The Goan Carnival - How, When, Why!

The Goan carnival is something with which Goa has been fondly associated with and in recent times, tourists from all over the world have found the Goan carnival as being one of the reasons to be here.

So how did Goa actually begin this tradition of hosting a festival most famously belonging to Europe? Portugal may be the spontaneous answer. Portuguese rule in Goa is indeed the prime reason for the transfer of this festival in this part of the world.

While Carnival is derived from the old Latin expression 'carne vale' which if translated means " farewell to meat" thereby implying that the days of merriment were being linked to be the last days of eating meat before the Lenten season sets in, during which Christians abstain from eating meat.

Roman empires are known to have brought forth this pagan festival and it therefore has roots of origin in Saturnalia which saw merry processions and revelry sunk people all across the Roman empire. This indulgence in fun and frolic eventually led to the present three day concentrated indulgence of festivity and merry-making right before the chaste season of Lent.

While this festival was originally celebrated in Catholic areas of Europe, the merriment was naturally descended to many colonies of Europe and as a result Goa has simply absorbed it from the Portuguese.

Originally in Goa, the Carnival was a very simple fest.The mood of carnival itself made up for the excitement associated with the festival and young and old Goans used to revel in taking part in the festivities. Water balloons and buckets of water ready to shower, were the weapons often baited with friends and village folks at vantage points in the vaddo or the city, which was often difficult to avoid.

The catholic church in the meanwhile has always abhorred the festival and always termed it a pagan ritual although it precedes the lenten season faithfully. In earlier Portuguese times, the stand of the Church was not very clear but post-portuguese the church has labelled carnival as a pagan festival full of indecent displays and an expression of senseless indulgence.

During the Portuguese times in Goa, people form all walks of life took active part in the carnival festival, swarming the streets with a splash of colours, powder, masks,etc. In the villages the wards or "vaddos" would take active part by competing in various competitions with each other. Carnival tiatrs were the order of the day and the tiatrs would travel from place to place within the state of Goa.

The Khell tiatr was another sign that Carnival in Goa had arrived. This open air art form is still strongly prevalent till today. A certain group gathers together and travels from place to place originally in an open pick-up van or bus and stops at various locations in the day, staging the "Khell-tiatr". The Khell-tiatr is another form of tiatr but of a short duration and is called "khell" meaning "play". There are 3-4 plays staged at one location by this troupe which packs its bags after that to go to another close destination to stage it again. People follow this troupes with utmost dedication and thoroughly enjoy this theatrical part of carnival.

The floats were introduced in Goa much after the Portuguese left Goa in 1961 but it was always a close affair with passionate groups of people taking part in the carnival fun. The government of Goa was not involved in the festivities of carnival. Often the old horse-carriages which were still present in Panjim in those days were used to drive these giant floats. Mapusa and Margao also had float parades and the people in Margao celebrated something known as the festival of fans.

The whole festival was an informal affair and survived on the might of donations and funds from various places given by the generosity of Goan businessmen and affluent people of Goa. The performers also made up their own costumes and were never in the fray for monetary benefits. The fun always took centre-stage and was never lost in pursuit of money. Small groups, individuals and large groups all found their place in the floats as if they belonged there.

The government of Goa stepped in the whole carnival celebrations in the eighties when the tourism department hit upon the novel idea of using Carnival as a means to drive the tourist traffic to Goa. The government therefore began pouring in the funds required to give the carnival celebration the necessary direction and soon enough corporates stepped in and it was a very commercial affair. Logos, ads and themes began ruling the parades. The King Momo was soon a necessity in keeping with the traditions followed in Brazil and the King Momo was introduced along with dancers, vintage cars and loud coloured floats. Music and bands followed. Skimpy clothes and scanty dressing also became an uncomfortable part but was soon disallowed.

As dusk sets in Goa is still alive with music and song just like before. The two traditional dances of Goa still survive the times and so the "Red and Black" dance organised by Clube Nacional is still strong on its brand in North Goa while the "Festa de Leques" is the dance to look forward to in the southern part of Goa for many decades.

The old spirit of Carnival though missing has some of its traces still left in the carnival in present day Goa. However the older generation feels that Goa has lost the old charm while the younger lot seem to prefer the current brand of Carnival  which is still a splurge of fun.

Goa ready to make way for King Momo in 2009

    Giant clowns, loud colours, water splashes, lipstick toting men masquerading as sexy women, clthing with colours in red, purple yellow, green and orange and you know that the Goan Carnival is here.

