This is so good. Its in*dom*itable spirit lifted my heart. Thank you! Rukmini
PS. I will of course buy the book once I'm back in India next month. *RUKMINI BHAYA NAIR, PhD (Cantab.)* * Honorary Professor, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) https://hss.iitd.ac.in/faculty Email: *[email protected] <[email protected]>* * Global Professorial Fellow, School of Languages, Linguistics and Film (SLLF), Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) https://www.qmul.ac.uk/ihss/people/global-professorial-fellows/ Email: *[email protected] <[email protected]>* * British Academy Global Convening “Time of a Just Transition” Research Team *https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/projects/the-times-of-a-just-transition <https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/projects/the-times-of-a-just-transition>* * Senior Research Associate, African Centre for the Epistemology and Philosophy of Science (ACEPS), Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg *https://www.uj.ac.za/faculties/humanities/departments-2/philosophy/philosophy-centres/african-centre-for-epistemology-and-philosophy-of-science/research-associates/ <https://www.uj.ac.za/faculties/humanities/departments-2/philosophy/philosophy-centres/african-centre-for-epistemology-and-philosophy-of-science/research-associates/>* On Sun, Mar 3, 2024 at 3:06 PM Goanet Reader <[email protected]> wrote: > By Chris Fernandes > > To each child of Goa, the proverbial El Dorado. > > We love you > We need you > There is no one like you > We are fighting for you > --Excerpt from Candide, by Voltaire > > Candide was not yet tired of interrogating the good old man; > he wanted to know in what manner they prayed to God in El > Dorado. > > "We do not pray to Him," said the worthy sage. "We have > nothing to ask of Him. He has given us all we need, and we > return Him thanks without ceasing." > > Candide, curious to see the priests, asked where they were. > The good old man smiled. "My friend," said he, "we are all > priests. The King and all the heads of families sing solemn > canticles of thanksgiving every morning, accompanied by five > or six thousand musicians." > > * * * > > 1 Four teenagers materialized out of the dusty alley, bumped > fists and grinned at each other in the flickering moonlight. > They stealthily made their way up the stairway of Wing 5, > Rosary Apartment, and into the refuge of the terrace that > linked the residential complex. The suffocating Goan summer > had only just begun its three month reign of pain and the > city-fathers' perverse penchant for digging roads didn't > help. > > The boys had grown up together in a suburb of Panjim, the > genteel 24-carat riverside jewel, that had served as the > capital of Goa since colonial times. Irfan a.k.a Bob and his > brother Ehsaan, Bjorn and Dominic sat down in a circle and > put down their offerings: a grand total of seven cigarettes. > After a long day of loafing with their respective pool > parlour cliques/delinquent gangs, this little bounty was a > testament to childhood camaraderie. > > Dom had first encountered the brothers when he was > ten and was accosted (repeatedly) by the ferocious > twosome while taking a shortcut through their > apartment complex. After dodging them didn't work, > he tried smiling at them and said a cheery `hey > buddy', which worked wonders. The Nirbhan > brothers' countenance changed, they echoed his > Americanised greeting, stopped hitting him and the > three of them had been thick as thieves ever since. > > Bjorn joined them a while later. His family had fled back to > Goa after the Iraqi army invaded Kuwait and the three > firebrands had spotted him sitting sadly on his first floor > balcony. They bellowed at him to come and join them for a > game of soccer and discovered that, despite his height, he > was both a gifted goalie and talented impressionist. > > The terrace tradition they had developed was simple. A > single cigarette was lit, each took a drag and passed it > right, the cardinal rule being that no one was allowed to > flick the ash. The person who did drop the precipitous pile > was obliged to forego his puff the next round. Ehsaan, > endeared for his clumsiness, always burst out into his > riotous chuckle when someone made a face or cracked a joke. > > Tonight was no different. He kept getting knocked out of > their smokey Russian roulette but, as always, good naturedly > took it in stride. The night was young and the boys had > hours to kill. > > "The test results of the three boys who died at Sunbeam > finally came out," drawled Bjorn as he handed the cigarette > to Bob. "After almost a year, the lab didn't find any > evidence of drugs. Three healthy young men just somehow > managed to get heart attacks, together, while waiting in > queue for an edm. Like large crowds are rare in India!" > > Bob shook his head in disgust, "That's crap and you know it. > The guys od'd and the government lied. The drug mafia and > the tourism minister are in bed together, his son hosted the > Sunbeam after-party at his nightclub, which is why his dad, > `Mr. Thirty Percent Commission', allowed the festival to > continue after the first death on day one. Bastards!" > > "The show must