Lusofonia Games - Goa 2013

Lusofonia Games to be held in Goa

Goa is gearing up to host an international sporting event. The games are scheduled for 2013. The new government in Goa has put things on a fast forward mode to meet deadlines.

Lusofonia Games (Lusofony Games) is a multinational sporting event that brings together many nations with something in common. It brings together athletes of the Lusofone (Portuguese speaking) countries or those places that have a common past with Portugal.

The founding members of the games are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe. India along with Equatorial Guinea and Sri Lanka are associate members. The event is conceptualised on the lines of the Commonwealth Games.

In 2009, Goa was appointed hosts for the 2013 edition. The high ranking delegation of sports administrators of the state which was led by the then sports minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar and which included the chief secretary, government secretary (sports) the director of sports, chief of the Goa Olympic Association and the executive director of the Sports Authority of Goa stamped their approval on Goa being the next host of this international sporting event.

The national games were to be held in Goa in 2011. Banking on the assumption that infrastructure would be up for this event, the commitment for the Lusofonia Games was made. However, the Kerala edition of the national games has still not been held. Thus the Goa event has been postponed indefinitely. Thus the infrastructure at Goa was also not taken up on with any urgency. This has caused a few concerns about the hosting of the international event, Lusofonia Games in 2013.

In March 2012, a new BJP-led government has taken over the reins of governing Goa. The chief minister Manohar Parrikar has taken some timely decisions to ensure that the commitment to host the games will be honoured. The first step was to appointment one of the most efficient officers of the Goa administration, Elvis Gomes, as the executive director of the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) which is the nodal agency appointed by the government to coordinate the hosting of the games.

Elvis Gomes seems very confident about hosting the games despite having to almost start building the infrastructure from scratch. “There are so many solutions available today that it is possible to get the infrastructure ready in the specified time,” he says. For a start ACOLOP (Associação dos Comités Olímpicos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa), which is the ssociation of the Portuguese speaking Olympic committees, has decided to scale down the event to include only nine disciplines. These include soccer, volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, athletics, taekwondo, judo and the new introduction in wushu.  Futesal initially did not find a place in the line-up. But it may get included because of its popularity.

“Our deadline to complete all work and prepare the infrastructure in all respects is July 7, 2013. This is the day when ACOLOP will meet in Lisbon and we are required to present our status report on our preparedness,” reveals Elvis. At this meeting it will be decided if the games will go ahead at Goa or not. Goa has to show adequate preparedness by this date.

Some urgent steps have been taken to ensure that this deadline is met. First off, a separate technical cell of engineering has been constituted and a separate games secretariat to be called Lusofonia Games Secretariat is to be established soon.  Two sites have been finailised to host the athletics and indoor events.  One is at Bambolim and the other is at Pedem.  Babbolim will probably be finalised as the games track while the Pedem structure will be the practice track. This decision is influenced by post-games usage of the facility. Goa University being very close to the site at Bambolim, it is most viable to have the regular track there as it can be used by the University in the future.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Fatorda is going to undergo a major face-lift. A budget of around 82 crore rupees,which may need to be further reviesed, has been set aside for this major renovation.

The role of the SAG in these games is manifold and crucial. As Elvis explains: “Our role is to facilitate the appointment of committees for the event. There will be working committees and the games organizing committee. We will provide them with logistic support on behalf of the government, to organize the games.”

The question of the games happening in Goa eventually now seems to be a foregone conclusion with Elvis reiterating, “The games will happen. We can’t look back because this is an international commitment.” The government is obliged to honour this commitment despite the change in government.

“With the past experience of the chief minster Manohar Parrikar with regards to development, especially with structures like the Inox multiplex and the crucial Patto Bridge in the capital, all done in six months, it is a real possibility that this will happen. ACOLOP has also pinned their hopes entirely on the chief minster,” states Elvis, who is also the senior vice-president of the Goa Football Associaion (GFA). He also adds, “With the responsibility of the games entrusted to me by the chief minister, I cannot let him down!”

