Chief Minister Digambar Kamat did last week what the name of the singer of that famous 70s reggae number 'No Woman, No Cry' suggests in amchi Konkani -- bob marley (shouted). Yet, the people in the press galleries didn't hear him too well or so Diggubab himself claims.
The almost two-and-half-year-old Chief Minister, was in a bit of a spot, when two news agencies known to tango in tandem, reported that he pitched against women entering politics. The agencies' reports claimed Kamat said that society would be impacted negatively if women, lured by the proposed 33 per-cent reservation for them, start to pursue politics vigourously.
A few English twists and turns thrown into the agencies' copy that covered this Kamat quote at that women's conference organised by Institute Menezes Braganza, and the 'news' turned out to be a political hot potato for him in Delhi. What with the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress in the forefront of the move to push the Constitutional Amendment for women's reservation through, it indeed was Digubab's political nightmare.
For the record, we still aren't sure what Kamat exactly said at the conference. We are even more at sea over what he meant, if he indeed said what the agencies claim he did. All we have to rely on is the agencies claims and Kamat's own counter-claims, alleging that he was 'misquoted' by the agencies.
But the episode, like the 'Advani is like rancid pickle' quote of his former mentor Manohar Parrikar, sure did put our CM in a bit of bother, politically.
Rane Sr’s ‘contract farming’ funda
There's nothing to speak of agriculture here in Goa. Yet, Goa's politicos, opponents of politicos (read GBA, village groups, Xetkarancho Ekvotts, etcectra) besides everyone else and sundry keep harping on farming and greening Goa day in and day out. It matters not to them, that they say one thing yesterday, a second thing today and will say something else tomorrow.
Thus was the case of Goa's longest serving CM but now the Speaker Pratapsing Rane last week. At a show where his many years junior Digambar Kamt inaugurated the new HQ of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation, Rane Sr made a strong case for farming. He lamented that many of Goa's agricultural lands are fallow and exhorted CM Diggu's government to move legislation so that these fallow stretches of land can be cultivated through 'contract farming'.
Three decades ago, when he began his political innings under the wings of father-daughter duo of Dayanand Bandodkar and Shashikala Kakodkar, Rane Sr had authored the report of the House Committee on Land Reforms, which turned out to be the death knell of agriculture in Goa. The 'Rane Report' of the 1970s, which incidentally borrowed large chunks from a similar document prepared by former West Bengal Governor of Goan origin A L Dias, was the guiding document that the government of the day relied on to enact the Agriculture Tenancy Act.
So, why another legislation now? Doesn't the law governing lease and licence contracts suffice?
FICCI ka firki
Suddenly the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has begun pontificating on issues that do not concern Industry at all. The Indian industry lobbyist is now advocating abolition of the public distribution system (PDS) because it says the lifeline of millions of Indians involves large revenue leaks. Instead, it has proposed to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) that the government introduce 'food stamps' for the starving below poverty line people.
Beats me how 'food stamps' will not leak! Yet, I fervently hope Dr Manmohan Singh takes the FICCI recommendation seriously and acts. But before that, his government should issue a huge 'Jail Stamp' for all of FICCI's Ramalinga Rajus, Ketan Parekhs and not to forget, the late Harshad Mehtas, who bribed to misuse and abuse the hard earned money of every Indian 'aam admi' parked in financial instruments like the US-64 and such other mutual funds.
Last but not the least a 'Shut-up Stamp' for FICCI itself is long overdue.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
No champions for them?
About a decade ago, when coaches (buses) were introduced by hoteliers to ferry their guests on arrival from Dabolim to their doorstep, the mainstream politicians cried foul. Goenkar taxi drivers will lose their livelihood was their refrain. They even organised a revolt, many a at times a violent one, to brow-beat the hoteliers who ultimately retreated. Now, there is some sort of a truce, a deal, where taxi drivers ferry some, and the coaches ferry others.
Similar to the taxi drivers is the case with many other sections of Goans, who's livelihoods were threatened. The politicos stepped in and restored their bread and butter. But, the fishing community of the tourism-bubbly Sinquerim-Candolim coast aren't lucky thus.