go on," rasped his brother, mimicking the > feckless tourism minister's trademark monotone and the exact > phrase he used to write off the first death on Day One of the > notorious electronic dance music festival. > > "It's not just the tourism minister, all the forty thieves > are in on the scam," sighed Dom. "The Ports Minister's > driver was arrested recently for buying commercial quantities > of skunk on the dark web using Bitcoin. I'm sure he wasn't > acting alone." > > Bjorn grimaced as he added, "Yeah, his patrão's competition > calls him Pablo Escobar, which is hilarious. When he was mla > of Calangute, he ran Paradiso (an illegal rave) that was held > on a government-owned property. The prick is just pissed off > now because he's out of business." > > Bob snickered and added, "Paradiso wasn't that bad, > what about the ketamine factory the DRI raided a > few years ago? That godown belonged to the Goa > government too and was leased to the > secretary-general of the ruling party, who > illegally sublet it to killers and international > drug dealers. The DRI found a hundred kilos of > ketamine at the factory and the man didn't spend a > day in jail. It's good to have low friends in high > places!" > > They cursed in unison. The sleuths of the Central > Government-based Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had > shocked everyone with a covert op that uncovered a pan-India > drug manufacturing nexus. The officers had conducted the > raid without getting help from local law enforcement, fearing > they would leak the information to the culprits. > > "They brought back Bhau from the cancer ward at AIIMS to put > that fire out," recalled Dom wistfully as he gingerly passed > the cigarette butt with its entire ash-skeleton to Ehsaan. > "He pulled off a masterpiece of a heist, called in his > contacts at the Center and somehow managed to sweep the whole > mess under the carpet. Bhau even had the balls to say the > drugs weren't for local consumption, but were for export > purposes only! No harm, no foul." > > "Well, he suffered more than enough for his mistakes," said > Ehsaan, thinking of the former politician's painful tryst > with pancreatic cancer and subsequent demise. > > "What about the rest of the lives lost to drugs? What about > Sarah, Joselyn, Leo?" Bjorn spat out. The rest of them fell > silent, thinking of the Portuguese-blooded fifteen year old > with her pixie ears and lilting giggle, who now lay paralyzed > in a coma after falling from her balcony. The ecstasy Sarah > had popped kicked in while climbing down from her bedroom to > get to a rave. She never regained consciousness after the > fall and her mother nearly clawed the doctor's eyes out when > he suggested taking her off the ventilator. > > Then there was Joselyn, the six-foot-four muscle-bound > Spartan of a youth who had died of a cardiac arrest brought > on by his cocaine habit. Urban legend had it that his last > stash was laced with powdered glass to settle a feud and his > lungs burst when he snorted his line. Either way, he was > history, much before his time. > > Leo's fate was arguably worse than death. To deal with a > broken heart, he had candy flipped; that is, popped both mdma > and lsd at one go. He had the mother of all bad trips and > wound up battling a vicious case of bipolar disorder. It was > a cruel fall from grace for him and all four remembered his > prowess on the football field. > > The boys had borne witness to Goa's endemic moral > landmines. Dirt cheap alcohol, doorstep delivery > of every psychotropic drug imaginable, > institutionalised corruption and a meek, almost > castrated citizenry all made for a very sound > recipe for `youth-anasia'. Like the forty odd kids > from their neighborhood, they too had been > conscripted into the army of drug addicts but were > lucky to be taken hostage by grace, breaking the > habit before it drop kicked them in the teeth. > > They had seen their friends die in road mishaps, sent off to > jail for murder, one ended up getting killed by a ninth > grader, another took his own life, a few had their futures > upended and were being bled dry by lawyers, undoing a moment > of youthful indiscretion. > > After the ketamine factory debacle, the gloves were off. The > boys knew that the cartels and the ministers were one happy > crime family, with the Right-wing government sympathizers > following the Naxalite formula: make your own contraband and > use the stupendous proceeds to bankroll your activities. > > * * * > > 2 After the secretary-general (North Goa) was literally > handed a get-out-of-jail free card, Dominic Mascarenhas and > his team went on the warpath. Naively, they had emailed the > > DRI asking why a violation of the NDPS Act on that massive a > scale (100 kilos) was yet unpunished but got no response. > Further research into the case revealed that the peddlers > arrested in the Goa leg of the raid were a ragtag bunch of > nris convicted of murder and drug dealing in Canada and the > uk. Their ringleader was a brutal Burmese national who was > wanted by the rcmp for the murder of a Canadian. > > Dom then emailed the British High Commission and informed > them (with links to various state and national newspapers) of > the dangers their citizens might face while on their > pilgrimages to Goa's golden sands. The gruesome rape-murders > of British teenager Scarlett Keeling and the globe-trotting > Irishwoman Danielle McLaughlin were linked to locals warped > into sociopathy after habitual chemical drug use. Dom asked > the English authorities to advise their countrymen (and their > daughters) to be wary of befriending strangers in Goa. On a > whim, he had dashed off an email to the Prime Minister of > Canada too. Using a publicly listed email address, Dom > intimated him of the Goa government's heinous acts, the link > to the errant Canadian nationals, and asked him to use his > considerable international clout to pressurize the Indian > government into action. Amazingly, the office of Mr. > Trudeau had emailed him back and said that they were handing > the matter over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; but > Dom's joy was short-lived. The hon'ble minister in charge of > the rcmp wrote back and, mincing no words, said the issue was > India's alone and no further correspondence was to be > directed his way. > > Unfazed, they contacted the parish priests of Goan churches > and implored them to advise their congregations of the risks > associated with the state-sponsored Ketamine trend. Apart > from being a party favorite, Ketamine was also used as a date > rape drug. Local girls could end up in dire straits if they > left their drinks unsupervised at nightclubs. The blitzkrieg > of the awareness drive went viral on social media and a > vigilant environmental watchdog group asked Dom to join them. > The NGO was packed with lawyers, renowned activists, > professionals and musicians making up its core. > > The sheer volume of issues the activists were dealing with > was stupendous. Mother Goa was on life support yet her > elected Shylocks were not only demanding their pound of flesh > but were amending the rulebook to legislate the draining of > her lifeblood. Back to back exposés by local newspapers > revealed how millionaire mlas were claiming 100% > reimbursement for medical bills, almost all had availed of > stout home and car loans, were involved with multiple frauds > or criminal activities that would have earned lesser mortals > jail time for sure. Their `accomplishments' ranged from > allegations of smuggling, extortion, murder, illegal gambling > right upto facilitating state losses to the tune of Rs.35,000 > crore. Then, there was the matter of actual chargesheets of > statutory rape, assault, land-grabbing, being part of a mob > that attacked a police station, culpability for > crater-riddled roads which had resulted in Goa having the > nation's worst fatality rate and a tonne more. The vigilante > legal eagles in the group were fighting them in the courts, > up to the highest level, with their own resources, while the > mlas and their ilk had unlimited funds and used the police to > do their bidding. Various sections of draconian laws were > slapped on civilians who dared rock the boat or point out > glaring discrepancies in government dealings. The late cm > had once tried to transfer Goa's many environmental cases > from the National Green Tribunal in neighbouring Pune to > distant New Delhi. He heartlessly rationalised the same by > saying the capital had quarters for government appointed > lawyers to bunk. This revelation was made a week after he > had won a bye-election in his stronghold, Panjim. The > activists were livid as they used to drive down to Pune, > attend the case hearings and make it back for work as soon as > humanly possible. > > Dom was overwhelmed by the star-studded veterans who had been > in the thick of Goa's war against corruption for decades. He > got over the initial awe when he realised they were all too > human and had to juggle families, jobs, court dates and > getting actual boots on the ground for protests. They were > always playing defense and repeatedly fell for a barrage of > red herrings that the government tossed in to distract, > deceive and, ultimately, get away scot free. The ingenuity > of the political class was undeniable. They got away with > murder with their choreographed cocktail of ineptitude, red > tapism, feigned ignorance and blamed all Goa's woes on past > regimes. The so-called opponents however, showed remarkable > unity when the entire House met at midnight to welcome twelve > defectors, making Goa the laughing stock of the entire > country. While Goans faced serious problems like garbage > management, coal dust pollution, chronic potable water > shortages, coastal erosion, river pollution, youth > unemployment and snowballing debt, the mlas voted to weaken > the anti-graft Lokayukta Act, thereby giving corruption a > resounding filip. The grand old man of the house, arguably > the architect of Goa's patented threadbare governance, had > mooted the construction of a hostel for mlas! A place for > filthy rich legislators to spend the night when they rarely > convened to decide honest taxpayers' futures. The current > head of the pwd had once recommended importing bitumen from > the Arab Emirates, as Goa's death-roads seemed to come apart > at the seams with the local variety. > > Dom would seethe when