Saturday, 24 July 2010

For the Eyes of Goans Only

Beautiful Letters to the Herald
Catholics want jobs by Roy N D’Silva, Margao

I have been reading letters in the newspapers asking all Catholic MLAs why Catholics are being deprived of government job opportunities. This was pointed out not by any Catholic, but by the BJP Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar, who said that only 9 per cent of 9,000-odd jobs have been given to the minorities in government departments. This is less than the number of jobs he gave to minorities during his tenure!

For this, first and foremost, I would like to blame the religious heads – especially the Catholic priests – who time and again propagate among the faithful that they should elect the same old faces, and that they have full faith that with them the minorities will be protected and benefited. But, alas, what do we get barring a few advertisements in Church souvenirs for the cultural programmes that we are famous for?

The Hon’ble Chief Minister has the support of nearly 6,000 Catholic voters in Margao constituency. But how many Catholics has he given jobs to? It is hardly 2 per cent, as per the records. And what about Catholic ministers like Joaquim Alemao and Churchill Alemao; how many minorities they have given jobs to? With a 70 per cent Catholic population in their constituencies, Joaquim has given only 5 per cent and Churchill only 17 per cent. Only Aleixo Sequeira has helped many Catholics in the Electricity Department. Will our priests please learn from the above facts? Instead of asking for advertisements and donations to the Church and for dances from these politicians, who have amassed huge wealth at our cost, why don’t they ask for jobs for our Catholic brethren, instead of forcing them to migrate to foreign countries?

Drugs drama by B V S Priolkar, Margao

The former girlfriend of an alleged drug dealer indicated a nexus between a minister’s son and the police with the drug trade. Immediately, the minister’s son called a press conference, refuted the charges, and warned of a defamation case. Perhaps he was not aware of the outcome of a similar case filed by the Advocate General.

Next, a ‘Sena’ led by the son in a morcha burnt an effigy. Then some self-styled leaders made statements warning about ‘caste bias’. When the IGP said that the police may interrogate those named, the minister pleaded illness and got himself ‘admitted’ to avoid further queries. Finally. in the Assembly, the CM refused to hand over the case to CBI. Both father and son say they are innocent. Then why all this tamasha of morcha and ‘caste card’? What is wrong with a CBI inquiry? Let the truth come out for everybody to know who is innocent.

Cong for non-Goans by Croydon Medeira

A wonderful statistic brought before the public during the ongoing Assembly session is about the number of non-Goan security guards employed by the government. Mandrem MLA Laximikant Parsekar said that out of 500-odd security guards employed, over 300 were non-Goan, which is more than 50 per cent.

Congress governments at all levels – Panchayat, Zilla Parishad, Council, MLA or MP –always support non-Goans; in jobs, government schemes, facilities, or even rehabilitation in natural disasters. Goans are left to die or fend for themselves.


MPs neglect Goans
by Tulsidas Malkarnekar, Railway Pravasi Sangh

Goa has three MPs; two ruling and one opposition. But all of them, including one who was earlier a union minister, have failed to safeguard the interests of Goans in employment and other benefits from the Konkan Railway. See Narayan Rane. As MLA, he convinced the Railway Minister and Railway Board to develop Sawantwadi Station as the main terminal in the Konkan, and got two new trains sanctioned between Sawantwadi and Mumbai.

In contrast, our MPs have failed even to maintain the daily train between Vasco and Mumbai via Miraj and the Vasco-Bangalore train via Londa and Hubli, which were running before conversion from metre to broad gauge. Our MPs have also failed to enable unemployed Goans to secure jobs in the Konkan Railway. Even vending stalls on platforms in Goa have gone to non-Goans! One ex-MP, who is now a minister in Goa, and had earlier strongly opposed the Konkan Railway passing thorough Goa, is today offering shops on Konkan Railway stations to non-Goans for a price, keeping Goa’s unemployed youth high and dry. Shame!

Religion & country
by Joseph Lawrence, Navelim

The letter ‘Not by God’ by Constancio Fernandes (Herald, 17 July) has two basic errors (I speak as a Roman Catholic; I cannot speak for other religions). His point that all religions are man-made is false. The Catholic religion was created by God himself, through his son Jesus Christ. After God created man, he noticed that man was making idols of strange ‘gods’ and worshipping them, instead of Him. So He sent His only son to show us the way. Jesus set up the Roman Catholic Church and made St Peter its head (First Pope).

I also do not agree that one’s country comes above religion. If you follow your religion properly, you will also be a good citizen. Christ told us: “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” It is clear that the two are separate and cannot be compared.

God created the whole universe, including the Earth and all countries. A ‘creation’ cannot be superior to its ‘creator’. Even when the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was dying, he did not say: “Jai Bharat.” He called out to his God…

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