My Goa January 2015

50 JANUARY 2015

Madhavi Sardesai

Her passing away is a loss to Konkani literature

goa’s finest social magazine

how goa won the opinion poll The Opinion Poll remains to be a watershed moment in Goa’s post-liberation history

Contents

JANUARY 2015

12 First Person

John D’Silva and Rajdeep Naik on Home Sweet Home

14 Cover Story

Veena Gomes-Patwardhan on the historic Opinion Poll

18 Focus Goa

Cleofato Coutinho on the erosion of Goan identity

19 Politics

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly on the current politics of Goa

20 Eminent Goan

Blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz’s sainthood beckons Goa

22 Wah! Goa

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Rajendra Talak’s civic initiative in Margao and Sitaram Gawde’s school for special children in Pernem

24 Tribute

Madhavi Sardessai’s and Dr Ramamurti Raut Dessai’s passing away has created a void in their fields

26 National Interest

Amba Salelkar on the Sexual Harassment Law in India

28 Art

12

32

Naguesh Rao Sardessai on Shridhar Kamat Bambolkar

30 Material World

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Suresh Padmanabhan on his book I Love Money

32 Bookworm

The works of Goan Artist Antonio Xavier de Trindade by Fatima Gracias | The Heroic, St. Francis Xavier by Patrick Lobo | Bloodline Bandra by Godfrey Pereira

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34 Music

Hema Sardessai, Goan girl with a golden voice

40 Food

The different shades of street food in India

34

42 Sports

Anura Prabhudessai is Goa’s shuttling hope

40

50 Final Word

Rachel Fernandes on being bitten by the green bug

06 Editorial 08 Inside Goa 35 Learn 36 Curtain Raiser 38 People 44 Event 45 Beautiful People COVER PIC courtesy: The A.D.Shroff Memorial Trust Builders of Indian Economy Series: 3 FARE FORWARD, VOYAGER A tribute to the memory of Vasudev Salgaocar

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

Remembering a visionary

Modubab built and grew his own business‌ [Latin for ENCOURAGEMENT] He made sure, others grew with him.

He knew well from his humble beginnings that poverty was to be overcome, nay conquered and abolished.

He inspired many, who helped keep Goa, Goan.

In the last half of the last century, a handful like him helped hundreds of thousands in Goa make a living.

That was the era when enterprise lived with dedication in tune with Goa’s dignity.

Schools were built and health facilities too.

On his 93rd birth anniversary, Fomento re-pledges to walk the tough path, and fulfill his vision to make Goa, a land where people matter, just as he made them his ENVIRONMENT.

50 JANUARY 2015

Madhavi Sardesai

Her passing away is a loss to Konkani literature

Harsh Reality

editorial

GOA’S FINEST SOCIAL MAGAZINE

HOW GOA WON THE OPINION POLL The Opinion Poll remains to be a watershed moment in Goa’s post-liberation history

A special state deserves special status JANUARY 2015 Publisher & Editor Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Group Editor Rachel Fernandes Team Akhil Prabhu Verlekar Alisha Patel Annalise Gouveia Ashok Kolvekar Govit Morajkar Mayur Santinezkar Pratima Achrekar Pritesh Naik Sigmund D’Souza Contributors in this Issue Amba Salelkar Cleofato Almeida Coutinho Naguesh Rao Sardessai Neshwin Almeida Prajal Sakhardande Sachi Chatte Suresh Padmanabhan Susheela Sawant-Mendes Veena Gomes-Patwardhan Office Address Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office My Goa 409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza Panaji, 403001 Goa India Tel.: 0832-2425514, 6456555 Email: mygoa.mag@gmail.com My Goa is a monthly magazine dedicated to Goan issues, society, culture and heritage.

MY GOA is published and printed

by Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly at 409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza, Panaji - Goa 403001 India and printed at Printek Printers, Bengaluru.

Editor: Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

The day our Chief Minister said that getting special status would not be so easy for Goa, I dug up my research books. Till I had heard this statement, the idea of special status or finding common cause with its proponents, never besieged me. Not anymore!

I cherish our ‘Goanness’ and its unique character, it is imperative to begin the argument of special status on two important historical backdrops.

One is undoubtedly Goa’s liberation. For 450 years, Goa was under the Portuguese rule (barring the period that Britain had taken over Goa during the Napoleonic wars). During the long period, a lot changed in Goa. Many Goans migrated to South Canara upto Kerala fearing religious persecution, many had to convert their faith, there was ban on Konkani and learning Portuguese was made compulsory. Of course, there was threat to land, property and person, freedom of speech and expression was unheard of. Yet, Goans took all these upheavals in their stride; some even thrived in these challenging times. Some others revolted. So when India, on the other hand, gained freedom from Britain in 1947, Goa was still under Portuguese rule – till the Indian armed forces removed Portugal from occupying our land in 1961. Prime Minister Nehru was so glad and relieved that the ‘pimple’ on India’s face that was disturbing his peace for having not yet uniting with the motherland, was finally part of the grand peninsula. And one must really wonder what made India take 14 years to clear Portuguese occupation in a mere 108 sq kms landmass? Be that as it may, it was Prime Minister Nehru who promised Goa special protection to be part of the mainstream, by granting Goa Union Territory status. Although it seemed glorious then, the reality for Goans was that the hand of power had shifted from Lisbon to Delhi.

That brings me to the second part of the argument made by some ill-informed politicians that special status could run contrary to constitutional provisions. Quite the opposite, actually. The Constitution of India is a living

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document, a piece of legislation like no other in modern history of the world. The best brains in the country debated, deliberated and took a considered view into creating the Constitution when they convened as the Constituent Assembly of India. And yet, in nearly 65 years of India’s republican existence, the Constitution has been amended 99 times. The sub-sections of Article 371 speak about special provisions given to various states across the country. India’s federal structure is both – unequal and benevolent. It is difficult to have a uniform system for protection of rights in India, largely due to the diversity of the land and her people. And the Constitution being an enabling legislation, can easily create niches where special protection is needed. And it is my respectful submission that Goa is a fit case to seek special status, as is the case of other North Eastern states like Mizoram, or even Himachal Pradesh, which enjoys special provisions for its land laws.

Why would Goa and Goans seek special status one would ask? Firstly, by the sheer size and population, Goa presents a unique case before the country. We top on many human and socio-economic parameters – having high literacy, high income, good medical care, high standard of living, communal harmony – Goa tops them all, or at least figures among the top rankers in the nation. But conversely, due to the small numbers that we have – the idea of Goanness is no longer at a stage of peril, but is being gnawed away day by day. Take a simple case of our fruit and vegetable markets. The Goan vendors have all but vanished from the markets, leaving the field for players from neighbouring states. The attack on identity always starts with the attack on the economy. In this case, our susegado, peaceful nature and lack of political will, has been our bane.

Yes, we need special provision to protect our land, our language, our food habits, our peaceful co-existence, our mores, culture and tradition.

And by becoming a stronger and protected state, we can contribute just as we have always done towards nation building – handsomely

We want to hear from you. Tell us what you liked and what you didn’t about us, your favourite story or section and most importantly, what you’d like to see featured in My Goa Write to us at: mygoa.mag@gmail.com Unsolicited material may not be returned. The opinions expressed in My Goa are not necessarily that of the publishers. While great care is being taken to ensure accuracy of information, the publishers are not responsible for omissions or incorrect information. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers.

Inside Goa

Chimbel to house new IT Habitat Picking up the pieces of the controversial IT Habitat, CM Laxmikant Parsekar recently announced that the Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat would be shifted from Dona Paula to the Chimbel Plateau. He added that an Electronic City would be set up at Tuem in the Pernem Taluka, which would house the Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector. He also added that the Electronic City would come up in a phase-wise manner and is expected to be complete by 2017.

Work on the project has already begun and a team of officers from the departments of Town and Country Planning, Forest and Revenue have begun action on a war footing followed by meetings on a weekly basis with the CM. The TCP will carry out zoning for the Electronic City while the PWD will work on the access road in addition to provision of 24x7 water supply. After the desired NOC is obtained from the Forest Department, the Revenue Department will transfer the

land to the Department of Information Technology. “This transfer of land is expected to take place by the end of this month,” the Chief Minister said.

Speaking further, he said that he had visited Gujarat to attend the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ organised in Gandhinagar, in order to woo NRI investors to invest in the Electronic City. The state can expect to receive Central Government assistance of up to 50 per cent of the ESDM project cost, subject to a ceiling of ` 50 crore for every 100 acres of land.

Meanwhile, the proposed IT Habitat at Chimbel will be set up on 4 lakh sq mt of Government land, and try to attract units dealing with software applications, IT development and so on. The Government plans to allot plots to the desireous entrepreneurs in the IT Habitat along with infrastructure such as broadband service, access road and water, and expects them to construct their infrastructure and buildings

Goa State Co-operative Bank to expand its ATM services The Goa State Co-Operative Bank is planning to provide mobile banking services to the people in the State with villages in the interior being serviced by hand held ATM devices. This will help them bring the benefits of government social security schemes to the beneficiary’s doorstep.

This is part of a large step to reach out to existing and new customers. In 2015, the bank hopes to install 25 ATMs during the financial year 201415 including ATMs under White Label ATM scheme of partnership model duly approved by Reserve Bank of India.

The MD AA Tansali said the

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

bank had collected `1500 crore in deposits this year which was an increase though he did not specify by how much.

The bank achieved a total business of `2478.46 crore with advances at `970 crores.

The figure of `1500 crores was passed in December 2014.

Asked about the issue of the loans still outstanding with the mining community, he said it was `67 crore and the bank had submitted a proposal to the Reserve bank to sort out the matter.

The ATM service being launched by the bank will have the RuPay ATM card and Kissan Credit card. These cards will be accepted by all banks

Hot air balloons and amphibious vehicles to be launched in Goa

Come April and Goa Tourism will give tourists an unforgettable experience in the sky and the sea with the launch of hot air balloons and amphibious vessels.

The idea of initiating these products is part of GTDC’s larger plan to introduce new services for tourists in Goa. Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said, “Goa Tourism will focus on enriching the tourism experience through adventure and allied activities.”

Meanwhile, Nilesh Cabral, Chairman of GTDC said, “Both adventure services will focus on highlighting Goa’s hinterlands and thus give tourists an opportunity to explore the rich geography of the state via the sky and the waterways.”

As many as six amphibious vehicles will be introduced utilizing Goa’s wide networking

of ferry ramps. The vessels can operate on water and land and will be equipped with all facilities required for effective and smooth conduct of operations.

This venture will further facilitate ‘Hop on Hop off’ tours along Goa’s inland waterways and chain of jetties and ferry ramps, bird watching tours and eco-tourism tours. As many as 34 passengers can be accommodated per trip for duration of 30 minutes to an hour. The boats will be manufactured in Goa with US technology in collaboration with AGCL, Goa. The amphibious vehicles will be the first of its kind for use by civilians in the country. The Hot Air Ballooning Safaris will be designed by Camping Retreats Pvt. Ltd. and will induct two hot air balloons at the introductory phase

Government hikes VAT on petrol At the start of the New Year, the Government issued a notification hiking the existing 3.5 per cent VAT on petrol to 10 per cent. As a result, petrol now costs four rupees more per litre.

Justifying the decision to hike VAT on petrol, the CM stated that it was done to increase state revenue. Prior to the hike, fuel prices in Goa were the lowest in the country with petrol standing at `52.25 per liter and diesel costing around `55 per liter.

Back in 2012, former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had

cancelled the VAT on petrol after the BJP government came to power.

However in August 2014, the economic crisis faced by the State compelled Parrikar to change the Government policy and impose 3.5 per cent VAT on petrol

Inside Goa

Difficult to get special status for Goa: Parsekar The Government, opting to undertake a more practical exercise for protecting and preserving the identity of Goa, has decided to turn towards the existing state legislations rather than making efforts for acquiring a special status for the state.

The State Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution seeking special status for Goa by making such request to the Union government. The government led by the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was also in the process of setting up a consultative committee for preparing legal document to be presented to the central government in the form of a memorandum, so as to seek

Laxmikant Parsekar

special status for Goa. However, the government is yet to officially announce withdrawal of its special status proposal.

Coming out with this information, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the possibility of Goa being

Exposition draws four million people

The solemn exposition of the relics of St. Francis Xavier drew to an end on January 4 with Delhi-based Italian Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio celebrating the last Holy Eucharist after the procession of the sacred relics which were taken back to the Basilica of Bom Jesus.

According to Rector, Fr. Savio Baretto, the event has drawn approximately four million people. He also clarified that the near-stamped situation that had occurred on November 29 and 30 was due to rumours created by travel agents and tourist stakeholders that there would be no veneration of the sacred relics between December 1 and 3. Thereafter, from December 26 to 30 there was a heavy rush of people

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

and with this, another rumour spread that the exposition had been extended to January 14.

“These rumours have taught us a lesson on the importance of proper dissemination of information which should be at regular or hourly intervals. We must also not harm our heritage which has drawn millions of visitors. Along with heritage lovers, the Government, Church and the stakeholders must deliberate on keeping the heritage value intact through a master plan,” rector said.

“The Exposition has expressed the degree of faith of people from all religions,” said Fr Saturino Dias, in charge of Missionary Animation, God’s Safe Life Line and the Catholic Enquiry Centre

accorded special status by the central government within the framework of the Constitution of India appears to be extremely bleak. “I am thinking rationally and practically, and feel that we need to make immediate efforts to protect and preserve the identity of Goa without waiting for the day when Goa will acquire special status, and we would be able to save its individuality from getting lost,” he observed.

The CM also said that he would soon sit with the senior officials of the finance and revenue departments, and decide as to how existing legislations related to these departments could help the government in protecting and preserving the identity of Goa without violating the Constitution of India in any manner. “And I will do it in the shortest possible time, before it is too late,” he added

Government plans to renew 50 mining leases The government intends to renew 50 mining leases overall, which are outside the buffer zones of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks and those accused of minimal violations, for a period of 20 years.

In the second phase, the government has so far collected `315 crore as stamp duty from 16 mining leases, while another six lease owners would be issued notices for payment of stamp duty

Goa yet to explore full potential of tuna fishing

Fishermen have not been able to explore the full potential of tuna fishing off Goa’s coast as they do not possess the equipment to undertake deep sea tuna fishing.

The bulk of tuna catch in Goa is small sized as tuna fishing is mainly done nearer to the shore with very few fishermen venturing out in the deep sea. Tuna fish is called the chicken of the sea and is in great demand in foreign countries due to its peculiar taste. Chairman of Mandovi Fishermen Co-operative Society Menino Alfonso said that in order to catch big size tuna fish in large quantities, fishermen need to venture into deep sea but they do not possess the equipment and trawlers needed for deep sea tuna fishing. He said that since tuna is one of the fastest-swimming fish, it can easily get injured for which there is less demand.

Sources said that for deep sea tuna fishing, fishermen have to venture out for around 10 to 15 days for which they require bigger trawlers. It was said that mostly trawlers that

can venture out for only 7 to 8 days are involved in tuna fishing off Goa. Alfonso said that there is more scope for tuna fishing off Goa’s coast if fishermen have the wherewithal to undertake deep sea tuna fishing as is the case in other states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

However, as per sources, the production of tuna has increased over the years. In 2009, 1044 tonnes of tuna was fished while in the year 2013 it increased to 3520 tonnes.

Sources said that the processed tuna fish is priced several times more than the non-processed fish. Fishermen can fetch more foreign currency from tuna catch if they have the equipment to undertake deep sea tuna fishing.

According to sources, small tuna fish caught by the fishermen aplenty nearer shore are priced at around `40 to 50 per kg in the local market 50 JANUARY 2015

Madhavi Sardesai

Her passing away is a loss to Konkani literature

MAGAZINE GOA’S FINEST SOCIAL

HOW GOA WON THE OPINION POLL The Opinion Poll remains

to be a watershed moment

in Goa’s post-liberation

history

Heartfelt Condolences

We deeply mourn the passing away of

Manda (tai) Bandekar Beloved wife of Nana bab Bandekar

May the Almighty grant the Bandekar family strength to bear this profound loss

Harshvardhan Sinai Bhatkuly and Family

goa’s finest social magazine

First Person

John D’Silva AND Rajdeep Naik

Actors

home sweet home

Home coming for Konkani cinema Pratima Achrekar spoke to the two leading characters of Home Sweet Home, John D’Silva, a renowned comedian in tiatr and Rajdeep Naik, a popular face in Konkani drama, on how the film is being accepted by Goan audiences and its highly successful run at theatres for consecutive weeks Rajdeep Naik and John D’Silva in Home Sweet Home

‘Home Sweet Home’ is having an amazing ‘houseful’ run in theatres.

