More than four Goans give up Indian passports for Portuguese passports everyday

4 GOANS GIVE UP INDIAN PASSPORTS EVERYDAY 

1613 PASSPORTS WERE SURRENDERED FOR PORTUGUESE ONES IN 2014


Did someone say we in Goa want 'Special Status'? With four Goans heading to the Goa passport office to surrender their Indian passports daily, with their Portuguese ones firmly in their pockets, Goa is soon running out of those who are ready to remain Indian. Their future is in the European Union and the status they get there. 

Herald Review January 25, 2015


LISA ANN MONTEIRO 


Bustling with activity during the last festive season, the villages of Siridao, Agassaim and Goa Velha in Tiswadi will once again witness a certain emptiness as locals on Portuguese passports return to the UK and France. Figures with the passport office in the State indicate 1613 Goans between January- December 2014 have surrendered their Indian passports to obtain Portuguese passports. The actual figure is much higher with many Goans in Europe surrendering their Indian passports at the nearest embassy.

With the sheer number of people searching for their deceased grandparents’ baptism and marriage certificates, most Church offices in the villages of Tiswadi have their staff working overtime. St Lawrence Church in Agassaim gets around eight requests for certificates each day. “ When they can’t find records at the Registrar’s office, they send them here. Half the population of Agassaim is already in the UK,” Fr Victor Rodrigues, assistant parish priest says. Xavier Gracias, ex sarpanch and panch member from Agassaim seconds this. The vote bank in the village was 5000 a decade ago, he says. Today it is 2500.

Siridao, a small fishing village has been the worst hit by the large numbers migrating. Parish priest Fr Hermogenes Fernandes who took charge in June 2011 has seen 200 people emigrate in his time, with many on their way. A census of the Catholic population done in the year 2000 indicated a population of 2000. Today the Catholic population in the village is not more than 300 he says. 

Contribution in Church 

The fall in numbers has also affected activities in Church. “ Sometimes I have to teach catechism. The parish council which had 18 members is now left with five members. It is the same people who are in the youth group and in the Legion of Mary who also double as catechists,” Fr Hermogenes Fernandes says.

In Agassaim, despite the many announcements made for the youth to come forward to help in making a crib for Christmas, no one showed up. The few villagers pitched in and began work on it only on the afternoon of December 24. “ All our church activities are adjusted to their needs. We used to have fixed dates for the sacrament of Communion. Today we have it multiple times a year when families come down for two weeks,” Fr Victor Rodrigues says.

Many prefer to return to their village to marry as well. Rodrigues has seen 18 weddings of outstation Goans in Agassaim in January this year. Outstation youth looking for partners no longer visit the State in large numbers during vacation time. Many are opting for intercultural marriages. Antonio Afonso, Sarpanch of Siridao has seen around eight mixed marriages in his village where Goans living in Paris wed their French partners. “They had the nuptials and reception in Goa and followed all traditions. The entire family on the French side also came down and stayed for two weeks. This is probably a less expensive option for them,” he says.

In Goa Velha, Fr Emidio Pinto, parish priest of St Andrew Church, says the most productive and vibrant section of the population in the age group 20- 40 have left. The low attendance in Church doesn’t affect him however. “Even if I have 100 people in the parish, I will create the feeling of a Church. In fact I have a Church that extends all over the world,” he says.

Goans in Swindon are active on the Church front. The Holy Rood Church in Swindon is packed with Goans on Sundays with only a few English attending mass. “Goans do the reading, participate in the choir and contribute monetarily in Church. During the renovation of the Church the Goans even organised a tiatr in aid of it. Konkani mass is held every second Saturday. Every village feast of Tiswadi is celebrated with Konkani mass followed by a dine and dance with a band formed by Goans of course,” Simplicio De Silva based in Swindon told Herald Review.

Children in tow 

Formerly children would be left behind with one parent, an aunt or grandparent. Today the entire families including old parents migrate to Europe on Portuguese passports.

The children don’t wait till they have completed school and many aren't even interested in studies. Sr Lina Dias, principal Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, Goa Velha, has seen at least five students from kg to the tenth standard leave mid way during the last academic year. “The number of locals in the school have fallen drastically and migrants’ children are taking their place. Locals are now a minority in our school. Local students in the process of getting their visas simply stop coming to class. When I urge them to continue until formalities are complete they say ‘ no need sister, everything is ready’. Most are unable to concentrate on their studies and others aren’t bothered.” Some weak students of hers studying in class eight and nine left for the UK and never completed their education there, taking up jobs at that young age instead.

Antonio Afonso says his village consisted of traditional fisher folk and toddy tappers where villagers in the years gone by couldn't afford a cycle and found it difficult to educate their children. Today they are happy in the UK and in France. “ Their living standards have improved.They have been able to build a house, own a car and have educated their children. They have changed their lives and have even taken their old parents to live with them.” 

Those who went to Swindon around seven years managed to get a permanent job and many have a second temporary job on the side. Recent emigrants have found it difficult to secure permanent employment with some working 6- 10 hours a week. Many are also migrating from Swindon to Southall and other parts of the UK in search of jobs. 

