Paid Political Publicity - Specific Goan Politicians

Goa’s Papers are many times splashed with individuals/groups, singing praises of their Political Godfathers, who obviously has blessed them with various favors in political, cash or kind. It gives the impression sometimes that Goans are in love with these Corrupt Political Leaders, who have well known criminal backgrounds and even to-date involved directly or indirectly to violence, threats, extortion and intimidation; so as to pursue with their sources of illegitimate income in the destruction of Goa and its Identity via Mega Projects not favoring Locals, Excessive Corruption, Illegal mining, Land/Water Contamination, Hill Cutting, Environment degradation etc. Surely these politicians have stashed away huge amounts of illegitimate income, so as to use some part of the same for their Political Publicity. I was told that these Specific Politicians regularly frequent countries like UAE, Kuwait etc and pay their local “Loyal” agents to have events for their self-publicity and self-glorification. I have no doubt that the same type of Principle is followed in Goa but whether Goans are fooled or not by such “paid political publicity” is another matter!!

Arwin Mesquita, UAE

MOI and 'Man Of Masses'

The credit of getting the Government to succumb to giving grants for English must be given to the Parents and not to the Opportunistic/Corrupt Politicians who are now being called “Man of the Masses” and are using this achievement, to get Maximum Political Mileage. Some of these “Man of the Masses” were instrumental in creating the Language MESS in the first place and then in hypocrisy, sent their children to English Medium Schools at that time. If these “Man of the Masses” truly are what they publicize themselves to be, then can they also please address the other extremely critical issues Goa is facing today i.e. (1) Illegal Mining which is devastating Goa and has to be addressed urgently (2) Mega Projects which are changing local demographics and destroying the environment (3) Stop the Anti Goan MOPA airport,(4) Remove the dubious additions to the Regional Plan e.g. the Eco Sensitive Zones which are nothing but a trick, to sell more of Goan Land (3) Get their Congress Government to adhere to their promises of obtaining Special Status for Goa. One Lesson to be learnt from the MOI achievement however is Goans can get what they truly want from GOA, if they fight for the critical issues in large numbers!!

Why Pay Taxes?

Why Pay Taxes?
The answer that I got in my childhood years was right in principle i.e. Taxes are needed for the state and its citizens: for sustenance, development and constructive progress. However I would like to ask this Question again today i.e. Why Pay Taxes in Goa or rather Why pay so high Taxes in Goa?
Should we pay Taxes from our hard earned income for the following?
(A) Allow MLA’s to steal Taxpayer’s money via excessive corruption and stash it away in overseas lands and other secretive avenues. And then use a small part of these funds to give rice, sugar, fertilizers, water tanks, electronics, bicycles, medical benefits, paying amenities, sponsor football tournaments/tiatrs etc to entice Voters? Is this their money to use in the First Place?
(B) Allow MLA’s to encourage, grow and sustain illegal migrant vote banks in slums so that they can continue running their corrupt government, by manipulating democracy?
(C) Allow MLA’s to use Public Facilities e.g. Government Vehicles etc for the benefit of their families?
(D) Allow MLA’s to use the Police for protection of their illegal ways of acquiring income and as State Terror force on protestors, rather than ensuring Police safeguard and protect citizen’s rights.
(E) Allow MLA’s to destroy Goa, its identity and contaminate its environment, land & water resources rather than preserving the same.
The List for the above can be endless. Goans as other people always look for the best deals for food, services & products and have a right to ensure that they get the best deal for their money which is fair; but then why are we not bothered to at least, get a fair deal for the High Taxes that we pay to the State? Are we holding Politicians accountable for the Various scams, Carelessness and Shortcomings that are coming to our attention so regularly e.g. GIDC, MOPA, SEZ, Illegal Mining, Illegal Land Conversions/Sales, Promotion of illegal mega projects, Hill Cutting, Drugs Menace, Prostitution, Electoral Rolls Manipulation, Deaths of innocent people by a Corrupt & inefficient Electricity Department, Lawlessness, Contamination of beaches like Colva, Destruction of Beaches like Candolim, Water contamination, Garbage/Sewage crises etc Why are we allowing ourselves to be Robbed in “Broad Daylight” by these thieves? What is worse is that many of us instead do the exact opposite and glorify these thieves at weddings, public events etc and also the same is done by many Non Resident Goans during overseas trips of specific MLA’s.
I used to think or despite the high taxes we pay, the Goa Government struggles to satisfy Goans because of the size of tasks involved and high population. But today I do not think the same; I actually believe that the Goa Government Gets more than enough funds to provide basic amenities, employment/business opportunities, law/order and welfare for Goans but the reason they are unable to do so, is because many senior politicians steal a lot of funds via excessive corruption. Today’s Goa’s jails have lot or thieves but what they steal is very petty in comparison to what many Politicians steal from the Goan Taxpayers; so in comparison the petty thieves in Goa’s Jails are “saints” and should be replaced by the respective Politicians!!
Surely there will be many “supporters” of the corrupt politicians in Goa and Abroad, who will not be happy with this article but then again I sure it is an open secret of why they “support” these corrupt Anti Goan Politicians in the first place!!
Arwin Mesquita, UAE.