Goan streets will soon be transformed into abodes of fun and frolic and thronged by people from all over Goa and the world throwing balloons and splashing colour at each other with laughter and Goan songs in merry accompaniment.

Similar to carnival celebrations in recent years, Carnival in Goa is expectedly on modern festivity lines for Goans and tourists from all over the world with mammoth carnival parades packing overcrowded streets, music and dances galore besides the traditional Goan Khell-tiatrs all over Goa, international performances, street magicians and even a motorcross planned for this year.

Goa's premier waterfront, the mandovi is expectedly bound to be dressed up for the occasion in festive carnival decor with foodstalls dotting the promenade where stages will also be set up for performances by bands, cultural troupes and fashion shows.

Dances are part of the staple entertainment of Goa and this year is not going to be any different with dances lined up all over Goa. The sinquetim "Festa de leques"  south Goa's traditional carnival dance is already bracing itself for the occasion as is the Clube Nacional which has the traditional " Red and Black" dance at this time of the year.

The floats will however be the main draw for tourists form all parts of the world as also Goans who love to take part in the floats to add to the excitement and the revelry of Carnival. Panjim will witness the first parade on Saturday evening while at the same time a traditional band will move around the citry of Margao performing the Alvorada which will be like an announcement of the festivities lying ahead for the people of Margao. Meanwhile floats are expected to depict some very common problems affecting Goa in the whole festivities and issues such as garbage, megaprojects and pollution are bound to  find a platform through the float parade.

While Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa have been the regular haunts for the carnival floats, there have been new entrants in the space which includes Curtorim in south Goa and Candolim in the north besides many other villages also taking float parades traditionally.

So the whole of Goa is gearing up for the buzz of carnival for three days beginning the eve of Sunday 22nd February 2009 and winding up on Tuesday 24th February 2009 which would include everything to make the mood of Goa carnivalesque with salsa performances, manipuri acrobats, russian can can dancers, fashion shows, super motorcross, bands, fancy dress competitions, bollywood performances,musical shows, fishing contests, canoe races, beauty contests, konkani film screenings, spot singing contests, khell tiatrs, and lots of fun.

Goa's flip-flop governance

Crisis seems to be the new buzzword for Goa. If there is any common word underlining the various problems faced by the state, "crisis" is the word. And it is not imposed on us through external forces. It is as very evidently seen, "man made". In fact made by men from Goa.

Dim witted foresight coupled with greed and the lust for riches for a select few, seems to be the most lethal combination for Goa's downturn. If the political leadership of Goa had shown some honest application and mere foresight, Goa would have been the state to set an example for the rest of the country. Ironically, we are exactly the opposite.

While the quick change of political parties and chairs has been the country's favourite Goan joke, our leaders who remain in their chairs for some time seem to be least concerned to solve the problems of the state.

Garbage has continued to be a stumbling block for far too long and it has taken the High court to remind our bureaucracy of their duties. Does this bode well for a tourist state like Goa?

The garbage problem is something which has been willfully ignored since liberation, thereby showcasing the complete lethargy in governance of successive governments in the state of Goa. Opposition to acquiring  land for garbage disposal in any part of the state is therefore justified, given the record of the government in managing garbage.

However there seems to be no serious garbage committee in place to sort out this most important issue for Goa. Village panchayats should have been made to sort out their own garbage issues within the village instead of burdening other sites of other villages. It should be a constituency driven action which would force individual villages to manage their own garbage or face the consequences themselves.

However many garbage contracts and many cheque payments later, we are still at square one and the concerned Ministers and bureaucrats who employed half-hearted measures are answerable to no one.

The regional plan 2021 is another plaguing problem affecting Goans with almost no clarity in sight. The plan has been put forth at various gram sabhas in the state and there has not been a single gram sabha who has accepted the plan in its present form and complained of gross irregularities and non-conformance to existing realities on the ground vis-a-vis the proposed regional plan. There have been allegations of rivers, springs, fields and even churches and other monuments  having been erased from the face of the plan. What will be the outcome of such a shoddy exercise? Will it meet the aspirations of the people to ensure that no haphazard and unqualified development takes place? Or will the people of Goa be taken for a ride with manipulations and back-door treachery?

