Its fasting ,abstinence and time for prayer in Goa

Ash Wednesday saw thousands of Goans flocking to churches early in the morning, beginning the season of Lent. Most Goans will turn vegetarian for the next 40 days while some will abstain from a host of eating and other such pleasures during the entire period.

It is the season of Lent all over the world, which urges Christians around the globe to pray, fast and abstain, while preparing themselves for the biggest feast of the Christian faith which is Easter.For Christians, Easter is the day, Jesus rose from his death signifying victory over death- a day which is preceded by 40 days of penance.

Easter holds a special place for most Christians, and is considered much important and sacred than Christmas. The rising of Jesus from death after three days, brings about salvation into the lives of those who believe.

The period of Lent is drawn from other instances in the Bible including the time spent by Moses on Mount Sinai as also the 40 days and nights of floods in the times of Noah's Ark. However the penance of a physically weak Jesus in the desert, fending off Satan's temptations is the one attributed to the season of penance.

Christians abstain from various pleasures during this season and regard it as  time for self-purification. There are those who regularly fast on Fridays and Wednesdays in the entire period and religiously attend the "stations of the Cross" on those days. Meat is mostly abhorred by Christians during the entire period.

The sacrifices are most often personal in nature and may not be dictated by the Church. Christians find the sacrifices as a means to achieve God's grace through their personal actions which are only noticed by the most High..

Curtains come down on carnival in Goa

The festivities related to carnival came to a close on Tuesday 24th February 2009 with the last float parades and all other programmes in Goa coming to a close .

With the floats in Panjim , Margao and Vasco already hosted on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, it was the turn of Mapusa in the north and Curtorim in South Goa to have the last float parades in the state.

The Mapusa float parade was similar to the parades witnessed in Margao and Panjim besides some additional floats by the Aldona Royals, the St Jerome Boys of Mapusa, Lover boys, Peddem boys Anjuna, Bekar boys with a float on terorism, Nomoxint boys of Caranzalem with Goynchi Girestkai, Amigos club of St. Inez, Sangolda Boys, Discovery boys of Calangute etc.

The Curtorim village had the "festival of curtorcars 2009" at Curtorim which had the hosting of the float parade, the fancy dress competition which was a huge success besides a variety of cultural programmes. A super display of fireworks and performances by Goan tiatrists Wilmix and Sharon wound up the festivities.

25th February onwards, marks the holy lenten season in Goa just as the rest of the world, with the observation of Ash Wednesday.

Goa politicians tussle over animal-fights!

This is one unique battle which must be making animal rights activists sit up and scratch their heads in disbelief. Two Goan legislators are currently tussling on who should actually be credited for making efforts to make animals fight. I repeat, making animals fight, not fighting for animals' rights.

The tussle is currently between the former Chief Minister of Goa and current Member of Parliament Mr Francisco Sardinha and the " erstwhile save Goa party merged-into-congress MLA " Mr Aleixo Reginald Lourenco. Both the rivals from the Curtorim constituency are currently engaged in a war of words over who is more interested in the legalisation of the "DHIRIO", the so-called traditional bullfight which a section of Goans apparently love.

It seems the promise to legalise the 'dhirio" was made by some legislators to their constituents at the time of elections and with the Lok sabha elections looking up, the promises are knocking hard for answers.

On the 6th of February  the Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco introduced a  Bill in the concluding  session of the state assembly of Goa seeking an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 . The Bill sought to nullify the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act under which the organization of bullfights or "Dhirio" is illegal.

The bill also seeks to formulate guidelines  to be framed by the government for the purpose of regulating the conduct of the "sport" in the state while mentioning that dhirio is a traditional sport in Goa which needs to be protected.

Countering the move, the Congress MP said that the bill in the Goa assembly has no meaning untill the law is amended at the centre and apparently termed it an eyewash.

On 12th February, Sardinha moved a private member's Bill in the Lok Sabha to revoke the ban on bullfights, asserting that these festivities form part of a tradition of Goa going back centuries thereby seeking a series of amendments in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 to ensure these bull fights are regulated and the animals are protected from suffering any injuries.

The Bill is therefore aimed at the squashing of the ban on Dhirio, a kind of a traditional Goan bullfight or a game for trial of strength which is a part of the traditional festivity in Goan villages during the monsoon( and now anytime) which has been stopped for more than a decade by the animal lovers in the state by invoking the Act on the ground that the animals were subjected to cruelty in this kind of a game.

Citing the case of Tamil Nadu and Goa to be identical, In the statement of objects and reasons for moving the amendment bill, Sardinha reasoned that the bullfights are part of festivities in certain parts of the country,such as Tamil Nadu and Goa but argued the inability of having the bullfights due to the restrictions on the same.

Incidentally, organizers of "Dhirios" mint anywhere from Rs two lakh to Rs 8 lakh a fight, as bull owners and spectators bet heavily on their favourite competitor and the whole game is allegedly driven by betting.

The bill in the Lok sabha however has no meaning now as it was presented in the last session of the 14th Lok Sabha and all pending Bills collapse on the constitution of the new House which will be constituted after the election results in May 2009.

