News of Goan relevance for Goans in Melbourne & elsewhere

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM MELGOANS VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3 DECEMBER 2010

www.melgoans.com

Goans celebrate their ‘Goencho Saib’ on the 3rd of December

Our Mission at MELGOANS“To provide Goans and their friends an enjoyable and a relaxing time without the need for formal membership. In doing so, we will showcase our cultural activities and also learn to integrate with the multicultural society of Melbourne”.

From the editor’s desk...

Mogal Goencarano,And here we are, at the fag end of 2010. And what a year it has been! A year when we got Julia Gillard instead of Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbot for that matter. A year when Melbourne saw the birth of yet another Goan entity, Konkani Cultural and Heritage Inc who staged their fi rst ever show last month at Nobel Park. And we cannot forget the joy at having the cannonisation of Mary McKillop, now St Mary of the Cross, our own Australian saint. Well, lots did happen this year, and here we are at the end of another eventful year.

And as the year comes to an end, this is the month when we will have many of our Goan families making their way back home to Goa to celebrate Christmas ‘at home’. Christmas in Goa is so diff erent as compared to the commercial Christmas we have here in Australia. I had the pleasure of spending Christmas in Goa, a couple of years ago. What a great time we had, back in the happy company of our family in Goa. And we met old friends once again after so long. It was just so nice, but before we knew it, the holiday was over and it was time for us to return home to Melbourne. And guess what? it felt even better getting back here. Is that not so strange?

The rains made it here at last, and it is a great relief that our water reserves have come up to over 50% capacity, easing the level of restrictions on water usage. At last we can see cleaner cars on the roads, and lovely lawns and gardens are making a comeback to the Garden State of Victoria. Sadly, many of our road dividers that had plants and colourful fl owers were modifi ed during the draught, and replaced with wood chips as we had no water at the time. Victorians must be smart and be careful with their water usage. And if the blessings continue, maybe the Thomson Reservoir will have more respectable levels of water retained.

And as the year drew to a close, our Kuwaiti bretheren organised the Global Goan Convention which was attended by many Goans from diff erent parts of the world. Our own Oscar Lobo too made it to the convention, and presented his point of view which was well accepted. And which opened up a tiny can of worms as quite a few Goans were not happy as usual! Well, that is bound to happen. No one can please everybody all the time!

Summer is in with a bang, and the hot days and nights are already upon us. And as the kids prepare to enjoy the forthcoming holidays, plans are afoot as to how to keep them busy!

Let us welcome 2011 with a positive note, and look forward to a great year ahead. For now, we wish our readers the best for a Blessed time at Christmas, and a great welcome to the year 2011.

Salus Correia

the rambling ‘Reddo’...!

I enjoy speaking Konkani, my beloved language. And it gives me great joy when I see others speaking the language. To me, it is a sign that all is not yet lost. Even if our Goans in Goa are slowly switching over to speaking Hindi instead of Konkani, I can rest assured that Konkani still has hope. And the sacrifices of those who fought for recognition of Konkani will not be in vain. I believe the time will come, when our grandchildren will want to study about the language, besides speaking it.

I rambled to Noble Park on the 30th of October when I heard about the Konkani Musical program being held at St. Anthony’s. And in typical traditional Goan style, the show began late - over an hour late. What a real shame. The hall was full, people waiting for the show to begin, and we could see the organisers just walking about and chatting with their friends. An absolute show of disrespect for fellow Goans and their Aussie guests. And finally when the show began it was a great relief and it felt so good to listen to the good old Konkani songs. However, it soon got boring when we saw the same singer repeatedly coming up on stage to perform. As if there is no more Goan talent here in Melbourne.

As I write today, I realise that it is the feast of St Francis Xavier, our very own Goencho Saibha. Memories of the good days come to mind, when we used to wake up early at 4.30 in the morning, and ride our bicycles for the daily novena at Old Goa. And be back home in time for breakfast before going off to school! Those were the good old days of our youth. Things are so different today in Goa. Gone are the bicycles, replaced by scooters, motorcycles and even cars! Here in Melbourne, the Goan Association are having a mass to celebrate the feast on the 5th of this month. Well, I am looking forward to being there - longing to listen to and belt out the age old song to St Francis Xavier, which I hope will be sung!

And before we know it, Christmas will be upon us, followed by the New Year 2011. I would like to take this opportunity to wish my fellow Goencars the best for a blessed Christmas, and a prosperous New Year to follow... Viva Goenkar, viva Goa...

by Bostiao Xavier

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News of Goan relevance for Goans in Melbourne & elsewhere

About the Basilica of Bom JesusNine kilometers from Panaji, standing witness to a milestone event in the history of Christi-anity, is the world famous church of Goa, Basilica of Bom Jesus.

