Sausage mischief

Sausage mischief -- By Nisser Dias

What you require:-

Sausages.

Salted medium size biscuits

Mayonnaise (Egg/Eggless), Tartar sauce or Garlic-coconut chutney.

Preparation:-

Boil sausages in water till it dries up and releases oil. The sausages should be partly crisp.

Put a dab of mayo, tartar sauce or garlic-coconut chutney on the biscuit and place the sausage on it.

 

 

 

Chicken-Prawn Salad.

WEEKEND SPECIAL

1kg boneless chicken.

200gms of prawns.

Bunch of Lettuce leaves.

½ Iceberg.

Preparation:

Wash chicken and rinse it. 15 minutes later salt it. After 10 minutes apply turmeric and pepper (if required). Boil it until cooked.

Cut it into small cubes.

Wash and clean prawn, salt it and boil it.

If prawns are bigger than an inch, cut it into smaller pieces.

Wash lettuce leaves, rinse of the water.

Cut off the mid-rib and tear the leaves with hand into inch size squares.

Keep some leave intact for presentation.

Remove the mid-rib of the Iceberg and cut into fine strips one and half inch long.

Mix Lettuce and Iceberg together. Put it in a dry bowl, wrap it in clean foil and refrigerate it for two to three hours to become crisp.

Mix chicken and prawns and refrigerate it.

At the time of serving toss chicken and prawns in Ceaser salad dressing or Heinz salad cream. Taste for salt and pepper. Mix it well and keep aside.

Take lettuce leaves and Iceberg from the refrigerator, toss them in little olive oil to give it a shine. Add juice of half of lime and salt.

Mix a portion lettuce leaves and Iceberg to a portion of chicken and prawn for consistency and transfer to the serving bowl kept ready for presentation.

(Note: This salad can be made with just chicken also.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goa Forward MLAs and promoters join hands with the Congress to threaten govt.

Independent MLAs Naresh Sawal, Vijay Sardessai, Rohan Khaunte along with Congress MLAs Digambar Kamat, Reginaldo Lourence, Babu Kavlekar along with villagers today launched a scathing attacking against the BJP led government at Sanguem the epic-centre of the coconut destruction.

The MLAs have threatened the government with State-wide agitation if the government does not with the amendment classifying coconut tree into grass.

The MLAs alleged that the reason for the government brought in such a amendment just to facilitate the owner of the distillery to set-up up his factory at the site at the cost of hundred of coconut trees.

 

New Regional Party ‘Goa Forward’ formed. To provide FREE water, power, WI FI and Coconuts.

Courtesy goanews.com: On the eve of Liberation Day, a regional party, ‘Goa Forward’ was floated with a primary objective being to oust the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even at the cost of working with other political parties and independent politicians.

Addressing the media Prabhakar Timble nominated as its president said, “We are prepared to sacrifice and work with other politicians even though there may be some issues on which we are not on the same platform”.

He very categorically said that, “anybody and everybody are welcome to join our political outfit, except the BJP”.

He informed that three independent MLAs – Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte and Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal – have extended support to the GF. Timble claimed talks are already on with two other legislators besides ZP members, councillors and panchas.

When questioned about joining hands with AAP, Timble said Aam Aadmi Party have similar objectives but its high command is in Delhi while they want their high command in Goa.

The party has decided to begin its field action on 1 February from Amdai in Sanguem, where coconut trees are cut to set up a distillery.

The party has also announced that it would build a Fouz (brigade) of 2000 youth within six months, aiming at forthcoming Assembly election.

WHO ARE THEY?

While its state executive council will consist of 30 persons, the GF presented 11 of them. Vice Presidents: Dr Renuka D’Silva (Porvorim) and Rupesh Naik (ZP of Penha da Franca), General Secretary: Mohandas Lolayekar (Canacona), Joint Secretary: Vidya Parab (Bicholim), Treasurer: Suraj Lotlikar (Margao) and Members: Nisar Subhedar, Prashant Naik, Vishnu Ghadi, Dilip Prabhudesai and Joao Nicholas Crasto. The rest 18 members would include 10 women and 5 students, he said.