Situation not vacant

Simplicio De Silva living in Swindon says there are around 12,000 Goans of which around ninety percent are from the Tiswadi taluka. Many are engaged in manual jobs in warehouses and factories as warehouse operatives and production operatives. Only around five percent could actually be doing desk jobs. “The work system here is on an hourly basis and it is very unpredictable that you will be able to get work the next hour or the next day. You get paid at the end of the week based on the number of hours you put in the week. An average Goan could be working in three different companies within a span of six months. There is no job security and jobs are difficult to come by. Working conditions too are very difficult and if you are caught idle even for a minute or if you’re too slow compared to your team you could be chucked out at the drop of a hat. The nature of most work is such that you need to lift an average weight of 20 kgs and very quickly. Goans also have to brave the harsh cold conditions and even a hint of racial behaviorism from their employers.” 

Fr Emidio Pinto who runs a counseling clinic says he receives around 15 calls each day from Goans in the UK, asking for solutions to their problems and for prayers too. “Many work only two to four days a week. Others are addicted to gambling. Parents also call up complaining about their children following western lifestyle, going for parties when they’re 16 and to pubs when they’re 18.” Since gambling is legal in the country, many bet on soccer in open challenges. Others visit casinos. Antonio Afonso knows of cases where the family is down in Goa but the husband hasn't been able to come down for four years after spending all his money betting.

Lavish and locked 

After working abroad many are able to fulfill their dream of building a ground plus one bungalow in the village. Never mind that this is locked today or inhabited by one surviving grandparent. There are some who have inaugurated and blessed their new bungalows but never returned. Others have begun renting out a room by the side of their home to migrants. Villagers haven’t begun selling their houses though.

These bungalows are all the development the village of Siridao has witnessed, sarpanch Antonio Afonso says. However, the bigger houses haven’t translated into higher revenue for the panchayat with the owners continuing to pay the same old house tax of Rs 150.

“Since a family’s plot is small, when it is further divided each family member’s plot is even smaller. They aren’t able to keep any set backs when they build their house so they don’t go to the Town and Country Planning department to get their houses approved. This is unfortunate and the government should regularise these houses so that the panchayat can get revenue. They should be paying a construction license fee of Rs 15,000 minimum. The owners don’t mind paying but their houses are still considered illegal so under what law can I collect money from them? Review Bureau 

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The Harappans- Ahead of their Time

Ahead of their time  

Herald Review January 14, 2015

Distinguished archaeologist and specialist in Harappan civilization, Prof Vasant Shinde highlighted the contribution of Harappan civilization to the development of science and technology in India and the world during a recent presentation at the NIO. 

LISA ANN MONTEIRO 

Archaeologist and Vice Chancellor of Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune visited the State recently and took listeners 5000 years back in time to appreciate the ancient Harappan civilization, focusing on their contribution to present day science and technology.

Spread over two million sq kms, the area covered by the Harappan civilization is larger than that covered by the Mesopotamian civilization. The Harappan civilization was officially identified on September 20, 1924. Sites have been found as far as Russia in the north. Prior to Independence only 100 Harappan sites were known of which only two were in India. Today 2000 Harappan sites have been discovered of which 1500 are located in India in the northwest part. The largest of these is Rakhigarhi in Haryana, followed by Mohenjo Daro in Punjab province in Pakistan, Harappa in Sindh province in Pakistan and Dholavira in Gujarat.

Sadly when given a choice, Shinde says, people prefer to visit ancient Egypt because there’s lots of monumental architecture to see including temples, buildings, pyramids and figureheads.

“There’s nothing like that at the Harappan sites. Although the Harappans were technologically equally advanced compared to the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, they didn’t build monuments.

Their philosophy was different and they were more practical in their approach.

They knew these were of no use to common people and although they had a lot of wealth and used metal, they preferred to use it for the protection and betterment of their people. They created well planned and fortified cities with excellent drainage systems,” Shinde who has 34 years of experience in archaeology and has conducted over 40 excavations around the world, said.

What’s interesting too is that the Harappans created and managed their large empire for a long period of time without using violence. No evidence of warfare has been found at these sites.

They were pioneers of their time in the way they planned their cities and in the building methods they used. Each household had a well and a latrine. Each latrine was connected to a drainage which was connected to the main drainage of the city which was emptied outside the city wall. This proved that their cities were clean and hygienic. Many concepts like that of the commode and swimming pool thought to be western were also found in this civilization.

The Great Bath area found at Mohenjo Daro, Shinde says is an exact replica of the modern day swimming pool. It had steps only used for maintenance and changing rooms on either side. A well built nearby was used to periodically circulate the water in the bath area.

The Harappan’s knowledge of mathematics could be seen in the perfectly perpendicular structures they built. Each brick was created in proper ratio. While constructing they also used what’s now known as the English bond method where bricks are laid in alternate headers and stretchers.

In the city of Dholavira which was one of the most fortified cities, it is believed the locals followed the panchayat system where everyone would pitch in to help build. “ No evidence of the use of slavery was found to build the large walls and the entire city,” Shinde says.

The perfect planning of their cities meant that they had an excellent water harvesting system in place too. The area was largely desert and occasional rainfall suddenly gave way to flash floods. They built dams and underwater tanks, arresting water and diverting it to the huge tanks connected to the city through underground channels. To build these tanks, they dug into solid rock most probably by putting wooden pegs at the groves of the stones to crack them before pulling them out. This was a highly advanced technique which is still being followed today. Excavations revealed that they not only traded in small precious goods but in building materials too. The credit for the earliest dockyard cum port anywhere in the world also goes to the Harappan civilization. Located at the port town of Lothal in Gujarat, it would cater to ocean going ships.