Last week I spent a few days (on holiday) at Sinquerim - not at the Taj, I can't afford it. And, I was shocked, to see the fate of the beach. There's no beach. It looks like a war zone, ravaged by sea erosion. Many believe, as does obliquely a report done by the NIO, that the rusting River Princess is responsible for it. The River Princess Hatao Manch of Candolim, was agitating but principally on behalf of those who poked their fingers in the tourism pie.
But, a section of the fishermen from the area are left high and dry. There's no beach from where they can pull their nets and bring in the catch to feed themselves and their families. Those who can afford a canoe fitted with a Yamaha outboard motor, have done it and thus worked out an alternative for themselves. But there still are a notable number of families robbed of their livelihood on the erosion-ravaged Sinquerim beach and there's no one to even bat an eyelid for them. No one to petition the government for a subsidy, relief or any such crutch to get them back on their feet.
Tourism, hospitality, water sports and what not, however, continues to survive and even thrive with the water scooters, boat rides guys and sundry having made their haven on the Taj corner of the beach. But I wonder if Sinquerim will ever see its fishermen cast their nets and pull them back to shore in the pre-dawn hours of the day again!
Finally, a chargesheet!
Red-faced after a local court granted two of the accused bail because the charge-sheet wasn't filed in the mandatory 180 days, the National Investigating Agency has finally got its feet moving on its job in the Diwali eve blasts at Margao in October last year. A chargesheet has now been filed.
Politics or otherwise, the manner in which the state moved in the aftermath of that shocking incident behind Grace Church in Margao, is puzzling. Ravi Naik as Home Minister was a 'hawk' but his boss in the cabinet, CM Digambar Kamat, who incidentally could have been a 'dead duck' victim had the plan of the perpetrators worked, came across as a dove.
Ravi's posture was understandable, what with an opportunity in hand to trip his Ponda rival Sudin Dhavlikar. But Diggu's stance seemed queer, at times illogical, in going out of his way to soften the machinery's movements against Sanatan Sanstha to which all the 11 accused, including the two dead charge-sheeted by the NIA, were affiliated.
But none of this was more puzzling than the faux pas of the NIA. The failure of this agency, set up by the Indian government in the immediate aftermath of Mumbai's 26/11 carnage, to file the charge-sheet within the stipulated 180 days is just not condonable. It has now filed the charge-sheet, 200-odd days after the incident, as if it collected some crucial evidence, in the last twenty days before filing the document in court. Plain negligence.
Churchill snubs sports journos
He's not known to be one of those politicos who'd rub the scribes the wrong way. Yet, rub them the wrong way, he did.
Churchill Alemao, who besides claiming to be the champion of politicians also prides himself as a patron of football and his Musli Powered Churchill Brothers team, has earned himself and his club the ire of a band of Goa's sports journos.
Officials of his football club began collecting passport details of Goan journos apparently to join his team on its Kuwait sojourn for the AFC Cup fixture there. This raised the spirit of my peers who cover all kinds of balls on the playfields. A trip to the Gulf as part of duty, is sure a welcome junket in this otherwise not very rewarding in either cash or kind (for some) profession. But their joy was only short-lived. At the eleventh hour, the team dropped the idea of taking along the Goa journos and instead tagged on just a couple -- one who also doubles up as Churchill Bros' media officer and another who belongs to the Old Lady of Boribunder.
This turn of events has not earned the otherwise endearing Churchill-bab any brownie points among my tribe in the sports field. But for the record, no one's complaining on the record. How can they? After all, Churchill hasn't been so mean to them all these years that he's been in politics and soccer, has he?
Tailpiece
After India's 50 years of independence, the government entitled its servicemen and other key uniformed officials to sport a logo on the left side of their chest, but only those who were in service during the the 50th year of independence were entitled. Here in Goa, every Tom, Dick and Harry in the police force wears it. Even those part of the IRB Battalions who joined service a few years ago. No one questions them, not even their superiors!
