Feast of Blessed Fr Agnelo Thousands of devotees throng the hillock on the occasion of the feast. This year in particular, it was a shocking jolt that there were no transport facility as usual by private buses to cater to mad rush of the faithful. The frequency of buses on the route the ,being the only public transport was woefully inadequate, Hundreds of faithful were left stranded on the roads, unable to get the lift and thus reach in time for the Eucharistic celebrations. Their route buses were packed like sardines Why the private transport strangulated and denied permits? Alternative rapid, frequent arrangements was not the substitute. Was it a deliberate attempt to ring in the coffers and shore up the finances of bankrupt KTC finances? If the motive was also to dissuade the pilgrims depending on public transport, obliquely playing the communal card probably at the behest of Masters, FR Agnelo , forgive them. The return trip for devotees of the South Goa was a nightmare to enter and hours of wait in patience. There should have special busses to and fro for south Goa faithful having denied permits to private transport carriers. Where is and what is Goa , and Goenmkarpan on which slogan representatives made a killing? This attitude, behavior, intent certainly needs to be questioned. All Zatras and other festivals of minority community are being provided unrestricted access and hence bias is logical reasoning. The outstanding Catholic MLA`s except for Churchill and Francis Silveira at high mass were conspicuous by their absence to feel the pulse. Of course they do not travel by the public transport. GOEMKARPAN is only a cliché for votes and electoral benefits. The occasion of slow strangulation is not missed on any Goan and will go beyond discussion and debate mere explanation of justification. The only redeeming grace is that for the first time on the feast day, KTC provided free lift up and down the hillock and is praise worthy
Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
