HELLO PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA! Amongst the first to greet the Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh was Asha and Digambar Kamat along with Congress fans. The Congress leader was on a hectic day-long itinerary which saw her laying a wreath at Martyrs Memorial at Assolna, visiting Cuncolim, interacting and having lunch with tribal women at Morpirla village, addressing Mollem students and meeting Mahila Congress women. At day’s end she attended the induction ceremony of Capt Viriato Fernandes of Goencho Awaaz into the Congress party at Chicalim, before heading back to the airport. (Picture courtesy an early posting on Facebook.)

SENIOR BJP leaders in Goa who until recently were confidently claiming that their party would be getting a simple majority on its own, are now suddenly seen desperately inducting leaders from rival political parties like the Goa Forward Party and the Congress! Looks like BJP leaders are inwardly scared, due to which they are currently desperately inducting and planning to put up imported leaders from Opposition parties — even ignoring their own devoted party leaders in all the constituencies, hoping this will give an edge to BJP in terms of seats in the upcoming assembly elections!
The BJP has successfully taken away almost all elected MLAs from the main Opposition Congress party and are reportedly now hoping to induct the remaining last three Congress MLAs to reduce the party’s final tally to zero in Goa. Congress party leaders in charge of running the Congress party should be happy seeing the entry of most of their legendary backstabbing BJP-collaborating leaders in the saffron party – this garbage which was lying in the dump yard for so many years and has now been collected by the BJP for recycling. The Congress has now become a garbage-free party!
My advice to the Congress is to please take immediate advantage of the ongoing political developments and give tickets to new young new faces in all the constituencies for 100% results in the upcoming assembly elections. Congress may then form a government on its own!
— Jerry Fernandes, Saligao

CASINO CAPITALGOA
THE statement from Union Minister for Tourism & Culture G Kishen Reddy that the Centre is considering branding Goa as “the casino capital of India” is food for thought. The minister surely understands the weight of such an admission even as he responded to questions about the multiple frauds being perpetrated on UNESCO heritage sites – which are sacred to Goans of all faiths. Is the minister instigating community outrage to turn it into a bonfire to raze a greater threat: The sin industry of gambling, illegal in all but two states in this great country?
Reddy hammered home that casinos are here to stay and tourists love the thrill of gambling legally. Global trends reveal that communities with casinos witness exponential spikes in crimes such as circulation of counterfeit currency, kidnapping, extortion, drug peddling, money laundering, murder, vicious assaults, sex trafficking, rapes, lacing women’s drinks with date-rape drugs, etc.
Goa, a blessed oasis, bears the footprints of saints and suffered the crimes. What great cultural overhauling of the State can there be under the circumstance! The Centre should take immediate steps to ensure that Goa is not added to the watch lists of international law enforcement agencies!
— Chris Fernandes, Miramar, Panjim

FARCICAL SPEECHES!
GOAN voters need to record the timeline of events unfolding. Trinamool Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro made a maiden Rajya Sabha speech at Zero Hour. What he spoke was not recorded as Zero Hour is not relevant. The Speaker continuously asked him to make his relevant point which was nil! He was clearly told he was given liberty as it was his maiden speech. In the process he displayed his immaturity to shame Goans!
What was his agenda? To fool Goans! TMC Lok Sabha member, Mahua Moitra, similarly spoke about the illegal Old Goa construction but failed to mention who the perpetrators of the crime were! Why? Hoardings claimed political credit for the TCP action on the illegal structure at Old Goa which depict the new corruption of Goan culture.
Again, in October TMC was wooing Goa Forward Party (GFP). The problem here was that in 2017, Goa Forward blamed Luizinho Faleiro, TMC’s vice-president, for preventing Congress from forming the government. On October 10 to fool Goans and pave the way for Goa Forward Party-Trinamool Congress alliance, a daily reported in a front-page interview with GF leader, who changed his stance to saying: Venugopal, Digvijay and Digambar were responsible! The daily supported the Goa Forward Party saying they were clear that these were not mistakes but AICC planned moves to not form the government! They absolved Goa Forward Party.
Unfortunately, GFP did not become the TMC ally but moved to Congress. Now the daily makes a 360 degrees turn to say the two real culprits of 2017 are together! Not trustworthy at all! I suggest to Goan voters to keep a record of these timelines and U-turns. Let nobody fool you.
— R Fernandes, Margao

GOA – A CASINO CAPITAL
THE outrageous statement by Union Tourism Minister G Kishen Reddy that the BJP government could officially unveil Goa as the nation’s casino capital is in utter bad taste. While in the Opposition the BJP had vociferously branded casinos a “social evil” and called them “dens of vice.”
While spearheading that agitation against casinos the BJP leaders had vowed to make sure that all casinos were thrown out of Goa. But in a dramatic U-turn in March 2012 after coming to power, the BJP went all out to promote, shield and increase the number of casinos on the river Mandovi.
Ironically, the RSS which sets and gears the BJP agenda is known to be against gambling but their silence on casinos is deafening! While the BJP has fallen in passionate love with the casino brigade which is now enjoying the government’s patronage and overwhelming support.
For the very dismal number of jobs created for Goans, the overall damage that is being inflicted on the State by casinos is irreversible. While the BJP is feasting and making merry with the abundant moolah flowing from casino donations — Goa has become the country’s gambling hub with the associated vices of prostitution, narcotics and much else flourishing while the crime rate climbs steadily.
To save Goa, the casinos must be chased out or sunk and the sooner it happens the better for Goa and the river Mandovi and for Goa and Goans. Goa’s flourishing casino trade is running absolutely unregulated and the appointment of a Gaming Commissioner was an utter eyewash. As no rules are framed he is powerless. The promised casino policy has yet to see the light of day. It is no secret that casinos are an outlet for black money. The government should have proved how bona fide it is by mandatorily making every transaction at all casinos cashless.
The authorities have been conveniently turning a Nelson’s eye at all the casino vehicles illegally parked at the No Parking Zone along Dayanand Bandodkar Marg. While the all-powerful casino lobby rules the roost, the residents of Sao Tome ward behind Panaji Post Office in particular, have be suffering on account of parking nightmares created in the vicinity of the casinos. It’s worse during the weekends with casino staff and customers parking their vehicles and even urinating all over — disturbing the peace and tranquillity of the area for residents. The authorities have also failed miserably to deal with the traffic mayhem in Panaji which adds to the chaos — casino taxis park illegally parked all over the city. Doesn’t the law require that taxis station themselves at designated taxi stands or at the residence of the owner?
— Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar