The Accidental Activist - How to start a protest – Part II
By Venita Coelho
There are only two things that politicians take heed of. One is bad press, the other are crowds. When you have an issue that needs action you need to work out two strategies simultaneously. One to get lots of press attention. The other to build critical mass. It is not enough to have one press conference – you need to network with the press, make them see your point of view, co-ordinate so that a series of follow up articles keeps the matter alive. If you can manage to get into the national press then you will really get our netas to sit up and take notice. Dedicate one person who is articulate and persistent to be your press liason. Her number will have to be on day and night. Get the simple things correct – press releases in both English and Konkani, always sent out to the right contact person, before 4:00 p.m. if you want them carried the next day.Make a special effort to get coverage from the non English dailies. These are what the majority of Goa reads.
To keep the issue on the boil you need a series of ‘breaks’. It is well worth holding back dynamic information and releasing it in bits so that the story stays alive. Get known faces to speak up on your behalf. Any celebrities from your area? Get them to pitch in and do their bit. All is fair when you are fighting for column space.
As your issue begins to get press coverage, start planning how to mobilize more support. First look for support near to home – associations in the nearby villages, other action committees and consumer groups. Make sure you network with other activists and Goa wide groups. You will get the benefit of both numbers and their experience.
An important weapon is a public rally.But NEVER decide to call a morcha unless you are sure of the numbers. And numbers in Goa are extremely difficult to get. If you call a public protest and end up with a couple of hundred people,that is the end of officialdom taking you seriously. If you manage to gather a couple of thousand they will sit up. And if, like a recent protest, you manage to get five thousand people on the road and shut down all of Panjim, you can be sure your demands will be met. But this will not happen unless you network with other NGO’s in the field, have a dedicated bank of volunteers drumming up support, and provide money for buses to truck people in from elsewhere. Launching a public protest can be a huge logistic exercise. Far better to innovate and come up with methods of protest that leverage minimum effort with maximum mileage. Who says you can’t get creative with protesting? The Protest by Picnic organized by GBA on Vainguinim beach was one of the most delightful ways to protestthought up in a long time. The Cidade had been treating the beach as private property for far too long. To reclaim it as public space, GBA threw a picnic and everyone was invited!
Forget the tried and tested route of flexing muscles at large rallies. Go in for something crazier- that the establishment will also have no idea how to tackle, and which will grab you lots of press.
Meanwhile the real slog will go on. Make sure you have a dedicated band that is following up onRTI applications and other government permissions.I always thought that speaking directly to those responsible for handing out permissions was a waste of time. But I was proved wrong. Visit the Chief Town Planner often enough, and with press in tow, and he will eventually have to take action of some sort. Support will come from unexpected places within the government. In one case the Forest department chose to take umbrage that a powerful builder had cut trees without their permission. They ordered an Inspection and a subsequentStop Work notice. So don’t ignore this route. Meet those on the official side. Sometimesinstead of a stuffed government shirt you will encounter a human being who is genuinely trying to do his job. It always leaves me hopeful.
By now the individual back lash will have started. You can expect notices from the panchayat, cases filed against you at the police station and stones thrown at your house at night. These are all tactics of intimidation, and it amazes me how little it takes to scare people. A couple of stones rattle against the roof and suddenly all the supporters vanish. You’re there to fight, correct? Then fight. Go and register counter cases at the police station. Hire a damn good lawyer. Take them on head on. It always neutralizes them. One activist who got a demolition notice for a perfectly legal garage merely shrugged and said‘ Okay I’ll demolish my garage even though it is legal – so now what are you going to do?’ That left them stumped. It is important to make them realise that you are not a pushover who will run at the first sign of trouble.Let them know that you are a yodha and this is going to be a real battle. Make sure you keep the press in the loop. Press coverage is good protection.
Sounding more complex than you bargained for? The most important things in life are always got at a high cost. But the cost of not fighting for them is even higher.You got started because you were angry. Keep the anger going. Keep the fight going. (continues)
Part I of this article can be found at:
http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2010-January/188157.html
====================================
First published in the Herald, Goa - January 12, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Art Exhibition: Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal
This short essay was written to commemorate the opening of Amchem Sobit Daiz, an exhibition of artworks dedicated to her forefathers by Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal.
Amchem Sobit Daiz is among the most significant art exhibitions ever to take place in Goa. With this historic suite of artworks, drawn deep from the wellsprings of our culture, Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal makes a compelling case to be ranked alongside the very greatest of our artists. These soulful, joyous images of Goa belong with the best work by Laxman Pai, Francis Newton Souza, Angelo Fonseca and other Goans who have constituted what Ranjit Hoskote has called “an invisible river”, enlivening and influencing the trajectory of Indian art for more than a century.
