Goa News Clips

Sonia Gandhi takes on Advani, BJP in speech at Goa Printed from: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4408022,prtpage-1.cms 16 Apr 2009 PANAJI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi campaigning for the party in Goa on Wednesday was scathing in her attack of the BJP, whose agenda, she said, was to polarize society and divide people on communal lines. "You are aware of what they did in Orissa, Gujarat and Karnataka. The atmosphere of communal poison created by them is causing every citizen to live in fear. Everything comes to a standstill. Can a Central government led by such a party whose ideology threatens our unity lead the country?" Gandhi asked. She said what the country needed most was a strong government with secular values where every citizen was equally important regardless of his creed. Only the Congress was a truly national and secular party that was sensitive to regional sentiments and concerns, Gandhi said. The UPA chairperson devoted almost half her 15-minute speech to rebuking the BJP and L K Advani in language that was brutal but eloquent. Gandhi said the BJP never misses an opportunity to attack the Prime Minister especially on the issue of terrorism. "While the Prime Minister may belong to a particular party before the elections, he is the prime minister of every citizen of India after the elections. Hurling wrong accusations at the Prime Minister is insulting us all," Gandhi said. She also lashed out at L K Advani reminding that it was during his tenure as home minister in the NDA government that India was attacked at Kargil, blackmailed by terrorists in Kandahar and suffered the attack on Parliament. Gandhi then emphasised the "difference" in the UPA's approach. After the dastardly attack on Mumbai, it was the PM's strong diplomatic offensive which forced Pakistan to admit, for the first time, to the involvement of its citizens in the attack, Gandhi said. She also dismissed Advani's charge, that the UPA Prime Minister cannot take decisions on his own, as ridiculous. Gandhi drew wild applause when she asked, "Can the ex home minister today take any step, any action, without first touching the feet of the RSS leaders? They can't move an inch without the clearance and blessings of the RSS." Gandhi said she agreed fully with Advani's demand that there should be no constitutional authority above the Prime Minister. "So what constitutional authority does the RSS have over them to interfere in governance. There are dozens of instances where the RSS interfered in governance when the NDA government was in power. The accusations against the Prime Minister are totally false," Gandhi said. Her tirade continued. "When Advani was in Pakistan, he said Jinnah was secular. The RSS made him resign and he had to go into vanvas.' So who is the stronger leader? At any rate, our Prime Minister and our party is strong. Think of the achievements of your party. There is much to be done, but your party has achieved most," Gandhi said. Highlighting the "historic achievements" of the Congress, Gandhi said it was the Congress who fought for India's freedom and laid the foundations of a strong democracy. The Congress initiated reservations for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, created a strong public sector and nationalised the banks. The Congress also brought about the green revolution, made India a superpower in Information Technology and gave one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions. "It was only our party that laid down lives for a united and secular India," Gandhi said. Touching on local issues, Sonia assured the Goan people that a Congress government at the centre will support the demand for special status for the state. Referring to the threat of demolitions in the CRZ areas, Sonia said the Congress will support the fishermen and residents of the state's coastal areas. "The Congress has always taken care of the vulnerable sections of society. Their homes and livelihoods will be protected," Sonia said. Sonia said that the UPA government had always accorded the highest priority to Goa, adding that the Centre had been supportive of Goa's rejection of the SEZs. Praising the Goan people for their "responsible activism to protect the environment of Goa", Sonia also commended chief minister Digambar Kamat for giving priority to the wishes of the people despite pressure from vested interests. Sonia was accompanied on the dais by Kamat, South Goa Congress candidate Francisco Sardinha, North Goa NCP candidate Jitendra Deshprabhu, state Congress president Subhash Shirodkar and other party leaders. Sonia also reminded the people that it was the Congress that won Goa its liberation from colonial rule, gave statehood to Goa and gave Konkani a place in the 8th schedule of the Constitution. Sonia capped her speech by endorsing Manmohan Singh's leadership. "The Prime Minister has the highest integrity. No one can point a finger at him. He is a man of ability, wisdom and action. When the whole world is in a grave financial crises, his experience and expertise in economic management is specially needed to run an effective government. On voting day, cast your vote for the Congress; vote for Sardinha and Deshprabhu," Sonia said. After her speech, Sonia walked around the enclosure waving and shaking hands with supporters. While most of the crowd at the meeting was from South Goa, there was a sprinkling of people from North Goa too. People were ferried to the meeting in buses.

Ad featuring Goan regional party leader kicks off row http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/ad-featuring-goan-regional-party April 21st, 2009 - by IANS Tell a Friend - Bharatiya Janata Party Panaji, April 21 (IANS) A controversial advertisement published in a local English daily Tuesday, showing a Goan regional party candidate with a cross above his head, being beheaded by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader with a scissor, has created a sensation in the Goan political and media circles. The advertisement, published in the largest circulated English daily Herald, contains a clip-to-art - a collage created by piecing together separate images, depicting a cross above a photograph of United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) candidate from South Goa Mathany Saldanha’s head, which is trapped between the blades of a pair of scissors, held by BJP’s Manohar Parrikar and former UGDP general secretary Radharao Gracias. The pair of scissors is incidentally UGDP’s election symbol. Speaking to IANS, Saldanha said that he would initiate criminal proceedings against the Herald, which published the ad and artist Vicente Correia. “I have also complained to the chief electoral officer about it (CEO). It is mischievous and in bad taste,” Mathany said. Parrikar also said that the advertisement was in violation of the code of conduct as it used religious symbols. “The use of a religious symbol in such an advertisement is not a good sign. I am writing to the election authorities. I want to see how they act in this case,” Parrikar said, alleging they have not behaved in a fair manner during most of the campaigning period. When IANS contacted the creator of the controversial advertisement, Correia said that he had paid Rs.4,000 to get the advertisement published. “I had a vision of the cross coming out of Mathany’s (Saldanha) head. He is being crucified in the same way John De Baptiste (a Biblical preacher) was crucified by King Herod’s wife,” he said. Correia also said that the graphic was a creative exercise and insisted that it was not published at the behest of any political party. Herald’s editor Ashwin Tombat told IANS that the advertisement made no reference to Mathany. “Other than that I have no comment to make,” Tombat said. The controversial advertisement comes on the heels of repeated cautions by the election authorities, that any surrogate advertising in the media would attract criminal action against the media outfit.