The highway alignment in Goa is another pointer to the meaningless development through thickly populated Goan residential belts thereby avoiding the dwellings of the high and mighty and drawing plans for the destruction of poor or middle class Goans.Has  anybody heard of a politician or a top businessman losing land in Goa for a road?

Besides the compensation offered to such land losers like the aggrieved people of Nuvem, is another pittance. It is believed that they will alternatively be alloted land in far away places such as Canacona and the hinterlands or be paid a very very small fraction of the market price. Is this justified? Should Goans be happy with this kind of destructive development which makes them homeless and poor?

The governments chickening out on implementing the latest techniques of recording attendance in government establishments is another indication of the fragility in decision making which has emboldened such elements to oppose any move in bringing about efficiency in the government systems. It is the prerogative of the government to employ whatever means are deemed fit for smooth and responsible governance and the opposition to all kinds of arm-twisting tactics should have been clamped with an iron hand. Instead we saw a meek unwinding of hope.

Currently there seems to be a toothless response to every opposition much of which is to protect individual interests. There is no clarity on development projects or what is expected  to balance developmental projects. No infrastructural guidelines. Instead, whoever is lucky is the winner. There is no policy statement, no innovation and no direction whatsoever. Only half-baked policies with ample loopholes are ruling the complete breakdown of the administration.

Panchayat Raj Bill to take Goans for a ride

Grandiose plans seem to be being drawn behind backdoors for the destruction of Goa. A certain "Goa Panchayat Raj ( Amendment) bill 2009 " is apparently awaiting to raise its ugly head in a bid to quell the recent uprisings in Goa against haphazard development in the state.

The bill is expected to be quietly but forcefully pushed forward to be enacted as a law which is feared to be against the interests of the village panchayat self governing bodies.

In recent times, Goa has witnessed a spate of protests especially in gram sabha meetings opposing megaprojects and such other construction activities which threaten to burden the existing infrastructure besides being a cause of a social imbalance in Goan villages.

The bill is allegedly targeted at the oppositions to the megaprojects and is an attempt to withdraw the legal rights of the local self-governing bodies to enable a free hand in awarding construction licenses to all projects that have obtained clearances from the bureaucracy.

Our leaders in the assembly have often acted in protecting their own interests and Goans will have to be watchful if these same MLA's expose their affection for vested interests thereby supporting such a ridiculous bill which will serve to only destroy Goa. The bill is said to grant the government and the upper bureaucracy with enormous powers to over-rule local self-government bodies and will therefore make a mockery of the local panchayats who need to make their own decision regarding their own village.

Goans therefore need to gear up for another fight with the government which seems to be willfully blinding itself to Goa's real problems and thereby thrusting the ordinary "aam Aadmi" into inconveniences. Its time paint a new banner of revolt.

It is Casino No.6 in Goa's Mandovi

The "Maharaja", a new casino entered the river Mandovi as the sixth floating  Casino to be hosted in the state of Goa on Tuesday evening.

Regarded as one of the biggest floating casinos in south east Asia, the Maharaja has four decks out of which three are dedicated to casinos. The "Maharaja" however awaits permission with some formalities to be cleared and is hopeful to begin operations within 15-20 days.

The upper deck of the casino is slated to have a la carte restaurant with  food and beverages, besides entertainment.

The vessel is being floated by the Essel group, promoters of the Playwin lottery in India and has been undergoing refurbishment in getting ready for the grand occasion of emerging as Goa's sixth floating Casino.

Goa is the only state in the country which permits both land and off shore casinos. The Caravela, was the first casino to have taken the plunge in Goan waters years back thus beginning a gambling spot in Goan waters,followed by five more players in the same arena

Goa garbage solution in sight?

Garbage treatment has been the biggest worry for Municipal bodies in the state of Goa since liberation and the issue has reached a boiling point at the present moment with huge piles of garbage lying unattended at the sonsoddo dump site at Margao

Garbage management has failed despite some half-hearted approaches made by the Margao Municipal Council to sort out the issue. The private companies  whose services  the MMC employed in the last many years have abandoned the same midway with allegations of non-co-operation being levelled from both sides.

The latest company to present its proposal to the Municipal council of Margao was Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) a Delhi based company dealing in waste management services who gave a presentation of its garbage treatment technology .

IL&FS who has been scientifically treating around 200 metric tonnes of garbage on a daily basis at its treatment plant in Okhla showed its willingness to manage and treat the garbage at Sonsoddo provided the existing garbage is shifted to another location and the place is completely vacated before handing over the same to the IL&FS to start operations.