Some great sporting personalities are expected to be part of this extravaganza. Brazil and Portugal will be the main attractions as also some superstars of the sporting world. Goa could even see the likes of Ronaldo on the soccer field. Everyone in Goa is awaiting the event with bated breath.

Politics and Medium of Instruction - Such a Mess Created by our CM dearest

Of Politics, Statistics and Medium of Instruction

‘Podon Ghelo Podon Ghelo, Digambar Podon Ghelo!’ These were the chants that rent the air when the parents went over to the Chief Minister’s residence at Margao to try and get answers on issue of English as medium of instruction. What we did see, though, is his now traditional vanishing act. ‘Podon ghelo’,surely because he had no answers.

But there is one interesting story that is doing the rounds. Who is Mr Pawar? There is a gentleman who works at a high position in the department of education, we hear, who decides everything. reportedly a henchman of the CM, he has final say in every matter pertaining to education. He even does not have any regard for his present boss, the Education Minister. He is really the defacto director of education with the present incumbent just a figure-head. Of course he is tipped to be the next Director and rules have been amended to suit him, we hear. When it comes to the Director, her tenure is best described in the words on the CM spoken to some people some while ago: “I have inherited her!”

The statistics we see about the business called education growing in Goa is mind-blowing. While most of the private unaided schools that have English as medium of instruction are run by the majority community, the schools have bloomed over the years despite the notification issued in 1990 that no more permissions to start new ENGLISH MEDIUM primary schools would be issued.

The Manch that is opposing the introduction of English also as medium of instruction at primary level, is dominated by those who have stakes in these private unaided schools. Business will suffer if aided schools get a chance to include English as medium of instruction. Could Mr Bhatikar explain his stand on this issue very clearly? He surely seems to have a great stake if the demand of FORCE is fulfilled.

Well, elections are now near and Mr Digambar Kamat need not take things for granted about his victory. He has misrepresented things to the centre along with tacit support from Subhash Shirodkar, we hear. But we will surely quell this nonsense of the issue being communal. FORCE never made the issue communal. It was the so called Manch that did. Two Catholic priests, who are totally alien to the global reality, are the ones who were called upon to make this issue communal. It is a pity that they never understood the implications. It is a pity that they have not understood the need of the hour. Digu bab must take care and mind his ways or even better mend his ways. He may pay for it dearly at the hustling. We have learnt his modus operandi and will work towards ensuring that he will not get too far this time. All routes across the state, especially on the Goa-Karnataka border, will be watched for his ploys.

States like Gujarat and West Bengal have already implemented English in aided schools. It seems that only the Congress government in Goa is always afraid of educating their people. It is their great idea to keep the electorate suppressed with little or no education so that they can trample over them. This is especially true amongst the rural people. I remember some time ago when some MLAs and ministers were heard telling the people of Mopa that their children did not have to travel all the way to Dabholim to go abroad now since the airport would be close to them! There was yet another point made by these rascals to the people some years ago that they would not have to sell batatawadas outside on the streets since stalls would be arranged for them inside the airport to sell batatawadas! The people of Mopa have become very smart today and have seen through this game. I think those in favour of English as medium of instruction by choice have also seen through this game.

There is so much being said about the UN charter and education in the mother-tongue. Well that would hold mostly in cases where there is one mother-tongue right across the whole country. It would be good in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, USA and maybe even Pakistan. But with a few hundred languages spoken in India, this cannot hold true. It is a messy situation and can only cause chaos in the field of education. We have seen our children suffer because of the present policy and if the government insists on keeping to this system, we are going to see the destruction of the educational system. We have a good number of Marathi schools a few Konkani schools. There is even a Tamil medium school in Goa! Wonder how many Konkani or even Marathi medium schools exist in Tamil Nadu! This is what we call medium of instruction in mother-tongue. The government policy on this is so weird and downright unacceptable.