Through the furrow marks in the land, archaeologists find that the Harappans followed the rotation system in agriculture, double cropping in winter and summer. The agricultural implements including the plough used were not very different from those used today.

The pear shaped pottery kilns, the technique of pottery and the basic shape of the pots continue to be used today.Pots were made on fast wheels and perfectly fired with no impurities. Decorations were made before firing them so the designs remained permanent. The technique used to perforate precious stones continues to be used today. At the Gola Dhoro site in Bagasara, Gujarat, the Harappans would import raw materials and produce and export the finished products back to the same people. At Harappa and Dholavira too manufacturing centres were found.

The continuity in the philosophy of rebirth can also be seen Shinde said. “The Harappans never buried their dead with gold. They buried them with pots with food and water, ornaments and tools because they believed they needed this for their next life.” The decline of the Harappan civilization was gradual. “By 4000 BC the climate turned dry the world over and all major civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia declined at the same time. By 2000 BC the Saraswati River had dried up and all 30 Harappan Ports for sea trade fell into disuse,” Shinde said.

His visit also culminated in an MOU being signed between the NIO and Deccan College, Pune for collaboration on matters relating to marine archaeology.

Tourism prospects

Only two Harappan sites Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat are open for tourists. Deccan College in collaboration with the Haryana State Department of Archaeology is planning to excavate part of the site at Rakhigarhi in Haryana and preserve it for the public. “A museum is also planned at the site, land for which has already been acquired by the State government. There are also plans to convert some of the old Havelis in the village into guest- houses for tourists. This will promote tourism industry at the site and economic development of the village as well as the region,” Shinde says.

New Excavations

Early this year while on a visit to Rakhigarhi in Haryana a team of archaeology teachers and students from Deccan College discovered new mounds two hectares each in size. “One of them appears to be an industrial part as ample burning patches on the surface were found. These are parts of the settlement at Rakhigarhi which were not reported earlier,” Shinde says. This discovery helped offi- cially prove that the site at Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan civilization site. Mohenjo Daro in Pakistan was considered the biggest among the 2000 Harappan sites prior to this finding. Excavation months are from December to March and major work is being planned at Rakhigarhi this season by this University. The team has already left for the preparation. The other excavations proposed are at the Stone Age site of Tikoda in MP, historical place at Junnar in Maharashtra and small scientific work for sample collection at Mad Pimpali in Maharashtra and Dwarka in Gujarat.

Protection needed

Of the 1500 Harappan sites in India Shinde says only a few important ones are being protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Almost all the other sites are not fenced, open to everyone and are being destroyed due to expansion of agricultural activities or developmental works. “The ASI and state departments of Archaeology need to bring all those surviving sites under protection. There is need to educate common people about the importance of cultural heritage of the country and get their involvement in their protection,” Shinde says. It is not only India but most countries in South Asia, save Sri Lanka that are as bad as India in protecting heritage sites. No proper policy exists on this aspect.

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Review Bureau

Pitching Higher- Jose Neil Gomes

Pitching higher   

January 14, 2015

Multi-instrumentalist Jose Neil Gomes from Benaulim is in demand in the music scene in Mumbai. Choosing not to get too comfortable with the commercial music scene, he will soon be releasing his first in a series of nine albums.

LISA ANN MONTEIRO  

Jose Neil Gomes plays the violin, guitar, cello, saxophone, flute, clarinet, and piano -among other 20-odd instruments -with equal ease and élan. All of 27, he is much in demand in the commercial music scene in Mumbai. The youngest member of Sufi artist Kailash Kher’s band Kailasa, Gomes is also part of vocalist Sunidhi Chauhan’s troupe travelling from Australia and Auckland to Trinidad and Tobago for shows.

It’s difficult then to believe that Gomes born and brought up in Benaulim didn’t particularly enjoy learning the violin as a young boy and never saw music shaping his future. He left home at 13 to be a priest, joining the seminary in Saligao and then Rachol. When it was time to decide on a college he enrolled at St Xaviers in Mumbai choosing to study journalism. It was here that he was exposed to different genres of music and musicians. He picked up the violin again, this time willingly, learnt a few horn instruments too, played for the college band and was hooked. Before he knew it he was receiving offers to play jingles, background scores and accompany musicians including Sidd Couto, Jazzy Joe, A R Rahman, Hitesh Sonik, Vasudha Sharma, Sherrin Varghese and Imaad Shah. He realised that priesthood wasn’t his calling. Music was.

But he isn’t cut out for the commercial scene, a firm believer in the art of music. “If the producer tells you what to do then that’s not songwriting. When doing jingles you’re already given a situation and this for me is the most crude form of art because you’re just collecting the energy that is around you and converting it into something tangible. Some good work may come out of it but it’s not art at all. It’s all about copy pasting,” he says.  

In the past he says there would be a single man handling the scene between the musicians and the ad film director. Today even for a thirty second jingle there will be not less than five people from the media company and another five from the client’s company who don’t have the slightest clue about  music and have heard little else beyond Bollywood music, telling the musicians what and what not to do. “It’s like taking human boredom and making it sound flowery,” Gomes vents.  

