Tip The Den, Mickey !

Tip The Den, Mickey !



As kids most of us must have played 'hide and seek and tip the den games one time of the other, both are similar but tip the den is certainly the more exciting one, as kids it was very exciting and enjoyed it too, it did not require to many kids as well, could be played even between just two kids, with not much space required either, one could play it anywhere and everywhere. In villages even today, every time I watch kids play that game a smile lights up my face and takes me back in time, to the good old days of yore.

While playing this game we hid, not just behind trees or structures but also in some of the most difficult of places not worried of the dirtiness around or the availability of light either, we just made ourselves as invisible as possible, leaving the poor soul (the den) to spot us before we tipped the den, sometimes a few of us would come in a group out of nowhere and tip the den, leaving the den confused and immobile. For kids it does sound good but when the grown up's play this game, they look ridiculously silly.

Last couple of day the media is all about our Hip Hop politician Mickey playing tip the den with our security services and I am sure he is going to tip the den even before our den, the police, realize it, making them look utterly foolish.

Mickey Mickey Mickey where are thou? asks the security services, how can a man of your stature and acumen do this to us, when we supported you in all your endeavors, acted blind to all your aggressions, even against our very own, and time and again reached late to curb your favourite indulgence the direos, we even let you drive your expensive all terrain vehicle the Hummer without registration, helped you by delaying the FIR filed by your wife Sara, and the complain by the Engineer whom you had slapped. Even in this case too we will help you as much as we can, now just because it's fresh news, everyone is interested, but after a while everything will be forgotten. We have been so nice and accommodating and why do you like to make us look foolish in front the Goan people?


Most of us know the fire brand politician who got his kicks by breaking every rule in the book or on second thoughts, he could have been ignorant of the rules, a .
possibility knowing his personal limitations. He was a tailor by profession, he then goes to Bahrain where he struggles and in some years reaches the land of opportunities called USA, like a lot of migrants his stars seemed to have shone too and out of a nobody he suddenly becomes everybody's envy, as he lands up in a fortune that nobody had dreamt off.

He than comes back to Goa flaunting his newly acquired riches and locks horns with our Great Churchill Almeao and before anyone could say Alleluia he kicks Churchill'sbackside and wins the election from the constituency of Benaulim and voila in no time showing his muscle and money power becomes a minister, if one dud can become a Minister or even a Chief Minister why not the other? So starts the political life line of Mickey. He even went to the extent of owning a football team but then as the football governing body of India did not bow to his ethics he withdrew his team. But as it is said it's impossible to straighten the tail of a dog, so also the problematic life style of the flamboyant Mickey.


Old habits are hard to die is an old axiom which is very much applicable to Mickey, his inherent temper and his flair for expensive cars, women and equally fast lifestyle were not the perfect panaceas for all his ills and did put him in a lot of trouble both personally, as well as a politician and the latest episode has culminated into Mickey playing tip the den with the security services. How far and how long it's to go? We'll have to just wait and watch.


Mean while speculations and anxiety over the situation grows the bereaved family has to go through muck and acrimony. This is indeed tragic. In any crime the guilty must be punished, but isn't it true that every crime should be treated equally? Every individual has to be given justice? Does not our constitution give justice for all ? So, when so many other equally questionable suicides, murders and abetments are just ignored, while only a few are looked into, why is the life of this young lady so important and that of the others so worthless? Are we seeking justice? Or are we seeking revenge? Or are we seeking political mileage? In fulfilling our political agendas we just do not mind whom we trample over or what distress we cause to the other, as long as we get the publicity.



Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Dubai - UAE

June 8, 2010


http://www.nme.com/awards/video/search/goan
http://goanfocus.blogspot.com/2010/06/tip-den-mickey.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ia9CTFzZwg&feature=player_embedded#!
http://goanamigo.blogspot.com/2010/07/tip-den-mickey.html
Posted by Goa-World.COM

Rajan Narayan's Apathy Towards Our Dead

Rajan Narayan's Apathy Towards Our Dead



Looking at the cover story of Goan Observer of June 6, 2010, I was very much appalled to see a coloured photograph of Mickky happily dancing on Nadia Torrado's grave, what sort of humour was Rajan Narayan aiming at, if at all it was humour. It was indeed distasteful and pathetic.