Born in 1968, Sonia belongs to the last generation of artists that came of age when it was nearly impossible for any young Indian to conceive of making a living from art, the entire subcontinent was home to less a handful of decent galleries, and there was very little interest in contemporary art. As a result of these conditions, Sonia’s is a generation of artists that is distinguished by the trait of persistence – they believed in their work when no one else was there to support it, they laboured in critical and curatorial isolation and struggled to find sales.
All this is particularly true for Sonia and her peers among the young artists of Goa, about whom Hoskote has said “the lack of a context has left them afloat in a void of discussion.” It is a vexing situation that has now persisted for generations. Goa keeps producing some of the best and most promising artists in the country but very few ever receive substantial commercial or critical rewards. Here, we need to acknowledge the ongoing failure of the critical establishment in India to understand the nature of the differences in Goa’s history which have set it apart for centuries, even while it simultaneously fed and shaped the modern cultural expression of India via a long series of pathbreaking individuals.
No Goan can ignore the multiple religious and cultural identities that compete, dialogue and mingle in her own self, and all around us. Fonseca’s sari-clad Madonnas come from this aspect of our character, as also Souza’s chalices embossed with tantric symbology. But it is precisely this profound cultural fluidity that continues to confound the canon-makers of India – Goan art undeniably has a different DNA that distinguishes it, and falls outside their pet narratives.
Unfortunately, the standard response to this difference, in the rare cases when it has been acknowledged, is to treat it as a deeply inconvenient truth. The disrespect has become a chronic condition, an institution in itself. It extends to an absurd refusal to acknowledge that something called 'Goan Art' even exists, a denial that is particularly galling when it is issued right here in Goa.
Because of all these reasons, Amchem Sobit Daiz is more than just a landmark show for Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal. It is evident that she has entered a new and mature period of her career, and that she must now be reckoned with as a major force in the cultural expression of the Goans. Her best artwork is in this suite derived from Goan culture, and Sonia's loving, perceptive soul is mirrored in each painting. But this show is also a powerful testimonial to the finest and highest traditions of what is undeniably Goan art. Taken together, these marvellous artworks make a case which cannot be ignored. In the completeness and self-confidence of these paintings and drawings, in the ambition, scale and execution of this marvellous show in a gallery as fine as in any Indian metropolis, Amchem Sobit Daiz represents a paradigm shift for the art and artists of Goa.
For this immeasurably valuable gift, conceived and presented in the timeless bhakti traditions of Goan this land, I offer my sincere gratitude, and heartiest personal congratulations to Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal.
Mog Asun Di.
Vivek Menezes
Brochure:
http://tinyurl.com/Sonia-brochure
Amchem Sobit Daiz
an historic suite of paintings
dedicated to our Goan forefathers
An exhibition by Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal
The Exhibition will be open from 11th to 23rd January 2010 between 10.30am and 7pm
Ruchika's Art Gallery
Casa del Sol, Opposite Marriott
Miramar, Panaji, Goa
www.ruchikasart.com
Amchem Sobit Daiz is among the most significant art exhibitions ever to take place in Goa. With this historic suite of artworks, drawn deep from the wellsprings of our culture, Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal makes a compelling case to be ranked alongside the very greatest of our artists. These soulful, joyous images of Goa belong with the best work by Laxman Pai, Francis Newton Souza, Angelo Fonseca and other Goans who have constituted what Ranjit Hoskote has called “an invisible river”, enlivening and influencing the trajectory of Indian art for more than a century.
Born in 1968, Sonia belongs to the last generation of artists that came of age when it was nearly impossible for any young Indian to conceive of making a living from art, the entire subcontinent was home to less a handful of decent galleries, and there was very little interest in contemporary art. As a result of these conditions, Sonia’s is a generation of artists that is distinguished by the trait of persistence – they believed in their work when no one else was there to support it, they laboured in critical and curatorial isolation and struggled to find sales.
All this is particularly true for Sonia and her peers among the young artists of Goa, about whom Hoskote has said “the lack of a context has left them afloat in a void of discussion.” It is a vexing situation that has now persisted for generations. Goa keeps producing some of the best and most promising artists in the country but very few ever receive substantial commercial or critical rewards. Here, we need to acknowledge the ongoing failure of the critical establishment in India to understand the nature of the differences in Goa’s history which have set it apart for centuries, even while it simultaneously fed and shaped the modern cultural expression of India via a long series of pathbreaking individuals.