Dhirio: Mauvin v/s Parrikar!
Manohar Parrikar is going for Mauvin Godinho’s jugular and Mauvin for Parrikar’s.
Indeed, the chickens are coming home to roost for these two politicos, what with the power subsidy scam of the mid-1990s and the alleged IFFI scam of the mid-2000s coming under public scrutiny, ironically, both at the same time.
And, it couldn’t have been better, if only for the sake of accountability of our politicians and political system!
Last week, when the Supreme Court adjudicated a bunch of petitions filed by companies who were deprived of a few crores in power subsidy when the government rescinded Mauvin’s scandalous notifications a decade ago, it revived the ghost of the long forgotten power subsidy scam.
Although the apex court held that its judgement could not be construed to be a statement on the conduct of Mauvin as a minister, it nevertheless upheld the Bombay High Court verdict, that what he did to retrospectively make Extra High Tension (EHT) power consumers eligible for the power rebates, was wrong.
Worse still for Mauvin, unlike Parrikar who has Digambar, Rane, Filipe Neri, Babush, Aleixo, Zantye and a whole load of others for company to account for the IFFI sins, he has none, except perhaps the then power secretary Rakesh Mehta. Because, between Godinho and Mehta, the duo had cooked the power subsidy goose, keeping the cabinet and the rest of Goa in the dark. Now, Parrikar is asking that the CBI do the same to Mauvin what its doing to himself in the IFFI case. Ironically, Parrikar had filed the FIR against Mauvin in the power subsidy case. In the IFFI case, the roles are reversed - Mauvin is the complainant and Parrikar the accused.
This bout is sure gonna have many more rounds. And, unlike the genuine ‘dhirio’ we don’t need two other bulls from Curtorim to lock horns for its legalization. This one’s perfectly legal. So, let the game go on!!
Subhanna’s waterloo too
Interestingly, when Mauvin Godinho made a brief comeback in the cabinet in the 11-month Francisco Sardinha government, he went gunning for the lanky bureaucrat who refused to play ball with him and Mehta in the power subsidy racket.
PS Subhanna, who unquestionably holds the distinction of being Goa’s longest serving law secretary, had refused to give the Godinho-Mehta jugglery any legal ‘all clear’ before and after the scam broke out in 1997.
And so, Godinho under Sardinha hounded him out with a skeleton they picked out from the files of the Mayem Evacuee Property, of which Subhanna was the custodian for many, many years!
The ex-law secretary, credited to have had a way out for everything that any politician in power wanted done - whether black, white or any shade of grey - was summarily dismissed during the ‘Naal Sorkar’ regime, courtesy revenge for Mauvin.
Why’s SP (North) still ‘acting’?
It’s about a month since Bosco George was sent marching to the Raj Bhavan as ADC to Dr SS Siddhu, apparently due to the unchecked activities of his younger brother in the dark alleys of Anjuna-Siolim. Yet, Arvind Gawas continues to be only the ‘Acting’ Superintendent of Police of North, in addition to his position as SP (Traffic). Well, the same old traditional war in the ranks - IPS officers v/s state cadre officers - has reached the point of no return.
In fact, DGP Bhim Sain Bassi, is facing an extremely cold-shoulder from almost every state cadre officer. And, with almost every operational position in the force occupied by them, the top officer is finding it next to impossible to have his writ run in the force. So, despite the air-conditioned cabin, the temperatures at the headquarters are too hot for Bassi to handle.
So, when the whole police-drug mafia story broke out, the ‘saraswats’ of the Police Force (read IPS lobby) saw an opportunity to corner Bosco George, and corner him they did, flaunting the shady activities of his younger brother in the nocturnal businesses of Anjuna-Siolim. All of this, because Bassi wanted the only SP-ranked IPS officer in the force - Veenu Bansal - to occupy the North Goa SP’s post. Unfortunately for Bassi, no politician who heads the home ministry is going to let this happen, what with IPS officers naïve about the political nitty-gritties of Goa. Remember? What happened when Ravi Naik had Neeraj Thakur heading the North Goa Police? The Monserrates will know better.