What would you say is the secret of its success?

John D’Silva: The film highlights a major issue that has been haunting Goa for quite a while now – the land scam.

This has been articulated in a beautiful manner intertwined with songs and humour. The film talks about an NRI who has an ancestral house in Goa. He returns after 15 years and to his shock, finds that instead of his house, a new building complex is being constructed.

The NRI then hires a taxi to get to his home – that is where he comes across another Goenkar, the taxi driver, who listens to his sad story and feels sorry for him and then supports him in his quest for justice. As for its sucess, it is undoubtedly the quality of the film that will have drawn viewers to theatres.

Rajdeep Naik: Go Goa Gollywood

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

The film highlights a major issue that’s been haunting Goa for a while now, the land scam. This has been articulated beautifully, intertwined with songs and humour Productions have really done a wonderful job by tackling an important subject with great sensitivity. This Swapnil Shetkar film is all about Goa and its identity. Several questions raised

by Goenkars have been incorporated in the film. The best part about this movie is that this is probably the only Konkani film that booked theatres much before the shooting could start. Apart from putting up hoardings, posters, banners and promos on social networking sites like Facebook, Youtube and Whatsapp were also put to play.

John D’Silva

The film is running alongside a Bollywood biggie, PK. What kind of struggles did you’ll face to draw in the crowds?

RN: Home Sweet Home’s promotion was not only done through social media, but it also targeted the young film-going crowd. In fact, we have only one show screening slot in each theatre. Theatres which would be reluctant to give Konkani films a slot are now requesting us for one more show.

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Aryan Khedekar, who essays the role of a villain in the film, the son of a Minister says, “This is a unique film because it boasts an all Goan starcast” Home Sweet Home

JD: It’s a Konkani film and so we were confident that it will manage to draw the numbers required. Moreover, Home Sweet Home was projected well, just like any other Bollywood film.

What is the USP of Home Sweet Home?

RN: Films attracts masses because in Goa, we have Christians and Hindu brothers. Christians are mostly fond of tiatrs, while Hindus love watching Konkani nataks. So considering that, the best icons of tiatr and natak came together for Home Sweet Home, maybe this was the USP of the film. Afterall,

Film: Home Sweet Home (Konkani) Cast: John D’Silva, Rajdeep Naik Directed by: Swapnil Shetkar Duration: 2 hrs 17 mins There are very few Konkani films made every year and at times, they lack consistency in terms of story-telling and craft. But I am very happy to report that Swapnil Shetkar’s latest venture ‘Home Sweet Home’ is a film that will strike a chord, especially with Goan audiences.

Tackling the subject of migration, land sale and ‘Goan’ness, the young director makes some pertinent points without being too preachy most of the time. Shetkar’s writing is admirable with some witty and peppy dialogues.

However, the film flounders in the final act. Barring this, however, the effort is quite heartening and if this is a sign of things to come, we can expect Konkani film makers to raise the bar even higher.

John D’Silva plays an NRI who doesn’t have much of a family and returns to Goa after a decade and a

film poster

the starcast boasts of the likes of John D’Silva, Luis Bachchan, Aryan Khedekar and Prince Jacob and others.

JD: The film is popular because it deals with problem that many Goans are facing.

RN: We have left some questions

unanswered as we want Goans themselves to answer them. We might come up with the sequel, as the film is running so well.

What kind of preparations went into each of your respective roles?

JD: Since I had travelled to London and USA in between the film’s shooting schedule, I had an idea about how the NRIs talk and their overall personality. I had to work on this aspect a bit more.

I never had any issues during shooing mainly due to Swapnil Shetkar’s friendly nature.

RN: I personally visited a few Goan drivers in order to learn how they communicate with their customers.

Basically, I studied the way they use bad words

Theatres which would be reluctant to give a slot for a Konkani film are now requesting us for one more show Rajdeep Naik

half. He strikes a friendly note with a taxi driver Raj (Rajdeep Naik) but John gets the shock of his life when he reaches his home. Well, there is no house there to begin with. Instead, he finds that an apartment block has replaced his ancestral abode. While he was away, he had left the home in the safe hands of his friend (Luis Bachchan) but turns out that a builder ‘bought’ the property and built a residential complex. There on begins John’s struggle to get back what rightly belongs to him and giving him company is the taxi driver.

The camaraderie between the two men is what pulls the film through. While there is an occasional dose of humour, the screenplay also makes points about this whole issue of Goans leaving for greener pastures abroad and non-Goans coming and settling in Goa. “If there are so few opportunities in Goa how come outsiders are coming settling here?” a character rightly asks.

For most parts, this Goan versus nonGoan issue is tackled sensibly, there is the odd scene where it goes overboard though. The finale acts as a dampner

and instead of wrapping it up nicely, it takes a rather unexpected route.

But that is a blemish we’ll have to live with. Otherwise, Shetkar and co have done a mighty impressive job.

Barring those pointless close-ups and there are quite a few of them, technically you can see there is an effort to get it right. That long take scene for example, when the two men are having a conversation in Raj’s house over a drink, is an example of good writing and it is well shot, too. The background music also contributes significantly when it doesn’t become too dramatic, that is.

The lead actors have done a remarkable job. John is a big name on stage and proves again that he has it in him in front of the camera, as well. Very few actors are gifted with such terrific timing and he is surely one of them.

Rajdeep Naik, another stage artiste also holds his end equally well and together they make a good team. For those who love anything Goan, this film needs your encouragement and hence it’s not to be missed

By Sachin Chatte

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Cover Story

how goa won the opinion poll VEENA GOMES-PATWARDHAN chronicles the most historic event in post-Liberation Goa

O

ne of the highpoints of global politics in 2014 was the Scottish Referendum, where the motion for Scotland’s secession from the United Kingdom was defeated.

But the mother of all referendums so far as independent India is concerned, was the one held in Goa. Yes, Goa had a tryst with a historic referendum, erroneously called an Opinion Poll, in 1967.

Goa’s ‘Opinion Poll’ was not like the ones we have prior to elections to find out who will make a better Prime Minister, etc. These are just that – the opinion of the people – and have no significance beyond that.

In contrast, the results of Goa’s Opinion Poll had to be compulsorily

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

Merger motion defeated. Pic courtesy: The Navhind Times

accepted by the Government of India.

Moreover, Goa’s very existence as a separate entity and the identity of the Goan people was at stake. That was why its outcome was as critical for Goans as that of the Scotland Opinion Poll was for the Scots.

What is a referendum?

Most of the laws or legislatures in democracies across the world are made through representative democracy, that is, our elected representatives vote on our behalf for passing or rejecting different law-making proposals. But a referendum, being an instrument of direct democracy, enables the entire electorate (instead of just their representatives) to have their say on policy issues.

Merger with Maharashtra or status quo as a Union Territory?

Goa being an acquired territory, it was not made a separate state right away.

Instead, it was given the status of a Union Territory. In 1963, the then Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru promised that Goa would remain a Union Territory for ten years, and that thereafter the people of Goa would have the right to decide its future.

Though a Union Territory, Goa was allowed to have its own Legislative Assembly. In the first elections held at the end of 1963, Dayanand Bandodkar’s Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (ProMaharashtra Goan Party) won a simple majority securing 16 seats as against the 12 seats won by Dr. Jack Sequeira’s United Goans Party. At that time,

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Goa had a 30-member house which included an MLA each from Daman and Diu. Interestingly, the Indian National Congress was confident of winning the first elections in Goa accepting the viewpoint of freedom fighter and staunch Congressman Purushottam Kakodkar (father of the noted nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar) that Goans would vote it to power out of gratitude for its role in liberating them from Portuguese rule. Imagine Nehru’s shock when the party won just one seat out of 30, the Daman seat. The Diu seat was won by an independent.

Buoyed up by his party’s victory, Bandodkar, Goa’s first Chief Minister insisted that the vote for MGP was a vote in favour of merger with Maharashtra.

Besides, he and his party were in no mood to wait for 10 years to decide Goa’s fate. So Bandodkar declared that the matter could be decided in a few weeks by passing a bill in the Legislative Assembly.

But Dr. Jack Sequeira or Jak Siker as he was popularly called, knew that merger would be unavoidable if this was put to the vote since MGP had more seats in the Goa Assembly than his party.

Another interesting side to the issue of merger was that it also had a language connection. Though all Goans spoke their mother tongue Konkani, many of them, mostly Hindu Goans, spoke both Konkani and Marathi. Most of these Goans supported the MGP and many even incorrectly assumed that Konkani was just a dialect of Marathi.

Sequeira knew that though Bandodkar and even the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vasantrao Naik, had promised that Goans would be

Dr. Jack de Sequeira

Buoyed up by his party’s victory in the first Assembly Elections, Bandodkar, Goa’s first Chief Minister, insisted that the vote for MGP was a vote in favour of merger with Maharashtra and declared that the matter could be decided in a few weeks by passing a Bill in the Legislative Assembly given special concessions and privileges after merger, Goa would actually end up being one of the minor districts of the much larger neighbouring state. Not just that, Konkani which could not develop and flourish under the Portuguese, would be further throttled after the merger, and in addition to losing their unique identity, Goans would even end up being passed over for jobs in their own home state.

So accompanied by a few of his MLAs, Dr. Sequeira made a dash to New Delhi to convince Nehru that a crucial decision like the future of Goa had to be decided by the people directly and only a referendum could reveal their true wishes. Purushottam Kakodkar also joined him in making a passionate argument for a referendum in Goa. After Nehru’s death, Dr. Sequeira met Lal Bahadur Shastri, the next PM, to persuade him regarding the need for a referendum in Goa. Following Shastri’s sudden death in Tashkent in 1966, he had a meeting with Indira Gandhi as well who then had the issue discussed in Parliament. Consequently, it was decided that Goa would have a referendum by secret ballot on 16 January, 1967.

But fearing that Bandodkar would misuse the state machinery to exert pressure on the anti-mergerists, the

Dr. Jack Sequeira or ‘Jak Siker’ as he was popularly called, knew that merger would be unavoidable if this was put to the vote since MGP had more seats in the Goa Assembly than his party

Dayanand Bandodkar

UGP demanded that the Assembly be dissolved so that the referendum could be held under free and fair conditions.

The Central Government agreed to this, as the demand was justified.

The exciting run-up to the 1967 Goa Opinion Poll Sequeira and his party were not the only ones to fight tooth and nail against the merger. For example, the industrialist V. M. Salgaocar, believing that their mother tongue Konkani could unite the Hindus and Catholics of Goa, not only funded the Konkani movement, but also started the Marathi daily Rashtramat with Chandrakant Keni as its Editor to influence Marathi-speaking Goans against the merger.

Goa’s poets, musicians, singers, and tiatrists too jumped onto the campaigning bandwagon and wielded their talents like weapons to pitch for an independent identity for their beloved Goa. Tiatrists like M. Boyer, Carmo Rod, Kid Boxer, M. Dod de Verna, and the Trio Kings Conception-Nelson-Anthony, celebrated poets like Bakibab Borkar and Dr. Manohar Rai Sardesai, Advocate, writer and lyricist Uday Bhembre, and composer-singer Ulhas Buyao, and hundreds of other Goans worked tirelessly to fortify the anti-merger campaign.

M. Dod de Verna’s song warning Goans of what their fate could be after merger gripped the hearts of tiatr audiences. The intensity of his emotions when he sang these words was unmistakeable: Zor Goem Maharashtran podot, Amkam nusteache kante ditolet Ani te mas khatolet.

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Cover Story (If Goa gets merged with Maharashtra, They’ll gobble up the flesh, and give us only the bones.)

Through his sizzling, no-nonsense column Brahmastra, Uday Bhembre boldly took an opposite stance to that of his own father, the noted freedom fighter Laxmikant Bhembre. He went so far as to compare his father’s justification of the merger of Goa with Maharashtra to the justification of the Portuguese for ruling over Goa! Ulhas Buyao, with able support from Manoharbab, Shankar Bhandari, Uday Bhembre, and his entire cultural troupe, put up around 75 performances across Goa to endorse non-merger. Two of Buyao’s most popular compositions were the scintillating Chan’neache Rati (On a moonlit night) with lyrics by Bhembre, and Goenchea Mhojea Goenkarano (My fellow Goans) with lyrics by Dr. Sardesai.

Rallies, public performances of songs and skits, sloganeering, the campaigning hungama from both sides included all this and more. While the promergerists thundered “Zhalach pahije”, the anti-mergerists countered them with their punch line “Amcam naca shrikhand puri, amcam zai xit-koddi”.

A flower vs two leaves Under the historic referendum, people had to choose between Goa remaining a Union Territory and its merger with Maharashtra. The two symbols were a flower for MGP, and two leaves (don pannam) for UGP. Assuming that all those who had voted them to power would vote pro-

Ulhas Buyao, with able support from Manohar rai, Shankar Bhandari, Uday Bhembre, and his entire cultural troupe, put up around 75 performances across Goa to endorse nonmerger. Two of Buyao’s most popular compositions were the scintillating ‘Chan’neache Rati’ (On a moonlit night) with lyrics

by Bhembre, and ‘Goenchea Mhojea Goenkarano’ (My fellow Goans) with lyrics by Manohar rai Choice Separate territory Merger Total Registered voters / turnout

Votes % 172,191 54.20 138,170 43.50 317,633 100 388,432 81.77

merger, MGP got a rude wake-up call when a large chunk of their supporters, mainly upper-caste Hindus, joined the Catholics in voting for anti-merger. Votes from the northernmost regions bordering Maharashtra were counted first, and the pro-mergerists sniffed victory as the results began coming in, while there was tension in the anti-merger camp. But as the counting proceeded southwards across Mhapsa, Saligaon, Panjim, and then further south to Madgaon and other parts of Salcette, it became amply clear the tide was turning in favour of the ‘two

leaves’ supporters.

Goa’s Opinion Poll had attracted a whopping 82% voter turn-out. A total of 317,633 votes were polled, and ‘two leaves’ won by a margin of over 34,000 votes. Thousands of anti-merger supporters danced across the streets of Panjim and Madgaon and elsewhere to celebrate their historic victory. Soon after, the multi-talented tiatrist Carmo Rod wowed tiatr lovers with his song on the Opinion Poll – ‘Don Pannam’. It became a huge hit much like his song ‘Nach athanche’ from the evergreen Konkani film Nirmonn released a few months earlier.

Goa went on to become the smallest state of the Indian Union in 1987, and five years later, Konkani was given her rightful place amongst one of India’s national languages. Now each year, Goa observes 16 January as Asmitai Dis (Identity Day). The rest is history

Rashtramat: The opinion builder of the Opinion Poll W hen the curtains came down on the mouthpiece of the Opinion Poll, Rashtramat on 31st August 2004, a voice of the common man and Margao’s very own newspaper had been put to sleep.

Started on 1st September 1963 with the combined pooling of resources by V M Salgaocar, Shripad Gharse and Shantilal Gosalia, the paper’s driving force was its editor of four decades, Chandrakant Keni.

Keni, a staunch Gandhian, who had

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learnt the ropes of journalism and public life by working with the first chairman of the Backward Class Commission, Kakasaheb Kalelkar, was one of the many youngsters who came back to Goa immediately after liberation.

The merger issue was hot then and strangely enough, Rashtramat was created to influence Hindu masses in the language of the pro-mergerists, Marathi.

Even stranger was that the first team that put together the paper were all Marathi –

Ulhas Buyao

speaking ideologues from Maharashtra like Anna Phanse, who ingrained the precepts of self-assertion in Keni, Uday Bhembre and others who were linked with Rashtramat.

The paper went on full steam criticising Bandodkar and his government and building public opinion against the merger.

Bhembre and Keni also participated in public meetings where they slammed mergerists.

After the demise of V M Salgaocar, the paper passed on to his son Anil, who decided to close it down MY GOA TEAM

www.LinkedIn.com/My Goa

“It is not proper to name one person as Father of Opinion Poll”: Adv. Uday Bhembre

G

oa’s historic Opinion Poll did not have one, but many fathers. According to Adv Uday Bhembre, one of the prominent leaders of the Opinion Poll of 1967, it is the 1.72 lakh people who voted for independent identity of Goa are the ultimate fathers of Opinion Poll.

While recalling the Opinion Poll days, Bhembre rues the fact that the government does nothing symbolic to display respect for the most historic day.

