2008/10/16 Eddie Fernandes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > -----Original Message----- > From: Gabe Menezes > RESPONSE: You are correct in your assertion, seems that this case will > come to nought. I hope that the German Embassy will take up the matter > on behalf of its Citizen, what the State can't do perhaps has to be > done by the Central Govt. > > Gabe, > You are spot on! > Goa police acted 12 days late: German Consul > 16 Oct: Hindustan Times. It was a written appeal from Walter Steckel, German > Consul General in Mumbai, to Goa's chief secretary JP Singh that forced the > local police to finally register a case against Rohit Monserrate, 12 days > after German citizen Fadela Fuchs complained that her daughter had been > raped by him. Police sources revealed that they had been under enormous > pressure to quash the case.. 261 words. > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=55e78
Guys, Don't be surprised if this case takes any possible turn! And then, you might be quick to praise the cops for being "efficient". There are speedy arrests undertaken so far, though we have no reason to believe that the efficiency of the over-bloated and ever-short-of-manpower Goa cops has suddenly grown in the last 48 hours! Factors to take into account: * 'Activists' are the dog being wagged by the (political) 'tail'. * Babush now has bigtime enemies in Goa, within Congress, within BJP, and the cops. * Of all our ultra-dubious politicians, Babush has been demonised the most. In part, this is understandable, if one sees the impact of his 'politics' on places like Taleigao and Dona Paula. But this hardly explains all the many concerns Goa now faces. * For the BJP too, this is a god-send issue, as visible from the enthusiasts of its 'activists' speedily joining the fray (as compared to issues of, say, mining or casinos). * It fits in well with the media's again-found search for sensationalism (e.g. see the role in clearly making identifiable the 14-year-old, by mentioning nationality, mother's name and surname, occupation, village -- on the argument that the mother and lawyer gave "permission" to reveal this! Never mind that there are laws against such disclosures.) * Narvekar and others are itching for a Cabinet slot. Babush is a clear encroacher to many. He's also on the wrong side of the Digu-Parrikar 'divide' as of now. * Mass hysteria forces the cops to "act". Many years have passed since the Narvekar "molestation" scandal (how an alleged suggestion for sex in the work-place, a Speaker's office here, turns into a "molestation" is a puzzle; but that was how the media packaged it then). Since then, when I fervently believed the charges, one has growing doubts about the truth of the matter. Notwithstanding the reputation of the man involved. It was just a neat configuration of political interests, Rane's need to "settle" the dissidents, the Rane-Khalap ability to work out deals (despite being in 'opposite' parties), and other factors. Then too, an assertive and (excessively) competitive press, decided to unveil the name of the alleged victim. Being unethical does sell papers! Given enough pressures, the cops will "act". They can even "find" the body of a Bangalore techie woman suspected to be dead, and who later returns home unharmed. Or file "stringent" cases against suspects in a Sarlette Keeling case, which everyone then forgets when their cases come out for trial, and they walk home. It's hard to have sympathies for the politicians we have, given the record of "public service" they have in Goa. Even the communal card or caste considerations (the Chardo connect, in this particular case) is not basis enough on which to take our stands. Yet, I do not agree with some well-meaning activist friends who say that men who have done so much damage ought to be punished by whatever means. Cynical power games where "activism" is used for narrow political purposes could only give the campaigner a illusory sense of power and victory, while making everyone even more cynical about the way issues are manipulated in Goa today. The danger with such manipulation is that it is largely invisible, unlike the skyline we are all so (rightly) concerned about! FN PS: One of the 'champions' at the meeting in Panjim on Wednesday evening was the same lawyer who threatened Goanet and Goajourno with a Rs 60 million defamation suite, over an article written about two alleged paedophiles, who were released by the courts in Goa on technical grounds. If this is not legal terrorism, pray, what is it?