Portuguese Nationality for Goans : documents needed if born after 19.12.1961

The following documentation is required for Goans to apply for a Portuguese Passport 

All applications to claim the Portuguese Nationality can be submitted at the nearest Portuguese Consulate of your area.

The documents needed to apply for the Portuguese passport :
(A) For those born after 19th December 1961 - Can apply only after their parents birth and marriage are registered in " Conservatoria dos registos Centrais de Lisboa"(Conservatória records of Central Lisbon)- The documents required are as under

1. Document of Identification of the applicant ( Indian passport with personal elements in conformity with those stated in the birth certificate)

2. Police Clearance certificate, with a photograph of the applicant pasted, and attested by the issuing authority, stating that no cases, criminal / judicial, are pending against the applicant, and its validity not earlier than six months;

3. Birth certificate of the applicant – Note:- Birth certificates upto 1970 must be in “Teor”

4. "Assento de nascimento" ( certificate of Birth) and "Assento de Casamento"(certificate of marriage)  of the parent(s) registered in the Conservatoria dos registos Centrais de Lisboa"(Conservatória records of Central Lisbon)- within the validity period

5. original BI of the parent registered in the Conservatoria dos registos Centrais de Lisboa"(Conservatória records of Central Lisbon)-

6. Birth certificate of the parent not registered in the Conservatoria dos registos Centrais de Lisboa"(Conservatória records of Central Lisbon)-

7. Death certificate(s) of the deceased parent(s)

All original documents issued in English or in local Indian language must be accompanied by a translation of the same, in the Portuguese language except the notarized Xerox copy of the passport, issued in English or in local Indian language.

- All documents and respective translations, except the notarized Xerox copy of the passport must be attested by

-Those obtained in Goa :
(a) Notary
(b) Collector
(c) Under-Secretary (HOME)

-Those obtained in Daman and Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
a) Notary
(b) Mamlatdar
(c) Joint Secretary (HOME/ Collector);

-Those obtaining from Maharashtra
a) Notary
(b) Mantralaya ( Home department)
(c) Under-Secretary (HOME)

Consular fees :

Attestation of each document : Rs 719.( as of 25/2/2009)

Nationality processing fee : Rs 14,083

(B) For those born in the Antigo Estado da India ( Former state of India) before 19th December 1961 ( Day of liberation of Goa):Please CLICK HERE for the requirements of the documentation.

Goa government to relieve Mandovi of Casinos

The government of Goa has decided to shunt out the offshore casinos from the river Mandovi and the city's limits and instead relocate them at a minimum distance of atleast one nautical mile from the seashore,towards the Arabian sea within a period of 15 days.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting yesterday after which the Chief Minister Mr Digambar Kamat briefed media persons about the decision and indicated that all the existing casinos operating from the river Mandovi will have to move out into the Arabian sea and will be allowed to come in the city only to refuel and replenish their stocks on a swift basis.

The casinos operating in the rivers of the Mandovi will therefore be issued notices to ensure compliance with the order to move out into the Arabian sea and be in the waters anywhere between 1 nautical mile to around 5 nautical miles from the seashore, which forms the state's territorial water limits. This would definitely relieve the Mandovi of excess traffic which was posing dangers to the navigation of various vessels.

The Chief Minister made it clear that the government of Goa, was earning a sizeable income through the casinos in Goa and said that the revenues help social causes in Goa.

The decision to shift the casinos may have been triggered by the threat made by the opposition leader in the assembly Mr Manohar Parrikar who has alleged irregularities over the permissions granted to various casinos besides pointing out the the lack of checks on seaworthiness of some of the casinos currently operating in the river Mandovi besides some which he alleged to be non-equipped with appropriate licences.

The BJP had served a deadline of March 15 to the government to shift all the casinos out of river Mandovi or face an agitation amidst allegations of scams and kickbacks involving bureaucrats and top officials within the government.

Portuguese Nationality for Goans: Documentation for Goans born before 19.12.1961

The following documentation is required for Goans to apply for a Portuguese Passport and claim the Portuguese nationality

Place of application:
All applications to claim the Portuguese Nationality should be submitted to the nearest Portuguese Consulate of your area.

The documents needed to apply for the Portuguese passport are:
(A) For those born in the Antigo Estado da India ( Former state of India) before 19th December 1961 ( Day of liberation of Goa):

1. Document of Identification of the applicant ( Indian passport with personal elements in conformity with those stated in the birth certificate)

2. Police Clearance certificate, with a photograph of the applicant pasted, and attested by the issuing authority, stating that no cases, criminal / judicial, are pending against the applicant, and its validity not earlier than six months;

3. Birth certificate of the applicant – Note:- Birth certificates upto 1970 must be in “Teor”

4. Residential certificate with a photograph of the applicant, pasted and attested by the issuing authority, stating the complete residential address of the same ( obtained from the mamlatdar / panchayat)

5. Additional proof of residence of the applicant, specifically for the period from 01.01.1974 to 31.12.1975 ( school / college / Employment / Church certificate)

6. The applicant must submit an old document issued by the Portuguese administration in the erstwhile Estado Portugues da India and only documents with the following characteristics will be considered relevant as proof of date and place of birth.