It was the fi rst church in India to be raised to the status of a minor Basilica in 1946. Construc-tion work began in 1594 and the church was consecratedon 15th of May,1605 by the Arch-bishop, Dom Fr. Aleixo de Menezes. Dedicated to infant Jesus, this church is most revered among the Goans. The mortal remains of Goa’s patron St. Francis Xavier are kept here. Re-ferred fondly as ‘Goencho Saib’ (Lord of Goa) by Goans, emotions of Goans run high when it comes to St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis was a member of society of Jesus who came to Goa in a 1542. Although his stay in Goa was short, just four months, but he kept coming back time and again since Goa housed the headquarters of Society of Jesuits in the East. He died enroute to China on December 3,1552. Though he was buried there, his body was brought back to Goa after two years in accordance with his wish. It was then discovered that the body was still intact. The body at that time was laid in St. Paul’s church but after St. Francis Xavier was Canonized in 1662, it was shifted to Basilica of Bom Jesus where it remains till date. Public viewing is held every ten years. This event attracts lakhs of pilgrims from round the globe.

Declared a world heritage site, Basilica of Bom Jesus stands as a fi ne example of Jesuit architecture. The design was inspired from St. Paul church but that church stands in ruins now. In the same compound built by Jesuits, was their Professed house. The Professed house, a double storeyed structure is made of laterite and lime plastered. Facing west, this triple storeyed structure stands 75 3/5 feet wide and 78 ½ feet tall. The facade of Basilica of Bom Jesus is a visual delight fl aunting a combination of Ionic, Doric and Corinthian styles in the columns. The ground fl oor has three portals, above them are three corresponding long windows and on the second fl oor are three circular windows. While the beautifi cation is true Baroque style complete with curves and embellishments, the facade is adorned by pillars and carvings. But the layout is simplistic with a single nave inspired by Renaissance style. The top most part of the facade forming a quadrangle is carved in basalt to form a medallion illustrating the emblem of Society of Jesus.

Attached to the church is a modern art gallery, the Bom Jesus Church art gallery. It’s the fi rst and largest art gallery in Asia. A buttress wall on the northern side is a recent addition to the structure. Basilica also organizes a sound and light show based on the life of Christ, St. Francis Xavier and Blessed Joseph Vaz and the feast is held every year on December 3. The basilica is open from 6 am to 6:30 pm. everyday

GLOBAL GOANS CONVENTION 2010 KUWAIT

At the recently concluded Global Goan Convention 2010 in Kuwait, Goans from Australia were represented by Oscar C. Lobo who is the fi rst elected Goan Councillor in the City of Glenn Eira, Melbourne. Transcribed below is the speech presented by Oscar at the convention. - Editor

Mr. Carmo Santos, Chairman, Mr. Suresh Naik, President, Mr. Ajay Malhotra, Ambassador of India in Kuwait, Mr. S.K. Srivastava, Chief Secretary – Government of Goa, Mr. Luizinho Faleiro ex Chief Minister of Goa, Mr. U. D. Kamath, Director of NRI Aff airs, Members of the Executive Committee of Goan Cultural Centre, Kuwait, Ushers, Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys and Girls.

Al-Salam Alaicum oa rahmatu allah oa barakatoh! Deo Boro dis diun!Namascar!

There is a saying in Kuwait which goes “whoever eats Hamoor will return back to Kuwait. I must confess that I ate the fi sh when I once lived in Kuwait for 18 years. I am back after 22 years having lived 12 years in New Zealand and 10 in Melbourne in that duration. In Hindi someone would name me as “Aya sawan ghoomke”.

It is my great pleasure and honour to be in Kuwait for the Global Goan convention 2010 along with my son Joshua Lobo. I have made this journey of 6,447 miles from one continent to another. I seize this opportunity to pay my respects to the elders of this nation on whose land Crowne Plaza has been build and my salute to the late Sheikh Saad who was once the crown prince of Kuwait and loved Indians.

I am also here to make a diff erence to this convention and with that thought “what we can conceive is what we can achieve” I am hopeful that by the end of this conference we will take a new leaf and a joint strategy and have the wheels of change in motion.

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that “A speech will either prosper or ruin a nation” I hope my speech for the next 10 minutes will mark the beginning of a new chapter on “Goan Unity” for which I have presented myself here today “Tumchea sobe mezar”

A lot has been preached to the Goans on Unity be it by means of Sermao from the pulpit, Goan forums, meetings, taverns et al. Unity can be achieved if we really want to follow the 11th commandment “Love one another as I have loved you”

Do we really love one another? Nothing in this world can survive without love. Even Beatles said “Money can’t buy me love”. Human off spring come around with love, so does the fl owers that we plant and water. Without love there cannot be unity or Trinity!

Our motherland Goa is under attack, our hills will no more be alive with the sound of music. Our zoree’s (rivers), our beaches are used to release human reserves whereas Bollywood continues to project us Goans as drunkard or fl irts.