We have mind-boggling figures provided by the department of education. Out of the 937 government primary schools in Goa, 887 schools have Marathi as the medium of instruction and 61,270 study in them. In stark contrast, just about 67 government schools offer Konkani as the medium of instruction and 3,912 students study in them.

There are also more figures that provide food for thought. The private schools with English as medium of instruction are business houses run as Trusts by some corporate honchos. There are 315 private primary schools of which 130 are English medium primary schools with 50,272 students and most are run by the Hindu managements. There are also 46 private Marathi-medium schools with 15,512 students and again mostly owned by Hindus managements. 139 non-government Konkani-medium schools exist around Goa with an enrolled capacity of 61,256 students and 127 belong to Christian managements, six to Hindu managements, one to the Muslim community and five belong to managements with of various communities at the helm. The number also includes three Urdu medium private schools with 644 students.

This is something we need to think about. These figures tell us a story of what has brought about the formation of the Manch to protect the business interests of the Bhatikars and other families. The Manch is also out to protect the political interests of the Kakodkar clan. Shashikala Kakodkar should realize now that she is a spent force in politics. She is passed her prime and really is no more of use to the Goan electorate. It was surprising to see her among the prominent guests to celebrate Opinion Poll Day. What an irony! Can this plot get any thicker?

Parents ONLY Can Make Decision for their Children

Medium of Instruction – Only Parents should decide

It is nice to see a very positive debate developing on the subject of medium of instruction. The views are varied and the debate now seems to be raging.

But the crux of the matter is still alive. The parents know what is best for the child and the parents must have the right to decide. Who are the first educators of the child? Certainly not the educationalists. Certainly not the pre-primary teachers. The first educators of the child are the parents. The parents, therefore, have every right to decide what is best for their child.

"Why do you want to enforce the mother tongue,” is what a Supreme Court bench, that was headed by no less than the chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan, noted in a judgement passed some while ago. "English enjoys universal acceptability," the court also observed. What we need to note are the thoughts, though the words were pronounced in a slightly different context.

West Bengal has also been in the forefront as far as imparting English as medium of instruction goes. The state’s School education minister Partha De is reported to have said not so long ago: “We had to introduce English medium of instruction in the government and government-aided schools because despite good performances in the board examinations, our students fail to perform well in the competitive examinations.” A fact that Goan parents have learnt the hard way in the last two decades and a fact that we don’t want to live with anymore.

In Goa it is a well-known fact that most parents admit their children in the unaided English medium schools and let them study there only until Std IV. After that they are shifted on to prominent aided schools, in Std V, because the medium of instruction then is English everywhere. Does Marathi/Konkani as medium of instruction really help? Or is this a ploy to ensure that the business of education flourishes?

The students who study in English medium unaided schools certainly have an edge. Most ministers and other political stalwarts have verified this fact by sending their children to these schools. ‘O Heraldo’ has been in the forefront of exposing this. While the double standards have been in play since long, it is time that some realization dawned.

The issue of which language is the mother tongue and what mother tongue really means is something that can be debated endlessly with both sides making some good points to defend their point of view. Does it mean that if I speak English or Portuguese at home that I become anti-Indian? Or does it make me anti-Indian Culture? Or does it even make me anti-social or anti-national? People will speak the language that they are most comfortable with. What is the harm in that? In fact, that is what keeps families together and that is also what keeps friends together.

What the parents are asking for in Goa is something very practical. We say that English should be included as one of the approved languages for medium of instruction in primary schools. Konkani and Marathi can continue to be the other languages of instructions. We need to have the parents exercise their right to decide on this. Only they can make the best choises for their children.

The Azad Maidan and the Lohia Maidan rallies that were by the parents, of the parents and for the parents, said it all. “Actions speak louder than words; don’t be deceived by all those fancy talkers’ is what the lyrics of a famous song of yesteryear tells us. It is so true for Goa at the present time. The ‘action’ (the crowds that swarmed together at Azad Maidan and Lohia Maidan) spoke louder than any words proclaimed by anyone. The ‘fancy talkers’ are now raising their heads. We won’t be deceived. We have our focus right.

