BY RAJAN NARAYAN

AND A few more stray thoughts and a few more observations for yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when the Congress High Command observer made a clandestine visit to Goa. For a Sunday following the week when the Navy continued to live up to its ‘dis’reputation as bad corporate citizens who are not interested in the welfare of Goa and Goans. For a Sunday following the week when the Court struck down the hastily imposed ban on Calvert Gonsalves’ CD Dogui Bodmas. For a Sunday following the week when we discovered that while there were institutes offering training in every language from Russian to Spanish, there were no institutions offering training even in spoken Konkani.

HARI PRASAD

AND a few stray thoughts on the clandestine visit of the Congress High Command observer, Hari Prasad, to Goa. On Tuesday, I had gone to the International Centre at Dona Paula for a meeting with some potential contributors. As I came out of the International Centre around 8 pm after my meeting, I found a Tata Innova parked in the porch, just at the entrance to the reception area of the International Centre. Since this was causing a major inconvenience to people entering and exiting the International Centre, I protested to the receptionist. Which was when I learnt that the anonymous vehicle blocking the entrance to the International Centre’s main entrance belonged to the Congress High Command observer for Goa, Hari Prasad. Since, unlike in the past, no announcement or even rumours were there of any visit by Hari Prasad to Goa, presumably it was intended to be a top secret visit.

The venue, the International Centre, confirmed the clandestine nature of the visit as normally Congress High command observers choose to stay or are hosted by Chief Minister Digamber Kamat at the Cidade de Goa. Just when we were getting into our office van to get back home, we saw a Mercedes stopping very close to the porch where Hari Prasad’s car was parked.

GPCC CHIEF

AND stepping out of the brand new Mercedes was the president of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, Subhash Shirodkar. However much the Congress Low Command may deny it, obviously there had been a fresh demand for a change in the leadership of the Congress Legislative Party in the state. And equally obviously, the demand for the change in leadership now apparently has the backing of GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar. Ever since Digamber Kamat allegedly sabotaged Babush Monserrate and Vishwajit Rane’s entry into the Congress, which was proposed by Subhash Shirodkar, there has been little love lost between the GPCC Chief and the Chief Minister. The fact that Hari Prasad’s visit was not announced in advance and that the first senior Congress leader to meet him was the Congress President further reinforces our belief that the GPCC Chief has now joined the rebel camp which wants a change in leadership.

Delhi has apparently not taken very kindly to the repeated embarrassment it has faced over the mishandling of the rapes and murders of foreign tourists in the state. Not only the Russian embassy, but various other embassies including the British embassy has been issuing advisories against travelling to Goa and taking up the callously indifferent attitude of the Goa government with the External Affairs Minister. Apparently, the Home Ministry is also not very happy with the Goa government about the measures it has taken against a possible terror attack. It is well known that Goa is vulnerable to a terror attack because a large number of Israeli and other foreign nationals visit the state. Attacking foreign nationals is a favourite tactic of terrorist organisations as it generates international publicity. Forget about threats of bomb explosions, Goa with its corrupt officials manning the River Navigation Department and the inland water ways is also very susceptible to an attack from the sea, as it happened in the case of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

MINING LOBBY

BUT there is increasing evidence that even the powerful and extremely influential mining lobby, which has historically supported Digamber Kamat, has lost faith in the Chief Minister. It is widely known that the mining lobby, particularly the Fomento Group chairman Auduth Timblo, played a significant role in the appointment of the Digamber Kamat as chief minister. The Chief Minister, in turn, has paid back the Fomento group through the notorious ordinance which gave the Cidade de Goa a respite against the Supreme Court order on the demolition of a large part of the hotel, including the banquet hall and several rooms. The mining industry, by which we mean the organised sector of the mining industry, has been very unhappy with the Chief Minister, who is also the Minister for Mines for the patronage he has been extending to illegal mining in the state.

In the wake of the boom in ore prices, particularly from China, not just fly by night operators but a large number of politicians and even criminal elements got into mining. Unlike the established mining houses, which in their own interest believe in following relatively ethical practices, the illegal miners, who have no long term stake in the mining industry, have been blatantly violating all environmental laws.