As Goans, we have been challenged since 19 December 1961 when Goa became part of India. Even the late Prime Minister, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru did not know what being a Goan was all about and said words to the eff ect “Goa ka lokh ajeeb hai”. I was a young lad of 14 years on the day in the fi elds when I heard the noise of bridges being blown up and helicopter circling around the fi elds with Laura announcing from helicopter:

“Bevonakai, tumcam kai zavchenah”.

Are these the golden words that need to be embossed in Goa’s history? We Goans had no say about our own land or about our future. It was “let it be done”. I am still unable to reconcile why Mahatma Gandhi’s principles were not followed by Nehru when he was earmarked to be Gandhi’s successor. Was it a Popularity contest?

Could the so called “liberation” of Goa have anything to do with our attitude? Were the Portuguese responsible for making us jealous of one another (crab mentality?) by maintaining two tier basis when dealing with Goans in Goa? Goans should have been given a chance of self rule, like Falkland Island and a separate country East Timor – which was once ruled by Portugal and got independence on 20 May, 2002!

Are we orphans in our own land? Why do many of our Goan Catholics or Hindus leaving Goa? Recently Mr. Bha-nudas Sawant, Pharmacist, left Goa and has settled in Melboune to encounter an unpleasant episode.

I know it is easy to deliver speeches from Sobeh Mezar – Goenkaranoo, there can be no community without hu-manity and humanity is not complete without Unity. It is that time now to join hands with the party that “you think” has the genuine interest in Goa. We should not be taken for ride each and every time.

I applaud those Goans in Goa, in the Middle East and a handful overseas who are genuinely spending time and money to restore what is left of Goa. It is one thing for me in Australia to say GOA MERI HAI and other thing to go on great holidays in Goa and then criticize Goa and its administration. The million dollar question is ARE WE Goans ready, hungry, thirsty to save and restore what is left of Goa? Or are we continuing to stick to our sussegad attitude?

Goa is maimed, bruised and raped by others. When will we get up and say enough is enough? The only politi-cal person that I know who had a soft corner for Goa was late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Today the mantra “teamwork and unity” must be adopted for the attainment of success. We cannot aff ord to work in vacuum. When one works in a team, the pressure is distributed and attainment of success seems relatively easier. Suc-cess seems to come nearer and appears more realistic. Encouraging one another in a team gives additional strength to achieve the goal. As the popular saying goes “you are one when you are one and you are ten if you are with another four”

Unity has always been the strength. Not only in intellectual human thought, has this truth been applicable even in the animal world from the ages. Once can seldom see an elephant or a deer roaming alone in jungle. Goans need to be like the lesson of the geese fl ying in the V formation. This increases the effi ciency of each Goose by 71 percent. Focus, effi ciency and keeping sight of the destination will attain the goal of getting Goa out of the present cri-ses earlier then expected.

My Goan brothers and sisters let us pledge our individual support for “Goan Unity” right at this moment. Let us kick out our DNA issues – like knee jerk reactions, undermining, assumptions, perceptions and take account of our “Character Ethic” and “Personality Ethic” It is time for us Goans to make the desired Paradigm change.

If we Goans continue to undermine one another, someone else will continue to take what is left of Goa even our Izaat, lest Goans will be called “goonies” and may be one step closer to going surely in Goo-an! The onus lies with us for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

History should be made as a result of this conference. “He has paid the price and so have we to pay the price to retain what is left before we loose it all”

Deo borem korum!

Shukran Jazeelan and Maad salama!

Salam Namaste

Oscar C. Lobo16 November 2010.

GLOBAL GOANS CONVENTION 2010 KUWAIT - conti nued...

SO SAYS NEWS FROM GOA...

The ill famed River Princess is still in the news, just as we had predicted last month!!! On the 24th of November, it was fi nally announced that the government would issue the work orders to M/s Arihant Ship Breakers, a Mumbai based company that qualifi ed the tender process for removal of the River Princess, even as the offi cials in the state administration said the signing of a formal contract could take some time as the value of scrap has not yet been ascertained. What a load of crap for sure!!! After the big talk about re-fl oating the vessel and having it towed away in order to preserve the local ecology on the beach, now it is back to square one. We predict that this time, they will start breaking up the ship and dismantle it up to the water level and sell off the scrap which anyway will be much more than the deposit that they would be happy to forfeit! Wait and see; this is the future!

What is it with Goa and ships of late? A couple of weeks ago, we heard news about introduction of a cruise liner on the Goa Bombay route. And a beautiful vessel it was too. Sadly, it ran into trouble on its very fi rst voyage and had to beat a hasty retreat back to Goa. Fortunately, no life was lost or we would be having another Titanic on our hands. On the day of the incident, the local newspapers stated that the vessel developed a crack in its hull and began taking in water, resulting in a list. Today we have a new story!!! The damaged hull is denied. In fact now they are saying that the vessel is okay to resume sailing, subject to it being declared ‘seaworthy’. So if there was no serious damage, why did the ship return to port? And why was it docked for repairs at the Western Indian Shipyard Ltd?

