------------------------------------------------------------------------ TRI Continental Film Festival - Dona Paula, Goa, Sep 28 - Oct 2, 2007
http://www.moviesgoa.org/tricontinental/tricon.htm For public viewing. Registration at The International Centre Goa. (Ph: +91-832-2452805 to 10) Online Media Partner: http://www.GOANET.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- "Rajan P. Parrikar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The choice is stark. Either we live the civilized > existence > we have enjoyed for so long or we let the ghatis > turn > Panjim - our beautiful Panjim - into another sewer > of > an Indian city. > > Warm regards, ---------------------------------------- It's very difficult to agree with Rajan when he ratchets up the rhetoric but at the same time it is impossible to disagree with him, because unfortunately the messenger wearing an ugly rhetorical garb, speaks the truth. There are two issues at hand, the rights of human beings to seek a better economic life for themselves, juxtaposed against the rights of citizens to have their quality of life protected. Goa and India has turned into a land of lawlessness, and under this malfunctioning democracy we do not afford ordinary, middle-class citizens their rights which in any other functioning democracy would be assured. In India, people can squat on your land, and in time that land will come to belong to them. People can use your land as a garbage refuse, use your streets to vendor from, use your garage to pray from, use your footpath to defecate on, and in time everyone will "earn" themselves the right to justify whatever illegality was perpetuated in the first place. There is no denying that an unmitigated flow of migration into Goa, will herald in the complete breakdown of its economic and social fabric. And this will be down with the compliance of our state machinery, who will turn a blind eye as land is occupied to build slums, as cities become open toilets, as disease spreads, and as gambling, crime and prostitution sweeps in with all the force of a tornado, as long as there are vote-banks to count on at the end of the day. These are the ills of poverty and we cannot wish them away with our heads buried in the sand. Yes, we must be every watchful of every human beings right to earn a living and we cannot victimise the hapless economic refugees that herald from the poorest of poor India. We cannot hold them responsibile for that which they are powerless to change. However, our most basic moral responsibility and fundamental duty is to the citizens of Goa. And in that, we must be absolutely clear. selma ____________________________________________________________________________________ Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews, get listings, and more! http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/3658