No Goan can ignore the multiple religious and cultural identities that compete, dialogue and mingle in her own self, and all around us. Fonseca’s sari-clad Madonnas come from this aspect of our character, as also Souza’s chalices embossed with tantric symbology. But it is precisely this profound cultural fluidity that continues to confound the canon-makers of India – Goan art undeniably has a different DNA that distinguishes it, and falls outside their pet narratives.
Unfortunately, the standard response to this difference, in the rare cases when it has been acknowledged, is to treat it as a deeply inconvenient truth. The disrespect has become a chronic condition, an institution in itself. It extends to an absurd refusal to acknowledge that something called 'Goan Art' even exists, a denial that is particularly galling when it is issued right here in Goa.
Because of all these reasons, Amchem Sobit Daiz is more than just a landmark show for Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal. It is evident that she has entered a new and mature period of her career, and that she must now be reckoned with as a major force in the cultural expression of the Goans. Her best artwork is in this suite derived from Goan culture, and Sonia's loving, perceptive soul is mirrored in each painting. But this show is also a powerful testimonial to the finest and highest traditions of what is undeniably Goan art. Taken together, these marvellous artworks make a case which cannot be ignored. In the completeness and self-confidence of these paintings and drawings, in the ambition, scale and execution of this marvellous show in a gallery as fine as in any Indian metropolis, Amchem Sobit Daiz represents a paradigm shift for the art and artists of Goa.
For this immeasurably valuable gift, conceived and presented in the timeless bhakti traditions of Goan this land, I offer my sincere gratitude, and heartiest personal congratulations to Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal.
Mog Asun Di.
Vivek Menezes
Brochure:
http://tinyurl.com/Sonia-brochure
Amchem Sobit Daiz
an historic suite of paintings
dedicated to our Goan forefathers
An exhibition by Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal
The Exhibition will be open from 11th to 23rd January 2010 between 10.30am and 7pm
Ruchika's Art Gallery
Casa del Sol, Opposite Marriott
Miramar, Panaji, Goa
www.ruchikasart.com
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Accidental Activist - How to start a protest – Part I
The Accidental Activist - How to start a protest – Part I
By Venita Coelho
First you have to be very angry. Indignation won’t do. Any battle worth fighting takes a long time and your anger will have to simmer through months and maybe years. It will have to sustain you when family try to talk you out of it, neighbours quit talking to you and the panchayat sends you notices for trumped up violations. Really hopping mad? Willing to put yourself on the line? Here’s some simple advice on how you can get going.
The next step is to get the facts. You want to stop that mega project in its tracks? The public protests won’t do it, though they are vital for bringing the issue into the public eye. What will do it is some small little overlooked permission, or fact that will turn up when you get all the documents under RTI. Get someone else to file for the documents under RTI. Why set up alerts before necessary? Further, filing legal objections is often a time bound activity, counting from the day you actually got the facts in your hands.
Getting the facts out of various authorities under RTI is a complicated exercise. If there is the slightest ambiguity in the wording of your request, they will promptly send you the wrong papers, deny they have them, or Xerox every paper in the building, except the one that you want, and hand you the bill. But the key to winning the battle is right here. No facts. No case.
Take your facts to the experts. Go straight to the people who are already fighting on the ground, and use legal counsel that has already proved itself as unbuyable. Remember that crores are at stake and in Goa unfortunately, almost everyone and everything is up for sale.
If you are going to fight a long hard battle, you need an army. First mobilize all those who are going to be affected by what you are protesting. Start with your village. A good way is to do a simple flyer ( in English and Konkani). Rope in some youngsters to deliver it doorstep to doorstep – always on a Sunday. Then hold corner meetings at the various vaddos, explaining the facts. Follow up the flyer with an awareness meeting.
You need a name, a working base and a face before you go public – launch an Action Committee. Never ignore the existing clubs/committees/consumer forums etc in your area. Speak personally to every single one and get their support. If you leave them out, you can be garunteed an outbreak of politics the minute the issue hits the headlines. Get a spokesperson who can speak both English and Konkani fluently. Make sure he/she knows the facts backwards. Get two convenors in case one is ever out of town, or compromised. Make sure you have at least four people who will not buckle no matter what the pressure. One of these better be a good organizer, quick with to do lists, and inexorable with follow up. Take a little internal donation so that you have some working capital.
Tackle the Panchayat. Make sure you are clear about the Panchayats role having got all the correspondence from the files. Confront them in writing. Documentation of every step is the key here. When it all ends up in court you will be grateful for every single scrap of paper that you have that traces the process. Get them to commit on paper the permissions they did or did not give. Don’t expect much. Projects worth crores, or violations that make money for people in high places, aren’t ever innocently passed by the panchayat. If you can get a couple of panchayat members on your side that is a bonanza.