Susegad Goan MLA

MLA's in Goa are wise in promoting their Kin into Politics, so as to continue with their family's legacy of destroying Goa for personal gains and realizing huge sums of illegitimate income. The reason they are wise is because it is easy to be and continue, as an MLA in Goa. All you need is a lot of illegal wealth via excessive corruption, destruction of Goa and then use some small amount of this wealth to give various goodies to the corrupt electorate, legalize their illegalities, pay for amenities, medical expenses, sponsorships etc. And as long as you do the latter, you do not need to worry if there are serious problems in Goa, say for example (1) People dying of carelessness by the Electricity Department (2) Prime Beaches like Colva turned into sewage dumps or beaches lost due to the River Princess in Candolim; which in turn effects the livelihood of locals (3) Rapid Destruction/Contamination of environment, land & water (4) Mushrooming Slums (5) Rising Prices etc. Goans are generally are not bothered and very forgiving; they are too happy to allow the Corrupt Anti Goan MLA's to rob and destroy the state to a large extent, so long as they get their relatively smaller valued incentives/amenities from these MLA's. Many Overseas Goans also have this same "small" mentality and patronize these Anti Goan MLA's on visits abroad; they forget that most Goans are forced to leave Goa because of faulty actions & policies, of the very MLA's that they Glorify and Associate with!!

Arwin Mesquita,UAE.

Global Goan Convention - London - July 2011 (Opportunity or Waste?)

Today Goa is attacked on various fronts with respect to its Land, Environment, Culture & Identity. The critical reasons are Excessive/Illegal Mining, Rampant/Illegal Hill Cutting, Encouraged Migrant vote banks and un-controlled migration into Goa, Very high Level of corruption, Faulty Employment policies forcing Goans to migrate, Mega Projects which do not favor Goans, Garbage/Sewage crisis, Illegal land conversions favoring the real estate lobby, Drug Menace etc. All of the these are facilitated by Powerful Mining Companies, Real Estate Lobby, Land Sharks, Powerful National Politicians/Companies who use their Goan Politicians as their agents; and last but not least the Excessively Corrupt Goan Politicians themselves.

I had initially hoped that these Global Conventions would bring Goans together, to address the critical issues and facilitate some progress. I have attended Conventions in Goa (Jan 2007) and Oman (2009) and am very disappointed that there has been no significant action/progress for Goa. My criticism to be clear is not on the organizers, like for example the Muscat Goans who organized a good event but my criticism is on the overall purpose of having these conventions. Whilst yes in the last two conventions i.e. Oman and Kuwait, there were speakers for Goa and Its Identity however the sad part is that our corrupt government has ignored these pleas, as it would stop the sources of illegitimate income.

How many of us really see that If we Goans do not act for Goa, then the Goa that we know of today will soon be Gone! Will these "Goan" Conventions be relevant in the future if we lose our "Goan" Identity in Goa, or do we then just adapt and rename these Conventions to say for example Global "Jolly Indian" Convention?

My Direct Question to the Organizers and the Delegates for the London Convention: Are you all just planning to have just another "socializing event" convention with just fun, frolic, and entertainment? OR in addition to the latter, can we also use this Convention as an opportunity on Global Stage to, if I may suggest:
(1) Show our disgust with the Anti-Goan Policies of the Goa Government (can there be some sort of civilized protest e.g. Black Arm Band Protest)
(2) Voice out strongly on the urgent need for Goa to preserve its Land, Environment & identity.
(3) Invite Prominent Activists from Goa and organize meetings with UK Based Goans to support our common cause.
(4) Chalk out an action plan on how UK Goans can contribute or work together with Goans in Goa, to address Goa's Critical Issues
(5) Ensure a system of follow-up is setup from one convention to the other (Which Currently I have not seen being done; please correct me if I am wrong)
(6) Publicize all of the above.

