UPA-II
reflux oesophagitis
gastroesophageal refluz disease (GERD)
Konkani Christian
Rons Bantwal)
(News: Rons Bantwal)
(News: Rons Bantwal)
Rons Bantwal
Rons Bantwal
Veez English Weekly Vol: November 27 2025
CartoonCourtesy:TheHindu
Modi-backed Nitish landslide drowns TejaswiRahul Bandhan
Gabriel Vaz
In what is clearly a recordbreaking and unprecedented landslide victory, the Nitish Kumar-led NDA in Bihar completely swept the Bihar assembly polls vanquishing the Tejaswi Yadav-Rahul Gandhiled Mahaghatbandhan (MGB), confounding all exit poll predictionsandthehypecreated over thehigh-decibel Vote Chori campaign led by Rahul-Tejaswi prior toelections.
The Bihar verdict is described asaveritable tsunami as 75-year-old Nitish, often ridiculed as Paltu Ram for his frequent political somersaults to
stay in power, literally swept away the spirited challenge posedby Rahul andTejaswi. Maverick Prashant Kishore, whoturned afull-time politician afteraneventfulperformance as oneoftheshrewdpollstrategist, to form his own Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) giving up his national vice president post of JanataDalUnited (JDU)headed by Bihar Chief Minister, had to eat humble pie swallowing his boastful claim winning well over 150 out of 243 seats and reducing Nitish to a has been. PK, as he is known by his initials, had even promised to quit politics ifNitish weretowin 25seats!
Another newcomer in politics of2020vintage,Mukesh Sahani with his Vikaassheel Insaaf Party (VIP) that had fought the previous assembly polls aspart oftheBJP-led NDA of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-Home Minister Amit Shah, hadquittheNDAafterhisMLAs
switched loyalty to BJP. Sahani was declared the Deputy Chief Minister candidate if the MGB were to form government. Both PK and Sahani had, for their own reasons, chosen not to contest and saw their parties failing toopentheir accounts. With the counting of votes and declaration of results on Children’s Day on Friday, November 14 to mark the birthday of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, there is still no clarity on whether Nitish will be formally chosenas theChiefMinister.
Imponderables of Elections
Infact,Shah, whois widely recognized as the modern Chanakya for his astute or wily moves, had made it clear even before the commencement of polling thattheelectedmembers of the assembly will elect their leaderandthathehadnoroleto play. Even Modi had refrained from publicly declaring that Nitish will don the mantle and
even chosen to ignore him during his roadshows, preferring the company of JDU leader Lallan Singh. BJP’s election in charge for Bihar, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, too, had followed the Modi line ofenigmatic silence. Union Minister Defence Rajnath Singh, however, had made itunequivocally clear that the election was fought under the leadership of Nitish and he would naturally continue to occupy the top post. But imponderables still persist. Though there were political speculations that Modi-Shah may spring a surprise and implement aDevendra Fadnavis type of operation, which was successfully tried in Maharashtra against the previous breakaway Shiv Sena faction-led by Eknath Shinde in December 2024, in Bihar too and choose a dark horse from the BJP overlooking Nitish, political compulsions musthave weighed heavily as ditching the Biharleaderaheadofnextyear’s assembly polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other states and later in the Lok Sabha polls, to allow Nitish to become Chief Minister for an unbelievable tenthtime.
Now,Nitishwas expected to formally tender his resignation as chief minister on Monday, November 17, but refused to do so and merely called on the Governor and requested him to dissolve the outgoing assembly on November 19 in view of the Assembly’s term expiring on November 22. He obviously chose to wait till he is formallydeclared as theNDA candidate for the post. The swearing in ceremony is expected to be held in Patna on Friday, November 20. Thereisnoclarityonwhether there will be deputy chief ministers and if so, how many, and fromwhichparty. It is also not clear if the two outgoing BJP deputy chief ministers – Samrat Chaudhary andVijaySinha.
Incidentally, there is speculation that if BJP tries to do Fadnavis on Nitish as was done in Maharashtra
against Eknath Shinde in 2023, Nitish could well jump ship and cobble a non-NDA government involving JDURJD-Congress andleftparties if Owaisi also agrees to join. At the moment, this ismere speculation!
BJP,which has emerged as the single largest party in Bihar assembly, may prefer back seat driving opting for key portfolios. The elections have enabled NDA tosecure arecord 202 seats out ofthe 243 in 2010 and propel it tothepoleposition,bagging well over three-fourths majority againstthemajority markof122 this timeround.
Smarting under the debacle, the entire non-NDA parties are reported to be toying with the idea of submitting their en masse resignations to mark their protest against what they term as “Vote Chori” and alleged massive manipulations carried out by
ECI under Gnyanesh Kumar.