(A) TYPE OF OLD DOCUMENT:

The document has to be an original issued by the civil registrar of Civil identification Authorities or passport or temporary document of travel. Original documents should not be understood as those obtained by illegal or other means ( i.e pages/certificates removed from the book of records)

(B) CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OLD DOCUMENT

1. Issued on an official stamp paper or forms that contains the official emblem of Portugal

2. Should have the signature of the issuing officer and authenticated with a white seal.

3. Identification of the issuing authority

4. Identification of the number and year of registration, if it’s a certificate or number, series and year of document.

(C) CONTEXT OF THE OLD DOCUMENT

The old document has to compulsorily have the following identification matter

Full name:
Date Of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Parents name:

-All original documents except the notarized Xerox copy of he passport, issued in English or in local Indian language, must be accompanied by a translation of the same, in the Portuguese language

- All documents and respective translations, except the notarized Xerox copy of the passport must be attested by

-Those obtained in Goa :
(a) Notary
(b) Collector
(c) Under-Secretary (HOME)

-Those obtained in Daman and Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
a) Notary
(b) Mamlatdar
(c) Joint Secretary (HOME/ Collector);

-Those obtaining from Maharashtra
a) Notary
(b) Mantralaya ( Home department)
(c) Under-Secretary (HOME)

Consular fees :

Attestation of each document : Rs 719.

(B) For those born after 19th December 1961 - Can apply only after their parents birth and marriage are registered in " Conservatoria dos registos Centrais de Lisboa"(Conservatória records of Central Lisbon)- Please CLICK HERE for the requirements of the documentation.

EMRI in Goa

108 has been seen as an agent of help in Goa for quite some time now.It was on September 5 2008 that the 108 Emergency Management and Research Institute launched (EMRI) in partnership with the Government of Goa, as a free emergency response service in the state.

EMRI is committed to improving the emergency response service in Goa  and presently the 108 vehicles in Goa have responded to over 8,000 emergencies and thereby saved over 150 lives ever since it was launched in September 2008. Goa was in fact the first state to have launched the service in the entire country  with 18 ambulances covering a population of 13.44 lakh.

The endeavour was envisioned as an example of  a corporate social responsibility of the state towards its citizens .The Govt of Goa has an understanding with EMRI which makes EMRI responsible to develop and operationalise the comprehensive Emergency Response Service unit. This unit is expected to provide pre-hospital care and transport to definitive care, to patients with illness and injuries which constitute a medical emergency.

EMRI is also aimed at developing an integrated emergency management model to network the different arteries of emergency response – the major institutions and infrastructure setups like hospitals, police stations and fire brigades are working in co-ordination with EMRI in Goa.

EMRI, which is accessible through its toll free number 108, handles all kinds of emergencies in this coastal state of Goa, including delivery related, accident, drowning or any other instances of such mishaps.

The cost component of EMRI is mainly borne by the government of Goa while providing the capital expenditure for development of land allotted by the government for construction of the state-of-the-art building. The cost of purchasing the ambulances is also paid for by the government of Goa.  The Government also funds 95 per cent of the operational expenditure  such as salaries of staff,  ambulance operational cost, medical consumables requirements , training etc.

While an advanced Life Saving (ALS) fully equipped ambulance costs Rs 17 lakh, the cost of a Basic Life Saving ( BLS) equipped ambulance is Rs 13 lakh. This cost includes the bare vehicle, cost of fabrication and medical equipment. The State of Goa also funds the infrastructure required to house the Emergency Response Center and the necessary technology hardware costing around Rs 10 crore.

EMRI contributes with its expertise of leadership, technology, innovation, research and training free of cost and also contributes 5 per cent of operational expenses while also giving around Rs 8 crore to meet any balance operational expenses and the costs of the leadership, research and training. However, the cost of technology support provided by Satyam is additional and runs into several crores which is provided free of cost to every State.

The monitoring, evaluation and auditing is undertaken by an advisory council under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of Goa which is expected to meet every quarter to audit expenses, and its recommendations are mandatory. Its members are the Health  Finance and the Home secretaries. The DGP and the Health commissioner are the conveners.

The Goan Carnival of yesteryears! Carnaval indeed!

Goa has been celebrating carnival for centuries since the Portuguese set footprints here to make it part of the lifestyle of Goans before the lenten season sets in. However in those days there were no floats, no blaring music systems, no motored vehicles to carry the revelers and everything was in a way original , genuine stuff through various programmes, the memories of which continue to touch the members of the older generation.

While there used to be a fun filled camaraderie among villagers during carnival, small plays or skits would be staged in front of prominent houses in the village. With the traditional "Ghumot" in tow, groups of men would dress colourfully in various costumes, some of them masquerading as women to perform various hilarious plays riddled with humour and satire, the memories of which are fondly remembered by the senior citizens till today.

The plays, known as Khell  were normally staged in villages. There was the usual poking of fun at the character played in the name of the Village Bhatcar( landlord) with his high nosed mannerisms and aristocratic attitudes often ridiculed and mocked at by the lowly mundkar ( labourer / farmer).

In some plays there used to be  different groups formed to divide the members of the play. The group of the gawda community used to be called as the "Gaudiam parte" another group known as the "Raksiam parte" was a party deemed to belong to the monster group and there was a third group known as the "Bomboichi parte" which was a group of Goans presumed to be from Mumbai.