If this Convention and future conventions are at all to be successful in my mind, then the most critical issues of Goa that I have stated above must be addressed, with a timely action plan. If these issues are not addressed not then in my opinion, these Conventions are a just waste of time, valuable resources and are actually not held for Goa's Genuine Interests but are actually held for other reasons!!

Arwin Mesquita, UAE.

Cavrem adivsi bachao samiti .press note

preservegoa preservegoa@gmail.com
arwinmesquita ,

date14 May 2011 19:16
subjectcavrem adivsi bachao samiti .press note
mailed-bygmail.com
Signed bygmail.com

hide details 19:16 (3 hours ago)


dearsirs,
pls find pres note to be published. pls do needful

PRESS RELEASE

Caurem Adivasi Bachao Samiti expresses deep shock and anguish over the recent
reports in local newspapers that the Chief Secretary has decided to allow 600 ore-laden
trucks on the Caurem-Quepem road every day. We are unable to believe that in spite
of dozens of representations being made by us to the Chief Secretary and other Govt
officials regarding various illegalites, he has completely ignored our reasoned arguments
and failed to do anything to stop the pluder of our National wealth. Instead, he has given
these irregular and arbitrary directions purely in the aid of illegal mining, which we
hereby demand to be revoked immediately.

Caurem Adivasi Bachao Samiti has repeatedly brought numerous illegalities plaguing
the transportation and extraction of ore from the Caurem Panchayat Area to the attention
of all the authorities concerned. During our interactions with the CM and the Leader of
the Opposition, both have clearly indicated that they are well aware that all the mines
operating in our area are illegal. In spite of all the evidence and arguments placed before
the authorities, no action has been taken against the errant miners. We have enough
reason to believe that there is complete failure of Law and Order in our State and that
our elected representatives and public officials are all conniving with the looters of our
National wealth, thereby posing grave threat to our National security and prosperity.

Caurem Adivasi Bachao Samiti hereby informs the Chief Secretary and the Government
of Goa that we are determined to fulfill our Constitutional Duty to protect oure natural
environment and to defend our Nation from the deadly enemy within, which is illegally
mining and robbing our wealth, and also destroying our lands, waters and communities
irreversibly. Unless our confidence in the ability and willingness of the Government
to uphold the Rule of Law is restored, we are mandated by our Constitution to protect
our Nation from those who are hell-bent on destroying it. All citizens of the Nation are
hereby urged to join us in our ongoing peaceful protest and to strengthen the struggle to
restore the Rule of Law in our Country.

Sd/-
Tulshidas Veliip
(Secretary)
Caurem Adivasi Bachao Samiti

Set Benaulim as an example to Goa

The Benaulim Constituency has played an important role in many of Goa's Critical Issues i.e. huge support for Saving Goa from Merger in the Opinion Poll, the Konkani agitation etc. and I now strongly believe that this highly literate constituency, has the potential to be the change that we need to see in Goa. Today the threat to Benaulim Constituency is not from outside but from within; we have extremely corrupt Anti-Goan Politicians who have over the years have made a mess of our beautiful constituency (and also other parts of Goa) and we have allowed them to do the same. These selfish politicians have amassed huge sums of illegitimate cash via excessive corruption, mega projects and SALE of Goa favouring outsiders, destructive development, Illegal Mining, selling jobs to outsiders etc. and then have used a small part of these illegitimate funds to enslave the people of Benaulim via Sponsorships, Cash Incentives, Paying of amenities, Distributing Rice, Fertilizers, Sugar etc. and by ‘legalizing’ various illegalities of many people. If we allow these corrupt politicians to continue in this manner, then surely we can all imagine of what will happen to us and our Constituency. My request to all Benaulikars is to take a stand on corruption and on these Anti-Goan Politicians; I appreciate that there is a fear psychosis in Benaulim with these criminal politicians, but can each one at least take a personal stand on the same and where possible try to state your views; even if it means doing so in a mild manner. The latter alone will not only Save Benaulim from the Anti-Goans but also be an example to the Rest of Goa!!
Arwin Mesquita, UAE