Now, Ravi, according to a mole in the DGP’s office, is refusing to let the office of SP (North) be occupied by an officer who is not a Goan. That’s why, the expected order transferring Bansal as SP (North) is just not happening. So, the SP (Traffic) will continue to also be SP (North), at least until Ravi and Bassi have made another deal!
Clearly, all is not well in the top echelons of the Goa police and it’s showing. Or else, an Anti-Narcotic Cell would have nothing to do with searching and arresting a ‘so-called’ naxalite and his associates, would it?
Band stand’s ready… are the musicians?
Time will tell.
Indeed, the chickens are coming home to roost for these two politicos, what with the power subsidy scam of the mid-1990s and the alleged IFFI scam of the mid-2000s coming under public scrutiny, ironically, both at the same time.
And, it couldn’t have been better, if only for the sake of accountability of our politicians and political system!
Last week, when the Supreme Court adjudicated a bunch of petitions filed by companies who were deprived of a few crores in power subsidy when the government rescinded Mauvin’s scandalous notifications a decade ago, it revived the ghost of the long forgotten power subsidy scam.
Although the apex court held that its judgement could not be construed to be a statement on the conduct of Mauvin as a minister, it nevertheless upheld the Bombay High Court verdict, that what he did to retrospectively make Extra High Tension (EHT) power consumers eligible for the power rebates, was wrong.
Worse still for Mauvin, unlike Parrikar who has Digambar, Rane, Filipe Neri, Babush, Aleixo, Zantye and a whole load of others for company to account for the IFFI sins, he has none, except perhaps the then power secretary Rakesh Mehta. Because, between Godinho and Mehta, the duo had cooked the power subsidy goose, keeping the cabinet and the rest of Goa in the dark. Now, Parrikar is asking that the CBI do the same to Mauvin what its doing to himself in the IFFI case. Ironically, Parrikar had filed the FIR against Mauvin in the power subsidy case. In the IFFI case, the roles are reversed - Mauvin is the complainant and Parrikar the accused.
This bout is sure gonna have many more rounds. And, unlike the genuine ‘dhirio’ we don’t need two other bulls from Curtorim to lock horns for its legalization. This one’s perfectly legal. So, let the game go on!!
Subhanna’s waterloo too
Interestingly, when Mauvin Godinho made a brief comeback in the cabinet in the 11-month Francisco Sardinha government, he went gunning for the lanky bureaucrat who refused to play ball with him and Mehta in the power subsidy racket.
PS Subhanna, who unquestionably holds the distinction of being Goa’s longest serving law secretary, had refused to give the Godinho-Mehta jugglery any legal ‘all clear’ before and after the scam broke out in 1997.
And so, Godinho under Sardinha hounded him out with a skeleton they picked out from the files of the Mayem Evacuee Property, of which Subhanna was the custodian for many, many years!
The ex-law secretary, credited to have had a way out for everything that any politician in power wanted done - whether black, white or any shade of grey - was summarily dismissed during the ‘Naal Sorkar’ regime, courtesy revenge for Mauvin.
Why’s SP (North) still ‘acting’?
It’s about a month since Bosco George was sent marching to the Raj Bhavan as ADC to Dr SS Siddhu, apparently due to the unchecked activities of his younger brother in the dark alleys of Anjuna-Siolim. Yet, Arvind Gawas continues to be only the ‘Acting’ Superintendent of Police of North, in addition to his position as SP (Traffic). Well, the same old traditional war in the ranks - IPS officers v/s state cadre officers - has reached the point of no return.
In fact, DGP Bhim Sain Bassi, is facing an extremely cold-shoulder from almost every state cadre officer. And, with almost every operational position in the force occupied by them, the top officer is finding it next to impossible to have his writ run in the force. So, despite the air-conditioned cabin, the temperatures at the headquarters are too hot for Bassi to handle.