At your awareness meeting you can expect your first reprisal. Along with curious villagers, there will be spies in attendance, and, possibly, rowdies paid to disrupt the event. Be ready to have a timely powercut disrupt the proceedings. Make sure you have informed the police in writing of the meeting and the loudspeaker permission is in place. Pulling the plug on you is a simple matter for the authorities if you haven’t already covered every single base.
Pull every favour to ensure that some press is present. This will protect you.
Make sure you have some heavy duty names speaking. Get respected activists who bring their moral authority to the issue that you are tackling. Go and meet each of them personally with the facts be. Don’t be afraid. They have spent years trying to save Goa. They always welcome one more fighter to the fold. Make sure the awareness meeting alerts the villagers on how the issue will affect each of them personally. Will it ruin their water supply? Change the population of the village so they are outnumbered? Dump sewage into their fields? People respond to personal threat. (continues)
====================================================
First published in the Herald, Goa - January 5, 2010
By Venita Coelho
First you have to be very angry. Indignation won’t do. Any battle worth fighting takes a long time and your anger will have to simmer through months and maybe years. It will have to sustain you when family try to talk you out of it, neighbours quit talking to you and the panchayat sends you notices for trumped up violations. Really hopping mad? Willing to put yourself on the line? Here’s some simple advice on how you can get going.
The next step is to get the facts. You want to stop that mega project in its tracks? The public protests won’t do it, though they are vital for bringing the issue into the public eye. What will do it is some small little overlooked permission, or fact that will turn up when you get all the documents under RTI. Get someone else to file for the documents under RTI. Why set up alerts before necessary? Further, filing legal objections is often a time bound activity, counting from the day you actually got the facts in your hands.
Getting the facts out of various authorities under RTI is a complicated exercise. If there is the slightest ambiguity in the wording of your request, they will promptly send you the wrong papers, deny they have them, or Xerox every paper in the building, except the one that you want, and hand you the bill. But the key to winning the battle is right here. No facts. No case.
Take your facts to the experts. Go straight to the people who are already fighting on the ground, and use legal counsel that has already proved itself as unbuyable. Remember that crores are at stake and in Goa unfortunately, almost everyone and everything is up for sale.
If you are going to fight a long hard battle, you need an army. First mobilize all those who are going to be affected by what you are protesting. Start with your village. A good way is to do a simple flyer ( in English and Konkani). Rope in some youngsters to deliver it doorstep to doorstep – always on a Sunday. Then hold corner meetings at the various vaddos, explaining the facts. Follow up the flyer with an awareness meeting.
You need a name, a working base and a face before you go public – launch an Action Committee. Never ignore the existing clubs/committees/consumer forums etc in your area. Speak personally to every single one and get their support. If you leave them out, you can be garunteed an outbreak of politics the minute the issue hits the headlines. Get a spokesperson who can speak both English and Konkani fluently. Make sure he/she knows the facts backwards. Get two convenors in case one is ever out of town, or compromised. Make sure you have at least four people who will not buckle no matter what the pressure. One of these better be a good organizer, quick with to do lists, and inexorable with follow up. Take a little internal donation so that you have some working capital.
Tackle the Panchayat. Make sure you are clear about the Panchayats role having got all the correspondence from the files. Confront them in writing. Documentation of every step is the key here. When it all ends up in court you will be grateful for every single scrap of paper that you have that traces the process. Get them to commit on paper the permissions they did or did not give. Don’t expect much. Projects worth crores, or violations that make money for people in high places, aren’t ever innocently passed by the panchayat. If you can get a couple of panchayat members on your side that is a bonanza.
At your awareness meeting you can expect your first reprisal. Along with curious villagers, there will be spies in attendance, and, possibly, rowdies paid to disrupt the event. Be ready to have a timely powercut disrupt the proceedings. Make sure you have informed the police in writing of the meeting and the loudspeaker permission is in place. Pulling the plug on you is a simple matter for the authorities if you haven’t already covered every single base.
Pull every favour to ensure that some press is present. This will protect you.
Make sure you have some heavy duty names speaking. Get respected activists who bring their moral authority to the issue that you are tackling. Go and meet each of them personally with the facts be. Don’t be afraid. They have spent years trying to save Goa. They always welcome one more fighter to the fold. Make sure the awareness meeting alerts the villagers on how the issue will affect each of them personally. Will it ruin their water supply? Change the population of the village so they are outnumbered? Dump sewage into their fields? People respond to personal threat. (continues)
====================================================
First published in the Herald, Goa - January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Goanet Highlights (Jan 4, 2010)
Goanet Highlights (Jan 4, 2010)
By Selma Carvalho
There is an old Greek myth that when the Goddess Demeter had her daughter, Persephone, abducted by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, Demeter travelled to Hell itself to get her daughter back. No parent should ever have to bury their own child and no words can take away the pain the death of a child can bring. Dr Francisco Colaco has channeled his grief into a song and in sharing his grief he has given us Goans a timeless moment of pure artistic magic. Click here for the song. Read more...