The fomento group has expressed its desire to take up the project as a part of their corporate social responsibility and with ILFS Ecosmart Ltd made the above presentation to the council.

The council clarified that there has been no decision taken on the matter and that the company had only presented their proposal which had to be studied. The Council is yet to receive a formal proposal from the company regarding the treatment plant.

Goa, Goans and the waters

Goa has been the abode of sun sea and sand. This is the perfect destination for many over the world to find their perfect hand at water sports. We have seen yachting sea heroes emerging out of Goa every year.The dangers encountered on the way lend that extra spice to their life and makes for all the fascination.

Embarking on a boat journey and anchoring at sea to drink in the sunset or just immersing in some peace all alone or allowing your adrenalin to pump by sailing with a beloved one,can also be quite fascinating in Goa.

Water sports is therefore expectedly the most popular adventure pursuit in Goa. The splendid coastline of Goa, its rivers and lakes make it the perfect place for some thrilling aquatic sport activities, surfing, snorkeling, jet skiing, boogie boarding, scuba diving, water skiing, parasailing, windsurfing and deep sea fishing  are a few of the sport activities enjoyed by many in the state of Goa.

However for Goans born and bred in Goa these sports mean nothing. Goans are still quite conservative and look for value for money first before indulging in buying such expensive water sport equipments. They would rather invest in land and other real estate or immerse the money in some other tourist venture like restaurants etc. Intriguingly, Goans seem to have very little knowledge about sailing culture which is enjoyed by people from all over the world.

Part of the reason is also that purchasing and maintaining boats can be expensive and the boat companies target mostly high net worth   individuals or industrialists. However the residents of Goa are still shy of venturing into the waters which has been their  home for centuries.

Goa's special status : No will to indulge!

The war cries have been loud and clear. From the draconian regional plan 2011 to the garbage mess, Goans have come out in large numbers to oppose every kind of lopsided development meant only for Goa's doom. Yet our leaders seem to be blind and deaf to the emerging anger and indignation towards greedily hurried development plans.The urge to extract every ounce of flesh from development seems to be the only motive behind the rampant concretisation of Goa.

It is therefore urgent to address the real need to protect Goa through a special legislation meant for the benefit of the residents of the state to conserve our scanty resources which have served us enormously well over the years and which are threatening to fall apart unless the tide is arrested. A special status for Goa is long overdue.

This need for special status was actually an old demand made by a section of the Goan population long before liberation of Goa from the hands of the Portuguese. However there was another equally stronger section within Goa, which was apprehensive of looking at this special status as a means to extend the Portuguese association of Goa. This led to befuddled Goans searching for their own identity which in some way was relented by the culmination of the historic Opinion Poll in which Goans decisively voted in favour of preserving the separate identity of Goa within the Indian union rather than be lost in the numerous districts of the gigantic Maharashtrian state.

While Goa has taken strides in many fields which include tourism, its elevation as a state within the Indian Union is itself a special status considering that Goa is  smaller in size than a district of the larger states and had a population of around eleven lakhs at the time of statehood.

However the real Special status that the people of Goa forgot to seek is something for which Goa is desperately crying at present. Our land is rampantly bought by all and sundry making it difficult for us to afford this very earth in our own homeland. Besides whoever has bought our land has been misusing it so badly that it is rendering our environment under severe stress.

Due to this, the garbage which is piling up by the day has no place to go and is being dumped around Goan residences thereby suffocating people with the stench and disease of others. The garbage has also destroyed our wells ,springs and rivers. Rampant development is destroying our ecology, and our beaches are being ravaged upon with CRZ norms being flouted. All this is being done at the behest of our leaders whom we elected and sent to manage the state.

We have been forced to fight  draconian under-carpet designed plans for the destruction of the state of Goa. While ordinary citizens are constrained to come out in the streets to save themselves from the ignominy of being trampled at will, our leaders are cursing the lost opportunity of making their bellies fatter with the booty.

It is therefore most important that Goans fight in one voice to enact a legislation to save Goa from the butchery that Goa is presently witnessing. We need to have an act which does not allow rampant sale of land to all and sundry. And it should not be limited to agricultural land alone. Saving agricultural land alone is of no use as the same is converted under dubious means and then sold which makes it a useless farce.