The commercial scene has allowed him to earn very well and travel the world and it’s very easy to get comfortable with that kind of life he says. “There’s a lot of work coming for me and it’s up to me to say this is not the work I want to do.” He owes this drive within him to his formation in the seminary. “It kept me on my toes all the time and this has helped in my song writing. It’s quite a deal to arrange 63 songs at one go and it has come because of that constant pushing and striving to be better,” he says talking of his latest songwriting project Grass is Green. He has plans to launch a series of nine albums with nine songs each, titled ‘A Stitch in Nine’. Of the 81 songs, he has 63 ready with arrangements a few of which he has already recorded. His first album is on the eclectic side with a mix of instrumental, lyrical and choral music. He began working on his project four years ago and decided to take it slow until he found the right people to work with. Guitar maestro Sanjay Divecha will be producing his first album and he hopes to have a worldwide release too. 

The independent music scene in the country depresses him. There’s no money and no crowd for good independent music. “When there’s crappy music playing there are crowds and crowds. I’ve had friends playing at the Royal Albert Hall in UK and the Nokia Theatre in LA and in Moscow too where wealthy Indians can afford to spend and are big fans of this type of music. In Bombay where you’d think people would come out and support you, the independent scene is dead. It’s the talented musicians who work hard who don’t get work. It’s very commercial. I’ve been looking at commercial music as paid rehearsals for me.”

Indian songwriting tends to be stale and he says it is his prerogative to bring in fresh new sounds. “Mediocrity has permeated through all genres of music. Even our electronic music is stale where it is only the hardcore commercial guys who play other people’s songs and mix them sometimes using melodies from traditional music. Electronic music can be really very beautiful because you have so many more options. In Berlin and Amsterdam the quality of electronic music is so progressive and futuristic, years ahead in time.”

He wants to follow the traditional method of recording his songs- writing them first and then going to the studio to record them instead of fidgeting on a computer where so many changes are possible and there are no time constraints. “If it is a three minute song I want to be able to nail it in three minutes where there’s no second chance. The computer has made recording it so lax giving one so many options. It has slowed down the process of song writing. I believe in the traditional method.”  

Gomes still yearns for Goa and is trying to record traditional Goan music before it is lost. He has played at Goa Chitra’s Retro-spective nites and hopes to visit his State more often should the independent music scene improve. 

'It's a sad story' Condor pulling out of Goa

‘It’s a sad story’ 

Herald Review December 28, 2014

Uwe Balser, Managing Director Condor talks to Herald Review about pulling out his last Frankfurt- Goa flight this season. This will be the first year the airline- which brought in approximately 25,000 tourists during a single season and has been operating for over three decades- will not be coming to the State.

LISA ANN MONTEIRO

What was the reason for pulling out of Goa?

We go to a destination to earn money. Condor just didn’t make a profit on this route anymore. The airport fees are too high, higher than any other airport worldwide that we are presently flying to including Frankfurt. We also wanted to park the aircraft at the airport which was not possible. We’ve been asked to take our aircraft out overnight which means we had to get our crew and aircraft out of the country to Sharjah or any other place and come back the next morning to take the passengers back. If we were given the allowance to park in one corner in the airport for a few hours, then we wouldn’t have had additional fuel costs and crew costs. This made it much more expensive for us. The passengers we were getting to Goa were no more the ones who were willing to pay a decent amount of money to compensate for these high costs.

Can you tell us about the profile of tourists Condor brought in?

 We would bring in approximately 25,000 tourists in one season. The Germans are normally not only interested in the beach and sun but are also interested in culture, heritage, ayurvedic medicines and nature. Those who are only interested in the beach and sun go to the Caribbean or Domonican Republic. Nature is a very big part for Germans. They want to see some kind of diversity that the country offers and India has a big advantage over other countries and States. For example if you go to places in Africa or Dominican Republic you have a hotel complex, a huge wall around it and people don’t walk out. India is still a very safe and relaxed place. The elderly people in Germany are very fit and strong and they maintain their health and like to see things. They may stay near the beach but they always do day trips to spice gardens, go on nature walks. They are also interested in how things work and how things developed and how people lived in the past. That’s typical German I would say. We also brought in students and people who wanted to have a relaxed atmosphere at clubs. It was always a mixed group.

Where are these tourists going now?

There are new places coming up further East like Kuala Lumpur and Vietnam. Thailand is still very strong and like India offers many things including the beach and good food and it’s safe too. Goa is still unique within India. You will have people going to Delhi, Rajasthan and Kerala but these are the ones who are only interested in specialties in culture or health. Goa has the sun and beach and all the rest and is still the best place to go to when you want to have a holiday.

How has pulling out of Goa affected your profits?

That’s the sad story. Taking our flights out of Goa has increased our income because we sent these aircrafts to other destinations where we could earn more money. We always calculate route profitability and start with the best destinations with all our 41 aircrafts. Last year we opened up Cape Town and this year Fortaleza in Brazil besides a few destinations in US and Canada and they are all more profitable than our routes to India. In the end we have to earn money in order to keep jobs, it’s not social work what we’re doing. I love India, my wife is Indian and I would do everything to keep the aircraft here but I can’t.

How will this affect Goa?

It’s as if you’re in the dessert and the water has been taken out. It’s very difficult to get it back. To open up a new route and getting traffic rights is a cumbersome process. Whatever you initialize requires lots of energy in order to get something out of it. To maintain something is much easier. There must be marketing funds but I haven’t seen Goa being promoted in Germany for a long time now.

What deters the Germans from coming to the State?

Don’t get me wrong, I love India but what hurts me is to see beautiful nature getting spoilt by garbage and this is something that really takes German tourists away. Just as you leave the airport you see piles of garbage. Germans are all nature oriented. We come from a time where we were in the same situation when we didn’t treat our garbage and all our rivers were dirty but overtime we have developed something to sustain in a small little country like ours where the garbage is easily visible. India is so vast you always think it will digest anything. But it will not and after a while it will spit out all the dirt again.

