Dears, Those who forget their history are bound to see it recurr in their own lifetime. In Goa we are seeing a recurrence within 15 months. The only difference this time is that they have targetted a community that reacts, instead of a community that just dithers. Bingo!
This is what I wrote on 19 December, 2004, after the abortive attempt by the Manohar Parrikar-led regime to screen the infamous VCD of the Education Dept. 'GOA'S FREEDOM STRUGGLE' in predominantly Church run primary and secondary schools. It holds good today also when Sanvordem-Curchorem is souldering and Ponda, Shiroda, Cuncolim or Margao may ignite. Warning has been served by the BJP by organizing benami bandhs on Monday 06 March, 2006. As usual, expect the GOA POLICE to be caught napping and even to treat the riots like we treat football....as a spectator event. A major part of the Goa Police constables were BJP recruited from its cadres and sympathisers or those who bought their appointment letters from the Congress leaders. In either case, there is no incentive to act. the IPS officers come to Goa on a holiday, it seems. I am yet to hear of one of them lead from the front..as the fiery lady Kiran Bedi,IPS, did at Turkman Gate-Delhi. If the IPS cops in Goa got guts, they must be stashed in some safe deposit locker in Delhi for later use. Pansies would react with greater force....and conviction. ..............original posting................................... From: Miguel Braganza "The Goa BJP's priority is apparently in bastardizing history so much that it does not tell it like it was printed in the Goa Government's publications and school textbooks issued by the very same Directorate of Education. I quote from " HISTORY & CIVICS Standard Five" text book issued by the "Directorate of Education Governement of Goa" in 2002 [ i.e.under the same BJP dispensation in Goa]which my son currently studies in a school aided by the Government of Goa. I quote from the text verbatim [ 'all capitals" for emphasis' mine] from page5 Quote "Chapter 2 EARLY RULERS-II. GOA UNDER THE VIJAYNAGAR AND BADAMI RULE: In the 14th century, Goa was a great trading centre. It imported good quality horses from Persia and Arabia. These horses were in great demand in the Deccan. The rulers of both,Vijaynagar and Badami were at war with each other. Both wanted Goa mainly because of the HORSE TRADE. So Goa was at different times OCCUPIED by the rulers of Vijay nagar and Badami. GOA UNDER BIJAPUR: Yusuf Adil Shah brought Goa into the Kingdom of Bijapur. He was a powerful ruler. He encouraged agriculture , art and literature. He was TOLERANT to all religions.Under him, Hindus were given religious freedom. Some of them were given high civil and military posts. Yusuf Adil Shah developed the PORT OF GOA by constructing a main road from the jetty of River Mandovi at OLD GOA right up to the PALACE of Adil Shah [present Secretariat] for trade and commerce. The PORT of Old Goa later became the capital city under Portuguese rule. Unquote Chapter-3 has this to say. Quote. After 1498, Portugal sent fleets to India from time to time, to keep the spice trade of the MALABAR under Portuguese control. One of these fleets was under AFONSO DE ALBUQUERQUE, who had a dream of establishing a Portuguese empire in the East. CONQUEST OF GOA Afonso de Albuquerque had heard of the importance of Goa's location on the West coast of India. He felt that the conquest of Goa would strengthen the Portuguese rule over the Arabian Sea. TIMMAYA, the Admiral of the Vijaynagar fleet, INVITED him to free the Hindu population from the unbearable rule of Bijapur at Goa. On March1,1510, Albuquerque sailed up the river Mandovi, captured and looted ships at Goa harbour. No one opposed him. Two months later, Ismail Adil Shah, King of Bijapur, sent a large army to Goa. It drove the Portuguese into the sea. Unquote. This book is available at all bookshops dealing with school text books for less than Rs.20/-. It may be nice if the Director of Education, the high profile Deputy Director of Education [Vocational ] Shri Anil V.Powar and the self-styled educationist honoured at the behest of his guru [Murli Manohar Joshi ] Shri Subhash Velingkar, read the official history. Still better, they could read an unbiased view fo history in INSIDE GOA written by acclaimed author Manohar Mulgaokar and the first edition published by the Government of Goa,Daman & Diu in 1982.THE REASON why the second edition [in May 2004] was REFUSED this patronage [when Rs.40 lakhs could be spent on the VCD film] by the Goa Government may need an application under the RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT. The author only alludes to this in his note in a way only refined writers can. The book is available at Braodway,Panaji, for just Rs.695/- I have had the pleasure of reading this wonderful book and to review it for the GOA TRAVELLER and EXPO PLUS of the Diamond Publications,Panaji. Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 10:07 AM Subject: Communalizing Goa.From Daily Goa News Clippings-Joel D'Souza. VIOLENCE CONTINUES; 2 HURT IN FIRING CURCHOREM, Mar 4: Two youths were injured in police firing, while police officers and Muslim families were also assaulted by agitators today, amidst renewed violent clashes in Curchorem and Sanvordem for the second day. Unprecedented attacks on the Muslim community led to destruction of shops, houses and vehicles in the twin towns. Violence erupted in Curchorem for the second day when police arrested 160 persons who gathered at Tisk-Sanvordem in defiance of Section 144 imposed since Friday night. (H) Neros in Khaki CURCHOREM/SANVORDEM: Goa went into a spin as the communal violence in Curchorem and Sanvordem spun out of control and threatened to engulf the whole state. Thankfully here were no deaths, but a complete failure of the intelligence machinery has scarred Goa's psyche. (WE-GT) Rane visits Sanvordem PANAJI/MARGAO, Mar 4: The Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsing Rane, today visited the Sanvordem-Curchorem area and reviewed the arrangement made by the police to avoid any untoward incident following disturbances between two communities in the area. He instructed the police and other law enforcing authorities to strictly adhere to rules and regulation while handling the law and order situation. (NT) One of the vehicles destroyed by the agitators Cops unable to control the surging crowd ............................................................. Those who call the people of North Kanara as "OUTSIDERS" cannot be BHARATIYA or proud of the pre-Portuguese culture of the Konkan because Banavasi, in N.K., was the capital of the Kadamba dynasty that ruled over a major part of Goa-Goppakapatna and it is still very much part of Bharat vansh. Goa, on the other hand, is the creation of the Estado da India Portuguesa which the BJP claims to hate but tacitly acknowledges as right. Those who come from families of the "cheddu' and 'devadasi' may find nothing wrong in such dichotomy. Their lives are full of dichotomy. In fact, one may say dichotomy is their life. It is interesting to note the composition of the BJP "FACT FINDING COMMITTEE " 'Rioter' Adv.Francis D'Souza "Babush" of the Hotel Mandarin stoning fame [Case still under investigation. He is out on personal bond/bail]. 'Satra-Attra-kar' Adv.Vishwas Satarkar of the infamous Filipe Neri Rodrigues episode including forgery of document [Two of his brothers-in-arms just missed jail after their bail was cancelled by the Court. His brother, Vilas Satarkar, was an accused in the great 'Fontainhas Vandalisation' case that was "A finalled" and then ressurected] and the not-too-famous Laxmikant Parsekar involved in petty manipulations in his home ground. The only good thing about them is that they have "graduated" from college before joining the Streetfighters' Academy of Rightist Wrongs. I do not know if Rajendra Arlekar reached that far. He will read their report. the conclusions can be written even today. Perhaps, they have already been written the day before yesterday. Viva Goa. Miguel