We need to stop selling an inch of land to people who are not domiciled in Goa for the last 40 years. Stop it forthwith or else our Goa will soon turn into another Mumbai with greedy gluttons overpowering us in making our land into a concrete jungle for all the monkeys of the world to hop around.

Our political parties in Goa must be forced to set aside their own interests and be able to unite, while engaging intellectuals and administrators to draft a comprehensive legislation top protect Goa's interest in all eventualities. It may amount to demanding an amendment to the Constitution of India, but if it comes in one voice it should not be difficult for the Government of India to consider it. Besides we have a valid argument of being merged into India after being liberated from the Portuguese and as such have descended from a different history and needs to be addressed specifically.

We need a legislation.We need it now.It is absolutely urgent and needs to be addressed with utmost immediacy. Else Goa is heading for the gutter.

New Medical College for Goa soon

The Union Minister Mr Oscar Fernandes assured the Chief Minister Mr Digambar Kamat of a new Medical College for Goa while urging the CM to make land available for the purpose.

Asserting that in the UPA regime, the ESI, is opening up medical colleges across the country he said that one such college could come up in Goa provided land was made available for the same.

The Minister was speaking at a function while laying the foundation stone for the modernisation and upgradation of the ESI hospital at Margao.

The Chief Minister responded to the proposal with a welcome and assured to identify suitable land for the purpose and expressed the need for another college in Goa due to the growing needs of the people of Goa

Manage your own garbage - Varca gram sabha

The Varca gram sabha is probably the first in the state of Goa to pass a resolution asking all housing colonies within the village to manage their own garbage. The directive has also been given to all the hotels within the village who have been warned of severe penalties in case they fail to adhere to the requirements.

This is an important step to ensure accountability of each housing colony or hotel towards managing garbage as the panchayats in Goa do not have systems or practices or any equipment whatsoever to handle garbage within their villages.

With the panchayats in Goa unable to manage the garbage it has become a stumbling block for the entire village and housing colonies and hotels have been proliferators of this menace thrusting their litter on the rest of the village which has to bear the onus of a few.

This hopefully should also open the eyes of all the panchayat councillors in Goa not to open doors wide apart for housing colonies and haphazard development brazenly, without seeking a proper garbage management plan from the builders.

Only after due diligence in infrastructure is done and the feasibility of a new project is thoroughly studied such projects should be allowed or else completely rejected.

There is no sense in burdening beautiful villages of Goa with garbage, sewage, water scarcities and other social problems with the addition of new residential colonies which are too expensive for Goans to afford anyway.

Goa's "anti-river princess" agitation intensifies

The ill-fated river princess abandoned off the Candolim coast brought together around 500 villagers from Candolim in a unfied spirit to form a human chain in a silent protest to seek its removal and spread awareness about the damage caused by the vessel to the coastline off the Candolim beach.

The MV river princess is a  240 metre long ore carrier which has been lying aground off the Candolim Beach for the past eight years with no sign of its removal despite the angst of the villagers.

The former Convener of the GBA, Mr Oscar Rebello, while speaking on the occasion, called for a committee consisting of experts to study the precarious situation faced by the villagers of Candolim and amply stressed that there is absolutely no compromise on the removal of the vessel.

Various speakers, while tracing the events till today which led to the vessel still rooting to the Candolim-Sinquerim coast, flayed successive governments on their empty promises  and fraudulent efforts at removing the monster.

The recently formed River Princess Hatao Manch(RPHM) also supported the peaceful agitation and stressed that this was a show of unity among the villagers. Salvage expert Madgavkar also extended support to the campaign while offering his services for the removal of the vessel subject to the government showing its willingness and resolve.

Various experts have signalled alarm at the environmental degradation due to the river princess and indicated that the vessel has actually settled  8 to 10 metres into the sea bed while around 40,000 metric tonnes of sand is lying in the hull added to the steady degradation with the alteration of the seabed interfering with the natural sequence of the tides.

Might of mites hurting Goan coconut industry badly

The state of Goa is known for its beauty which is most often showcased by swaying palm trees dotting the beaches, or even hinterland areas. Palm trees have therefore been synonymous with Goa and the Goan coconut fruit is considered to be the most delicious and the most completely utilised fruit, consumed in its entire measure, thereby supporting an industry in which thousands are also employed in Goa.

The state of Goa and its coconut farmers are however facing a plucky situation for the last so many years due to the coconut crop being affected by the "Eriophyid mite", infesting the entire chain of the coconut industry.