he saw them flitter from issue to > issue, some completely removed from Goa's bleeding shores > until he watched a video that shook him to his core. > > * * * > > 3 A member of the group had posted a clip by the prime > minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. On being hailed for > her work to include empathy in governance, her crisp words > had stopped him in his tracks: "I try to view it from the > lens of children, of people and the most basic concept and > idea of fairness. As a minister, if you want to spend money, > you have to prove how you're going to use it to improve > intergenerational well-being. We're hoping to embed what the > public is actually asking for: how to improve societal > well-being and not just our economic problem." > > Serendipity lobbed another insightful article his way. It > extolled the groundbreaking system of state management that > was making waves and Ardern was in the limelight yet again. > WEGo, or `Well-being Economy Governance' countries had fared > exceedingly well during the covid 19 pandemic, and as such > their model had caught the attention of the world. > > The latest member to this little club was Finland, which had > been on Dom's radar for some time after he had learnt of > their stellar universal, empathy-based learning construct. > The Finns had prudently joined Iceland, Wales, Scotland and > New Zealand to best prepare for any future pandemics, > untoward climate-change attributed events, while other > nations focused on getting back to rapacious `business as > usual'. > > The economy of wellbeing emphasises the balance between the > three dimensions of sustainable development — social, > economic and environmental sustainability. In the economy of > wellbeing, public resources are allocated for improving > people's wellbeing. In the long run, the sustainability and > stability of society will improve. > > The informal WEGo members could track their progress > according to certain established guidelines and these were > concepts completely alien in Goa. True, local experts had > come up with `Goa: Vision 2035', a socio-economic roadmap > prepared on the lines of Bhutan's Gross National Happiness > model; but the plan was shelved. In its stead, the > government machinations diluted coastal zone laws to expedite > Denmark's Blue Flag certification for beaches, tried to > bulldoze a path through a unesco protected wildlife sanctuary > (complete with a tiger corridor) and pushed for double > tracking for coal transportation, in an age when coal-fired > power plants are being phased out. The casino lobby was > given a Rs.277 crore break to help the sin-industry ride out > the pandemic storm, while Rs.13 crores was allegedly pinched > by the government honchos. The money was from a fund > specially set aside by the building lobby to help daily wage > construction workers in times such as the pandemic, but that > issue was temporarily silenced when the upright Lokayukta > retired. The office remains vacant as of the time of > writing. > > The casino industry, legalized by only two ethically-bankrupt > state governments in India, was poised to deal Goans a death > blow. Generations of kids in this twice-blessed oasis had > grown up thinking that drugs and alcohol were a part of their > `culture' and now the politicians were about to add deadly > gangland activities to that mix. Post-Liberation, after > 1961, marijuana had piggybacked its way into Goan coastal > villages with warm and fuzzy backpackers, who were welcomed > by locals. As with all people who had been freed from > centuries of oppression, Goans too gave in to the lure of > hedonism, abusing freedom with transient satisfaction. Hard > work like farming and fishing was soon phased out, making way > for get-rich-quick businesses like shacks and guest houses. > Heady hippies brought in psychotropics and the northern > coastal belt even renamed a cove in their honour: Spaghetti > Beach, after the string bikini-clad. The naked sunbathers, > booze and drugs drew in hordes of local tourists, who seemed > to think Goa was India's sleazy item number, where > traditional family values could be kicked aside. The local > princes of the coast suffered greatly, giving up education, > sports, an honest day's work and gleefully took to drug > peddling and related criminal acts. > > The land that bears the footprints of saints and pious > ancestors was weeping tears of blood. > > * * * > > 4 Dom, doggedly researching the issue of the six > floating casinos docked in Panjim's stretch of the > sacred Mandovi river, was stunned to find crime at > international casinos making the news nearly every > day. > > In Australia, serious allegations of money laundering were > being investigated that had kept a billionaire casino > magnate's project on ice. Canada had found out too late that > junkets from China had brought in drug money and enforcement > authorities were afraid to raid mafiosi-run establishments. > Thailand was suffering because of illegal junta-run gambling > parlours, where drugs, prostitution and pedophilia were all > on the menu. The story behind New Jersey legalizing gambling > was a sickening odyssey of betrayals by senators, corrupt > judges and police