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The Rape of Goa - A photo documentary
by
Rajan P. Parrikar
Venue: Menezes Braganza Art Gallery, Panjim, May 21-24, 2008
http://www.parrikar.org/misc/doc-notice.pdf
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WOW.........Thanks Hema..... When you go on streets, I will surely join
in.....for the sake of beautiful Goa. What God has made, let no man/woman dare
to cut it for concrete jungle.
Regards
Mario Andrew
DXB
Hema seeks special status for Goa
by RAMNATH N PAI RAIKAR
Principal Correspondent
PANAJI — Hema Sardesai, the sonorous voice of Goa, has advocated a special
status for Goa on the lines of Himachal Pradesh and said that such a status
would prevent purchase of lands in Goa by foreigners and land sharks who want
to make hay while sun shines on Goan lands.
“If required, I am ready to come on the street in support of this demand,�
she added.
Concerned about Goa and its culture, the singer who is known for her
chartbuster songs like ‘Aawara bhanwre’ and ‘Badal pe paon hai’, told
‘The Navhind Times’ that whoever brings ill to Goa should be treated as the
enemy of the state even if he or she is a native Goan.
The enemy of Goa can be anyone who promotes slums in the state for developing
vote banks or otherwise, she observed, adding, “The enemies can also be those
who cut down the hills and bury the paddy field to raise concrete jungles over
them, those who run the drug and paedophiliac operations in the state,
especially in the coastal belts, and those who long for Portuguese to return to
Goa to restart the colonial rule,� she stated.
If the state is given a special status, then we would be able to preserve the
unique Goan culture, and showcase it before outsiders, Hema said, predicting,
“Or else, every other culture will blend with the Goan culture and our own
culture would turn into a ‘Bhelpuri’ culture.
Taking strong objection to linking tourism with indiscriminate construction
activities ongoing in Goa, the Goan singer said that these were two different
aspects.
“Tourism has also been the backbone of other countries like Thailand but it
has not taken over these countries,� she maintained, adding that tourism
generates employment for Goa.
The problem starts when the land sharks want to take advantage of the image
that has been given to Goa on the international level, Hema observed. “They
should not only be banned in this state, but the people should also interrogate
the person/ persons at the government level, who is/ are entrusted with the
task of allotting areas for construction of new houses, colonies and so on,�
she pointed out.
Hema also stated that the people of Goa should be officially informed by the
government through the newspaper notices about the hill cutting and burying of
paddy fields, if such acts have been given permission on the government level.
Lamenting the gradual disappearance of the ‘Good old days’ in Goa, the
internationally acclaimed singer said that though issues like Regional Plan and
special economic zones have united the Goans, we are being hypocritical about
the unity.
“Say for example, the people agitating against the Regional Plan 2011 were
not clear as to what they wanted and what they were fighting for, with each one
of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan leaders speaking about different issue,� she noted.
“The religions in Goa had something above them called Goan-ness, and the
people had a feeling that they were more Goan than being a Hindu, a Muslim or a
Christian,� Hema recalled, pointing out “But that situation no more exists
as somewhere along the way, during the Marathi-Konkani agitation, the
solidarity was lost.� And the communalism can now be observed even during
voting at the elections, she bemoaned.
Hema stated that the caste system, still existing somewhere deep down the
recesses of educated Goans, should be eradicated, and then and then only would
Goa vote in one voice against anything that is bad for its future.
The singer, on a parting note said that the Goans, who are themselves selling
their land only for money, with no mercy for the state, should at least think
for once before doing so, as to what the land sharks would do to this
enchanting region.
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