By Rajan Narayan

AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when Dr Sudhir Kakar, listed by “Time” magazine as among the 21 top global thinkers of our times, died suddenly in his Benaulim residence in Goa on Monday morning of April 22. For a Saturday following the week when Hong Kong and Singapore banned masala marketed by MDH and Everest. For a Saturday following the week when a false ceiling part collapsed in the indoor Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir at Goa’s famous Kala Academy, which has seen some really bad times in recent years. For a Saturday following the week when the Supreme Court struck down the Rs100 crore maintenance contract awarded by the Directorate of Health Services to Euroclean.

RIP DR SUDHIR KAKAR
AND few stray thoughts on Dr Sudhir Kakar, who is listed by “Time” magazine as among the 21 top global thinkers, passed away gently at his Benaulim residence in Goa on the Monday morning of April 22, 2024. He was 86 but a perennially evergreen scholar of the human mind. Dr Kakar is an internationally respected psychoanalyst, the author of 20 books of non-fiction and six novels.
Dr Sudhir Kakar started his career as a professor at the Indian Institute of Ahmedabad. After a meeting with the famous sociologist Erik Erikson, his interest switched psychoanalysis. He trained further in Germany where he was a fellow at the Sigmund Freud Institute in Frankfurt. Among the best-known of Dr Sudhir’s works is the “Shamans, Mysticsm and Doctors: A Psychological Enquiry into India and its Healing Traditions.” In “Mira and the Mahatma” he explores the sexuality of Mahatma Gandhi. He has also interpreted the Kamasutra readers. He has won the highest awards from Columbia University and the German government. He was conferred the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Dr Sudhir Kakar married Katharina, a German anthropologist, in a second marriage. He is survived by two children, son Rahul and daughter Sweta, both living in New York.

INDIAN BRANDED MASALA BAN
AND a few stray thoughts on Hong Kong and Singapore banning masala marketed by MDH and Everest. Hong Kong and Singapore consumers claim that the fish curry masala of Everest is carcinogenic ingredients. The National Food Regulatory Authority has collected samples of spices of all brands to check for quality. Like it or not it is only when Indian goods are rejected abroad that our local regulators of health in India take notice and action.
A host of Indian multinational company products have also come under attack. Bournvita has been accused of falsely labelling the popular brand as a health drink. Nestles have been pulled up for adding extra sugar to their infant food Cerelac. Leading nutritionists have pointed out that up to the age of two children should not be given any baby foods. Ideally, only mother’s milk should be given to infants up to two years.
Remedies for cold and coughs marketed by Indian pharma companies have also been banned in the United Kingdom United States. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court has passed severe structures against some of the Ayurveda products of Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali brand. There seems to be no control over masala mixes made by self-help groups tough but these are used generally by local consumers and do not have export worthy shelf-life.

KALA ACADEMY WOES
AND a few stray thoughts on the part of the false ceiling of the indoor Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir in Kala Academy which has collapsed. This is the third time the Kala Academy has made news for negative reasons. A video of the debris littering the floor of the auditorium has gone viral on social media. It may be recalled that a video of water seepage in the auditorium and even a snake under the seat went public earlier. The Kala Academy staff blame sudden heavy rains of April 20 for the collapse of the false ceiling of the premium auditorium
Minister for Culture Govind Gaude insisted that it was the fault of the PWD. The Charles Correia Foundation has often enough accused the government of negligence and substandard work. Charles Coreia designed the original Kala Academy complex which is rated as one of the most beautiful designs in India. However, there were renovations for the last IFFI and expenditure of Rs59 crore incurred. Even before the Kala Academy re-opened a part of the roof of the outdoor auditorium collapsed. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has promised an enquiry into the collapse of the ceilings false or real.

CAPT VIRIATO CONTROVERSY
AND a few stray thoughts on Capt Viriato Fernandes, the south Goa Congress candidate, for creating a controversy. Capt Viriato in one of his speeches insisted that the Constitution of India is forced on Goa. Capt Viriato’s reference is to the fact that Goa adopted the Constitution of India after it was liberated from Portugal in December 1961.
By virtue of its merger with India, Goans lost the benefit of dual citizenship. Till last year Goans enjoyed citizenship for both Goa and Portugal. Portugal has refused to recognize the Liberation of Goa. Its government permitted those born before Liberation in Goa and their children and grandchildren, to acquire Portuguese citizenship. This was till the Central government’s decision to cancel the passport of Goans whose birth was registered in Portugal.
On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Goa, the Centre announced that overseas Indian citizen cards would now be issued to those who have registered their birth in Portugal.

CONGRESS ACTIVISTS
AND a few stray thoughts on Narendra Modi claiming that the Congress has an activist mindset. Modi has been claiming that the Congress is influenced by “urban Naxalites.” Anyone who disagrees with Narendra Modi and his Hindutva policies is considered an urban Naxalite. It may be recalled that a large number of intellectuals and activists were arrested in the Koregaon-Bhima case including Prof Anand Teltumbde of the Goa Institute of Management. The majority of those arrested have been released by the SC.
The biggest weapon in the hands of the BJP is the Maintenance of Public Order and Safety Act 1988. By calling activists anti-national they can be arrested and kept without bail for long periods. Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has been jailed without any evidence for an alleged crime for a month now. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has also been in custody for over a year.
The BJP has decided to shift the venue of the public meeting to be addressed by visiting Narendra Modi from Curchorem to Sancoale. This is because of fear that the party may not be able to mobilize large numbers at Curchorem which is part of Nilesh Cabral constituency. Remember, Nilesh Cabral was asked to step down in favor of Alexio Sequeira. Sancoale has a large migrant population which is vulnerable and presumably easily bribed and threatened to be at the public meeting.
Minister for Transportation Mauvin Godinho has taken the responsibility for mobilizing crowds for the public rally. Modi has also revealed in one of his talks that he has invited Pope Francis to visit Goa during the St Francis Xavier Exposition coming up in November later this year.

GOVERNMENT JOBS WELCOME
AND a last stray thought on over 85% of those who appeared for the higher secondary exam reported to have passed higher secondary. A total of over 17,000 students appeared for the exam. The pass percentage was higher at 88% among the girls. While the pass percentage was 90% plus in Commerce, it was 86% in science and 82% in Arts. The major problem was that the number of seats in both professional and degree colleges was not enough to accommodate even 25% of those who had passed the 12th standard.
Job opportunities for the 12th standard pass are very scarce. For class 4 government jobs such as peons and attendants, the minimum qualification is only 10th standard pass. In recruitment for peons in UP post-graduates and even doctorate holders applied for the jobs which required only 5th standard pass.
At the Goa Medical College & Hospital we have seen science graduates accepting job of attendants, because they are permanent jobs. Very few are lucky enough to get government jobs. For women, government jobs are ideal as it offers a year’s pregnancy leave and three years of childcare leave with pay. If you have a government job you get a pension after you retire. Private sector jobs do not offer any security.
AND a few stray thoughts on the SC striking down the Rs100 crore maintenance contract awarded by the Directorate of Health Services to Euroclean. The contract was for housekeeping jobs in the GMC and the district hospitals. The GMC already has a large army of multi-tasking servants to attend to the requirements of patients, like taking them for x-rays, ultra-sound, etc. It also has staff for sweeping and swabbing the wards.
It is not known why the Directorate of Health floated tenders for maintenance contracts. The charges are that it was not given to the lowest bidder who was a long-standing karyakarta. The HC set aside the maintenance contract. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane went on appeal. The SC has now refused to clear the maintenance contract.