########################################################################## # Goanetters-2004 meet in Goa. Dec 21, Tuesday. 12 noon to 2 pm. # # Clube Vasco, Near Municipal Garden, Panjim. Pass the word around! # ##########################################################################
As a Mhapxenkar myself (though born elsewhere and presently settled abroad), I offer three cheers to Miguel Braganza for having written all that he wrote safeguarding and upholding the rights of his and my Mhapxem. Jorge ----- Original Message ----- From: Miguel Braganza <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Goanet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Mapusa-Net <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Aldona-Net <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 6:07 AM Subject: [Goanet]Delimitation: Beyond limitations! > > The "Public hearing" on the draft delimitation of 40 Assembly constituencies > in Goa proposed by the Justice[Retd] Kuldip Singh headed panel was held at > Institute Menezes Braganza Hall, Panaji on 15 December,2004. The people of > Goa spoke their mind. They wanted status quo with respect to their > association with places central to their lives. > > 1. The residents of Zua, Zuem [ both words in Konkani and meaning 'island'] > or Santo Estevao or St.Estevam[ meaning 'St.Stephen's Island', a name given > by the Portuguese during the colonial era] wnated to be part of the riverine > island group in the Mandovi just like the islands of Oceania or Polynesia. > It makes sense. The constituency is known as Cumbarjua [meaning 'island of > clay potters' after the profession of most of its original inhabitants.]. It > also has the islands of Divar, Vanxim and Chorao[now connected to Mayem in > Bicholim taluka by a bridge]. In the colonial days when transport was > primarily by river craft, these islands shared their life and culture with > those on the biggest island of Goa- Tiswadi[comprising of > Panaji,St.Cruz,Merces,Curca, Pilar, Ela, Neura,Agacaim,etc] or Ilha de Goa. > Together the grouping was known as ILHAS meaning simply ISLANDS. Who can > controvert such reasoning. Even the sitting Mayem MLA agreed with the > islanders! > > 2. The story of Ozorim or Vazri in Pernem taluka was no different. The > people just do not want to be associated with Tivim Constituency in Bardez > taluka. > > 3. The village of Gaunsavaddo is the nucleus of Mapusa. Gaunsa vaddo ward > of the Gauns families], Angodd [ old market area],Tolivaddo[ bank of the > then lake or Toli ] formed the Mapusa town as it grew along the banks of > Mapusa river. The Gauns families worshipped goddes Tulzai and had their > chaudi[ seat of the gaunkari] next to it. They immersed their Ganapati in > the river next to the temple. Tiles from Mangalore [ Sulche nove] arrived by > sail-craft and were landed at the nearby "tar"[ river crossing] even till > the early 1980s, when the pipe bridge for the NH-17 at the 'tar' put an end > to this and prevented the Mapusa river from flushing itself clean during the > monsoons.It has silted during the last 20 years. Today the temple is a > Church, half the Gauns ar Bragancas, the chaudi is the Communidade building > but the immersion of the Ganapati continues at the same spot [de-silted this > year to allow for the idols to remain immersed at low tide.] . > > Why should anyone want to put this part of Mapusa town into Aldona > Constituency? It is a question that the Mapusa resident, Mapusa Gaunkar, > ex-President of the Mapusa Communidade, ex-Chairman of the Mapusa Municipal > Council, current Mapusa MLA, Minister for IT, and Associate member of the > Delimitation Commission will be hard put to explain. It may be more > difficult to explain this than his alleged role in the vandalization of > Hotel Mandarin[ belonging to his former mentor, fellow gaunkar and > ex-President of the Mapusa Communidade, Matthew Braganza].Perhaps , he was > tricked into the 'demolition derby'. What explantion is there for his > silence now. Perhaps his words to a friend on the steps of IMB after the > public hearing explains a part of it. Sid he, "They want me out, even if it > means having the seat reserved for SC" or words to that effect in Konkani. > Actually, we want to have the communidade, church, cemetary and hospital in > Mapusa...even if it means that Babush will have to contest elsewhere. Mapusa > resident Manohar Parrikar contests in Panaji, Dayanand Narvekar > contests in Aldona and Tivim and Ramakant Khalap contests in Mandrem with > success rates in getting elected unmatched by anyone except the wily > Dr.Willy in Saligao constituency. With his organisational ability [which > includes routinely getting Mapusa gaunkars from all over..Esteves of Merces, > Palhas of Goa Velha and Braganzas from Khanapur-Belgaum for Communidade > elections in Mapusa], there is no reason why he should not win in Siolim > Constituency[ which presently includes part of Mapusa]or the proposed Guirim > constituencies. > > > It took another gaunkar and current Attorney of the Mapusa Communidade and > Chairman of MMC, Michael Carrasco, to buck this plan. That this man is the > former protege of the MLA and is now under pressure from his former cohorts > and current cronies of the MLA to step down from the top post of the MMC is > another matter. That matter is sub-judice and will be decided in the > Sessions Court,Mapusa. Carrasco has stood his ground that Ward 6 ,with the > Church,cemetery,Communidade and Asilo hospital, forms an essential part of > Mapusa . It cannot be shunted to Aldona constituency even if it means that > Mapusa will be a constituency RESERVED for SC candidates only. > > If a dev from what was once a dev raim[ sacred grove] dedicated to the > Earth goddess, Sateri,[ and then called "Saterichi Raim" and later called > Feira Alta or Altinho ] or from the higher heavens of Xaviernagar or > Ganeshpuri should be the one to look after our constituency, so be it. The > Malgaokars look after a large shoe business. They are better than where > quite a few of our present Ministers began.There are Kamblis with > administrative experience. And if Azgaokar can come from Margao and develop > Dhargal constituency faster than some native MLAs have done in other > constituencies, we can 'import' him to Mapusa as well. It will be sufficient > if he lives for us [instead of exclusively for himself as with many MLAs]. > He does not have to die for us like some other 'import' like Christiano > Junior did for getting the Federation Cup for the Dempos. Besides, as a star > performing BJP candidate with a proven track record, he may even win in a > no-contest battle of the ballots. Instead of the Goa Education Development > Corporation complex, he can put his efforts in developing the Bodgueshwar > Plaza which is already on the drawing boards. If Ward 6 of MMC remains in > Mapusa, there are many who will welcome that. > > It is not that we Mapshemkars like our current MLA less; it is that we love > Mapusa more. Michael Carrasco has played the role of Brutus. Like Brutus, he > is not alone. A large number of Ward 6 voters have signed the petition given > to the Delimitation Commission. We expect our MLA to keep Mapusa together. > That is why we have elected Francisco D'Souza to all the seats of power that > Mapshemkars can elect him to...Communidade, Mapusa Municipal Council and > Legislative Assembly. We are fond of him, we call him "Babush". We would > love him to be Goa's CM, too, but not at the cost of having the primary > institutions of Mapusa town in Tivim, Guirim or Aldona constituencies. > ;-( That's the limit! > > > Viva Mapusa. Viva Goa. > > Miguel Braganza > Mapusa > > >
