Heritage building ‘Camara Municipal de Salcete’ to get a breadth of life. -- By Nisser Dias

Camara Municipal de Salcete in the old market at Margao a heritage building where history is engraved not in print and ink but in blood and bullets. This historic structure which was neglected for decades has got a new lease of life with the current Council body working out the modalities to take over the building from the private owners by compensating them and restoring it to its past glory.

A view of 'Camara' building in its present condition.

It is historic because the Portuguese rulers opened fire and killed innocent Goans to win elections.

On September 21, 1890 it was the day for Municipal elections under the erstwhile regime of the Portuguese rulers. Around 6000 voters from Margao and surrounding villages had come to Margao to cast their ballot.

The political parties in the fray were - Partido Indiano – a popular local outfit who held the reins of administration for many years and Partido Ultramarino – a party backed by the Portuguese who at any cost want to win the elections.

What was supposed to be peaceful election turned out to be a blood bath as Maj. Filipe Torres ordered to open fire on innocent people leaving 23 dead and few hundred injured.

Similar act was re-enacted 29 year later at Amritsar’s Jallianwalla Bagh in Punjab but by the British.

Former MMC chairperson, writer and author of ‘Soaring Spirit’ Valmiki Faleiro dedicated a chapter in his book to this building stating, “"Stately, by the standards when it was built in 1770, and elegant even until the mid-20th century, the old municipal building was constructed by the state with funds squeezed out of overtaxed Salcete gaunkaris (the municipal senate covered the entire taluka). The senado (senate) was formed in the year 1775. Margao was elevated to the status of a vila (town) on April 3, 1778. The civic body was raised to the status of a municipality in 1822-24."

Incidentaly the present council too has used the part funds allotted for burial grounds for acquiring this dilapidated heritage building from the original owners says ward councillor Glen Andrade. He further said that the previous council had resolved to demolish the building as it was unsafe but we have passed a resolution to buy it from the owner Alina Araujo Vaz and sent it to Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) for approval. “I worked very hard for it meeting the MLA and TCP minister several times over the issue to somehow make it possible to restore. Vijay Sardessai was keen in preserving the structure but question was how to generate the funds but he came up with the solutions and I am happy that in a couple of years the building will be restored to its originality.”

Faleiro in his books states that the south Goa taluka's municipal offices were housed in the rear part of the ground floor and the entire upper floor of the building.

The facade on the ground floor had six shops three on either side of the entrance porch.

The author also states that the old camara building was substantially renovated in 1873, it partly collapsed in 1897 and 1898. In April 1898, the offices of the Camara were shifted to a premises at a location which is now the new municipal market.

In 2009 with Savio Coutinho as the chairperson of  Margao Municipal Council had adopted a resolution to acquire and conserve the Camara building, on grounds that the building is of great heritage and historical importance.

But the last council under chairperson Arthur D’silva had listed it to be demolished given its dilapidated condition however senior citizens and heritage lovers raised a banner of protest because of which the proposal had to be dropped.

Fatorda MLA and minister for Archives and Archaeology Vijay Sardessai said, “In my opinion the issue has to be settled properly and the owners should get their dues for the property. Secondly I am working on a package to settle the tenants occupying the building and thirdly the experts will be roped in for its restoration which will be funded through Archives and Archaeology department.”

Valmiki Faleiro said, “the present municipal council, headed by an erudite and highly qualified professional, plans to acquire and restore the heritage building. For the first time, too, the local MLA Vijay Sardessai, has shown firm and unwavering commitment to heritage protection and conservation. This happily augurs well for the future of the historic building, which many had written off as irredeemable.

Chief minister demoralizes teachers on Teacher's Day. -- By Nisser Dias

The journey of every doctor, engineer, scientist, astronaut, technocrat, programmer, architect, accountant, analyst and all other professions begins under the watchful eyes of the most important person – Teacher.

And that is the reason ‘Teacher’s Day’ is celebrated in over hundred countries. The day is celebrated as a token of gratitude or appreciation for these architects of character who mould a child to be a man or a woman of substance, calibre or essence.

Sadly chief minister Manohar Parrikar who holds the Education portfolio too, turned this year’s Teacher’s Day on its head and made it a ‘Black Day’. Instead of addressing the teachers, he was urging the students to complain to him about teachers not answering their questions through emails.

How could a chief minister even think so loudly. Instead of asking the students to see things in a positive perspective he was instilling negative thoughts in the frail young minds making teachers vulnerable.

As an education minister it was his bounden duty to boost the morale of the teachers’ fraternity while urging them to reach higher goals and standards so their products (students) become the shining lights of Goa and this country.  But no, Parrikar speech was more like political rhetoric during election meetings, maybe a hangover from the recent conclusion of campaigning for bye-election, wherein he was the candidate.

In the back of his mind, he should have remembered that Goa is second in literacy rating in the country. Parrikar’s duty should have been to inspire, motivate, enthuse confidence in the teacher to achieve the first place in the country but sadly he was discouraging teachers and encouraging students to have a right over them.

He should have realized that behind every successful man and woman, there is an unsung hero – a teacher who silently enjoys tears of happiness when she sees her students succeed, but he was killing this concept.