Even as we move on with claims of progress and advancement, there is something still lacking on our Goan roads. Yes, roads for vehicular traffi c, which need not be shared with cattle squatting out in the middle of the roads. One of our readers sent in the picture on the right, and it says a thousand words. Where are the owners of these cattle? This is real cruelty to animals in our opinion, besides being unconcerned about genuine road users who pay high taxes for the use of the roads. Has this state lost its sense of good governance?

MV Ocean Life

Here rests the River Princess...

Kings of the Goan Roads

The latest news about a land grab in Goa is about the Indian Navy, who have now laid stake to ownership of St George Island which is part of the Grande Is-lands, off the coast of Goa. The Flag Offi cer for Goa Area, Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai said it was to avoid loopholes in the security of the state. Apparently, if there was an attack on Goa a la 26/11 ‘istyle’, then Goa would be vulnerable to attack.

Good thinking there. But we don’t buy such grandmother tales. The Navy already has possession of one adjoining island for several years now. And guess what? There are no personnel posted there! So how does our friend Pillai hope to make the place secure? How will there be improved security as he claimed? No. This is just another blatant ‘land grab’ scam.

Talking about security, one wonders if the Indian Navy really understands much about security. Recently, I was having a close look at some parts of India us-ing Google Maps. This tool really never ceases to amaze me. Each time I go on Google Maps, I learn something new, something interesting and sometimes something shocking! Anyway, thinking about the sad 26/11 episode drew me to have a look at Bombay or Mumbai as they like to call it now. Saw ‘Leo-pold Café’, The Taj Mahal hotel and then something struck me as my mouse wandered just a little higher on the map. What I saw sent a shiver down my spine. As I got the map magnifi ed, I saw almost the entire Indian Navy virtu-ally parked in that one spot. Two aircraft carriers, three submarines, and a fl o-tilla of frigates, patrol boats, destroyers, cruisers, supply vessels – you name it, they are all there! I gave up counting naval vessels after I crossed off thirty vessels, and there were still more!

Imagine, just imagine the outcome if India’s enemies get this information. And here we have Indian Admirals talking about security as if it is really a serious concern with them! They don’t care, they don’t care about security at all, as Google Maps will show and prove. They went and put all their eggs in one basket, sitting ducks to any aerial prey. All they care is about themselves. Grab what they can while they can. And our Goans are in their peaceful slum-ber without a care in the world. Happy just so long as they can get to have an illegal compound wall with the blessings of their corrupt politicians. Check this link for more details: http://goo.gl/maps/2ZYVZoom in and be surprised!!! Wake up India, wake up and cover yourselves up guys. After all, we know you are experts at a cover up job…

Land Grab in Goa!!!

Have a look at the picture above. This is only one part of Mumbai harbour, and one can clearly identify both the nation’s aircraft carriers, a few submarines, frigates, patrol boats, supply vessels - you name it, and they are there!!!Below are some pictures of Grande Island that is currently under threat of a ‘grab’ by the Indian Navy.

MEMORIES FROM GOA...

Ramponnkars pulling in their net

Ghumtakar!!

New Bridge to St Jacinto Island

Swaying rice paddies

Traditional salt pans in Goa. This is a trade fast dying out, and is now seen only in a few places

around Goa. Pictured are salt pans in Batim

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Vrede en vreugde aan alle mensen van goede wil

Paix et joie à tous les hommes de bonne volonté

Frieden und Freude für alle Menschen guten Willens

Síocháin agus lúcháir do gach fir ar dea-thoil

Pace e gioia a tutti gli uomini di buona volontà

Pax et gaudium omnibus hominibus bonae voluntatis

Peace and joy to all men of goodwill

Paz e alegria a todos os homens de boa vontade

Amani na furaha kwa watu wote wa ukarimu

Heddwch a llawenydd i bob dyn o ewyllys da

Devalagim magtam Somestank xanti and khulalkai

The Editor, Publisher and team at Ghozaliwish for our readers and their families,

God‛s Choicest blessings during this Holy Season of Christmas.May your hearts be fi lled with His Joy

and may His blessings continue toshower upon each of you rightthrough the coming year 2011.

Merry Christmas&

Happy New Year

Printed and Published by Oscar Lobo, for Melgoans Pty Ltd. This monthly read is distributed free of charge to any Goan and their friends on request. Contributions for publication are most wel-come, and will be included in the next issue subject to clearance by the editorial board.

Editor: Salus CorreiaEmail: goencheghozali@gmail.com

www.melgoans.com