Have there been problems with obtaining visas in the past?

What’s important for passengers is to have a simple process for entering the country. An easier process manned immigration places where you don’t have to line up for two hours after a long flight. The visa is quite high and it takes an effort in Germany. Elderly people find it difficult to do it on the internet. So the visa on arrival just introduced is something good which will have a big advantage.

Goa has been hit this year with Russian tourists too not visiting.

What I miss and what I feel is that the diversity of tourists coming to Goa has changed a lot. I would always say it’s better to go for diversity when it comes to the tourists you’re attracting in order to keep your eggs in many baskets. If the Russians aren’t coming like they used to at least you have others. Perhaps it was political I don’t know but they were happy about the increase in tourists but they never figured they were all coming from one destination and now they’re in trouble and suddenly screaming what has happened, as if it wasn’t clear from the beginning. I would suggest go back and see what diversity you can offer and promote it again to those tourists you would like to have in your State.

What does Goa need to do to improve?

There’s not much to do. I’ll start with what I like. I enjoy the nature and the old city. Walking in Old Goa feels like I’m walking in Lisbon in history. It’s much easier compared to other countries as you already have everything. You just have to offer it in a proper way and maintain the old things you’ve got. For example Benaulim is one of the nicest villages I know but close to the beach there are these typical one bedroom flats coming up in a horrible way and these ruin the surroundings. In streets near the beach there are already places where you can’t see nature anymore. Maintain what you have and put things in which will not destroy this beauty. That’s the idea behind it. Don’t build huge roads through nature. One good route north- south is enough and leave the charm of the beach roads. You already have all these attractions. Not building on the beach is a fantastic idea so keep it that way. You may attract a couple of people for a while by further reducing prices and making them stay there but after a while they will get bored because all they see is concrete. I’m completely against this way of ruining your own nature and culture. Other things that get on my nerves are that I constantly have to show my driver’s license when traffic cops stop me because I have a different number plate. Or when I go to a restaurant when the name and menu is only in Russian. It’s a bit like they’re welcome and others are not. This is completely different from the nature of the India I know where people are welcoming. There are so many places where you feel insecure like Africa and Brazil where you cannot leave your compound. India is still safe and lovely.

Are the Germans still interested in coming to Goa? What will it take for Condor to restart operations here?

Of course there are many Germans still interested in coming to Goa. We have to attract them again and go in for diverse tourists from all over Germany who are able to spend and want to spend money so that the airlines can earn more. At the same time we would need support by reducing the costs through initiatives where perhaps the government says no landing fees for the first season if you come back in the next three- four seasons, just to attract us back. That would straight away reduce our costs and allow us to begin earning money and as soon as we can earn money we can come back. We can start with one flight a week and then increase the number if it attracts more people. We can always restart if we get the necessary support. But you have to be more attractive than other destinations because I cannot go to two destinations with one aircraft.

Review Bureau

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Is 'Goa' dead?

Is Goa dead?

Herald Review December 28, 2014

The State government’s mismanagement and lack of foresight in attracting a broad base of tourists has resulted in one of the worst tourism seasons ever.  

LISA ANN MONTEIRO

Reality has hit home and stake holders in the tourism industry have little reason to celebrate this festive season with the no show of tourists. Stakeholders are angry and inconsolable.

The Goa tourism department instead of consulting stakeholders thought it fit to hire a brand consultant to work on a new brand strategy for Goa. This resulted in the rebranding of Goa’s tourism, a new logo of Goa Tourism and a new tagline Kenna fast, kenna slow, kenna short kenna long, kenna this kenna that …’, thought to be a definitive expression of the Goa brand.

All the branding has done the State little good as tourism stakeholders struggle to get through the season they call the worst ever. Even recession was better, one hotelier remarked.

The problem is not so much that of the falling value of the Russian rouble, but one of total mismanagement and lack of foresight of the tourism department, putting all its eggs into one basket and banking on the Russian and other CIS tourists alone, while doing nothing to attract the UK, German and other high spending tourists back to the State.

“Going in for one market is completely the wrong thing to do. They should have maintained a balancing act. What’s worse is that the Russians are a deterrent to all other tourists and they monopolise Goa which is a dangerous thing. The European tourists simply don’t want to go where they go. The government should have gone to other countries and marketed Goa there and brought down the number of tourists from Russia,” one hotelier said.

Managing Director Condor, Uwe Balser says many tourists come to the State who don’t speak English but there isn’t any signage in their language.

He can’t understand why this preferential treatment towards tourists from one country. “ It’s a bit like they’re welcome and others are not. This is completely different from the nature and hospitality of the India I know.” This priority given to Russian tourists at the expense of the Germans, British and others makes Graeme Reid, UK national who has been visiting Goa for the past 16 years, want to choose another holiday destination.

Susie Davison finds that the influx of Russian tourists mar her holiday.

“Many of them are rude, mean and cause arguments and are insensitive to local customs and ways.” Restorer and proprietor Goa Chitra, Victor Hugo Gomes says the tourists from Scandinavian countries and Europe have a wholesome view of the State while Russians don’t move out beyond the beach. When the Scandinavian crowd was leaving, instead of solving the issue, the government banked on the Russians. “This is a wakeup call. Goa was sold too cheaply and for the wrong reasons. A major rebranding of Goa is needed and it will be quite an effort to attract these tourists again.”

