting arena. Happy National Sports Day wishes to all sports persons. - warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Goa and India needs to hug real issues
Goa and India needs to hug real issues Our political leaders have been elected to provide us with good infrastructure, transform India into a developed Nation and make quality of life better for its citizens. They are failing to do that and hence diversionary tactics are being used from time to time. Yesterday it was "Padmavati". Today it is "Sidhu's hug". Tomorrow it will be something else. The real issues need prime time discussion. Not these petty ones which majority are least bothered about. Real issues that affect the people on a day to day basis and can make their lives better. Let us analyse whether "good governance" is really happening at the pace at which it should. Has corruption stopped? No. Is a good public mobility plan put in place? No. Has traffic situation improved. No. Are files in bureaucracy moving faster? No. Is efficiency in our Government offices better? No. Has our Judicial system improved and are Court cases being disposed off faster? No. Are our systems being modernised to make them more efficient? No. Has our education system been overhauled to make it more children friendly and boost critical thinking? No. Look at the irony of all this. In 1988, Navjot Singh Sidhu was involved in a road rage case where one Gurnam Singh was beaten up. He succumbed to his injuries and died. It took 30 long years for our Judicial system to take this case to its logical conclusion and what did the Courts do? Let him escape with a paltry fine of Rs 1000/-. In the "in between" years, same Sidhu was hugged by the BJP and now by the Congress. No questions asked. Shouldnt these be our real issues for discussion? Similar will be the case with Salman Khan who was hugged by Modi who even flew Kites with him on Makarsakranti. Have our citizens forgotten all this? When someone is with you, he is an angel and when same person is on the other side, he becomes a villain. Why do people allow political parties along with their "paid pipers in the media" chart the course of our thinking? When they want , the hug becomes a good deed. Remember 1999 when Vajpayee took a bus to Lahore and hugged Nawaz Sharif in a gesture which was widely considered as a diplomatic breakthrough? Now suddenly the hug becomes bad? What kinds of double standards are these? Our State and our Country is reeling under too many problems which we need to sort out. India must be transformed into a developed Nation on par with the best in the World. For this to happen people need to start rationslising every issue and not blindly follow what is dictated to them by their leaders. As for Sidhu's hug, who really cares! Warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Cricket in the 80s and 90s
Cricket in the 80s and 90s Cricket in the 80s and 90s was gruelling and enthralling. The best batsmen in the world competing against the best bowlers and oh, there were many of them. That era saw the emergence of four exciting all-rounders who were a rare breed until then, four of the greatest cricketers of all times. Our own Chandigarh boy Kapil Dev along with three others, Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee. The fab four, they used to be called. All these cricketers were great entertainers who excelled for their respective Nations and fans thoroughly enjoyed watching their scintillating battles. Among Them, Imran was the fastest. A tearaway pacer. His run up was longish and graceful and each time he used to come running to hurl the red ball across those 22 yards, he would send fear down the spines of the opposition batsmen. Kapil Dev was equally impressive, “Haryana Hurricane”, he was nicknamed as. And highly talented with the bat as well. Remember when India needed 24 runs to escape the follow on in a test against England and Kapil hit those four towering sixes to save India the blushes? Which other cricketer would think and do that? Ask anyone from that era and they will tell you how India versus Pakistan was always such a fascinating treat to watch. India with its history of good batsman competing against Pakistan with a history of express pacers. There were so many superstars for both teams. Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Vishwanath, Kapil for us, Imran, Sarfraz Nawaz, Miandad, Zaheer Abbas for them. And there were fascinating contests between the wicket keepers as well. Kirmani competing with Wasim Bari and both aiming to be the best in the World. The good old times when matches used to be played in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. Prudential World Cup, Benson and Hedges, Sharjah. So many lovely moments. That was the golden era of cricket which featured many icons and it’s nice to see one of them, Imran, take over as Prime Minister of Pakistan now. Imran was a revolutionary captain with the ability to think outside the box. The “Pinch hitter” was a concept which was introduced and mastered by him to good effect. When Pakistan used to be down and out, he would often send a lower order batsman with a license to score freely and bring the equation back in his team’s favour. Hopefully, Imran’s emergence on the political landscape will bring back peace and good relations between the two neighbours. Our leadership and their leadership need to engage in talks and show some warmth. The media can play their part by putting an end to the frenzy, hate and hysteria. Happy Eid wishes and greetings to all. - warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Happy Birthday Namdev - Goa's best cricketer turns 60
My friend Parag Hede put up an interesting piece of trivia on his Facebook wall, that Namdev Fadte, Goa's former ace cricketer had turned 60. Revived a few nostalgic memories of one of my childhood heroes. I remember those years when Goa had just made its debut in the Ranji trophy and Namdev was one of the team's star players. A stylish batsman from the first batch who performed consistently well for the team. That team had quite a few decent players. Subhash Kangralkar, Sharad Pednekar, Suresh Mahadevan, few others. Dayanand Bangera, if I'm not mistaken, came sometime later. He too was a good wicket keeper batsman who served Goa well during those times. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give Namdev Fadte a high 6+ rating. He was a batsman with an extremely aggresive and positive frame of mind. I can recall him playing some of the most difficult shots from the cricketing books with utmost ease. He could hook, he could pull and could equally play those delightful drives piercing the fielders on the offside with poetic grace. He was easily Goa's best. From the first Goan to score a century in the Ranji trophy to being the first to get into the South Zone, Duleep and Board XI squads, he had many firsts. As a batsman, he was in complete contrast to Subhash Kangralkar who too was quite a decent batsman but more in the defensive mould. In comparative terms, Namdev was to Goa what Virat is to India now. He had the ability to score fast runs against good bowling attacks and above all, he was quite a crowd favourite. Much like how fans used to switch off their TV sets when Sachin used to get out, many of his Goan fans used to do quite the same, walk out every time the prolific scorer made his walk back to the pavilion. There were times when the local fans wanted to see him as the team captain and were not too happy with the selectors for choosing Kangralkar over him. They would come in large numbers and shout slogans like "Aamcho Captain Namdev", they would rejoice his success and would get dejected when he got out. No doubt a player with his talent definitely deserved to be the team captain. Those were the formative years of Goan cricket and though the team did not win much, it was players like Namdev who managed to pull in large crowds and fill up the stands. Fond and nostalgic memories of one of my childhood heroes. Happy Birthday Namdev. You entertained us with your cricket and gave us many bright moments to celebrate. Wishing you happiness and continued success. Warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Goa must not miss the bus
Goa must not miss the bus Nowadays, with the bridge construction works underway, travel from the capital city to Margao and vice versa has become a nightmarish experience with a simple trip of 40 minutes taking anywhere between two to three hours. On other routes also, travel has become tedious. While the problems along the Panjim - Margao route may be temporarily sorted out, what Goa needs at this hour is a permanent solution to these everyday problems. Ask anyone what travel along the routes of Goa used to be before. A charming, serene, peaceful and heavenly experience, they will tell you. Now it is a headache. Why are the roads so congested now? Why do so many people prefer to take their cars out, is it because of luxury or necessity? With an efficient public mobility plan either missing or unpredictable or highly inconvenient, one can't blame the public for using their own vehicles. Goa is a tourist State and thousands visit it every year but the Government has sadly not applied its mind to sort out these growing problems. The missing public mobility system means we are still several years behind and may soon reach a point of no return. Approximately fifteen lakhs is the number of vehicles which are presently on the roads in Goa and the figures keep increasing. These are staggering numbers and by far the highest in the Country in terms of proportion to population. Statistics are very alarming and giving rise to various traffic related problems. Goa is also proportionally the highest in terms of numbers of road accidents. The Government's policy to cater to particular lobbies is costing the State heavily. So what must be done? For once, do not cater to vote-bank politics and think about the people and their convenience. There must be no two ways about this. What Goa needs to implement is a good public transportation system. A network of local buses or trains, intra city routes, a proper fleet of taxis and rickshaws, make better use of waterways, etc etc. If there is one good bus on the roads, there will be at least 15 cars off it. This is a simple practical calculation. Technology is also at your fingertips now. Create a good informative app which can give you various information like the bus stops or trains around you, their frequency and timings, etc etc. Government must privatise these sectors and bring convenience to the people. Strong and decisive leadership is required at this juncture. Goa has been an attractive tourist destination to the World. The Government must not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Maintaining the status quo is not the solution. The world is progressing rapidly. Goa must not miss the bus. Warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Atal Bihari - Tribute to a great leader
India needs more leaders of the quality, modesty and skills of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In the history of Indian politics, there have been very few towering personalities like him. In his era, he was easily head and shoulders above the rest in various aspects. The best quality about him was his calm, unassuming, easy going nature for which he was liked not only by members of his party but by opposition as well. He may have had many political opponents in his long and illustrious career but one thing is certain, he had hardly any foes. Today's political leaders need to learn a lot from Vajpayee who never took his politics to a personal level. He disagreed with his opponents on ideology and principles but never brought hate into his politics. "Indian democracy's greatest strength is that we have always put the nation above politics", he had once said. He never hesitated to praise his political opponents. He praised Indira for the green revolution and for her leadership during the 1971 Bangladesh war. He shared an excellent rapport and bond with another great PM, P.V. Narsimha Rao, who was his close friend. The former Prime Minister will go down in history as one of the most charismatic, moderate & liberal leaders of post independence India, a poet with great oratory skills with a unique quality to be loved by all. India shouldn't mourn leaders like Vajpayee who are a cut above the rest. The Nation must instead celebrate him and follow his ideals and principles which will be a real befitting tribute. - warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Independence Day Special - My best 10 patriotic songs
behti – Mukesh has his place in history as a singer with a unique voice which has very few parallels. Along with Rafi and Kishore, Mukesh formed the trinity of Hindi playback singing. He was one of the most popular singers of his generation and a musical legend. The gifted artist with a golden voice sang for many actors and was best known as the voice of Raj Kapoor. The title song of the movie which went by the same name was sung by this evergreen singer. Mukesh’s songs are popular even today. His voice is so special that you won’t ever get bored of listening. Fans of Mukesh must surely have heard this one numerous times. 10. Mile Sur mera tumhara to sur bane hamara – The song trended today on twitter and why not? It is easily one of the best songs made on national integration. The video which shows so many different States, their traditions and cultures in a span of a few minutes will move you beyond words and imagination. When videos nowadays have a shelf life of a few months, even a few days, this one is 30 years old and still trending. Speaks a lot about its creativity and longevity. The song was composed by Ashok Patki and arranged by Louis Banks, with lyrics by Piyush Pandey. It has captivated the imagination of the Nation ever since. Well, so that then is my list. There have been so many beautiful songs over the years that it is extremely difficult to select a top ten. I have not rated my ten in any particular order. Maybe on a different day, I might select a few different tracks other than these ones. But then, maybe not. These songs are special as well and extremely close to my heart. Phew, that was difficult! - Warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Ease of Living: Panjim slips to 90th
Panjim has been one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the World. It has a unique and distinct charm which sets it apart from many other Indian cities. Many cities can boast of having their own special charesteristics but Panjim has that added flavour which can give you that something extra. The river mandovi along with a beautiful promenade, in house beaches like Miramar, Dona Paola and Campal, Portuguese styled architecture, fascinating monuments, statues and structures, pleasant hotels and eateries in and around, a rich heritage topped by friendly people makes it a relaxed and yet spectacular wonder. But sad to see the once beautiful city slipping to 90th on the "Ease of Living" index charts. If we are at the bottom of the list of 111 cities which have been evaluated, it is because the systems have let us down and no leadership has tried to change that. Neither Congress. Nor BJP. Nor Parrikar. Several consultants including top end foreign ones have come and drawn up some of the most fascinating plans. But it is the execution part which has held the city back. Everything is freezed on paper which moves ever so slowly from one cabin to another, one Government office to another. As a result, several central funds earmarked for the capital city have lapsed. Mr. Parrikar, who is our CM as well as Panaji City MLA, needs to take stock of the recent report and act swiftly, no longer casually. Some good management and an extra dedicated touch are required which has been missing of late. Whether it is a good public mobility plan, a state-of-the-art Football stadium, St.Inez creek, Mala Lake, a garbage plant or a good parking plan, projects designed on paper must not be allowed to be dragged indefinitely. A lot of time bound promises have been made which need to see the light of the day. Where is the IAS officer who was supposed to do the turn around in a year? People are restless and want to see some good on - the - ground action. Delegation of works, special supervisory committees, fast track execution agencies, and realistic deadlines must be considered by Mr. Parrikar and his lieutenants to bring Panjim back on track. Panjim is a charming city and needs a special golden touch which is missing at present. Time to reflect and ponder. Happy Independence Day to all. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Who shot Umar Khalid?
Who shot Umar Khalid? Students of JNU have a rich history of being anti-establishment. They questioned Indira Gandhi, they questioned Chidambaram, they have questioned so many others and yet when they question Modi, why has it suddenly become the Nation’s problem now? Trying to critique and question the rationale behind Government Policies or decisions is nothing wrong. Political parties have done it all the time when they have been in the opposition. Yet, when they come to power, they do not like it when others do the same to them. Why? Whoever it might be, however big or small, be it Modi or Parrikar, Sonia or Rahul, Gandhi, Tagore, Savarkar, Ambedkar or Nehru, the fundamental right to analyse and critique public policies and actions cannot be taken away from the Country’s citizens. Every view has got a counter-view. Gandhi’s non-violence policy was questioned by many prominent freedom fighters who did not see eye-to-eye with him and chose an alternate route. Babasaheb Ambedkar found faults with Hinduism. Bertrand Russel with Christianity. Christopher Hitchens questioned the legacy of Mother Teresa. So it comes as a big surprise when Umar Khalid, Kanhaiya and others are being vilified so much in a Country which has had such a glorious history of good debates and discussions. Democracy means a lot of things to a lot of people. To hold a particular opinion, to hold the Government accountable, to exercise free speech and thought where your civil liberties are supreme, this is democracy. It must be for, of and by the people and not for the political leaders alone. India should not deviate from core democratic principles and go the North Korea way. The march forward must be with liberal thought. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] The Nation wants to know.....
News channels have reported that there was an attempt to kill Umar Khalid today. I do not agree. The attempt to kill him began long back. Today was just the culmination of a systematic hate campaign which was planned several months prior against the former JNU Student Leader. News channels, anchors and journalists need to hang their head in shame. They are responsible for this. Who gave them the right to call others anti-nationals? It is a pity to see Umar Khalid, Kanaiya and so many others being vilified day in and day out by some of these news channels. Branding those who do not agree with a particular point of view as anti-national or part of the Tukde Tukde gang is extremely unfair. Are these media channels not sensible enough to understand the repercussions of their hate filled campaigns? How much are they paid to do this? If this is how mainstream media is allowed to report and present their stories, then I wonder where we are heading as a Nation? Shame on them especially Journalists like Arnab Goswami and channels like Republic TV and Times Now. 9pm Prime Time has become an entertainment show for these channels. No longer is it objective news and analysis. Today's "attempt to kill" co-conspirator is Arnab Goswami. Is there no independent regulatory body to keep such rogue elements in the media under check? The Nation wants to know. - regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] To Aka with love….
