Dress code for Carnaval 2016, the Tourism minister must be joking

Yes, you have read and heard it right, the tainted and painted Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar has decided to introduce a dress code for 2016 carnival. And his logic is to stop vulgarity.

It is sheer height of ignorance of this minister who has travelled the globe at taxpayers cost and not learnt the meaning of carnival. Carnival means a festive season of merry-making, feasting, masquerading wearing unusual clothes and dancing. It is simply fun and frolic usually held in the streets of villages, towns or cities three days before Lent.

‘Carni’ also stands for carnivorous and ‘Val’ denotes festival. Hence it translates into Christians before going into 40 days of Lenten season could enjoy meats. And from ‘Ash Wednesday’ observe fast and abstinence of meats.

I doubt if the Tourism Minister Parulekar has any knowledge of this aspect of carnival. But by his stupid plan to introduce dress code, he has taken half the charm out of carnival.

Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar

So also by his order he has over-ruled the decree of King Momo who is supposed to be the ruler for the three days of carnival. King Momo before setting on his entourage declares the carnival open and passes his decree to eat, drink and make merry during his three day rule.”

Parulekar has not spelled out what he means by vulgar. Does that mean when men dance wearing women clothes? Does it curtail women and girls wearing short outfits or does it prohibit display of cleavage?

The ministers in the BJP government be it their own Dilip Parulekar or MGP PWD minister Sudin Dhavlikar seems to have some sort of complex. This Dhavlikar had sought to ban wearing bikini on the beaches. It seems like these men are skewed in their heads to the extent that they act like perverts themselves.

Instead of making observations of who is wearing what or adopting a stance of deciding for the women what they should wear is an insult to the fairer sex itself. Clothed or nude nobody has the right to molest, abuse, violate or rape women. Goa would be better off if these two ministers channelize their energies in providing safety to women.

Keeping our women safe from prowlers and rapists. Three years old toddlers are being raped, 6 years old children are being raped, 60 years old women are being raped. Is it because they were scantily dressed? No, it is because of the perverted minds of men who look at fairer sex as an object of pleasure.

The governments and its ministers should try to change the mindset of perverted men through education, reformatory measures or punishment. The government has to protect girls from eve-teasers, molesters, etc. Dress code or no dress code these perverted men flock to such revelry with one motive and that is to lay their hands on women.

Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar instead of enforcing dress code should use the police to be stringent with male revellers from passing vulgar comments, cat-calls  For using the excuse of applying talcum to molest girls. It would have been much better for PWD minister Sudin Dhavlikar to urge his government to act against those Indian men who ogle at women wearing bikinis at the beach instead of trying to stop women from wearing what they want.

It would have been prudent on the part the Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar to put warning notices all over the carnival parade grounds warning men of abusing festive mood to molest or violate the fairer sex.

Basically what these two ministers in the BJP government want to do in the long run is to stop western culture. But Sudin Dhavlikar and Dilip Parulekar are not ready to lead by example.

It is an open challenge to these two ‘montris’ to first shed their foreign underwears and instead wear ‘kashti’ (loin cloth). Then to discard their trousers and shirts and wear dhoti or lungi and sleeveless banyan (singlet) or kurta.

And if they cannot do that then they have no right to tell our womenfolk what to wear.

Send your comments/reactions to nisserdias@gmail.com Or SMS, whatsapp to 9422437029)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make Coconut Tree your Valentine

On Valentine’s Day, celebrated universally on February 14, a charitable trust in Goa has invited people to make coconut trees their valentine, to innovatively protest against the state government’s controversial decision to officially de-recognise the coconut palm as a tree.

Picture captured at dawn at Benaulim -- By Nisser Dias

 Armando Gonsalves, who is part of the Goa For Giving trust, told IANS that apart from celebrating the coconut tree for its multiple uses and its significance to Goa’s cultural identity, a unique photo contest is being organised in which lovers and married couples were invited to hug coconut trees.

“Valentine’s Day is a befitting day to respond to this draconian law which the Goa assembly passed on January 14, to de-recognise the coconut palm as a tree.

The ‘Coconut Love, Coconut Valentine’ photo contest is just one of the initiatives we have planned for the day,” Gonsalves said. The photo contest has three categories — the first one for lovers who can post a photo hugging a coconut tree, and the second for married couples.

“Those who don’t have a Valentine, can make the coconut tree their valentine for the day, hug the tree and send us the photos. That is the third category. It is the duty of every Goan to protect the coconut tree and protest against the law which goes against the interests of Goa,” Gonsalves said.

 On January 14, the Goa government amended the Goa, Daman and Diu Protection of Trees Act, 1984, dropping the coconut palm from the official list of trees.

 The amendment attracted a lot of criticism from the opposition, coalition partners of the ruling BJP as well as from the civil society, both in India and abroad.

While critics insist that the amendment was pushed by real estate and commercial interests, Forest and Environment Minister Rajendra Arlekar defended the amendment saying the law was amended to benefit coconut farmers to cut old and non productive palms without having to undergo bureaucratic delays.

 On February 14, civil society activists will publicly hug trees at two locations along the national highway-17, where nearly two dozen coconut palms have been earmarked for felling.

“Subsequently, we have organised another event on the same day where food, music, which will accompany a cultural show involving songs and music about the coconut tree,” Gonsalves said.

Prajal Sakhardande of History-Heritage Action Group said they have also organised a ‘Coconut Valentine party’ at Zeebop at Utorda beach.

“There will be music, coconut art on display by Shalini Gaude, sweets made of coconut by Sufala Gaitonde, tender coconut stalls etc”, he said.

In addition, they announced that Adarsh Toraskar will be organizing Coconut Valentine programme in Ponda.