While a section of society claims that Jack Sequeira, the then leader of the United Goans Party and opposition leader, was the ‘Father of Opinion Poll’, Bhembre begs to differ. “It is not proper to name one person as Father of Opinion Poll, as this struggle was spearheaded by five different groups”, he opines. In fact, it was Bhembre’s column Brahmastra in Rashtramat that had also played a major role in convincing the Hindus against the merger.

Rashtramat, a Marathi daily was driven by a group of young writers and activists including Bhembre in order to counter the propaganda in favour of the merger.

According to Bhembre, there were total five groups working tirelessly and sincerely to convince the people to keep Goa separate. Besides Sequeira’s UGP and their Rashtramat group of young writers and activists, Shabu Desai from Cuncolim had moved with a mashal (torch) all over Goa, Ulhas Buyao and his cultural group with Jai Gomantak Kala Pathak and the Indian National Congress Party. “Unfortunately, all these groups worked separately and no effort was made to bring all these groups together”, he recalls.

However, he said, the unknown faces of the people from different areas had taken initiative in bringing these groups together by organizing meetings, which were addressed by all these groups together.

Bhembre fondly recalls two such meetings held at Kakoda and Usgao after 11 pm. “And yet people were sitting

Bhembre doesn’t undermine the role of Dr. Jack Sequeira, but feels that the United Goans’ leader’s role was comparatively quite easy as he led the Christian community, which strongly opposed the merger

Adv. Uday Bhembre

in the open field to listen to all of us and know the issue properly”, he recalls.

While Bhembre doesn’t undermine the role of Sequeira, he feels that his role was comparatively quite easy as he led the Christian community, which strongly opposed the merger. The other groups, however, which worked in the Hindu dominated belt, had to face a lot of humiliation, disruption and even stoning of their meetings.

“If you ask me, the real Fathers of Opinion Poll were those 1.72 lakh people, who voted for separate Goa. I salute all of them”, the lawyer from Margao says.

He also recalls a meeting with then Chief Minister Bhausaheb Bandodkar, the leader of the merger movement, who had called three of them, including Chandrakant Keni and Gharse of Rashtramat, to discuss the issue over lunch at his Altinho bungalow. “He tried to convince us how Goa would dominate Maharashtra once it was merged.

However, when we asked him how it would

Bhembre’s column in Rashtramat, ‘Brahmastra’ in a book published by Rajhauns

be possible with only two MLAs from Goa and one district from among 28 districts and only 8 lakh Goans against 8 crore Maharashtrians, he became silent”, he recalled.Bhembre also refutes the theory that Bandodkar was convinced, at later stage, that merger was dangerous for Goa, but said it was also a fact that he accepted the Opinion Poll verdict without any further moves to merge Goa into Maharashtra.

While on the topic, Bhembre also disclosed that Sequeira had strongly demanded Statehood for Goa as another option against merger. However, central leaders convinced him for Union Territory stating that Goa would get central funds for development. “The most important historic days for Goa are 19 December 1961 (Goa Liberation), 16 January 1967 (Opinion Poll), 4 February 1987 (Konkani Official Language) and 30 May 1987 MY GOA TEAM (Statehood for Goa)”, he says

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Focus Goa

In search of Identity and Culture The Writer laments the slow but steady erosion of Goan identity Cleofato Almeida Coutinho

I

n the past few years the debate over the identity of Goa and Goans heightens around 19th December and with the central government rejecting the ‘dream demand’ of Special status for Goa, questions are raised over the very foundation of Goa as part of Indian union claiming that the liberation of Goa was in fact annexation by the Indian government. Nehru had assured that Goa’s culture and individuality would be fully preserved when it became part of the Indian union as the case with the French settlements in India.

Past five centuries have shaped our identity and culture into what it is today. The 450 years of Portuguese rule over the old conquests in Goa brought different cultural and religious traditions to meet and reshape the socio-cultural landscape giving an Indo-Portuguese personality to Goa with a distinctive history and culture from the other parts of India. The new conquests had only around 200 years of Portuguese regime with limited impact on the culture, but this tiny state is marketed by the tourism industry as a upper caste Catholic in Goa symbolized by Portuguese architecture, food, dress and ‘susegado’ life style. The ‘Goa Dourada’ of the 16th century is the imagery created and fostered over the years. After 60 years of integration into the Indian Union that imagery is now under attack.

Having refused to misadventure into ‘Goa action’, immediately after the independence in 1947, Prime Minister Nehru declared, in 1955 that he would not tolerate the presence of Portuguese in Goa. He is said to have referred to Goa as an embarrassing pimple on the face of mother India which became increasingly irritating. That military

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The 450 years of Portuguese rule over the old conquests in Goa brought different cultural and religious traditions to meet and reshape the sociocultural landscape action in 1961 brought Goa into a discourse of nationhood at international level and the ‘identity of Goa and Goans’ became an important element of that debate. The Indian Prime Minister opined that Goans were Indians as they were rooted. While the Portuguese Prime Minister Oliveira Salazar asserted that the Portuguese presence had a great social as well as cultural impact transforming Goans into Portuguese.

Just before liberation, in his letter to the UN Secretary General, Nehru stated that the only solution is for Portugal to leave her colonies in India and allow the people in these territories to join the countrymen in freedom and democracy.

Portugal has consistently ignored U.N. resolutions on ending colonialism….. It is hardly possible to negotiate on the basis of the charter with a government which takes its stand on 16th-century concepts of colonial conquest by force”.

Though a miniscule section of the Goan community looked for independence from both India and Portugal, overwhelmingly Goans supported the unification with India.

There was no space for another independent nation. The geo political aspect is highlighted by great historian J.M. Richards ‘It was not to be expected

that India, after achieving independence and also, through the integration of the former princely states, achieving the administrative unification of the peninsula for the first time in history (though sharing the subcontinent with Pakistan), would be content with anything less than the whole; or would be prepared to tolerate any compromise with her new found unity in the shape of an independent enclave, however small and however harmless to her interests, let alone an enclave ruled by a foreign power”.

The claim of the miniscule section was lost when the Goans took part in the Opinion Poll and various assembly and parliamentary elections conducted under the Constitution of India. The issue was brought to a decisive end in 1975 with Portugal recognizing the ‘annexation of Goa Daman and Diu’ and opening of diplomatic relations besides providing special status under the Portuguese nationality law.

The small community which enjoyed special privileges during the colonial regime identify much more with Goa than with India. There has been large scale migration of the catholic community to other parts of the world mostly in search of employment and some due to Goa

Politics

I

t’s not a coincidence that at the swearing in ceremony of Laxmikant Parsekar’s government, barring Francis D’Souza, every other minister took the oath of office and secrecy in Marathi. Befittingly, the Konkani Bhasha Mandal condemned this act.

I remember, this happened 10-11 years ago, when I attended the book release function of Zenaides Morenas of Chandor, who had documented the Mussol Khel – Adv.Uday Bhembre, the Chief Guest of the function, spoke about Goanness and the unique heritage that has been handed down to us. As part of his erudite keynote address, he had a barrage of verbal attack on Marathi vaad (pro Marathi leaning) and at that time, I thought to myself that the Marathi issue was settled in Goa – one,

by Konkani getting its rightful place in the 8th schedule of the Constitution and two, by the fact that Konkani was the official language of Goa. I should have known better! Because the passionate Advocate from Margao was speaking from lifelong experience – of not just being one of the key champions of keeping Goa separate from the merger with Maharashtra, but by being one of the pillars of the Konkani movement. His words still reverberate in my mind when he had cautioned us against the Marathi vaad. It may be placed on record here that Bhembre and his ilk bore no grudge towards Marathi, but espoused greater pride for our mother tongue – Konkani.

In fact, he wrote a razor sharp column, Brahmastra, in daily Rashramat in Marathi, inciting and cautioning Goans not to fall prey to Maharashtra’s designs to gobble up our little land.

Asmitai? What’s that?

So, as we approach another ‘Asmitai Dis’ (16th January) that celebrates Goa’s victory in the Opinion Poll, maybe we should ponder over the fact whether we have remained truly Goan.

Going by the Marathi culture of the current disposition, I feel that we are governed by proxy – by a Marathi thought, which in my opinion is not Goan. The fact that the Chief Minister sheepishly addresses his citizens and tells them that getting special status for Goa is not that easy a task, I wonder what is. The promise that having a BJP government at the Centre and in Goa would be best for the State, appears like a cheque that has been returned dishonoured – not just for lack of funds to the State, but also because there seemed to be no intention of honouring it in the first place. In all fairness to the BJP in Goa and Manohar Parrikar, the former Chief Minister had never made explicit promises of getting special status for Goa, but neither was he oblivious to the movement and he never rejected it outright. He surely kept the protagonists of the special status movement in good humour when he was Leader of Opposition. That apart, one cannot forget that there was certainly a promise made for an economic package for Goa when Narendra Modi addressed a gigantic meeting at Merces, last year, in the run-up to the General Elections. But even that looks like a mirage to a State that is groaning under economic pain.

And just the other day, the Industries Minister Mahadev Naik has conveniently moved the goalpost by saying that the fifty thousand jobs and 25 thousand crores investment envisaged by the Investment Policy that was launched with great fanfare in 2013 (and which came into force at the end of last year) is unachievable. He made it worse by saying that if his party came to power in 2017, this goal could be achieved.

What should we make out of this?

Conventional wisdom would make one believe that if a political party has absolute majority in a house (and therefore stability), the policies made would be easy to put into action. Goa has once again proved to be an exception.

And today, we are reduced to being a gambling destination – nothing more.

I am not sure what will be playing on in the minds of the likes of Uday Bhembre who literally sacrificed everything to fight and win the battle to assert our Goanness – not just against the Mahashtravaadi Gomantak Party (MGP) government of the day, but also against the financial muscle and clout of Maharashtra. The departed leaders of the anti-merger movement, who are no longer with us, would surely not have visualized this for Goa. In retrospect, the only statement that makes sense today is the one jeeringly made by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru – ajeeb hai yeh Goa ke log (these Goans are a strange lot)

becoming part of the Indian nation.

With the chunk of catholic community emigrating out of the country and large scale lower community immigration into Goa, has led to almost 1/3rd of Goa’s population being from other parts of India and catholic population falling to a very low figure of around 23% creating demographic problems for the traditional ‘Goa Dourada’.

As guns boomed to the mighty thunder on 18th December, Prime Minister Nehru repeated his previous assurances that the people of Goa would preserve their individuality, culture and customs within the Indian Union. Culture

and Identity of any place or community would be built by history and geography.

If Magna Carta played a great role in what Europe is today, geography has helped America to accept values of equality and freedom for us. Our coast line gives us a different culture and identity Socioeconomic factors always play a lead role in defining the identity and culture.

Industrialization leads to urbanization and that leads to immigration. Such changes in society also change values and attitudes of people.

In the present globalized world, the traditional idea of identity and culture threatens the idea of linkage to specific

area or territory. Writing on the identity of Goa, Teotonio R. D’Souza “Goa has been exposed early to globalization, and the high degree of consciousness and resistance to its impact is a sign of its preparedness to resistance its less positive impact”. Identity shall have to be viewed as a dynamic and evolving area. India is essentially a plural society having adopted a democratic polity and a secular state character. Tolerance and diversity are India’s passion that is also a fragrance of Goa! Search for identity and culture ends there

by Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

The writer is a practicing lawyer, senior faculty in law and political analyst

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Eminent Goan Goa’s Padre Jose Vaz

A Third World Saint

Blessed Jose Vaz ofen worked in hostile conditions to spread compassion

Dr.Sushila Sawant Mendes

T

he international news reports that Pope Francis is to declare Fr. Joseph Vaz (popularly known as Padre Jose Vaz) to be a saint has put the Goa state, particularly the Roman Catholic community in a celebration mode. The canonization ceremony scheduled from 13-15 January 2014 by Pope Francis in Sri Lanka, is an event which will be patronized both by the Catholic Church and the government of the island nation. Saint Francis Xavier may be referred to as the Patron Saint of Goa, but the State is awaiting to celebrate the canonization of Joseph Vaz as their own first Goan born saint.

Unlike the saint, his missionary work was not colonial, not helped, authorized, or associated with conquest by a colonial power.

This saintly priest from the Third world – was the first non European to found a mission in a Church in this part of the continent. The Church he re-founded in Sri Lanka was persecuted but survived isolation from Rome for over 140 years.

The title of ‘Apostle of Kanara and Sri Lanka’ given to Fr. Joseph Vaz for the rebuilding of the Roman Catholic Church destroyed by the Protestant Dutch regime may not have compensated this long wait of over three hundred years for sainthood.

Saint Francis Xavier and St. Ignatious of Loyola (founder of the Jesuits) were both Spaniards and their canonization was facilitated by the geo-political happenings of that period. Besides, they had government support and were backed by the powerful propaganda machinery of the Jesuits. Fr. Joseph Vaz had no such backing either of Rome or of the Portuguese government or of those in power in Sri Lanka. It was only his humanitarian work of helping small

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Blessed Joseph Vaz

pox victims, that the ruler of Sri Lanka King Vimaldharna Surya II, who had imprisoned him, later patronized him.

Vaz had neither money to bribe, nor power to influence or entice conversions, as he had no support of any ecclesiastic or civil authority. It would therefore be safe to conclude that it was purely religious reasons that today there are thousands of Catholics in Sri Lanka.

When Fr. Joseph Vaz embraced the still then, nameless community of Goan priests on 25th September 1685 as the superior of the community of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, he had decided to follow the Saint’s maxim, amare nesciri, which means ‘Oratorians should love to be unknown’.

These priests of Goa represented the first set of local missionary priests or the first native religious community in the Diocese. Perhaps it was destiny that made him take on the guise of a baker, bangle seller, dhobi, fishermen and coolie, to enter into the Calvinist (Protestant) Dutch occupied territory in Sri Lanka to carry out his missionary activities for the Roman Catholic Church.

Not so humble background Joseph Vaz was born on 21st April 1651, in Benaulim, village from where his mother Maria de Miranda hailed. His father Cristovao Vaz was from Sancoale.

In fact, a serious allegation against the Oratorians was that they were intended only for Brahmins. Joseph Vaz’s ancestry was of the prominent Goud Saraswat Brahmin Naik of Sancoale. As a bright student, he learnt both Portuguese and Latin. He then studied in the Jesuit College of St. Paul where he did a course in rhetoric and Humanities. He further studied philosophy and theology at the St. Thomas Aquinas Academy of the Dominicans also in Goa. In 1675, at the age of twenty four years, he was ordained deacon by the Archdiocese of Goa. On becoming a priest, he started going barefoot to live like the poor and soon acquired a good reputation as a preacher and confessor. He opened a Latin school in his village of Sancoale for prospective seminarians. In 1677, he consecrated himself as ‘a slave of Mary’ sealing it with a document known as ‘Deed of Bondage’.

A missionary Fr. Joseph Vaz decided to deal with the plight of Catholics in Sri Lanka, after the expulsion of the Portuguese power from the island by the Dutch. By 1658, the Dutch Calvinists succeeded in destroying both physically and spiritually the Catholic Church, expelled Portuguese priests and forbade Catholicism and no missionary priests was allowed in Sri Lanka. It was with this background that Joseph Vaz wanted to go there, however, he was sent by the Goa Archdiocese to Kanara. Vaz was often a victim of the politics of the Archbishop’s office. Many years later, when he sought permission to return to Goa from Kanara he was once again denied it by the then Archbishop Manuel de Souza e Menezes. It was only after his death in 1684 that the Cathedral Chapter of Goa permitted Vaz to return to Goa. Vaz undertook missionary work in

www.facebook.com/mygoa Mangalore, Basroor, Moolki, Kallianpur and other areas, during his three years stay in Kanara from 1681-84. He reconstructed old churches and built new ones in Onore, Kundapore and Gangolim. He also set up schools and confraternities (lrmidades) of Catholics who came together in the absence of priests. These gatherings of prayer were done in small huts, built for the purpose.

His missionary work certainly helped to keep alive and encourage the religious fervour of Christianity in Kanara. Vaz was recognized as a saint and many legends and miracles were attributed to him. A shrine was constructed, dedicated to him at Mudipu, which is still visited annually by thousands of pilgrims seeking his blessings and cures for various sicknesses.