I am surprised that a forum called Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch has sprung up against English being made one of the mediums of instruction. While we do respect what our elders have to say in this regard, we do not really know what the whole idea behind this Manch really is. Those who attended their rally in Panjim were definitely not parents. They were probably activists and politicians and a few educationalists. Also, it is really appreciable that the Manch tried to show its secular colors with even two Catholic priests in its fold. We parents have nothing against the Manch and its thinking. What we say is let the grants also be extended to schools who wish to switch to English medium and let the grants to Konkani/Marathi medium school continue as before.

What we would like to tell the Manch, though, is that the times have evolved. One of the Manch members is the former education minister and former chief minister. I would like to ask her what she has done to promote Konkani as a medium of instruction. There is not even a DEd college that trains teachers to teach in Konkani. Why has this happened? Many of us do say Konkani is our mother tongue but is this not step-motherly treatment to the official language of our state! The education ministers over the years have not even considered how quality education could be imparted in Konkani. Why is this former chief/education minister now making noises along with a few individuals who are probably not in touch with reality? Why the hypocrisy? I would direct this question to the Manch and more specifically to the former minister. As a result of this, is it true that our students today are being taught by unqualified teachers?

All said and done I think we need to focus on the right to education for our children. But the right to education must take into consideration the will of the people. The right to education must take into account the will of the parents and the right to education must look into the overall betterment of education. Finally, the right to education must ensure quality education for the child so that he/she can surf the net, participate in debates and group discussions, join in any discussion and air his/her views and grow in stature with good inclusive education.

The kids face numerous problems while they think in Konkani/Marathi, translate mentally into English and then speak or write. They are then surely bound to come up with statements that can cause humiliation and ridicule. We must avoid these situations at any cost.

The call centre offers good opportunities for those passing out from college to kick-start their careers. But no call centre would like to employ youth who have an influence of their mother tongue on their English speaking. I have witnessed this personally when a friend of mine from Maharashtra made attempts in vain and got rejected at every attempt. He evolved from the Marathi medium primary school. Also on a recent visit to Delhi I leant that a young Goan singer was told by a popular band member of a rock band who also organizes events, “Goans cannot speak English.” And in yet another instance, I was asked by a corporate honcho on a visit to Mumbai, “Where are the great English speakers from Goa gone?” The time has come for us to think and contemplate on these aspects.

It is time to grow out of our small world and look at the larger globe around us. Opportunity is immense and we need to grab it with both hands. Goa was known for ‘good English speakers’ until a few years ago. We have lost out because we have lost our focus.

In a democracy we must be offered choices to choose from. English has always been accepted as an Indian language and must be one of the choices for medium of instruction at primary level. Political compulsions should not play with the quality of education and the lives of our young minds. We parents know what is best for our kids. Let the parents decide.

Medium of Instruction - The movement gains momentum

Give our children a good PRESENT

Medium of Instruction is the hot issue in today’s Goa. While parents have asserted their right to choose what is best for the child, the people in power seem to dispute this fundamental right!

Why do we need English as the medium of instruction at the primary level itself? I feel this topic has been debated for years together but no one had the courage to come forth and do something about it. The parents have now given the government a deadline. March 25 2011 is D-Day as far as this medium of instruction issue goes.

There are many concerns raised by different quarters about this issue. May we remind the Leader of the Opposition who is afraid about the fact that Konkanni may go extinct that Konkanni was trampled upon by the colonial rulers for almost 450 years, but it never disappeared. The Rajas and Rulers of those days went into oblivion and were eventually replaced by democracy, but Konkanni never died.

And speaking of democracy, how can you force something down the throats of the people? Are we talking about keeping the agendas of our political and social connections flying Mr Leader of the Opposition or are we talking about the aspirations of the people?

When we think of a technology driven world we think only of English. I have surely heard of many versions of Windows and, of course, about Facebook. But I have not yet heard about ‘Zonelam’ and ‘Tondachem Pustok’! Mind you, I have been computer literate and acquainted with computers; hardware, software, networking et al since 1987. I have been acquainted with the www since 1996. Never have I heard those terms in Konkani.

