It is not a reality show but a reality – Earl Fortes

By Nisser Dias

Earl Fortes 

From a small canvas like Goa – a small state in India Earl Fortes for Orlim walked on to one of the largest platforms in entertainment and talent industry – American Idol at a mere age of 20 years.

Interacting with me from America, he said the journey from one side of the globe to the other didn’t start with getting on a plane and flying to the USA but started off as a seven year olds dream to be on that stage at some point of time in life.

“Ever since I auditioned for the producers virtually right until the day I auditioned on the big stage I had to pinch myself every morning just to remind that it is not a reality show but a reality. And I’ve been feeling it all the way.”

 Earl travelled for 2 days straight, 15 hours of layovers and 24 hours in the sky and it really was an adventure amidst a global pandemic.”

He said that he had a couple stops on the way here in Delhi and Newark and used his time between layovers just soaking it in that, “I was just living my dream and I kept reminding myself, I’m on my way to audition for the American Idol.”

Talking about taking on the big stage he said that the feeling cannot be explained with words. “It is exhilarating I’m glad I am the one and I’m going to give it my all to do my family and everyone who’s supporting me proud.”

When asked about his experience performing before superstars in the music industry, he said that adrenaline kept pumping even though I was in a boot recovering from a broken foot. “The thought of singing for Lionel Richie and Katy Perry and Luke Bryan gives me goose-bumps even now if I just think about it.”

Elaborating further he said that from the second he was slotted up to go on stage he felt his nerves creeping up, “as I approached the main stage I was freaking out, I had sweaty palms. I had a conversation with the judges before I performed. I was extremely nervous as I started strumming my guitar and that feeling didn’t seem to leave me until I was back in my room.”

Earl disclosed that he started off with an original song penned by him especially for the audition called “Any other way”, “this song means a lot to me because it's about my life and how I’ve been on a bumpy ride full of ups and downs and how I overcame the obstacles life laid down in front of me. Singing my original to the judges was a satisfying moment and experience.”

About meeting other hopefuls Earl said he came across talented musician from all over the world since he landed for the audition, “we socialized, jammed and learned so much about each one’s genre, everyone I met was just setting a vibe.”

When asked about the outcome of his performance, he simply teased, “for more of about American Idol, you guys are gonna have to tune in and watch next year.” 

Central BJP leadership should immediately sack incompetent Pramod Sawant – By Nisser Dias.

Pramod Sawant led BJP government in Goa has failed completely, not only to administer the state affairs and economy, he has exposed himself as a total failure in combating the drastic vertical rise in corona virus and Covid-19 deaths in the state of Goa.

CM Sawant violating Covid-19 norms

For a state that was declared as a green zone to turn into a red zone overnight speaks volumes of the aptitude and competence of the chief minister. And for this he should resign as chief minister or his party bosses at the centre should sack him.

From March when the country was forced into lockdown, there have been numerous instances of him mishandling the fight against spread of novel corona virus.

Even the people in the street could envisage the path that needed to be taken to keep corona virus in check, but the chief minister always strayed from that path and the consequence are for all to see. Goa has become ‘numro uno’ in the country in corona virus cases in terms of size and population of the state.

And now he has resorted to lying to the media for which he was rightly castigated and reprimanded by Governor Satya Pal Malik.

It would be in the interest of the state and its people that Pramod Sawant gracefully steps aside and hand-over the reins of the administration to other cabinet colleagues or advice the Governor to impose President’s rule in the state.

CM’s awful handling, planning and executing strategies to curb rising cases of corona virus and Covid-19 is woefully amateurish. It looks like the chief minister laid the red carpet for corona virus to infect so many people.

After staggered lifting of the first lockdown, the chief minister was advised not to open the borders for people to enter, but he did so. He was asked not to permit interstate buses, but he did. CM was asked not to allow trains to stop in Goa, but he did not heed that advice too.

It was not the Goan seafarers or expatriates that brought the virus to Goa, but the covidiot non-Goan chief minister of Goa that is wholly responsible for the mess Goa is in.