Lead Story
GOA HAS had and continues to have many Casanovas Reporting on the ills or the colourful lifestyle of Mickky is one thing but making a mockery of our dead is most certainly uncalled for.

Rajan Narayan's apathy towards our dead is not acceptable. If Rajan Narayan want's to get at Mickky there are lots of other ways than disrespecting our dead.

Rajan Narayan has been in Goa for ages and should have known better than to hurt the feelings of the largest minority in Goa, If Rajan Narayan wants to derive some humour then he should do it of his own dead ones, if he does not respect his dead it his prerogative but trying to derive humour from our dead is not what we like. We Christians consider our resting place sacred, and so our feeling should be respected.

What ever her life was, she lived it, but in death, it is essential that we show some respect.

Who are we to judge others when we ourselves are stuck in the muck one way or the other. Rajan Narayan should refrain from such callous humour.

Would Rajan Narayan do the same to the other minority community?

Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Jun 9, 2010
_______________________
Who is Rajan Narayan

Rajan Narayan is an Indian journalist residing in Goa. He is the current editor of the Goan Observer, and formerly edited the Herald, a newspaper formerly known as O Heraldo between 1983 and 2003.
Narayan was the first editor of the Herald (O Heraldo), when the paper was converted, on October 10, 1983, from being the "last Portuguese daily in India" to an English-language broadsheet.
In 2003, he left the Herald, amidst some acrimony, and set up a weekly English-newspaper called the Goan Observer (which is published by his wife),
In his earlier years, Narayan was based in Mumbai the Indian commercial capital 600 kilometres north of Goa, where he worked in advertising, and for publications that included the Onlooker, Imprint and The Financial Express.

Suprisingly any reference to 'God's own country' is missing......

Oh no, ...... I may be just ...... Uranku.., Thinnu.., -Kudikku.... (as they say in his mother-tongue).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RAJAN NARAYAN IS DEAD... LONG LIVE SUJOY GUPTA -- MAY THE AGE OF JOURNALISTIC PIMPING NEVER CEDE
In many ways, it resembled the passing of a baton.
Rajan Narayan's journalism had yellowed so much, that it could not rot any further. Even putrification has its limits, you see.
Once you are over and done with vanity journalism, blackmail, extortion, you cannot go much further. You then end up refining your techniques. For example, where earlier you would have bulldozed some dumb fart of a politician into getting you a flat surreptitiously, now you coax the builder lobby and the government to gift you one publicly.
So Rajan had reached a somewhat of a stagnation point.
Read more at ......

http://penpricks.blogspot.com/2008/06/rajan-narayan-is-dead-long-live-sujoy.html

The Distorted Vision Of Our Freedom Fighters In Goa

The Distorted Vision Of Our Freedom Fighters In Goa



All over the world freedom fighters are well respected and recognised by their institutions and are given special status and privileges for their dedication and sacrifices, the freedom struggle was the key that slammed the doors on oppression and opened the doors to freedom. A lot of freedom fighters have lost their lives, some were in prison for years, others lucky to be alive and free.


[Photo courtesy: www.kamat.com/kalranga/freedom/congress/o085.htm ]


Goa after a being ruled by the Portuguese for over 400 years, was finally free of foreign rule for which many of the brave freedom fighter who are alive today are being honoured by the Government and special privileges have been bestowed unto them and rightly so, though the credibility of our freedom fighters has been somewhat tarnished because at the time of the so called liberation there were unknown number of criminals in jail, who now claim to be freedom fighters, as they were all released from jail after the so called liberation, so the presence of freeloaders among the actual freedom fighters is a clear possibility too.

Every year the 18th of June has been celebrated as the Goa Revolution Day, and every year our politicians are seen felicitating our freedom fighters, but is the work of the freedom fighters done and finished with ? Was it for the prevailing present, that they had fought for, the sacrifices they had made for?