This has brought the mining industry into increasing confrontation not only with local NGOs but also with the Environmental Minister. While in the past also there used to be protests over dust pollution caused during the transport of ore, these have intensified because of the greed of the owners and promoters of illegal mines. The pressure the operators of illegal mines and some unscrupulous operators among the established mines have been putting on transporters to make more trips has led to increasing confrontations between the local population and the mining industry.

The latest confrontation has been from the parents of a school, a student of which was knocked down because of reckless driving by an ore transporter. The mine owners and the ore transporters in this case failed to observe even the limited restriction of not plying their trucks between 7 and 8 am and 1 and 2 pm to ensure that children of a school situated on the highway were not affected by the movement of recklessly driven overloaded trucks transporting ore without even observing the minimal anti-pollution measures. Digamber Kamat is obviously being held responsible by the traditional mining barons for failing to crack down on illegal mining. This is dramatised by the fact that, for the first time, the Goa Ore Exporters Association, which is headed by Shivanand Salgaocar, has directed the Chief Minister to stop illegal mining in the state. The greatest threat to the Chief Minister’s continuance in power is the revolt against him by the mining barons in the state.

The probability is that Digamber Kamat will continue to occupy the Chief Minister’s kodel. Not because he is the most competent or effective chief minister, but because there is no consensus on an alternate candidate. Neither the Speaker Pratapsingh Raoji Rane, who is now willing to take on the job, or the other contender Churchill Alemao, supported by the rebel group with the exception of Vishwajit Rane, are acceptable to the Congress High Command. Ravi Naik, who was the original choice of the Congress High Command to be the chief minister after the Congress coalition established its majority, has spoilt his chances by his totally irresponsible handling of the Home ministry. Indeed Ravi Naik easily qualifies for an award for being the worst performer in the Digamber Kamat cabinet. I do not know about the change in the leadership, but I strongly believe that Ravi Naik and certainly Babush Monserrate should be dropped from the cabinet. I am no great fan of Dayanand Narvekar, but that he will probably be the best choice at least for the home portfolio.

NAVY ARROGANCE

AND a few stray observations on the Indian Navy continuing to function as bad corporate citizens, unconcerned over the sentiments of Goans. The latest instance of the arrogance of the Indian Navy and its total indifference to the sentiments of the people of Goa is the secrecy surrounding the most recent exercises they have been conducting just off the coast of Goa. It all started with what sounded like a series of blasts in the sea of the Canacona and the Karwar coast. The people of Canacona were very agitated since they thought it was a terror attack. Understandably, the most concerned were the fishing community because the blasts seemed to be emanating from the sea.

Both the Navy and the coast guard denied that they were carrying out any exercises, which provoked Chief Minister Digamber Kamat to ask the NIO to investigate. It was only after a second series of blasts off the Arambol coast a week after the Canacona blast that the Navy condescended to inform the Chief Minister or rather the Chief Secretary that the blasts were due to the breaking of the sound barrier by the latest MIG aircraft being inducted into the Indian Navy, which will be based at INS Hansa in Vasco. Never mind that the residents of Vasco and neighbouring areas have lived in continuous fear of becoming victims of the increasing number of accidents involving defence planes. There have been several instances when Sea Harriers, the vertical take-off planes, have come crashing down. There has even been an instance of a mid-air collision between two naval planes with one of them falling within the boundary wall of the Zuari Industries close to the ammonia tanks. The naval air base is a major threat to the residents of Vasco also because the main petroleum storage tanks of the oil companies are located close to the naval airbase.

The naval authorities have not made any effort to build a good relationship with either the people of Goa or the media in Goa. On the contrary, the naval authorities have not only refused to cooperate with local authorities and contribute to Goa but have consistently behaved very arrogantly. I recall days when the Navy authorities would treat media which went to cover the arrival or transit visit of the president or the prime minister very rudely. I recall that when two naval planes collided with one of them falling in civilian territory the Navy would not allow journalists anywhere near the wreck even though they had no jurisdiction because the crash was in a civilian area.

DABOLIM AIRPORT

THE Navy has systematically obstructed the growth of tourism by its unreasonable restrictions on both domestic flights and charters. The Navy does not permit the movement of civilian aircraft between 9 am and 12 noon, leading to a bunching of flights between 12 and 4 pm causing congestion and delay in the arrival and takeoff of flights at Dabolim. It was only after long struggle that the Navy eased the restrictions on the arrival of charter flights. The Navy has also been putting stumbling blocks in the way of the much needed expansion of the Dabolim airport.