Homecoming and the beginning of an indigenous mission Vaz returned to Goa in 1684 and started his preaching in the villages. He met a group of three priests led by Fr. Pascoal da Costa who called themselves ‘Milagristas’, in the abandoned Church of the Holy Cross of Miracles on a hill in Old Goa (The ruins of this Church still exist). It is here that Vaz was elected as the first superior of the new Oratorian Congregation. This Indian Oratorian Mission is the only fully native, nonEuropean Catholic mission of our colonial era.

Soon thereafter, Fr. Joseph Vaz decided to go secretly to Ceylon, (now Sri Lanka) and a land which had no priests for about half a century. The Dutch Huguenots had attacked the Malabar and driven out the Portuguese missionaries. They had almost wiped out the Catholic Church from the period from 1637 to 1658. In 1686, Vaz started his journey to Ceylon disguised as a holy man or a sanyasi. He stopped in the Keladi kingdom for a few months on the way, till he reached Tuticorin in 1687.

He stayed in a village called Sillalai in 1689, and thereafter in the very next year, he reached Puttalam. Vaz suffered from acute dysentery as a result of his terrible travelling conditions. Soon after recovery, he started contacting the Catholics, working only at nights because of the strong Calvinist presence. He always had by his side his loyal servant John Vaz, a Catholic tribal (Kunbi) from Goa.

On arrival in Kandy, the capital of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka in1692, Vaz was arrested as a Portuguese spy and imprisoned by the Buddhist King Vimaldharma Surya for two years. Here he learnt Sinhalese, the local language and even wrote a dictionary. In prison, he began his missionary work of converting the other prisoners. After his release, he secretly visited the Catholics in Colombo, then under the Dutch. In January 1697, he was appointed Vicar General in Ceylon and was soon involved in helping the small pox affected people of Kandy, the following year. This was even more commendable because the King and the people had deserted the capital because of the epidemic. As a result of the humanitarian services of Fr. Joseph Vaz, he was patronized by the same ruler who had imprisoned him and later by his successor Vira Narendra Sinha.

Fr.Vaz wrote catechisms in Tamil and Sinhalese. He used enculturation as a missionary method and also practiced and taught meditation. Fr. Vaz was respected as sammanasu Swami (Angelic Priest). Three missionaries arrived from the Oratory of Goa in 1697 to help him. He encouraged Fr. Jerome Gonsalves from Diwar, one of the missionaries to create Catholic literature with music and song. In 1705, in recognition of his services he was offered the post of Bishop and first Vicar Apostolic of Ceylon, which he refused and preferred to remain a missionary. By now, missions were organized into eight districts, each headed led by a priest. In 1710, Fr. Vaz despite ill health continued with his work but passed away on 16th January 1711 at the age of 59 years after 23 years of hard work and sacrifice in a hostile and foreign country. This day is celebrated as the feast day of Fr. Vaz. Beatification and canonization The case for beatification was first put for consideration in 1713 by Francisco de Vasconcellos, Bishop of Cochin, who also had jurisdiction over Ceylon. The island of Ceylon had by now became the land of the missionary activities of the Oratorians. It sent missions to Malabar, Madagascar, Solor and Timor.

The Apostolic Delegate of the East Indies, Ladislaus Zaleski (1852-1925), who was a resident of Kandy, kept getting reports of the saintly priest. He

did his own research and published a detailed biography of Joseph Vaz. The process was resumed only in 1953 by the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. Fr. Vaz was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 21st January 1995 in Colombo and is now Blessed Joseph Vaz. His work was largely unsung till the Goan Archdiocese took up the cause and on 16th January 2000 and declared Vaz as Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. A Diocesan inquiry of a miracle took place in October, 2013. Patriarch Filip Neri Ferrao had stated in Nov. 2013 that the cause of the canonization had reached a ‘crucial stage’.

On 14th September 2014, His Holiness Pope Francis approved the decision of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints to canonize Blessed Fr. Joseph Vaz. The canonization process therefore, to be declared a saint has concluded. Pope Francis has bent the rules and dispensed with the requirement of a second miracle for canonization. The same powers were used by the Pope to canonize St. John XXII, without a second miracle attributed to his intercession. Unlike St. Francis Xavier, Fr. Vaz had no support from the Church or the Portuguese government.

After 24 years, there were almost a lakh of Catholics and all these had converted voluntarily as Vaz had no money, nor power to influence or entice them. It was his sheer missionary work that endeared the poor and the marginalized towards the Roman Catholic Church. He had to work secretly in an alien atmosphere without being sure of from where he would get his next meal. Fr. Vaz had refounded in Sri Lanka a Church (which was destroyed) in hostile conditions and at the cost of his life.

Fr. Vaz passed away in 1711, and the process of canonization has been a long wait of over 200 years. He may have helped the Church in its evangelization mission. This cannot be seen through the prism of the twenty first century. It must be acknowledged that Blessed Joseph Vaz was a priest from the Third world and worked in the Third world, that too in a nation foreign to his birth. As Goa has recently witnessed the Exposition of the holy relics of St. Francis Xavier, the world is looking forward for the declaration of Goa’s own Saint Joseph Vaz The writer is HoD, History, Govt.College of Arts,Sc. & Commerce, Quepem. sawantmendes@yahoo.co.in

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Wah! Goa

A

Rajendra Talak initiates ‘Clean Margao, Green Margao’ campaign The fim-maker and developer takes on government apathy towards keeping his home own clean

group of citizens in Margao recenly launched, ‘Clean Margao, Green Margao’ in a bid to tackle the host of issues plaguing the commercial capital. Initiated

by Rajendra Talak and a group of concerned Madgaocars, the movement promises to undertake work in all the 20 municipal wards, including cleanliness, spreading awareness on waste segregation, erecting gantries at all the seven entry points to the city, etc. As an initial measure, the group will begin by taking up work in ward 10 and 11 before making its presence felt in other wards.

Talking about the initiative, Talak said that Clean Margao, Green Margao is neither an NGO nor do they have a bank account. “We will not depend on Government funding. The gantries will be erected with funds from the people. We are not allied to any political party nor do we have our eyes set on the upcoming Municipal election due in November,” Talak said. He also clarified that the group does not want to run a parallel system nor is opposed to the city fathers.

Talak further said that the group has not taken into confidence the two MLAs Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai and the city fathers, saying that people of Margao

We will not depend on Government funding. We are not allied to any political party nor do we have our eyes set on the upcoming Municipal election due in November Rajendra Talak are free to join the cause in the interest of the city. “We expect each and every Madgaocar to join the cause and bear the expenditure directly for the betterment of the city. The work will be undertaken in all 20 wards of Margao Municipality,” he said.

Rajendra Talak

He said that work on phase I of the campaign has already begun at Borda near Sincro House (totally funded by Sincro family) and this will continue at Comba ward, near Holy Spirit Church, SGPDA. We plan to erect one gantry near the Collectorate building,” he said, adding that the first phase will be inaugurated in February.

Along with making the city green, the Group intends to deal with issues of garbage and sanitation by educating people, especially abou the door-to-door waste collection scheme.

The other issues that will be taken up in due course include SGPDA market beautification, parking problems, signal installation at old market circle and other locations, etc. Adv Rajiv Shinkre, Prasad Shinkre, Girish Kare, Ranjta Kare, Raj Panandikar, Nilesh Newalkar, Rock Rodrigues, John Gonsalves, Narayan Fondekar, Fomento Group, Akar Group and Borkar Super Stores have joined the mission, Talak said

50 JANUARY 2015

FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

Madhavi Sardesai

Her passing away is a loss to Konkani literature

MAGAZINE GOA’S FINEST SOCIAL

HOW GOA WON THE OPINION POLL The Opinion Poll remains

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

to be a watershed moment

in Goa’s post-liberation

history

Read the heart and mind of Goa Read Goa’s finest social magazine. With a wide coverage of all things Goan. Be it art and society, politics and culture, current affairs and trends. Come, feel the very core of Goa. Read My Goa.

www.LinkedIn.com/My Goa

sitaram gawde

Shaping the future

The man behind Atmavishwas Society School for Special Children speaks to Pratima Achrekar about starting the school and the idea behind it

Atmavishwas Society’s school for special children was awarded the ‘Best School for Special Children’ on the Goa’s Liberation Day and Sitaram Gawde, was felicitated at the hands of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar

On forming an NGO to start a school for special children in Pernem The idea of running a school for special children in an interior place like TuvemPernem came to my mind when I used to work as a drawing teacher at Disha’s Charitable Trust Centre for Special Children. I used to see the parents of these children dropping them off from far off places everyday. I used to feel it would be great to start a special school in my own hometown, so that parents need not have to worry about dropping their kids so far away.

The objective for this special school Our main objective behind this special school is that these ‘special’ children should not be dependent on anybody else. At the school, we teach them how to take care of themselves and thus, encourage and help them stand on their own feet. We also teach them how to earn their own living. Initially, when I decided to start this school, parents in the village were reluctant to send their children and would worry about their safety. We had quite a tough time in convincing them. As the years passed, they started believing in us. Today, they have built up confidence in us and parents themselves get their kids enrolled in the school. When we started the Atmavishvas School for Special Children in Pernem in 2008, we had just seven students and today, out student strength stands at an impressive 74 pupils.

The journey from being an art teacher to the incharge of an NGO Being a fine arts student, I opted to teach drawing at Disha’s Charitable Trust and this was a turning point in my life. When I taught there, I always wished to have a similar special school in our area. To make this dream come true, I would literally work extra hours. I love spending time with these

Students showing interest into sports Sitaram Gawde receives the award on Liberation Day

children. Post work, for couple of years, I started working towards this dream project.

Success mantra in life Every successful man follows certain mantras in his life. For me, I believe that God has chosen me to do good deeds. Whatever I am today is because of God’s blessings. We are actors and he is the director. So I am putting my best efforts in doing social service

Lanterns made by the special children under vocational activtity

Students also seen participating at cultural programmes

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Tribute madhavi sardesai

Ode to a jewel of Konkani literature

T

hough it is hard to accept the fact that Madhavi Sardesai is no more amongst us, her smiling face and treasure trove of work done for the Konkani language will remain with us forever.

Well know Konkani author Madhavi Sardesai, whose immense work for Konkani literature over the years has won her not just awards and recognition, but also a special place in the hearts of Konkani lovers, recently passed away on December 22 of an illness that she battled for about a year. The Konkani language fraternity including journalists, politicians, teachers and her well wishers across the state mourned her untimely demise. ‘A big loss for Konkani literature’ was the sentiment that most expressed while condoling her death.

Among those who condoled her death was Goa’s CM, Laxmikant Parsekar.

Over the years, Madhavi’s writings have mesmerised Goans and made a lasting impact on the lovers of our mother tongue. Her poem Ek asali Mithakani won many hearts. A noted critic and linguist, she was chosen for the Sahitya Akademi Award for her book Manthan, an anthology of critical essays in Konkani, just a few days prior to her demise.

Dr Madhavi Sardesai

Niece of noted Konkani writer and Jnanpeeth Awardee, Ravindra Kelekar, Madhavi was the head of the Konkani Department at the Goa University. She was a beloved teacher for her students, as her kind nature and her principles were enough for following whatever she said. Her husband Raju Nayak is the editor of Lokmat in Goa and she was the sister of Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai.

Madhavi was recently awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Konkani language 2014. Even after the news brokeout of the stupendous achievement, Madhavi remained humble

and reacted to the news to one of the press saying, “When I was told that my book ‘Manthan’ was selected for Sahitya Akademy award, my first gut feeling was that I could have written a better book to deserve the coveted honour.” She said that she had deliberately chosen research as a way of enriching the literary aspects of our mother tongue, Konkani.

Not just an academician, Madhavi was also the editor of the Konkani literary journal, Zaag and also a scholar, publisher and writer who worked tirelessly for Konkani

“In academics, some are very good teachers but bad researchers and some are finest researchers but not so good teachers. Madhavi was an illustrious academic, one of the best linguist among few, but very humble, humane and a true Gandhian when it came to lifestyle. That’s what made her a very good teacher. She actually nurtured a new generation of Konkani academics. Her demise is a great loss to the academics as well as the growth of the Konkani movement. The sudden demise of a linguistic expert in Goa has created a vacuum that is difficult to fill. She was always connected and supportive of the young brigade of Konkani, youngsters who are at the forefront of the Konkani movement will miss her presence, guidence and expertise.”

Yugank Naik | General Secretary, Goa Raakhann Manch I’ve known Madhavi since she was 15-year-old. She had the priviledge of studying under the guidance of the great man of letters Ravindrabab Kelekar. Her principles were different from the others. Madhavi fought for Konkani literature in her own way Dilip Borkar | Editor of Konkani magazine ‘Bimb’

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

www.twitter.com/@mygoamag

“One thing that I and perhaps everyone will never be able to forget is the laughter Madhavi Tai brought along with her. She always stood by her principles. I recall her key note address at the Chitrangi meet held at Raut farm, Sal. She narrated some of her own experiences, especially the ones during her marriage.

She along with husband Raju Naik convinced the priest to omit certain rituals that she thought were derogatory to women. And the priest was convinced. Madhavi Tai never fought or hurt anyone, she always managed to convince everyone. One thing that she won’t be able to convince us is that she is no more.”

Anwesha Singbal | Konkani writer “It’s been few weeks since Madhavi has left for her heavenly abode. However, we literati people still can’t digest the fact that she is no more! She was a linguist and nobody can replace her. She would convince everyone with her humble and sweet nature. Her language of writing was of high grade. Ravindrabab’s language of writing was reflected through her writings.”

Pundalik Nayak | Senior Konkani writer “Ayaz mithakani darya yedi jali. Madhavi’s nature was polite and jolly. Her smile was captivating and her writings had transperancy.

She kept the child within her alive. She didn’t allow it to get older.”

Datta Damodar Naik | Writer, Entrepreneur

Dr Ramamurti raut dessai

An untimely end

Dr Ramamurti Raut Dessai

Dr Shrikant Bhobe writes about Goa’s pioneering cardiothoracic surgeon

K

ahanse aya tha woh, chuke hamare dilko, kahan gaya, use dhundo.”

These lines from the movie 3 Idiots came to my mind when I got the sad news of Dr Rammurti Raut Desai’s untimely death. Memories came back in a flash, as if it was all, just yesterday.

A couple of patients operated by the doctor for complicated mitral valve replacement at SMRC in the mid 80s are now under my care, still doing well.

They are constant reminders of Dr Ramamurti’s skill and acumen.

In the 80s, when cardiology and thoracic surgery was in its infancy, the thorax, only next to Dr Bento Egipsy who was an expert in pulmonary lobectomy (partial removal of lung) for untreatable tuberculosis and would stuff the vacant space with pingpong balls, Dr Ramamurti improvised the procedure and used a synthetic material. Even with rudimentary infrastructure, he took up the challenge.

Interestingly, Dr Ramamurti took to the medical profession by a sheer quirk of fate. As his childhood friend from same village, an IIM Ahmadabad alumi

and now Director at a MNC once told me that they both appeared for Interscience (12th) then. While he got through, Dr Ramamurti just missed to make the cut.

The friend struggled while Ramamurti opted for Bsc, the only option left. Much to the chagrin of the friend’s family, he gave up medicine, and as destiny would have it, Dr Ramamurti got the vacated seat. It was as if he was destined to be a doctor and later graduated from the Goa Medical College and went on to complete Masters in Surgery, followed by a stint at KEM Hospital, Bombay, doing a superspeciality in Cardiothoracic Surgery, a specialty that few doctors would choose. His peer, Dr Bhattacharya, the high priest of bypass grafting in coronary artery occusion (heart attack to commoners) stayed on in Mumbai while Dr Ramamurti returned to Goa to serve his dear land.

But Goa had little to offer him in terms of the infrastructure required

for cardiothoracic surgery. There was no Cardiac Doppler or latest heartlung machine for the procedure. Even intensive cardiac care was lacking.

He was exactly one year junior to me, but we would meet in wards to discuss interesting cases. Sometimes I wonder what made Dr Ramamurti choose this uncharted field. But then, it is his nature and penchant for challenges. He would invoke his Kshatriya lineage of which he was overtly proud and would say, we are fighters against odds, in all fields and technology is no exception.

Assolda Chandor, a village on the banks of Kushavati, home to the redoubtable titan of Goa’s freedom struggle, Menezes Braganza, is the village where the doctor was born. Just a mention of Chandor and his eyes would light up and there was no end to the recital of ancient glory and temples of the bygone days.

Apart from politics, he was also actively involved in the Indian Medical Association and a stellar proposer in general body meetings.