In today’s world children do not have time to learn the language after they get to Std V. They are already expected by be online downloading information for the projects. When are they going to get acquainted with English? The irony is that a child has to study on four years I Konkani/Marathi. After that it is English all the way. English is accepted as a means of correspondence in government dealings. Even legislature and parliament use English for communication. English is a well established language for communication. We can also call it a link language.

I think it is wrong to defend something wrong. This is a democracy and we must have a choice. We cannot be left with choices that suit a few groups and trusts who want to make English education a business.

It is high time English is added on to the list so that grants can also be given to English medium schools. Let every school decide which medium they want to opt for. This can be done in consultation with their respective PTAs.

When a child is educated in the Konkanni medium and then comes into society, they usually think in Konkanni and then try and translate their thoughts into English and this can give very embarrassing results. As a friend, who has studied in the Konkani medium, once said: “I busy am. I not coming to meet you. I outer outer going. Neighbour noise making near my house. He fighting with my old mother. And and want!”

Well, I guess we can read the meaning for ourselves. But since, except for four years, the rest of our lives is dominated by English as a language of communication, we must rethink our policy. We need to give our children a good live. Remember we need to do it TODAY. I strongly believe that today is a gift and that is why we call it PRESENT. Let us give our children a lovely present at the start of the academic year next year.

Medium of Instruction choice in Goa

Time for some mature thinking on Medium of Instruction

The struggle to bring back English as the medium of instruction in the primary classes has gained momentum. There are many conflicting views amongst our legislators on this aspect. But the parents are of one mind on the matter.

Surprisingly, some schools in the cities of Panjim and Margao have not bothered to make a move to support this great cause. In fact some principals feel that nothing will come out of this move. But a vast majority have pinned their hopes very high. This is simply because the freedom to choose what is best for the children by the parents supersedes all other intellectual thinking processes.

Well, if the unaided schools lobby is to be protected, then the resistance amongst the legislators would be very stiff and equivocal. But here, this being election preparation year, most of the MLAs have decided that this is a movement they cannot oppose without seeing some drastic results in the long run!

It is interesting to note the statement made by the Leader of the Opposition. He claimed he studied in the Marathi medium in the primary level. He found it very difficult to switch over and speak English in the later years. But he improved his English only by reading.

Granted, that Mr Parrikar took a lot of trouble to learn the English language and mastered it as well. But in these days of extreme pressure (the students were not pressurized much during the days Parrikar Bab was in school, I am sure), why do you want to burden these small minds with so much extra intellectual baggage? If they learn in the English medium right from the start, will they not avoid the ‘struggle?’ Mr Parrikar claims to have faced while switching over from Marathi medium to English medium in Std V? Would these small, innocent minds not be better equipped to deal with the growing English popularity? Despite having the largest spoken language in the world, Mandarin, as part of its linguistic culture, the Chinese have realized that only English can make it a strong partner in this world of globalization and economic development. Closer home West Bengal has realized it, and quickly, many states have begun to realize it. Also Mr Parrikar must realize that all students are not at the same intellectual level as he is. So, it is a fact that some might take longer than he did to pick up the language. Wouldn’t it be too late to learn after the primary level? But if they started with English from day one, things could be much easier as they get to class V and later… Why does the Goa government, despite Goa having such a high literacy rate, giving us the impression that they are playing to a lobby run by well-known businessmen who manage unaided education businesses in the name of Trusts, around Goa? We need some mature thinking coming from the icons of democracy - our MLAs.

As this movement has clearly pointed out, there is a vast difference between medium of instruction and learning a language. Medium of instruction must be in the language that is best for communication. In this case English is a globally accepted choice. Konkani is absolutely important and must be a compulsory subject from Std I to VIII, to conform to Elementary Education as defined in the RTE.

