THE once beautiful Bougainville Garden (maintained by the Forest Department?) near the O’Coqueiro Circle, adjacent to CHOGM Road, is fast disappearing! There is virtually no trace of the garden left now. This stretch of the famed CHOGM Road is used by hundreds of people every day. It is surprising that a garden can disappear day by day and in its stead business activities like a steel and building materials stock-yard, parking of vehicles, and so on flourish. Soon we may see a mini steel unit takeover here. The all powerful and mighty use this road almost every day and yet no one has noticed or bothered to ask any questions. Whose vested interests is this?

The irony is that there is a signpost in front of the Mutt (opposite the water tank) which reads "NO PARKING WITHIN 100 METRES" and lo and behold, we see cars, LCVs, tempos, vans, et al, all parked within five metres of  this signpost. The constant movement of PWD water tankers adds to the woes of citizens. It is a nightmare to travel through this stretch, especially during office and business hours - both in the morning and the evening. There’re no side walks for pedestrians. An area in front of the Mutt has been cordoned off and a flag mast has been installed.

CHOGM Road, an important and historical road, has become a racing track! It is time the authorities took quick action to ensure citizens’ safety along this stretch and all along CHOGM Road. Please put in road rumblers at busy sections, particularly in front of the Mutt; and in front of the many housing complexes like Sapana Gardens, Sapana Habitat, Prudential Palms, Landscape and Angels Resort…immediately, so that speeding vehicles can be checked. There is also a desperate need for sidewalks and encroachments should be removed in this respect. Above all, with the phenomenal growth of vehicular traffic on this road, it needs to be widened. Traffic offenders should also with according to law.

–Amit Majumdar,
Chogm Road, Porvorim.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH INDIAN FOOTBALL?

INDIA was once the most powerful football country in Asia, in the late 50’s and 60’s. In fact, that particular period is still regarded as the golden era of Indian football, because our Indian football team was really No.1 and had even qualified for World Cup held in Brazil in 1950. Unfortunately, our team got eliminated in that major event as our footballers at that time played bare-footed, without shoes! Today, we have so many famous football clubs around India but the standard of football has really gone from bad to worse, and in terms of real competition we are where in Asia. Japan, South Korea, China and even some small Gulf countries are qualifying and representing their countries in football World Cup finals. So what has gone wrong with Indian football?

Some may blame the AIFF and all the Indian clubs for the disastrous standard of Indian football but I feel we should blame ourselves for this sorry state of football affairs. The people along with the media never support and motivate Indian football and e3ven if our footballers win a few matches here and there, there’s never a word of praise and any achievements is ignored. We talk of football but do nothing to generate interest and improve standards…the first thing we should do is stop dancing only after cricket matches! Cricket crazy fans and the Indian media are responsible for glorifying kiddish, sissy cricket and the neglect towards other sports like football. Even Doordarshan refuses to show mega football World Cup matches! But it has shamelessly been showing even those sick cricket test matches live in Indian homes since the 80’s…it is open injustice towards all other sports. Why is this so?

Some cricket fanatics point out that for money to flow in other sports there should be heroes! But I don’t think that this silly argument holds any water because I’ve seen that in cricket even the zeroes are hyped so much that they are shameless projected as big Bollywood heroes and turned into super heroes in by our media. We have so many superstars like Vishwanathan Anand, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathy, Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bhindra and more from other sports who have done far more greater things through hard work but they are never glorified like cricketers by the Indian people and media! How is it that we don’t see a Vishwanathan Anand or a Leander Paes in a Pepsi or Coke or Reebok ad in India? It’s disgusting!

No sport can survive and flourish without government, corporate, media and the people’s support. India is no exception. The people of this country should drop their blinkers and follow a real competitive sport like football because this is the only sport which is about world class speed, stamina and popularity in the rest of the world. Hey, has anyone seen a world football team playing with the same old eight to nine countries for months and years over and over again as in cricket? Cricket is a junk sport, it sucks…soccer rules!

–Jerry Fernandes,
Saligao.

CANSAULIM-AROSSIM DOOMED!

MANY of our coastal villages have been transformed from  sleepy villages into bustling mini-towns. Vices in the form of drugs and narcotics have entered the scene and slowly the fabric of our villages have lost their former sheen.  Young people are tempted into the world of drugs and sexual exploitation and once happy, close-knit families have become fragmented.  Parents do not know where their wards spend time and vice versa.  Neighbours are not the best of pals any more, but money is!   Monetary greed has grown so much that that bothers became enemies and now the postman brings more litigation notices than Christmas and New Year greetings.