The destination to seek sponsors for such plays were always the richest people and the khell was normally enacted in the compound of these affluent Goans as the troupe moved from house to house in search of patrons to stage the play.

While the plays were held without even any basic facilities like props or curtains, they would effectively entertain the crowds to the hilt and would often be reffered to as the "Zomnir Khell" ( a play on the ground).

While spontaneity was a major ingredient in the Khell, yet everything was not on the spur of the moment and the songs and dialogues were written and the actors and musicians  would rehearse a bit before they took to the staging of the Khell.

When there was a beating of the drums, it was clear that the play is about to begin and the crowds simply used to find a desperate place in a circle around the artists and ready themselves in silence for a piece of the action.A whistle would blow before the action really got underway.The Regidor ( the headman of the village) of the village was granted the privilege of watching the first performance of the Khell and would not be charged any fees for the same after which the landlords and affluent people were visited for the performances.

Over the years the Khell slowly transformed with props and curtains coming in to make the suspense of the situation etc more effective with a small stage also being erected at many places.

However while the Khell still exists in Goa, it is only dominant in the sourthern part of Goa and specifiaclly concentrated in Salcete and other peripheral areas.

Goa Carnival's dancing buddies

The festival of colours in Goa that Carnival is, it seems to have a place for everyone to showcase their brand image and their talent . While corporates such as Maggi and Budweiser besides catering institutions and ambulance service 108 as well as local businesses have walloped the limelight in a bid to promote their brand image. However carnival in Goa can never miss a distinct brigade of boys and girls who lend the exceptional dance spirit of carnival to the float parade in Goa.

It is a familiar sight to see these young lasses in attire full of frills and carnivelesque colours in the good company of boys flaunting a maverick hairstyle or better topping themselves with cowboy hats or just wearing bandanas. The cultural splurge of carnival which gives a little extra punch to free flowing dancing abilities, has given this ever renewing brigade in Goa a good reason to hog some limelight while making some extra cash for themselves.

While the student community of Goa is the backbone of this inseparable carnival brigade. the organisers find this community to be the ideal foil to their plans because students are inexpensive, can be moulded easily, love some limelight in their teens and essentially have no airs as some of the seasoned dancers would carry with them.  

The students are often selected through common friends in college and other such campuses and get to participate in all the parades in Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa while pocketing for themselves payments upto Rs 500 per day. Armed with a training which may range for a day or two, the students conduct practices, often within their own group on Sundays and holidays.

So this unmistakable brigade of boys and girls lend the completeness to the carnival floats by dancing to a series of forward, backward and side steps and hip movements in a choreographed rhythm for every few metres of the float parade.

The students get picked up by individual float sponsors like hot cakes with sponsors ranging from beverage companies to cell phone manufacturers scouting for this hep crowd from among the schools and college campus influentials.

After selection, the youngsters are then fine tuned to personalise with  the particular brand they are selected for and keeping with the requirements of the song and its tempo, they trail behind the leading brand image banners, synchronizing with their dance steps often with glittering strips of  colourful papers adorning their hands. They also help in distributing pamphlets of the advertised product besides some of them even singing and making announcements

It is the love of dancing and the spirit of fun besides the welcome bonus of pocket money which goads these youngsters to take part in the parade year on year and once they leave the campus,  the generation next takes over in  a continuance of the passion to enjoy the remnants of Goa's colonial past adding fun and frolic to their lives.

Go Green Goa!

Ecological resurgence was the key sentiment for the Go Green Goa - a workshop held in Panjim.

A host of issues with special focus on Goa, ranging from agriculture, alternative energy, climate change and water management were discussed at the workshop.

Agriculture was highlighted to be an extremely profitable business if all resources are pooled towards its success which urged farmers to cultivate and market a local variety of rice with smart packaging techniques.

Stressing on motivating the younger generation, the experts opined that through the various projects such as agriculture, water harvesting, waste management and others, they would like to prove that the agricultural profession is as glamorous as any other.

Ground realities such as carbon emissions in India and practices to reducing the carbon footprints by adopting simple steps such as planting trees, vermiculture, CFL bulbs usage and renewable energy would go a long way.

Experts included the environmental scientist Dr. Emmanuel Silva, Ms Clea Chandmal - a plant scientist, Ms. Yogita Mehra of TERI, Ms Bruna Fogaca - a food engineer, Mr Miguel Braganca- a horticulturist, Mr Darryl Pereira of the Reira Eco ventures and students Aaron Pereira and Isa Alvares

Are Taxis hurting Goa tourism?

There has been a proverbial hue and cry about Goan taxis overcharging tourists for a long time from different tourists arriving in the state. While the government has specified certain rates between distances, it is still unclear as to why the government of Goa is not enforcing the meter system in Goa.

For most part of their business, the tourist taxis are alleged to be demanding whatever figure comes to their mind and expecting the tourist to cough up the amount. Also depending on the type of the tourist, rates also happen to differ. The rates in the cities are different from the rates at the beaches. This is absolutely negative for the image of Goa and should be rectified by the government of Goa in right earnest.