Recently, at a weekly medical symposium, while paying homage to our dear departed friend, a colleague said “We care and issue warning to our patients, but do we really care enough for ourselves?” Rightly so! Dr. Ramamurti’s untimely end was preventable

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

25

National Interest

Preventing Sexual Harassment at the Workplace amba salelkar

T

he now mandatory provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act require companies to step up their policies in an important move towards gender equality.

It’s impossible to write a piece about sexual harassment for a Goan publication without referencing the rather notorious instance of workplace harassment at the THiNK Fest – so at the very outset – the incident, however blatant, is by no means isolated when it comes to the sexual harassment of women at the workplace. It is disheartening that many companies are hiring fewer women on account of cases of sexual harassment in the media, without realizing that sexual and other forms of gendered harassment have always been happening, and it is only now that they are coming to the forefront as women are more aware of their rights. Undoubtedly, sexual harassment of women at work is as old as the entry of women into the workforce, and yet, it took some time for the problem to gain the recognition that it now has, even internationally.

For instance: the United Nations Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an all encompassing document on State obligations towards women, was completely silent about the issue when it was enacted in 1979. But by 1992, it acknowledged that “Equality in employment can be seriously impaired when women are subjected to genderspecific violence, such as sexual harassment in the workplace” and implored member states to take action in the General Comment published that

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

The Writer explores the legal aspects of the law governing sexual harassment at workplaces

year.

India, finally ratifying the CEDAW barely a year later, was slow in implementing this – much to the Supreme Court’s chagrin. Citing a legislative gap that could be filled under Article 141 of the Constitution of India, the then Chief Justice JS Verma presided over the drafting of what came to be known as the ‘Vishaka Guidelines’, to hold force until a legislation was passed regarding the menace of sexual harassment of women, in 1997.

The legislation, however, took another 15 years to finally see the light of day. The Supreme Court ruling left no doubt that all workplaces must have an anti-sexual harassment policy in place.

However, it is only after the enactment of the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 that companies have realized that they need to have the proper mechanisms in place — if only to avoid penalties under the Act, ranging from a fine of Rs 50,000 at the first instance, and possibly resulting in cancellation of registration, in the event of a repeated offence.

What is sexual harassment?

The danger of a tight definition of sexual harassment is that conduct which doesn’t fit within the boundaries of a definition may end up being condoned.

Those who have experienced sexual harassment know that it starts off extremely subtly, and often pervades into areas of professional and personal lives with what can only be described as creativity on the part of the harasser.

Where the act of harassment also amounts to offences under the Indian Penal Code, the police must be asked to step in. But for other instances, the Act very rightly keeps the scope broad. There are two main characteristics to bear in mind: one, that the alleged conduct must be of a sexual nature; and two, that the conduct must be unwelcome.

This could include demands for sexual favours, showing pornography, making sexually coloured remarks, and other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.

All unwelcome conduct may not be sexual harassment if it lacks a “sexual element”, and may be dealt with under separate employee conduct regulations.

Sexual conduct should be unwelcome to attract the provisions of this Act – one must respect the agency of women to engage in consensual sexual activity and intervene only when her comfort level is breached. The Act only creates an obligation for employers to protect women against sexual harassment, however, a reading of the definition clauses leaves the identity of the “Respondent” gender neutral. There is nothing barring a company from creating

www.google+/My Goa a gender neutral sexual harassment policy, should they find the same necessary.

All complaints of sexual harassment that arise within a workplace are to be referred to the Internal Complaints Committee of the company. The general consensus on the Act is that all workplaces in the organized sector require to have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted to handle all complaints of sexual harassment that arise. In the unorganized sector, an establishment with 10 or more employees requires to have an ICC as well. The ICC must have a minimum of four members, of which the Presiding Officer shall be a senior woman from the company, at least two persons shall be employees of the company committed to the cause of women or social work, or who have legal knowledge. There is a mandatory requirement for an external member of the Committee – a person who works on women’s issues, who could be a lawyer.

Establishments which have less than 10 employees will have their complaints dealt with by the Local Complaints Committee, constituted in every district. This will also be the forum that deals with complaints made by, for example, domestic workers against their employers in households. Remember that the definition of “employee” under the 2013 Act is extremely wide – it covers not only salaried employees, but also contracted employees, interns, volunteers, apprentices. The definition of workplace also reflects the changing times of employment – and includes places visited by the employee arising out of or during the course of employment, including transportation provided by the employer for undertaking such journey.

While mere compliance can avoid the fines and other strictures, it is important for a company to have effective mechanisms to redress instances of sexual harassment. While a company may not have much choice in terms of the employees that form the ICC, the role of the external member cannot be overemphasized. The person comes in with an open mind, free from company politics, and may in some instances actually lead the inquiry.

The management needs to take a very cautious decision about who they

Sexual and other forms of gendered harassment have always been happening, and it is only now that they are coming to the forefront as women are more aware of their rights appoint as their external member, and ensure that the person is free from biases towards the management. It would be unadvisable, for example, to retain the services of someone who works at an NGO which receives CSR from your profits. Or, for that matter, a family member of the CEO. Similarly, even with other members of the company, it would be valuable to ensure that they have no perceived or actual bias towards any of the parties to a dispute, and that they recuse themselves immediately in case such a conflict of interest exists. Having a reliable and approachable internal complaints committee ensures that the staff of the company have confidence in the management for effective disposal of cases. As the saying goes, justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done.

While the 2013 Act does not mandate the framing of a policy document on sexual harassment, it is something that is strongly recommended to demonstrate the company’s commitment towards a zero tolerance policy against sexual harassment at the workplace. A policy would spell out prohibited activity, complaint mechanism and redressal. A well-structured policy also demonstrates a commitment towards the safety of women at the workplace beyond mere lip service – a good policy, framed in consultation with the management and highlighting the areas where women feel unsafe and where the company can make a difference. For example, in case a company has women working late hours, policies with regard to availability of reliable transport services can be emphasized. The policy should also list out redressal options – while mediation can resolve certain behaviour which may have arisen out of a misunderstanding,

more serious instances may require more stringent action, and assistance to the victim.

Prevention is always better than cure – which is why the Act mandates that companies conduct sensitization and awareness programmes amongst their employees on issues relating to sexual harassment at the workplace.

Encouraging open discussions on interpersonal relations amongst employees is extremely important.

There cannot be any absolute bar on consensual sexual/romantic relationships between employees, which is bound to happen in mixed gender groups. Problems only arise when acts occur against a person’s consent, or as a violation of their personal space.

Skewed gender ratios in schools and colleges and popular culture often create a very warped notion of boundaries in relationships – be they professional or personal – and so a frank, well thought out series of workshops would be an effective tool in ensuring a comfortable work environment for all concerned.

Sexual harassment at the workplace is a lot more rampant than we believe, and instead of seeking redressal, often women end up quitting their jobs. The most common refrain that is encountered is that the law is stacked against “the man” – a statistical fallacy.

Doubtlessly, all complaints need to be inquired into, and where there is a misuse of process the same must be taken up strongly, which the Act does provide for.

The role of human resources and senior management in implementing the Act is extremely important. To emphasize, however – boilerplate policies and standard format “Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment” posters are not going to be effective.

The local Chambers of Commerce should consider acknowledging Companies with innovative campaigns to create awareness about the Act and its requirements. Gender diversity is essential for the success of any establishment, and implementing the 2013 Act in its true spirit is the greatest protection a company can provide to its employees Amba Salelkar is a lawyer specializing in policy relating to disability and gender, and also works in designing anti sexual harassment policies. You can email her at amba.salelkar@gmail.com

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Art shridhar kamat bambolkar

Exploring his many talents naguesh rao sardessai

S

hridhar Kamat Bambolkar, over the last four decades of his professional life, has been abundantly generous in identifying, nurturing and motivating innumerable talents in the field of art and theatre.

This is his gift back to God, selfless, with no strings attached.

Multitalented Shridhar, born in the mid fifties, in a humble background at Bandora – a picturesque and culturally vibrant village in Ponda Taluka – went on to study under the tutelage of internationally reputed painter, Laxman Pai, and acquired a degree in fine arts from the Goa College of Art through the University of Bombay. Talented to the core, Shridhar secured first place in the University exams and earned a Fellowship awarded by Kala Academy Goa, in the year 1981.

In spite of various lucrative options before him, Shridhar shunned the temptation to try his luck in the metros and decided to stay back in Goa and serve the people here. Active in theatre since childhood, he was charmed by the creative wealth and cultural richness of folk art.

A strong Konkani protagonist and advocate of Goan identity ‘asmitai’, Shridhar took up a job as an art teacher at a school near his residence, to facilitate easy access to local talent and facilities and make him available to

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Shridhar Kamat Bambolkar has had an ongoing impact on Goa’s art and cultural canvas for well over three decades

Shridhar Kamat Bambolkar

serve Goa’s art fraternity.

Over the years, he has been showered with numerous commendations and accolades. As a theatre person, Shridhar has been at the forefront, popularizing Konkani dramas when the language was struggling to establish itself. An activist with art as a tool, he went on, along with his writer and poet friends, to give Konkani the rightful place as the Official Language of Goa. Shridhar incorporates and assimilates the rich Goan folk and traditional nuances into his theatre practice, infusing a rare quality of

aesthetic uniqueness and along the way, unassumingly documenting and preserving this cultural wealth for posterity.

He is credited for inspiring a generation of young artistes through school and college level one-act plays and theatre art workshops. Besides this, Shridhar is known for adding impetus to the children’s theatre movement in Goa.

As a young artiste, Shridhar was selected by Sangeet Natak Akademy, Delhi under the scheme “Assistance to young theatre workers” to produce noted Konkani writer Pundalik Naik’s play “Parikrama” in the year 1993. In 1997, he was invited to participate in National Theatre Workshop for theatre directors at Sanskriti Kendra, Delhi. This was conducted by noted playwright late Habib Tanvir and organized by Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi.

He also worked as resource person in children’s theatre workshop held at Arunachal Pradesh organized by National School of Drama (NSD) under Prof. H.V. Sharma.

Badal Sarkar’s ‘Sageena Mahto’ and ‘Abu Hassan’; V. V. Shirwadkar’s ‘Vidushak’; Dr. U.R. Anantamurthy’s adaptation ‘Sanskar’; Pundalik Naik’s ‘Shabai Shabi Bhaujansamaj’, ‘Chaitanyak Math Na’, ‘Suring’; Dattarma Bambolkar’s ‘Satya Madditam Madditam’, ‘Rangyatrik’, ‘Daddy’; Vishnu Wagh’s ‘Sunvari’, ‘Dharangaj’; and Bertolt Brecht’s Konkani transcreation ‘Three Penny Opera’ are some of the major plays that Shridhar has directed and earned critical acclaim for.

The fine artist in Shridhar motivated him to marry elements of fine Art with performing art that infused his plays with unique visual impact Shridhar has adapted Mahabaleshwar Sail’s novel ‘Yugsavar’ into a play titled ‘Sanvar Yug.’ He is currently in the process of transcreating William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ for ‘Rangmell’ – Goa Kala Academy’s repertory’.

The fine artist in Shridhar motivated him to marry elements of fine Art with performing art that infused his plays with unique visual impact.

Participating in Kala Academy’s State Art Competitions and Exhibitions since 1977, he has been recipient of numerous State Art Awards. Besides this, Shridhar has participated in Senior All India Artist’s camp organized by AIFACS in December 2000 at New Delhi. He has also attended inter-regional painters camp 2010 organized by Regional Centers of Lalit Kala Academy Chennai and Kolkata and Directorate of Art & Culture at Panaji Goa. He participated in AIFACS 50 years of Independence, contemporary Goan Artist exhibition organized by Lalit Kala Academy, 8th Rashtriya Kala Mela at Bangalore, Apna Utsav at Delhi, Monsoon Expressions by Directorate of Art & Culture, Exhibition of Goan Artists at Manipur State Kala Academy Imphal in 2010. Kerala Lalit Kala Academy Camp and USA headquartered ‘Smile Train – India’ organized fundraising art camp.

He was the Convener of “Goan Artist’s Exhibition” held during the 35th International Film Festival of India held in 2004.

He has served as the Vice-Chairman of State Cultural Development Committee appointed by the Government of Goa and is currently member of General Council at Kala Academy Goa. He was a Board Member at the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education and Bal Bhavan, Goa. He is the founder president of All Goa Art Master’s Association, an organization formed to update and upgrade the standard of art education in Goa. Shridhar has written several research papers on fine art, theatre art, children’s script and translated various national plays for All India Radio. His articles are published in many regional publications.

With over 500 book covers to his credit and selfless service rendered to various NGOs, Shridhar is known far and wide.

He is the proud recipient of ‘State Cultural Award’ - Goa’s highest and prestigious cultural award, instituted by Directorate of Art & Culture, Government of Goa. Art teacher by profession, renowned theatre personality, filmmaker, painter, writer, and translator all rolled into one.

Shridhar, with an oeuvre so wide, has had an ongoing impact on the cultural scene in Goa for more than three decades

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Material World

For the love of money suresh padmanabhan

I

f you live life with a smile on your face and song in your heart, you will be able to live happily and welcome success and abundant wealth into your homes.”

The Beauty of the title ‘I Love Money’ is its straightforwardness. ‘I Love Money’ makes no bones about our love for money. It depicts the very foundation of what should be our true relationship with money. As you keep repeating ‘I Love Money’, it starts acting as an affirmation in itself to penetrate a deeper essence of love and money into your being.

Say ‘Yes to Money’ “T’is money that makes the world go round!” goes the famous saying about money. Quite true isn’t it? Money does make the world go round. If it’s not in your pocket, it’s in your head. A part of everybody’s life, a part of you, that’s what money is. It has such great power that it can command attention from everyone.

Try a simple experiment to know its power. Drop a couple of coins in any place where its magical tinkle can be heard. And you can feel time itself freezing. People around you, stop right where they are, whatever they may be doing and look in the direction where they heard money’s magical sound.

Almost instantaneously they wonder if it was their money that had dropped. Some may even rattle their pockets, in spite of not having any loose coin there. Were the coin to roll under a table, people may even forget they have lumbago and look for it there.

Scarcity Mentality – The need for the magic hat All human being desire to be rich and

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prosperous. God wants all his creations to experience abundance at all times.

Yet, somewhere along the way, some of us have lost the ability to tune in with blessings of abundance. Happiness and prosperity always seem a step away from us and a little out of reach.

Who told us that resources in nature are scarce? I invite you to discovery.

Drop the old hat ‘scarcity’ and wear the ‘magic hat’ that has the secrets of abundance woven into its fabric. These secrets are right there waiting for you to explore them. So come along and live a life full of wisdom, beauty, truth and love.

The Fire-eating Experience How would you react if asked to eat a piece of burning cotton? Forget about eating it, you wouldn’t even want to come close to it!

And what if I were to demonstrate eating burning cotton. Somewhere a doubt will arise in your mind, “If someone can do it, why can’t I?” Slowly, there begins a transition from an attitude of ‘impossible’ to ‘possible’. Possibility in notional and remains only in your mind.

This can become a reality only if you actually eat the burning cotton.

Now you decided to learn how to

eat burning cotton. Just mere learning would not suffice, as this would still be the knowing state. To create your own personal experience, you actually need to take the necessary steps and performs the action thus going into a doing state.

So you finally decide to take up the challenge. As you attempt this experiment of putting the burning cotton in your mouth you will encounter great fear. The greater the fear the more difficult is the task. Finally you are able to eat the burning cotton without any harm.

You feel elated and triumphant. You have won over your own fears and experience a sense of victory. The second time is far easier and now, the fear of eating burning cotton has been eliminated from your life forever. This stage is called the Achievement Stage. Just knowing is not enough. We must use and apply the knowledge to make it happen. Facing a challenge and actually ‘doing’ the action is a step towards strengthening of the mind by killing the ‘fear demons’ When you take action you empower yourself. The process is the same as eating burning cotton. Investing for the first time in the stock market or taking a new decision regarding money or finances.

You will have to pass the following stages: First, the stage of impossibility, then the stage of possibility (presently only in the mind). The third stage is that of action or the doing stage (where you will encounter tremendous doubt or fear), and finally, the Achievement Stage (after successfully having created your own personal experience). The inability or fear of taking actions is what actually hinders one’s progress. Therefore, attempt baby steps in the right direction.

Even if you fail it will be worthwhile. For you would have learned from failure, things which will be invaluable all through your life. So, become action-oriented.