One village that stands out from the rest of the coastal villages is Cansaulim-Arossim.  The reason I’m told is due to the strong unity amongst the elected members of the local Panchayat.  The development agenda was always in the interests of the village. I loved this village to the extent that I wanted others to follow its development plan.  The village policy was a no to hotels and mega projects but this is now crumbling due to money power.  This ideal village too in my eyes is not longer safe and will fall into the hands of the evil powers that be…

But it’s still not too late to save Cansaulim- Arossim and its surrounding areas from falling into commercial development. Save Cansaulim-Arossim for the sons and daughters of the land!  Do not let Cansaulim- Arossim be another Marjorda, Colva or Calangute.  People of Causaulim-Arossim do not keep quiet! Speak out against the senseless mega housing project…stop such housing projects, say no to them.

–Agnelo Pinheiro,

Raia/Dubai

IS MAUVIN GODINHO A TRAITOR?

THERE is wide publicity amongst Goans abroad about MLA Mauvin Godinho and how he is supporting a non-Goan builder constructing a mega project in Cansualim. There are also strong allegations of intimidation of local residents to accept the monstrosity coming up. In all fairness, Mr. Godinho should be given a chance to come out clearly about whether he supports this mega-project or not. If he does not, then I request him to oblige the Cansualim Gram Sabha’s request in scrapping it. It he doesn’t do this his true intentions are clear to all. Surely Mauvin Godinho knows about all the negative fall-out of such mega projects in rural Goa, its land, environment, demography and identity?!

–Arwin Mesquita,
UAE.

THE ENEMY WITHIN

WE blame politicians for looting/destroying Goa, its land, environment and identity. But let’s first look within to see the major causes of this situation: (1) Who voted for corrupt MLA’s? (2) Don’t we ourselves support corruption and unethical democratic methods? I appreciate that sometimes we are forced to do what we do but surely a lot of our support can be avoided? (3) How many ask for illegal favors from corrupt MLA’s and then become their slaves for life? What we do for selfish reasons will ultimately destroy us all. What we do illegally will come back to haunt us in some form or other. (4) How many of us glorify various corrupt politicians at various events in Goa/overseas for obvious reasons in spite of knowing what they’re doing in Goa to destroy Goa’s very identity? (5) Taking the Catholic perspective (and it is the same for other religions), we portray ourselves as good Catholics and teach our children right from wrong, etcetera, but hypocritically our actual thinking/actions is exactly the opposite and so we set bad examples. The solutions are within each and all of us if only we care enough to change for the better for the larger good of Goa!!

–Arwin Mesquita,
Abu Dhabi, UAE.

ARE DOCTORS SUCH COWARDS?

Dr Oscar Rebello, the conscientious doctor and a fighter for Goan causes was candid enough to state that government doctors do fall prey to political pressure and issue certificates. This he experienced when he was in Government service. How nice it would have been if Dr Oscar had voiced the same while he was still a government doctor! Be that as it may be, doctors however good they may be, they write badly. They have to admit this. Of course, there are exceptions. The overwriting, etc, on the Hospicio Hospital reports which delayed the fugitive’s arrest made me recall an incident that took place in my school. While distributing geography answer papers in the class, our teacher asked "Who is Indira?" A student got up and answered she’s India’s Prime Minister. The teacher had a hearty laugh and said who is Indira in the class? Indira stood up rather anxiously. The teacher said "You have scribbled your answers; I am just unable to read and understand. Can you please read it for me?" And added, "You will make a good doctor!" But in the case of the Hospicio Hospital doctor, is it the case of bad handwriting or deliberate overwriting? This needs clarification. Otherwise, the names of conscientious doctors can get tarnished.

–Irineu Gonsalves,
51/A, Verna, Goa.

FLYING FALEIRO!

GOA needs a flying squad to stop land use violations and the rampant corruption in various government departments. But what we have instead is a flying NRI Commissioner, Mr. Eduardo Faleiro. He is always recklessly flying across the globe and is a further burden to the State exchequer.

The government should come clean on the crores of rupees that have gone down the drain over the years because of  the dismal performance of this Commissioner who only flies and talks. With the internet at hand, concerns of Goans settled outside Goa are known to all. There is no need to jet around the world for pleasure trips in the guise of interacting with Goans outside Goa!

It is no secret that this retired politician, a former Union Minister, is holding on to the  post of NRI Commissioner because he could not be accommodated anywhere else in a retirement posting. Keep flying, Mr. Commissioner until your wings are clipped or the state treasury has been emptied! All good things come to an end. In your case, the sooner the better for the people of Goa.

–Aires Rodrigues,
Ribandar.