It is therefore important that all taxi owners in Goa should install meters on their taxis to bring about an uniformity in rates. If you compare the rates here vis-a-vis the rates in Mumbai for a similar distance the rates which are deduced as per the meter reading are much lower. So why should Goa be different?

Dabolim or Mopa ! The great Goa election gimmick?

The Minister for Aviation dropped a note of great comfort for anti-Mopa communities within the state of Goa. He suggested that the notion of having only one airport and closing the other one is an unfounded theory and a misguided one.

While the expansion of the new airport is a  welcome relief, the closure of the Dabolim airport is a foregone conclusion in the minds of many Goans once Mopa becomes a reality. However the Minister says that both will operate. Great logic!

Interestingly, the Union Minister should know that the Union cabinet of which he is a member is in contradiction to what the Minister claims.Air traffic in Goa is insufficient to support the infrastructure of two airports. Further, Mopa is to be developed on a private-public partnership basis and if Dabolim is also open while Mopa operates, there will be no investor willing to be a guinea pig and invest money in the new international airport.

Such a policy of operating two airports in the long run inside a small state like Goa is  definitely not a sustainable one and very soon economic sense will prevail over the minor grumbles of the anti-Mopa community which will then be defunct and have few teeth to even mumble its opposition.

For some time however I suspect that both the airports are bound to operate.It is a funny suspense which air travelers are bound to face.Currently the dilemma is faced by travellers  on Mumbai-Goa buses which are bound for Panjim and if you want to head for Margao, you need to confirm in advance and depending on your destination, take the bus or wait for another one. However many confirmations have gone wrong as many irate passengers on these buses discovered once the bus reaches Panjim and original assurances made to passengers headed for Margao are denied making your tiring journey even more punishing by scouting for another means of transport for Margao.

Air travel is however more organised in their systems but the uncertainty is bound to be very irritating for travelers from South Goa who may have to take the flight to Pernem in urgent times thereby making the travel agonising.

Mopa is bound to be the modern airport with the best planning and execution. It will contain the latest methods and gadgets which are in tune with modern airports. Besides Mopa has a luxurious land availability which will assist towards the enormity of planning such a massive project. Dabolim will therefore be relegated to a secondary or a domestic destination for a while whereas Mopa will be elevated immediately to the International status. In time, Dabolim will close and be handed over to the Indian Navy. Modernising the Dabolim airport is not going to go to waste. The Navy will use the facilities and the justification will have little opposition.

All this song about Dabolim being one among the two Goan airports is bound to fade once the election fever subsides and agitations cease. We will then be expected to gulp all the assurances with a pinch of salt. And if the Minister is not in his chair by then( which is highly probable), the new one will wash off his hands and there will be no accountability for the statements or their credibility. What a system of clinical politics! Alas Goa!

Xittuk Goencar

Parra, first village in Goa to respond with own plan

Parra, a village in the north of Goa is the first village in the state of Goa to have drawn up its own Regional plan 2021 for the village of Parra.

So while the rest of Goa and its villages rejected the copy of the draft RP 2021, citing errors, Parra decided to use the golden opportunity of having its own say.

The new Parra land use and development plan prepared by the 20 member village level committee RP2021 is now put up for display at the panchay at house and other public places for final corrections invited from the members of the public. The general scheme of the plan was approved by the Gram sabha earlier.

The Parra village committee executed two major tasks on the draft plan. Firstly it corrected the copy sent to the panchayat. After the corrections were absorbed, the committee recommended certain modifications to the Regional plan 2021 to the extent required for the further development and conservation of the village.

What is of sheer interest is the way that people from the various wards of the village came together to participate in the planning exercise.While striving to keep its rural character intact, the committee chose to preserve its heritage and ecological landmarks by mapping bird nesting sites, water bodies, ponds, banyan trees and heritage houses in its land use and development plan.

Importantly the committee decided to reserve the Parra hill as a permanent forest of the village and the decision to keep the hill as a forest area as also to maintain the paddy fields free of any construction, was absolutely unanimous.

Secondly, the committee decided to revert the village to VP3 status instead of the existing VP2, thereby opting for low key development in a bid to protect its ecological ambience of fields, forest land, bandhs and ponds which consume a major area of the village.

The villagers were wise to see through the misleading figures on the density of the population in Parra which is showing as 755 persons per sq km as per the draft  RP 2021. However this calculation includes the area covered under forest, orchard and paddy areas which are non-development areas. So if one takes into account only the settlement areas, the figures are at an already high 3205 persons per sq km which forecasts to be an alarming 5334 persons in 2021 with the increase in population. This assessment has been pivotal, to prepare the present land use and development plan forcing the village to seek controls on development including the VP3 status and FAR of a mere 30 for plots in excess of 4000 sq meters.

Housing developments have also come under the acute scanner of the committee  and controls have been put in place. New buildings coming up in the village will not be allowed stilt parking and will not have more than ground plus one with a permissible height of 9 metres to the highest ridge of the roof.

Unnecessary widening of roads will no longer be allowed with a ceiling of 6 mts width for all areas. Sections of villages will be marked as conservation zones. Bird nesting sites, orchards and water collection points, groves of peepal and coconut trees and cattle grazing areas were all identified for preservation.