officers. Cambodia had gone all in, > allowing legalized gambling to spread its tentacles and their > sepsis-ridden storyline was very similar to Goa's. > > Once a backpackers' haven, Cambodia had welcomed the casino > concept with open arms. Gambling was banned in China but > casinos in Cambodia were almost exclusively owned by Chinese > tycoons. Like Goa, locals were banned from gambling but bore > the brunt of its fallout. Violent crime rates had > skyrocketed, with loan sharks and kidnappers terrorizing > locals and tourists alike. The world's most feared crime > syndicate, the Chinese Triads, had swooped in to provide > protection for wealthy gamblers. The lure of easy money drew > underage Cambodian girls to work as croupiérs, they reported > being solicited for sex by patrons. Industry experts openly > admitted the casinos were a front for money laundering, after > Macau had been reined in following its handover to China. > The IMF and World Bank had taken cognizance of the same and > issued advisories. us law enforcement agencies had been > tracking a notorious Asian ganglord turned businessman, who > was diversifying his drug-money or prostitution-fuelled > portfolio with casinos, road and rail construction > businesses. The UK, where betting has been a national > institution for centuries, realised the harm done and had > formulated a set of laws to prevent young citizens from > developing addictions, losing their life savings and > resorting to suicide. > > A gratuitous PDF uploaded by the British government listed > their measures to tackle the scourge and Dom read it with > dismay. Customer Due Diligence (cdd) checks were mandatory > for all casinos to discourage criminal elements and much > worse, potential terrorists. Counter Terrorism Funding (ctf) > and Politically Exposed Persons (pep) awareness programmes > were conducted regularly, keeping casino employees on their > toes. There were countries whose nationals were blacklisted > and barred from entering gaming establishments due to their > corrupt politicians' track record. The bulk of these > countries were, unsurprisingly, from the Third World. > > Ironically, the UK frowned on dealing with blood money and > monitored any and all potential white collar crimes; the list > of scams pulled off by resourceful con artists was extensive. > Drug dealers used the elderly and groups of tourists to > launder proceeds of crime, roping in jewellery stores and car > dealerships to avoid paper trails. Dom recalled the latest > update on casino news in Goa, where the lobby had carte > blanche and was hailed as a benevolent job provider. The > ministers had delayed the formation of a proper oversight > committee, citing preoccupation with more `pressing' matters. > The city council, stooges of an MLA with an ongoing posco > (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) case, said > they couldn't bow to vox populi to cancel their trade > licenses because they feared legal action. > > Unlike Las Vegas that had devised a system which funneled a > fixed percentage of casino revenue into Corporate Social > Responsibility, the Goa government had done nothing of the > sort. To add insult to injury, the powers-that-be had mooted > growing medical marijuana in-house, ostensibly to aid the > pharmaceutical industry. The furore that followed was > unprecedented, with the press screaming that Goa was already > infamous as a narco-tourism destination. > > But the usual suspects still kept up appearances. Goa's > newborn were once again lined up to be collateral damage > while Indians glutted on sacrilege. > > * * * > > 5 One of the member countries of the WEGo initiative is > Wales, which boasts of having the world's only Future > Generations Commissioner. Sophie Howe, a mum of six, is > tasked with keeping all Welsh political parties on the > straight and narrow. The eventual winner, as mandated by the > Future Generations Act, has to govern while ensuring that > protection of the environment, intergenerational equity and > kids' futures are always at the forefront. > > With an eye on the potential changes heading mankind's way, > Ms. Howe's predominantly-women team is enacting an arsenal > of measures to surf over tsunamis of challenges, tame them > and convert it all into profits, while lesser prepared lands > flounder. Using surplus public funds, they are taking > initiatives to preempt crime by providing low-income housing > neighborhoods with parks and green spaces every few hundred > meters, instead of punishing delinquent behaviour. Dom > couldn't believe how different the WEGo roadmap was from > Goa's horrendous model, where the future of kids wasn't even > remotely considered. This wasn't about the `grass being > greener', it was a matter of ending a saprophytic feudal > system that was feasting whilst defenceless youngsters were > lulled into an alcohol-narcotics induced haze, and early > graves. Armed with back-to-back reports of an rti activist > being burned alive in his car for opposing a builder, and a > viral video of a man being chased and ruthlessly beaten > outside a casino, Dom wrote to the Enforcement Directorate, > who worked on the orders of the Union Home ministry, hoping > against hope that