So, when the whole police-drug mafia story broke out, the ‘saraswats’ of the Police Force (read IPS lobby) saw an opportunity to corner Bosco George, and corner him they did, flaunting the shady activities of his younger brother in the nocturnal businesses of Anjuna-Siolim. All of this, because Bassi wanted the only SP-ranked IPS officer in the force - Veenu Bansal - to occupy the North Goa SP’s post. Unfortunately for Bassi, no politician who heads the home ministry is going to let this happen, what with IPS officers naïve about the political nitty-gritties of Goa. Remember? What happened when Ravi Naik had Neeraj Thakur heading the North Goa Police? The Monserrates will know better.
Now, Ravi, according to a mole in the DGP’s office, is refusing to let the office of SP (North) be occupied by an officer who is not a Goan. That’s why, the expected order transferring Bansal as SP (North) is just not happening. So, the SP (Traffic) will continue to also be SP (North), at least until Ravi and Bassi have made another deal!
Clearly, all is not well in the top echelons of the Goa police and it’s showing. Or else, an Anti-Narcotic Cell would have nothing to do with searching and arresting a ‘so-called’ naxalite and his associates, would it?
Band stand’s ready… are the musicians?
Stripped naked in the hurry its MLA, Manohar Parrikar was in, ostensibly to have Panjim all decked up, mascara and all, for IFFI-2004, Panjim’s iconic bandstand at its municipal garden is up and ready.
The garden itself has a few more months of work to go. Yet I wonder if when it’s ready, Goa’s musicians will be to once again occupy this space which decades ago played host to the wizardy of almost every Goan musician - brass bands, the Bondos, Remos, Nandinhos, Alexandres, Augusts, etcectra, etcectra. Or, will we have to wait for an event management company to commercially exploit this public rare public space for us to listen to our musicians display their skills?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Cong bitten but not shy!!
The Congress, it seems, will never heed to lessons taught by the courts, even if it's learnt it at the instance of the no-nonsense 'social activist' Aires Rodrigues.
The rap it got from the High Court which forced its government in Goa to strip two MLAs - Francis Silveira and Nilkanth Halarnkar - of the 'Parliamentary Secretary' position is past and forgotten. Ignoring the spirit of that judgement passed in the petition filed by Aires Rodrigues, the Congress-led government in North-Eastern Meghalaya, has gone ahead and appointed seventeen parliamentary secretaries!
Interestingly, former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro is AICC general secretary and at the helm of Congress affairs in the North East, including Meghalaya. Himself an advocate, he could not have been ignorant of the Bombay High Court order which forced the Digambar Kamat government to divest Halarnkar and Silveira of their 'secretarial' responsibilities. But to be fair to him, Faleiro, who is otherwise very media saavy, has stayed aloof and maintained an uncharacteristic silence at least in the media, over the recent political happenings in Meghalaya, although its unlikely that the new Meghalaya CM appointed the 17 parliamentary secretaries without his and the Congress High Command's nod.
Mahindra goes the Sesa way
Last week, jeep makers Mahindras pulled out of soccer much in the same way Sesa Goa had over 15 years ago. And while most will be shocked and angry at the move announced by Mahindra United's chairman Alan Durante in Mumbai on Friday last, I am tickled and glad. For, as Durante says, running a club at the top tier of Indian football - the I-League - hasn't helped Indian football much. It has only contributed to its stagnation, with the same bunch of footballers changing clubs at every transfer season, for a higher price.
Resultantly, India continues to be placed at 100-something in the FIFA ranking, lower than what it was ranked when AIFF announced professionalism in football with the National Football League in 1996-97. Then, Sesa disbanded its team and instead invested in a football academy. Today, one-third of the players at the highest level are products of Sesa's Academy.
Bhutias and Brunos don't get made at clubs like Dempos, Churchill Brothers, Salgaocars, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. They are nurtured in schools, and its time for all to give a serious thought to what Mahindra says it will do -- develop the game at the grassroots level by concentrating on school soccer.
Muscle muzzle
Photojournalists got a taste of how muscle muzzles the press in Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate's 'Taleigao Republic' when they ventured there to shoot pictures of the slab collapse of an under-construction hotel project belonging to the minister.
