RAJ BHAVAN CELEBRATES WEST BENGAL FOUNDATION DAY! 

GOVERNOR PS Sreedharan Pillai celebrated  West Bengal Foundation Day at the old Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan on June 20, 2023. The occasion was market by colourful events in the presence of dignitaries M R M Rao (IAS, Secretary to Governor),  Mruntunjay Chakraborty (president of Bengal Cultural Association) as also Reetha Sreedharan who was present. The West Bengal Foundation Day has for its motto “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” the country over. While addressing the gathering Governor Pillai observed that the state of West Bengal has immense potential and is loaded with talent. Bengal, he added, is on top as far as freedom movement and cultural values are  concerned, he also praised the contribution of Bengali tall stalwarts like Swami Vivekananda and Ravindranath Tagore. The Governor highlighted some of the works of these two tall leaders. Noting that Ravindranath Tagore was not only a writer and poet but he also composed the national anthems of India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Unity is the country is very, very important as far peace is concerned, the governor stressed. Megha Mukharjee compered the function and Sandesh Gadkari proposed the vote of thanks.

 CUNCOLIM REVOLT

CLASS 11 history textbook prescribed by the National Council of Education Research & Training for the academic year 2023-24 includes a chapter on the Cuncolim revolt in Goa. Way back in 1583 the chieftains of Cuncolim revolted against the Portuguese regime. In the new chapter introduced we learn that this was the first revolt in Asia against Europeans. Cuncolim is  autonomously controlled by Shatriya people who were Gaonkars who refused to pay land revenue to the Portuguese. The Portuguese retaliated by killing the chieftains (according to the new version of history). Interestingly, the book claims that Cuncolim observed civil disobedience long before Mahatma Gandhi started his civil disobedience movement for the British to quit India. It is the comparison which we object to and find ridiculous!

FATORPA SHANTADURGA TEMPLE

THE tradition of the independence of Cuncolim even during Portuguese time is reflected in the annual jatra held at the Shantadurga temple at Fatorpa. The temple was originally located in Cuncolim. It is reported that the Mahajans decided to shift the temple to Fatorpa for safety. Even now every year the image of goddess Shantadurga is carried from Fatorpa to Cuncolim to mark her original home. Significantly, the Shantadurga temple at Fatorpa is controlled by the Shatriyas and not the Brahmins as is the usual case in Goa. In contrast the Shantadurga temple in Ponda is controlled by the Saraswat Brahmin community.

TENSION OVER SHIVAJI STATUE!

THE  BJP is promoting Maharashtra’s Maharana Shivaji in Goa as part of its national policy of promoting Hindu historical figures. Though there is no evidence that Chhatrapati Shivaji himself came to Goa there is fort at Farmagudi near Ponda in his name. There are also several statues of Shivaji. Sarpanch of Calangute Joseph Sequiera moved a proposal for the removal of a recently installed Shivaji statue because it was done without seeking the Calangute Panchayat’s permission. The BJP’s Shivaji brigade rushed to Calangute and staged a protest to prevent the removal of the statue. We take it that Shivaji Maharaj has become the new mascot for the BJP in Goa, apart from Lord Parshuram whose statue too was inaugurated in capital city Panaji on June 21, 2023 as part of Imagine Panaji Smart City Development and Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation’s efforts to beautify Panaji. The new rest, recreational and amusement place for Ponjekars and visitors is called Tapoloka Yog Kshetra and needless to say everybody is making a beeline to pay homage to Lord Parshuram! Find this place opposite the grand historical structure of the Old GMC Building down the Campal promenade in Panaji.

GEETANJALI STRIKES GOLD!

THANKS to the dedication of Victor Vaz, Goa has always done very well in this category of sports for handicapped people. For almost every edition of the para-Olympic games, Goa has won medals.  This year was no exception – it was Geetanjali Narvekar of Nerul who won the gold medal in the 11d 800 mtr event in the special Olympics held in Berlin in Germany. Several Goan athletes have performed well and are expected to add to the tally of medal winners of Goa. Victor Vaz is now the national sports director of Special Olympics Bharat.

MODI & YOGA PROMOTION!

OTHER international leaders may promote their country’s high-tech products from planes to IT hardware. But Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is still living in ancient India! He has succeeded in reviving the practice of yoga and got United Nations members doing yoga with him on the very first day of his latest visit to the USA. If we may say so Modi is more interested in international affairs than the domestic problems bedevilling modern India in the last nine years during which he has been prime minister. A Modi favourite is Goa’s Chief Minister  Dr Pramod Sawant who walks in Modi’s footsteps and conducted a mega  yoga  session at the Dr Shyama Prakash Mukherjee Stadium in Panaji on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 – commencing 6am. We did not go so we don’t know when it actually commenced but are amused that even Panaji MLA Atanasio Babush Monserrate has joined Goa’s yoga brigade. He attended a separate yoga seminar at the Menezes Braganza hall at 4pm on Wednesday and this camp was conducted by Dr Siddharth Sawaikar, who is pioneered medical yoga at his Yoga Clinic at the Dempo Complex in Taleigao. We too have learned from Dr Sawaikar how limber up in the autumn of our life but this was quite a while ago.  

TRIBUTE TO PANDEY

WHEN this writer wanted to go for a medical appointment to a nearby clinic he first asked  several of his bold and beautiful friends if they could drop him there in comfy four-wheeler? Amusingly, none responded. We decided to take an auto owned by a gentleman called Pandey who lives in Tonca. We have known Pandey for some time and made use of his services, his charges too are very reasonable. Confides Rajan Narayan, the writer of this tidbit this week, he is used to the rich and powerful, bold and beautiful telling him how he was the best editor in Goa and how they grew up reading him, “But I was truly humbled when Pandey, the autoriksha man recognised me as the `famous lekak’ (writer) and reminded me how in the old days he used to take me around sometimes in my Herald years in his auto! This time after a long time Pandey proved to be a gentle soul as he took me to the hospital where I had an appointment with a doctor. He virtually carried me along as I have lost coordination of my feet and can barely walk nowadays.” Thanks to Pandey I was able to keep my appointment! 

BUILDERS ARE HAPPY

THE Goa government has directed that if there is no response to an application for construction from the Panchayat within 30 days it will be presumed to have been given. In the normal course the Sarpanch forwards the disputed permission to the block development officer. Now it has been stipulated that if the video does not respond within 30 days it would be assumed that permission have been granted.