------------- Tony de Sa - Moira-based headmaster! Change the system yes. I would second that. How is the question. The single Goan who can change the system is yet to be born.
What is required is a collective peoples movement - a wave. Given the ground situation and the politics and the constitutional limitations, I do not see this possible for quite a long time to come. Let's face facts. ------------ GL responds: Hi Tony, Eureka! Found the single Goan who changed the Goan system ... for five minutes, ... while SHE was in amchem bangarachem Goem. True story! My niece immigrated to America at age 8. For the first time, last summer the now bank-VP, returned to Goa with her American-born fiancee. You have heard the refrain "Difficult to find good Goan boys"? The young couple met and paid their respects to her grandmother and saw her ancestral home in your neighborhood - Aldona. Finacee was impressed with house construction in Goa - "built solid of stone instead of wood-studs and drywall." They rented a motorcycle for a chakar around scenic Goa. At one beach they parked their motorbike and took a stroll to the water. On their return, a man standing by their bike told them, they were "parked in a no-parking zone .... need to pay a fine .... lucky the motorbike is not towed." My niece said, "There was no No-Parking sign .... would pay the fine, to avoid problems ... please show his police credentials ... give us a receipt .... want to stop at police station to explain to the chief-officer their innocence." They were let-go with a final warning. After the man left, residents from near-by homes came and told them, "the guy is not a police-officer and was an extortionist / blackmailing them, like he does many other tourists." Questions: Is this man's behavior good for Goa and its tourism image? Were locals entertained by the tamasha / crime (which they do many-a-time) and only show up after the fact? Solitary person holding innocent tourists and entire neighborhood hostage? Does he encourage tourists to stop - have a meal at a local restaurant or buy souvenirs at village stores (thereby helping the village economy)? Do locals need Panaji govt to do something for these pesky criminals, which a 23-yr old female NRG can tackle; but locals are hesitant to address as they are not victims? You do not have to be defensive or respond. This post is to give you some feed-back, (which I wanted to do since last summer); because we love Goa and want you-all to be successful. We have our own neighborhood problems. Regards, GL