Nandkumar Kamat shares his concerns about Goa’s disappearing fireflies, a sure sign that we are steadily upsetting Goa’s ecological balance and destroying its biodiversity. Read more...
Selma Carvalho takes a snapshot of Goa 2009 in her weekly column. Read more...
A collection of Alexyz cartoons that were published in local Goan newspapers in 2009. Read more...
A topic this week which gave rise to contradictory views was the release of a controversial CD tape, allegedly defaming a Catholic priest and a Minister. As a result of hurt sensibilities, some villagers in Colva imposed a bandh and attacked the house of the man who had made the CD. This case has very serious repercussions and brings to the fore questions about the role of the police and religious sensibilities in a secular democracy. The right of freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct in a democracy. Cases of defamation are a civic matter and have to be decided upon by a responsible judge. The role of the police is only to uphold the law and provide protection to victims of violence. It is not to subvert the law according to the whims of a mob. Once again we see an unhealthy nexus between religion, police and polity acting in concert to make a mockery of democracy. Here are some of the views expressed.
Augusto Pinto: Read more...
Venantius Pinto: Read more...
Jesus Fernandes: Read more...
Peter Fernandes: Read more...
Rajan Parrikar provides us a wonderful picture of Ganesha of Khandola, Goa. Read more...
Carmen Miranda, based in London, has taken on the challenge of Goa’s environmental conservation. In an article which appeared on the Herald, she asks Goans “what are we waiting for?” Read more...
Antonia Gomes is about to release his debut novel titled, The Sting of Peppercorns. Doctor Basilio Monteiro writes us a review of the book, set in colonial Goa. Read more...
A poignant poem by H.O Nazareth, titled The Villagers. Read more...
Anthony, or Tony as he was known, de Mello, was one of the most influential personalities of the 1980s and indeed his book, Prayer of the Frog, was my constant companion. In keeping with the rich traditions of Jesuits, De Mello made one think about spirituality at a level which transcends religion. Here is more about this fascinating personality. Read more...
Tomazinho Cardozo writes a short biography of the tiatrist Lucazinho Ribeiro, who perhaps can rightly be called the father of Goan tiatre. Read more...
Lino Dourado brought us his Aitaracheo Katkutleo: Ailem Tum? Read more...
Father Ivo shares his views on abortion. Read more...
Doctor Santosh Helekar gives a rebuttal. Read more...
To Subscribe to Goanet click here
Goanet - where Goans Connect
By Selma Carvalho
There is an old Greek myth that when the Goddess Demeter had her daughter, Persephone, abducted by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, Demeter travelled to Hell itself to get her daughter back. No parent should ever have to bury their own child and no words can take away the pain the death of a child can bring. Dr Francisco Colaco has channeled his grief into a song and in sharing his grief he has given us Goans a timeless moment of pure artistic magic. Click here for the song. Read more...
Nandkumar Kamat shares his concerns about Goa’s disappearing fireflies, a sure sign that we are steadily upsetting Goa’s ecological balance and destroying its biodiversity. Read more...
Selma Carvalho takes a snapshot of Goa 2009 in her weekly column. Read more...
A collection of Alexyz cartoons that were published in local Goan newspapers in 2009. Read more...
A topic this week which gave rise to contradictory views was the release of a controversial CD tape, allegedly defaming a Catholic priest and a Minister. As a result of hurt sensibilities, some villagers in Colva imposed a bandh and attacked the house of the man who had made the CD. This case has very serious repercussions and brings to the fore questions about the role of the police and religious sensibilities in a secular democracy. The right of freedom of speech and expression is sacrosanct in a democracy. Cases of defamation are a civic matter and have to be decided upon by a responsible judge. The role of the police is only to uphold the law and provide protection to victims of violence. It is not to subvert the law according to the whims of a mob. Once again we see an unhealthy nexus between religion, police and polity acting in concert to make a mockery of democracy. Here are some of the views expressed.
Augusto Pinto: Read more...
Venantius Pinto: Read more...
Jesus Fernandes: Read more...
Peter Fernandes: Read more...
Rajan Parrikar provides us a wonderful picture of Ganesha of Khandola, Goa. Read more...