When photographers went to take the pictures on learning of the accident, they were confronted by a group of well-built men, who discouraged them from doing their job. One of the rowdies even threatened to confiscate the camera of a photo-journalist and threatened: "We have trashed the cops and the Youth Congress. what are you (press) in comparison?"
Kudos to the photo-journos who did not get cowed down and stuck to the call of duty and inform the public of the slab collapse that injured some labourers. Strangely, the police booked the case only a day later, perhaps because the incident got reported in the newspapers through photographs and reports.
Water and wine
Dayanand Narvekar made another appearance in dissident best, taking a swipe at PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, over the water woes in Porvorim and other parts of Bardez. He twisted that historic 'No Bread, then let them eat cake' quote attributed to the 18th century French Queen Marie Antonette and chided Churchill-bab that he intends to supply to the thirsty Bardez residents, not water but wine!
In the same outing, Narvekar also took a swipe at Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, obliquely blaming but not naming the Town and Country Planning Department headed by him for the water woes in Porvorim. The high-rise buildings that have sprung up in the burgeoning township is to blame for the shortage, is his claim.
Kamat, true to his style, hasn't responded. But that's not Churchill's style. The Varca strongman, known to have his ear to the ground, took the wine comment in his stride and in fact patted Narvekar for it.
At a function in Parra to launch some PWD projects, Alemao said he holds no grudge against Narvekar but in the same breath vowed to sort out Bardez' water problems.
'I am here because of the people and I will try and live up to their expectations' was his response to Narvekar's wine-for-water snide.
Remo Fernandes bows
Goa's pop-king Remo Fernandes got a taste of what happens when one fails to practice what you preach.
Performing after nearly a decade in Margao on Friday last, Remo interspersed his songs with jabs and critique of the government, ministers and politicians, for failing to protect Goa and its culture. But in his entire one-and-half-hour performance, the star had no Goan flavour. So some from the crowd kept egging him on to belt out a Konkani number.
But Remo is Remo and he sought to deny the fans the pleasure saying: "When you go to a shop and pay to buy a kg of any item, you don’t get one-and-half kg."
However, in the audience was Margao's first lady, Pratima Coutinho, who in fact was the guest of honour for the show. Not one to let Remo have his say on this one, Pratima ran onto the stage and insisted that Remo sing a Konkani song. Left with no choice, Remo reluctantly belted out “Undir Mujea Mama”, much to the delight of the crowd.
All's well that ends well!
Talepiece
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat did indeed go to Gujarat on May 1 but kept away from the official bash to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of that state. Instead, he attended the parrallel function organised by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee where he waxed eloquent over the contribution of Gujaratis in Goa's trade and business, when his turn came to speak.
Discretion is indeed the better part of valour what with the CM's off-the-cuff 'Modi is my good friend' comment stirring a mini-controversy in Goa's waiting-to-revolt Congress ranks!
The rap it got from the High Court which forced its government in Goa to strip two MLAs - Francis Silveira and Nilkanth Halarnkar - of the 'Parliamentary Secretary' position is past and forgotten. Ignoring the spirit of that judgement passed in the petition filed by Aires Rodrigues, the Congress-led government in North-Eastern Meghalaya, has gone ahead and appointed seventeen parliamentary secretaries!
Interestingly, former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro is AICC general secretary and at the helm of Congress affairs in the North East, including Meghalaya. Himself an advocate, he could not have been ignorant of the Bombay High Court order which forced the Digambar Kamat government to divest Halarnkar and Silveira of their 'secretarial' responsibilities. But to be fair to him, Faleiro, who is otherwise very media saavy, has stayed aloof and maintained an uncharacteristic silence at least in the media, over the recent political happenings in Meghalaya, although its unlikely that the new Meghalaya CM appointed the 17 parliamentary secretaries without his and the Congress High Command's nod.