To Aka with love…. Today, August 13, is the 25th ‘Punyatithi’ or Death Anniversary of my grandmother, Rukmini Balkrishna Borkar, who we used to fondly call “Aka”. Aka was the wife of Goa’s illustrious Poet Bakibab Borkar and my mother’s mom. I have fond and cherished memories of her and of my granddad, who we used to affectionately call “Aba”. In those days, my grandparents and two of my aunts, muktamaushi and latamaushi along with their families lived in Porvorim, close to the Defence colony near Goa’s famous restaurant, “O Coqueiro’. We would visit them once in a while, or rather once every two months or so during Sundays or holidays. A trip to Porvorim meant catching two buses, a bus near Kala Academy, Campal a few paces away from where we lived and the next one from the Panjim bus stand to a Porvorim stop which is famously known as “Gulyakaden”. Back then, the roads were literally empty, there used to be very little traffic and our bus trips would be extremely comfortable and relaxed. The journey would give us serene and breath-taking views of Mandovi, the beautiful trees and a green and clean environment. It was Goa at its best and during monsoons it would get even better. So much so that the visits were something which we would look forward to. Playing with my cousins Manisha, “Buku” alias Monica, Dnyanesh and Mahesh. Occasionally, my other aunts and cousins would all be there to make it a whole family union at Aka’s place. In those times, Porvorim was vastly different and not the same as it is now. It used to be an extremely quiet and barren place with a lot of trees, shrubs and bushes around. During our visits, our favourite games with cousins used to be Hide and Seek, Catching the cook, Lagori, Koyando Bal and of course, picking out the berries from the shrubs or bushes (who can forget that). Those were the days. Then, have sumptuous lunch at Aka’s place cooked by Aka herself or by my other aunts. Aka had an extremely calm and composed temperament, and a friendly and loving nature, which meant that everybody was extremely fond of her. Travelling down the memory lane, I can after all the years still remember all the good times we have all shared together. Last time when I was in Delhi, my cousin Shirish mentioned to me how he misses Aka’s “Tikshew Fow”. I told him, I feel exactly the same. Every time we used to make a trip to Porvorim, Aka would treat us to some delightfully prepared dishes, among which were the “Tikshey Fow” and “Khatkhate”. Now, these are easily available in the market today but those days were something else altogether. The charm of eating those homemade dishes prepared so painstakingly with a lot of love and affection will be a memory which can never leave our minds. Aka was very special in every sense. A devoted wife, a loving mother and a wonderful grandmother who brightened up our childhoods. Her docile and charming nature inspired Aba to write many a poems on her, the two that I can fondly recollect are “Majhya gharachi tu rasanay” and “Tu gelyawar”. The latter one showing how much Aba loved and missed her when Aka had gone for a holiday for few days to Bori. The poet in aba so beautifully expressing the lonely feeling he must have felt during those few days. Aka was perfect in many ways to each of us, a family women with great spirit and strength, a teacher and mentor who many-a-times gave us some valuable lessons in philosophy and life, a perfect grandmother who showered us with so much love and affection. We will fondly remember and miss all the lovely times we shared together. If I were to be born again, then I hope I would once again have the fortune of playing in the arms of “Aka”. I feel delighted to recall a few moments from my memory. Those were indeed the days! - With warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Hello Lorna
Hello Lorna Did you know, Goa's most favourite Singer Lorna Cordeiro celebrates her birthday today. One of my favourite singers too as I grew up listening to her tracks on radio. Last heard her sing about a few months back at a church show in Panjim. What can one say about her? Still blessed with a voice which will make you move and groove beyond words. Goa's evergreen singer may have missed the bus to be India's nightingale when a contract with her mentor bogged her down, but her return journey from dejection back to singing and stage shows has been nothing short of inspirational. That is what I appreciate about her. Her never-say-die quality and fighting attitude. It was during Miramar Sea Food Festival that she made her successful comeback and though she has had a few ups and downs in between, she is now back to full form doing what she likes to do best. Entertain us with her fabulous voice. She is Goa's true Rockstar. Lorna will always be my favourite singer and I just love listening to her songs over and over again.My favourite songs of hers are Sorga Rajeant and Noxibac Roddtta. And of course, there are so many more. If I am asked to name one Legend in Goa's singing Industry, I will name Lorna. Her spirit must be lauded. Happy Birthday Lorna and thank you for the music. Warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Dalai Lama's controversial reference to Nehru
I don't think it was right on Dalai Lama's part to come to Goa and make a few controversial references on some historical events. Was there a need for him to call India's first Prime Minister "self centred" just because Nehru did not agree to make Jinnah the Prime Minister? Did Jinnah really command the kind of support within the Congress that Nehru did? What would have happened if Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) were to be a part of India today? Would India have been a glorious Nation or would we have been a Nation caught constantly in civil war kind of situations? We do not know but can only speculate in hindsight. History has been well documented in black and white. It was not just Nehru but Sardar Patel as well as Congress that opposed Gandhi's suggestion to make Jinnah the PM of a unified India. The majority view was thus not in favour of Jinnah who espoused a communal brand of politics during the latter part of his political career. Many termed it Gandhi's appeasement and rejected it outright. Different people will interpret history differently. In my opinion, had Gandhi's suggestion been upheld, it would have been a "historical blunder". One can only speculate on the outcome. Nonetheless, I think it was wrong on the Tibetan leader's part to make such controversial references. It was Pandit Nehru who during his tenure granted Dalai Lama asylum and he has been allowed be India's honoured guest ever since. He shouldn't have chosen to be critical of the very person who gave him his freedom. Dalai Lama during the course of his speech said that everyone makes mistakes. I agree with him on this. The controversial reference was Dalai Lama's mistake and given his stature and spirituality, we can pardon him for that. regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Senior Rane needs to read Gandhi
Senior Rane’s statement against Goan NRIs is distasteful. Goans have given a lot to him, elected him as longest serving MLA, as Chief Minister of Goa for most number of years, given him love, respect and so much more. Is this the way of reciprocating them back? If Rane sits backs and reflects, he will realize what he said is terribly wrong. He should take his time off, have a sip of tea or coffee and read autobiographies on our great leaders like the “Mahatma” whose life has been a message in so many ways. At a time when untouchability was at its peak and certain works were meant to be done only by certain people, there came Gandhi who believed otherwise and led by example. In the Ashrams which he founded, he demonstrated that no work was superior or inferior to the other. For Gandhi and the rest of the Ashram dwellers, cleaning of toilets and surroundings became a regular voluntary job which they considered sacred. Performing such tasks was done not only with a sense of duty but it gave them immense pleasure as well. To the rest of the Country, it gave important lessons on equality, hygiene and sanitation. The “Swacch Bharat Abhiyan,” or “Clean India Mission,” which has been launched now has been done so to honour the great Mahatma and his thoughts. No profession is unholy. Those who keep our cities and surroundings clean in fact deserve all the more respect because it is an extremely tedious and difficult job. Remember the dialogue in the Bollywood Blockbuster Munnabhai MBBS, which touched our hearts?: “MUNNA: Kaka, naam kya hai tumhara? SWEEPER: Kyon, complain karne ka hai? Maksood naam hai mera. Jao, karo. MUNNA: Nahi, complain nahi karne ka hai….thank you bolne ka hai. Tum bahut mast kaam karta Hai maksood bhai…..patient log jab thik hota hai na to sab doctor ko thank you bolte hai. Tum sabka kacharpatti uthata hai tum ko koi thank you nahi bolta. Mere ko tum ko thank you bolne ka hai. Maksood bhai. Thank you. Sweeper: Chal, bus, rulayega kya?” Rane’s feudal mindset is horribly wrong and he has rightly faced the wrath of the people. The least he can do now is to show some grace and apologise. warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Sindhu's achievements must be lauded
Sindhu's achievements must be lauded Lee Chong Wei has never won an Olympic or a World Championship Gold but his place is up there as one of the greatest badminton players of all times. The Gold may have eluded India’s badminton Superstar P.V. Sindhu once again but it has been a superlative performance by her nonetheless. It is a tough field out there and it takes a lot of talent, courage, perseverance and hard work to simply be out there and fight it out against the World’s best. In the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots”, we had the interesting Boman Irani character “Virus” who suggested that life is all about the number one game while nobody remembers who are the number twos. On the other hand was the underlying moral of this delightful film espoused by “Rancho”, the role played by Aamir Khan. That life is not just all about the number ones where the A graders are masters and C graders are slaves. It is so much more. Pursue excellence and success will chase you. So very true. In the last few years, there have been very few players who have been as consistent as P V Sindhu, the toast of our Nation. The lanky girl from Hyderabad has never failed to astonish us, giving us so many moments to rejoice and celebrate. She has won so many medals for India and achieved what very few have managed to do before. India must be proud of her success. Two World championship bronze medals in 2013 and 2014, an Olympic Silver in 2016 and two consecutive Silver medal finishes in World Championships 2017 and 2018, knocking out several great players on the way. What breath-taking performances from a champion player. Kudos to Sindhu who is a great fighter. At 23, Sindhu will have many more years of success and she must keep pursuing her quest for excellence. Her time to win greater glory and reach higher milestones under the sun will come. Till then, let us once again rejoice and celebrate another successful campaign by one of India’s most incredible athletes. The juggernaut rolls on. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Senior Rane's foot in the mouth syndrome
When Senior Rane made a few unsavoury comments against Goan NRI's on the floor of the Assembly, little might he have known how much those same comments would come back to haunt him. No it is not Karma anymore but social media or mobile phone platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook & Twitter. What he gave, he got back in return multi-fold and its not even over as yet. This should be a good lesson to the Senior Congressman as well as to all other political leaders. Gone are the days when one could say anything and everything and get away with it. Not anymore. With power comes responsibility. Be responsible or else face the music. warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] JNU sedition row - Is Umar Khalid's expulsion justified?
India is a diverse country with different cultures, traditions, religions, tribes, social customs, philosophies & beliefs. It is hence perfectly natural that in such a vast Country each one will have different ideological beliefs and will think differently. Humans are not robots who are programmed to think only in one particular way or the other. Is it then right to brand someone as an anti-national or seditious simply because he represents a different set of philosophy that does not confirm with yours? This is where I think the Government has got it wrong. Filing serious charges of sedition against JNU University students and jailing them is going overboard. Now Umar Khalid has been rustigated when Courts have found no evidence against him. Some sections of the media have already branded him as an anti-national & part of the "Tukde-tukde" gang out to destabilize India. Is this responsible reporting? Umar Khalid seems to be quite articulate and intelligent and is an excellent Orator. In his speeches he is quite convincing & makes good arguments. One may not agree with his political ideology but it is wrong to brand him as an anti-national because of that. There is no instrument to measure patriotism and those who we label as anti-nationals might just turn out to be more patriotic than you and me. A Government which criticises the Emergency must work that extra hard to protect our civil rights and freedoms. Debates and discussions need to be encouraged in a progressive thinking Country. Have different opinions, challenge ideas, have broader perspectives and whatever but don't hound the person. Regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Sanju - The controversy star
Some might like him. Some might not. But he can't be ignored. He was the star son of a star actor making the headlines of film magazines, sometimes for the good reasons and sometimes for wrong ones. As an actor, he came into prominence with his debut film “Rocky” which turned him into an overnight star. Who can forget the delightful Kishore Kumar track "Doston ko Salaam Dushmanon ko Salaam. he Rocky mera naam Rocky mera naam Rocky mera naam". Or another delightful song from the same movie "Kya yehi Pyaar hai" sung so melodiously by Kishore & Lata. The success of this was followed by another huge hit, Subhash Ghai's "Vidhaata" and by then, Sanjay Dutt was the new- kid- on -the -block. A new generation star who had become a rage to the younger generation. But it was sad to read about the pains, troubles and controversies happening around the same time with the actor. I can vaguely recollect reading about his arrest for shooting at window panes and being jailed for that, signalling the beginning of a career full of controversies. This time Sanjay Dutt was making the headlines for the wrong reasons, his brawls, addiction with drugs and alcohol, etc. etc. The film magazines were full of stories and posters portraying a bad image about him? When so much good was going for the star actor, why was he getting into all these wrong things? Suddenly, everybody was asking these questions. His fan following went down. His films began flopping, his career nose-dived. It looked all but over for him, till “Naam” happened. A movie which was meant to be a launching pad for another star son Kumar Gaurav turned into a successful comeback film for Sanjay Dutt. The actor had delivered a stunning power- packed performance. What followed were several action oriented films like Kabzaa, Hathyar & Sadak where the actor made quite a mark. The bad boy image which was the reason for his fall had now become the reason for his rise. Sanjay Dutt had once again arrived as the star for the masses. And then the Bombay Bomb blasts happened. The actor's role in it began to be questioned. Was he in any way involved with it or did he keep guns with him for personal security, fearing for his life and for his family? Did he carelessly get involved with the key conspirators of the blasts? Did the conspirators use the actor who was known to be naïve & careless? We may never know what the actual truth is. Opinion is divided but from the legal standpoint, he was acquitted of terrorism charges and held guilty under the less severe Arms act. Did he pay the price for his actions? Many feel yes and it is best to forgive him for that. I must admit I have been and still am a fan of Sanjay Dutt as an actor and have enjoyed his movies over the years with “Munnabhai MBBS” and “Vaastav” being my favourites. The movie “Sanju” covers a few facets from his life particularly his addiction to drugs and the bomb blasts. It is quite decently made but it is a movie which has been written from the actor's perspective and some may not agree with it. Nevertheless everyone has his side to tell and this one can be watched to know Sanjay Dutt’s side from his life. regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Messi or Ronaldo?
There are lots of talks and debates on which among them is better, Ronaldo or Messi? I would say, both are incredible players, the once-in-a-generation kind of players. There can be no doubt about that. Both of them have broken all possible records and with many more years of good football left in them, we can expect lot more. If today, these two players are playing at such an incredible level, it is simply because both of them drive one another. Had it not been for Messi, Ronaldo would not have worked that much harder with his game and vice versa. While both Ronaldo and Messi have mutual respect and admiration for one another, somehow, many fans miss this part. It is one thing to debate which of them is better and quite another to pull one or the other down to prove your point. This is where I think, a lot of fans get it wrong. Ronaldo fans take pot-shots at Messi, cheering every missed penalty or failure and this is reciprocated by Messi fans who will take digs at Ronaldo, calling him Penaldo and all kinds of other stuff. Logically, it should be just the opposite since day-in and day out these two have been performing. What more can one ask? On the field, both Messi and Ronaldo are magicians who mesmerise their fans with their skill, hard-work and artistry. In fact, the present generation must consider themselves fortunate to have been able to watch the two footballing greats in action in the same eras. Which other generation can boast of that? Ronaldo has been a clinical finisher in this World Cup while Messi in last night’s high pressure game showed yet again how good he is with incredible control and finish. Instead of pulling them down depending on whose side we are in, let us simply sit back and enjoy their breathtaking football. warm regards, Sandeep Heble Panjim – Goa Ph – 9326129171
[Goanet] RTI Awards to be presented at Goa RTI Convention on Sunday
RTI Awards to be presented at RTI Convention at Panjim Right to Information (RTI) activists, Judith Almeida and Jawaharlal Shetye, will be the joint recipients of the 4th Late Waman alias Mhablu V. Kamat ( Madkai) "Activist of the Year Award" which will be presented during the 4th Goa RTI Forum Convention on Sunday. The Convention has been organised by Goa RTI Forum in collaboration with the Goa State Information Commission and will be held at Institute of Menezes Braganza Conference Hall, Panaji at 2 pm on May 27. Ms. Pratima Vernekar, State Information Commissioner, will deliver the key note address while Special recognition awards will be presented to prominent activists namely Avinash Tavares, Arthur DSouza, Dominic Inacio, Sanjiv Raiturkar, Mukundraj Mudras, and Mahesh Nayak. The Forum shall felicitate three of its founding members Ganpat Kurtikar, Rajan Ghate and Shrikant Barve for 10 years of outstanding services in promoting RTI and Good Governance in Goa. Panel Discussions, Interactions and Open Forum will be held during the Convention. The Forum invites activists, students, media and general public to attend and share their experiences on RTI. - Goa RTI Forum
[Goanet] *Invite - 4th Annual Goa RTI Convention*
*Invite - 4th Annual Goa RTI Convention* *Date* : Sunday May 27 from 2pm to 6pm *Venue* : Institute of Menezes Braganza Conference Hall, Panjim. General Public, Activists ,Media ,Students & other stakeholders are cordially invited to attend and participate in the convention. Informative & interactive sessions on Right to Information(RTI) Act will be held during the event. *List of Speakers* : Keynote address will be delivered by State Information Commissioner Ms. Pratima Vernekar. Dr Ketan Govekar, Adv Aires Rodrigues, Trajano D'Mello, Kashinath Shetye, Rajan Ghate, Adv Yatish Naik & Prakash Kamat will deliver interactive talks on various facets of RTI and its implementation in Goa. General Public and Activists are invited to share their experiences on RTI during the Open Forum. Looking forward to your presence at the convention in solidarity. Your Support is Our Strength! *Goa RTI Forum*
[Goanet] Archbishop's Storm in a Teacup
All this hullabaloo over the Delhi Archbishop's letter is rather unfortunate. Is there a need for creating such a big controversy on something so innocuous? I had to read the letter a few times to find out what was wrong in it, couldn't find anything. It's just a general advisory asking the faithful to pray for a better Nation, that's all. Something so routine you begin to wonder what this fuss is all about. The Archbishop has not pointed fingers at any political party nor has he anywhere said that Political Party A is better than B or B is better than C. Those who are pouncing on it need to be a lot more considerate. Such general advisory letters are released quite routinely by so many religious institutions. Why dissect every sentence and every word to give a different meaning than that meant? We all know that politics in India is a not-so-clean game. So asking the faithful to pray for a cleaner political environment, across the political spectrum, is nothing wrong. Read the letter with positive spirit and you will find a good message in it. India will grow better as a Nation with more positivity. - warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Goa RTI Forum to organize its annual convention on May 27 at Panjim
Goa RTI Forum to organize its annual convention on May 27 at Panjim Goa RTI Forum will organize its annual RTI Convention on Sunday, May 27, 2pm to 6pm, at the Institute of Menezes Braganza Conference Hall, Panjim. During the convention, there will be informative sessions, panel discussions and interactions on topics such as ‘Suo-motu disclosures’, ‘Record keeping’, ‘How to file Public Interest Litigation (PIL)’, ‘RTI – Problems and solutions’ and ‘Emerging issues in implementation of RTI Act’. Applications are invited by May 25 (by email to goartifo...@gmail.com) for the “RTI Activist of the Year Award” which has been instituted by Journalist Prakash Kamat in the memory of his Late Father ‘Mhabalu Vishnu Kamat’. The awardee will be presented with a Citation along with a cash prize of Rs 5000/-. Awards to other prominent RTI Activists and students shall also be presented during the convention. At the event, there will be a RTI stall which will showcase the use of the RTI Act along with success stories. Prominent activists such as Dr Ketan Govekar, Adv Aires Rodrigues, Kashinath Shetye, Rajan Ghate and others will be a part of the event. RTI Activists, NGOs/civil society groups, students and other stakeholders are invited to attend the RTI Convention which is open to the public.
