The Divar "Bonderam" festival
	THE picturesque island of Divar was agog with pleasant music and celebration on August 22 evening, as the fun-loving islanders joined in the traditional spirit to host the famed "Bonderam" festival. The colorful, ethnic event is being celebrated by two different groups. The one that was witnessed today was organised by St Mathias Sports Club and the islanders at Sao Mathias.
For your viewing please, we have a photo-feature at http://www.goacom.com/goanow/2004/bonderam/Bonderam2004.htm
	ALL roads in Ilhas appeared to be leading towards Piedade in Divar, the emerald island across Old Goa, on August 28 evening. The grand occasion was the celebration of the traditional, highly colourful "Bonderam" festival. The superb event was organised by the Piedade Youth Association. For full text and photo's click here.

Mathany’s challenge
Goa’s new Tourism Minister Matanhy Saldanha promises to clean up Goa Tourism’s scene by introducing revolutionary measures. Recently he has been underlining the need of hinterland tourism by visiting various villages in Goa’s interior which possess tourism potential. As far as the coastal belt is concerned, Matanhy is all for making Goa’s beaches safer, cleaner and user-friendly, to attract quality tourists. Moreover, Saldanha reiterated his stand on removing the grounded “River Princess” from Candolim beach. Saldanha said, “If the River Princess continues there I may be out.”

Churchill against Mopa
Not to be left unnoticed in the recent happenings in the State, South Goa Lok Sabha MP Churchill Alemao has come out with strong objections to the sudden ban of charter slots at Dabolim Airport. In a letter submitted to the Union Home Minister, Pranab Mukherjee. Churchill requested to shift the Naval Base from Dabolim to any place suitable to the Navy. He has been saying that if the civil airport at Dabolim was shifted to the proposed airport site at Mopa, Pernem, he would resign from the parliament.

Crores vanish into thin air
Goan Overseas, Western India Financial Services, Mehna Plantations, UDFC and Rockland Leasing, etc are some of the fund handling companies that have caused misery to many a pension-earning citizen and others in Goa. The dozen-odd companies have made all the hard earned money vanish in thin air and most of the promoters are absconding. The money lost in all these cases added up to Rs.30-35 crore.

Babush, Isidore raided
Income tax officials carried out simultaneous raids of residential and commercial establishments of Town and Country Planning Minister, Atanasio Monserrate, former Poinguinim MLA Isidore Fernandes and three other city-based businessmen including a builder, on August 31. This is the first time that residential and commercial establishments belonging to a Cabinet minister has been raided by the IT officials in the State. Town and Country Planning Minister Atanasio Monserrate said the raid smacked off political vendetta by the Congress and blamed GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro for the raids. Faleiro has refuted the charge. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar alleged that the raids were politically motivated. Parrikar announced that his government has decided to withdraw the general consent granted to conduct investigations to Central Bureau of Investigation in Goa and said that in future the CBI will be able to conduct a raid in Goa only when they prima facie satisfy the government that there exists a need to conduct such a raid.

Skybus tested
The Konkan Railway Corporation on August 25 achieved another milestone with the successful preliminary test of the Sky Bus. The Sky Bus moved on its own power using sophisticated 3-phase AC motor technology supplied by ELIN EBG of Austria. It was a momentous occasion when the Sky Bus moved to and fro over a 30-metre distance. KRC manager (public relations) Baban Ghadge informed that full-scale pre-commissioning trials on the test track would be conducted from the first week of September

Aspects of Goans’ migration
The collapse of the feudal system, leveling of income inequalities, rise in the standard of living, change of power relations within the family, major rise in the social responsibility of women, fall in the status of the aged, improved levels of education, phenomenal savings and investments are some of the impacts on Goan society resulting from the Goan out-migration to the Middle East. The above findings are part of a research project titled “Goan out-migration to the Middle East” being carried out by Research Institute for Women, Goa. A presentation of the same was done recently at the History Hour of Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Porvorim.