The ERIOPHYID Mite is one of the dreaded pests of coconut, and in recent years it has caused enormous damage to the palms in Goa.

Eriophyid mites are very tiny, and are only visible under a microscope. The Eriophyid mites are similar to worms, and are equipped with two pairs of legs. The Males and females among the mites appear identical. They are lazy crawlers and the primary source of their proliferation leading to their population increase and spread is merely by wind. 

While the government of Goa was earlier dependent on the rain to reduce the effect of the mites on the coconut, the same has not proven good enough prompting the government to devise methods and means to control this pest.

So what may be good news to Goan coconut farmers, is the agriculture department apparently attempting a new treatment which could reduce the effects of the mites and the department has already started tests at some places.These trials have been conducted on the recommendation of the Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Maharashtra

The tiny microscopic Mites, in recent times, have hurt Goan coconuts like never before and are playing havoc with the crop, resulting in deformed coconuts or the falling of premature nuts, nuts cracking within and brown or silvery colouration of the husk of the coconut. A clean environment is essential to prevent proliferation of mites which is sadly missing in most farms in Goa. After rainfall the mites tend to reduce in number but slowly re-appear after the passing of the rains.

The treatment by the agriculture department in Goa uses micro nutrients such as Zinc, neem with boron etc and the trials are already started in many fields in the state of Goa. Neem which is a natural insecticide and is regarded highly even against mosquitoes by Goans locally over the years, is used by applying the neem extract  spray on the coconut trees.

Internationally, spraying the affected palms with a mixture of 2 per cent neem oil, garlic and soap mixture has been found to be effective.

However for a consistent and effective application, all treatments are apparently best achieved if treated at the root of the coconut tree.

Goa Tiatr Academy to be inaugurated today

The long awaited Goa tiatr academy is finally going to see the light of the stage today when eminent tiatr artiste Master Vaz, a state cultural awardee, will officially inaugurate the academy at the Ravindra Bhavan at Margao Goa.

The inaugural function to be held at the Joao Agostinho Fernandes auditorium in the presence of the Honourable chief Minister of Goa Mr Digambar Kamat is also going to witness the felicitation of eminent tiatr artists for their lifetime contribution to the tiatr stage.

An entertaining cultural programme of comedy skits, songs and music by popular artists of Goa is slated to  follow. Artists who are expected to perform at the function include Roseferns, Peter-Roshan, Bab Mython, Victor, Mario Menezes, Rosy Alvares, Lawry Travasso, Joana, Comedian Edilson, Baby Rioma,Prince Jacob, Supremo Hubert, comedian Agostinho, Comedian Jesus, Comedian Selvy, Hortencio Pereira, Anil Kumar, Fatima, Rocky Dias, Baby Ziyana, Xavier gomes, Marcus Vaz, Felcy, C. D Silva, Shaikh Amir, Marcelina de Betim and ben Evangelisto. Music for the entire function is to be provided by Maestro Josinho.

The function is open for the general public free of cost.

Miss Goa 2009 ? Its Allison D'Souza!

Valentine's day in Goa was not going to go down with the memory of love alone. Beauty reigned quite decisively as well, when a young Goan lass Allison D'souza hailing from the port city of Vasco-da-Gama was adjudged the winner in a grand finale for the title of  Miss Goa 2009 at Palavra de Jardim at Nuvem, yesterday. Ms Rhonda Martins from Caranzalem claimed the first runners up position.

Emerging in a select group of 10 final contestants who took part yesterday to claim the winners crown, Allison  initially qualified from around 126 aspirants from all over Goa, who participated in the beauty pageant with the final 10 girls battling it out yesterday for the topmost beauty honours in the state.

The ten finalists taking part yesterday were Ms Anjali Motwani from Porvorim, Ms Roshisha Tivrenkar from Marcel, Ms Rhonda Martins Caranzalem, MaryLou D'mello from Benaulim, Hazel D'cruz from Raia, Crystal Campos, Socorro, Nalisha Carrasco  Mapusa , Shweta Shetye , Chicalim, Allison D'souza, Vasco and Elaine Godinho from Nerul.

The event was hosted by VJT entertainment and also had Mary Lou D'mello winning the Miss catwalk title, and Ms Hazel Dcruz bagging the Miss talent crown while Cystal Campos won the Miss smile title.

Earlier the ten finalists went through the rigours of various rounds putting up a sterling performance in the ethnic, formal and the casual rounds while being quizzed by judges Gyrmeet Chaudhury and Ms Debina Banerjee of Ramayan fame and Ms Vedita Pratap Singh runner up of Gladrags and Channel V hottest 2008.

The winner walked away with a cash prize as also precious jewellery to round off  the most memorable Valentine's day for herself.

Post - Valentine hangovers in Goa and elsewhere

And so Valentines' day passed off peacefully. Goa which was threatened by a bunch of flies from some little known fascist organisations, did not have the gall to disrupt any celebrations after all. Probably people from their own ranks were busy with Valentines celebrations themselves.

So cupid expressed himself unabashedly, painting entire towns and even some villages in Goa pitch red. The whole of Goa was doting with Love most effortlessly and the reason to be with each other yesterday, had to do with more than a mere "I like you".

Shopping haunts were packed with lovers trying to discover the best gift that could surprise his/her Valentine more than last time. Restaurants were abuzz with all their favorite foodie plans reaching their obvious conclusions. Couples were seen feeding goodies to each other as if they had forgotten how to eat on their own. Gazing into each others eyes was like a competition and everyone seemed to be a winner. Holding hands and expressing with a red rose were part of the entire process that most couples indulged in to send the powerful message across.

In many places music held sway for the lovers, dancing their hearts out in the arms of their loved ones and ensuring that the evening, rather the night ended on a high and lovely note.

The scene was not much different in the rest of the country. However it was not such a bold expression as much as it was in Goa. Nevertheless there seemed to be an outpouring of Love and people dared the 'immorally moral police" to challenge them by provocations of heart carrying individuals who seemed ready for a fight-back.

And so all the sundry Senas and the doddly tribes of culture protectors looked like a bunch of helpless villains who had been swept aside by the fever that had gripped the entire country and refuses to show a semblance of withdrawal come what may year after year.

The Pink Chaddi campaign was another pointer to the growing indignation felt against such goondaistic mentalities of such rabid groups who are as toothless as their warped imaginations. The Pink chaddi seemed to be the perfect body blow to embarrass these groups out of their cosiness of proxy culture hunting. And it worked!

You cant stop a love from flowering, you morons! Get a life next Valentine and let your hangover be directed at your own cultural prudence of kamasutra and khajuraho which is reeking with sexism of the worst order.

High Valentine spirits!

This card is a giant attempt by a marketing organisation to enable people from Mumbai to pen down their love feelings on a giant card.

The company incidentally is hoping to carve its name in the Guinness book of world records for this giant sized feat.

The Bombay electricity supply company has been generous to donate special ladders to help people to help themselves with some messages to pen up there.

What a spirit of Valentine indeed!

Curca water tests, do not bode good for garbage dumps in Goa

Water samples from six wells in Curca were analysed for preliminary bacterial analysis, alarmingly revealing the dangers of pollution in ground waters with coliform organisms being identified through the analysis. The findings of the test are expected to be public in about a weeks time.

The samples taken for analysis from six wells in Curca, Sant Anne, Telaulim and Merces which revealed the above strain of bacteria which enters the body through the water and could infect a person with diarrohoea and dysentery.

The team of sanitary inspectors which collected the samples on the directions of the Corporation of the city of Panaji (CCP), were trying to ascertain whether the pollution of the water was caused due to the garbage dump at Curca which was forcefully stopped by Curca residents from being a garbage dumpyard around 5 years ago.

Local residents of Curca have blamed the pollution in the ground water to the waste flowing from the abandoned quarries on the plateau at Curca which they claim was abused to be dumped with garbage more than its capacity to hold.

Goa ushers in Valentine's Day

Its the 14th of February 2009. Goa woke up to the red amazement of a day which is gracefully embedded in the history of Love. Its a day which has been looked forward to by people all over the world and Goans are no different. It is indeed the day of expressing Love.

Today is the day to say those beautiful words " I Do Love You" a little louder than usual. The streets in Goa are already speaking loud and clear with shops and establishments adorning their abodes with the language of love.This isn't a day only for  people romantically in love. People of all ages, even those without the special someone are planning ways to give them the special feeling.

Some people in Goa simply wear red on the occasion to show their mere solidarity with the day of Love. Red being the colour of love, it is also believed to express warmth and love is normally expressed with the presenting of a red rose to a loved one.It is the most ancient and well choreographed language of love which can instantly send the message across.