[Goanet] Poet B.B. Borkar's Coffee Table Book Launch
Poet B.B. Borkar's Coffee Table Book Launch "Akshay Kavita Bakibabanchi”, a Coffee Table Book featuring the works of Goa’s renowned Poet Bakibab Borkar will be launched on Saturday, May 19, 5.30 PM at the Institute of Menezes Braganza Conference Hall, Panjim. The book launch has been organised by Isha Prakashan who are the Publishers in collaboration with institute of Menezes Braganza. Ms. Mukta Agshikar, daughter of Poet Borkar, is the Editor of the Coffee Table Book which is a delightful treat with pictures and poems on the celebrated Poet best known for his works on beautiful Goa and its scenic nature. Padmashri Suresh Amonkar is the Chief Guest for the occasion while Prof Anil Samant (President, Marathi Academy) is the Guest Speaker. The book launch will be followed by a musical programme titled "Bakibab", conducted by Dr Madhavi Vaidya along with her troupe from Pune. The event is open to the public.
[Goanet] Poet B.B. Borkar's Coffee Table Book Launch
Poet B.B. Borkar's Coffee Table Book Launch "Akshay Kavita Bakibabanchi”, a Coffee Table Book featuring the works of Goa’s renowned Poet Bakibab Borkar will be launched on Saturday, May 19, 5.30 PM at the Institute of Menezes Braganza Conference Hall, Panjim. The book launch has been organised by Isha Prakashan who are the Publishers in collaboration with institute of Menezes Braganza. Ms. Mukta Agshikar, daughter of Poet Borkar, is the Editor of the Coffee Table Book which is a delightful treat with pictures and poems on the celebrated Poet best known for his works on beautiful Goa and its scenic nature. Padmashri Suresh Amonkar is the Chief Guest for the occasion while Prof Anil Samant (President, Marathi Academy) is the Guest Speaker. The book launch will be followed by a musical programme titled "Bakibab", conducted by Dr Madhavi Vaidya along with her troupe from Pune. The event is open to the public.
[Goanet] Juze – Film Review
Juze – Film Review Good movies come once in a while. The Konkani movie “Juze” is one of them. A powerful, thought provoking and yet delightful film with a well- worn narrative which keeps you hooked throughout. Juze is the oppressive slum lord, a virtual don who terrorises the migrants who live on his land and work for him. A young school going boy Santosh shows signs of resilience and courage to stand up to him. Will he succeed? The saga of fear, courage and hope is what makes the movie such an engaging watch. There is also a cute love story going between Santosh and his school crush Maya which adds charm to the Film and takes you on a nostalgic trip, reminding you of your own school and college days. The lead actors, most of them theatre actors who are making their Film debut, have all put in brilliant and commendable performances. Rushikesh Naik as Santosh, Sudesh Bhise as the slum lord and Barkha Naik as Maya are the stars of the film. Prashanti Talpankar, an established actor, excels in her role as the despairing grandmother. Miransha Naik’s first film as a Director is absolutely brilliant. The scenic locales mostly from South Goa are captured beautifully. After Nochom-ia Kumpasar, this is yet another movie which raises the bar of Konkani cinema. The movie, on par with some of the best films from World cinema, is getting rave reviews and winning International acclaims. Currently being screened at all the Inox multiplexes, you shouldn’t miss watching this one. Details: Rating - A Currently screenings at: Inox, Panaji: 5.20 pm Inox, Porvorim: 3.35 pm Inox, Margao: 7.35 pm Carnival, Ponda: 5 pm 1930, Vasco: 8.15 pm - Sandeep Heble Ph - 9326129171
[Goanet] Badminton Summer Coaching Camp in Margao (May 8 to 28)
Badminton Summer Coaching Camp in Margao Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG will conduct Summer Badminton coaching camp, “Learn to Play Badminton”, for children 6 years and above. The camp will be for complete beginners as well as for intermediate and advanced players to improve their skills. The Coaching camp will be held from May 8 to 28 (10am to 12pm) at Multipurpose Hall, Fatorda, Margao. To register, kindly contact Sandeep Heble (9326129171), Vinayak Kamat (9604034522) or email gbagoaonl...@gmail.com Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Right wing activism root cause of polarization
The Country is presently witnessing a lot of Right wing activism which is a root cause of polarization. Take the case of the Aligarh Muslim University which was stormed recently and a former Vice President ridiculed, without any provocation. This has led to an immediate polarization and ironically, there is now a lot of "targeted" outrage against students of AMU who merely shouted slogans in protest against the outright hooliganism. No independent or neutral observer will say the AMU students have done anything wrong in shouting slogans and there's nothing anti national about it. Members of "Hindu Yuva Mahini" had no business to storm into their University and create disturbances there. It is they who need to be condemned and not the AMU students. This so called "nationalist" agenda of trying to use extra constitutional methods to promote a particular kind of ideology or right-wing politics is actually turning out to be the root cause of division and is sowing the seeds of a divided India. The Yogi Government must focus on giving his people good governance and must not keep resorting to diversionary and divisive tactics like these every now and then. Jinnah was conferred with Life membership of the University and his portrait is hung there since 1938. What's the big deal about it. It's part of India's history & heritage which cannot be erased. So many portraits, statues, memorials and monuments are there of the British, Portuguese, Mughals and so many other rulers. Should we start demolishing them one by one? What kind of skewed logic is this and where are we heading? One wonders how members of this group could muster the courage to storm a University with guns in a State which only a short time ago wanted us to believe how they had brought even the most hardened criminals down to their knees through their "encounter policies"? Does it not show collusion of the State & Police with them? In Afghanistan the heritage "Buddha Bamiyan Statues" were demolished which brought world wide condemnation. India is a much more vibrant democracy and should not tread along this path. Such hard-line thought processes cannot be allowed to be the norm in India and need to be nipped in the bud. Intolerance needs to be universally condemned and should in no way be tolerated. Mark Twain had once called India "the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition". Let us keep it this way. - regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Summer Table Tennis Coaching camp at Panaji
Summer Table Tennis Coaching camp at Panaji Panjim Table Tennis Club in collaboration with the Sports Authority of Goa will organize a Summer Table Tennis Coaching Camp from May 9 to 31 (10am to 12pm), 2018 at Indoor stadium, Campal, Panjim, for children of ages 6 years and above. The camp will be held for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. Those interested in participating must submit their names to Selvyn Godinho (9561645669) or by email to pttc...@gmail.com
[Goanet] The Rise of Konkani Cinema
ze”, a new and acclaimed Konkani film, premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival recently and has won the Special Jury prize at the MINSK International Film Festival. There has been just one screening of this movie so far in Goa but those who’ve watched it have given amazing reviews and feedback which is yet another positive sign for the Industry. Some challenges however continue to persist for the Konkani cinema Industry which needs to be addressed. Since the markets are small, making these films commercially viable and profitable is a huge challenge. The audiences who come to watch Konkani movies are still predominantly the Catholic - Christian community whereas the majority Hindu community which has been accustomed to watching Marathi and Hindi movies comprises only a small percentage of the audience. This could be because of the Tiatr culture which is there among the Catholics. At every church fete or festival, the church or the parish committees promote tiatr whereas there is no such similar culture prevalent among Hindus. For Catholics a Konkani movie or a tiatr is a good source of entertainment whereas Hindus who are more accustomed to watching Marathi or Hindi movies will not venture out to watch a Konkani movie. Perhaps due to the lack of a culture or a belief that the Konkani movie might not be of the same standards which is not true at all as a lot of good quality productions are coming out these days. Many of the producers are making good Konkani movies today more out of passion than the commercial angle. But for Konkani cinema to keep growing and prospering, more Goans need to start patronising these films, especially those from the majority community who tend to stay away. Many still do not know that nowadays, Konkani movies are also well made. Those who watch the movies have appreciated the quality and then go out to patronise Konkani Films again. These habits need to catch on with the others. We have registered as delegates for IFFI Festivals and have watched movies in many different languages. For a cinema buff, language should not matter. The script and the quality of production should. Though Konkani movies are made at much lower budgets, however, over the years, there has been substantial improvement in the quality of these films and if we want to keep the Industry flourishing, we need to patronise and appreciate the good cinema which is coming out nowadays. Konkani Film Industry needs every one’s support for it to reach greater heights. The next Konkani Film might just be better than the last released mindless Salman Khan Flick. Konkani filmmakers are creating meaningful entertainment which will give you two wholesome hours of pleasure and delight. The films are rich in content and are making waves globally. Just step out to watch such movies and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. - Sandeep Heble (Ph -9326129171, email: sandeephe...@gmail.com)
[Goanet] Badminton Summer Coaching Camps across Goa in May
Badminton Summer Coaching Camps across Goa in May Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG & DSYA will conduct Summer Badminton coaching camps, “Learn to Play Badminton”, for children 6 years and above. The camps will be for complete beginners as well as for intermediate and advanced players to improve their skills. The Coaching camps will be held from May 2 to 22 at Indoor stadiums at Panaji, Sanquelim, Peddem, and Cuncolim, from 10 am to 12 noon. From May 8 to 28 (10am to 12pm), there will be a Summer Badminton camp at Multipurpose Hall, Fatorda, Margao. To register, kindly contact Sandeep Heble (9326129171), Vinayak Kamat (9604034522) or email gbagoaonl...@gmail.com Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Government must not be vindictive
Governments are meant to serve the people. They should not be vindictive. What Kenneth Silveira wrote was not right but was it such a big offense that he should be arrested and remanded to two days of Police custody? Why was Vijay also silent and what has happened to his "Goem" and "Goenkarponn" now? Does "Goenkarponn" mean getting someone arrested over a Facebook Post? Everybody criticises Indira Gandhi for the "Emergency" but sad to see such mususe of power happening even now. Are we not learning any lessons from the past? This is yet another instance of human rights violation and the Government in this case is the abuser. - regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Modi's silence is baffling
Modi's silence is baffling While Modi is considered an excellent Orator and communicator, his silence on several important issues is baffling. When 'Karni Sena' was rioting on the streets and damaging public property during the release of 'Padmavati', he chose to remain silent. When Nirav Modi fled the Country it took him several days to open his mouth. When minor children are being abused he's gone in a shell. Otherwise on "Mann Ki Baat" he has been speaking on a wide range of topics. Why is he distancing himself from these sensitive and serious incidents? It sends wrong signals to the public and brings a bad name for India before the International community. Whenever such horrific incidents occur, what we need are extremely tough measures being taken to send signals to the people at large that the Government cares for you. That the Police will keep you safe. That the administration will ensure you justice. But here, we see exactly the opposite happening. The Police and the administration appears to be colluding with the accused and harassing the victims. Why is it that every-time the people need to come on to the streets to demand justice? Of late, even Pakistan which has such a dismal track record is appearing to take pro liberal stands on various issues but India is slipping backwards in many respects. All big talks are pointless if there is no speedy justice. What impression will the people have about the Country when you talk of Nationalism on the one hand and on the other hand, people are made to live in an environment of fear and distrust? India should not be allowed to turn into a lawless society where the leaders and their supporters are allowed to do as they please. We are all equals before the law and no one is superior or inferior to us. As citizens we expect better. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Goa’s Shaun Aranjo selected in Spain Academy
Goa’s Shaun Aranjo selected in Spain Academy Goa’s young basketball player, Shaun Aranjo, has been selected by Europe Basketball Academy to get advanced training in Basketball. At 18, Shaun, one of Goa’s top players, has been consistently winning State titles in Juniors as well as Seniors category groups with his teams, and is the first Goan player to be selected by the prestigious Academy based in Spain. Shaun was the leading scorer among all the teams which participated at the 33rd Youth National Basketball championships held in 2016 in Hassan, Karnataka where the Goa Team emerged Runners up in the Loser’s Cup held under the aegis of the Basketball Federation of India. Shaun was felicitated for his excellent performances in Basketball, during the State Junior Basketball championships 2018 organised by Panjim Basketeers Club in collaboration with the Goa Basketball Association. Shaun is likely to leave for Spain later this month. regards, Sandeep Heble Secretary Panjim Basketeers Club 9326129171
[Goanet] State Junior Basketball – Sonics, Lourdes triumph
State Junior Basketball – Sonics, Lourdes triumph Sonics, Porvorim reaffirmed their status as the top Basketball team in Goa in Junior Boys as they emerged champions for the second year in running, in the State Junior Basketball championship organised by Panjim Basketeers Club in collaboration with Goa Basketball Association. In the Junior Girls section, Lourdes Convent were the run-away winners. The finals were played on Sunday at the Don Bosco Oratory premises in Panjim and though Sonics were given a few tense moments by the Lourdes Basketball Club team, riding high on the back of a few stand-out performances from their players especially Calvin D’ Mellow, Merrick Fernandes and Vikram Fernandes, Sonics completed a well-deserved 38 – 25 win over the young team from Saligao. Jeshua Pinto played well for Lourdes. Merrick Fernandes was adjudged the most valuable player of the finals. The Junior Girls finals was a one sided contest with Lourdes registering a comfortable 30-6 win over Fatima High School. Shimron Nathan of Lourdes was the most valuable player of the finals while Melma played well for Fatima. Calvin D’ Mello and Shimei Nathan were adjudged Most Valuable Players of the Tournament in Boys and Girls categories respectively. Third Place prizes were won by Panjim Basketeers and Hoopers (Junior Boys) and Mary Immaculate and Sonics (Junior Girls). Mr. Siddharth Kunkolienker, Hon. Chairman – EDC, Ms. Monica Dourado, Project Officer – SAG, Mr. Girish Lotlikar, President – GBA, Fr Ralin De Souza, Secretary – GBA, and Panjim Basketeers officials James Andrade (President) and Sandeep Heble (Secretary) graced the closing function. Photo Album - State Junior Basketball Championship Finals 2018 (Pic credits Selvyn Godinho) https://photos.app.goo.gl/fgvGw0ygpcHnfNjS2 regards, Sandeep Heble Secretary Panjim Basketeers Club 9326129171
[Goanet] Badminton Summer Coaching Camps across Goa in April
Badminton Summer Coaching Camps across Goa in April Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG & DSYA will conduct Summer coaching camps, “Learn to Play Badminton”, for children 6 years and above. The camps will be for complete beginners as well as for intermediate and advanced players to improve their skills. The Coaching camps will be held from April 2 to 21 at Multipurpose Hall, Fatorda, Margao and from April 9 to 29 at Indoor stadiums at Panaji, Sanquelim, Peddem, Ponda, Quepem and Cuncolim, from 10 am to 12 noon. To register, kindly contact Sandeep Heble (9326129171), Vinayak Kamat (9604034522) or email gbagoaonl...@gmail.com Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Facebook data warfare