The Education Minister has brought forth a proposal to finalize the policy of medium of instruction by the end of this budget session of the assembly. He has promised to consult all stake-holders while finalizing the process. Who, may we know, are these ‘stake-holders’? Are they the Chief Minster, Education Minister, Chief Secretary and Director of Education? Two days have already elapsed since the announcement has been made. The budget session is not going to last long. Why has a list of these so called stake-holders not been announced? There seems to be a definite attempt to shy away from being transparent. Also it seems to be a statement made only to try and stop parents from coming together in large numbers at Azad Maidan for the meeting that was held there in regard to medium of instruction.

The Digambar Kamat led government is famous for this move. The man himself has already made a vague statement when he realized that over 50000 signatures of parents had been collected. Besides activity on facebook and other networking sites will tell you that we have overwhelming support for the cause. The web-spies of the men in government seem to have already informed them about the goings-on. So, the statement was made by both the chief minister and education minster in an attempt to dilute the effects of the Azad Maidan meeting. There have been similar instances in the past. When a large group of entertainers met some time ago at Clube Gasper Dias at Panjim regarding the sound restrictions, probably threatened by the numbers, some MPs and MLAs proposed to support the cause of easing sound restrictions. But four years later, as expected, nothing has happened. We must be weary of attempts like these by these gentlemen.

English is undoubtedly the language of communication the world over. We need to plug into global reality while also taking into account the local scenario. So, given the global scenario and other compulsions, English as medium of instruction and Konkani as a compulsory subject is the only option we have left before us. We must do this for our children. But, we need to be aware that our children are not our future. They are citizens of the present and are very much part of the present. We are looking at a better present for them. If we do this the future will look after itself. We, as parents need to take the right decisions for them. We need to remind the government that we parents are major stake holders in the policy-making process. We should have a right to decide what is good for our children. We don’t need a very lowly educated bunch of individuals deciding for us. Even the highly educated seem to have biased thinking.

As parents, we do hope better sense prevails. Let every parent and child benefit from a very well thought out decision. English needs to be the medium of instruction. What we need to further think is how to improve the standard of English in schools after the merciless battering it has received all these years - twenty years to be precise!

What ails Goa?

Can Goa go the Bihar way?

Recently I had the privilege of visiting Patna. Many would wonder why I would call such a visit a privilege. Bihar, and its capital Patna, have not been spoken about too kindly by people in general. Yet, I would vouch and say that I particularly enjoyed by three-day stay in Patna.

In the days the people of Bihar would like to put beyond their memory, someone buying even a Maruti 800 would receive a ‘love-letter’. The letter would ‘lovingly’ demand some money from the proud owner of the new vehicle (probably his first car). If the matter was brought before the police, the men in khaki would take the role of ‘negotiators’ and would bring about an ‘amicable settlement’ with the proud owner of the new car shelling out much less than the initial demand. Of course the ‘negotiators’ did not provide their services for free. They needed to be well looked-after for their ‘good negotiation skills’.

The Bihar, and more particularly, the Patna of today has changed drastically. The taxi driver who drove us from the airport to the hotel, the cobbler (whose services I had to avail of in an emergency), the shop owners, the hawkers and even some prominent doctors and law professionals in Patna are all praise for the change. In the last few years, special attention has been paid to decrease the crime rate, provide education for all, improve infrastructure and develop health-related facilities as well.

The results are there for all to see. I was roaming the streets of Patna at 11pm; a walk, which considering one’s own safety, was impossible around five years ago, I was told. The roads are a treat to drive on or walk on. There is so much that has been done to improve the conditions of roads and other facilities, as regards travel. The city of Patna is being developed in a very organized manner. I was surprised to see the number of malls that seem to be converging on the place. Of course, if you consider cleanliness and the airport, then there is much left to be desired.

The former Advocate General of the State is now the Education Minister of the State. This is an example of the firm commitment the government has made to keep the Education Ministry alive with a highly educated individual who knows the intricacies and the importance of education. Also, people of integrity are holding top positions in various government corporations and commissions. A retired high court judge of Patna judge heads the Law Commission. There are many professionals involved in the process of developing Bihar. The state is pretty big, but the development is moving at a steady pace, ensuring overall sustainable development.