During the time when Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency, freedom fighters like Jayprakash Narayan blew the bugle of war against Indira for turning India into a dictatorial power from the democratic setup. He fought bravely and was again put behind bars, where he was treated like a mere criminal, but it did not break his resolve and kept on the fight. What do we see in Goa? Our so called freedom fighter are more interested in getting rid of the Portuguese names, is that what they fought for? Does changing of names, gives us the actual freedom? I am happy that at least one of them had the courage to speak against the Casino culture, but are they all blind to see the depravity and the corruption that is thriving in their beloved Goa, that they fought for? Why is it that not a single freedom fighter is raising his voice against the dire effects of mining and mega housing on our ecology, environment and the lives of their fellow brethren? Or are they so desperate for the goodies that the Government throws at them, that they fail to see the reality around them?

Politicians and bureaucrats in Goa are on a rampage tearing and selling ever bit of Goa, not thinking of the posterity or even the immediate future. They are not worried about improving the quality of life of Goans and infact doing their best to make life of Goans even more difficult. Corruption and crime are runaway monsters spreading faster and wider than a cosmic explosion.

Is this what our freedom fighters had fought for?


[ http://lilliandcosta.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/army.jpg ]


With all due respect for their efforts and sacrifices during the freedom struggle, they should at least gave the guts to say to our inapt and corrupt government that the prevailing depravity and corruption was not what they had fought for.

[http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/freedom/congress/batch1-076.htm]



Our politicians are certainly making a mockery of the lives and sacrifices of our freedom fighters and yet they fail to see it, unfortunately the vision of our freedom fighters has been distorted and needs to be reverted or else their fight for freedom will be in vain and we'll most certainly need another Goan Revolution, this time not against any outsiders but against our very own.



Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Dubai - UAE
ffernandes.dgj@emaar.ae


www.goa-world.com

The Return Of The Prodigal Son

The Return Of The Prodigal Son


As I browsed through most of the Goan news papers, I noticed all of them had the same story on the front page, 'the return of the prodigal son' to the Congress fold, with pictures of smiling faces all-around. I am not at all surprised at this show of high octane theatrics which will surely explode in their faces in due course of time.


Our Holy Book gives us a perfect example of repentance and forgiveness in one of it's parables, the parable of the 'prodigal son', but here we most certainly have a prodigal son in an entirely different form, this prodigal son who had left the Congress fold for mere personal reasons and ego, back stabbing the Congress at the twelfth hour, with a show of arrogance and attitude, but then in a surprise move, supported the very Congress government that he had ridiculed and humiliated just before the election, and was rewarded with a Ministry for his post election support, forgetting all his transgressions, but even after the change of heart from the Congress, during the last three years he has been a constant thorn in the side of Digambar Kamat, threatening to over throw the His government, with the help of the elite G7, lead by none other that our flamboyant Mickky mouse, the dynamic duo of Mickky mouse and the Monster-rat was indeed too hot to handle for the billie (cat) from Margao, but now once Mickky has been taken out of the equation, the G7 has wobbled and what better way and time, to come back to the arms of the ever forgiving 'mother' Sonia Gandhi.

Though the theme is the same, the behaviour of the prodigal son is in total contrast, in the Bible the prodigal son repents after spending his father's fortune on life of debauchery, here the prodigal son in non-repentant even after all the scams, and still arrogant. The prodigal son in the Bible came back after spending his share of his father's property, here the prodigal son has come back with wealth a plenty, with a lot of gold on his fingers, neck and may be in a lot of other places as well. The Bible portrays the prodigal son with shabby clothes, and equally shabby appearance but this prodigal son has come back, well dressed and with well oiled mustache and well groomed hair. In the Bible the prodigal son came back with his head down, full of shame but this prodigal son is back with his head held high, chest pushed out, tummy tucked in and his nose up in the air with no remorse at all. In the Bible the prodigal son's return was celebrated by the father but the elder brother was disappointed, here the mother has forgiven and the elder brother (Digu) is celebrating, he seems more then relieved that his chair, is now secure, for sometime atleast.