Over the last few days we've been reading how Facebook data is being used to influence voters. Perhaps this might have happened in America but is this the case in India also? Really? I pretty much doubt it. I don't think India has become so sophisticated a Country that our voting patterns can be influenced by "white collared" media campaigns. India is too vast, diverse and complex a Country for this to happen. In my opinion we are giving too much credit to Facebook campaigns and their ability to influence our own thinking and reasoning abilities. The Public are not robots who will act in this particular way or the other depending on what you read on Social networks. During the last Goa Assembly elections, AAP's Social media campaign was by far the best but they failed to win any seats. What does this signify? Elections are fought on the ground. There has to be a good ground level set up and party or personal workers to manage a winning campaign. Credibility, money, development, past performance, party base and ideology are other significant factors. To gather information, knowledge and keep in touch with the latest happenings, Social media platforms are good but in general they are frivolous and more of time-pass material. Yesterday we will make fun of Mickey, today of Rahul Gandhi and tomorrow of Modi. That is how it is. But if someone tells me that they are using your data to influence your minds and consequently your thinking and voting patterns, then this is difficult for me to come to terms with. Many of the modern day politicians use Social networks like Facebook and Twitter which is a good way of keeping in touch with the Public. But let us not overestimate the ability of third party agencies to influence us by using such networks and underestimate the real reasons of winning elections, which are won more through a personal touch. A job in the house, a water tap, proper electricity and sanitation, some election goodies are things that matter. Not some psychological campaigns using your data. If Political parties think they can win elections through data warfare, then their fall is imminent. Get to work and start performing. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Goa's Mining crisis: Pro Active administrative measures required
According to Government’s own figures as reported in media, 16 mines were successfully auctioned in other States bringing them a revenue of almost Rs.59,500 crore. But in Goa there is a strange reluctance in pursuing the auction process. This should have been done long back but what we saw instead was renewal of mining leases in favour of the same old mining houses, resulting in substantial revenue loss to the State. How much did the State lose and who is responsible and accountable for all this? The Supreme Court was perfectly right in ruling such actions to be illegal. Now, there are attempts to overrule the Judgement through orchestrated street protests and violence. It is sad that we have come to such a point. If mining has to restart, it should happen as per Court directions. The auction process might take some time but in the meantime, Government can form a Corporation or take other measures as mentioned in the ruling. Instead of a Judicial review petition, what is required are pro active administrative measures to solve the present crisis. You can't keep knocking the doors of the Courts again and again. Accept the fact that there were several wrongs done and move on. Regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Leadership crisis in Goa
Leadership crisis in Goa The experiment to have a 3 member "Super Cabinet" does not seem to be working. There is a vacuum and a leadership crisis at the moment. Today’s mining strike reflects the present state of governance. How long can the present experiment go on? Today, there was complete disruption in normal life, chaos and violence near the Mandovi bridges as well as lots of inconvenience caused to standard twelve students. Hundreds more were left stranded in Bambolim schools. Was all this right? In the present scenario, it would make far greater sense for the Hon. CM to hand over his portfolios to a colleague, temporarily till he recovers, which will be the fair, practical and proper thing to do. What happened today was not fair to the students who are the future of the Country. What signals are we sending to them, that chaos and inconvenience is a natural and acceptable way of life in Goa? If so, they will grow up thinking this way and the future will be bleak. Governance has to be a continuous process with proper accountability. Today, who do we hold accountable? A “Super Cabinet” without much Constitutional powers cannot be a working substitute to constitutional posts. While I wish the CM a speedy recovery, some change in thought process have to be there. The present arrangement is not working. Putting some one in charge for the moment will make far greater sense. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Kejriwal's apology
What is this big deal over Kejriwal's 'apology'? Nowadays, in politics it looks like it is okay to call one another "dalals", "Pakistani agents" and what not, and then do all your political dealings and settings to embrace one another to be a part of the same Government. It is also okay to pass retrospective legislation making all illegal donations to Political Parties perfectly legal. But an apology is sacrilege and treason. Not that I endorse statements made without prima facie proof or backing, but aren't the other political settings happening of far worse kind and nature? Of course, in politics if 'a' is considered acceptable because of political compulsions, then in all fairness 'b' should also be considered acceptable. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Yogi's UP disaster
Yogi Adityanth has displayed some political immaturity by ridiculing the SP-BSP's alliance, calling it "rajnaitik saudebaazi," or political bargain, and blaming it as one of the factors that led to the BJP's defeat in the Uttar Pradesh bye elections. First of all, the seats which were lost were the BJP’s own bastions, those vacated by the CM Yogi himself and his deputy. If the ruling party which won such a historic mandate just about a year back cannot hold fort in its own strongholds, then it has a lot of soul-searching to do. It should not take the easy way out by blaming opposition parties for coming together. Why won’t they? If they are down and out, then definitely they will take some strategic decisions to try and make a comeback. There is every likelihood that they will do so once again in 2019 also. Hasn’t BJP also struck alliances in other States where it is not such a significant force? Why focus on opposition, a party in power must be able to win seats on its own strength, more so because the Government is not even a year old. When a party is in control in the State as well as in the Centre and has so much funds, Government machinery and power at its disposal, why has it not consolidated its position in such an important State? If anti-incumbency feeling has come in within just about a year, then it is a sign of warning bells for the ruling party. Uttar Pradesh is a State which gave BJP those huge numbers and swept Modi to power in 2014. The present policies being followed by a hardline Yogi and its Government may not exactly be what the people are looking forward to, to take the State forward. Will the UP Government mend its ways and pursue progressive policies, time will tell. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Who are the bigger rogues?
Who are the bigger rogues? Today, everyone is making fun of Mickey. Fine, he deserves it. He had no business to drive his vehicle on the beach. But no matter how crude, uncouth and rough Micky might be in his behaviour, but still he's far better than some of the present day ministers who are far worse extortionists. Just to give one illustration one such Minister was not even willing to spare the founding father of his own party and demanded money in lakhs for otherwise routine Power (Load) approval. Corruption is a cancer that eats away a citizen's faith in a democracy. Today, people are losing faith in institutions and in the Government itself because of the rampant prevailing corruption that is happening, under the instructions of such Ministers. When you accept such mercenaries in the party to swell your numbers, then there's no option but to ignore such things as part of political compulsion. That is the nature of politics today. BJP's tallest leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said, " there can be no compromise regarding corruption". But today, Goa's politics is proving him wrong. Mickey can be taken care of but who will tame such Ministers? warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] The politics of statues
Political parties think that public spaces are their private domains. Whenever they are elected to govern, they go about erecting statues in the names of their party ideologues or those who they might be influenced with. The Congress started this culture and the other political parties have carried on with it. In Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati splurged crores of Public money to build statues promoting her party and ideology. However, this did not work well with the masses who were more keen on good governance and her Government soon fell. There are so many statues, roads and Landmarks in the name of Gandhi – Nehru families today all over India. Now we see such landmarks in the name of Patel, Shivaji, Savarkar, S P Mukerjee etc etc. The Left Front has built statues of Marx and Lenin. In Goa, we see demands for statue of Jack Sequeira by people who have otherwise cared very little about him or what he stood for. It is only vote bank politics. Political parties, their leaders and ideologues are not Gods and we should stop treating them as such. The days of Kings and Queens are over. Now we are all equals so let us stop this blind idolizing. Why should any special importance be given to political leaders and their ideologues who otherwise enjoy huge power and perks whenever they occupy office? They are there to serve us and govern us, not the other way around. There has to be a proper Pan Indian policy to manage public spaces and political parties should stop turning such spaces into their personal fiefdoms to promote their personal ideologies. Statue and landmark naming politics is basically divisive. One man’s leader is another man’s villain. Governments need to focus on good governance and keep public spaces open to all and free from divisive politics. regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Sridevi – End of an era
Sridevi – End of an era Over the last couple of days, there have been a lot of speculations over her death. Was it alcohol overdose? Foul play? In an attempt to boost their TRPs, some news channels went a bit overboard and tried to sensationalise her tragic death which was largely unfair. Nevertheless, no matter how she died and what the exact cause of her death will be, Sridevi has left an unforgettable aura over her fans. In an era of superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, she was Bollywood’s first female diva. Then came Madhuri. Then Kajol. Aishwarya. Karishma. And so many more. But undoubtedly, she was the first reigning queen. An actor par excellence who stole screen space from her male counterparts. An enchantress who commanded a large fan following of her own. She was charming, sensual, graceful, flawless, someone who could make us cry, laugh and put us in so many different moods and emotions at will. Who can forget her movies and brilliant acting? Her jovial Charlie Chaplin act in Mr. India, her electrifying dances, her beautiful expressions. Then the brilliant performances like the one in Sadma. Kamal Hassan singing her the lullaby "Sur mein ankhiyon mein" and her child like acting which keeps bringing the tears in our eyes. We were the fortunate ones to watch some of her best movies in our teens - Chaalbaaz, Chandni, Lamhe, Sridevi crooning and swaying to the beats of the song "Har kisiko nahi milta yahan pyar zindagi mein" on a beach in Feroze Khan's Jaanbaaz. These are memories which are still fresh in our minds today. Hindi Film Industry and her fans will fondly remember this captivating actress. To this Superstar, I must say - Thank you for entertaining us all these years. You will be missed. warm regards Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Goa prays for Manohar Parrikar
Goa prays for Manohar Parrikar It takes a lot of will-power, commitment, dedication and love for the homeland to do what Our Honorable Chief Minister has just done, heading from the Lilawati hospital ICU to the Goa Assembly. This is the kind of stuff which we might have watched in Stallone's Rambo or the Die Hard kind of Hollywood movies. Manohar Parrikar has shown once again why he is regarded as one of Goa's tallest leaders and is loved by so many. Whatsapp and Facebook were flowing with his pictures, videos and messages demonstrating the kind of love and respect that Goa has for him. In his budget speech, he was very graceful, humbly thanking all who stood and prayed for him. Mr. Parrikar is no doubt a workaholic who enjoys working 16 -17 hours a day, but it is time he takes it a little easy. Goa needs him now more than ever. Some much needed rest to get back to full fitness will do him a load of good. In the history of Goan politics which has been dominated by corruption, money and muscle power, Manohar Parrikar with his charm, simplicity and work ethics has stood as the odd man out. Goa prays for his speedy and complete recovery. regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Valentine’s Day… Good things come in different packages
not mean that we will forget our own. India’s culture has survived after so many conquests and invasions. Anything that is beautiful will survive, anything that is not, people will reject it on its own. Whether it is Valentine’s Day or Diwali or Navratri, people generally love to have fun, to mix and socially bond with one another. This is basic human nature. No political party or group should try to wear the hat of the moral policemen and try to take the fun out of our lives. Those who want to celebrate Valentine’s Day, they should. Nobody should tell them otherwise. It is their choice. To each, their own. Happy Valentine’s Day wishes to all. (The opinion piece appeared in the recent issue of The Neutral View. The writer is Treasurer of Goa RTI Forum. Views expressed are his own.) Sandeep Heble Goa
[Goanet] Goa needs good governance and not headline statements
Not only is Vijay Sardesai's statement on Indian tourists in poor taste, his sense of timing is even more poor. I am just back from Delhi where Haryana has emerged as the number one State in the Khelo India Games. What an irony! Mr. Vijay Sardesai is a Minister now and he must act and speak responsibly. Not make statements which can have detrimental effects on Tourism which is a major Industry in Goa and so many people make their livelihoods out of it. What exactly does he mean when he says Goa needs only high-end tourists? That only the rich should come to Goa and the rest should stay out? While the rich will cater mostly to the Five star hotel lobby, it is the rest which will benefit the locals in the industry. Has Mr. Vijay been elected by only the high-end citizens of Fatorda and not the rest? Mr. Sardesai must not make statements which are demeaning to a certain class of people. Goa needs tourists of both kinds. Many lakhs of tourists come to Goa, which is a destination known for its good hospitality. Not everybody behaves badly. Perhaps a miniscule percentage will, but a majority of them don’t. But when a responsible Minister makes a statement like this, it creates a general distrust between the locals and the outsiders at large which is unfair. Remember the rickshawallas in Mumbai being beaten up while the Government did its own deals with the Ambanis in Mumbai? Whenever Indians travel abroad, they will always act responsibly. They will not dare to throw litter on the streets of London or Singapore. Why? Because they know they will be penalised severely. Spare the rod and spoil the child. Mr. Sardesai is a powerful Cabinet Minister and he together with his other colleagues are now collectively responsible for giving us good administration. If some sections of the tourists are behaving irresponsibly and do not demonstrate good civic sense, it is because the administration is allowing them to. Why not haul up the Police force to ensure there is better Policing on the beaches? Why not impose hefty fines on those who litter our streets and beaches or cook in the open? Making headline statements will not solve our problems. Now that this issue has come to the forefront, Vijay must let his actions speak louder than words. Ensure through good governance measures that Goa remains clean and beautiful. regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Viva Portugal
Our Hon’ ble Young Speaker needs to take it easy. He might have meant it casually but his statement that nobody should say “Viva Portugal” was not taken too lightly by Social media users, who vented their ire on Facebook and on other platforms. Nowadays, nobody likes to be morally policed, to be told what to do and what not to do. Our elected representatives need to stay away from creating needless polarising controversies and must focus on the development agenda. With the dawn of cable TV channels, Internet and social media platforms, the World is now a much smaller place. Like it or not, the generation today will support Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Federer, Nadal, Sharapova, Carolina, Messi, Ronaldo and other stars. They will shout slogans, wear T-Shirts, do road shows and celebrate every time their favourite teams, Countries or stars win. Nothing wrong in that. Moreover, India and Portugal share extremely cordial relations today. Nationalism is much more than singing slogans or not singing them. We should not bring down its meaning in such a narrow way by reducing it to a particular one–dimensional pattern. There is no measuring instrument to measure patriotism so what is the basis for one person to feel he is more patriotic than the other or one community to believe it is more nationalist than the other? It is not fair to define who is a nationalist and who is not based on such narrow sets of parameters. Swami Vivekananda in one of his speeches had said, “All truth is eternal. Truth is nobody’s property; no race, no individual can lay any exclusive claim to it. Truth is the nature of all souls”. India belongs to all those who live in it. It is in our Country’s interests that a liberal plural form of Nationalism is propagated as against the singular mono-cultural one. India has to rise and we must together let it to. regards, Sandeep Heble Panjim, Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Padmaavat - Stage managed violence?