One would expect from a chief minister that the teachers be asked for their inputs to improve the syllabus, to improve the standard of education and overall development of students, his advice should have been to urge experienced teachers to guide young teachers, his advice to young teachers should have been to learn from the vast experience in handling students from the older teachers, his advice should have been to be abreast of the fast growing technology, teaching and guiding methods.

More-over the chief minister’s advice should have been to be cautious of corporal punishment but he went off on a tangent putting the noose around the teacher’s necks and giving the other end to the students.

And why does the chief minister of a State need to intervene in such matters when there is a principal and headmaster/headmistress, PTA, deputy director and director of education. There are well set checks and balances which can handle issues in schools.

How can the chief minister even think of make such utterances to the students when he himself is burdened with key portfolios like finance, home, education besides others.

Nisser Dias

He should have asked the teachers ways and means to improve government run schools which are in shambles. He should be concerned and concentrate of revolutionizing the infrastructure in the government schools. These schools are run in ram shackled rooms where one teacher teaches two standards in the same room. These schools are where the roof is collapsing. These schools where there are no toilets and playgrounds. The list can be never ending. Successive governments have not anything about it, this is where his focus is required.  

Alas! It is rather a sorry state of affairs where the administration is run by rhetoric and false promises but not by deeds and action.

 

Lopsided lessons on freedom of expression does not impress anybody. -- By Nisser Dias

Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has a habit of only advising people but never accepting advise from others because of his ‘know it all attitude’.

Recently he was addressing the students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Goa during the convocation ceremony at Ponda, wherein he said, “people talk about their right to freedom of expression, what about the duties, responsibilities and accountability”.

Was the chief minister giving a lecture in Civics? Does anywhere in the ‘Constitution of India’ freedom of expression is interspersed with duties, responsibilities and accountability? Parrikar should answer this first.

The biggest or rather chronic problem with this man is that he thinks only he knows everything and rest know nothing.

This man has to be told that this generation are responsible as they want to see their nation among the developed countries but are being mislead and manipulated by politicians.

The young are contributing in their own way towards the progress of Goa. Has Parrikar the politician failed to realize that Goa’s or India’s biggest enemy is the politician himself as they want to cling to power. Let him ask himself one simple question who leads youth to take up violence? Is it not the politician or political parties? How was Babri Masjid broken? Who lead the lakhs of youth. Have some of those young men from Goa who participated in it demolition not become politicians today?

It is the political class of people who have become insipid in their thoughts, words and deeds and are not allowing the young to take wheel and steer Goa to progress.

Secondly he was advising the graduating students to look beyond earning money and dedicate some years of their professional life for the development of the county.

Manohar Parrikar should first realize that as long as power hungry politicians continue in the political arena, continue with their corrupt practices, continue with their redundant ways of thinking, building bridges where bridges already exists so on and so forth the youth will have to get on with their lives.

He goes on to advise the young minds to give their two, three, five years to the people. Parrikar should recall what he told the press way back when he entered politics, he had said that he sought permission from his late wife to give him 10 years in public life. It is more than 24 years now but he is still dabbling in politics and does not want to make way for young blood. Infact the young blood that was infused in his place was forced to vacate and this man is advising the contrary. Have we all not seen and heard him telling one of Goa’s media channel in 2012 that it would be his last election but he contested again this year.

Can such a charlatan character who himself does not practice what he believes be allowed to preach graduating students? For me it is a complete no-no.

At the same time while chief minister was lecturing students in Ponda, his cabinet colleague Revenue minister Rohan Khante was also addressing students in Porvorim on the same topic of freedom of speech and expression during which he slashed out at NRI Goans for criticizing the government.

Khaunte must first understand that living standards of Goans here in Goa have risen due to the foreign currency NRIs have pumped into the State due to which the GDP has increased. NRIs have sought employment in other countries since successive governments could not and even now provide employment.

Revenue Minister Rohan
Khaunte

Take their criticism constructively as Goans in UK, US and Gulf regions are  experiencing the quality of education, health, transport and through their criticism trying to convince the government that it is high time Goans are provided such facilities. They are criticizing because politicians of all hues have become hard of hearing of the woes of the common-man. They are criticizing because just like us in Goa, NRIs are also convinced that the main aim of the politicians is to fill their pockets and coffers to last them a few generations.

Nisser Dias

The ruling dispensation in Goa is under fire and criticism is because of the manner in which they formed the government. Rohan took the support of the Congress to get re-elected and then for the sake of power jumped on the BJP bandwagon. His very elevation to the ministerial post is based on chicanery and falsehood but has the gall to lecture students on freedom of expression and target the NRI Goans.

It is said that one useless man is a shame, two of them is a law firm and three or more of useless men is a government. This is what Manohar Parrikar’s cabinet is all about.

What Goa does not need are more unemployed politicians to tell the young minds or young generation the difference between wrong or right.

If at all these politicians need to set an example for the students, they should first vacate their position from the high pedestal and earn a living just like the common man does and not rely on tax payers money to keep their hearth burning.

Conclusively we know our fundamental rights, our duties and responsibilities. And while all of us are accountable to the laws of the land, it is the politicians who are not or think they are above the law.