The bad decision did not stop, he went against the advice of his MLAs to lockdown Vasco city when cases started increasing in Mangor hill but he did not. The result is increasing numbers of positive cases and deaths.

Nisser Dias

And to top it all, nincompoop, highly inefficient, incompetent Pramod Sawant has become more of an evening news reader to a local channel where he comes just to read out the numbers of cases, deaths, recoveries and to make a fool of himself by stating deaths are not due to Covid-19 but due to co-morbidity.

Sawant should know that Goans are not buffoons like the parliament of buffoons he heads as chief minister.

The latest bad decision was to open up the wholesale fish market where thousands people rushed to buy fish.

And the resultant of all these bad decisions is another awful lockdown 2 for just three days. We all know by now that spread of corona virus cannot be wished away in 72 hours. And what purpose will 3 days lockdown serve. The curve will not flatten but revenue generation surely will.

For all the mismanagement, either the central BJP leadership should sack him or the Governor should.

PI Sagar Ekoskar – the goon in uniform – By Nisser Dias

Kudos to the Goa Union of Journalists for standing up to the police force and inviting the villagers from Shel-Melauli in Sattari taluka to voice their opposition against the proposed IIT in their village, which was denied to them in their own village.

Maverick PI Sagar Ekoskar

Valpoi police inspector Sagar Ekoskar should hang his head in shame for violating the Constitutional Right of every Indian which is ‘freedom of expression’. For which he should be suspended, made to read the Constitution of India and then dismissed from service or rather dis-service to the very people who pay his salaries.

It is an open secret who is behind the move to gag the voice of people. But the police should know when to listen to their political bosses.

Speaking of political bosses, shameless police officers like Sagar Ekoskar shed their spine to corrupt politician in power.

This disgraceful officer should realize, he had stood up against Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco when the latter was supporting tourist taxi operator’s protest against GoaMiles last year at Dabolim airport, but was crawling and lapping at his political master’s feet in Valpoi.

Coming to the politician’s lap-dog questioning the protestors whether they had permission to address the media? People never have to seek consent from any authority to address the media. This is a democratic country.

PI Sagar is a coward and had guts only to threaten senior citizens. This ‘goon in uniform’ threatened, pushed and pulled the protestors and took them to the police station.  

Why did he chicken out when Congress and AAP addressed the media the very next day at the same very place? It is because his master too did have the nerve and mettle to challenge. Sagar acted like at dog acting on his master’s command.

In the video that is circulating on the facebook, it is very clear that Ekoskar’s face mask is below his face, who is going to take action against this violation?

This police officer should first lead by example before lecturing others and that too senior citizens. It is trait of the goons to enforce their view on others. And they do it for gains.

This police officer does not have a good record at all. In 2018 while posted at Sanguem Police station, the women wing of Shiv Sena had demanded his immediate transfer not only for shoddy police work but also aligning with law breakers instead of upright citizens. Birds of the same feathers do flock together.

Speaking about permissions has PI Sagar Ekoskar sought the authorization of the Supreme Court to adorn his car GA-08-K-4946 with the darkest glass tint. He might argue that the car is registered in his wife’s name, but as a law keeper, he should have not allowed his wife to tint the glasses of her car. That he drives it everywhere is a different matter.

Nisser Dias

Sagar Ekoskar should remember the old saying, “It is public that pay his salaries unlike politicians who pay them bribes.”

Not that anybody has forgotten that Sagar Ekoskar tried to physically assault his superior and was suspended for it. The superior is now the superintendent of police. The instincts of goons never desert them and it does come to the fore when they see a weak prey.

And these senior citizens were a weak prey and because it was in distant Valpoi, he escaped the wrath of it. if he ever tries it in Salcete, he would get a taste of his own medicine.

Has the maverick police officer Sagar Ekoskar and his master got the guts to take on GUJ for inviting his victims to Panjim to address the media. I doubt it.