The Navy has angered sections of the minority community historically by forbidding them from celebrating the annual feast at the Anjideva island off Karwar, which was taken over by the Navy. We appreciate the need for extending every facility and help to the brave men and women of the armed forces, including the Navy. But the Navy has a reciprocal obligation to be a good guest and not trample on the sentiments of the local people. The latest act of arrogance by the Navy in keeping the people of Goa in the dark over the induction of the MIGs and the trials which caused the blast like sounds will only alienate them further from the people of Goa. It is an unhappy coincidence that just when the feelings of anger against the Navy are highest, the Navy gave Goans another unwelcome shock with the news of a Goan dying in the latest crash of military defence in the country.

AND a few stray thoughts on the latest exposé of the ostrich in the sand attitude of the church to the behaviour of the Colva parish priest, Fr. Diego. It may be recalled that, under political pressure from the patrons of Fr. Diego, the South Goa District Magistrate G P Naik had arbitrarily banned the distribution of Calvert Gonsalves’ CD, Dogui Bodmas. The Additional Session Court Judge, P V Kamat has not only set aside the ban but passed severe strictures against G P Naik for arbitrarily banning the distribution and sale of the CD without following any due process. The Court has even questioned Naik’s right to ban the CD. The banning of the CD was widely condemned by civil society as an act of unwarranted censorship by the state at the instigation of political patrons of Fr. Diego. Hopefully the judgement will prevent other executive magistrates from attempting to suppress the freedom of expression, whether it is in the form of articles in the media or CDs or films.

It is also now clear that though the Bishop’s Palace came to the defence of Fr. Diego and absolved him of inciting the mob which attacked Calvert’s house and held Colva to ransom for two days at the height of the tourism season, it did not fully approve of what happened. This is dramatised by the new directive of the Bishop’s office to all the parishes on the illegal and irresponsible ringing of church bells.

DIEGO INDICTED

THIS is a direct indictment of Fr. Diego or at least the parishioners who attacked the house of Calvert Gonsalves. Whether or not instigated by Fr. Diego, the Bishop’s Palace has now acknowledged that the Church bells were rung illegally on the day of the attack of Calvert’s house to gather a crowd. In what may be a case of covering his tracks, Fr. Diego — for the first time — has also issued a press note claiming that he did not authorise the ringing of the bells to mobilise people to protest against the CD produced by Calvert Gonsalves.

But it is not only the church which is witnessing a rebellion by the religious or ordinary citizens who worship. Bahujan Samaj leaders have apparently decided to replace the incumbent Brahmeshanand Swami of the Kundaim mutt by a more acceptable religious head. Among the allegations against the Swami of the Kundaim mutt is that he got married suddenly without informing his supporters and in violation of the vow of celibacy which holy men normally take in the country. Trouble has also been reported during the elections to the managing committees of the various devasthans in the state. Apparently there has been a revolt by a section of the mahajans against politicians like Deepak Dhavlikar trying to rig the elections to take control of the devasthans.

AND a last stray thought for yet another Sunday. Konkani has always been acknowledged as the language of the people of Goa. Konkani was formally made the officially language of Goa after a long struggle in 1989. But though we have a Konkani academy and a Konkani Bhasha Parishad, Dalgado Academy and the Thomas Stephen’s Konknni Kendre, there are no classes conducted by any of these organisations for those who want to learn Konkani. While there are institutes in the state offering training in Portuguese, the language of the colonialists, and even Spanish, Russian, French and German, there are no institutions which offer even classes in conversational Konkani for the large numbers of upper middle class residents of Mumbai and Delhi and London and Berlin who wish to learn Konkani to be able to interact the local people in their own language.

KONKANI COURSE

IRONICALLY, the only initiative for teaching Konkani to non-Goans was taken by the Bengali association which held a brief course in the NIO community hall. But the focus was more on Konkani grammar than spoken Konkani. Will any of the institutions which profess so much love for Konkani come forward to hold at least conversational classes for those who want to learn Konkani. The Goan Observer will be delighted to help in any manner it can. Organising courses in Konkani, even if it is only for conversational Konkani, can be a very viable if not profitable proposition because of the huge number of migrants, including upper middle class migrants, who have relocated in Goa.