integrity would somehow prevail. > > Sir/Madam > > I am a resident of Goa and am writing to you as a > law abiding citizen of India. I had recently > watched a video of a vicious beating outside one of > Goa's floating casinos in my hometown, the capital > city Panjim. This created fears that the casino > industry, which is notorious worldwide for being > synonymous with organised crime syndicates, money > laundering, terrorism financing, prostitution and > drug peddling, has the potential to do Goans > serious harm. > > Goa and Sikkim are the only two states in India that have > legal gambling establishments and as the sin industry has a > history of encouraging white collar crime, shouldn't our > states be protected with redundant `Customer Due Diligence' > checks? > > Every person coming to gamble in Goa should be vetted to > ensure they are not a threat to national security, or are > drug dealers, or `politically exposed persons', or have links > to organized crime syndicates (both local and international) > and above all, are not using casinos to route finances for > terrorism. > > Biometric scans, photographs and antecedents of all > gamblers should be mandatory, details collected, > verified and logs maintained, to ensure law > enforcement agencies can preempt any untoward > instances and crime, white collar or otherwise. > Despite vehement opposition from locals, the state > has expressed concern that any attempts to deny the > six floating casinos the renewal of their trade > licenses could invite legal action; the authorities > are quite lax about implementation of checks and > balances to protect citizens, our way of life, or > even to collect csr. As per my information, a > gambling commission is yet to be appointed and > recently, the government waived off casino dues of > Rs.277 crores, citing losses incurred due to the > pandemic lockdown. > > Goa is a sacred pilgrimage site with devotees coming from > many faiths and children here are already at risk from cheap > alcohol, easy availability of all kinds of psychotropic drugs > and gambling opens new avenues of addiction, crime and > delinquency. > > Any and all efforts on your part to help eradicate this > western import, or at the very least, keep it on an extremely > tight leash by mandating kyc or Customer Due Diligence, will > be appreciated. > > Attaching a few international links that prove without a > doubt that the gambling industry is not as innocent and > lucrative as it appears. > > [ > https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13545-australian-authorities-find-junket-tour-industry-a-haven-for-organized-crime||Australian > Authorities Find Junket Tour Industry a Haven for Organized > Crime > > https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13545-australian-authorities-find-junket-tour-industry-a-haven-for-organized-crime > ] > > [ > https://ipolitics.ca/2020/12/03/why-money-launderers-love-canada-the-price-we-pay-for-foot-dragging/||Why > money launderers love Canada: The price we pay for foot > dragging > > https://ipolitics.ca/2020/12/03/why-money-launderers-love-canada-the-price-we-pay-for-foot-dragging/ > ] > > [ > https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/12/07/asia/laos-ban-mom-port-zhao-wei-intl-hnk-dst/index.html||Is > an alleged drug kingpin from China investing millions in a > port in Laos? > > https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/12/07/asia/laos-ban-mom-port-zhao-wei-intl-hnk-dst/index.html > ] > > [ > https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/regulators-still-in-the-dark-on-crown-casinos-criminal-ties/12929312||How > gambling authorities missed Crown's criminal ties > > https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/regulators-still-in-the-dark-on-crown-casinos-criminal-ties/12929312 > ] > > [ > https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/regulators-still-in-the-dark-on-crown-casinos-criminal-ties/12929312||How > gambling authorities missed Crown's criminal ties > > https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-30/regulators-still-in-the-dark-on-crown-casinos-criminal-ties/12929312 > ] > > [ > https://www.casino.org/news/macau-triad-leader-broken-tooth-wan-kuok-koi-sanctioned-by-us/|| > Macau Triad Leader 'Broken Tooth' Wan Kuok-koi Sanctioned by > US Government for Expanding Criminal Empire > > https://www.casino.org/news/macau-triad-leader-broken-tooth-wan-kuok-koi-sanctioned-by-us/ > ] > > [ > https://www.ourwindsor.ca/news-story/10286192-project-targets-cash-tied-to-child-exploitation/||Project > targets cash tied to child exploitation OurWindsor.ca > > https://www.ourwindsor.ca/news-story/10286192-project-targets-cash-tied-to-child-exploitation/ > ] > > [ > http://globalnews.ca/news/7497621/rcmp-commander-warned-organized-crime-casinos-impunity/||RCMP > unit commander warned B.C. government that organized crime > would run casinos with impunity > > http://globalnews.ca/news/7497621/rcmp-commander-warned-organized-crime-casinos-impunity/ > ] > > [ > https://igamingbusiness.com/caesars-commits-67m-to-communities-in-csr-drive/||Caesars > commits $67m to communities in CSR drive > > https://igamingbusiness.com/caesars-commits-67m-to-communities-in-csr-drive/ > ] > > [ > https://www.casino.org/news/quebec-to-investigate-mafia-vip-claims-at-casino-de-montreal/||Quebec > to Investigate 'Mafia VIP' Claims at Casino de Montreal > > https://www.casino.org/news/quebec-to-investigate-mafia-vip-claims-at-casino-de-montreal/ > ] > > [ > https://casinobeats.com/2020/12/02/ncpg-aiming-to-educate-about-the-risks-of-underage-lottery-play/||NCPG > aiming to educate about the risks of underage lottery play > > https://casinobeats.com/2020/12/02/ncpg-aiming-to-educate-about-the-risks-of-underage-lottery-play/ > ] > > [ > https://calvinayre.com/2020/11/30/casino/quebec-independent-audit-casino-mafia-allegations/||Quebec > orders independent audit of casino-mafia allegations > > https://calvinayre.com/2020/11/30/casino/quebec-independent-audit-casino-mafia-allegations/ > ] > > [ > https://www.inventiva.co.in/stories/hc-asks-gujarat-govt-to-deal-with-online-gambling-as-per-law/||HC > asks Gujarat govt to deal with online gambling as per law > > https://www.inventiva.co.in/stories/hc-asks-gujarat-govt-to-deal-with-online-gambling-as-per-law/ > ] > > [ > https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/cambodia-passes-law-to-regulate-exploding-gambling-sector/||Cambodia > Passes Law to Regulate Exploding Gambling Sector > > https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/cambodia-passes-law-to-regulate-exploding-gambling-sector/ > ] > > [https://youtu.be/6ubscmDpZJc||Cambodia's Casino Gamble | 101 > East on YouTube.com https://youtu.be/6ubscmDpZJc] > > * * * > > 6 Dom intuitively felt that trust and uprightness (humility + > integrity) were the answer. Goa's only shot was a team who > had the oratory skills, exemplary administrative track > record, could work pro bono and appealed to a chunk of > taxpayers who were sick of choosing the lesser of the > thieves. He knew of only one group who could get the job > done, and against his better judgement, his heavy heart wrote > to the masses. > > To whomsoever this reaches, please forward it to the relevant > authorities. > > Respected clergy, > > Best wishes on the joyous feast of St. Francis Xavier. > > In his homily yesterday, the Archbishop of Goa > spoke about the need to protect the environment and > embed on well-being by ensuring continuity of > intergenerational equity; but all I heard was the > familiar drone of hollow political statements. The > Church in Goa has the resources -- viz. droves of > upright priests with vision, education, with their > finger on Mai Goa's faint pulse and a thorough > knowledge of the solutions available worldwide that > will save her. Sadly, dated norms of religious > 'etiquette' are keeping these warriors from > stepping up and doing the needful. > > Goa is not just an environmental oasis, she is a sacred > beacon to the world, an energetic vortex of creativity, > self-discovery and, above all, redemption. Her children are > missionaries, world leaders, teachers, artists, farmers, > entertainers, athletes, doting parents and saints; some > renowned but there are innumerable others who have returned > to the Light unrecognised, leaving their undying saintly > message in the breeze. After decades of following the > destructive political roadmap laid down by morally bankrupt > 'men', Goans meekly accept crumbs instead of demanding their > rights as a democracy. > > The late great U.S. Senator, Rep. John Lewis, refused to > accept the lopsided status quo of his day, demanding the same > rights accorded to other Americans. With the Fourth > Industrial Revolution breathing down our necks, access to the > knowledge of not just benefits available to other > well-governed democracies, but their universal life-saving > potential, is available to any discerning global citizen. > The problem is that the veil of confusion, hopelessness, > addiction and wasteful pursuits keeps most Goans in > submission. > > The true definition of Faith is confused with > fledgling belief, Truth is mistaken for fickle fact > and trust in Almighty God is almost unheard of; > this is, in itself, unacceptable but allowing the > lives of innocent children to be sacrificed goes > against the very foundations of Christianity. > > Faith is not just a good prayer life and attending a pleasing > Mass service: it is the assured hope of things unseen, > rejoicing in promises made and recorded in written scripture, > the living Word of the Creator of the universe. Goans are > not facing the ruthless Communist Party which slaughtered > student protestors in Tiananmen Square. Instead, we are > drowning in knee-deep water because we prostrate before > career criminals who toss so much illegality at us that we > don't know where to begin fighting! > > The casino scourge will soon change all that. The sin > industry, which is synonymous worldwide with organised crime, > money laundering, loan sharking, prostitution, > terrorism-funding and pedophilia, will give Goans a real > reason to fear. Scripture warns us how civilisations that > tolerated such wickedness were punished quickly and in many > cases, irremediably. Blessings of verdant fields, sweet > water, peace, prosperity and long lives were withdrawn to be > replaced with curses of the exact opposites. > > St. Francis Xavier came to teach