[Goanet-News] Why subsidised pilgrimages to Jerusalem are bad news for Maharashtra's Christians (Mario da Penha, Scroll.in)
OPINION Why subsidised pilgrimages to Jerusalem are bad news for Maharashtra's Christians Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been urged to subsidise Christian pilgrimages to Israel and Palestine. The plan must be nipped before it takes off. Mario da Penha Apr 1, 2015 A week ago, on March 23, a delegation representing three Christian groups met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. The groups -- the Indian National Christian Council, Bombay Catholic Sabha and United Churches of Mumbai -- sought an assurance from Fadnavis that those who vandalised a church property in New Panvel recently will be apprehended. Besides this, they put forward six demands concerning the Christian community -- one of these was a government subsidy to Christian pilgrims from Maharashtra visiting Jerusalem and other sites in Israel and Palestine associated with the life of Jesus Christ. The demand for a pilgrimage subsidy piggybacks on similar schemes introduced by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in 2008 and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2011. Under those programmes, the southern states had earmarked Rs 1 crore for a maximum of 500 Christian pilgrims, each of whom could receive Rs 20,000 at most as subsidy to visit Jerusalem. Jayalalithaa sweetened the deal for her state a year later by offering an allowance of Rs 1.25 crore to Hindu pilgrims travelling to Mansarovar in Tibet and Muktinath in Nepal. Six other Indian states -- Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand -- also cover a slice of the Mansarovar expenses of pilgrims from their states. Jayalalithaa's largesse to Hindu devotees in 2012 came even as the Supreme Court ruled that another pilgrimage allowance, the Haj subsidy, should be discontinued. While upholding the subsidy as constitutional, the apex court argued that the Qur'anic injunction to visit Mecca only applied to those who could "afford the expenses". It asked the Central government to progressively reduce the amount of subsidy until it was completely eliminated by 2022. At the time, Muslim public opinion welcomed the verdict, arguing that the subsidy unfairly benefited the terminally ill Air India, allowing it to stay afloat through its Haj monopoly, even as other carriers offered cheaper deals to pilgrims. With the rising costs of airfare and the increase in the number of pilgrims, the annual Haj subsidy had swollen from Rs 10 crore in 1994 to Rs 685 crore by 2011. Though the allowances granted by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to the Jerusalem pilgrimage are meagre compared to the Haj, these annual allocations could rise rapidly if lawmakers felt they were a secure way to corner community patronage. There is no dearth of portentous signs around. Creating new bureaucracies The Christian groups' meeting with Fadnavis last week was facilitated by Ashish Shelar, the first-time Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Bandra West in Mumbai. In 2009, after Shelar lost narrowly to the Congress's Baba Siddique in the heavily Christian Bandra West constituency, he actively began courting the Christian community. He first aided the re-naming of a public square in Santa Cruz, a part of this constituency, after the cartoonist Mario Miranda. This led one priest to eulogise him as "an honest and upright politician" who "helps Christians". Then, in 2013, he met then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to urge him to provide a subsidy for the Jerusalem pilgrimage. During the assembly elections in 2014, Shelar found himself in the midst of robust Christian support. The Catholic Secular Forum nailed its colours to Shelar's mast, and the Catholic cardinal of Mumbai, Oswald Gracias, exhorted the community to vote for "good governance". Gordon D'Souza of the Bombay Catholic Sabha, who accompanied Shelar to meet Fadnavis last week, also enthusiastically cheered the cardinal's entreaty to the community last October. In the end, Shelar defeat Siddique by a margin of over 26,000 votes. While Shelar insists his proposed subsidy is "entirely voluntary", this pork barrelling of Christians through superficial community concerns has met with anger, including from a former office-bearer of the Catholic Sabha who decried the politics of sponsorship. Creating new state bureaucracies to screen both pilgrims and tour operators will only strengthen these patronage relationships and increase their clout over communities. Unlike the Haj, Christians are under no scriptural obligation to visit Jerusalem. As the anthropologist Margaret Meibohm has shown, pilgrimages of Mumbai's Catholics have long been directed not towards Jerusalem or Rome, but syncretic Indian sites such as V
[Goanet-News] Fatima Lobato Faria and others... courtesy JazzGoa (YouTube)
Fatima Lobart Faria - Old Goan Gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw7i3H_TNRc Aileen Carneiro - Sinking Soul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJXYTf5w1Xg The Bassman's Band - Masquenada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riIhTz8CUo4 India's first jazz standards album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guFALLCS-PE Colin D'Cruz - Bass Solo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onD__JfGEaw Smoking Chutney featuring Carlton Braganza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdjUZgaFdCQ Smoking Chutney live in Bangalore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby2d8aKJCA Jazz Goa Quartet featuring Marina Xavier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=991mS37D1y0 Esther-Eden Fernandes - I'm Fine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyOQzoLOL5o Anastazia Dmello - Rehearsal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_88Zi8P69o Christmas Carols from Goa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-IWxoSCmKA The Bassman's Band - Agua de Beber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okrjGcEISoA The Bassman's Band featuring Lenny Heredia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGZgyH6TNes -- P +91-832-2409490 M 9822122436 Twitter: @fn Facebook: fredericknoronha Goa,1556 Shared Content at https://archive.org/details/goa1556
