Who is a Niz Goenkar?
Recently, a lot has been posted on social media and some newspapers have carried the news that celebration of Goan festivals are banned in the UK. This is due to the recent street violence indulged in, by some of the Portuguese nationals who are originally ethnic Goans. A Goan is a Goan anywhere, but those who denounced their Goan identity and embraced Portuguese or other nationalities, cease to be a Niz Goenkar. Therefore they should be identified with their current nationality.
The real Goans who live on Goan soil should not be put to shame, due to the acts of ethnic Goans abroad. Many of these ethnic Goans after acquiring a different nationality are ashamed to call themselves Goans and boast about their new found nationality. Some such persons have even posted on Facebook that they reside in Lisbon. They are ashamed to talk in Konkani, but converse in English with a British accent. So why is our media and other Niz Goenkars calling them Goans when these ethnic Goans project Goa in a bad light in the UK?
The Niz Goenkars who are on the original soil do not display such acts here around the pubs and social venues. It presently happens only in the UK. And in reality, they are only ethnic Goans. Let us not deny that Goa is visibly different from the rest of India, owing to Portuguese rule and culture, but fighting around the pubs, destroying public property and indulging in drunken madness on the streets has never been seen before until we saw it now. And the world around calls them Goans, failing to acknowledge that the real Goans are quietly toiling here on their own land, no matter if we get our dispoto-igrass or daily bread gracefully.
Therefore, let only the real sons of the soil be called as Goans, those who are not should be known as ethnic Goans or person of Goan ethnicity, but citizens of another country. Let us call a spade a spade.
Saturnino Rodrigues, Seraulim
Fear of crocodiles grips Vaddem residents
Panic gripped residents of Vaddem, Vasco, on Monday, after a crocodile was reportedly spotted moving near a residential area in the vicinity, close to the lake. Many videos of the crocodile being spotted at different places, went viral. The question is whether it was the same crocodile or there are more than one crocodile in the locality. The crocodile is reported to have killed a cat in the area. There is fear among the residents that the crocodile might attack humans.
The forest department needs to lay a trap to catch the crocodile as early as possible to avoid any untoward incident. The locals will obviously live in fear until the crocodile is trapped and taken elsewhere. It needs to be found out whether there are more such reptiles in the water.
It is understood that the locals have in the past seen crocodiles in the water bodies at Merces, Vaddem and other areas and these crocodiles have started moving around residential areas. If that is the case it is necessary for the authorities to put a metal fence around the water bodies so that the crocodiles do not stray into residential areas. Lastly, water bodies need to be out of bounds of people in order to avoid any eventuality.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Save Goan youth from dangerous drugs
According to history, the Portuguese ruled Goa, but did Goans of those days face the problems which our Goan youth are facing today? Drugs are ruining the future of our teenagers and youth today. A humble request to our honourable ministers –please stop digging the past and work for the welfare of our teenagers and our youth. Save the future, save Goa!
Looking at the present scenario, Goa is struggling with various issues such as scarcity of water, damaged roads, flyovers and bridges, rise in robberies, crimes, and rapes. And most important issue –save our Goan youth from dangerous drugs.
Anita Fernandes, Verna
Portuguese traces to go
Perhaps, the Rs 20 crore allocated by the State govt to rebuild Hindu temples allegedly destroyed by the Portuguese, hasn’t gone well with the people. One of the politicians who had gone to Portugal to find the missing documents also returned empty handed saying, ‘these documents are not found’ but obviously he enjoyed a good holiday under the pretext. Now the latest alibi to hit back at the Portuguese is the Inquisition, in an attempt to wipe out the Portuguese traces seen in Goa.
We, the elder generation today know the Portuguese government gave us good governance, education, peaceful living and a culture to identify us as civilised people till 1961. After Liberation, we began to degenerate bringing us misery. Now we face the threat of going back to an era that was so simple, hardworking and unknown to modern day technological marvels. Our ancestors wore a dhoti, better known as puddiem, a shirt, coat and a topi and pair of slippers. This was living in the 15th century onwards. Rightly so, the colonial past cannot be forgotten, neither can their traces be done away with, if we are to remember history and progress, lest we become the laughing stock of the world.
We are of the opinion if that be the case the Goa CM must walk the talk. He wears the western outfits –a starched shirt, pants and shoes. Instead he should wear a dhoti, shirt, coat, a topi and pair of slippers. He should stop using the latest car under security, change his office to ancient pattern that everyone who visits him should squat on the floor and all that is modern should be done away with. Then only 60 years of liberation will be meaningful to the present day politicians in power.
Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo
Precaution is better than cure
The monsoons have begun in full swing and the roads are getting slippery and prone to accidents.
Some of the youngsters riding the two wheelers are at times seen riding without helmets and speeding away, confident on their expertise and thus endangering their precious lives and those of others.
Should accidents occur, and those on the road suffer bodily injuries leaving them to the mercy of the doctors and hospitals depending on the magnitude of the injuries. Who will be responsible for this? An earnest request to the RTO officials and cops to take stringent action on those who violate the rules.
Aureo Cunha Gomes, Mapusa
Kudos to teachers for action against gutka!
Money for gutka ads is not of more value than future of our children. Moreover, the innocent minds of children are open to grasp new information and when they come across such type of ads, which are displayed on buses or banners by the roadside, they can be easily misled. Even some affluent TV channels should stop such type of misleading ads pertaining to gutka, as it destroys the fabric of the society. Definitely, influencers are like role- models and have the ability to influence the children for a better future.
Kudos to the 350 teachers from across Goa for objecting to the misleading ads of gutkas on govt owned KTC buses. No doubt, the doctors are working hard to eradicate this social evil but these type of misleading advertisements plays spoilt sports. Without a doubt, we all are aware that gutkas packets are also easily available at the nearby kiosks, on the way to school. Once addicted, it’s quite a challenging task to stop the addiction. As a result, there are many who are suffering from chronic mouth cancer thus leading to their death. The gutka packet even holds a warning and a picture over it, as mandated by govt. Nevertheless, educating the young minds on substance abuse can be quite effective in curbing such type of social evil.
Eventually, it’s a noble deed and moral obligation that the teachers have taken this initiative. Well done! Keep it up!
Joseph Savio De Souza, Candolim