the heathen the way to > eternal life using the spiritual weapons at his disposal. > Each of us is bound to embed on his mission, with the arsenal > of peace available after years of following Christ, His love > and harvesting His (and our) Father's promises. > > We have Catholic priests who are visionaries, conscientious > managers, highly educated and experienced teachers, > counselors, scientists and above all, farmers. What's > stopping the Archbishop from excusing a few of them from > their duties to parishes for five years? It only takes a > spark to start a fire and uprightness needs to engulf Goa > before the flood of masterfully choreographed ineptitude > drowns us all. In one term, a Catholic priest-only party can > institute, and mandate into perpetuity, oversight committees > for runaway loss-makers (like the US), streamline > e-governance (like Estonia), focus on intergenerational > equity like soil health, protection of the khazans, rivers, > stem coastal erosion by scientific afforestation (like > Bhutan, Chile, Wales, New Zealand), put the ex-Lokayukta's > recommendations into practice (like all the Nordic > countries), ensure csr from the sin industry is funneled into > youth development activities (like Las Vegas, Macau, > Colorado), enact legislation that ensures criminals, repeat > offenders and even good individuals never get the chance to > serve as mlas for more than two terms (which enabled current > fiefdoms) and perhaps most importantly, ensuring the > ground-breaking National Education Policy is duly > implemented, with associated student-building complements > like wholesome diet, value education, road safety (like the > Japanese, Dutch, Singaporeans have done). > > From the age of sixteen, I lost seven of my friends > to road accidents. A close friend visited me > before he took his own life. A childhood friend > and neighbour killed a man when a robbery went > wrong; he was forced into this vile act when his > dad lost his job and his family was facing > eviction. I visited him thrice when he was housed > at Panjim police station's judicial custody and > twice when he was shifted to Aguada. I gave up on > him after that, choosing my former lifestyle of > drugs and alcohol rather than empathy. After the > close of a San João party, I witnessed the > management fish out the body of a local youth who > had drowned in the muddy resort pool. I stared in > shock as they tried to administer cpr wrongly and I > stepped up and gave him chest compression the right > way. I stopped short of giving him mouth to mouth > resuscitation because I was afraid. > > I read the youth's obituary the next day and realised the > deadly price of fear. I learned years later that St. John > the Baptist was an ascetic teetotaler, he had never touched > alcohol in his short life. I kept quiet when my best friend > was dismissed from school after failing to submit a doctor's > certificate for his absence; he had battled a bout of > malaria, alone, in ninth grade, because his alcoholic father > had left him for months on end. Forty of us got into drugs, > booze and gangs because of this same friend's apartment. > > After years of delinquency, hedonistic living, addiction and > violent behaviour, I cleaned up my act and joined Agnel > Polytechnic, Verna. In my first semester, I developed a > slight limp that worsened steadily into a debilitating > stagger. In 2013, I had an encounter with a man, who I > fervently believe is the archangel Raphael, was introduced to > the Word, and was taken hostage by Grace. > > I've made tons of mistakes of both omission and commission in > my life and I refuse to be silent now. > > Goa needs to launch a proactive counterattack against the > immortal, rabid enemy of Goodness; upright boots on the > ground in the battlefield of politics are vital now. > > With regards and much respect > > Dom Mascarenhas > > To live in freedom and not oppose slavery, is to profiteer > —Orson Welles > > -- > Chris Fernandes, 38, is a Libra, and writes that he 'recently > discovered I'm pretty much the universe's stenographer.' Goa > is his home, his first muse, his life, and, as he puts it, 'I > cannot believe we allow the slaughter of this sacred oasis on > an hourly basis.' He sees writing as his only concrete > contribution to critically endangered Goa's conservation > 'with the chance of putting us on par with fiercely protected > Bhutan.' This was written for his niece (who's ten now and > way too big for her boots). He is based at La Campala > Residential Colony, Miramar. 9921643914 > > This is an excerpt from All Those Tales > (Nellie Velho Pereira & FN, Eds.). > Goa,1556 ISBN 978-93-95795-65-4. > 2024. Pp242. Rs500 (in Goa). > See cover here: http://t.ly/kan08 > > If you'd like to join the Tell > Your Story group that offers > mentoring in writing, click on the > WhatsApp link below > https://chat.whatsapp.com/C5ge87N4WeJAW54oUXqnBO > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAE%3D_FsnBR3P1aa2cRH6PJyANfN0RcdLXZ8jCaB6XnQ4%3DZ8H1Ew%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAE%3D_FsnBR3P1aa2cRH6PJyANfN0RcdLXZ8jCaB6XnQ4%3DZ8H1Ew%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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