Remember, every monument started with one stone. And, no money was or will ever be made without necessary actions in that direction

Book Worm Antonio xavier de trindade

Rembrandt of the East Fatima da Silva Gracias’ sixth book was released recently. In conversation with Pratima Achrekar, she speaks about the research behind the book

F

atima da Silva Gracias, a prolific writer who is also known for her research writing, recently had her sixth book titled ‘Faces of Colonial India - The work of Goan Artist Antonio Xavier de Trindade’ released.

It is her dedication and commitment that has ensured that Fatima’s works have been noticed by many who have in turn entrusted her with their writing projects. “For instance, the recent book on Trindade was commissioned

by Fundação Oriente “as there are few biography books written on the Goan artists,” Fatima shares.

Talking about the project she says, “More than anything I felt it was a challenge thrown to me to gather the required material. I learnt that diplomacy and being patient is a must to get things done. To get matter from library is much

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easier than to convince family members to talk. It was indeed a herculean task. I would consider it as a journey to finding new material.” Elaborating on the book, the writer says, “This book tells an extraordinary story of the life and work of the versatile Goan painter of the early twentieth century. A X Trindade (18701935), known as the “Rembrandt of the East” was a great painter, sculptor, wood carver and engraver. He also was passionate about music and literature.

Born and raised in Portuguese Goa, Trindade migrated in his adolescence to British India to pursue his studies at the famous Sir JJ School of Art, Bombay, where he later taught for several years.

Although portraiture was his forte, his oeuvre included landscapes, everyday life, nudes, still life and religious themes. The diversity of Bombay and his Portuguese Goan background impacted

Fatima da Silva Gracias was raised in Goa and studied in Goa and Bombay.

She holds a doctorate in IndoPortuguese history and taught history for many years. Her first book was ‘Health and Hygiene in Colonial Goa, 1510-1961’, followed by ‘Kaleidoscope of Women in Goa, Beyond the Self – Santa Casa Misericordia de Goa’, ‘The Many Faces of Sundorem – Women in Goa’ and ‘Cozinha de Goa’. Gracias also has contributed over two dozen research papers on health, women, food, culture, social institutions and journals. She is the Convener of Goa State Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Pic: NADIA DIAS

About the Author

After researching Trindade, I have learnt that despite being a well known painter, he never cared for wealth. He never cared for fame.

He was a generous and kind human being and a family man

his work. Several of his masterpieces are now on permanent display at the Fundação Oriente, Goa.” Fatima who holds doctorate in IndoPortuguese history and has taught history for many years says, “After researching Trindade, I have learnt that despite being a well known painter, he never cared for wealth. He never cared for fame. He was a generous and kind human being and a family man.”

She personally felt, after researching on Trindade, that our Goan artists should have biographies as there are articles and several reports published on paper but not books. “It is not easy to source a book on great artists of Goan soil like our Goan origin artists Angelo Fonseca, Vasudev Gaitonde, Nagarshekar, Chimulkar and others,” she says

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The Heroic

Saint Francis Xavier

W

e have heard about St. Francis Xavier and his miraculous

Godfrey Joseph Pereira’s

The major achievement of this book is that the story of St. Francis Xavier unfolds inside-out.

incorruptible body. People from all over the world have venerated the Saint and miracles have flowed into the lives and hearts of millions.

Many know of his journeys to India and the Far East; and episodes from his life are treasured stories.

He inspires awe and wonder, love and admiration; his simplicity, dedication and determination have become an inspiring legacy. The Prologue traces his motivation through St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis of Assisi to the Holy Spirit.

The main section captures all the glory of the saint and his achievements in great

Bloodline Bandra

T

his book captures with flair and with the flavourful language of the East Indians, life in the tight-knit community of Pali village and a way of life that’s dying. It is a riveting tale of love and loss, of home and homelessness, that will linger on long after the book is read and put away.

Bloodline Bandra is a riveting and intense story of love, betrayal, home, homelessness, and identity that draws the reader and never let’s go until the end. It starts off inside the gut of Pali Village in Bandra, Bombay.

The story, divided into three parts, starts in India and weaves through the tattered lower middle class fabric of its East Indian people and their lives, painting cacophonic pictures of their everyday social interactions. This has been documented in a novel for the first time in the five hundred year history of the East Indians. The language is not fiction and is still spoken by some today in Bandra. Fictitious characters like Salt

detail. It meticulously documents his life from birth to his last living moments.

The major achievement of this book is that the story of St. Francis Xavier unfolds inside-out. We accompany him on his travel against the background of war, politics, and intrigues. Long waits, patient focusing, administrative acumen and unwavering determination define his strong personality. His disappointments, doubts about himself serving God adequately, his acceptances of failure, his physical weaknesses, and his illnesses reveal a human being who rises above limitations and restrictions in his zeal to serve God and the people he cared for. His prayers, letters, comments reveal the inner man candidly. His last journey, from the place of his death to the final resting place in Old Goa, is bought vividly to life. The awed adorations, the doubts, the examinations and the dissections come to life as if we are eye witnesses to the events Peter and Tommy-Eat-Shit-A-Lot reflect the rusted existence and mores of this village.

The novel talks about David Cabral – a journalist, and also one of the original pee-pils: an East Indian from Pali Village.

The village is a world unto itself, and the villagers such notables as Salt Peter, Freddy Fakir, Bosco Big Stomach, Carla Four Eyes, Lorna Leg Spread, Spunkless Joe and Small Tree Big Fruit. It is a world relatively untroubled by the rapid changes around it, mostly because its inhabitants just ask themselves: ‘My fadder wot going?’ David, spurred by the sight of childhood friends who have made it big abroad, manages to shake off the stupor of his comfortable life and heads to New York for his piece of the American Dream pie. There, he finds himself a slave: unable to scrape together enough money to return to India, nor able to quit because it would render his stay illegal. He also meets and falls in love with Japanese cello student Hatsumi Nakamura – a difficult relationship, because they are both bound by culture and circumstances.

All the while, Pali village beckons David home

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Music hema sardesai

Goan girl with a golden voice Prajal Sakhardande profiles Goa’s leading voice in Bollywood

Hema Sardesai

H

ema Sardesai has been singing all her life. Hailing from Panaji from the illustrious Sardesai family, Hema’s singing journey began at a very young age. From there, she went on to win the coveted Grand Prix Award in 1989 at the 16th International Pop Song Festival ‘89 in Germany. There on, there was no looking back for this charming Goan girl and soon she made her way into Bollywood where she went on to sing 60 odd Bollywood songs beginning with the 1989 hit Goonj starring Kumar Gaurav and Juhi Chawla.

Her Sama Yeh Suhana emanates the innocence of Juhi Chawla. Incidentally, this is also Hema’s favourite song. However, the song that catapulted her to tinsel town fame and made her a household name was Awara bhanvare from the 1997 hit Sapney starring Kajol.

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Hema has sung for Bollywood’s leading actresses including Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Manisha Koirala, Karishma Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, Tabu, Ravina Tandon, Karina Kapoor, Hema Malini, Rekha, Neelam, Urmila Matondkar, Preity Zinta, Mahima Chowdhary, Bipasha Basu, Neha Dhupia, Priyanka Chopra, Esha Deol, Diya Mirza, Namrata Shirodkar and Isha Koppikar. Among the music directors who she has worked with are Rajesh Roshan, Anand-Milind, Vishal Bharadwaj, AR Rehman, Anu Malik, Nadeeem-Shravan and Pritam. Hindusthani Gudiya was Hema’s first album. In 1990, her second album Piya Se Milke Aaye Nain was released. Her third album Goa Zaai was released in 2005. On the golden jubilee of India’s Independence, in 1997, Hema enthralled millions with her own composition Mere Vatan Hindustan.

She received the prestigious Gomant Tejaswini Award in 2006 bestowed by the All India Women’s Conference for her outstanding contribution to the field of music. However, Hema is not only about her melodious voice, she is also a social worker. The improvement of

Apart from the Chartbuster Awaara Bhanvare, Hema’s hit list includes • Ishq Chandi Hai and Jungle Hai Aadhi Raat Hai. Film: Biwi No. 1.

• Janam Samjha Karo. Film: Janam Samjha Karo.

• Apun Bola and O Maria. Film: Josh • Sona Sona Ye Na Hona. Film: Soldier.

• Main Kudi Anjaani Hoon and Tere Pyar Mein. Film: Zor. • Hulle Hulle. Film: Aar ya Paar.

• Kehna hai Tumse Kehna. Film: Mann.

• Khalli Valli. Film: Market.

• Chali Chali Phir Chali Chali. Film: Baghban.

• Asambhav. Film: Asambhav.

• Chori Chori Garam Masala and Badal Pe Paon Hai. Film: Chak de India.

• Eli Pe Eli. Film: Yadein.

• Na Heera Na Moti. Film: Kunwara.

• Naach Meri Jaan. Film: Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachao • Qayamat Qayamat. Film: Qayamat, • Tere Sang Ek Simple Si Coffee.

Film: Zameen, • Hai Re Hai Re. Film: Khushi • Dhingtara Dhingtara. Film: Hum Apke Dil Mein Rehte Hai • Punjabi Munda. Film: Salakhee, • Tere Mere Sapne. Film: Tere Mere Sapne, • Toofan Ki Raat. Film: Takshak • Mahi Ve. Film: Footpaath • San Sa na na nan. Film: Ashoka, • Mohabaat Ho Na Jaye. Film: Style, • Jat Luttiya Gaya from Champion, • Sar Sar Hawai Hai. Film: Damas, • My 1st day in America. Film: Pardes • Sun Suniyo. Film: Musafir. the civil child is one of her pet concerns.

That apart, she was a part of Goa Bachao Abhiyaan (2006) and the 2008 movement for special status for Goa. She also has a Save Goa group which interacted with the former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on several occasions on issues affecting Goa. She was also recently chosen by the Governor of Goa, Mridula Sinha as the celebrity face of the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ campaign

Learn

Indian Folk and Tribal Art practice course at Goa University by Jyotindra Jain of JNU A course titled ‘Indian Folk and Tribal Art Practices: The Contemporary in the Vernacular’ will be conducted at the Goa University premises from January 7 to 16. The resource person for the course is Jyotindra Jain, a former Professor of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The objective of the course is to step out of the orthodox art-historical notion that folk and tribal arts of India are repetitive, magical, bound to inherited monolithic traditions, which define their authenticity.

The course will also question the notion the folk and tribal artistic traditions which are rooted in collective expression and that there is no place therein for individuality.

The course will take up trajectories of several folk and tribal individual artists

to show that they assertively respond to their contemporary social and political predicaments in their artistic expression, and for this reason they are celebrated as contemporary individual artists.

The course will follow up such case studies, based on field-work, and negotiate the notions of ‘classical’, ‘folk’, ‘tribal’, ‘modern’, ‘contemporary’, ‘collective’ or ‘individualistic’ in the light of new material and critical interpretations.

Resource person, Jyotindra is a visiting Professor at the Centre for the Study of World Religions at the Harvard University; a Rudolf Arnheim-Visiting Professor at the Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany and a visiting chair researcher on the Mario Miranda Chair in Fine Art, Painting, Illustrative Cartooning at Goa University

Fundação Oriente to host talk by Margareth Goncalves

Certificate Course in Romi Konkani for beginners

Fundação Oriente is organising a talk on the subject, ‘Perspectives on the East India Congregation of the Portuguese Order of Hermits of St. Augustine in the 16th and 17th Centuries: Friar Diogo de Santa Anna’, on January 22 at 5.30 pm at Fundação Oriente.

The resource person for the talk will be Margareth de Almeida Gonçalves.

In this lecture, the speaker will concentrate on her research topic, which is the East India Congregation of the Orders of Hermits of St Augustine, looking in particular at the trajectory of one of its members, Frair Diogo de Santa Anna who arrived in the East in 1595 and died in Goa in 1644, at the age of 73.

In her lecture, Margareth will highlight some of the aspects linked to the reform of the Hermits of St Augustine in the reigh on King Joao III, namely the sending of the first missionaries in 1572 and the beginning of the Augustinian missionary activity in what was called the State on India in the Portuguese Empire.

She will also highlight some aspects related to Frair Diogo de Santa Anna, his education, his actions in Persia

and the governing of the Santa Monica Monastery.

Margareth de Almeida Gonçalves is an associate professor of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Department of History.

She is a member of the Laboratory of Iberian Worlds, holds a PhD in Sociology from the Research University Institute of Rio de Janeiro – IUPERJ (2002) and a Post-doctoral Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (2012).

Her research interests include History and Historiography of Religion, Intellectual History and Gender Studies in the Modern Age. She published Império da Fé.

Andarilhas da Alma na Época Barroca (Rio de Janeiro, Editora Rocco, 2005) and a number of articles on topics of foundling children housed in 19th Century Rio de Janeiro, traveller books, and empires, gender and mysticism, as well as the Hermits of St. Augustine from Portugal in the East in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Like minded people having interest into Portuguese language are expected to attend it

Broadway Book Centre, Panjim will conduct a Certificate Course in Romi Konkani for beginners, with the assistance of competent professional teachers. The course will be held over a duration of one month, from January 19 to February 19, 2015 (both days inclusive) from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm from Monday to Friday, at Broadway Book Centre, Panjim.

Famous names in Romi Konkani including Dr. (Fr) Pratap Naik, SJ, and Jose Salvador Fernandes, are the resource persons. This course is especially for those who do not know Konkani or know very little of it. This course is based on modern linguistic methods of learning and teaching a language. Speaking, reading and grammatical information will be given great importance in this course.

Admissions for the course will be given on a first come first served basis with preference to those in the age group of 15 to 70 years. Those who are interested to attend this course may contact Jose Salvador Fernandes for further details and registration on 9881810832 or e-mail him at konknno@gmail.com

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Curtain Raiser

Gomant Vidya Niketan to organise ‘Vichar Vedh’ lecture series Gomant Vidya Niketan, which is wellknown for its range of literary activities including lecture series and poetry recitation will host ‘Vichar Vedh’, a lecture series from January 12 to 16.

Great thinkers and visionaries including Dr Sudhir Kakkar, Makrand Sathe, Pavankumar Varma, Avdhoot Paralkar and Sudip Chakravarti will speak a these series of lectures. “This lecture series is being organized for many

Speaker: Dr. Sudhir Kakkar Subject: Religious violence: Hindus & Muslims in India Sudhir Kakkar is a leading figure in the field of cultural psychology and psychology of religion. A novelist by profession, he is acknowledged as one of the 21 important thinkers for the 21st century.

He has earned many honours including Kardiner Awards, Boyer Prize, Goethe Medal, Rockefeller Residency, MC Arthur Fellowship. Also has 17 books of notification and four of fiction to his credit, which includes the Inner world, Shamas, Mystics and Doctors, Tales of Love, Sex and Danger, Intimate Relations, The Analyst and Mystic, The Colours of Violence, Culture and Psyche, The Indians: Portrait of People, Mad and Devine, Spirit and Psyche in the Modern World; among others

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years now. It was started way back in 1919. Unfortunately, we do not have any records before 1939,” says an organiser.

This lecture series is organized with the aim of educating people on different topics, thus enlightening them by exposing them to the thoughts of great visionaries. The lectures have been organized in the memory of five great leaders of Margao – Damodar K Verlekar, Datta Govind Pai Raiturkar,

Speaker: Pavankumar Varma Subject: India: Challenges and opportunities Pavankumar Varma is a versatile and multifaceted personality. Well-known writer, with over a dozen best-selling books, a foremost creative thinker and widely admired public speaker who has several prestigious assignments to his credit, he was involved with several public causes concerning the poor and deprived in India. He is regularly invited to review books for The Guardian (UK) as well as leading newspapers weeklies in India. He was also conferred honorary doctoral degree by University of Indianapolis, USA. He was also presented with Bhutan’s highest civilians Award the ‘Druk Thuksey’

Shreenivas Nayak, Dattatray N Hemady and Babuso Kamat.

The Gomant Vidya Niketan (GVN), an institution which is centrally located in Margao town, has done pioneering work in the field of social awakening and reforms in Goa. Since its inception, GVN has been working consistently to prepare Goans mentally, emotionally and intellectually for social, cultural and political change

Speaker: Makrand Sathe Subject: Nineteenth Century Marathi Theatre Makrand Sathe is a renowned playwright, novelist, architect, designer and director.

His plays, including Charshem Koti Visarbhole, Roman Samrajyachi Padzad, Thombya, Surya Pahilela Manoos, Sapatnekaramchem mool, Chowk, Te Phudem Guele have been critically acclaimed in India and also translated and produced in many Indian and foreign languages. His three volumes Social and political Commentary of Marathi Theatre entitled Marathi Rangabhoomichya Tees Ratree is a thought provoking exercise and attempts tracing 175 years of Marathi Theatre.