If that happens, it will be another first with all nonopposition parties barring perhapstheAIMIMmembers!
There is no clarity on the refusal to attend the assembly session and take oath and tender en masse resignations move by all newly elected Bihar opposition legislators, which is expected to be decided upon in theshort.
Stunning Results
The outcome of the twophase elections on November 6 and 11 to the Bihar assembly has surpassed the predictions and expectations all players whether from the ruling NDA or oppositionMGB.While exitpolls in India are generally known to be unreliable, noneofthe dozen orsoexitpollshadpredicted the utter sweep and range of NDA victory.
The seats won by all political parties in the new assembly areas follows:
NDA:BJP 89,JDU 85, LJP 19, HAM5,RLM4 – 202
MGB: RJD25,Congress 6,CPI (Marxist-Leninist) 2,CPI(M) 1, Bahujan SamajParty(BSP) 135; & AIMIM 5, Indian Inclusive Party(IIP) 1
How does one explain the avalanche of sorts that was not foreseen by anybody: NDA despite the confusion over the chiefminister’spost,hasbagged
202 seats, which is over 80% of the strength of assembly or a little over four-fifths strength.
Considering the wholesale migration of Bihar’s young and working population to other states and big cities from Bengaluru to Chennai, Kochi to Kanyakumari, Mumbai, Delhi, Kashmir or Ladakh and the mounting unemployment in the State, Tejaswi did promise the moonto theBihari voters in the MGB manifesto – which were explained in detail by Tejaswi,
Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi – ofproviding a government job forevery family, grant of Rs 30,000 annually to women, steps to check migration of labour by starting industries and start-ups and a state-of-art university rekindling the dreams of Nalanda of olden times and various otherreforms.
Attractive and appealing may have been the promises of Tejaswi and MGB, the people chosetobelieve Nitish andModi to deliver them from their poverty and misery. Even the minorities, especially the Muslims, which were the backbone of Lalu-Tejaswi combine fortheir Muslim-Yadav (MY) votebank, abandoned them either in favour of the known devil in Nitish and their saviour Owaisi.
The opposition parties are suspicious of the Vote Chori operations allegedly carried out by the ruling conglomeration aided and abetted by the ECI,
and have already insinuating that Nitish, facing antiincumbency of 20 years, and resentment by the non-NDA parties over the blatant preelection transfer of Rs 10,000 eachto1.25Biharwomenunder direct bank transfer, which continued even after announcement of the election schedule! This dole scheme launched by Modi, most probably from Union government’s treasury – that is taxpayers’ money – is nothing but open pre-election bribe and as a senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai termed “Vote Kharidi” (buying of votes) as against the slogan of “Vote Chori” (stealing ofvotes)!
All is not lost for RJD, Congress
Though BJP has emerged asthesingle largest partywith a strike rate of over 90%, it is the third largest party RJDthat has secured the highest vote share with BJP coming third. As per the ECI data, NDA got 46.6% votes while MGB’s share was respectable 37.9%.
The very fact that the MGB slumped toalowest seathaul of 35 despite cornering a respectable 37.9% against
NDA’s tally of 202 and vote share of 46.6% - showing a gap of nearly 10% - is a stark reminder oftheviccitudes ofthe first past-the-post system, which means popular support doesnotautomatically translate intomore seats!
Going by the party-wise vote share as per ECI data, one discerns a different story: Despite becoming the third largest party in terms of seats wonafterBJPandJDU,theRJD has secured 23% vote share slightly less than its performance of23.11% in2020. But it is ahead of BJP (20.08%) and JDU (18.25%). Even the Congressparty,whichsecured6 seats less than 19 of Chirag Paswan’s LJP, has secured 8.71% votesagainst 4.97%
Obviously, the voting pattern indicates a different picture than the tally of seats suggesting thatall isnotlostfor either RJD or even Congress! Boththepartiesneedtobemore focused, grounded and concentrate on improving their image to earn the trust of the voters!
and had crisscrossed the nooks and corners of Bihar covering some 3,500 kms during the last three and half years, had often predicted that his JSP would do either exceptionally well by grabbing over 150 seats or end inadebacle.“Arshpaar yafarsh paar’’ (Either on top or at the bottom) was his boast! Obviously, Bihar voters didn’t buy PK’svision ofNewBihar!
Arsh Paar ya Farsh Paar!
The maverick PK, who was constantly in media spotlight
Asaduddin Owaisi, whoistrying his best to emerge as the champion of his Muslim communitythrough hisAllIndia Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and was rebuffed by the MGB for an alliance, has fared remarkably well. Owaisi, who has been fielding candidates in Muslim dominated areas, was even accused of being a “BJP agent” as he was dividing the opposition votes to aid saffron party.