The message here that the Congress has sent out, is that the Congress in Goa is nothing more than a mere brothel, join in have fun and leave anytime and if neither party is satisfied with the performance of each other, they can always leave creating the worst of scenes and then come together any number of times for another performance without any preconditions. How gracious Congress hearts and ideologies ? It's politics at it's ugliest best.


The question now on everyone's mind is, how long will this love-hate relationship last ? When will the Don Monserrate get an itch for Digu's chair, next? Will he really anchor in fidelity and keep his vows intact? Only time will tell, though I must say that the ambitions of crooks do not succumb to the treachery and guile of the same.



Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Dubai - UAE

http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/06/tainted-goa-legislator-joins-congress.html
http://sify.com/news/congress-led-goa-government-impotent-bjp-news-national-kgusEbjchgj.html
http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Main%20Page%20News/Cong-managers-beat-G7-hands-down/35554.html

NCC taught me how to be disciplined

NCC taught me how to be disciplined, patriotic says CM



Reference to the article 'NCC taught me how to be disciplined, patriotic' on www.oheraldo.in and www.navhindtimes.in dated 30th June 2010. It is not enough to be taught to be disciplined and patriotic, after learning we have to put it in action or practice, only then we portray our values and what we have learnt. What is the use of learning to be disciplined and patriotic, if we do not put it in practice.

I do not understand what patriotism our esteemed Chief Minister is talking about, when all that he and his thirty nine colleagues are doing, is against the very basic principles of patriotism. If he was patriotic would have antisocial and tainted people in his cabinet? If he was patriotic would he allow destruction to our ecology and our environment? If he was patriotic, how could he help corruption flourish?

If he was patriotic, how could he turn a blind eye and be surrounded by people who are involved in drugs, extortion and even murder? Looking at all the anomalies that our esteemed Chief Minister is involved in, if I was a NCC cadet I would be ashamed of myself, that guys like our Chief Minister were a part of our group one time or the other.

I know that the NCC instills in us true values and discipline but looking at our esteemed Chief Minister I wonder from where he acquired all the wrong attributes and that too in abundance !



Freddy Agnelo Fernandes

Dubai - UAE





Link article:



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NCC to inculcate a sense of nationalism, secular outlook
Panaji | Wednesday, Jun 30 2010







Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has said NCC can make a lot of difference as it inculcates in the youth a sense of nationalism and secular outlook that contributes towards the building of the nation.
Presenting The Navhind Times Ex-NCC Achievers Awards-2010, organized by the State Ex-Cadets NCC Association (SENA) at Goa International Centre here today, Mr Kamat said NCC provides a platform for individual upliftment through the process of channelising the energy of the youth in constructive pursuits. Besides giving thrills and excitement, NCC promotes camaraderie and resilience and hones cultural skills to preserve the cultural traditions and values of the society. It helps the youth to realise the intimate relationship between man and the community, between community and nature and their inter-dependability, he added.
The recipients of the awards included Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Pratapsingh Rane, Superintendent of Police, South Goa Jose Allan D'Sa, former Superintendent of Police Fintan D'Souza (Senior NCC Achiever), Director of Social Welfare Sanjeev Gadkar (Civil services), Advocate Ajitsingh Rane (Legal) and John Aguair of Information & Publicity Department (Literature/Media).
Speaking as Special Guest on the occasion, Commissioner for NRI Affairs Eduardo Faleiro said Goans had distinguished themselves in the Indian Armed Forces and displayed military valour and courage in difficult times.
Goan youth should be motivated to join the Armed Forces. The starting salary for a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces as of today is Rs 35,000 and goes upto about Rs 1 lakh and in addition there are several perks and benefits.
Training in the NCC should be made compulsory for all students for atlest two years. There is one NCC Directorate for Goa and Karnataka. There is a demand that facility available to NCC Cadets in Karnataka should be available to the cadets in Goa.
Goan youth, he said, should also compete at the Central Civil Services examination. He said in the last budget speech the Chief Minister had announced that Administrative Training Institute would be set up in Goa. While the proposed Institute develops the required training facilities, scholarships may be awarded by the Government to deserving candidates to prepare themselves for the central civil services examination at reputed coaching centers in metropolitan cities. Speaker Pratapsingh Rane said he believed in discipline which was the only way to go forward. Discipline, he said, can take the country to the pinnacles of glory. He said though he had taken NCC at the junior division level, it gave him lot of confidence and lessons in discipline and self reliance. Executive Director of Navhind Times Ms Pallavi Dhempo said she was proud to be associated with these awards. Director of Goa International Centre Ms Nandani Sahay who was herself an NCC cadet, also narrated her experiences.