In contrast, I look with great concern over my state, my beloved Goa. Every minster has been appointed with ‘political compulsion’ as the only criteria. The Law Commission is headed by a politician. Politicians, though qualified, are known to be biased. The trend of giving experts ministerial posts started with our present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being given the Finance Portfolio that triggered off economic reforms in the early 1990s. These reforms, though some would differ strongly, I feel keep benefiting us in a big way.

In Goa, unfortunately, no importance is given to professionalism. Every minister is appointed to ensure that the Chief Minster does not lose his ‘Kodel’. The few MLAs who have not much vocal power and/or cannot pull strings strongly enough, are left in the lurch. We have the only woman legislator in Goa who is vociferous and yet cannot find a cabinet berth even now, though some first time MLAs with ‘God Fathers and Fathers’ at the top, find berths so easy to come by. Also, these first-timers are there because they can so easily pull the ‘Kodel’ away from behind when the Chief Minister while he is not looking and has turned his attention away from what is happening behind him. He does not want to be surprised by these stunts lest he finds himself tottering on the floor! They have not got over playing those childish games! This forces the Chief Minister to play to the ‘Kodel’ removers. And these childish games lead to an ineffective government, as we are witnessing at the present time.

Does Goa need a ‘benevolent Dictator-cum-Chief Minister’;? one like Bihar probably has at the moment? I would say we need to put aside those so called party affiliations; it is the person and his deeds that matter. When a person understands the needs of the people who have put him there, development can take place much quicker and with the faith of the people.

In Goa we have the habit of working by the ‘fits-and-starts’ method. It is so sad to know that nothing goes by any planning. A plan is made and implemented not really taking into consideration the near future or even worse the distant future. There are clear signs that ‘other considerations’ go into these developmental works. While we see the tar being put on the road, another stretch with newly laid tower is already falling victim to some digging activity. Basically, there seems to be no coordination. This surely comes from the lack of leadership.

Well, we can conclude: None of those who are in power are really interested in the development of the state. Their motto is self-development. It is obvious, but most of the time nobody cares. Have we in Goa become so blind that we cannot see?

I recently received an SMS that spoke of leadership. It says and I agree: “A group of sheep led by lions will always defeat a group of lions led by a sheep.” The truth is there for all to see. A mild leader does not get anywhere, but he can survive his ‘Kodel’ even without doing anything for his people. He does not require our votes, he has publicly proclaimed. What will our stand be?

With Goa being just a fraction of the size Bihar is, can development at a sustainable pace be planned and implemented here. Maybe it is time for us, citizens, to bring about the answers. Our elected representatives seem to have lost their thinking power while they are being led by an ineffective leader.

Some Bright Spot Finally, But for How Long???

New Insights, New Realizations

Gosh, would you believe it! Our CM has finally realized the root problem that plagues Goa. No, it is not corruption, it is not bad roads, it is not inefficient ministers and officers. Lo and behold, it is our LAND!

We must congratulate our CM who has finally decided to introspect a little. Land is our problem and the misuse of our precious land is not the solution. How are we going to go about preserving our land Mr CM? This is a question we are all asking you and we hope you are not still ‘examining the matter’! What we need to say is that peoples’ participation in this process is of utmost importance. We have trusted you and your ministers with our land and so far you have made a mess of it all. We cannot afford this trend to become a dangerous fad. We need to step in and ask you what exactly you have in mind. Do we really need golf courses and do we need to use our precious land to satisfy tourists? Remember Mr CM you now need to be part of the solution or else you are going to be part of the problem. Also remember that the solution must be with the consent of the people. Nobody has given you and your ministers and the MLAs the right to act alone as far as our land goes.

There has been more news from the lips of the CM. He has resolved to achieve cent percent literacy and electrification by Liberation Day next year. Well, those are surely setting high standards and let us hope he can get even half-way there. That would be an achievement in itself. And if the ideal is reached, then we must say that that would be the first positive achievement of the chief minister. I am sure many would join me in wishing him all the best in this endeavor.