GF president said, “None of our key office bearers will contest Assembly elections”.

The GF also plans to constitute Constituency Council, State Council and State Political Affairs Committee.

WHY ONLY ANTI-BJP?

“They are worse than the Congress and have threatened the DNA of Goa, which is mosaic of liberalism, pluralism, multilingualism, openness and bountiful nature of a Niz Goenkar”, said Timble.

According to him, the Brand Goa is under attack with bad state of finances, the U-turns on each and every promise made in the last election, trust deficit, authoritative working style and unhealthy lobbies controlling the government.

Any government has to run for the benefit of institutional lobbies like Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa etc, he said, but not the secret lobbies which are unknown.

He however denied that the new regional outfit is financed by mining barons like Audhut Timblo, while assuring that all donations the party receives would be accounted for and displayed on the party’s website.

FREE WATER, POWER, WI FI and Coconut

In its 24-point programme declared by general secretary Lolienkar, the major highlight is less than 20,000 litres of free water to each household, free power for agriculture, free Wi Fi, affordable housing for homeless Goans and day care centres for senior citizens and children as well as fish, coconuts and bread at affordable price.

If elected to power, the Lolienkar said, the party would ban junket tours of ministers and officials, no special privileges to VIPs, district offices of all functional departments in Mapusa and Margao and Special Status provisions by making necessary laws in Goa.

The GF also wants the Investment Promotion Act to be repealed, bring coconut under Preservation of Trees Act and declare coconut as the State Tree.

NO STAND TILL DATE ON…

Timble said the party has constituted a 10-member committee of experts to study the issue of Medium of Instruction scientifically rather than politically, which would be ready by 15 February.

“The whole issue is caught up between the child studying in mother tongue and the freedom of choice of the parent. The UNESCO has also changed its stand recently”, he said.

On the issue of recovering Rs 35,000 crore from the mining industry, Timble said Shah Commission is not a judicial authority and no judicial authority has passed any order to recover the amount.

However, when asked what would his party do if it comes to power, he said it would definitely probe into all such matters like mining or tendering infrastructural projects by quoting three times more than the actual cost.

The burning issues of Regional Plan 2021, casinos and marinas also did not figure in the prime commitments released by the party.

On RP21, he said the party would prefer making corrections rather than scrapping it.

On casinos, the party wants it not more than shifting it from the River Mandovi.

The party has not yet studied the issue of marinas.

While they want to begin field action on coconut, the party was not clear about their demand of bringing coconut under the Preservation of Trees Act.

When it was pointed out that the recent amendment has included the word coconut in one of the sections of the Act, Timble admitted the issue has not been studied fully.

We will support the demand of Coconut Protection Act, he said, when media persons said MLA Sardesai has also supported the demand in the Assembly.

The party is also in the process of preparing a detailed agenda on industry, service sector, tourism, solid waste management, agriculture, education, health, housing, real estate, governance, women and youth empowerment.

 

 

 

 

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar :- what is it that he is trying to hide and from whom?

For the last few days, the news dailies or rather journalists in Goa are gung-ho, lapping up what the police are feeding about the so called threat to Defence Minister’s Manohar Parrikar life.

Reading the news dailies last few days, the entire issue has started to seem like a police managed drama. Or it would be appropriate to say BJP scripted and police directed ‘tiatr’ to divert public attention from hordes of issues dogging the government. For example re-defining coconut tree into grass, bull-dozing the opposition over airport at Mopa, the sick financial health of State, volte-facie on Medium of instruction and more importantly the rumours doing the rounds that Parrikar might be stripped of the Defence Minister’s portfolio and sent packing back to Goa.

It all started with police receiving a letter with threats to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Police claimed that they had zeroed upon the person who had posted the letter through CCTV footage at one of the many post-offices in Goa but are yet to nab the culprit.