Carmen Miranda, based in London, has taken on the challenge of Goa’s environmental conservation. In an article which appeared on the Herald, she asks Goans “what are we waiting for?” Read more...
Antonia Gomes is about to release his debut novel titled, The Sting of Peppercorns. Doctor Basilio Monteiro writes us a review of the book, set in colonial Goa. Read more...
A poignant poem by H.O Nazareth, titled The Villagers. Read more...
Anthony, or Tony as he was known, de Mello, was one of the most influential personalities of the 1980s and indeed his book, Prayer of the Frog, was my constant companion. In keeping with the rich traditions of Jesuits, De Mello made one think about spirituality at a level which transcends religion. Here is more about this fascinating personality. Read more...
Tomazinho Cardozo writes a short biography of the tiatrist Lucazinho Ribeiro, who perhaps can rightly be called the father of Goan tiatre. Read more...
Lino Dourado brought us his Aitaracheo Katkutleo: Ailem Tum? Read more...
Father Ivo shares his views on abortion. Read more...
Doctor Santosh Helekar gives a rebuttal. Read more...
To Subscribe to Goanet click here
Goanet - where Goans Connect
Sunday, January 3, 2010
FOOTLOOSE: An ode to Colva
An ode to Colva
By Derek Almeida
The brand of Christianity practiced in Colva is not for the meek and the kind. It is for the tough and the ruthless. The chaps who can throw stones and torch gaddas and then go for confession and wipe the slate clean.
So I decided to compose a poem in honour of the Colva Parish Council who recently celebrated Christmas by pelting stones on the residence of their neighbour.
If you happen to be the type
who beats his chest at night and says,
‘Father forgive them for they
know not what they do’
Colva is not the place for you.
Ever heard of the man called Jesus?
He said to turn the other cheek.
I love this law, I love this teaching,
But in Colva they prefer to do the slapping
They are willing to cast the first stone.
They are willing to break the first bone
Just name the chap, point to his place
And they’ll work wonders with his face.
We believe in forgiveness
We know love is strong
But on that Monday afternoon
They did what was wrong
PI Edwin, he is a great dude
He never made a sound, he made them feel good
And when it was time to stone the tiles
Good Edwin was far, far away by miles
Every morning for church they depart,
To receive His grace with humble heart.
And to God in heaven they firmly pray,
To please take Calvert Gonsalves away.
In high respect they hold Diogo father,
And believe not that he met a mother.
For him they will fight and set afire,
That he may enjoy to his heart’s desire.
And what can we say about our CM?
Who carefully ignored all this mayhem
He knows how to close his eyes and avoid the sight,
of Colva parishioners having a fight
Oh church leaders why do you not act?
Are we to believe that there is a pact.
To protect Fr Diogo and the council’s fair name,
And leave the rest of us to hide in shame.
For violence Jesus said, is not a game,
To play and play in his dear name.
Dear church leaders it is no sin
To curb the deadly rot within.
Someday when time has passed us by,
We will look back with cautious eye.
And then, let it not be said
That our dear church leaders, our guiding light
Failed to stand by what was right.
And for Calvert we have something to say,
It would be better if you are kept at bay.
If you want to sing, dance and make merry
Take trip to Antarctica on a one-way ferry.
(ENDS)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First published in the Gomantak Times (Weekender), Goa - January 3, 2010
By Derek Almeida
The brand of Christianity practiced in Colva is not for the meek and the kind. It is for the tough and the ruthless. The chaps who can throw stones and torch gaddas and then go for confession and wipe the slate clean.
So I decided to compose a poem in honour of the Colva Parish Council who recently celebrated Christmas by pelting stones on the residence of their neighbour.
If you happen to be the type
who beats his chest at night and says,
‘Father forgive them for they
know not what they do’
Colva is not the place for you.
Ever heard of the man called Jesus?
He said to turn the other cheek.
I love this law, I love this teaching,
But in Colva they prefer to do the slapping
They are willing to cast the first stone.
They are willing to break the first bone
Just name the chap, point to his place
And they’ll work wonders with his face.
We believe in forgiveness
We know love is strong
But on that Monday afternoon
They did what was wrong
PI Edwin, he is a great dude
He never made a sound, he made them feel good
And when it was time to stone the tiles
Good Edwin was far, far away by miles
Every morning for church they depart,
To receive His grace with humble heart.
And to God in heaven they firmly pray,
To please take Calvert Gonsalves away.
In high respect they hold Diogo father,
And believe not that he met a mother.
For him they will fight and set afire,
That he may enjoy to his heart’s desire.
And what can we say about our CM?
Who carefully ignored all this mayhem
He knows how to close his eyes and avoid the sight,
of Colva parishioners having a fight
Oh church leaders why do you not act?