Some people in Goa simply gather with friends around them to gush each other with the special Valentine flavour which is too strong to ignore even if you are single. Some others would like to engage themselves in the love of their life which may be a hobby or an interest one pursues passionately.

Some singles have their own way in Goa to celebrate Valentine's day and meet up to have a bash on their own. They sing songs in a great camaraderie and have a big party to celebrate the love of being alone but happy, successful and single.

Many Goans would prefer to be with their parents and elders and give back some of the love that they showered on them all these years and made them into what they are today. Valentine's day gives you that opportunity to express your love and gratitude for all the things that you would like to say " I Love You" for.

Of course for Goan couples, it is the mother of all days. They have been looking forward to this like a thirsty person looks for a drop of water. This day brings in them a certain enthusiasm and gushes of Love. Love knows no bounds and chocolates, candies, heart shaped cards, teddies, bear hugs and cartloads of roses are part of this super day which " makes the day" for millions in the world.

Goa has also lined up various dine and dance occassions to invoke the passionate fire burning in the heart and to give the opportunity of swaying to music with your beloved one in your cosy arms. Its like a fever that has gripped starred hotels. Restaurants, jewellery shops, card shops, gift shops, movie theatres etc. But every year there seem to be strange entrants claiming their share of the Valentine pie. So nowadays you have car companies claiming the Valentine drive, computers and peripherals being sold with a Valentine offer, denims clinging to the Valentine threadline, music and movie tunes claiming the Valentine song and even digital cameras and power inverters wanting a click of the powerful Valentine love bite.

" A happy Valentine's day " indeed. May the love grow in Goa and make this place all the more beautiful.

Should healthcare in Goa be chargeable for non-Goans?

The above question has been thrown up some weeks back. The government as reported is doing a study on a Supreme court order on the issue.

As we can see very amply, government sponsored free healthcare is currently used in full measure by the migrant community in Goa. Both the Hospicio in Margao and the Goa Medical College in Panjim is full of them, thereby burdening the state and its health resources. One hardly sees  Goans availing the benefits of free healthcare in Goa, compared to the migrant population.

Part of the reason is the government hospitals in Goa lack proper hygiene and the hospitals are in dire straits in terms of linen and equipment which has kept most Goans away, patronising the private clinics and hospitals.

Barring the gadgets  such as scan machines, X-ray machines, etc and very good experienced doctors, these hospitals have nothing else to boast about. And currently while Goans are shying away, the rest of the Indian community is making best use of the equipment and the doctors.

While I dont think the government is planning to charge fees for resident non-goans it may be a good move to charge non-goans who come to Goa only to avail the benefits of healthcare and then return back to their home state, thereby not adding to our depleting resources but actually draining them.

However emergencies such as accidents or any other exigencies would be above this bar and should be attended immediately without being charged irrespective of where the person is from. Humanity comes above everything.

If there is a proper check and efficient measures are taken to ensure proper fund management and proper hygiene, these hospitals will once again return to their former prestigious glory in the hearts and minds of Goans thereby ensuring better utilisation of the resources for Goans and maintaining a good civic balance as well.

Stop constructions, tackle garbage in Goa first, says HC

Garbage management in Goa came for sharp introspection on Thursday by none other than the High court who instructed seven civic bodies in the state of Goa not to issue fresh licenses for multi-storied buildings within their jurisdiction untill further orders.

The division bench of the Bombay high Court comprising of Mr Justice P B Majumdar and Justice N A Britto issued the above directives to the municipalities of Quepem, Sanguem, Curchorem, Cuncolim, Sanquelim, Pernem and Valpoi since they had not complied with the courts' directives on immediate and interim measures on garbage management.

The Chief Officers of the seven municipalities were present on the occasion in response to a directive to them to be present personally before the Court to show cause as to why suitable action for disobeying its order should not be passed against the seven bodies including an order imposing fine against the seven Chief Officers to be recovered from their personal salaries.

It may be recalled that the Courts had passed a series of directions to municipal Councils for immediate and the safe disposal of garbage while asking the GSPCB to inspect the facilities of the municipal council and report to the court on the compliance of the directed procedures.

While the court gave immediate measures to manage garbage which included collection of waste to be segregated into organic waste( biodegradable) and inorganic waste(non biodegradable) it also directed the civic bodies on the final measures to be taken.

The court has therefore restrained these civic bodies from issuing any fresh construction licenses to multistoried dwelling units and adjourned the hearing till February 18