These volumes have now been translated from Marathi to English by Oxford University Press

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Speaker: Avadhoot Paralkar | Subject: On the Brink of Anarchy Avadhoot Paralkar is a renowned commentator, famed for tackling contemporary social, cultural and political issues and the challenges our country faces today.

A versatile and prolific editor, journalist and columnist, Paralkar has served in the capacity of political editor of Mumbai Doordarshan for several years. He was also a regular contributor for a range of reputed newspaper including Maharashtra Times, Sakal,

Tarun Bharat, Maratha, Mahanagar and also weeklies magazines such as Sadhana, Antarnad and Menaka.

His TV serial Dindi, produced for Mumbai Doordarshan in collaboration with noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar was highly appreciated by spectators all over the country.

Paralkar’s literary journey is equally significant as a poet, the writer of short stories and producer and director of TV plays

Speaker: Sudeep Chakravarti | Subject: The crisis of Democracy and Development in India Sudeep Chakravarti is a leader and commentator on matters of business and human rights and socio-political and security issues in India and South Asia. He began his career in journalism in 1985 at the South Asia bureau of Asian Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company.

In 1988, he moved to Sunday magazine, then the second largest newsweekly in India, published by Kolkata-based Ananda Bazar Patrika

SEQC announces its third edition of annual Quizzing Festival

The Sunday Evening Quiz Club’s third edition of its annual quizzing festival, QuizStock will be held in association with the International Centre Goa on the weekend of January 17 and 18, 2015.

The acion on January 17 will commence with a Movie Quiz to be hosted by QuizMaster Aniruddha ‘Annie’ Sen Gupta’ for the non-competitive section from 10 am to 1 pm. This will be followed by a ‘Social Science quiz’ (written) hosted by Vidyadhar Gadgil for teams of two from 2 to 4.30 pm. The day will end with Annie’s ‘Goa Open’ for teams of two.

The prelims and finals, with 8 teams, will be held on January 18, the schedule to be followed is ‘The Year That Was’ by

Lynn Barreto Miranda in non-competitive section from 10 am to 1 pm followed by a Travel Quiz hosted by Rajiv D’Silva (written) for teams of two from 2 to 4.30 pm. ‘Best Quiz’ by Nitish will be held at 5 to 8.30 pm for teams of 3 including at least one school student, prelims and finals (6 teams in finals).

The non-competitive quizzes will be held like SEQC’s monthly quizzes – all who land up will be divided into teams and participate. The written quizzes will have questions projected as in a regular competitive quiz, but all teams will answer in writing on an answer sheet.

These answer sheets will be evaluated for the final standings.

All competitive quizzes will have prizes. Participation is open to all, and there are no entry fees. The quiz will be held at The International Centre Goa, Dona Paula. For further enquiries, one can e-mail seqcgoa@gmail.com or call one of the following people Anjali Sen Gupta (9860089733), Rajiv D’Silva (9890141715) or Aniruddha Sen Gupta (9527291947)

Group, where he was Business Editor.

He has held top positions at India Today and HT Media blueprinted and has directed India Today conclaves and Hindustan Times Leadership summit.

Sudeep is also as active member of Goa based ‘Coastal Impact’ engaged in marine research and assisting NIO. He has authored several books including Once Upon a Time in Aparanta, Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country and Tin Fish

Goa Short Film Carnival to be held in February In a bid to cultivate the film making culture in Goa, Goa Talkies (GT) is organizing The Goa Short Film Carnival 2015 (GSFC).

As a part of the film carnival, the organizers are holding a documentary and short film making competition; the entries which will be screened during the three day event.

The event will feature local entries from Goa, national entries from all over India and international entries from all over the world.

The short film festival and it is slated to be held during the Carnival season from February 20 – 22, 2015.

The competition will take place in two categories – Documentary for students and an Open Category for working professionals and students.

GSFC gives a chance to learn from the experts through workshops and master classes with attending film makers, producers, directors and actors.

For further details, rules and regulations, log on to www.goatalkies.in

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People

Former CM, Shashikala Kakodkar turns 80 Goa’s second Chief Minister, Shashikala Kakodkar recently turned 80. ‘Tai’ as Kakodkar is known to all, took over the reins of Goa on August 12, 1973 following the death of her father, Goa’s first Chief Minister, Dayanand Bandodkar.

Shashikala Kakodkar led the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and its government as Chief Minister of Goa, Daman & Diu and continued in power till being ousted by a split within her party on 27 April 1979.

This was followed by an eight month spell of President’s rule followed by fresh elections at which Congress led Pratapsinh Rane took over as Chief Minister on 16 January 1980.

Shashikala Kakodkar was India’s third lady Chief Minister, the first being Sucheta Kriplani (Uttar Pradesh) and the second being Nandini Satpathy

Shashikala Kakodkar

of Orissa. As Chief Minister, Kakodkar was known to have a firm grip over the administration and later started the short-lived Bhausaheb Bandodkar Gomantak Party (BBGP) before re-joining MGP. In recent years, she spearheaded the Medium of Instructions (MoI) issue in favour of imparting language in one’s mother-tongue and fought zealously for educational institutions to uphold the rights of Konkani and Marathi She heads the mining company started by her late father and has been leading and contributing to various sociocultural institutions in Goa. She is also a major donor to many Rotary Clubs across the State and is known to be a supporter of the arts and literature.

My Goa wishes the senior leader long life and good health

Prasad Pankar’s shoot for Milroc’s 2015 calendar focuses on the St Francis Xavier Exposition

Prasad Pankar

Keeping in mind the exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier, Milroc Development Company LLP decided to theme their 2015 calendar on the same. Speaking about the project, noted fashion photographer, Prasad Pankar, also the official photographer for the calendar said, “I’ve been associated with Milroc’s calendar photography

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All the photographs used for the calendar, including churches and monuments, were shot in Old Goa itself. We called the project ‘Old Goa Re-visited’

since 2005. This year, I did a photoshoot themed on the exposition of the holy relics of St Francis Xavier. All the photographs used for calendar were shot in Old Goa itself, including the churches and monuments. We’ve called our 2015 project ‘Old Goa Re-visited’. The calendar includes pictures of the Se Cathedral, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Church of S. Caetano and Basilica of Bom Jesus, among others.”

The project was conceptualized by three people Kulasekhar Kantipudi (of Milroc Development company LLP), Sapna Sardessai (of Printer’s Devil) and Prasad himself.

Taking utmost care while shooting, Prasad ensured that minute details were taken into consideration. “For instance, sometimes, I had to spend an entire day to get one single photograph keeping in mind proper sunlight and exposure.

Technicalities apart, we also had to take permissions from Archaeological Survey of India and sometimes we also had to convince the security personnel,” he said. Prasad is proud to have had an opportunity to work on such a calendar and hopes to continue working with the same team in future, too

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Annual Goa State Cultural Awards presented at the hands of noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal Goa State Culture Awardees with Shyam Benegal

The presentation ceremony of the Goa State Cultural Awards, presented by the Directorate of Art and Culture was held recently at the Institute Menezes Braganza Hall, Panjim.

The Chief Guest for the event was eminent Indian film director and script writer Shyam Benegal. A host of Goan personalities, who have made extraordinary contributions in their respective fields of Art and Culture were felicitated.

This year, the Department honoured 15 eminent personalities with the prestigious Goa State Cultural Award for the year 2013-14 for their contribution and achievements in their respective art

forms like music, tiatr, folk art, bhajan, kirtan, craft, literature, painting, etc.

The reciepients of the Goa State Cultural Award 2013-14 included Prabhakar Vithal Gaonkar for his contribution to Theatre (Drama), Late Balwant Baburao Shirgaonkar in Theatre (Drama), Antonette Mendes in Theatre (Tiatr), Josefina Dias in Theatre (Tiatr), Lourenco Fernandes in Theatre (Tiatr), N Shivdas (Literature), Fr Vasco Rego (Literature), Jess Fernandes (Literature), Maria Aurora Couto (Literature), Vithal Khandolkar (Music), Chandrakant Vernekar (Music), Narayan Arjun Haldankar in Bhajan, Ajit Paiginkar in folk art, Mahendra Chodankar in Fine

Raveena Deshpande is People’s High School’s Student of the Year 2014 Raveena Deshpande, a student of class 10 of People’s High School, Panjim was awarded the prestigious and coveted prize of her school ‘Student of the Year 2014.’

The award was presented at a glittering prize distribution ceremony, which was presided over by Digambar Kamat, the former Chief Minister of Goa and MLA of Margao. He congratulated Raveena and wished her the very best for her future endeavours.

The ‘Student of the Year’ prize is awarded to an all rounder student who participates and excels in one or many fields. Raveena has been an A grade

Arts and Shivanand Khedekar in Fine Arts.

The individual awards comprised of a cash component worth of `50,000, a certificate, a Nataraj memento, a coconut and a shawl. The Best Cultural Institution Award for the year 2013-14 was conferred on Shree Naguesh Mahalaxmi Prasadik Natyasamaj, Ponda. The award consisted of a memento and cash worth of Rs one lakh. The Shree Naguesh Mahalaxmi Prasadik Natyasamaj, Ponda was founded in 1947 and has perfomed dramas in major festivals and special days such as Konkani Parishad, Konkani Sammelan, Parab Sammelan, Opinion Poll etc Raveena Deshpande

student throughout and is also an art aficionado, having won numerous awards in painting at the school and state level.

Her interest in theatre won her the ‘Best Actress’ award in her school. She has also participated in a theatre workshop conducted by Vijaya Mehta. Raveena is also actively involved in sports and represents the school in soft ball and baseball.

Having shouldered the responsibility of the Head Girl for the academic year 2013-14 successfully, she was voted unanimously, making her parents Shilpa and Rahul Deshpande very proud of the prestigious honour

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Food

Celebrating Indian street food

I

ndian street food is famous, not just for being cheap, but finger licking good, too. And in a country as diverse as India, its street food culture, too, has a lot to boast about. Every Indian state has its own unique specialty. Sold in streets and public areas by a hawker, vendor with a portable stall, these delicacies are quick to make and quicker to be devoured. Some of the most sought after are the Idli Sambar in Chennai, Vada paav in Mumbai, Momos in Assam and in Goa, we have Choris pao. Here are some popular street food recipes from across the country

Chicken Momos Shillong Ingredients Chicken mince 1 cup Maida 2 cups Spring onions with greens chopped 2 Ginger chopped 1 inch piece Green chillies chopped 2 Garlic chopped 5-6 cloves Soya sauce 2 teaspoons Salt to taste

Method Combine flour and salt in a bowl, mix well. Add sufficient water and knead into soft dough.

Combine minced chicken, spring onions, ginger, green chillies, garlic, soya sauce together and set aside.

Divide dough into 16 small portions.

Shape them into balls and roll out thinly.

Put a teaspoon of the filling in the middle.

Bring all edges together to the centre, making small tight pleats.

Pinch and twist the pleats to ensure that the momo is closed tightly. Steam in a steamer for about 20 minutes.

Serve hot with sauce

Vada Pao Mumbai

Ingredients Potatoes boiled and peeled 6 large Oil 1 tablespoon + to deep fry Asafoetida a pinch Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon Green chilli-garlic paste 1 tablespoon Fresh coriander leaves chopped 1/4 cup Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Loaves of bread (pav) 8 small Salt to taste Batter Coarse gram flour (besan) 1 1/4 cups Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon Soda bicarbonate a small pinch Salt to taste Method To make the batter place the gram flour in a bowl. Add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, soda bicarbonate and

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mix. Add sufficient water and whip to a smooth and thick batter. Set aside for at least fifteen minutes.

Place the boiled potatoes in a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, green chilligarlic paste and mix. Add potatoes and salt and mix.

Set aside to cool.

Add coriander leaves, lemon juice and mix mashing the potatoes some more.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape them into balls.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Dip the potato balls in the gram flour batter and deep fry till golden and crisp on the outside. Drain on absorbent paper.

Slit each pav, spread some dry garlic chutney, place a vada and press lightly.

Serve immediately

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Ghugni Kolkata Ingredients Ghugni Dried yellow peas soaked and cooked, until soft- 1 cup Ginger, grated-1 inch piece Kalonji seeds-1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon Moodi Masala Powder-1 teaspoon Lime Juice- 1 Green chillies, finely chopped- 2 Ginger, thinly sliced- 1 inch Freshly chopped coriander leaves- 1 bunch Salt to taste Moodi Masala (makes 1 cup approximately) Cumin seeds- 1/4 cup Coriander seeds- 1/4 cup Rock salt/kala namak- 1/8 cup White pepper- 1/8 cup Dry mango powder/amchur powder- 1/8 cup Red chilli powder- 1/8 cup Bay leaves- 10

Method Moodi Masala Roast the cumin and coriander seeds until browned well. Roast on low heat, so it does not burn and turn black. Next roast the bay leaves until crisp. When you crumble with hands it should crush immediately.

Combine all the roasted ingredients with the rest and blend into a fine powder.

You can store the Muri/Moodi Masala in the freeze to retain freshness for about 4 to 6 months.

Ghugni

Choris Pao Goa

Ingredients: Goa Sausages – 500 gms Butter – 3 1/2 tblsp Onion – 1, large, sliced Tomato – 1, large, chopped Vinegar – 1 tblsp Small Pao – 8

Method: Slit the sausages and remove the meat.

Discard the skins.

Cook the meat in 4 cups of water for 20

To begin making the Ghugni Recipe, cook the yellow peas (which have been soaked overnight) until soft and mushy.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan; add in the grated ginger, turmeric powder, the cooked peas and Moodi Masala. Adjust salt as required.

Give the mixture a quick boil, then stir in the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat.

To serve the Ghugni, spoon some into a serving bowl, sprinkle a few strands of sliced ginger and chopped green chillies and serve hot minutes and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and saute the sliced onion till it changes colour.

Add the tomato and cook till soft.

Add the cooked sausage meat with the stock and add the vinegar.

Cook for 5 minutes till dry.

Slit each pao into 2 without cutting through.

Spread the inside with the remaining butter and fill with 2 tablespoons of cooked meat.

Serve hot

Bhadang Belgaum Ingredients Puffed rice- 3 cups Peanuts- 1/4 cup Oil- 2 tbsp Raisins- 1/2 tbsp Sugar- 1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Turmeric- 1/4 tsp Red chili powder- 1/2 tsp Garlic - 3 cloves Curry leaves- 4-5 Salt to taste Method

Heat the oil in a pan and splutter the cumin and mustard seeds.

Add the peanuts, garlic and curry leaves, sauté until the garlic is lightly browned.

Add the salt, sugar, turmeric and chili powder, sauté for 30-40 seconds.

Add the puffed rice and raisins, sauté over lowmedium h e a t until t h e

puffed rice is coated.

Turn off heat and allow the Bhadang to cool.

Store in an air-tight container

Sports anura prabhudesai

Goa’s shuttling hope Neshwin Almeida profiles Goa’s badminton prodigy

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6-year old Anura Prabhudessai had been following the rigorous schedule at the Prakash Padukone, Bangalore academy as India top 25 women baddies while Vimal Kumar, coach of India No 01 and World No 06 Saina Nehwal has set her coaching regime.

Anura pursued badminton at the age of eight and has gone a long way in her eight year career including representing India in the Badminton Asia Junior Championship at Bangkok, Thailand recently.

Anura wants to achieve a lot for India in badminton and is inspired by Saina Nehwal who is her role model. “My dream is to achieve as much as Saina Nehwal has achieved till date, then I will think of achieving lot more in my Badminton career. But my immediate goal is to match Saina at her age,” says Anura.

Anura who has been at the Prakash Padukone Academy and will be at the same for the next three years wants to make the best of the facilities and starts her day with fitness and badminton as early as 7.30 in the morning. With a strict diet and fitness regime, Anura believes with a 5.9 feet height and still growing, she has amazing smashes and attacking skills needed for badminton. She just wants to work on her footwork to better her game.

“Last year, we had to help Anura prioritize between badminton and education and we allowed Anura to pursue her dream. We pulled her out of regular school and signed her up for open school for higher secondary despite Anura securing 83% in her Std. Xth Board exams. All this, so that she could concentrate on practice,” says Santosh Prabhudessai, a government officer and Anura’s father who took the decision after consulting an educationist and pulling out a 83 percenter Anura out from Almeida High School, Ponda.