Modi portrays one India to the World and another one to the Indians. What an irony. Either the PM has lost control over his own Sevaks or there is tacit support from him and his political party for these groups. Not even one statement by him on the "Padmaavat" violence. The State administration meanwhile is keeping its eyes closed and does not want to take forceful action. Vandalising, Arson, stoning of buses, all this violence is happening over just one Film, "Padmaavat". This is turning out to be an ego battle for these fringe elements. "How dare the Supreme Court pass an Order like this?". For Public consumption we are being given the impression that the Sevaks fighting in the streets are mightier than the collective force of the Police, Modi and Amit Shah. Whom are they kidding? Just heard Francis was released after spending 6 months in jail. What a fool he has been, with his "trapped souls" story. Could have easily said he was offended by Padmaavat, and he would have been released in a jiffy. Are these few handful groups more important to the political establishment than the rest of us, the people? Have we voted for the Government to give us this? warm regards Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Padmaavat - Let the people Judge
Padmaavat - Let the people Judge Why is so much fuss is being made over this “Padmaavat” movie? It beats all logical reasoning and imagination. There are so many people involved behind the making of a movie, is it fair to ban it just because some elements may have some issues with it? Let the people decide. In today's times, movies run just a few days during which time the Producer recovers most of his money and if the movie is good the profits will roll in. Then the next week comes and the next movie releases. That is the kind of a shelf life that a movie has. So many movies which have been opposed in the past, when these have been released we are left to wonder what this fuss is all about. Is it really worth it? There is a need to differentiate between the real world and the reel world. The reel world is more of fun and entertainment. We watch films to be entertained. Kishore Kumar in one of his interviews illustrated this when he said, “When a man and a woman roll over each other on velvet grass in Kashmir valley, you expect them to make love - not sing in the voices of Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.” But that is exactly how our movies are. We cannot expect them to be reality all the time. There will be a separate bracket for that, a documentary film genre. But in popular cinema which is made for the masses, some element of creative expression will always be there. Songs, music and dance have always been integral to Hindi cinema. What would our movies be without that? The Indian audience loves to be entertained by the voices of Kishore, Lata, Mukesh, Asha, Rafi and now Arijit and Shreya. The Ghoomar song should be seen in this context and backdrop, that it is after all a work of fiction. The movie, “Padmaavat” likewise might have elements of fiction and creative liberties taken in it, so what? So many other movies on historical characters have been made in the past which have songs and other creative liberties. Many of these have also been critically acclaimed and have been well appreciated by the people. Let the audience similarly judge this one. The Supreme Court decision has now come and these fringe groups must now respect it. The State is duty bound to protect our Constitutional freedoms. Just let us enjoy our movies. warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Need for a Taxi Revolution
Whenever I am outstation I always travel by Uber or Ola. It is so much safer, cheaper and more convenient. When I return, no such facilities are available. The last time I came back, the taxi operators at the airport were demanding a whopping Rs 2000/- in the night to travel a distance which otherwise would have cost me 1/3rd the cost or even lesser. The lack of app based services puts so much pinch on each of our finances. Why is the Government so hell-bent on appeasing this Taxi Lobby, despite so much bullying by them? Why can't it take decisions for the people instead of for lobbies? Public transportation system in Goa is such a big hassle and the Government sadly does nothing to change this status quo. There is competition in all fields so why exempt only taxi services from it? On the one hand we are talking of making our cities smart and on the other refusing to bring app based services. Is this not a policy contradiction? Competition will only enhance the Taxi Service Industry. There can be safeguards put to protect local interests. Government can't keep burying its head and pretend the problems do not exist. It needs to work for the common people also and not just the lobbies. Why should the public be taken for granted just to satisfy a select few? Are we not their voters? A Taxi revolution is the need of the hour. High time for the Government to ponder and act! warm regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Goa's Opinion Poll
Today marks the 51st Anniversary of the Opinion Polls, a referendum which took place on January 16, 1967. Though the opinion poll happened before I was born, I got first-hand accounts from my mother and aunts / uncles, the children of Goa’s renowned Poet, Late Bakibab Borkar. I also have read a few accounts and essays written by others like my good friend, historian Prajal Sakhardande, which have been very informative and make interesting reads. My grandfather Poet Borkar wrote essays and Poems on retaining Goa's identity in the Marathi daily Rashtramat, some of which have later been published in the Book “Saasaay”. He used to work in the All India Radio then and though he could not openly participate, he wrote under the pen name “Komlo”, urging people to vote for the Union Territory. He also served in advisory capacity to the youngsters working in the referendum. Several of Goa’s well known Poets, singers, writers, tiatrists and other literary and cultural practitioners likewise actively contributed with their literary skills to prevent the merger. A song from this movement, Channeache Rati , sung by Ulhas Buyao with lyrics penned by Uday Bhembre, is one of my favourite Konkani tracks, which I love to listen to quite often. By no means was the opinion poll a one sided battle. It must have taken a lot of effort to convince the majority that maintaining a separate identity was the best way forward. Opinions were vastly divided. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party which wielded a huge influence among the Hindu community pitched heavily in favour of the merger, while the United Goans Party under the leadership of Dr Jack Sequeira fought tooth and nail against it. This movement also had other notable personalities like Purshottam Kakodkar, Chandrakant Keni, Ulhas Buyao, Uday Bhembre, Dr Manoharrai Sardesai and many others in the forefront, who campaigned extensively to retain Goa’s identity. Results would indicate that it was the Catholic community especially those from the Salcete belt which tilted the scales heavily against the merger. Though Hindus predominantly were politically with the MGP, a significant percentage threw their weight behind the anti-merger forces and voted for the two leaves, the anti merger symbol. This, together, in the end made the difference, the merger forces losing with a substantial 34000+ votes. Goa thus managed to retain its separate identity. The Opinion Poll was a unique historical referendum and we owe a sense of gratitude to all those who fought to preserve its separate status. A happy Opinion Poll Anniversary Day to all. - Warm regards Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Goa to host International Veterans Table Tennis Championship
Goa to host International Veterans Table Tennis Championship Goa will be hosts to India’s first International Veterans Championship from 2 to 6 December, 2017 at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Goa University, Taleigao. Titled as Forza International Veteran Cup (FIVC), this first of its kind championship will be organised by Goa Table Tennis Association in association with Forza Sports Management. The FIVC is organised with complete support from and under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), Sports Authority of Goa (SAG), Indian Veteran’s Table Tennis Committee (IVTTC) and Goa Veterans Table Tennis Association. The Opening and Closing ceremonies are scheduled on 3rd and 6th Dec, 2017 respectively. The Forza Sports Management group have ambitious plans to make this a yearly organised Cup in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Calendar and have chosen Goa in its inaugural edition, being a favoured destination which can combine sports and tourism to give Indians as well as International participants a memorable experience. . Apart from representation from various states from India, the FIVC will have International representation from Russia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives in the categories of Men’s and Women’s Individual Singles and Team’s in age groups of 40+, 50+, 60+, 65+ and 70+ . The total prize money for the championship will be Rs. 6 Lakh and 50 Thousand including the FIVC Cups for the year 2017. The inaugural will be held on December 3 (10 am) while finals are scheduled on December 6, 2pm.
[Goanet] Ganeshotsav Programme at Panaji (August 28 to 31)
Panaji Ganeshotsav Samiti in collaboration with Shree Mahalaxmi Saunsthan Samiti and Bharatiya Sanskrutik Mandal will organize the following events during its annual Ganeshotsav festival programme to be held from August 28 to August 31. August 28 (10.30am to 12.30pm) - Child Art Competition for children Up to Age 18 years at Mahalaxmi Temple Hall premises at Panaji (Theme - Ganesh Chaturthi) August 29 (10.30am to 4.30pm) Rangoli Competition for children up to 18 years and Ladies at Mahalaxmi Temple Hall premises at Panaji. August 30 - (10 am to 5pm) - Badminton & Table Tennis Non Ranking Tournaments for all age groups at Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji August 31 - Photography contest. Participants must email soft copy of photograph by August 31 to panajiganeshot...@gmail.com (Theme – Ganesh Chaturthi Selfie) Participants must SMS entry to Saheel Kamat (8600299468) or Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or enroll on Spot.
[Goanet] Anurag Mhamal - A Road to Grandmaster
Anurag Mhamal - A Road to Grandmaster The Tiswadi Taluka Chess Association felicitated Goa's 1st Chess Grand Master Anurag Mhamal at the Institute of Menezes Braganza Hall, Panjim yesterday. It was nice to see a large number of Chess enthusiasts gathered there to congratulate and wish Anurag on his glorious feat. Kudos to the organising committee which hosted the felicitation function wonderfully. Mr. Shrinivas Dempo, Mr. Dilip Salgaocar and Mr. Kishor Bandekar were also honoured for their role in promoting chess in Goa at the function which was graced by the Hon' ble Goa Chief Minister and Sports Minister. Anurag's achievement is a huge one and will be an inspiration to others. Here's wishing the young chess champion player all the very best in his future pursuits and endeavours. A short presentation, "Anurag - A Road to Grandmaster", was screened during the function. For those who missed, you can click the link here. https://youtu.be/-7gNuuXRr8o warm regards Sandeep Heble Life Member, Tiswadi Taluka Chess Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Ram Nath Kovind who?
Vajpayee gave us Dr A.P. J Kalam, an articulate figure and a towering personality who inspired all during his tenure in office and outside it. Then came Pratibha Patil who nobody knew much, except the Gandhi Family who rewarded her with this prestigious honour for being a loyalist. She came and went without making too much of a difference. Now we have Pranab Mukherjee. No doubt a good popular choice and a highly respectable person in all political circles. And the NDA have just announced the name of Ram Nath Kovind as their Presidential candidate. Who’s he? A political appointee and a Governor of Bihar. That's all we know so far. A Presidential candidate should ideally have been a person with good leadership qualities, who could inspire the young generation and who has a futuristic vision for the Country. Has the NDA, which has the numbers, missed a golden opportunity to give us such a President? We will have to wait and watch. regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] A good win for Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy Cricket
Pakistan lost their first match disastrously but then bounced back to win their remaining matches in style. They are the new ICC Champions Trophy winners now and kudos to them for this wonderful achievement. Here are 10 reasons why India lost.& Pakistan won. 1. A good toss to lose. A run out chance missed. A caught behind of a no ball and some initial luck went Pakistan’s way. 2. India’s bowling lacked the sting to trouble the Pakistan batting. Once the openers got going, they simply milked the Indian bowlers along. 3. Pakistan played to a plan. They wanted to pile up a big score and put the Indians under pressure. They kept their strategy simple and executed it to perfection. 4. Mohammad Hafeez came and finished the innings well. It was a good aggressive knock by him which gave Pakistan the added momentum. 5. Mohammad Amir was all charged up and fired. He had faced a barrage of insults from the Indian spectators in the opening match but he turned things around this time with an incredible performance and had the last laugh. The other Pakistan bowlers also chipped in well. Hasan Ali was a revelation in this tournament and their young leg spinner was also quite impressive. 6. India did not go into this match with specialists. There was no specialist opener along side Shikar Dhawan to see the new ball off. You can succeed with a makeshift opener sometimes, but not always. Rohit was always going to be a wrong choice in the opening slot. In the crunch game, he failed to fire. 7. India's best chaser Virat Kohli did not exhibit the kind of patience that is required to chase a total as large as this. He should have stayed in the crease a bit longer before going hard at the ball. He did not capitalize on the dropped chance either. 8. India was perhaps a bit over confident. They relied too much on past history and underestimated the Pakistan side. This Pakistan side is fresh and has several young new faces who made the difference. They showed a lot of hunger and desire to win. 9. Ravindra Jadeja 10. Pakistan had a balanced unit. They had good strength in their bowling as well as batting departments and were undoubtedly the superior team. All in all, they deserved to win. Better luck to India next time. It was a disappointing performance by India in the finals but have to note that Hardik Pandya played really well. Well, you win some and you lose some and the finals were just not India’s day. Some consolation in India's Hockey win and Kidambi Srikanth's amazing win in Indonesa open Badminton. - Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] Swords, Knifes and koitas
When I was in my school days, we would often hear about all these fights that used to occur in Taleigao, Santa Cruz and Merces and also inter gang wars. At times, these fights used to spill over in the colleges and on the play grounds also. Over flimsy reasons and pretexts like a college elections or loss of a cricket match, or a canteen brawl, etc etc. Later, there were a series of hard tough measures that were taken, one after the other. If my memory serves me right, it was first during the tenure of Ravi Naik who was the Home Minister then, when his Government clamped down heavily on all such types of criminal activities. It was on his instructions that many of the big names in crime and extortion circles were arrested and detained under tough criminal laws. One or two also under COFEPOSA. At times, this also became a joke, because of the high handedness of some of the police officers who tried to flaunt their authority. I can recollect once, when we were walking towards Miramar, about 6 to 7 of us, the Police came in a jeep and began questioning us. We were barely 13 to 15 years then. We were actually thrilled and had a good laugh that we were now part of some big gang. In his recent tenure, he was a huge let down but Ravi was no doubt a good Home Minister during his first tenure. That was the time when crime actually came down. Later, Manohar Parrikar and Babush Monserate (in Taleigao) did their bit to bring it down further to the point where reports on gang wars which were regular features earlier could be read only occasionally. Merces is now once again in the news and the incident that took place reminded me of those ugly old days. Have to note that yesterday’s incident at Merces is a huge dent to Goa, which is known for its peace, tranquillity and hospitality. Tourism is the backbone of Goa now and so many businesses thrive on this Industry here. In a civilised society, people do not move around with swords, koitas and knives and attack on flimsy reasons or minor altercations. If this has happened, it is because they have lost the fear in the Police and the Government. This is a blot on Goa and has become a National news now. Would expect the Manohar Parrikar Government to come down tough on this to send a strong signal and message. At the very least, we need some Official statement from the Home Ministry, which hasn’t come as yet, followed by a series of very tough measures. At the end of the day, the Government is responsible to instil confidence in the people, to make them feel secure, to protect and preserve law and order, to show the rest of India and the world that Goa is peaceful. Incidents like these cannot be taken lightly. Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Majority
Congratulations to the Government which has won a majority in many Panchayat areas. In the areas where they do not have a majority, a few additional Panchs can be nominated to create a majority. Like Goa Urban. That way, they can have a majority in all the Panchayat areas. LOL
[Goanet] GFA Suspension Order prima facie appears to be unlawful
GFA Suspension Order prima facie appears to be unlawful The Goa Football Association (GFA) has been ill advised. Their suspension Order prima facie appears to be bad in law. Sports Associations are merely regulatory bodies to perform specific tasks pertaining to their respective games like organising Tournaments, coaching camps, workshops, selection of players and teams for National and International tournaments, etc. They cannot violate the constitutional rights and freedoms of athletes. Article 21 of the Indian constitution gives every citizen right to life and personal liberty, which are the most fundamental of all rights. As enumerated in various Supreme Court Judgments, liberty includes safeguarding several well-recognised rights such as the right to eat or drink, the right to play, perform other physical activities, etc. No person can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedures established by law, as in the case of say binding contracts. In the present case, there is no binding contract between the GFA and the Footballers and there is no financial remuneration paid to the athletes, which can restrain them on specific terms in consideration for a mutually agreed sum. The suspension Order also prima face appears to have violated the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002, which stipulate that no authority can use their monopoly status to subvert the rights of others. In the matter of Dhanraj Pillay vs Hockey India, the Competition Commission of India in its Judgment inter alia ruled there should be no penalty on the players for playing unsanctioned events; and there should be no question of having no objection certificate from any tournament organiser for playing in some other tournament. More recently, when Badminton Association of India tried to impose similar restrictions on its players for participating in an unsanctioned tournament, the Delhi High Court held such prohibitions to be illegal and players were permitted to participate. One of our own Goa Badminton player participated and qualified for the said PNB Metlife Nationals by reaching the Zonal semis. The suspension Order thus appears to be bad in law and can easily be struck down by the High Court, as was done in the recent matter of Sara Foundation vs Badminton Association of India. For the betterment of the sport and the footballers, the GFA must withdraw the said suspension order. - Yours sincerely, Sandeep Heble 9326129171 (The writer is the Hon. Secretary, Goa Badminton Association. Views expressed above are his own).
[Goanet] Is Goa Urban Bank issue turning into Panjim vs Ponda battle?