-- (UNI) --
SOME PROMINENT EX-NCC CADETS OF GOA

The Ex-NCC cadets are requested to send their names to email id:exnccgoa@...


http://exnccgoa.blogspot.com/2010/06/ncc-inculcates-in-youth-sense-of.html

Government's Licentious Eyes On The Cabo-de-Rama Fort

Government's Licentious Eyes On The Cabo-de-Rama Fort

It is said that Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but it does depend on what sort of eyes the beholder looks at the beauty, it can be plain admiration or it can be lust. Cabo-de-Rama, is situated on the west coast of southern Goa, it is about 30kms from Margao, it has sea on three sides and hills abreast a plateau on it's north east. The scenic beauty reminds one of Kanyakumari at sunset, it is blessed with a beautiful beach and a plateau that's envied and eyed by a lot of hoteliers. This beach and the adjoining plateau has been used by a good number of Bollywood producers for film shoots, and music videos, it is indeed scenic and picturesque, I for one never tire seeing and admiring it's beauty.



The Cabo-de-Rama fort is strategically built, from where it gives a clear view of the vast coast and the open sea. Inside it's walls it's full of greenery, over the wall it's just awesome view on the sides of the fort. Though only the remains old residences of the Portuguese are still around, the Church still looks immaculate. The Portuguese had built this church, dedicated to St. Anthony, right in the centre of this fort, this Church will complete 400 years next January, about fifty meters from the sides of the Church, all around it, there are the fourteen crosses depicting the fourteen stations of the cross. The parishioners of this Church are the residents of Cabo-de-Rama and the residents of Nuem, which is a small hamlet situated between Cabo-de-Rama and Canaguinim, at all major Church festivals the residents of Nuem gather at the Cabo-de-Rama Church. The blessing of the first fruits Navidade is done from the top of this fort, from where you get the view of all the fields and houses of Cabo-de-Rama. The processions during the feasts and the Holy week are done around the fourteen crosses. The feast of the Church is celebrated on the 15th of February with great devotion and gaiety.


From my childhood I have been hearing various stories that the Cabo-de-Rama fort was to be taken over by the Navy, the hotel industry, Atomic energy Commission, Airport and the Tourism Department among others, there were also rumors that a hifi educational institute was supposed to be taking over the fort, but now finally the cat is out of the bag and the intentions of the government are clear. The Government is certainly looking at the Cabo-de-Rama fort with licentious eyes and that has made the Cabo-de-Rama and Nuem residents very much jittery and anxiety is in the air. We certainly do not have any good reason to trust the Government.



We are all aware what happened when the Anjediv Island was handed over to armed forces, till today no one is allowed access to the church despite a good numbers requests and delegations. We certainly do not want our community to suffer the same and invite nuisance around our place of worship. Ours is a small community and we surely wouldn't want ourselves to be run over by our conniving government. We will fight and do everything possible to protect the privacy of our village and our rights.



We have been cooperative with the Government as far as the restoration and the maintenance of the fort is concerned but we will certainly oppose privatisation of the fort, it is the land of the community to be use only for the benefit of the community. Our people have learned a lesson from the mining issue and we will not be taken for granted. What the Government does in the area, has to be discussed with the locals and the Panchayat, there should be transparency in any process that the government undertakes, to see how beneficial or adverse it would be for the residents of the area.