“No doubt I go to open school since this year but despite my playing time

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My dream is to achieve as much as Saina Nehwal has achieved till date. Only then will I think of having achieved something in my Badminton career.

But my immediate goal is to match Saina at her age

Anura Prabhudessai

anura’s achievements Brand Ambassador for GENO Pharmaceuticals Ltd Represented India in Badminton Asia Junior Championship at Bangkok, Thailand (November 2014) 17 medals won in Nationals : 1 Gold in Doubles, 1 Bronze in singles, 2 silver in doubles, 9 Bronze medals for doubles and 3 Silver and 1 Bronze in team events Played 54 nationals under all categories (including juniors, subjuniors, and seniors) and training, I make it a point to sit in my room at the academy and study for my Std. XIth exams. If I have difficulties, I call or message my elder sister Sanjana or my mother, said Anura.

Anura explains that her entire family especially her father has been her pillar of strength and it’s all this that allows her to take her game to another level.

“My father works in the water works department but he always will take

leave and be there for my matches or tournaments be it in any part of Goa, India or abroad. Even when I come home for a few days, my father will drive me to practice at Panjim at the DYSA facility.

All this means a lot to me,” says a very proud Anura.

She also attributes her games to her coaches. She was initially coached by Govind Navelkar and later on by Rajiv Bhargava for some time. She was also coached by Roy Athaide and Vinayak Kamat (NIS Coach). Whenever she comes to Goa she practices with Roy Athaide at Panaji and Vinayak Kamat at Margao.

Anura recollects how she first started playing badminton with her sister and it was there that the coach told her that she has more potential when she was just 8-years of age and took badminton seriously until turning professional last year. Anura is currently ranked 2nd in the Under-17 category and 9th in GS Under -17 across India and is in the pool

www.twitter.com/@mygoamag of India’s best six under-19 badminton players. She recently was awarded the best sportsperson award at the much coveted GENO Sportsperson awards in Goa and is currently the Brand Ambassador for GENO Pharmaceuticals.

With 17 medals won in Nationals, 1 Gold in Doubles, 1 Bronze in singles, 2 silver in doubles, 9 Bronze medal for doubles and 3 Silver and 1 Bronze in team events. Anura’s talent has even been recognized by the State government and she was selected as a torch bearer for Lusofonia games held in Goa in 2013 and was honoured by the then Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar for her achievements in the field of Badminton.

Anura Prabhudesai is Goa’s brightest hope of becoming a top badminton player in the country. Anura one of the 30-odd youngsters earned a precious berth at the Tata sponsored Padukone Badminton Academy run by legendary Prakash Padukone in VasantnagarBangalore and decided to drop out of regular school to make herself more

available at the academy. “Vimal Sir and Prakash Sir always tell me that I have the potential, it’s only more confidence that I require. I actually do that when I go into a game. I consider my opposition equal to me even if she has a better ranking or a better physic. I back my game completely, when I play”, says Anura.

Anura is keen to improve on her position by setting personal targets for the season. And she has been working hard at her fitness as well as on the technical aspects of her game under the guidance of the distinguished coaches at the academy.

After achieving so many accolades and medals at the national circuit, Anura is still a humble sportsperson and unwilling to comment on the coaching facilities available in India or how players from China and Thailand are better at their game then Indians.

“How can we say that today? Saina Nehwal is winning against top seeds in Badminton, we have progressed so much. Our badminton has progressed

and definitely, we’ll bring more glory to our country.

Goa’s number one badminton player in the women’s category for the last two seasons, Anura is praised by everyone around her. Sports Authority of Goa badminton coach Roy Ataide has no hesitation in saying that Anura has what it takes to become a team India player.

It was Anura, in particular, that stood out as Goa’s women’s team became the finalists at the national level after a gap of 17 years.

Earlier for quite some years Anura, as a student of Almeida HS in Ponda would frequently travel between Goa and Bangalore, while also having a packed schedule of playing ranking tournaments all over India until she decided to pursue her education through open school.

“I want to focus more on badminton despite my academic targets,” says Anura with a lot of determination and focus. I want to play for India and in the Indian Badminton League. To do that, I have to improve my game,” adds Anura

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Event

The Garden of Dreams: Grand Hyatt Goa’s New Year extravaganza

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shering in the New Year, the Grand Hyatt Goa successfully hosted the finest party of the night.

‘The Garden of Dreams’ set the bar for a mystical night of entertainment, fiesta amidst great fanfare and grandeur. A full house even before the party began, ‘The Garden of Dreams’ saw participation from the hotel patrons, locals and international and local tourists – all raising their glasses to welcome the New Year in style. This grand, New Year’s Eve celebration, was truly an escape from reality, where Grand Hyatt Goa ensured that the guests were transported to a bygone era of unparalleled enchantment through the remarkable performances. The live fountain emerging from the water body at ‘The Garden of Dreams’ entrance was one of the major attraction along with the zorbing ball that engulfed the magical elf as the guest had a magical walk in. The enchanting décor and set up was a glimpse of another world, with scrumptious canapés served on swings that were dangling from the tree while the candy girls and dancers performed various mystical acts. Many more unforgettable acts took place off stage from the entry gate till the venue. The theatrical night started from 9 pm and the evening was only whimsical and captivating one that began with an enchanting Queen, who welcomed the guests with her Dark Knights along with grand music. The night aimed to weave a dreamy tapestry of art, surrealism and theatrical performance sprawling across the lawns of Grand Hyatt Goa. The audience was amazed with the jaw dropping acts, larger than life performances like ‘Silver Strings’ – a Violin Girl’s Band who played spellbinding music, mesmerizing dance acts by International dancers, progressive electro/house music by DJ Dev who built the night towards a glittery 2015. There were no boundaries to this night and the guests were completely absorbed in it all.

“Every sense was sparked in us. We were memorized from beginning to end. Also a special thank you for a wonderful performances on stage by the graceful dancers!” said Kavita Gupta, a guest who travelled from Delhi only to attend “The Garden of Dream’. Jaco Le Roux, General Manager of the resort said “We at Grand Hyatt Goa, wanted to give our guests a fairytale experience and after getting non-stop reviews from our happy guests, I’d like to believe we have successfully attained our goal”

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Beautiful People

Indian Terrain opens new store in Panaji

Indian Terrain store opening

It was a proud moment for Ajit Singbal and Michael D’Costa, prominent businessmen, when they launched the flagship store of Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd. in the heart of Panjim, recently. Indian Terrain is a leading premium casual wear brand for men which offers both, good quality clothing as well as value for money. The Indian Terrain range of Men’s wear apparel includes shirts, trousers, t-shirts, shorts, mufflers, knitwear, jackets, denim, boxers and socks and the company will soon be looking to venture into accessories, as well. Extending their support to the venture, the launch was attended by friends and well-wishers alike who congratulated the duo for bringing the brand to Goa Sushma Dhume

Ziska and Michael D’Costa

Manish Karapurkar

Vivek Kenkre

Nidhi Kenkre

Sachin Wagle

Ajit and Roma Singbal

Brijalal Shankhwalker

Mayuresh Dhume

Amitabh Suri

Rekha Panvelkar

Sandip Kundaikar

Shailesh Kenkre

Charity Gala Dinner and Fashion Walk hosted by Bottle Bay Bottle Bay recently hosted a charity gala dinner and fashion walk in aid of “Asro” “Aastha” and “Don Bosco Konkan Development Society” – organizations working for HIV+ kids, mentally challenged children and slum and street kids. This fashion show witnessed society’s who’s who gracing the ramp in a bid to create awareness of giving with a cheerful heart and love. The event supported the three local charities, providing them with essential life skills. They work to help vulnerable young children from underprivileged backgrounds realize their potential, bringing hope to many. All the proceeds garnered from the sale of tickets was then donated to each of these charities Anuya Nathani, Rajesh Malhotra, Manisha Khanna

Ninil and Natalia D’Souza Fr Jose

Swapnil Naik

Rashmi Bhakta

All the ramp walkers

Gautami Kamat Amey Kakodkar

Michael Lobo

Raees Khan Vijay Singh

Tarun Thakkar

Ramesh Dembla

Cesar Cabral Chandrashekhar Kabir Pinto Sukhija Kelkar

Sunil Pai Kane

Saurabh Khanna

Deepa Kale Viegas and Samira Seth

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Beautiful People

William Dalrymple re-discovers Indian art at Ajanta caves: Sunaparanta’s ‘Sensorium’ Sensorium is a new arts festival, launched at Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts in Altinho, Panjim. The idea behind Sensorium is to do something small and serious. The festival is directed by Prashant Panjiar, founder of Delhi Photo Festival and writer and novelist Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi. The festival is privately supported by Raj and Dipti Salgaocar, Patrons of Sunaparanta. Isheta Salgaocar too, is part of the Sensorium team as Executive Producer of the festival. Historian William Dalrymple delivered the Sunaparanta lecture as part of Sensorium’s events. William Dalrymple’s lecture focussed on the history of the ancient Ajanta cave murals and their representative value, as the “the birth of Indian paintings”. Exhibition by photographer and conservationist Prasad Pawar’s nine unseen images of the Ajanta cave murals were also unveiled. The Sensorium started on Saturday Dec 6, 2014 and will continue to be exhibited until Thursday February 5, 2015 In rapt attention

Charles and Monica Correa

Datttaraj Salgaocar William Dalrymple

Pallavi Dempo and Deepti Salgaocar

Rainer Dias and Cynthia Chowgule

Isheta Salgaocar

Olivia Fraser Vidya Dehejia Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi

Bharat Ramamrutham

Ambika Anand

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

Sajjan and Manisha Batcar

Vamona Navelcar’s art show ‘In Search of my Identity’ hosted by Casa Goa

Pics: ALISTON DIAS

Well known Goan artist Vamona Ananta Sinai Navelcar who signs his works as “Ganesh” held a well-curated solo show at Casa Goa, the home and style store at Calangute-Baga. The artist who shot to fame at Portugal and later spent years at Mozambique, was once featured in the list of who’s who of European painters. Speaking at the inauguration, Navelcar took a philosophical posture, as he spoke of ‘nothingness’ of human existence and his quest to search himself through his works of art, which were displayed all over the gallery in a wide range. Delegate of Fundacao Oriente, Eduardo Kol Carvalho, who was the Chief Guest of the function, spoke about Navelcar’s contribution to art in India and Portugal.

Earlier, owner of Casa Goa, Cezar Pinto, introduced the event and the artist

Beautiful People

Cezar Pinto

Vamona Navelcar

Eduardo Kol Carvalho

V B Prabhu Verlekar

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

Edgar Afonso Jivi Sethi

Mandira Srivastava

Naguesh Rao Sardessai Francis D’Souza, Pradeep Naik and Shilpa Mayekar Naik

Bina Kapur Rene Mendes Rajendra Usapkar

Ryan Lobo

Paula Pinto

Fernando Cass

Anne Ketteringham

Shaistah Thapar

Reuben

Kimberley

Yvonne de Souza Raquel de Souza

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Beautiful People

Nandan Kudchadkar launches Cheap Charlie “Cheap Charlie was one of the first hippies to have come to Goa and pave the way for the flower children of his ilk to follow and his create the tourism haven that Goa is today. This is our small homage to the spirit of Cheap Charlie,” said passion entrepreneur and high priest of page 3ism, Nandan Kudchadkar at the launch of the new pub at Candolim. Nandan, who also owns LPK Waterfront, known as one of Asia’s foremost clubbing destination, was all excited as he explained the idea behind his latest offering – Cheap Charlie. “There is nothing regular at Cheap Charlie. Everything is off the beaten track. Yes, the theme and decor is retro, but the menu is completely customised and reflects what the hippies of the 60s and 70s revelled on.

One can’t miss the location as you drive towards Sinquerim and the sheer white and openness of the place is breathtaking.

“White is the colour of peace and creativity. At the launch, I insisted on everyone wearing white. And they did.” Nandan’s close friends and Goa’s party set were in full form as the pub opened to a packed house

Nandan Kudchadkar

Harry Singh

Ashwini and Girish Ragha

Deviya and Vishwajeet Rane

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

xxxxxxx Pallavi Lawande

Arjun and Rakhi Salgaocar

Meghna and Manoj Caculo

Archana Bhobe

Karishma Kudchadkar

Payal Naik

Manisha Tarcar

Premal and Rashna Javeri

Sonali and Nilesh Amonker

www.google+/My Goa

Bobby Thakkar

Nirupa Dempo-Angle

Shefali Caculo Anup Kudchadkar

Anand Palan

Nilesh and Swati Zuwarkar

Prasad Quenim Govindraj Dempo Dr Vinayak and Dr Archana Deshpande

Preeti Mahatme

xxxxxxx

Apurva Bhembre

Shamik Caculo Ketan, Vaishali, Reema and Mangurish Kunde

Deepali Dempo

Nilesh and Khushi Dawda

Mohit Caculo

Sonali Verenkar Rahul and Sayee Naik Vaishali Angle

Mahesh Angle

Ketan Angle

Rashmi Angle

Sandeep Verenkar

Urvija Bhatkuly

Sheetal Palan

Sheetal and Shilpa Pai Kane

JANUARY 2015 MY GOA

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Final Word The writer is the Group Editor of Savoir Faire Media when she isn’t baking delicious brownies

rachel fernandes

Bitten by the green bug

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rowing up in a quintessentially ‘big’ Goan house, with an even bigger garden surrounding it, somehow, strangely in hindsight, gardening never really caught my fancy. In fact, I was so bad with plants that, I couldn’t even get a few bean to germinate and grow well enough to impress my science teacher. More often than not, I would just forget to water them on time.

My childhood and early teenage memories are generously peppered with various ‘garden’ incidents. Seeing my grandparents lovingly tend to the various pots and beds of plants, being yelled at when I plucked one too many tiny cucumbers to satiate my hunger after a tiring evening of continuous playing, plucking rocket flowers (abolim) and then watching hawk-eyed to ensure the lady buying them didn’t cheat my grandmother, trudging behind my mother, half in my sleep, in the early hours of the morning, every summer holidays, with pots of water to help her water the garden, creeping into the neighbour’s garden in the scorching heat of the afternoon to pick that temptingly luscious golden Mankurad mango that had fallen… the list is endless. Nowhere in this list, however, feature any memories of me actually doing any gardening myself.

So when the green bug did eventually

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MY GOA JANUARY 2015

bite me, sometime last year, it did catch me, and my family, too, by surprise.

Part of my initiation into gardening can be attributed to writing about the amazing work being done by various home gardeners across the state. Yogita Mehra, when I met her for a story, was kind enough to give me four basil saplings with clear instructions on how to plant them and care for them. A visit to Peter Fernandes’ Anjuna home, while on a story on home gardening, saw me return with a fiery hot habanero chilly and them attempt to germinate the seeds. I can proudly say one has survived and is thriving. A trip to Clea Chandmal’s Valpoi based Foyte’s Farm, to write about permaculture, saw me walk home with two habanero chilly plants, my reward for recognizing the chillies. My good neighbour, Piedade Fernandes, a twotimes winner of the Botanical Society of Goa and Green Essential’s organic vegetable garden award, is always more than generous with her advice and tips on vegetable gardening and of course, the delicious papayas, pineapples, cucumbers and broccoli that abound in her garden.

Back home, a chance sprouting of a few tomato seeds at the end of the kitchen drain pipe prompted me into tomato gardening last year. Such was the bounty from the plants that, one day, we had pizza Sunday, with the pizza sauce

made using only home grown tomatoes and basil. Of course, everyone’s plates and fingers were wiped clean.

This year, however, my experiments have been rather limited, largely due to my brother’s new fascination, chickens.

While they are absolute fun to have around, they unfortunately, devour every growing thing in sight. Right now, we are in the process a barricading a space where I can continue my gardening experiments and hopefully will be able to do the needful sometimes soon.

What’s so great about gardening to warrant an entire column on it, you may wonder. For me, it’s simply the pleasure of seeing and being able to eat the fruit of hard labour. Another important lesson I’ve learnt is the value of persistence and patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day and plants don’t bear fruit in a day either. Sometimes the wait is as long as a few months even. Nothing, however, beats the unadulterated joy of eating pure organic food. And with the world slowly and steadily climbing aboard the ‘organic’ bandwagon, it’s also the thrill of being able to boast about being a veteran at it.

How long this fixation will continue, I don’t really know. But the one thing I know is that as long as it’s there, my green experiments will continue. Currently on my wish list are herbs and onions. Wish me luck