It is getting more and more difficult for me to understand why the Government has meddled into this issue. To a certain extent, one can understand the logic if the panel which is elected happen to be a bunch of known rogues, and sometimes, in such exceptional cases, an action like this can perhaps be rationalized. But in this case, what was the need for the Government to interfere? On the other side too, there are members with close affiliations to the ruling party. One of the panellists from Dr Anil Gaunekar group in fact contested Ponda elections on the BJP ticket some years back and has been a Sarpanch of Khandepar before. He is a long standing and prominent member of the ruling party and was a front runner for the Ponda ticket but withdrew at the instance of the top leadership during the current Assembly elections. So is the Govind Kamat Panel trying to make this into a Panaji BJP vs Ponda BJP issue? Do they consider themselves superior to those from the other side simply because they happen to be from the CM’s own constituency? Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa
[Goanet] Follow up Post: Dr Govind Kamat has shown complete lack of grace
This is my follow-up post on the Goa Urban Bank subject matter. This is not to support one side or the other but to once again express my sheer disappointment at what is happening. Maybe I am a bit late to say this, but as the expression goes, it is better late than never. I was disillusioned when attempts were made to disrespect the mandate and impose their own panel from Day one itself. One of Dr. Govind Kamat’s panellists who happened to meet me at the Indoor stadium, Campal soon after election results were out in fact bragged that two Directors would be nominated and Govind Kamat would head the Board. Though I had supported couple of candidates from this panel who were known to me, I was taken aback by this kind of approach which showed complete lack of grace. Now we are being given justifications and rationalisations. That this unlawful act of nominating two Directors to the Goa Urban Board is necessary for the welfare of the bank, etc etc. Un-existing laws are now being cited. As if we are a bunch of unread fools who do not know to discern what is wrong and what is right. And we have to accept everything that the Government does and must fall in line with it. A couple of days back, I was with another doctor who told me how displeased he was with all this. A pharmacist next door too expressed his rage. Sorry to say this but Govind Kamat and his panelists have not covered themselves in grace. If they think what they have done is right, they need to walk in the streets, speak to the people and hear what their opinion is. They will get a perfect picture. The Government, on its part, should not meddle any further. Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Govind Kamat's unethical practises in Goa Urban Bank elections
Mr. Govind Kamat and his panellists must be gracious enough in accepting the mandate of the Goa Urban Bank shareholders. They lost the elections fair and square to the Gaunekar panel and must now allow them to form the Board and function. By creating a constitutional crisis, what message are they sending to the shareholders? What message is being sent to future generations? That mandate means nothing, might is right and by having a close proximity to the Government, you are allowed to do anything and everything? Sad to see even doctors indulging in such kinds of unethical practises. First it was the cancer surgeon Shekhar Salkar and now another prominent city Doctor Govind Kamat does something similar. Not such a long ago, in fact many a times during Assembly or CCP elections, Govind Kamat along with few of his doctor colleagues and prominent citizens gave advisory press notes to the citizens, asking them to vote on ethics, morals and principles. And now, we see something like this. Where are the ethics, morals and principles gone now? If the Government says they are planning to appoint chartered accountants to perform audits of banks, then it is a welcome step but they must not meddle in the Board formation. If such wrongs continue, then what we will see is a trust deficit between citizens and leadership which eventually harms the ideals of good governance. Our Institutions need to be strengthened through a variety of strong laws and measures which are based on fairness, honesty and sincerity. In pre historic times, these principles used to be called Ram Rajya, to have high integrity, to be morally and ethically correct and fair to all. Today, there is a need to stand by such noble principles. All is not lost yet. Govind Kamat and his panellists must take a step back now and must not put themselves in further muck. They must engage in a meaningful debate with the Gaunekar panel and contribute positively to the Bank’s growth. May better sense prevail over them. warm regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Goa Badminton Association’s Summer Coaching Camps – April and May 2017
Goa Badminton Association’s Summer Coaching Camps – April and May 2017 Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) & the DSYA conducted Summer Badminton coaching camp during the month of April for beginner and intermediate players, at Panaji, Margao, Ponda, Mapusa and Sanquelim. The resource team for the camps comprised of Roy Ataide, Vinayak Kamat, Govind Navelkar, Wilfred Jacques, Sandeep Heble, Sanath Kamat, Emilia Silveira, Nilesh Parab, Dhanajay Sirsat, Rajesh Kukalayenkar & Karan Dhavaskar. Advanced Badminton camps were conducted by our affiliated clubs Margao Shuttlers and Evening Badminton Group. International Badminton Player Ritupurna Kulkarni conducted the advanced sessions at Margao while NIS certified coach Navneet Nasnodkar conducted advanced sessions at Panaji. The 2nd batch of our Summer Badminton camps will be held in the month of May, details as below: Panaji – 9.30am to 11.30am (May 3 to 20) at Indoor stadium, Campal Mormugao – 5pm to 7pm (May 2 to 20) at Deepvihar School, Headland Sada Margao – 10am to 11.30am and early morning fitness sessions (May 3 to 20) at Multipurpose Hall, Fatorda Quepem - 9am to 12pm (May 3 to May 20) at Multipurpose Hall, Quepem To register, kindly contact: Panaji / Mormugao - Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or Laxmikant Kenaudikar (9420197609), Margao / Quepem - Vinayak Kamat (9604034522) or Omkar Shetkar (9420682245) or register by email: gbagoaonl...@gmail.com Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Badminton Summer Coaching Camps at Panaji, Margao, Quepem & Mormugao (May 3 to 20)
Badminton Summer Coaching Camps at Panaji, Margao, Quepem & Mormugao (May 3 to 20) Goa Badminton Association(GBA) in collaboration with SAG & DSYA will conduct Badminton coaching camps for beginner and intermediate players in SAG/ DSYA stadiums at Panaji, Margao & Quepem (9.30 am to 11.30am) and at Deepvihar High School, Headland Sada, Mormugao (5pm to 7pm), from May 3 to 20. There will be sessions on footwork, stroke play, court drills, and speed and agility exercises. The camps will be conducted by GBA Certified coaches under the supervision of SAG Coaches. To register, kindly contact Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or Vinayak Kamat(9604034522) or by email to gbagoaonl...@gmail.com Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Meeting to ‘Celebrate Life of Satish Sonak’ on Saturday, 15 April
Meeting to ‘Celebrate Life of Satish Sonak’ on Saturday, 15 April ‘Celebrating Satish’, a meeting to remember inspiring LIFE of Adv Satish Sonak will be held on Saturday, 15 April in Panaji. The function would be held from 3.30 pm onwards at the Multipurpose hall at Sanskruti Bhavan at Patto Plaza in Panaji. It would be chaired by retired judge Desmond D’Costa, who has been associated with Adv Sonak since student movement days of late ‘70s. The meeting will consist of painting exhibition, presentation on his activities, video presentations, poems, songs and memoirs by friends and associates of Adv Sonak involved with him in several activities and struggles. All are requested to attend the meeting and pay tributes to Adv Sonak, who suddenly died of cardiac arrest on 7th April, and also resolve to take ahead the cause of humanity he lived for 59 years. Friends of Satish Sonak Kindly share.
[Goanet] Badminton Summer Coaching Camps across Goa (April 10 to 29)
Badminton Summer Coaching Camps across Goa (April 10 to 29) Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG & DSYA will conduct Badminton coaching camps for beginner and intermediate players across Goa at Peddem, Fatorda, Chicalim, Ponda and Sanquelim, from April 10 to April 29 (9am to 12 noon). There will be sessions on footwork, stroke play, court drills, and speed and agility exercises. The camps will be conducted by GBA Certified coaches under the supervision of SAG Coaches. The Association will take responsibility to monitor the progress of the participants and to develop their game up to advanced stage if they display the potential to excel in the sport. To register, kindly contact Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or email gbagoaonl...@gmail.com Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Badminton Coaching Camp at Panaji (April 3 to 15)
Badminton Coaching Camp at Panaji (April 3 to 15) Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG will conduct a Badminton coaching camp "Learn to Play Badminton" for beginner and intermediate players. The camp will be conducted by NIS coach and former State champion Govind Navelkar at Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji from April 3 to April 15, 2017 (9.30am am to 12.30 pm). To register, kindly contact Govind Navelkar(9764325234) or Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or by email ( gbagoaonl...@gmail.com).
[Goanet] Goa Badminton Association’s 2017-18 season to begin from April 1, 2017
Goa Badminton Association’s 2017-18 season to begin from April 1, 2017 Goa Badminton Association’s 2017-18 Calendar season will begin from April 1, 2017. The Association invites applications from Clubs and Institutions to organize Tournaments at Taluka, District and State levels, Summer coaching camps and other badminton activities with its collaboration. In continuation of our commitment to adopt good governance principles and bring further transparency and accountability in functioning, proactive disclosure Under Section 4 (1) (b) and other provisions of the RTI Act, 2005 have been complied with. The Association will shortly initiate the process of forming North and South Goa District Badminton Associations and a Players Association, which are open to membership. Clubs, Institutions and those interested in organizing badminton activities during the coming season and/or applying for memberships/ affiliations may kindly contact Hon. Secretary Sandeep Heble (9326129171), Jt. Secretary Oscar Silveira (9822133359) or email to gbagoaonl...@gmail.com by April 1, 2017. Yours sincerely, Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Why are Siddhu’s TV shows tickling the media?
Why are Siddhu’s TV shows tickling the media? Most of the media houses want to create needless issues and make mountains out of nothing. Siddhu’s appearances in TV shows is now tickling them and some people are getting carried away with such trivial matters. This should never have been the focus of discussion in a prime time debate on mainstream news channels. Since when has the Cabinet Ministry been a full time profession and what is all this fuss about full time and part time? MLAs and Ministers need to be evaluated on the basis of their performance and not the number of hours they spend in their Air conditioned Secretariat cabins. The elected representatives need to understand what are the needs and requirements of their Constituencies / States and attend to such needs. At the end of the day, people are interested in the performance of their elected representatives / Government and not what the cabinet Ministers do in their spare time. There are so many other cabinet ministers who have their own business interests elsewhere, are professionals in different fields or are Industrialists. Have these Ministers shut down their business enterprises or closed down their Industries? It is not right to single out sports persons or artists or entertainers in this manner. They too have a right to their profession. Now I am not a big fan of Siddhu and sometimes find his commentary irritating, but suggesting that the former cricketer must shut down his profession is even more irritating and nauseating. As long as his professional duties do not affect his role as a cabinet minister it shouldn’t tickle anyone. I fully agree with Siddhu when he told the reporters "When the people who elected me six times don't have a problem (with my TV career), aapko kyon kicchi-picchi ho rahi hai (why are you getting uncomfortable)?" regards Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Respect human values
The world used to be much simpler earlier but sadly it is turning out to be more and more complex day by day. How I wish the earlier days would come back, where people would be more polite and courteous, give the benefit of doubt to others, be respectful and presume that the other would be innocent until proven guilty. But these traits seem to be missing nowadays and intolerance is sadly creeping in. Aamir Khan must have been right after all. The two students from BITS Pilani institute who got into some mighty trouble in Rachol must have learnt this the hard way. Who would have thought that a possibly simple, innocent or naive action on their part, could have got them into so much trouble with the devotees? Was the overreaction necessary & warranted, whether in the name of God or even otherwise? Now I normally refrain from taking teerth or the holy water which is offered in temples or during Pujas, especially that which is made of milk/curd as I get nauseated drinking it. But I must confess on a few occasions when it was offered to me, not to offend the host, I took it and then quietly went outside the temple to wash my hands without actually consuming it. I have a gut feeling the two students must have done pretty much the same. People need to think in a much simpler and straighter manner and not get complex arguments to paint someone guilty who is not. Why, just why, would two young students go to such a historical place in the presence of a large gathering to insult or desecrate a faith? The core principles of religion teach love, peace, compassion and kindness towards others. I commend the Priest for his mature handling of the situation. In the name of respecting religious sensibilities, let us not forget the basic principles of religion and humanism. warm regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Where the mind must be without fear
Being idealistic, hoping that war ends, advocating friendly relations between two neighbouring nations, yearning for peace - - now why would anyone need to get upset with all this? I watched Gurmehar Kaur’s video and found nothing wrong or objectionable in it absolutely. That a 20 year old, a young college student who had lost her father in battle, could give up her hate and come up with a thought provoking message like this would by itself be a courageous act, worth appreciating. Yet, she got trolled, hateful comments made, threats given, followed by an orchestrated campaign to subjugate her into silence. This is a worrying sign indeed and even more worrying when you consider it has the tacit support of the ruling establishment. During the reign of the British empire, the great Poet Rabindranath Tagore churned out the beautiful words, ““Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”, to inspire his countrymen who were craving for freedom. "Where words come out from the depth of truth, Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection . . . Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake", the poem continued urging the people to dream of a Country whose people are free to express their thoughts and ideas fearlessly, where there would be no imposing or corrupted powers to bully them into submission. Is this the freedom which we all dreamt of? When artists and even students are met with hostility for a piece of art, for a book they write, for a song they compose and now, for even a video they post on Youtube? Where there are all kinds of restrictions being put on you to suppress your voices and freedom? I wish the ruling establishment would pay more attention to the real problems that are affecting the country. Build better infrastructure. Improve the Judicial system where cases drag for years. Give us better Policing, good governance, effective administration and time bound services. That is what you have been elected for. That would be real nationalism. Skip the slogan shouting & take the Country forward in the true sense! warm regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Nationalism or symbolism?
