We are under attack... Goa is under attack, our Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, seems to believe. That's why Diggu chose his speech at the 49th Liberation Day Parade, an opportunity otherwise reserved by past Chief Ministers to be the proverbial 'donkey' and indulge in some self praise, to deliver to us his 'stand up and fight to protect Goa's image' battle cry.
Obviously, the reference was to the bad press, specially at the hands of 24x7 TV news channels that Goa and its government has got in the wake of the December 1-2 rape of a Russian lass at Colva. The incident reportedly happened after a dinner that prolonged into the wee hours at the 'Boomerang' shack, at the hands of John Fernandes, a young and able politician who has now absconded into hybernation to evade arrest.
And ironically, much of the bad press was triggered by the fool-hardy attempt of Goa's 'I know all' MP Shantaram Naik to follow the CM's battle cry and protect Goa's image in the Rajya Sabha, which boomeranged with Brinda Karat, Najma Heptulla and Jaya Bachchan pouring scorn.
Shantaram's 'it's different because the Russian lass was out in the dead of the night' didn't quite cut ice. Instead, this foot-in-the-mouth comment, ensured a slugfest, which fortunately for him was in the House of Elders and not the streets of Khareband, lest he'd end up a dead duck at the hands of Brinda Karat & Co like Tadev Diniz did with Filsu Rani!
Clearly, theory that tourism rivalry is the cause for all of Goa's troubles with the national and international media is only half the truth. Often, it turns out to be a 'whole lie' much like the WMD horse-shit on Iraq. Rapes happen. They happen in Washington DC and even in Brinda Karat's CPM-ruled West Bengal too. It almost happened in the White House during Clinton's reign. So, it's no ninth wonder it happens here in Goa. Truth of the matter is, if we are to fight to protect Goa's image as our CM says, it's prudent we -- CM, Shantaram, Churchill, Mickky and their likes included -- make 'truth' the artillery and tell it to shame the 'enemy' who's pounding us. Tell the truth about the rape, the investigations the police are conducting and the state's response to protect and comfort the victim.
Pilot on wheels
Not every twenty-something kid can dream of a BMW for a 'birthday gift'. But here in Goa, there are some who can dream dreams which fructify because daddy is willing to play Santa 24x7 and the 366th day of the leap year too!
Savio, the only son of the eldest strongman from Varca, dreamt he was a 'pilot'. Daddy did everything he could and even packed him off Down Under in his teens to allow him to fly his pilot dream. Unfortunately, he didn't quite come out with flying colours, the congratulatory advertisements notwithstanding. No airline has for almost a year laid out the red carpet to their cockpits for him as yet.
But daddy's not one to give up on his son's flying dreams. If he can't fly in the skies then fly he will, even if it is on Goa's roads. So, he had a surprise for Savio on December 5, this year. The keys to a brand new, top-end BMW alongside his birthday cake! And, fly indeed was what Savio did in his latest machine, all the way from his Varca home to the hustle and bustle of 'Butter' in Candolim. Tequila was on the house and flowing! A fish who almost drowned in the flowing Tequila tells us that every drop of the Mexican drink was accounted and paid for!
So now, Goa has the distinction of not only having 'pilots' on two wheels -- our good old motorcycle taxiwallahs -- but at least one 'pilot' on roaring four-wheels!...and Audis too!
Not to be outdone, a politician from the North who's known to be flashy with the wheels he owns and drives, has gifted his son a ride in Audis, perhaps all his life. The politico has taken the agency for Audis in Goa and the son, who was in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, takes a jolly good ride on every single one that lands in the state. There is one we know of that's crashed, smashed and mangled!
Goa’s still green
Last weekend, I drove down to my native village in Salcete and took the road along Zuari's banks from Cortalim southwards. A bumpier ride then NH-17 but no regrets. At least it gave us the pleasant view of women bent down to sow the fields!
Yes. Contrary to the general feeling, agriculture isn't really dead or confined to the further reaches of Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. In Salcete too the niz Goenkar is returning to sowing the second crop and it's not just concrete growing in our fields although some eyesores do contaminate one's view during the drive. Credit for this, at least in the Quelossim-Rassaim belt must go to the former Cortalim MLA Matanhy Saldanha, who pursued the ryots' interests with missionary zeal and ensured the manos (sluice-gate) got the money for it to be sealed and saline intrusions done away with, once for all.
Could we have more regions in Goa coming under double and triple-cropping? If money can be 'outsourced' (a whole one crore of rupees) to ensure that the yet-to-be-commissioned district hospital in Mapusa is the whitest of elephants, could the health minister who incidentally is also the agriculture minister, use some of his fiscal wizardry to buckle up the sluice-gates along our rivers and let our generations taste the thunder of para-boiled, red rice?
Where’s Santa gone?
It's December 22 today. Geography taught me it's the longest night on our side of the equator. Gosh! what a long night it seems to be. Forty-eight hours away from Christmas and the jingle is missing. It's nowhere close to white and barring the 'santa hats' on the heads of salesboys and girls in stores, I'm yet to come accross any scene where cacophonic children chase 'Santa Claus'. Even 'Climate Change' and the melting snow isn't driving Santa away from the North Pole it seems!
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