Mahindra goes the Sesa way
Last week, jeep makers Mahindras pulled out of soccer much in the same way Sesa Goa had over 15 years ago. And while most will be shocked and angry at the move announced by Mahindra United's chairman Alan Durante in Mumbai on Friday last, I am tickled and glad. For, as Durante says, running a club at the top tier of Indian football - the I-League - hasn't helped Indian football much. It has only contributed to its stagnation, with the same bunch of footballers changing clubs at every transfer season, for a higher price.
Resultantly, India continues to be placed at 100-something in the FIFA ranking, lower than what it was ranked when AIFF announced professionalism in football with the National Football League in 1996-97. Then, Sesa disbanded its team and instead invested in a football academy. Today, one-third of the players at the highest level are products of Sesa's Academy.
Bhutias and Brunos don't get made at clubs like Dempos, Churchill Brothers, Salgaocars, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. They are nurtured in schools, and its time for all to give a serious thought to what Mahindra says it will do -- develop the game at the grassroots level by concentrating on school soccer.
Muscle muzzle
Photojournalists got a taste of how muscle muzzles the press in Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate's 'Taleigao Republic' when they ventured there to shoot pictures of the slab collapse of an under-construction hotel project belonging to the minister.
When photographers went to take the pictures on learning of the accident, they were confronted by a group of well-built men, who discouraged them from doing their job. One of the rowdies even threatened to confiscate the camera of a photo-journalist and threatened: "We have trashed the cops and the Youth Congress. what are you (press) in comparison?"
Kudos to the photo-journos who did not get cowed down and stuck to the call of duty and inform the public of the slab collapse that injured some labourers. Strangely, the police booked the case only a day later, perhaps because the incident got reported in the newspapers through photographs and reports.
Water and wine
Dayanand Narvekar made another appearance in dissident best, taking a swipe at PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, over the water woes in Porvorim and other parts of Bardez. He twisted that historic 'No Bread, then let them eat cake' quote attributed to the 18th century French Queen Marie Antonette and chided Churchill-bab that he intends to supply to the thirsty Bardez residents, not water but wine!
In the same outing, Narvekar also took a swipe at Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, obliquely blaming but not naming the Town and Country Planning Department headed by him for the water woes in Porvorim. The high-rise buildings that have sprung up in the burgeoning township is to blame for the shortage, is his claim.
Kamat, true to his style, hasn't responded. But that's not Churchill's style. The Varca strongman, known to have his ear to the ground, took the wine comment in his stride and in fact patted Narvekar for it.
At a function in Parra to launch some PWD projects, Alemao said he holds no grudge against Narvekar but in the same breath vowed to sort out Bardez' water problems.
'I am here because of the people and I will try and live up to their expectations' was his response to Narvekar's wine-for-water snide.
Remo Fernandes bows
Goa's pop-king Remo Fernandes got a taste of what happens when one fails to practice what you preach.
Performing after nearly a decade in Margao on Friday last, Remo interspersed his songs with jabs and critique of the government, ministers and politicians, for failing to protect Goa and its culture. But in his entire one-and-half-hour performance, the star had no Goan flavour. So some from the crowd kept egging him on to belt out a Konkani number.
But Remo is Remo and he sought to deny the fans the pleasure saying: "When you go to a shop and pay to buy a kg of any item, you don’t get one-and-half kg."
However, in the audience was Margao's first lady, Pratima Coutinho, who in fact was the guest of honour for the show. Not one to let Remo have his say on this one, Pratima ran onto the stage and insisted that Remo sing a Konkani song. Left with no choice, Remo reluctantly belted out “Undir Mujea Mama”, much to the delight of the crowd.
All's well that ends well!
Talepiece
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat did indeed go to Gujarat on May 1 but kept away from the official bash to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of that state. Instead, he attended the parrallel function organised by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee where he waxed eloquent over the contribution of Gujaratis in Goa's trade and business, when his turn came to speak.
Discretion is indeed the better part of valour what with the CM's off-the-cuff 'Modi is my good friend' comment stirring a mini-controversy in Goa's waiting-to-revolt Congress ranks!
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