The committee was of the view that garbage was being handled very efficiently by the village with a regular collection on Sunday of non-biodegradable waste, which is sent to recyclers, while the biodegradable waste was taken care of by individual households. There was therefore no need to go in for a special garbage site which would degenerate the dump area and be misused.

Also facilities such as medical centre, market, sewage management plan and other amenities, cycle tracks,jogging tracks, animal trails, off season fields for playgrounds and wayside markets for villagers to sell agricultural produce have also been mapped.

Parra has therefore come up with one of the most intelligent exercises which the rest of Goa should follow swiftly for their own villages.

Need to promote Goa as honeymoon paradise

Goa has earned a name on the world map as one of the places to visit to get the thrill of a succegado Goan ambience along with the pristine beaches, a great culture, temples, churches and exotic locales within the state.

During the time of Christmas, New Year and Carnival, Goa is normally packed to the brim with curious tourists as well as the traditional holidayer who does not want to miss Goa for anything.

However there is a great potential to make Goa a round-the -year hot destination for all kinds of tourists. The honeymoon couples are just one of these people who could find Goa to be the right place to celebrate and the Goa government needs to consciously tap this potential. 

It is also worth noting that Goa's cultural freedom of expressing oneself gives us the added advantage to beat the rest of the country in this area. Nowadays we have a rabid breed of " moral police" in many parts of the country trying to impose their sense of morality and the ugly Mangalore incident in Karnataka was just another of those bullying tactics employed by some of these disgruntled groups.

Meanwhile Goa has no such problems because Goans do not tolerate this kind of absurdity.  Goa has been peace loving since liberation and is therefore naturally consider ed as a safe place to enjoy a holiday. For people with romance on their mind it is the perfect destination as Goa provides the seclusion and tranquil that lovers relish and honeymoon couples have discovered it to be the best haunt in India.

The tourism department of Goa should therefore work overtime to devise schemes and means of wooing this select band of people to ensure that their honeymoon is synonymous with Goa. The word should go out everywhere and Goa should add another reason to its endless list of people who want to head to Goa for a hundred other reasons of their own.

Goa's Dabolim airport not to close, says Minister

Blaming it on speculation and possible politics, the Minister of state for civil aviation Mr Praful Patel said that the government never desired to close down the Dabolim airport, when the proposed Mopa airport becomes a reality.

The Minister was laying a foundation stone of the new integrated building at Dabolim airport and dismissed all rumours of closure of the Dabolim airport. The Minister called it a great day for Goa and the entire country's tourism and the economic development of the country that the Dabolim airport is finally expanding. There  is no need to say no to an old airport, claimed the Minister adding that such dilemmas were things of the past and in modern times such issues do not crop up.

The new integrated terminal building with an area of around 62,000 square metres will be constructed with glass and steel and house a modern passenger friendly system. It is also expected to have central air conditioning, inclined arrival baggage claim carousals, public address systems, flight information display systems, escalators, check in counters for car parking and CCTV's for surveillance.

Carnival 2009 paints Goa in multi colours

It was a sea of humanity which swept the capital city of Goa at Panjim on Saturday 21st February 2009, when the float parade unleashed a variety of technicolored themes to usher in the hedonistic festival of Carnival, which thrilled the weekend crowds to the hilt.

Earlier in the morning the Panjim carnival committee organised an alvoerada and music was being played  at different locations in the city.

At the float parade, it was a scene full of revelry and fun with a total over 80 floats t aking part in the parade which included huge giants like the life sized swivelling dinosaur, thrilling crowds with  almost life-threatening growls ,a larger than life sized elephant spraying water through its trunk,huge zebras perched atop the vehicles, besides water borne sharks , octopuses and sea-horses as also enactment of various scenes ranging from countless couples either overtly expressing their romance or just wedded couples besotted with each other, to traditional trades of Goan societies such as carpentry,pottery, barber shops, toddy-tappers, fishermen, piggery and sausage farmers etc. The Floats also depicted various styles of Goan living at various times in Goa. Goan  fruits and vegetables, the lifestyles of one of goa's oldest inhabitants- the goatherds and the wedding in their family as also of the kunbi tribe.

As expected the garbage crisis in Goa was depicted in many floats as also the terrorism in the country.Goan identity was also focussed in a couple of floats reminding of the need for a special status for Goa. There was also a particular float where a certain Military from Portugal was enacting their ability to secure Goa from terrorists. Spanish bullfights also saw a float showcasing the act.

The junk cars and bikes brought in the vintage interest from the crowds while the individual clowns and mimic acts brought in irresistible laughter and interactions with the mimic artists and mascots.

A pirate ship, a ghost ship, a 9 feet King Kong articulately made from peanuts and hair made of domestic brooms, a fairyland princess in a pumpkin chariot, sea life with octopuses, starfish and sea horses as well as scenes related to the Mumbai terror attack were all part of the parade.Some beverage companies, private businesses as also 108 ambulance service took part in the parade to lend the commercial effect.