After 60 years of our Independence, if our concept of Nationalism is restricted to chest beating and slogan shouting, then I’m afraid we are not moving in the right direction. Nationalism cannot be restricted to merely symbolic gestures. It must go beyond that. Our actions must speak a million words. I wonder what real purpose will be served by shouting nationalistic slogans in college campuses where students go essentially to study. Or for that matter, what purpose will be served by bashing up or ridiculing someone who makes a video which you may not like. For the moment, we have enough problems which we need to contend with and there is no need to add up more. The Cauvery issue is unsolved for ages, our Mhadei issue is still dragging, we do not want garbage from another village to be dumped in our own, one State does not wish to see eye-to-eye with another - and yet we pretend to be Nationalistic? If we want to be truly Nationalistic as a Nation, then our political class and its citizens must work together to forge a common bond and unity. Not resort to gestures which will sow the seeds for further disunity. In August 1947, the Nation was born giving us, its citizens, various constitutional rights and freedoms. We need to respect each one’s rights & constitutional freedoms to take the Nation forward and not get upset over petty and trivial matters. The following words of Swami Vivekananda need to resonate in the minds of every Indian, “Come, be men! Come out of your narrow holes and have a look abroad. See how nations are on the march! Do you love your country? Then come, let us struggle for higher and better things; look not back, no, not even if you see the dearest and nearest cry. Look not back, but forward!” warm regards, Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa Ph - 9326129171
[Goanet] Goa goes to vote tomorrow (Feb 4)
One of the best thing that fascinates me about India is that almost everyone here is conscious of their political rights. Even during the Olympics, you will not see so much buzz and excitement as you will when elections are around. In the market place or tavern, on Social media or whatsapp, most discussions will be centred on politics. India may be yet to be developed in many ways but when it comes to voting, we are far ahead than even some of the most advanced developed Nations. When America voted for Trump, the percentage was hovering somewhere around 55 while in India, it rarely comes down below 65. Goa goes to vote tomorrow and we should easily expect to hit a target of 70 per cent at the bare minimum. In some constituencies, one won’t be surprised if it touches a high of even 80 per cent. Every fourth person here is a psephologist who will predict which candidate will win. The rest will tell you which candidate has done a setting with which candidate, who has done a secret meeting with who and who you should not vote for lest there be a split and an unwanted candidate wins. Tomorrow is the day when Goa goes to poll. As usual, people will come out in large numbers to vote for a candidate or a political party of their choice. Some may need a little bit of a prodding by the booth level karyakarta or political worker. People by and large are generally confident about their thinking and most of them must have decided by now who they are going to vote for. If they are happy with the present Government, they will vote them back. If they are frustrated, they will throw them out and they may also give several new faces a chance. The choice is entirely theirs. Those who get elected may be kings but tomorrow is a day when the people of Goa get the chance to be the real kingmakers. Voting begins at 7am and will end at 5pm. May the voting be done in a judicious manner and may the best candidate win. To all the Kingmakers who are going to chart their own and Goa’s destiny for the next 5 years, I say – 3 cheers. warm regards, Sandeep Heble Panjim-Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Respect political vounteers
Does one have to graduate from being a chaiwallah to a PM to get some kind of a respect or recognition? Aren’t we a Nation of equals? This is not to support any political party or individual or formation but just to express disappointment over the sheer double standards that are visible on display today. When a Modi or a Gadkari or a Rahul Gandhi come to campaign, they become Modi-ji or Garkari-ji or a Rahul-ji and it then becomes a privilege to post selfies with them or of their rallies in Social media. But when ordinary people come from outstation to campaign, there is a big problem. Why? Are these people lesser mortals? India is a Land where spiritual leaders like Swami Vivekananda walked in simple clothing and captured the imagination of the World. If the hostility to such ordinary people is just to get into the good books of the high and the mighty and the powerful, it is indeed sad. Has the Nation become so subservient to money and power that it is losing its sense of ethics, direction and morality? warm regards, Sandeep Heble
[Goanet] ACB summons - Truth must prevail
Keeping politics aside, Goa would be much better if we had dynamic people like Elvis Gomes in the new Legislative Assembly. An ex senior bureaucrat with a wide range of experience in governance, someone known for his efficiency, toughness and quick decision making - what more could one ask? I had the opportunity to interact with him on quite a few occasions, particularly when he was the Executive Director in the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG). The best thing about him was his direct approach, the ability to grasp issues thoroughly and no dilly dallying on matters. Rarely would one find files lingering in his office and he was always quick to clear them. He was all for transparency and very supportive to bring Sports Associations under the ambit of the RTI act. His works on prison reforms are well known and need no further elaboration. He supported the cause for construction of a Football stadium in Campal, one of the long standing demands of Goa's football loving fraternity. In fact, Mr. Gomes was one of the key officials, entrusted by the then CM Mr. Manohar. Parrikar, with the job of putting the stadium plans and approvals in place. ( A state-of-the art stadium is expected to come up in Campal in the near future). Elvis Gomes took the brave decision of quitting his distinguished service to enter politics. Whether he wins or not, time will tell but it takes a great lot of courage to do that which we must respect . I sincerely hope a person of his calibre who has served Goa for so many years does not become a victim of political tussle or one- Upmanship and that the Government and the ACB treats him fairly. May the truth prevail! warm regards, Sandeep Heble Panaji-Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Christmas wishes
I remember my childhood days when we used to go to the Children’s Park at Campal to bring home the Christmas Trees and decorate it. Fond memories moving around with Santa Claus, singing carols, visiting a lot of friends and having fun on the terrace parties. Christmas, the magical season, is here again and Goa is the place to be in during Christmas. Here, one will be blessed to see beautiful Christmas trees and cribs, prepared with so much love and effort, adorning the homes. In many localities, there are larger mechanised cribs which is breathtaking to watch. There is so much love, peace, magic and excitement in the air. A heavenly feeling. Wishing all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year ahead. Have fun folks. - warm regards, Sandeep Heble Panjim-Goa 9326129171
[Goanet] Badminton Coaching Camp at Panaji
Badminton Coaching Camp at Panaji Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG will conduct a Badminton coaching camp for beginner and intermediate players for all age groups. The camp will be conducted by NIS coach and former State champion Govind Navelkar at Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji from 10am to 1pm during the Christmas & New Year vacations. To register, kindly contact Govind Navelkar(9764325234) or Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or by email ( gbagoaonl...@gmail.com). Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Hon. Secretary, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Supreme Court's Order on National Anthem a case of Judicial overreach
The Supreme Court says the National Anthem must now be compulsorily played in Cinemas and all must stand up. I guess everybody seems to be in the mood of surgical strikes these days. This time, it’s the Supreme Court’s turn to hit those who go to the cinemas for a round of entertainment. What a skewed logic of patriotism the Court has come up with. For those who never go to the cinemas, they need not prove their patriotism at all. For those who watch movies thrice a week, they will now need to stand up thrice to prove their patriotism. With a popcorn in one hand and a coke in the other. But stand up they must. Why target the cinemas only where people go for entertainment? Why is the National Anthem not made compulsory in Government offices before the beginning of each day? And why not in the Courts of Law before every session? The only silver lining is that the Order has come after the completion of the Film Festival or else delegates would have had to stand up three or 4 times a day. How absurd would that have been? In one of its earlier Judgements the Supreme Court had said judges must remain within the limits of the law and not peddle individual perceptions and notions. Here, they have done exactly the opposite. Under what law of the land should the Anthem be compulsorily played in cinemas? This Order is clearly flawed and an attack on civil liberties. Courts are there to interpret the law, not to act dictatorial. This is a case of Judicial overreach by the highest Court of the land. From the Supreme Court, we expected better! warm regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Badminton Coaching Camp at Panaji
Goa Badminton Association in collaboration with SAG will conduct a Badminton coaching camp for beginner and intermediate players of ages from 7 to 19 years. The camp will be conducted by BAI certified coach and former State player Luciano Soares at Indoor stadium, Campal from 10am to 11.30am, from October 31 to November 12, 2016. To register, kindly contact Luciano Soares(9822153299) or Sandeep Heble (9326129171) or by email ( gbagoaonl...@gmail.com). More details available at https://www.facebook.com/goabadminton/
[Goanet] Talent search Badminton Tournament at Panjim from September 10 - 11
Talent search Badminton Tournament at Panjim from September 10 - 11 Evening Badminton Group in collaboration with Goa Badminton Association will organize an All Goa Talent search Badminton Tournament from September 10 to 11 (9.30 am onwards) at Indoor Stadium, Campal-Panaji. The tournament will be in the categories of Under 15 Boys and Girls Singles and Senior Men and Women singles. Participants must submit their entry by sms to 7745090470 or email: gbagoaonl...@gmail.com or online submission at http://tinyurl.com/gbaentry latest by September 9 (1pm). Top 8 state ranked players will not be allowed to participate in the tournament. Draws, schedules and updates will be available at https://www.facebook.com/go abadminton
[Goanet] Talent search Table Tennis tournament at Panjim on September 11
Talent search Table Tennis Tournament at Panjim on September 11 Panjim Table Tennis Club will organize an All Goa Talent search Table Tennis Tournament on September 11(9.30am onwards) at Indoor Stadium, Campal-Panaji. The tournament will be in following categories: Boys singles in Under 12, Under 16 and under 21 and Girls singles in Under 12 and under 21. Participating players should submit their entries latest by September 9 to Selvyn Godinho (7744922994) or Noel Estibeiro (9890057200) or email: pttc...@gmail.com. Top 4 state ranked players will not be allowed to participate in the tournament. Draws and schedules will be available at https://www.facebook.com/panjimttclub
[Goanet] Panaji Ganeshotsav Festival programme (Sep 7 to 13)
Panaji Ganeshotsav Samiti in association with Shree Mahalaxmi Saunsthan Samiti and Bhartiya Sanskrutik Mandal will organize its Annual “Panaji Ganeshotsav” festival programme from 7 to 13 September 2016, at Shree Mahalaxmi Temple Hall, Panaji-Goa. Following is the programme schedule: Sep 7 (5pm - 6.30pm) - Fancy Dress for age group 15 years and below (Any theme), Sep 8 (10am - 12.30pm) - Child Art for age group 15 years and below (Theme - Ganesha), Sep 9 (10am - 4pm) - Rangoli(Any theme) for age group Juniors (18 years and below) & Ladies, Sep 10 (4pm to 5.30pm) - Quiz for age group 15 years and below (Theme - General Knowledge), Sep 11 (5.30 pm to 7 pm) - Cooking Competition for Ladies (veg dish), Sep 12 (5pm to 6.30 pm) - Dance for age group 15 years and below. Sep 13 (3pm) - Photography for age group 21 years and below (Theme - Ganesh Chaturthi). In addition to the above, following tournaments will be held at Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji: September 10-11(9.30am to 6pm) - Badminton Tournament (Non Ranking) for all age groups and September 11 (9.30am to 6pm) - Table Tennis Tournament (Non Ranking ) in Under 21 age groups (Boys/ Girls). Participants must SMS entry to Saheel Kamat(8600299468) or Sandeep Heble(9326129171). Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Co-ordinator, Panaji Ganeshotsav Samiti 9326129171
[Goanet] GCCI Cup Table Tennis Team championship - Electrotech Systems emerge champions
GCCI Cup Table Tennis Team championship - Electrotech Systems emerge champions Electrotech systems emerged champions of the GCCI Cup 2016 Table Tennis Team championship event organised by Panjim Table Tennis Club in association with Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), at Indoor stadium, Panaji. They edged out Mushtifund Saunstha Sports Academy A 3-2 in a cracker of a contest. The championship was held in Youth(Under 21) Boys and Girls categories with one cadet Boys event in team format. Matches were played in Boys singles(Under 12), Mixed Doubles, Boys Doubles, Boys singles and Girls singles in best of 5. 16 Teams/ Institutions participated in the championship. Weslie do Rosario, Sucheta Bansal, Anshuman Agarwal and Upendra Talawdekar represented the winning team while the runners up team was represented by Rutuj Sonawane, Akshata Nair, Kewal Tamhankar, Rajat Dalal, Sourabh Naik and Simran Kubal. Semi Finals prizes were awarded to Lenz TT Foundation & Mushtifund Saunstha Sports Academy C while Miramar Sports Club, Mushtifund Saunstha Sports Academy B, Peddem Sports Club and Mushtifund Saunstha Sports Academy D bagged prizes for reaching quarters. St. Joseph Institute, Vasco was awarded Promising Team prize while Promising Young Player prize(Under 12) was awarded to Vincente Fernandes. Mr. Manguirish Pai Raikar, Past President, GCCI, Gaurish Dhond, Vice President, Goa TT Association, R. Kamat, Director General, GCCI, Satish Shinde, former State Player, Manoj Patil, member, GCCI, Noel Noronha, President, Panjim TT Club, Selvyn Godinho, Secretary, Ajay Naik, Chief Referee, Lenny do Rosario and Daniel Pinto graced the occasion. Finals results: Cadet Boys Under 12 - Upendra Talwadekar beat Rajat Dalal 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-3 Youth Mixed Doubles - Anshuman Agarwal/ Sucheta Bansal lost to Rutuj Sonawane/ Akshata Nair 7-11, 7-11, 6-11 Youth Boys Doubles - Wesley do Rosario/ Anshuman Agarwal lost to Rutuj Sonawane/ Kewal Tamhankar 9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-8, 11-13 Youth Boys Singles - Wesley Do Rosario beat Kewal Tamhankar 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 Youth Girls Singles - Sucheta Bansal beat Akshata Nair 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 Winners Pic at http://tinyurl.com/gcci2016winners
[Goanet] Late Rasik Memorial Badminton Ranking (August 24 to 27)
Late Rasik Memorial Badminton Ranking (August 24 to 27) Late Rasik Painginkar Memorial Trust under the aegis of Goa Badminton Association will organise its 3rd All Goa Major Ranking Badminton Tournament at Multipurpose Hall, Fatorda, Margao from 24 to 27 August 2016 in the following categories: Boys under 10 singles, Boys and Girls under 13 and 15 singles, Men’s Singles and doubles, Mixed Doubles and Veterans 50 + doubles. Participants must submit their entry by sms to 7745090470 or email: gbagoaonl...@gmail.com or online submission at http://tinyurl.com/gbaentry latest by August 21. Draws, schedules and updates will be available at https://www.facebook.com/goabadminton
[Goanet] Noel Noronha elected President of Panjim Table Tennis Club
Noel Noronha, former State Table Tennis champion, was unanimously elected as President of Panjim Table Tennis Club, at its AGM held on Sunday, July 24. The club has inducted several young members in its new committee for the 2016 - 2020 term. Following managing committee has been elected: Noel Noronha(President), Selvyn Godinho(Secretary), Joel Andrade(Treasurer), Chetan Kavlekar and Sandeep Heble(Vice presidents), Gary Freitas(Jt. Secretary), Nigel Menezes(Jt. Treasurer), Parag Chauhan, Sachin Kenkre, Gaurang Bhangui, Jophilip George and Ajay Naik (Members), Ajit Ghantker and Sunil Parekh(Advisors). Outgoing Secretary Sandeep Heble in his Activity report thanked the members, SAG, DSYA, Goa TT Association, well-wishers, coaches, Press, media and others for the unstinting support given over the years. Lenny Do Rosario(former State TT player), Amey Lawande(Member Goa TT Association), Irwin Cordo(SAG Coach) and Daniel Pinto(Member, GVTTA) graced the occasion. The club has proposed to conduct the following activities during the 2016 season: August 15-16(Team championship event for Youth), September 7-9(Talent Search Tournament), November 2nd week (Non Ranking TT) and December (Workshop for Umpires). Managing committee pic at http://tinyurl.com/pttcmanagingbody Panjim Table Tennis Club news and updates at https://www.facebook.com/panjimttclub/
[Goanet] John D' Silva faces public ire
Agreed. Comedian John D' Silva may be a good friend of Ex Fatorda MLA Damu Naik and must have been upset over his image being used in an Internet meme critiquing the Government. But could he not have reacted in a much more sensible manner, politely clarifying that since he is in favour of the LED bulbs scheme, his image should not be used ? Where was the need to take the matter to the Police, file an FIR and personally take potshots at Prashant Parab in a video? Now he is facing the ire from the public for his own works and more is expected to follow (Today's Herald report, page 5). The issue needs to be settled amicably before it gets blown out further. https://www.facebook.com/damugnaik/photos/a.673606812760988.1073741829.399687490152923/948278915293775/?type=3
[Goanet] Tiatrists must not lose their voice (John D' Silva)
