1. Letter of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to IGSG regarding visa
facilitation
After IGSG had sent a petition regarding visa facilitation
(http://www.igsg.org/Petition.htm) to the Indian Ministers of Home Affairs,
External Affairs and Tourism a copy of the same was handed over to the
German Minister of Foreign Affairs in Berlin. In its answer to IGSG the
German Foreign Ministry informs that the matter regarding visa facilitation
is of the sole responsibility of the issuing country. Nevertheless the
Ministry has contacted the Indian Embassy in Berlin in this matter. The
embassy informed that a change in this visa rule (two months' gap) is not
foreseen, but that under special circumstances the two months' gap can be
surpassed. Please read the letter here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/Petition_Antw-Ausw-Amt_2012-08-01_en.htm
2. Press review regarding the letter of a German citizen to CM Parrikar
The letter of a German citizen to Chief-Minister Manohar Parrikar
complaining about the drug and noise situation in Anjuna and first turned
public by IGSG through internet
(http://www.igsg.org/de/Brief_Parricar_2012-05_en.htm) was widely referred
to in the Indian and local press. We have chosen four articles for you. The
regional daily Herald comments on the fact that the author does not refrain
from giving names of those who act "behind the gas chamber". The national
paper "The Hindu" and online agency IBNS transcribe large parts of the
letter, whereas the Indian news agency IANS refers to a spokesman of IGSG
who claims that drugs should not be the main attraction for German tourists
to Goa and explains that Germans felt uncomfortable because of the garbage
scattered everywhere. According to IANS the spokes person also criticizes
that Indian men from outside Goa harrass German ladies on the beach. Please
read the four articles here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_Parrikar-PressReview-en.htm
3. The renowned Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports about Portuguese
tracks in Old Goa
The renowned Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung in its section Travel has
published an article about Goa with the title "Portugal in India". The
author Friedemann Bartu writes that Goa, besides being a travel destination,
reveals in the former capital Old Goa the tracks of Portugal. Referring that
the former capital had close to 300.000 inhabitants in 1565, more than
Lisbon and even more than London at that time, the article summarizes the
history of the peak and the decadence of Old Goa concluding that in 1961 the
450 years of the colonial presence of Portugal in Goa ended within 48 hours.
Please read the full article (in German):
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_NZZ_Portugal-in-Indien-en.htm
4. German newspaper TAZ on Siemens Healthcare factory in Goa
The German newspaper TAZ publishes an article about Siemens Healthcare, a
branch of Siemens, comparing activity and prices of Magnetic Resonance
Tomography (MRT) and the chance of providing such technology in India
through their own strategic Siemens Agenda 2013.
Through the process of "Re-engineering" Siemens now produces similar
scanners in Goa. Hemant Usgaonkar, director of Siemens Healthcare in Goa,
explains how the process works in the Siemens Goa factory: eliminating all
sophisticated extras from the devices, restricting them to their basic
functions. By doing so Usgaonkar is able to sell lots of such devices at
affordable prices on the huge Indian market. Please read the full article
(in German) here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_Siemens_Die-Rippen-en.htm
5. Goan students 'benefit' from German Ex-banker
The article tells the story of German Rudolf Schwartz who founded the Indian
Students Educational Aid Foundation in 1991 in Siolim, providing financial
assistance for the education of the bright and needy and technical education
for dropouts. Please read the full article (in English) here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_ToI_German-ex-banker-en.htm
6. German drug addict describes the drug scene in Goa
The German blog drogenwelt.blogspot is, according to themselves, involved in
a project regarding support and advice to drug users. In an interesting
report one German drug addict who has spent one and half year in Goa
describes his experience in the drug scene in Goa. He does not refrain from
giving prices of drugs, names and places from the drug scene as well as the
involvement of Goan police in the same. Please read the complete report (in
German) here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_Drogenbericht-en.htm
7. No helmet: how to deal with the Goan traffic police
The author tells us in his blog about his arrival in Goa and how he managed
to bribe the police when he was caught driving a bike without helmet and
driver's licence. He gives the reader precise instructions on how to behave
in such a case. Please read the complete text (in German) here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_Backpacker-en.htm
8. Castes, crows, corruption
The Austrian newspaper Die Presse in an article about India with the title
"Castes, crows, corruption" inserts an introduction referring to Goa. The
author describes mining and dust in Goa, the beautiful scenery and ugly
garbage everywhere. He focuses as well on the problem of globalization,
poverty and the relation between India and China. Please read the full text
here:
http://www.igsg.org/Seiten_ab-2012-10/press_2012-10-01_DiePresse_Kasten-Kraehen-en.htm
Petition to the Government of India: reminder
If you agree with our petition to the Government of India regarding visa
facilitation for Germans and other European citizens please subscribe at:
http://www.igsg.org/Petition.htm
The German Cultural Week Goa 2012 will be held from December 12-16, 2012.
The Oktoberfest is traditionally on the last day: December 16, Sunday.
Indo-German Friendship Society Goa
i...@igsg.org
www.igsg.org
Goanet A-C-E!
goa...@goanet.org