Pickups loaded with speakers providing the irresistible tempo for dancers on the ground to perform, bikes and cyclists performing stunts on their two wheelers, men masquerading in women lingerie and provoking the crowds with erotic gestures, huge giant faced men and women with the vulturous look in their eyes , the dazzle of the colours, the uninhibited revelry and the unmistakable Goan spirit over flowing and pouring in the streets  packed to capacity crowds was a summary of the Carnival parade.

Every part of the city of Panjim was stuffed with people swarming for a glimpse and included foreign as well as Indian tourists packing the entire area. People among the tourists including European and Russian were part of the Goa Carnival fever, painting their faces and tattooing their bodies, wearing all kinds of masks and their active part in the whole carnival revelry was a common  sight.

Panjim was abuzz even after the parade was over and the whole city and its eateries were stuffed with revelers and tourists from India and abroad trying to get a bite of food.

20th Feb 2009 - Goa's 2nd Hottest in 38 years

Most recently we had the hottest day in Goa for many decades. However yesterday, the 20th of February was even worse.The mercury soared to an astonishing 39.2 degrees celcius in a Goan February. In fact it was second  hottest day in the last 38 years.

The Highest known recorded temperature in Goa has been 39.8 degrees celcius.However the 20th of February has been the highest since April 7th 1989  when the state had the highest record of 39.8 degrees celcius.

The other higher temperatures recorded in February have been 38 degrees celcius on February 29th 1984 and 37.6 degrees celcius on February 20th 1999.

Although the temperature was high as reported, the low humidity at 63% in the morning and around 48% in the evening surely was a welcome relief to Goan citizens

Portuguese passport : a fairy tale for many Goans

The penchant for the Portuguese passport has only increased among Goans over the years. This despite the fact that many consider the whole exercise as futile and bearing little fruit. Yet, the desire to apply for the Portuguese nationality and wait for years to see that special "dream day" is something many a Goan has learnt to live with.

However the disgruntlement in the minds of Goans is loud and clear. The inability to get the passport or the absolute  lack of clarity in the duration required to obtain the Portuguese passport has left many Goans very annoyed and helpless.

The documentation required by the Portuguese administration also changes with time. Probably the administration is trying to keep up with the best criteria to identify genuine applicants in quest of the Portuguese passport. However this has been viewed by Goans with a lot of suspicion and the whole process is often referred to as unreasonable by Goans who have found themselves stranded for years.

While there is no clarity in the issuance of the Portuguese passport, it is without doubt the prerogative of the Portuguese government to effect whatever changes are required for documentation and Goans should try to understand this from the view of the Portuguese government.

Earlier between the period 1986 to around 1994 the process was much simpler. However for most of that period, there was no consulate in Goa and one had to travel to Delhi to get things done which discouraged many Goans to apply for the passport. In that period, the entire family could apply for the passport together under the shelter of the person born before December 19th 1961. So the process took the least amount of time with the entire family applying together.

However the rules changed somewhere around 1994-95 when the Goa consulate made it mandatory for the parents to be registered first and then after the assento de nascimento ( birth certificate) was registered the marriage certificate ( assento de casamento) was the next step. Only after producing these two documents the children could be eligible to apply.

In recent times there has been another change. The parent whose birth is registered in Portugal also needs to obtain the Bilhete Identidade ( Identity card of Portugal) and subsequently register the marriage. So nowadays  it has  become a longer procedure for the children to get the two requisite documents.

While these changes may be required to be done, one cannot understand the sense of delaying the entire process for years by the Portuguese government. Clearly there seems to be a deliberate "go slow" approach employed by the Portuguese government in most cases. Strangely there seems to be no hierarchy or seniority of a particular application for nationality and it is often issued at random to candidates without following the merits of a descending order of  application.

People in Goa are also often befuddled at the way Goans are called out by their token numbers when they wait for their turn at the Portuguese consulate in Goa with any random calling of token numbers. If one may argue that it may be due to different office staff in the consulate handling different procedures and so calling out as per their particular order, a close observation belies that theory. In short there is a random system followed which nobody can understand. And honestly no Goan is willing to ask lest he risks his chances at the mercy of the staff.

The pursuit for the passport is also made through the services of various agents and touts who claim to have good knowledge of Portuguese and also good contacts in the Conservatoria in Portugal. However bitter experiences of some Goans have proved that some of these agents are all out to make a fast buck in the name of the Portuguese passport and follow the normal procedure laid down by the consulate and the Conservatoria, thereby failing to actually expedite the process

However some Goans prefer their services which are honestly of little value unless some representative actually pushes the process in Portugal.

Goa Land acquisitions opposed by citizens.

Land acquisition in Goa is the latest to be added to the scanner of citizens within Goa who seem to have waged a war against the government against its unplanned sense of development.

Villagers of Nuvem joined farmers in protesting against the acquisition of fields for the development of a playground in the village. The Nuvem Civic and consumer forum led the protest to hold demonstrations at the village panchayat building demanding a stop to the land acquisitions immediately.

While the gram sabha of Nuvem had apparently opposed this land acquisition process, Nuvem Villagers demanded to know the reasons behind the acquisition despite the gram sabha resolution opposing the project.Labelling the whole exercise as a land grab, the villagers raised eyebrows over the plans to acquire fertile agricultural fields of nuvem measuring nearly 50,000 sq metres for a playground which the villagers believe, is something more than meets the eye. The entire acquisition threatens to displace around 25 farmers who have been cultivating the fields regularly every year raising two crops of paddy, onions, vegetables,chillies, sweet potatoes etc.