on celebrities, politicians and other famous personalities circulate all over the Internet and on social media platforms like whatsapp. So long as such memes are not obscene or defamatory, they are entirely legal and well protected under the fair use doctrine enshrined under section 52(1)(a) of the Indian Copyright Act. Does Modi or Rahul Gandhi or Parrikar or Churchill or Alia Bhatt file a complaint each time a joke or an Internet meme or a funny mimicry circulates over social media on them? Sometimes they are at the receiving end but it also gives them good publicity and keeps them in the limelight. That is the price one has to pay for being a celebrity, for good or bad. Laughter is the best medicine and a few laughs can never be bad. Being offended by some form of artistic expression that we see or hear per se is not a crime. An artistic expression has to be more than just offensive for it to be a crime. It has to be obscene, lascivious, lewd or filthy or of an indecent character or defamatory. That is the well settled law of the land. Prashant's post is nothing of that sort. There is no malice in it. It is just a simple artistic expression used by him to make a subtle point critiquing the Government’s LED bulb scheme.There is no direct criticism also. So why so much fuss? Artists are creative people with special gifts and talent. They must set a good example for others and not wrong ones. John is one such talented artist but his reaction on this issue is hypocritical and the public have rightly criticised him for it. It is in his, as well as the tiatr industry’s interest, that he withdraws the complaint. Otherwise it will set a bad trend and erring politicians who are criticised in tiatrs may file similar FIRs and then ask, “If you can be offended, why can’t we?” regards, Sandeep Heble Ph - 9326129171
[Goanet] Ponda Badminton Club Ranking at Ponda from July 21 to 24
Ponda Badminton Club will organize its annual All Goa Major Ranking Badminton Tournament from July 21 to 24, 2016 at Indoor Stadium, Ponda. The tournament will be held in the categories of Under 13 Boys singles, Men's Singles/ Doubles, Women Singles, Mixed Doubles and Veterans Doubles in 40+ and 50+. Participants are requested to submit their entries latest by July 18 by sms to 7745090470 or email:gbagoaonl...@gmail.com For online submission, here's the link. It's quite a simple form and you will get an immediate acknowledgement also. https://form.jotform.me/61548934278468 (Entries may also be sent by sms to 7745090470 or email:gbagoaonl...@gmail.com)
[Goanet] Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Ranking - Aashrun, Anjana, Manjushri, Sushil, Lydia, Shourya, Arshia win
The Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Ranking championships 2016 organised by Panjim Badminton Club in collaboration with Goa Badminton Association(GBA) and the Sports Authority of Goa(SAG) culminated at the Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji during a finals which had many upsets and excitement galore. Aashrun Gautam emerged double crown winner winning the Junior Boys singles titles(U17 & U19) while Anjana Kumari walked away with the Junior Girls(U19) singles title. Anjana , the shuttler from Vasco, who too was in pursuit of a double crown was however halted by Manjushri Raut who upset her in Girls U17 event. In Under 15 Boys singles finals, Sushil Nayak avenged his loss in the last tournament to register a comprehensive win over Shourya Joshi, a Goa player who trains at the Prime Star Sports Academy in Dubai. Shourya however had his consolation with a straight sets win over Rudra Dukle in the Boys Under 13 finals. In Under 15 girls, Lydia Barreto defeated Yasmin Sayed in yet another upset. Top seed Arshia Gautam won the Under 13 Girls with a comfortable straight sets win over second seed Siya Kakodkar. Prizes were awarded to the winners, runners-up and the losing semi-finalists. On the occasion, Panjim Badminton Club felicitated its founding member Deepak Mayekar for the services rendered to the club and achievements in badminton. Roy Athaide and Vinayak Kamat were the Chief officials for the championship and were assisted by Pradosh Silimkhan, Tukaram Kalangutkar, Shashank Desai, Rahul Chandrashekar, Nilesh Kunkalkar, Frederick Fernandes and Harsimran Singh. Mr. Vivek Zadoo(Regional Manager, Yonex Sunrise) was the chief guest for the occasion. Mr. Ashok Menon, Director of Fire and Emergency Services, Mr. Narahar Thakur, GBA Secretary, and PBC office bearers Custodio Araujo (Advisor), Sarfraz Sheikh, President and Sandeep Heble, Secretary graced the Prize distribution occasion. Following are the results of the finals: Under 13 Girls Arshia Gautam bt Siya Kakodkar 21-4, 21-6 Semis – Rhucha Bhobe and Manpreet Kaur Under 13 Boys Shourya Joshi bt Rudra Dukle 21-11, 21-17 Semis – Aashutosh Dhavalikar and Yash Halarnkar Under 15 Girls Lydia Barreto bt Yasmin Sayed 13-21, 21-11, 24-22 Semis – Rhea Mallya and Sachi Dhavalikar Under 15 Boys Sushil Nayak bt Shourya Joshi 21-8, 21-19 Semis – Aashutosh Dhavalikar and Tejas Tendulkar Under 17 Girls Manjushri Raut bt Anjana Kumari 21-12, 19-21, 27-25 Semis – Lydia Barreto and Yasmin Sayed Under 17 Boys Aashrun Gautam bt Yash Kunkoliekar 25-27, 21-3, 21-7 Semis – Mehul Jirage and Arjun Fallary Under 19 Girls Anjana Kumari bt Anar Singbal 21-13, 15-21, 21-14 Semis – Emilia Silveira and Manjushri Raut Under 19 Boys Aashrun Gautam bt Yash Kunkoliekar 21-7, 21-6 Semis – Krishnank Fallary and Tejan Fallary Pics at: https://www.facebook.com/goabadminton/photos/?tab=album_id=1811660215736055 Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Vice President, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
[Goanet] Dharwatkar Memorial Table Tennis - Kewal, Aditi, Jaez, Aakshan, Leoma triump
Kewal Tamhankar, Aditi Chodankar, Jaez Gomes, Aakshan Lawande and Leoma Fernandes emerged winners, in the 6th Late Ramacanta V.P. Dharwatkar Memorial Table Tennis Tournament, organised by Panjim Table Tennis Club in association with SAG, at Indoor stadium, Campal. In Under 21 Boys, top seed Kewal Tamhankar registered a comfortable 11-5, 11-7, 11-4 straight sets win over second seed Selvyn Godinho who looked completely out of sorts in the finals. The Under 17 girls was more evenly matched and keenly contested. At the end of a tense and pulsating 5 sets match, it was Adit Chodankar who prevailed over Akshata Nair with a thrilling 13-11, 9-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6 score line. Jaez Gomes, competing with his younger brother Jaeden Gomes in Under 14 Boys singles, emerged winner with a commanding 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 performance. In Under 10 Girls, Leoma Fernandes upset top seed Anushree Naik in a 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4 win. The match of the day was the Under 10 Boys singles which went the whole distance with both the young players battling hard. Aakshan Lawande eventually emerged victorious in an extremely hard fought 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 18-20, 11-9 win over Tanay Saldanha. Following Semis and Quarters prizes were awarded: Under 10 Girls - Tia Chodankar and Sunidhi Savaika(Semis), Sanika Sakhardande, Aarya Kamat, Shrushti Salgaonkar and Raaga Mehta(Quarters). Under 10 Boys - Soham Shetye and Dhruv Helekar(Semis), Soham Patil, Aaron Faria, Ayush Nadkarni and Vincente Fernandes(Quarters). Under 14 Boys - Saurav Singh and Nathan Barua(Semis), Ved Sardesai, Shashank Pradhan, Pratyush Kenkre and Sirus Sah(Quarters). Under 17 Girls - Shalaka Naik and Sucheta Bansal(Semis), Soumya Tari, Niharika Walaulikar, Arya Divekar and Simran Kubal(Quarters). Under 21 Boys - Nigel Menezes and Pranav Naik(Semis), Anang Mahato, Shubham Mengane, Jayz Gomes and Nilay Kamat(Quarters). The championship was organised to commemorate the 84th birth anniversary of Late Ramacanta Dharwatkar, one of Goa’s foremost table tennis champions who had won many state titles in the past. Mr. Sandeep Nadkarni, Chief Engineer, Water Resorces Department was the Chief Guest for the occasion. Mr. Vishnu Kolwalkar(Secretary, Goa Table Tennis Association), Mr. Deepak Mayekar, Geologist, Department of Mines and Geology, Mr. Mahendra Dharwatkar, Manish Realtors, Noel Estibeiro, Chief Referee and Panjim TT Club office bearers Chetan Kavlekar(President), Ajit Ghantker(Advisor), Sandeep Heble(Secretary) and Joel Andrade graced the prize distribution occasion. Pics at: https://www.facebook.com/panjimttclub/photos/?tab=album_id=1742686482683178 Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Secretary, Panjim Table Tennis Club 9326129171
[Goanet] Glittering start to Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Championships 2016
Glittering start to Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Championships 2016 Wednesday, July 6, 2016, Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji The Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Ranking championships 2016 began on Wednesday at the Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji with close to 200 of Goa’s top shuttlers taking part. The sporting extravaganza got off to a glittering start with CCP Councillor Shekhar Degvekar and Ex Principal Conservator of forests Mr. Richard De Souza, picking up badminton rackets and trying their hands at a few points, much to the delight of the audience of young players. Later, the dignitaries greeted the youngsters, encouraging them with words of motivation. The championships will be held over a period of 4 days with the semis scheduled on Day 3 and finals on Day 4, i.e. July 9. During the 4 day games, badminton players who have converged from all over Goa will compete in the categories of in Boys and Girls Singles in under 13, under 15, under 17 and under 19 age groups. An added attraction at the venue is the racket gutting/ stringing stall which is put up by Yonex Sunrise to support Goa’s badminton players for keeping their racquets precisely strung, which will enable them to perform at their optimum best. Other essential Yonex equipment and merchandise is available also at special discounted rates. Following are brief results of Day 1: Under 13 Boys Singles Rudra Dukle bt Aryaman Saraf 21-9, 21-9 Shourya Joshi bt Soham Naik 21-3, 21-1 Aashutosh Dhavalikar bt Ayaan Beig 21-8, 21-12 Yash Halarnkar bt Mohammed Sohail 21-3, 21-4 Shardul Kenkre bt Shlok Sadhale 21-7, 21-3 Sohan Chodankar bt Sridhar Kamat 21-12, 21-14 Om Parodkar bt Luis Sylvester 21-10, 21-4 Aryan Kate bt Hetav Angle 21-1, 21-2 Ayush Pathak bt Yashodhan Gaunekar 21-7, 21-4 Rudra Phadte bt Salil Deshpande 21-9, 21-7 A Madhav Ainesh 21-7, 21-8 Gandhar Gaunekar 21-7, 21-8 Sarvadnya Khandeparkar bt Vyaas Rodrigues 21-14, 21-12 Ashraf Agha bt Parth Sawant 21-8, 21-15 Yohann Mayekar bt Sohan Bicholkar 21-12, 21-12 Under 13 Girls Singles Siya Kakodkar bt Hena Jamuddin 21-1, 21-1 Andrea Kalavampara bt Nitya Gupta 21-2, 21-5 Manpreet Kaur bt Marvella Barreto 21-1, 21-1 Soumya Deshpande bt Khushi Vishwakarma 21-6, 21-8 Rhea Kanji bt Jiya Kamat 21-3, 21-5 Vaishnavi Arsekar bt Disha Tendulkar 21-1, 21-5 Girija Naik bt Siya Dhavaskar 21-18, 21-16 Zanaida Fernandes bt Patricia Fernandes 21-12, 21-18 Pearl Colvalcar bt Darshika Chodankar 21-3, 21-1 Misa Rodrigues bt Sanjana Talkar 21-10, 21-11 Pics at: https://www.facebook.com/goabadminton/
[Goanet] Dharwatkar Memorial TT begins on July 7 at Indoor stadium, Campal
The 6th Late 'Ramacanta V. P Dharwatkar Memorial' All Goa Table Tennis Tournament, organised by Panjim Table Tennis Club, begins at Indoor Stadium, Campal-Panaji on July 7. Players must report to the venue at the following timings: On July 7 - Under 10 Boys & Girls(4pm), Under 14 Boys (5.30pm) and Under 21 Boys(6.30pm). On July 8 - Under 17 Girls(4pm), All semis & Finals(5.30pm onwards).Tournament draws are available at: http://tinyurl.com/panjimttdraws Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Secretary, Panjim Table Tennis Club 9326129171
[Goanet] Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Ranking championships at Campal from July 6 to 9
The Yonex Sunrise PBC Badminton Ranking championships 2016 will be held from July 6 to 9, 2016, 3.30 pm onwards, at SAG Indoor Stadium, Campal-Panaji. The championship is being organised by Panjim Badminton Club, a pioneer badminton club from the capital city and will be in collaboration with Goa Badminton Association and the Sports Authority of Goa. The matches will be in the categories of Boys and Girls Singles in Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 age groups. With close to 200 of Goa’s best sub-junior and junior players in action, the championship will be a good exposure to the youngsters and a colourful display of games to spectators. The championship draws, schedules and all updates will be available at: https://www.facebook.com/goabadminton/ The organizing committee is headed by Sarfraz Sheikh(President), Parag Chauhan(Vice President), Sandeep Heble(Secretary), Krushnan Naik(Treasurer), Custodia Araujo(Advisor), Sanjay Pai(Jt. Treasurer), Rajaram Kundaikar(Jt. Secretary), Deepak Mayekar & Darwin Barreto(Directors), Hilary Fernandes(PRO) and Luciano Soares, Tukaram Kalangutkar, Sham Wagle and Arnold Rodrigues(Members). The technical committee comprises of Navneet Nasnodkar and Floyd Araujo while Roy Athaide and Vinayak Kamat are the Chief Officials of the championship. An added attraction at the venue will be a Yonex Sunrise racket gutting/ stringing stall to support Goa’s badminton players for keeping their racquets precisely strung which will enable them to perform at their best. There will be other essential Yonex equipment, merchandise available also. Event Banner at: http://tinyurl.com/pbcyonexsunrise Yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Secretary, Panjim Badminton Club 9326129171
[Goanet] Dharwatkar Memorial TT at Panaji (July 7-8)
R Dharwatkar Memorial Table Tennis Tourney at Panjim(July 7-8, 2016) The 6th Late 'Ramacanta V. P Dharwatkar Memorial' All Goa Table Tennis Tournament, organised by Panjim Table Tennis Club, will be held at Indoor Stadium, Campal-Panaji from 7 to 8 July, 2016 (4 pm onwards). The tournament will be in Singles events in the categories of Under 10, Under 14 and Under 21 Boys and Under 10 and Under 17 Girls. Participating players should submit their entries latest by July 5 to Sandeep Heble (9326129171), Noel Estibeiro(9890057200) or email: pttc...@gmail.com. Top 4 state ranked players and former state champions will not be allowed to participate in the championship. yours sincerely Sandeep Heble Secretary, Panjim Table Tennis Club 9326129171
[Goanet] The St. Inez creek de-weeding
There was no doubt an error of judgment when the weeding machine operating in the St. Inez creek was allowed to be overloaded and then turned turtle, but leaving that aside, the city Mayor Mr. Surendra Furtado needs to be complimented for initiating the creek cleanliness process through Corporate funding. And Corporates like Alcon Anil Counto group, Vintage Hospital, Archit Kenkre, Kamat real Estates, Fishermen Wharf, Dukle Constructions and few more need to be commended for making the de-weeding exercise happen. The St. Inez creek project has been part of the manifestos of various political fronts/ CCP Panels since ages but sadly the progress has been far from satisfactory. Without getting into political one-upmanship, the Panjim MLA, Mayor & Government must now come together to fast track the creek beautification and development. People have been hoping for this to happen since long and with co-ordinated efforts, this can easily be turned into a beautiful water body and an attractive tourist destination. Here’s wishing the Mayor and the others who met with the mishap a speedy recovery. warm regards, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] CCP removes encroachments on Campal Parade ground
And there is finally relief for the local residents as CCP removes the illegal hutments at Campal Parade ground, after several long years. Some questions however may never be asked and answered. Like how the authorities allowed the encroachments to come up in the first place and that too on prime city land. Or how much money was spent in pursuing and completing the entire legal procedure. Or why the CCP inspectors, who’s job is to move around, did nothing to prevent these illegalities from happening. And will they now be made to pay for their negligence? But compliments to the present Mayor Mr. Surendra Furtado for his strong and purposeful approach in tackling this menace. The city needs more decisive steps like these! reagrds, Sandeep Heble 9326129171
[Goanet] Late Manohar Dhond Memorial All Goa Major Ranking Badminton Tournament – Final Day report
With the Women singles finals played the previous evening, four matches were lined up on the final day: 1. Men's Singles - Parteek Mahajan(1) vs Floyd Araujo(2) 2. Mixed Doubles - Sunny Sawant/ Pranjal Chimulkar(4) vs Navneet Nasnodkar/ Anushka Kuvelkar 3. Veterans 45+ Doubles - Rohan Panandikar/ Ayub C.K(1) vs Oscar Silveira/ Leonel Fernandes(2) 4. Men's Doubles - Sunny Sawant/ Navneet Nasnodkar(1) vs Floyd Araujo/ Darwin Barreto(3) Floyd Araujo emerged Men’s Singles champions with top seed Parteek Mahajan conceding the match to him due to a ligament injury which he suffered during the Mixed doubles semis. Floyd will now begin the next tournament as number one seed. The next match, the mixed doubles, was the match of the day, an engrossing contest which went the full distance. Anushka Kuvelkar, who has played at the National level in juniors, was partnering Navneet Nasnodkar while Pranjal Chimulkar, who too has been in good nick, partnering Sunny Sawant. The first two sets saw plenty of errors from both sides and a see saw battle. With the set scores tied at one set a piece, the match finally gained momentum in the third set and went neck and neck till 13 points each. But Sunny & Pranjal prevailed with some inspired play towards the end to register an upset 21-11, 14-21, 21-16 win over Navneet & Anushka, the West Zone Mixed doubles runners up of last season. In Veterans 45 + Doubles, top seeds Rohan Pai Panandikar and Ayub C.K. were in cruise control all through as they registered a confident 21-17, 21-15 win over second seeds Oscar Silveira and Leonel Fernandes. In the last match of the day, the Men’s doubles, top seeds Navneet Nasnodkar and Sunny Sawant won their first doubles title together as a pair with a tense 21-19, 21-16 win over their compatriots Floyd Araujo and Darwin Barreto. Pranjal Chimulkar and Sunny Sawant won double crowns each. Mr. Devansh Raghuvanshi(Manager, Bharat Petroleum), Mr. Gaurish Dhond(Organizing President), Mr. Richard D' Souza(President, GBA), Mr. Narahar Thakur(Secretary, GBA), GBA Officials Sandeep Heble, Sarfraz Sheikh, Laxmikant Kenaudikar and Luciano Soares graced the occasion. The championship was conducted by SAG coaches Roy Athaide and Vinayak Kamat who were assisted by Tukaram Kalangutkar, Deepak Mayekar, Luciano Soares, Manish Pankania, Ajinkya Savant and Rhea Mallya in the finals. A special thanks to all the players, parents, coaches and the rest who assisted us in successfully conducting this championship. And the media for the excellent coverage given all through. There will be a 10 day break before the next tournament begins on June 30 at Ponda. Thanks once again and see you again in a few days from now. Championship photographs available at: https://www.facebook.com/goabadminton/photos/?tab=album_id=1802235856678491 regards, Sandeep Heble Vice President, Goa Badminton Association 9326129171
