Goa News Clips
 

Monsoon Draws In The Crowds To Goa http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3176517,prtpage-1.cms 29 Jun 2008, 0419 hrs IST, Rebecca Manari,TNN CALANGUTE: With Goa now becoming crowded and noisy during the peak tourist season from November to March, a good number of visitors now prefer to spend their holidays during the monsoons, when the entire state is clean, green and above all, less crowded and less noisy. With a large number of British nationals seen in Calangute this monsoon season, an owner of a well-known travel agency in Calangute said, "The tourist season does have a downside too. Every year around Christmas time the roads around Candolim, Calangute and Baga are a sorry sight with traffic moving at a snails pace.'' According to him, this is the reason for tourists to arrive in large numbers during the monsoon as they want a quiet Goan holiday. "Goa is getting increasingly crowded every year," says 42-year-old Greg from Liverpool, who is in Goa with his wife for the eighth time. Although he first began coming here during the peak tourist season, now he prefers his holiday during the monsoons. "Bad weather doesn't bother us too much, cause we're used to it. Besides, a bit of rain is a small price to pay for a nice quiet holiday minus the crowds, the hawkers, the loud music and high prices!" he adds. Twenty-three-year-old Ana from France, who is in Goa for the first time with boyfriend Martin, is enjoying her holiday here during the rains, but hopes to come back next year during Christmas time as well, just to experience the fun that she's heard so much about from local friends and other tourists alike. The trend clearly seems to be increasing, especially among many of the older tourists from England and France, who want to avoid the noisy parties and the crowds, and even feel safer in the monsoon. "They like it better because nobody forces them to buy jewellery or clothes, like many of the Lamani women do. Lamanis are a very common sight on the beach during peak season, and were even caught harassing foreign tourists on many occasions last year." says the owner of the Calangute travel agency.

VIVA SAO JOAO The feast of Sao Joao was celebrated almost in every village in Goa. We display some pictures of the celebrations at different places in Siolim and Anjuna.

Festival observed with traditional fervour VASCO, June 24: Bhutea Bhat Club, Vasco, celebrated the Sao Joao festival in a traditional way, with a large number of people participating with great enthusiasm. Revellers began the celebrations by jumping in century-old well at Patrong-Baina, which was constructed in 1880. [H]

"Sangodd" at Candolim today CALANGUTE, June 28: The traditional "Sangodd" festival to mark the feast of St Peter and Paul will be celebrated at Orda-Candolim on June 29, from 2.30 pm onwards. "This year the stage will be a combination of four boats on which various Konkani stage artistes will perform, said a member of the organising group. [H]

Is Goa ripe for naxalism? ...Hence the question: is Goa ripe for Naxalism, is quite relevant in the present context. The hinterland is no different from the most backward parts of the country. Uncontrolled mining is destroying the environment and people's lives... This has resulted in several protest movements taking shape at the grassroots level. The disturbing part is that the government has joined hands with the mining lobby. Certain ministers and MLAs have become players in this lucrative industry. Worse still, it appears that the Opposition has also ganged up against anti-mining activists. Given this array of forces against the land and its people, Goa is definitely ripe for a violent movement, perhaps not in the style of naxalism... The other heartening development is that the anti-mine movement in Goa is still in the hands of level-headed and committed environmentalists who have based their agitation on sound environmental principles and have a reputation for pursing non-violent and legal options. [GT]

'Tiatr must be given its due" PANJIM: Sidhanath Buyao, convenor of BJP Cultural Cell, condemned the act of the Kala Academy for giving step-motherly treatment to Konkani Tiatr by deliberately keeping it out of the Goan multilingual drama festival this year. Buyao said that Konkani tiatr was today no more a mere drama-form of any community but belonging to all Goans and a part of our cultural heritage. Citing instances of Konkani tiatros being performed even at mandaps graced by audiences from all communities during the Ganesh festival in Goa, he questioned the motive of discounting tiatros by KA. "In fact Konkani tiatr being very popular in Goa, its name should have appeared first in the list of the Kala Akademi, while organising the festival. This was its rightful place," he opined. [GT]

Silent killer stalking Goans PANAJI: Goan adults are far more overweight than other Indians and this is causing a serious concern among health professionals. And when it comes to being obese, Goan women outdo the men. The percentage of women who are overweight or obese is 27, much higher than the all India figure of 14.8%. [Preetu Nair, TOI]

Pilots doze off, plane flies on MUMBAI: An Air India Jaipur-Mumbai flight flew well past its destination with both its pilots fatigued and fast asleep in the cockpit. When the pilots were finally woken up by anxious Mumbai air traffic controllers, the plane was about half way to Goa. The nap in the sky took place about a fortnight ago on the domestic leg of a Dubai-Jaipur-Mumbai flight which had about 100 passengers on board. [TOI]

Foot and Mouth disease back in Calangute? CALANGUTE, June 27: The mysterious and painful hand, mouth and foot disease which had afflicted young children three years ago, is back in Calangute with a difference. Sources say a child contracting the viral disease gets boils, which are small this time. The disease which is painful for children, lasts for about 10 days. Skin specialist Anupama Kudchadkar said that she had attended the seventh case since Friday. [H]

Govt to develop uncultivated lands PANAJI: The board of directors of the Goa State Horticultural Corporation, at its recent meeting decided to utilise the fallow agricultural as well as non-agricultural lands around the state for growing vegetables like radish, ladyfinger, brinjals, red amaranthus and chillies. There are such fallow lands in almost all the talukas with a majority of them found in Valpoi in the North and Salcete in the South. [NT]

KILLER HUBBY COMMITS SUICIDE SANGUEM/UGUEM: Manuel Rodrigues, the main accused involved in the double murder at Valkini-Sanguem on June 20, committed suicide by hanging himself to a tree in front of his house late Sunday (June 22) night. The accused, who had been absconding after committing the gruesome murder of his wife Carmelina and his brother-in-law Mathew D'Silva with a country made gun, ended his life by hanging himself to a jackfruit tree. [GT]

... Begs for pardon in letters SANGUEM, June 23: In a letter addressed to his family, Manuel had sought forgiveness and prayed to God to give him justice by punishing the guilty for ruining his family... "On several occasions, I had tried to change her (his wife Carmelina), but to no avail. She never did any good to my family or to any villager. She only brought disrespect to our house and never trusted God," Manuel said in his letter. [H]

Elephant tramples forest guard Rajendra to death PERNEM, June 23: Rajendra Krishna Bhagat, a forest guard from Chandel, was trampled to death by an elephant, while he along with other forest staffers and around 25 villagers, struggled to drive away a herd of wild elephants which terrorising Alorna village for the past several days. The fatal incident occurred early this morning, when one of the pachyderms rushed towards the group that was trying to scare them away by firing crackers to the accompaniment of beating drums. All the people managed to escape to safety save for Rajendra, who probably tripped and fell, to be victim of the infuriated elephant.

Elephants return to haunt Pernem PERNEM, June 28: Wild elephants have returned to haunt residents of Khutwal and Alorna villages in Pernem taluka, defying efforts to get them driven outside the state. On Friday evening, the elephants destroyed banana plantations of Yeshwant Naik, Gopal Naik and Rama Naik and the sugarcane plantations of Ganpat Raul, Santosh Naik and Chandel Deputy Sarpanch Divya Naik. [H]