And because of it the police are fussing over the Defence Minister Parrikar to accept Z-plus security cover. He does use his Z-plus security while he is marking his attendance in Delhi from Monday to Friday, but it is learnt the moment he sets-off to Goa on Friday, he sheds it.

Since the letter threat, top police brass in Goa seem to be begging, pleading, rolling-over the Defence Minister to take security cover here too. I fail to understand why the police have to fuss over him. If they genuinely feel he is under threat they should provide it as a matter of right as the police or other security forces are supposed to protect life and property. This is their cardinal rule.

Arvind Kejriwal during his 49 days stint as Delhi Chief Minister had also shunned security cover for himself but he had also stated that he was aware that the security personnel were following him everywhere.

If security cover can be provided to a Chief Minister despite his refusal and that too when Delhi police are not under the direct control of the Delhi government then they do not require the permission of the Defence Minister to provide him security cover.

It does sound like a publicity stunt to show the people that he is an ‘Aam Admi’, but over the period of time Goans have come to know Parrikar and his ways very well. That he is not so simple as he dresses. So with these cheap gimmicks, BJP ratings in Goa will not go higher and for all you know they might dip.

Manohar Parrikar as a layman can refuse it, but as a Union Defence Minister he should not create and compound a situation if the threat perception is real. However if he continues to be adamant then he should put it down in writing that no security agencies or personnel should be held accountable if at all an attempt is made on his life, God forbid.

This know-everything-man does not trust police one bit. There was time during his stint as Chief Minister of Goa this tenure he asked the public a direct question in presence of police, “what is the guarantee that the police will not pass-on information of my location for consideration”? His inherent distrust of the police and security forces is well known.

But he is also well known to use, misuse and abuse police force. We in Goa can vouch for it. Dr. Francisco Colaco, industrialist Datta Naik are living victims of the misuse of this power.

After all said and done why is this great tamasha of providing and accepting security cover. Politicians of all hues have one common saying, ‘my life is an open book’. If it is so why not accept security cover.

Does he not want the general public to know about his weekend whereabouts or does Manohar Parrikar does not want other political parties to know about his political machinations before the general Assembly elections, what is it that he is trying to hide and from whom? And at what cost?

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Reuters report on Cabinet rejig: Jaitley to take over Defence. Parrikar to be sent back (demoted)  to Goa.

News agency Reuters made a monumental prediction. The report quoted sources inside the ministry and said that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be moved out of the Finance Ministry and his protege and current Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goel will succeed him.

If that were to happen it would mean that Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes the world know of three things. Firstly, making public his vote of low confidence against one of his senior-most colleague in the Cabinet, secondly an admission to the fact that Jaitley was under performing in the finance ministry and he is the one who is to be blamed for the poor economic growth that has been widely criticised and thirdly a late realisation that Jaitley was a wrong choice in the finance ministry to begin with when he was given charge of this all important ministry in summer of 2014.

Reuters report's prediction that Jaitley will be shifted to the Defence Ministry also then raises the question where will the incumbent Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar be moved.

Parikkar was handpicked by Modi to head this critical ministry. Quick decision-making on external and internal defence matters and several acquisitions which were waiting to be made for the armed forces were a few of the reasons why the choice of Parrikar as the Defence Minister seemed poised. In fact, Parikkar, so far, had performed well and taken bold and tough decisions where needed.

Removal of a performing minister, who is also part of the Cabinet Committee of Security is an idea that can't be speculated at speculators' personal peril. Arun Jaitely is among five ministers at the Centre. Never before a minister who had been part of the CCS, or an occupant of North and South Bloc in Capital has been shifted to less significant ministries located below the majestic Raisina Hill.

Jaitley's move from the finance ministry, as predicted by Reuters, is not a very good idea, unless Modi is deeply frustrated with him. Moreover, given the manner in which DDCA controversy has played out, Jaitley dropping from finance ministry would give a handle to Congress and AAP to browbeat Modi and the BJP. Can Modi afford that?