Why market a low budget experience, Bruno Gomindes, MD Travco Holidays, asks. “The Russians want to control our own tourism activity and don’t want to avail of facilities offered by the locals. We should have been very busy during this time of the year. The situation is bad.”

Many believe the low spending tourists wouldn’t be encouraged to come if there were no illegal constructions along the beach especially along the Morjim- Arambol belt which offer accommodation at unbelievably low rates. Illegal constructions cater to tourists of the worst kind with the State not earning great value from them as many of them only deal in cash. The illegal rooms and unauthorized guest houses they stay in often don’t have permissions and hence don’t declare their income and don’t pay tax. “No one’s checking on these things and it is only the good people who get stung paying all the required taxes. Instead of boasting of a large number of tourists, the Chief Minister, they say should boast of fewer tourists who spend more in the State,” one hotelier says.

Visa blues

Other deterrents that cause endless stress to UK tourists are the complicated procedures to obtain a visa. Many complain about the cost too.

Barbara Millns says the visa situation puts off a lot of people. “Why can’t it be a simple process of pay on arrival and stamp passport like most tourist destinations? The price is also detrimental to people staying just two or three weeks.” John K Pemberton, UK national says the visa application process is a nightmare and really should be brought into the 21st century. The application process gets more difficult every year and information requested seems to be completely pointless. “It takes around three hours to fill the application forms online.” 

Vivien Baptiste a UK national who has been visiting for more than a decade finds the visa cost and process has ruined the two week package.

“Using VFS for the visa application takes a long time to complete. Visas are often returned without being processed for very minor points. Requests for multiple entry are often sent back as one entry only. This is annoying and costly.”

Rip off attitude

Inflated prices are also driving away tourists. Biryani priced at Rs 300, Steaks at Rs 500 Beer at Rs 140, water at Rs 40 are the going rates on the Candolim belt. “I’m sorry but you can’t compensate less tourists with higher prices. That is against every rule of economy and a big plus on Goa was cheap prices. Of course it is still cheap but there are other places in the world which are cheap too and the gap is not big enough anymore. People are getting greedy and tourists feel that. The national sport in India is not cricket it is cheating. If sellers price their products at ten times the market price then that puts people off. The cost of four and five star hotels are far too high for the standard offered. In Thailand I can get rooms in better hotels for half the price,” Florian Eydner says.

The rip off attitude also puts off Pemberton and deters him from buying from outside permanent stores. “When a tourist comes to our state we should treat him as our guest and honour him. Instead we want to strip him and this makes him feel insecure and he will tell others not to come,” Gomindes says.

Taxi tantrums

The State government not taking the taxi drivers head on, allowing them to operate with no meter system, is not a plus point for tourism. Other states all have their meter systems running. Only in Goa does the government want to please this lobby and maintain their vote bank.

Five star hotels too are all controlled by their taxi associations where local taxi drivers aren’t allowed to enter and ferry their guests. “If I’m in a new place and can’t speak the language I would feel very insecure about getting into a taxi where I have no idea how much they will charge me,” a local commented.

Garbage holiday Holiday makers don’t enjoy a holiday in garbage. Goa didn’t smell 20 years ago but it does today. “What most of us want is a regular clean up. We do NOT want shopping malls, golf courses, private beaches or huge hotels. We want Goa to be Goa which is unique, not a copy of the West Indies or Thailand,” Baptiste says.

Balser says it pains him to see garbage strewn around Goa. If he had his way he says he wouldn’t allow plastic to be sold. “Why not go back to the old times were you put everything in paper. Within a year the whole place would be clean. Wherever you go nobody cares. You get a plastic bag for one item and another one for another item. It’s as if you can be proud to have ten plastic bags. I really hate it and I always take my own bag with me to the store. But that thinking is not there. The oceans today are completely polluted with plastic.”

Proprietor InnGoa.com, Jonathan Vaz says people in Kerala are attracting quality tourists while our State is bringing in the riffraff. “Kerala is managing their tourism and we’re only attracting whoever wants to come in large numbers. Kerala promotes itself very well. Stakeholders should be taken into consideration and basic infrastructure of toilets, changing rooms, pathways to the beach and basic signage should be put in place by the government.” Plenty of rooms he says are available this season even on December 31, something never seen in the past. “This is the season people in the tourism sector mint money but this has been the worst month and worst season ever.” Review Bureau 

Tourists’ woes

Corrupt and helpless

“The apparent corruption of the police and their violence towards the beach sellers in front of visitors to the country is very distressing. They hit them with sticks in front of whoever happens to be there. The police are only interested in lining their own pockets. I and my family have personal experiences of reporting lost items and trying to obtain a report for insurance companies  and have been met with basic contempt by the local police who were only interested in a backhander to release a report.”

-Mary Martin  

I had a burglars in my Apartment at 3 am and the Police did not want to come at this time. I had a bike accident and called the police because the young guy was running off and the police begged me not to report it after calling them to Report it. I can live with it but it scares people in the world if they hear how the police is working and don’t feel protected or the facto of Self Justice. 

-Florian Eydner   

Under promoted

Goa is not promoted in the UK. Very few people know anything about it . Personally I love Goa the way it was before the roads were paved and the beach sellers were banned, it all added to the personality of Goa , but progress is inevitable. To attract more tourists the visa needs to be reasonable and the UK public need to know Goa exists through TV, advertising, just let people know Goa is open to business.

