########################################################################## # Goanetters-2004 meet in Goa. Dec 21, Tuesday. 12 noon to 2 pm. # # Clube Vasco, Near Municipal Garden, Panjim. Pass the word around! # ##########################################################################
OUCH ! Herald Editorial- December 20, 2004 Ouch ! That in one word can summarize the discomfort Goa's MLAs must be feeling after the Governor S C Jamir made a startling statement at a felicitation ceremony. Ouch! This can also sum up the feelings of thousands of Goans who felt that beautification and development of one particular city was the answer to Goa's advancement because these disparaging remarks came from none other than the State's No. 1 citizen and not a deranged and mad person. And, a big ouch to all those protagonists who thought that few cosmetic changes are sufficient to make Goa beautiful to find a place on the global map. Yes, ouch to all those ministers who crossed the floor of the House in the name of development. If there was development then there was no need for this remark and now it becomes pertinent to the central question, which still remains - is Goa Panjim or is Panjim Goa. Governor Jamir's remarks are not anything new. Everyone has been crying from the rooftops that Goa's rural development is stagnant and non-existent. It is only on paper and for a short period of time. And what is disgusting is that it is all these myriad people from the hinterland of Goa, who either work in the central offices or in various other industries and who are indirectly contributing to Goa's progress and well being that are being ignored in such a cavalier fashion. Yes, what has happened to all this grandiose statements such as Mission Salcette. What has happened to the development of Poinguinim, which was promised three months ago? What about Keri village, in Canacona taluka, which does not have electricity or a proper-tarred roads? On that note why are we wasting our breath talking about far-flung villages when places such as Calangute and Chorao are suffering? Yes, no use praising certain functions, festivals and occasions because it brings glory to the State. Glory to the State only comes when the welfare of its citizens are looked after with proper education facilities, health services and employment opportunities. And this what would be our priority today. Go back to the grassroots and ask what is lacking and not listen to a few ill-informed people and build castles in the air. But do the ministers want to do so or do they prefer to leave Goa's rural masses always begging? After all a few crumbs thrown at election time does ensure a lot of votes. And for all those who praise these castles being built in the cities, do go and live in the villages sans electricity, health services or tarred roads and there is no denying their first words will be "OUCH" COMMENTS: Today, at the goanettter's get-together at the Clube Vasco Da Gama, in Panjim, I was talking to Margaret Mascarenhas, the columnist from Tivim, who is a very vocal person when it comes to wrong priorities. And I have admired her views more often than not. And as usual, the tone of the talk was IFFI and Manohar Parrikar's priorities. At one point, she said to me "Look here, Floriano, all said and done, we can see some changes outside as well as inside, inside meaning the working of the departments, which was not forth-coming during the Congress regime." Yes, of course, You are absolutely right. But remember, I told her, that when one sees a desert all around for a life-time and one suddenly comes across a little oasis, one naturally appreciates the oasis. But that does not mean that they know that this little oasis need not have been so little and so costly to bring about. Congress notwithstanding, I said, the entire Goa should have been a wonderful oasis and at very decently nominal costs. Come to think of it, there were no written down plans for the Congress to bring about any oasis to Goa. Everything was ad-hoc'sm and impulsive. Now with Parrikar in the saddle, where are the written down plans? Isn't everything that is going on is ad-hoc'sm? Where are the priorities? These are castles in the air, indeed. IFFI is one such castle at exhorbitant costs. It will come down on its own. Manohar Parrikar will find out the hard way that castles in the air do not last for long. A lot of people find me totally anti-Parrikar and biased like a blue carrot, if ever there was one. But the inner voice tells me that he is the most rotten of them all the previous Chief Ministers put together. And, now, we shout ourselves hoarse that the documentary VCD specially brought out by the Parrikar's RSS Education Department for the benefit of the students to acquaint them that the Portuguese took Goa by the Cross and not by the sword and has portrayed the Catholic Priests as Muslim Mullas - IS WRONG??????. What did Ex-Archbishop Raul Gonsalves think of Mr. Manohar Parrikar when he accepted his bouquet of flowers on his birthday? A St Francis Xavier re-incarnate??? Did he not 'BLESS' Manohar Parrikar's cabinet with some rotten to their core, lambs, belonging to his own flock??? Let our present Archbishop also give one more huge property belonging to the Church to house more RSS schools such as Hedgewar High School in Fontainhas to germinate more RSS vipers who can come barging into the Bishop's Palace and raise a stink like the last one, that refuses to travel across the road from the Bishop's Palace and into the Chief Ministers bungalow. Floriano Lobo www.goasu-raj.org