Are we to believe that there is a pact.
To protect Fr Diogo and the council’s fair name,
And leave the rest of us to hide in shame.
For violence Jesus said, is not a game,
To play and play in his dear name.
Dear church leaders it is no sin
To curb the deadly rot within.
Someday when time has passed us by,
We will look back with cautious eye.
And then, let it not be said
That our dear church leaders, our guiding light
Failed to stand by what was right.
And for Calvert we have something to say,
It would be better if you are kept at bay.
If you want to sing, dance and make merry
Take trip to Antarctica on a one-way ferry.
(ENDS)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First published in the Gomantak Times (Weekender), Goa - January 3, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
StyleSpeak: New Decade Resolutions
StyleSpeak: New Decade Resolutions
By Wendell Rodricks
In the pale light of the new decade, Goans will be delighted if a few resolutions are in place to make our lives and the state of Goa a better place to be. And a safer one too. Talking of safety and security, how about Resolution number One.
It would be music to our ears if the Goa Police pulled up its socks and declared “We will not lie, cover up and mislead the Goan people, the nation and international citizens”. As a fashion designer I am embarrassed to be asked after a fashion show by the media about what I think of the Goa Police covering up a rape, murder or video recording of the cadre having sex with a prostitute. Why should any Goan stand up for an obviously undisciplined police force which needs to be put in order? When television stations were chasing me to go live on the evening news explaining the safety of Goa I had half a mind to say “Yes, Goa is unsafe. Please do not holiday here. Let the decline of Goan tourism begin”. Instead it would be better if the Goa police took a New Years resolution to get their act in order and give us what we pay taxes for: Safety and Security.
In the Russian roulette of ministers, I have forgotten who is in charge of which ministry. But whoever is holding the key to the garbage problem should resign this New Year if he or she cannot resolve the issue. For ten years now, we have been screaming hoarse about garbage and there is no plan in place to handle the miniscule amount of garbage spewed by 1.3 million people. Instead of leading the way to show India how we can “do it”, we have become Exhibit ‘A’ for the garbage problem in the country. It is in our fields, villages, stinking cities, murky rivers and now, quite literally, blowing in the wind we breathe.
We pay taxes for many services that are denied to us. Like electricity and proper roads. Instead of taking up these basic issues, we hear talk of a “sea link” between Dona Paula and Vasco. Can the Chief Minister please resolve not to even think of this money gobbling nightmare? Parrikar has been shamed by the concrete pillars of the so called Sky Train. Please! Let’s forget all this talk of a Sea Link. Take care of our garbage, roads and power first.
The most shameful part of the past decade has been the passing of the dreaded Ordinance to save one private hotel’s ego. While everyone places the blame on the Chief Minister, the truth is that not a single MLA opposed this power playing move. Not only was it a disgrace to the justice and legal administrators of this country, it was a gross abuse of the common man. That the government can condone and over rule the interest of Goan justice in one devastating blow is Goa’s shame.
On the other hand one must give credit to two controversial MLA’s in Goa. Love him or loathe him, but Babush Monseratte’s Taleigao is Goa’s best maintained, most beautiful constituency. Each time, one drives through the wide roads, picket lined, clean, green Taleigao, one must give it to Monseratte for a job well done.
As is Vishwajit Rane. The new medical facilities are worthy of standing alongside the best in the world.
Which goes to prove that when Ministers resolve to deliver, the public do not care whatever payoffs they may enjoy.
Someone at IFFI needs to take a similar resolve this 2010. Make the ESG (Entertainment Society of Goa) a truly democratic authority with no private, vested interests. Put people in place where there is more direction and focus. Each year, I hear criticisms from famous film personalities who bemoan the mess and the waste of a multi crore budget. How can one not have a problem when most people on the ESG have no clue about films? More keen to direct revenue to their own businesses, IFFI should disband the ESG and start afresh. It is only then that we can believe the “as good as Cannes” line we hear each year.
When Shrinivas Dempo sold his mines last year, it sent shockwaves in the mining industry. But Dempo himself is a serene man now; blissfully content and looking ten years younger at the weight of mining lifted off his shoulder. Maybe the CM, the Police and vested Ministers can take a clue from Dempo’s smile and resolve to stop illegal mines and ruining the face of some truly legal mining families in Goa.
It took under a decade for Goa to loose one of its best and most lucrative beach. Candolim beach does not exist any more. All the hotels and homes on that belt should join together and resolve to solve this situation. The dreaded River Princess just has to go. We do not need to take another decade over the matter.