Changing the Finance Minister after he presents the budget on 29 February is not the best idea for Modi. And the PM could take a few lessons from his predecessors.

In July 2002, Vajpayee swapped the ministries of External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha. However, Jaswant Singh was always Vajpayee's first choice as the Finance Minister. During the rule of UPA-II, P Chidambaram was shifted from Finance to Home ministry and Pranab Mukherjee was shifted from External Affairs Ministry to Finance Ministry.

While the idea of a Cabinet reshuffle — dropping off under or non-performing ministers and induction of fresh talent — is being massively speculated among the party. Probably BJP needs this reshuffle too after the massive drubbing they received during the Bihar assembly elections.

Under Modi, gone are the days when aspirants used to lobby with various power centres. And so it is risky to speculate on who will get which portfolio in case of a Cabinet reshuffle unless the confirmation comes from the top rungs of the party. However, one cannot squarely reject the Reuters report as there have been talks of a possible reshuffle in the ruling BJP. Whether the decision will be before the Union Budget or after that, has not been taken yet.

BJP has signed the death warrant of our beloved Coconut Tree.

By Nisser Dias

The swaying palms along the western coast line, the coconut trees gracefully swinging while hugging the foothills of our eastern mountainous range.  Thousands and thousands of coconut trees lined up along every bund of our fields. Coconut trees beautifying our gardens at homes, adding its own unique charm amidst manicured lawns.

It was always the coconut tree, but the BJP have reduced this pride which used to enhance the natural beauty of State of Goa to mere grass, in a bid to satiate their greed, line their pockets and fatten their accounts.

Coconut is part of our ‘Ismitai’ and ethos. In short Goans or ‘Goenkarponn’ and coconut trees simply cannot be separated.

Goan cuisine is not complete with coconuts, be it our daily curry or vegetables or xacuti.

Our festive sweets most of which cannot be prepared without coconut. The world famous ‘Bebinca’ besides ‘dodol’ and many others.

Coconut vinegar is used for cooking, as a preservative and tenderizer. Can we forget our mouth-watering accompaniment like ‘Parra’, ‘Molho’, ‘Balchao’ not forgetting sorpatel and Goan sausages. These famous items cannot be prepared without vinegar.  

Coconut toddy is also used for authentic Goan Cuisine and to extract Coconut Feni. The use of coconut oil is legendary.

Incidentally, the hypocrisy of BJP led government in the State stands exposed because as recently as two months they had resolved to give ‘Heritage Tag’ for Coconut Feni alongwith ‘Caju Feni. And now they de-classify the coconut by bring in an amendment to catergorize it as grass.

Coconut tree is one of the main features that emphasizes the natural beauty of Goa and cannot be replaced.

The politicians had another use of the coconut they used to break it while inaugurating a public project, but now BJP wallas will have to break alcohol bottles manufactured at the Vanxim  distillery.

And the BJP government in Goa under the leadership of Chief Ministership of Laxmikant Parsekar, Forest minister Rajendra Arlekar remote-controlled by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has just signed the death warrant of our beloved coconut trees.

 

This means that lakhs and lakhs of coconut trees could be felled without seeking any permission from the Forest department.

Goans may hang their heads in shame before the world for passing such an atrocious bill to declassify the Coconut from ‘Tree’ to grass in the Assembly by our elected represented. I wonder which type of grass gives fruits. Could the educated Chief Minister, Forest minister and IITian Defence Minister tell us or better name some varieties of grass that yields fruits?

With this one move or rather an amendment, empowers the BJP government to chop down lakhs of coconut trees in Tiracol for the golf project, lakhs of coconut trees from Pernem to Canacona for the Mopa airport and widening of the highway. It authorizes the government to allow industrialists, builders to axe hundreds of coconut trees without the blink of any eye.