[Goanet-News] Goa news for April 2, 2015
Goa News from Google News and Goanet.org Visit http://www.goanet.org/newslinks.php for the full stories. *** Goa Chief Minister in Controversy Over "Complexion" Comments to Nurse - NDTV w&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778792502450&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGOlGje7DqcW512sy8gU0Rvi2h94A&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778792502450&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/goa-chief-minister-in-controversy-over-complexion-comments-to-nurse-751485 *** 'Indian railways will work with KRC to boost Goa's tourism' - Times of India lass facility to passengers in Goa: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGKtzP4app_qF0ik9BTTzw6WkClxw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778792545885&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Indian-railways-will-work-with-KRC-to-boost-Goas-tourism/articleshow/46763521.cms *** Indian village in tourist destination of Goa bans kissing in public - The Guardian e-Mundo, eight miles north of Goa's capital Panaji, unanimously passed a resolution this week warning holidaymakers against engaging in public displays of affection. "We have adopted this resolution following ... http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGA7F7Jnu9xmyLZHkLVVSxkXIDkqw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778785546308&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/27/indian-village-in-tourist-destination-of-goa-bans-kissing-in-public *** Borrowers in Goa dependent on mining opt for one-time settlement scheme for ... - Economic Times onomic TimesPANAJI: A large number of people dependent on mining industry in Goa who had huge bank borrowings have now opted for One Time Settlement Scheme launched by the state government fearing bad debts. Official records indicate that 298 such loan ... http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHepuS9orA9w4ZvHfzYa4FkkMuDSQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778792545881&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/metals-mining/borrowers-in-goa-dependent-on-mining-opt-for-one-time-settlement-scheme-for-debt-repayment/articleshow/46766932.cms *** Fuselage of Indian Navy's Dornier Aircraft Salvaged Off Goa Coast - NDTV ated Indian Navy's Dornier aircraft was salvaged from the bottom of the sea on Saturday, about 25 nautical miles off the Goa coast, Defence sources said. The fuselage will now be taken to Karwar for inspection. The ... http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNH6VuiHBW5191pTNYHeO6KNVSD4lQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778786530723&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/fuselage-of-indian-navys-dornier-aircraft-salvaged-off-the-goa-coast-750444 *** Goa Film Festival runs into controversy as Opposition calls it 'anti-minority ... - IBNLive un Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) is hosting the event. "The Goa State Film Festival starts from this Holy Week and on a Good Friday. Isn't it insult to Christians? Government needs to note their sentiments," tweeted Independent MLA Rohan ... http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNEvKDrzmdUlqQq9_jo36wo0n_nJew&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778792888506&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/goa-film-festival-runs-into-controversy-as-opposition-calls-it-antiminority-for-organising-it-in-holy-week/537357-8-66.html *** Rs 6.20 crore spent on foreign trips for 2 Goa ministers, 4 MLAs - India.com ourism-minister-dilip-parulekar-four-bjp-mlas-spent-6-20-crore-on-foreign-travel/">Two Goa ministers, 4 BJP MLAs spent 6.20 cr on foreign travel http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGXLGqiKtXvN0GhXEj9RATgDRU8PQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52778792879904&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://www.india.com/news/india/6-20-crore-spent-on-foreign-trips-for-2-goa-ministers-4-mlas-337078/ *** GOA Exhibitors Report High Sales, Activity on the Show Floor at 40th ... - MyPrintResource.com (press release) 8, 2015 at the Miami Beach Convention ...http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFN_HBvHbQ5IFGBIHy_AI3r2GzRxw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://www.myprintresource.com/press_release/12060706/goa-exhibitors-report-high-sales-activity-on-the-show-floor-at-40th-anniversary-expo *** Simple Goa has 2 distinct real estate markets - Times of India mes of IndiaPANAJI: Goa, to many, is a land of the simple, but when it comes to the real estate market, it is anything but that. With its idyllic charm and party tag, Goa is seen as a prime destination and it is these very traits which are giving shape to two ...http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHrHCNDAKgr1xqVZOgYF2Hfrhozgg&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=e38cVeC4NoTA3QG5pIHwBA&url=http://timesofindia.ind