- Ian Hall

Bad impression

On December 23 we witnessed an illegal shack next door to the one we frequent on the beach being hacked to the ground as they hadn’t paid the large license fee. The band of about 28 police stood around watching the carnage with their batons as local workers hacked etc the unit down. The group of police and officials then moved on down the beach to the legal shack owners, checking their licenses and then pointlessly sawing wooden sun beds in half as they had exceeded their license allowance and had put out 30 beds instead of only 15 as per their license.

We all know that shack owners tempt diners in by offering free sun beds and people stay all day. For new arrivals who witnessed this, their impression of Goa is not good. My friend and others were in tears at observing such needless destruction. Young British children witnessing this were terrified and families were running off the beach. Why is there not a regular, fair inspection system put in place and fines incurred with re inspections to ensure things remain legal and not based on backhanders?

- Susie Davison

Internet speed

The speed of the internet is a joke especially for younger generations. I pay Rs 4000 monthly to BSNL for a speed up to 2mbps but outside by apartment you get may be 50 kbps provided from restaurants, shacks and hotels. We are in 2014 and tourists want a running system. Many pensioners from Britain come to Goa for the full season but you may lose out on the next generation because of this.

- Florian Eydner 

link: http://epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=10160&boxid=174015968&uid=&dat=12/28/2014

Taking Art to the People

TAKING ART TO THE PEOPLE 

Herald Review December 14, 2014 

In its inaugural edition in February, Goa Photo 2015 a public art photography festival will celebrate photography outside the gallery, on the streets of Panjim.


LISA ANN MONTEIRO 

After playing host to India’s first science meets art festival, the State’s picturesque capital will once again provide the setting for a public art intervention titled Goa Photo. The inaugural edition of this annual international photography exhibition will take place from February 25 till March 7, 2015 with the aim of showcasing photography from around the world in a democratic non elitist fashion.

Over 180 photographs will be displayed on a stunning scale mounted on special installations and divided into three main clusters in streets, parks and open institutional spaces to facilitate the discovery of photography and Panjim’s architectural heritage.

A curated event, each edition of the festivals will revolve around a specific theme. Frank Kalero founder OjodePez in Barcelona and co founder Punctum magazine ( Delhi) who has also curated three editions of the GetxoPhoto Festival ( Bilbao) will be the curator for the first edition of the festival. The theme chosen is ‘ The Other’ where the focus will be on the interpretations of portraiture.

The artists will include 14 international photographers and four Indian photographers.

Mexican photographer Alinka Echeverria’s series ‘ The Road to Tepeyac ( 2010)’ featuring the six million faithful who make the annual pilgrimage to Tepeyac in Mexico City to mark the anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe, will adorn the stairs leading to Immaculate Conception Church and serve as the postal image of the festival.

Another selected photo essay is Gauri Gill’s ‘ Balika Mela II ( 2010)’ where she created a photo studio in a tent at a fair for girls in a local town in Rajasthan. She returned seven years later to find many of the same girls she had photographed earlier. She shot in colour this time.

Sebastian Cortes gained access to the veiled Bohra community and captured the people and the unique architecture of their homes in his photo essay ‘ Sidhpur ( 2014)’. Alexia Webster created free outdoor photo studios on street corners around South Africa inviting people to pose free of cost. ‘ Street Portraits- A South African Family Album ( 2011- ongoing)’ will be displayed at the festival where she will also experiment with a similar travelling studio on the streets of Panijm.

Swiss photographer Joel Tettamanti’s essay ‘ Kobo ( 2013)’ focused on the Basotho people of Lesotho, South Africa who under colonial rule switched from wearing traditional skins and furs to covers manufactured in Europe.

Sheetal Mallar’s series ‘Dabolim (2014)’ is a photo essay on the workings of naval officers at otherwise restricted military facility at Dabolim Naval base.

A number of workshops, seminars and presentations by the participating photographers will also form part of the festival.

One of the highlights and a first for Goa will be the Magnum Workshop Goa where Magnum Photos, the prestigious photographic cooperative will partner with Goa Photo 2015 for a four day program beginning February 25 to guide photographers in various aspects of documentary storytelling. The second initiative by Magnum Photos in India, the workshop will be held at the State Central Library for selected photographers for a fee. Scholarships will be offered to two Indian photographers to participate for free. A Goan photographer under the age of 25 will be offered one of the scholarships.

Participants will be guided by Stuart Franklin - who won the World Press Photo Award for his photo of a man defying a tank in Tiananmen Square - and Richard Kalvar who has served as president Magnum Photos.

Goa Photo 2015 is being conceptualised by Frank Kalero, Ishan Tankha, Lola Mac Dougall and Nikhil Padgaonkar, all specialists in cultural management and photography.

Lola Mac Dougall, director of the festival who has served as cultural adviser for the Embassy of Spain in India says the event will appeal to people because it is not a classic photography exhibition with its focus on Western photographers. A lot of non European photography will form part of the festival. “ It will be a very unconventional photography festival where all art will be displayed on the street, easily accessible to everyone interesting in interacting with it.” The inaugural festival will be simple she says but will grow and make a name for itself with each passing edition. “ We want to make this an annual event for photography and art lovers. Panjim is one of the most beautiful and walkable cities in the country that has the potential to grow into a cultural hub. We want to build on Panjim heritage with this initiative.” Review Bureau  

link: http://epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=9871&boxid=174141609&uid=&dat=12/14/2014

The Man Who 'Shot' Kasab

The Man Who ‘shot’ Kasab 

December 7, 2014 

Photojournalist Sebastian D'Souza risked his life to capture Ajmal Kasab and Anu Ismail in action during the November 26 attacks in Mumbai 2008. His iconic picture of Kasab mid step, wielding an AK-47 was carried by press around the world. 


