Ten things that 'Goa' achieved with the block on Da Vinci Code: * Given back legitimacy to Churchill Alemao, together with "leadership" of the Catholic community. Thanks also to our media that has been alternatively been converting him from a Konkani hero to the "godfather general of goons" to a potential advertiser.
* Given groups like the BJP, RSS etc -- which have their own, unabashed kind of votebank politics -- a chance to talk about 'pandering' of the minorities, when in reality, only the most non-essential issues are ever tackled. * Given the Congress a chance to score brownie points in its hardly credible and definitely unhelpful continual attempts at we-show-we-are-on-your-side votebank politics. * Given a clear chance to ensure that the illiberal, intolerant, paranoid voice within the Catholic community comes to the top, by its more-popish-than-the-Pope kind of politics. * Pushed real issues on the backburner. So be happy with the Da Vinci lollypop, and forget about concerns affecting the community -- avenues for government employment, lopsided police recruitment, hate-campaigns via sections of the media against minorities in general, bottlenecking in terms of permissing to open new educational institutions and courses. * Made it easier for secularism to take a back-seat in Goa. Da Vinci will be the benchmark in future, for all similar controversies. * Tightened conservative control over the Goa Church. * Further cemented the unholy alliance of religion-business-politics in building a "winning" combination over this issue. * Furthered the politics (and media- ) driven needless polarisation of Goan society. * Taken away attention from more this-worldly issues that Goa suffers from: the lack of good governance, corruption, accountability in public life, infrastructure, the decline in public healthcare and failure of Goa to keep up with its south Indian neighbours on the education front. Your comments, feedback and responses are welcome. FN -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Frederick 'FN' Noronha | Yahoomessenger: fredericknoronha http://fn.goa-india.org | [EMAIL PROTECTED] Independent Journalist | +91(832)2409490 Cell 9822122436 _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)