But analyzing the facts on paper, electrification in this sense would mean just having electrical connections in every household or would it mean having continuous power supply in every household? This would be a million dollar question. Right now most households are surviving with invertors and I do not comprehend how the poor families could accommodate to this phenomenon.

Literacy is always the bone of contention. We have had Goemkars excelling in various fields, but not many from Goa. Most of them went out of this paradise to shine. Why can’t the education system in Goa improve? Would it not be advisable in this age and time to consider English medium as the medium of instruction at the primary level? Konkani should be made a compulsory subject in this case. I have personally experienced how difficult it was for my children to jump from Konkani medium to English medium in Std V. There will be many political compulsions and also many pressures from private institutions who charge those exorbitant fees. But does the CM have the guts to at least ‘examine the matter’?

What has happened over the years is that the MLAs, both ruling and opposition, have built a lot of distrust amongst their constituents and Goans in general. It is but natural that every project would now be opposed and every move watched with suspicion. In fact it would be best to oppose these projects and wait until they can be shown to be good projects before reconsidering the opposition. For us we have only our mankulem Goem and not much more. We need to be very careful about how we utilize this precious space.

With the call for other Konkani speaking areas to be merged with Goa coming out strongly from some quarters, it would surely ruffle some feathers. But could it be that our CM would be a happy man inside? My ‘little birdie’ has again informed me that he does have his roots in Karwar. So, it could be that he is silent because of political compulsions but he must be really happy within! But as far as this move goes, what does the aam admi Goemkar think of it? This has been rejected once before with the call for Vishal Gomantak finding no favor with Goans. I remember how our famous Tiatr comedians late Jacinto Vaz and Late M Boyer, in those good old days, took up this issue at their shows and convinced us it was a wagh coming to destroy Goa. First it was the merger with Maharashtra that was conclusively rejected at the opinion poll. Now this talk of merger… This should not have come up again.

Recently, the prolific writer Valmiki Faleiro released a very precious book. It is one that could inspire many a youngster and it also conclusively ensures that the legacy of Goans in the armed forces is engraved in history, forever. 'Patriotism in Action', a book about Goans in India's defence services, brings out the best of the Goan contribution to the country. For me, this is one of the best literary works ever written in Goa in recent times. But there is one point in the book that is worth noting and which our dear CM and his cabinet colleagues should also note down and maybe highlight with a highlighting pen, as one to be acted upon post-haste. “The defence forces are much safer than the Goan roads…!”

Goan roads are not about four-lane highways. How can those highways happen when the internal roads are a mess? With the drastic increase in traffic, the roads are a death-trap. The government has done precious little to right this menace. We have lost many a precious life on the road and we will continue to do so unnecessarily. I suppose we will see some change when a minister’s kin becomes victim of some tragedy on the roads of Goa. Until then, my dear fellow Goemkar, we will have to wait patiently. About corruption, the lesser said the better!

Besides people in the government, this is something we really need to ponder over too. As parents, we must also be open to the idea of our children joining the forces. I think the Goans listed in the book are enough inspiration to our youngsters who have any such aspirations.

Goa is a paradise on earth, so they say. I don’t believe in the talk that makes the rounds, “Goa is gone.” Goa is ours and will always be ours. What we need is to decide what we want for our Goa and let those in power know what it is we really want. We do have some NGOs who are sincerely trying to do something for Goa but we also have some groups who are in this for some personal or political gain. We need to decipher one from the other and keep miles away from the latter. I have heard that some NGOs take up causes, take them to a feverish level and then they and the cause just disappear into thin air.

Every coalition government will have political compulsions. But every citizen of the Goan society does have social, economical and traditional compulsions as well. Land is involved in all three aspects. We need to preserve our land and ensure that our generations to come have a healthy atmosphere to grow up in. We need to dictate terms and not really be dictated by the powers that be in the government.