LISA ANN MONTEIRO

Before the police, the ambulance, and even reporters reach the scene of a crime, it is often the news photographers who arrive, quickly assess the situation and tactfully go about their job, many times risking it all.

Sebastian D’Souza, photographer and photo editor at Mumbai Mirror found himself in a precarious situation when he arrived at CST station on the evening of November 26, 2008 when terrorists descended on the city of Mumbai. He was lucky enough to enter the station just before it was cordoned off. He heard faint gun shots and followed the sound to see where it was coming from.

Assistant Sub inspector GRP, Sudam Pandarkar and Constable Ambadas Pawar were hiding at the exit of Platform No 6. D’Souza captures Pandarkar in action as he fires at Ajmal Kasab, but misses.

Alerted, Kasab fires back to the corner and when Pandarkar ducks, a book stall owner who very unperturbedly was shutting shop, was struck.

With years of experience behind him in covering the worst of riots, bomb blasts and gang wars in the country, D’- Souza realised they were standing at a dangerous position and should the terrorists turn a corner, they would be finished.

He advised the two cops to enter a train compartment instead from where they would be in a better position to follow the movements of the terrorists.

“They didn't listen and there was a voice from inside that told me to run and not look back,” D’Souza says.

What he predicted happened. The attackers shot at the two cops. Pandarkar survived as the bullet went through and through his shoulder. Pawar on the other hand wasn’t as lucky. On seeing the book stall owner still struggling for life, one of the terrorists returned to put yet another bullet into his head.

D’Souza entered the train compartment and it was from there with his Nikon D 200 that he shot Kasab in action. Only later would he realize that he had exclusive pictures of Kasab and Ismail.

When he reached the spot where Railway police inspector Shashank Shinde was shot, he would see that he was still alive. “ I wanted to take the gun from his pocket and shoot at the terrorists but it was only a revolver and I would have to be very close to them to shoot,” he says.

He recalls the gory scene with all details, as if it happened yesterday. “ The terrorists were in no hurry. They were walking and not running. They was no spray of bullets. Kasab shot from the waist and each shot was a sure shot.

The cops on the other hand were jittery, unprepared and ill- equipped.” He also recalls Kasab not opening fire on a bystander and a tribal woman who nonchalantly strolled past him Once D’Souza saw that the terrorists were out of sight, he came out and continued taking pictures. The cops and public followed his lead and came out of hiding and began moving the bodies and clearing the station of the bloodshed. In all 58 people were killed with over a hundred injured.

D’Souza rushed back to office to download the pictures before he set out on duty again. His phone was switched off the entire night as his wife Rosy tried unsuccessfully to call him. “ When he called up the next morning, he was puzzled and said he had been receiving calls with people congratulating him and he couldn’t figure why. I then told him that his pictures were exclusive and were all over the news,” Rosy says.

D’Souza shared the photographs with the news agency Associated Press after which they went viral internationally. Everyone except him, he says made money from the photographs. One official from the Railways approached him for the photos and ended up selling them to a tabloid for lakhs of Rupees.

His photographs that evening won him the prestigious ‘ Honorable Mention in the Category Spot News Stories at the 52nd World Press Photo Contest’. Ask him about his feat and he says he admits it wasn’t an evening he has favourable memories of. “ It wasn’t a joyful event. It was just killing and killing,” he says.

The international media he says have been more appreciative of his efforts.

The Maharashtra government he says has done nothing for him and he was still struggling to live on rent in Mumbai until recently, before he packed his bags and decided to stay in Goa. “ I was allotted a flat by the government but it turned out to be under dispute. It is in complete disarray today and I haven’t got possession of it yet.” D’Souza shared the 100 odd pictures he had taken that night and this helped the government’s case against Kasab when he faced trial. The real commendation for his work came from the Supreme Court who praised him for his daring that night.

Before his stint with Mumbai Mirror, D’Souza worked for Agence France- Presse capturing riots, bomb blasts and crime throughout the country.

His images of the burnt Godhra train and the riots that followed also became iconic. The one of Ashok Mochi donning a saffron band and rod in hand became popular. Allegations surfaced that it was a posed photograph. “ Does anyone pose during a riot,” D’Souza questions.

He has picked up valuable lessons from his thirty years of experience.

“In a riot you don’t just take out your camera and shoot. You assess the situation; talk to the rioters and when they calm down you begin to shoot.

It’s common sense- either you get it right or they stab you.” News photographers he says take the maximum risk and but receive the least respect. “ At least give them proper equipment. Otherwise they will just work for the sake of working.” Exclusiveness is over for photographers today, he says. “ Before you reach the spot someone will have already captured the image on their mobile phone. You will always be late.” A self taught photographer, D’Souza designed pages, shot table tops, created ceramic items and designed story boards before he got into photojournalism.

Today he is settled down in Goa and although retired hardly rests, as he prepares to set up his photo studio cum store with religious pictures all designed by him. Review Bureau

link: http://epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=9727&boxid=175938281&uid=&dat=12/07/2014