Villagers of Nuvem have questioned the wisdom of acquiring such large tracts of land in the name of a playground which the villagers opine is not required for the village as it is barely within 2.5 kms distance from the Fatorda stadium.

Meanwhile in another development, shareholders of the communidade of  Chinchinim held a meeting recently to fight the acquisition of 12,000 sq m of land in the village of Chinchinim by the government of Goa to construct a bypass road in the village.

Out of the total area of 12,000 sq km of land, a large chunk of around 5000 sq km of land belongs to the Chinchinim Commundade. The said area under acquisition also includes the centuries old Communidade building of Chinchinim, which is a heritage structure.

Opposing the acquisition of land which would finally lead to the destruction of the roots of the Chinchinim Communidade, villagers termed the plan as ill-conceived and sought to know as to why the  eastern side which has wide space is not utilised for the road widening.

Lamenting at the attitude towards the last vestiges of the institution, the shareholders demanded that a suitable delegation comprising of all shareholders, heritage action groups and other aggrieved parties call on the local MLA to request him to help them in this matter.

Land acquisition in Goa has been a farce for far too long and now the citizens of Goa seem to have woken up to the realities facing Goans for a long time. The government needs to show its sincerity by addressing genuine issues and ensuring that Goans do not lose their land for paltry sums in the name of development. Also if such land is acquired for development purposes, the landlosers should have the right to sell the land to private parties instead of the government dealing with private real estate developers.

The final verdict on this will be interesting

The Portuguese passport for Goans

It is familiar news in the corridors of Goan society for a long time. Goans are making their way to Europe in search for greener pastures. And the help is coming from a distant quarter in Europe. A country which most Goans fought against for independence. And got it, thanks to the might of India which liberated Goa from Portuguese rule on 19th December 1961.

But now in modern Goa, Portugal seems to be holding a special place in the hearts and minds of Goans. While the older generation has a mixed feeling towards the Portuguese, the younger generation is finding it difficult to hold any resentment against the Portuguese.

The special place accorded to Portugal by many Goans has a lot to do with the Portuguese passport which Portugal has extended to the original residents of Goa and is still in force thanks to the largesse of the Portugal nation.

So under the current Portuguese Nationality law, all Goans living in Goa before 19th December 1961 are deemed to be Portuguese nationals. The only hassle( and the major one) is to prove and claim that Nationality. It is believed that the Portuguese dictator Salazar, provided laws to keep Portuguese Indians as Portuguese nationals after the Indian army liberated Goa.

However in Goa, many were overwhelmed by the passion of liberation from the Portuguese and in their excitement are known to have destroyed all their Portuguese documents including the Passports, Bilhetes and many other original papers during their celebrations just after the liberation of Goa. However the Portuguese law granting nationality to goans continued to remain in force.

While other ex-Portuguese colonies were given time to decide between their new independent country( Mocambique, Angola etc) and Portugal, the citizens from the Estado da India were not given a period of time to make up their mind which still entitles us to continue being Portuguese citizens today.

So the law made under Prime Minister Marques De Pombal in the year 1757 by a Royal Decree which was duly signed by King D.Jose I, granting all Portuguese Indians ( Goa, Damao and Diu) the citizenship of Portugal and equal status with the Metropolitan Portuguese, still remains in force.

So while Portuguese Indians rejoiced in the liberation of their territories form Portugal, and had no wish to claim Portuguese Nationality owing to Portugal being a poor economy, the whole scenario changed when the dynamics of Europe were transformed with the formation of the European union which made Portugal a mouth watering proposition.

In 1986, The European community was formed of which Portugal was a part. This opened windows for Portuguese Nationals to travel and work or reside in any part of the European Union thus raising the level of interest in Portugal by many Goans. The European union consists of countries such as England and France which became the hot pursuit for job seeking Goans. In fact it is well said in the gossip streets of Goa that half of the population of the picturesque coastal village of Siridao, in Goa, is residing in either France or Swindon in England.

The applications for claiming the Portuguese Naitonality therefore increased after the year 1986 and even if one had been born even today, in the twenty first century, but had his parents or grandparents born before December 19th 1961, one could claim for the Portuguese nationality through their benevolence.

The only exercise however is to claim for this Portuguese nationality from Portugal. To do this it takes many excruciating years of searching documents, notarising them, attesting them with government bureaucrats in India and finally presenting them with the Portuguese consulate. This exercise is repeated atleast six or seven times in the whole procedure to get yourself the Portuguese nationality.

However the delay is caused by the Portuguese nationality process which can take anywhere between a lucky 3 years or a ridiculous decade or even more. Many Goans have spent decades in pursuit of this nationality and some have dropped out due to frustration of not seeing their process go any further despite furnishing the requisite documents.

Nevertheless many Goans and Indians from Daman and Diu who are eligible for this privilege have been diligently trying their level best to secure the passport, consuming years with patience for the seemingly green card for Europe.