Rise in sea level will hit India badly: Scientist A renowned scientist on oceanographic studies, Dr Simon Boxall, who is a lecturer at Southampton University, has warned that India would be badly hit by the rise in sea level. “The country has a very small tidal range and so a lot of areas are prone to flooding,” Dr Boxall said while delivering a lecture on “Climate Change from Arctic to India,” organised in association with British Council, at NIO auditorium, Dona Paula. [H]

Climate change brings cheer to coconut growers If we have reason to complain about the adverse climatic condition, the coconut growers in the state have a reason to smile. The agricultural department claims that the devastating Eriophyid Mite that has been affecting coconut has been substantially reduced to climatic variation. As per the agricultural department, the production has increased to 127.57 million nuts in 2007-08 as against 126.68 million nuts in 2006-07. [H]

Noted Civil Engineer Anthony P Remedios Dies India’s leading civil engineering consultant and trainer, Tony Remedios, hailing from Divar, passed away in Mumbai on April 18. He was 78 and survived by three sons and one daughter. He was consulted for different types of engineering works like tunnels, chimney, silos and nuclear reactors too. Remedios will be remembered as a prominent engineer who opted out from being a consultant to the Konkan Railway over policies which he saw as being unhelpful to the eco-sensitive areas of Goa. [H]

Liberation festivities lack lustre in villages 20 Dec 2008, 0001 hrs IST, Paul Fernandes, TNN See Article in Times of India PANAJI: Liberation day parades, flag hoisting and cultural programmes are supposed to be big events in Goa's towns, but the scene appears to be rather quiet even in the nearest villages. "We have got our liberation, why don't we celebrate it?" asks Mumbai-based civil engineerAnthony P Remedios. The Zimbabwe-born professional has every reason to ask this question. Perhaps, known only to his villagers, this cheerful septugenarian returns annually to scenic Malar on the Divar island to pay his homage to the martyrs. "As far as I know, he has been attending the ceremony every year since 1985 at Sao Mathias panchayat," says 63-year-old resident Bajarang More. Click here to read more.

DEAN EXPLAINS RP 2021 Arch Dean D'Cruz, an important member of the Task Force of the Regional Plan 2021, explains the various aspects of RP in a special interview with www.goacom.com. click here

Mango season still gloomy as low yield causes prices to soar The bleak mango season and simultaneous hike in its prices, has kept the common man out of the reach of this common and popular fruit, thereby depriving them of its taste. The mango fruit is used at various stages of development. The raw fruits are used for preparing pickles and chutneys, while the ripe fruits are delicious. They are also processed into jams, squashes, mango nectar etc, Canacona Zonal Agriculture Officer, Mr Rajesh Desai said. [Albert Fernandes, NT]

Eco friendly store opens in Porvorim Earthworm, an eco store conceptualized and created by two Goan entrepreneurs, who believe in bridging the gap between thinking and living a sustainable lifestyle and promoting nature-friendly ways for a greener environment, opened on April 18 at Green Valley, Porvorim, Roopa Bandekar, a nature love, and Nirmal Kulkarni, together have conceptualized and started Earthworm, a green store that aims to provide environment-friendly products and promote local crafts under one roof. [H]

TSKK to honour Fr Almir Veteran Konkani writer of religious literature, Fr Almir de Souza, will be honoured by Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr as the 19th recipient of Kendra’s prestigious Antonio Pereira Konkani Puroskar 2009 for his valuable contribution to Konknni literature in Roman script. The award consists a shawl, a memento and cash Rs.25,000. Fr Almir, who was born on 17th January 1934 in Saligao, has written and edited 25 Konkani books including Magnneancho Turo, Somiachem Jevon, Mis and Konkani Catechism

New book on education in Goa, gives an alumnae-eye view Experts and policy-planners speak on the world of education. Teachers have their associations to do so. But now comes a book which sees ex-students narrate their experiences of days spent in a prominent Goan school. 'Girls in Green' is a book of informal memoirs, put together by alumnae of the prominent Mapusa-based girls school, St Mary's. It emerged from an online network which is active in cyberspace. It contains some 29 essays by former students of the school, together with four pages of photographs that go back decades. Students of this girls-only school have mostly done well for themselves, with alumni writing in from places like Toronto, Denmark, Kuwait, the US and elsewhere. a Duarte, Arlette Azavedo, Sr. Margaret Correa, Ms Lydia DeSouza, Anna D'Souza, Ingrid Valles Po are some of the contributors of the book published by Goa,1556 and priced at Rs 120. It is available at Mapusa (Other India Bookstore, PVV, Dessai Stall at municipal entrance, and Arlette Azavedo 9422061766) and at Panjim (Broadways), among others.