The reputation of the present Government to support and appease the luxury hotel consortiums and mega builders against the wishes of the locals is well known, the concerns and the problems of the locals are not what interests them as long as they can make a whack for themselves, what happens to the rest is inconsequential to them. So it is left up to us to protect and safeguard our interests.


Save Cabo-de-Rama fort from privatisation. Let the people of Cabo-de-Rama decide what they want.




Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Nuem, Goa/Dubai-UAE

The writer can be contacted at ffernandes.dgj at emaar.ae
http://goenkarponn.blogspot.com/2010/06/governments-licentious-eyes-on-cabo-de.html

The Germans Are Coming

The Germans Are Coming

If we go through the history and the heaps of movies, of the world wars and there is just one sentence that sent shivers down the spines of Europeans at the start of both the world wars, “The Germans are coming”. This one sentence would send the entire neighbourhood scampering for cover though no cover would be enough to save them. The whole of Europe dreaded the very idea of coming face to face with the Germans and nearly eight decades later history is repeating itself, this time not on the war front but on the football field. World cup 2010, has certainly brought back those memories to life. Germany’s 4-1 bombardment of the Australians in their very first match, gave us enough clues of what was to come but, even then we did not give them much of a chance, then some erroneous decisions by the referee stole the charm of their match against Slovakia which they lost 0-1, then the sheer determination and then speed of the “Black Pearls” who really fought bravely, but in end, had to come second best with 0-1 defeat. At this point most people were of 50/50 opinion for their match against the highly overrated Englishmen but, on that fateful day Germany were completely a different team from their previous two matches. The Germans let the English know that stars alone do not make a winning combination and taught them a lesson or two on the basics of football in their 4-1 trashing of the Englishmen. With the demolition of their highly overrated European rivals England, they sent a message across the football world that their best was yet to come. As sure as day follows night, it happened in the next game against Argentina, till that round the Argentineans had not lost a single match and had comfortably won all their group matches and then they met Mexico where again some dubious decisions by the referee against the Mexicans served the match on a platter to Argentina for a 3-1 win. By now speculations were the order of the day and though a lot of people thought the match could go either way with a minimum of goal difference, but what unfolded shocked the entire football world where the Germans ripped the mighty Argentineans to shreds, so much so that the best player in world football today, Messi was a mere spectator and the hard working Tevez looked like a wounded bull running into brick walls of the German defense. The Germans over ran Argentina 4-0 and I am sure the Spaniards must have heard the cry “The Germans are coming” As I analyzed the match I just could not hide my awe at the turn in German football. I have been a football fan from the time I was a small kid, and as I played for my school we were shown a lot of the old world football classic, I always enjoyed the south Americans and even the Hungarians but hated the long passes followed by the looping crosses which were mostly converted into goals by the Germans, they use to be very physical too, to tell the truth even now I never like watching Bundesliga matches, but this world cup has changed it all, and I am sure the long term thinking of the Germans to pick a very young team has changed the face of German football. Due credit must be given to Joachim Low for providing us with some fantastic football. On the other hand the woes of the eccentric Maradona will continue, watching his team being trashed, he just did not have a clue, what to do next, this is what happens when a coach has just one plan. Maradona did not have any plan B or plan C, his one and only plan was Messi nothing more and nothing less, is cases like this the true credibility of the coaches come to the fore and I am sorry to say that Maradona may have been a genius on the field, the best ever human being to play football but as a coach he lacked basic coaching qualities. We all saw what Jose Mourinho did with ten men to the ferociously talented Barcelona team in the semi finals of the Champions League Cup, that is what coaches should be, all well planned and exquisitely executed. Now with just three matches to go in this 2010World Cup, the winds of speculation have changed and I can clearly say that there can be only one champion, the Germans have come and come to stay at the end I will say well done Germany, I am made to eat my words that German football was boring and “Danke Deutschland für das Spielen des aufregenden Fußballs” (thank you Germany for playing exciting football) Hope you’ll play even better and win the World Cup - Alles beste (all the best).


Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
Nuem, Canacona/Dubai, UAE