Somewhere in the year 2011, I was part of a delegation of 5 parents which met Manohar Parrikar as Opposition Leader to explain our fight against English medium private school Trusts over arbitrary fee hikes without approval from the department of Education. During the meeting this same man (Parrikar) urged us to defeat the Congress stating that otherwise they would finish Goa.

Today it is allegedly that he and his bunch of party legislators that are causing irreversible damage to Goa through a blanket licence to slaughter coconut trees.

If Ravi Naik can be called the father of Conversions, Churchill Alemao as the father of Defection, Manohar Parrikar surely qualifies to be termed as father of Destruction of Goa’s natural beauty and of U-turns. Can we forget that Manohar Parrikar during his earlier tenure had also tried to cut decades old trees lining Panjim-Campal road and similar protest like hugging the trees was led by Patricia Pinto. This is an indication that Parrikar has no respect for environment.

In the same breadth if Congress legislators can be accused of being looters and plunderers of Goa economy, BJP can be charged as looters, plunderers, communal and murderers of Coconut Tree.

They initially attempted to murder mangroves during the third bridge over Mandovi but were stopped in their track by the Supreme Court of India. Besides the coconut tree they have also planned the destruction of identified eco-sensitive zones in the Goa.

Goa has to be salvaged from the greedy BJP vultures otherwise Goa is in a great danger of completing losing its natural beauty, its identity, its character and uniqueness.

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Luizinho Faleiro – Will he, will he not contest the upcoming Assembly elections?

By Nisser Dias                                                                                 

 

With the announcement that Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president is going to contest the Assembly election from Navelim constituency by his man-Friday Moti Dessai, Congress seems to have started digging its grave deeper.

 

One of the reasons that the Congress had fared so badly at the 2012 polls was because party tickets was being allotted to the same old fogies (faces). The party does not seem to have learnt its lessons.

 

Worse still is the recent statement of the GPCC vice-president Moti Dessai that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro to contest from the Navelim assembly segment. This is akin to the old shepherd leading his old flock from the front thereby denying youngsters to lead from the front.

 

It might be a tactical error by Dessai by blurting out part of a strategic plan but the damage is already done as intentions or willingness to contest seems to have exposed.

 

If the president himself indicates his willingness to contest how can he convince old faces to hang their boots is the questions that comes to mind. What is the message that is being sent to the youth who maybe inspiring and even preparing to throw their hat in the ring.

 

Undoubtedly, given the present scenario, Luizinho Faleiro has a good chance of winning back the Navelim seat for the Congress as the constituents are dis-enchanted with the present incumbent as he does not show the leadership qualities required for the job.

 

For the last three years at every national function where he had to hoist the National Flag, Navelim MLA and Fisheries minister Avertano Furtado has been promising to complete the south Goa District hospital but it is still lying in ruins. He has also been promising support for English as one of the choices for Medium of Instruction in school but it remains only on paper. He fails to compel or coerce powers that be to do his will. Basically Avertano Furtado cannot assert himself and ends up calling ‘Sir’ to government rather than demanding respect and authority.

 

On the other hand Luizinho Faleiro has tendency to be the absolute ruler and rough-shod not only his constituents but also public servants. Lest we forget that he was nicked-named ‘Salazar’ during his tenures as chief minister.

 

Winning or losing the seat is another matter. The most important exercise that the Congress must undertake is to redo its image which has been damaged by the old guard of Congress legislators. As long as these veterans have a say or are allotted tickets, corruption, nepotism will continue and hence the image of the party is unlikely to undergo any transformation.

 

Instead of announcing that Faleiro will contest from Navelim Assembly segments, Congress should have show-cased their gen-next candidates. Campaigning for them should have been underway so as to field strong candidate.

 

This does not seem to be the case. It seems that GPCC’s hidden agenda is to allot tickets to the same old legislators including defeated ones by later stating that they youth did not come forward.

 

For a moment, let us assume that youth are not coming forward to join the Congress party in Goa. The reason for the draught is that their voice is never heeded by the old order which is still ruling the roost.