And finally, all of us Goans need to make some resolutions for our beloved Goa. Instead of obsessing about matters as insane as the infidelity of the Tiger Woods, we need to stop becoming spectators of the decay, the mundane, the banal and the macabre. We all need to resolve this 2010 to work for a better Goa In the next decade. A happy, healthy, uncorrupt, safe, garbage free, power uninterrupted, social amenity worthy, progressive Goa this 2010! (ENDS)
===========================================
First published in Goa Today - January 2010
By Wendell Rodricks
In the pale light of the new decade, Goans will be delighted if a few resolutions are in place to make our lives and the state of Goa a better place to be. And a safer one too. Talking of safety and security, how about Resolution number One.
It would be music to our ears if the Goa Police pulled up its socks and declared “We will not lie, cover up and mislead the Goan people, the nation and international citizens”. As a fashion designer I am embarrassed to be asked after a fashion show by the media about what I think of the Goa Police covering up a rape, murder or video recording of the cadre having sex with a prostitute. Why should any Goan stand up for an obviously undisciplined police force which needs to be put in order? When television stations were chasing me to go live on the evening news explaining the safety of Goa I had half a mind to say “Yes, Goa is unsafe. Please do not holiday here. Let the decline of Goan tourism begin”. Instead it would be better if the Goa police took a New Years resolution to get their act in order and give us what we pay taxes for: Safety and Security.
In the Russian roulette of ministers, I have forgotten who is in charge of which ministry. But whoever is holding the key to the garbage problem should resign this New Year if he or she cannot resolve the issue. For ten years now, we have been screaming hoarse about garbage and there is no plan in place to handle the miniscule amount of garbage spewed by 1.3 million people. Instead of leading the way to show India how we can “do it”, we have become Exhibit ‘A’ for the garbage problem in the country. It is in our fields, villages, stinking cities, murky rivers and now, quite literally, blowing in the wind we breathe.
We pay taxes for many services that are denied to us. Like electricity and proper roads. Instead of taking up these basic issues, we hear talk of a “sea link” between Dona Paula and Vasco. Can the Chief Minister please resolve not to even think of this money gobbling nightmare? Parrikar has been shamed by the concrete pillars of the so called Sky Train. Please! Let’s forget all this talk of a Sea Link. Take care of our garbage, roads and power first.
The most shameful part of the past decade has been the passing of the dreaded Ordinance to save one private hotel’s ego. While everyone places the blame on the Chief Minister, the truth is that not a single MLA opposed this power playing move. Not only was it a disgrace to the justice and legal administrators of this country, it was a gross abuse of the common man. That the government can condone and over rule the interest of Goan justice in one devastating blow is Goa’s shame.
On the other hand one must give credit to two controversial MLA’s in Goa. Love him or loathe him, but Babush Monseratte’s Taleigao is Goa’s best maintained, most beautiful constituency. Each time, one drives through the wide roads, picket lined, clean, green Taleigao, one must give it to Monseratte for a job well done.
As is Vishwajit Rane. The new medical facilities are worthy of standing alongside the best in the world.
Which goes to prove that when Ministers resolve to deliver, the public do not care whatever payoffs they may enjoy.
Someone at IFFI needs to take a similar resolve this 2010. Make the ESG (Entertainment Society of Goa) a truly democratic authority with no private, vested interests. Put people in place where there is more direction and focus. Each year, I hear criticisms from famous film personalities who bemoan the mess and the waste of a multi crore budget. How can one not have a problem when most people on the ESG have no clue about films? More keen to direct revenue to their own businesses, IFFI should disband the ESG and start afresh. It is only then that we can believe the “as good as Cannes” line we hear each year.
When Shrinivas Dempo sold his mines last year, it sent shockwaves in the mining industry. But Dempo himself is a serene man now; blissfully content and looking ten years younger at the weight of mining lifted off his shoulder. Maybe the CM, the Police and vested Ministers can take a clue from Dempo’s smile and resolve to stop illegal mines and ruining the face of some truly legal mining families in Goa.
It took under a decade for Goa to loose one of its best and most lucrative beach. Candolim beach does not exist any more. All the hotels and homes on that belt should join together and resolve to solve this situation. The dreaded River Princess just has to go. We do not need to take another decade over the matter.
And finally, all of us Goans need to make some resolutions for our beloved Goa. Instead of obsessing about matters as insane as the infidelity of the Tiger Woods, we need to stop becoming spectators of the decay, the mundane, the banal and the macabre. We all need to resolve this 2010 to work for a better Goa In the next decade. A happy, healthy, uncorrupt, safe, garbage free, power uninterrupted, social amenity worthy, progressive Goa this 2010! (ENDS)
===========================================
First published in Goa Today - January 2010
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