It would include two events - a painting competition for kids and a cookery competition for women, with coconut as the main ingredient.

Curtorim MLA Alex Reginald Lourenco at the press meet appealed to all the coconut-loving Goans to celebrate this year’s valentine in a similar creative manner, to protest against the government’s decision in a typical Goenkar style.

E-mail a picture also to me at nisserdias@gmail.com and see it on this blog

'Goa Forward' has got to get its priorities right before 2017 Assembly election.

By Nisser Dias

Yet another regional party has formed and christened as ‘Goa Forward’. And just like any other political party, be it National or Regional, promises made are galore but are hardly fulfilled at the end of the term. The captains make us believe them that they will us the heaven but we always end up deeper in hell.

Goa Forward too does not seem to inspire the confidence of the people at large and one cannot pander the sentiments of Goans and coconut trees and win elections. At the onset there are ideological differences among the three driving forces namely Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardessai, Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte and Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal behind the fledgling party.

Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardessai

How can the Goans even think of aligning with Sawal when as recently as this year wanted to move a Private member’s Bill in Assembly seeking official status to Marathi on par with Konkani.



Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte

Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal

How can Goan voters even entertain such thoughts. It is like this Independent legislator wants to enjoy the status as an MLA of Goa but his heart and soul is in Maharashtra.

Otherwise too, it seems that a casual approach has been adopted during the formation of the party. Credible personality like Prabhakar Timble have soiled his hands being a part of political outfit as he could not convincingly answer the barrage of questions posed to him by journalists.

His fumbled while answering some of the most important issues facing Goa today. For example he said, “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”.

The promoters of the party should have first discussed, debated, set their policy right and then publicly announce floating of a new party. When there is no clear line of thought or agenda for such important sectors, can the voters of Goa surrender the future fate of Goa with ‘Goa Forward’?

Party President Prabhakar Timble



Then we have issues like construction of airport at Mopa. This is major concern today as the State is being divided horizontally, North Goa and South Goa which is not very healthy trend.

Then we are being divided on basis of religion or the Medium of Instruction issue. Yes, Professor Timble has said that 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. In his own words. “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”.

Parents needed a concrete stand on this issue from “Goa Forward”. Being an academician, much concise statement was expected. Such a loose statement have been made by politicians from the BJP and Congress but when it comes to endorsing through amendment, legislation most of the politicians and political party tend to either distance themselves or allow the confusion to continue. Statement such as these, compromises Prabhakar Timble position.

Education and Health are considered to be the focal point of any governance because these two sectors are directly connected with the younger generation and population and both are in bad shape. Neither the Congress nor the BJP could give it the requisite direction and hence both the sectors are in doldrums.

I have already discussed part of the mess Education sector in Goa is facing, the other part is syllabus which urgently requires to be overhauled to suit modern times. For example students are made to learn history of Poland which is unnecessary and in the bargain India’s or Goa’s history is not given importance. Large portion of Geography has become obsolete but we continue to teach our students the same old geography which must have been written 50 years ago.

Coming to Health sector, government run hospitals are in a pathetic state. Goa Medical College (GMC) itself has chronic cancer due to negligence of the successive governments. Hospicio in Margao is not fit for animals to be housed and similar is the case with most of our primary health centres. I can easily state that the BJP has paid the least attention to Health sector and allowed it to be terminally ill.

The District Hospital at Fatorda which was started during Congress regime by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at the cost of hundred of crores of rupees was totally neglected by the BJP government. ‘Goa Forward’ has not spelt out its views on the health sector.

Basically, ‘Goa Forward’ as a political outfit is a brain-child of Fatorda MLA Vijay Sardessai has created a space for itself on the political canvas of Goa but fell short of spelling out the party’s views for the public that is looking forward for drastic change in socio-political scenario.

The press conference by Prabhakar Timble did not really ignite that burst of confidence in the voters as he was not very convincing. At the same time his comments that Shah Commission which recommended recovery of Rs. 35,000cr. from mining companies is not a judicial authority and that no judicial authority has passed any  order to recover the amount has created doubts in the minds of the voters about the personal motives and agendas of all the three MLAs backing the nascent political outfit.

Back of their mind, the voters know that ‘Goa Forward’ is a Vijay driven and Prabhakar Timble is just the Front. All over the State, Fatorda legislator’s rating are seen as the highest as he has been the sole Opposition to the BJP with Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco coming to close second. Of course Reginaldo has to carry the Congress baggage along, so to some extent he had to restrain himself as he knows the mess created by his own party during its rule.

At the same time we should also not forget that excellent Opposition Leaders do not make excellent Chief Ministers or rulers. Manohar Parrikar is an apt example of it.

That besides the point, undoubtedly ‘Goa Forward’ has got a head-start with all their flaws but as day closes-in for the election 2017, they have lot of spade-work to do to build the voter’s trust.

I can imagine that BJP will be in full force to tarnish the image of Vijay Sardessai. That he built his residence amidst agricultural property, that he sold land in Goa to outsiders. He should be ready with retorts.

But more than that ‘Goa Forward’ should put its head together on issues that are dogging Goa and come out with solution that is appealing to the majority of Goan population irrespective of caste, religion and political affiliation.

Such consensus cannot be done sitting in air-conditioned boardrooms, hotel lounges or suites and closed-door consultation. This has to be done at the ground level, interacting with people under the sun, by observing the views of the public, learning the aspiration of the parents and being the part of the solution and not the problem.

If Vijay Sardessai along with ‘Goa Forward’ can undertake such an exercise and feel the pulse of every section of the society, than this nascent party has my vote.

Send your comments/reactions to nisserdias@gmail.com Or SMS, whatsapp to 9422437029)