 

And Luizinho Faleiro is also one of the old faces. By now he should have handed the reins of GPCC to younger generation so as to salvage the almost buried ship. There seems to a cardinal rule in the Congress party ‘Never let the younger generation come-up’.

 

After all said and done Moti Dessai blundered and the price to pay will be heavy. GPCC might have clarified that Luizinho is yet decide to contest but the damage is already done and this very statement is going to alienate the youth further.

 

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Whom do we vote for this Assembly Election? Goa in catch-22 situation.

By Nisser Dias                                                                                         

While ushering in the year 2012, every Goan was awaiting the general elections. Reason being we had reached a saturation point wherein we just could not accept the astronomical levels of corruption of the Congress led government. Not to forget Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) was also part and parcel of this government.

In the election that ensued on 3^rd March 2012, Goans cast their ballot decisively. Congress received a drubbing at the electoral battle and was reduced to a single digit in the Legislative Assembly.

BJP bounced back to power after sitting in the Opposition for seven long years with a majority or rather as the single largest party. To some extent there was a sigh of relief. People’s aspirations were further elevated with Manohar Parrikar after taking oath as then Chief Minister announcing his grand plan of ‘Zero tolerance to corruption’, setting-up of Lokayukta in 100 days and many other promises and assurances.

Sadly, the BJP government turned out to be as bad if not worse than the Congress led government. Corruption at every level of governance rose to dizzying heights. Only difference was that corruption took a sophisticated turn. The ugly head of communalism emerged back again and the fringe elements belonging to the party or its parent organisation, the RSS became boastful and violent.

Within six months in power people’s hopes were dashed then chief minister Manohar Parrikar by reviving construction of airport at Mopa against the wishes of people, construction of third bridge over river Mandovi, when priority should have been given to construction of a bridge over Zuari river. This is what is called sophisticated corruption. There are many are instances like scam in e-tendering and others and it would take volumes to note all down.

People lost all the faith in BJP government with Parrikar as Chief Minister when he could bring to book the culprit who raped a minor girl in a school. This was the pits, infact one can safely say, had he agreed to the people’s demand to transfer the case to CBI, the victim might have got justice. But he thought his police were capable who bundled up the investigations and only when the trail of the rapist had gone cold did he hand over the case to CBI.

One could safely say that Manohar Parrikar’s third tenure as Chief Minister was poor.

The question that arises is whether he was elevated to Centre as Defence Minister as a face saving exercise or cover-up his bungling of State administration on for his number of U-turns? Incidently it is seen as he is also not doing a job at the Centre. Recently India Today in its esteemed magazine had stated that Parrikar left meeting with the three Chiefs of Defence (Navy, Army and Air Force) half way to fly to Goa. It is an open secret that he is in Goa from Friday to Sunday. He has been criticized for being in Goa while terrorists attacked the biggest defence base in India at Pathankot last week.

The present scenario under present Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar is not any better. And for his bad even his own brother-in-law was nabbed red-handed and arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau for accepting bribe. Sadly, the upright superintendent of police and the police inspector who carried out the operation have since been hauled-up, abused and transferred to obscure posting in the police department.

We have experienced corruption during Congress rule and are presently undergoing the trauma of seeing corrupt and communal rule of the BJP. Hence what is the option before us? Whom do we vote for?

National political parties have let Goa down, regional parties have been a no-show in the state largely because of the involvement of certain personalities. The only untested political outfit which neither can said to be national nor can be termed as regional is AAP.

But that too is ruled over by an IITian who at times can be despotic and arrogant. At the same what is the presence of AAP here in Goa. Though there is skeleton presence in the State, it lacks ground network, dedicated workers. There are some high profile members but they too do not have mass base.

Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardessai the lone opposition voice in the Goa Assembly is trying his best to drub-up support for a regional outfit along with some other MLAs. Will the voters accept them is a question mark.

Hence Goans will be in real catch-22 situation for the rapidly nearing elections which will be held either during the fag end of 2016 or early 2017.

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