However, it is Union Minister Chiraag Paswan, sonof
late Ram Vilas Paswan and had at one time projected himself as thealternative toNitish with his Lok Janata Party (LJP) and famously termed himself as “Modi’s Hanuman,” has performed remarkably to make his LJP as the fourth largest party in the new assembly after BJP, JDU and RJD winning 19 outofthe28it contested.
Another NDA partner, former chief minister Jithan Ram Manji’s Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) has bagged 5 seats while Upendra Kushwah’s Rashtriya LokMorcha(RLM)has won 4seats.
Challenges before Nitish-Modi
The new NDA government ofNitish,and themaincoalition partner BJP, will be facing multiple challenges todeliver on all thepromises.
As the entire country is aware of, Bihar is one of the poorest States in the country
and has been constantly demanding the Special Status and more Central funds. Bihar needsheavycapital investments in education, irrigationagriculture, industries, power generation and infrastructure besides housing, drinking water and healthcare, which can only be done with generous Central governments. As the state’s abilities tomobiliseresourceson its own, it remains to be seen whether Nitish will be able to review the prohibition policy – if only to help improve resources and check the growing menace of illicit liquor and other health hazards!
Modi’s NDA will deliver on all its promises including the grandiose Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana ofdirectly depositing Rs 10,000 each into the bank of accounts of 7.5 million women as initial seed money for self-employment with a grant of Rs 2 lakh each after twoyearsandcreation of1crore jobs isamootquestion.
The scheme targeted at women just beforetheelections, which was virtually announced by Modi from Delhi barely three days before the unveiling of the poll schedule and the first installment oftheRs10,000dole released even after the
commencement of the electoral process, unmindful of the toothless model code ofconduct of the Election Commission of India makes a mockery of the claims of a free, fair and impartial elections and Modi’s homilies on the freebies by the oppositions, which were debunked as“Revdis!”
Conservative estimates project a fiscal burden of some Rs 30,000 crore to fulfill the promises made by Nitish-Modi and their NDA. As we all know, Bihar on its own is not in a financial position to deliver on all its electoral promises and Modi or his Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cannot
affordtodoleoutfundsjust for one State, especially when theruling BJPandNDAis eying victories in poll-bound West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala – the three states that have negligible BJPpresence.
Voters of Bihar have opted for continuity in Nitish instead ofbankingonTejaswi, withdark memories of Jungle Raj during Lalurule of15years priortothe ascendancy of Nitish still not forgotten, and an uncertain future under the Mahaghatbandhan, hoping fora new dawn. Will Nitish and Modi help Bihar to grow and prosper isa big question.
Vande Mataram: Is there a Need to Amend It?
VandeMataramwas composed by Bankim Chandra and published first 1875. It became a part of his novel Anandamathin 1882. It was a song to respect Mother Bengal and not Mother India. In those days such a concept of Nation had not developed. The country was ruled by more than 550 Kings andPrinces besides the British, Portuguese and the French. Indian National Congress was founded in 1884 and since then One Nation One India feeling started becoming strong.
A book titled Kranti Geetanjali published by Arya Printing Press (Lahore) and Bharatiya Press (Dehradun) in 1929 contains first twostanzasofthispoem onpage11 as Matra Vandana and a ghazal (Vande Mataram) composed by Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, the famousmartyrofKakori isfound on its back i.e. on page 12. The book written by revolutionary Bismil was banned bythe colonial government. (en.wikepedia.org)
Itwasadopted asthe National Song of India by a Committee consisting of eminent persons like Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Acharya Dev, Maulana Azad and Rabindranath Tagore in 1937. Maulana was a patriot and opted to remain in India after Partition and did not go toPakistan. Tagore was a Nobel Laureate who had composed Jana Gana Mana which is at present the national anthem. Tagore too objected to the use of words like Durga in the national song. The non-Hindus too objected. At this point Mahatma Gandhi intervened anditwas decided toadopt thefirst two stanzas as the national song of India leaving out the controversial
stanzas. Such a body had taken a conscious decision to adopt first two stanzas of Vande Mataram as the national song in 1937.
On 24 January 1950, Rajendra Prasad who was presiding the Constituent Assembly made the following statement which was also adopted asthe finaldecision on the issue: “The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words as the Government may authorize as occasion arises; andthesong Vande Mataramwhich hasplayedahistoric part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana GanaMana andshall have equal status with it. (Applause). I hope this will satisfy the Members.”
Thus, we observe that even revolutionary Bismil adopted only two stanzas. Same was the decision oftheCommittee in 1937 andofthe Constituent Assembly in 1950. Hencenomotive canbeassigned to
the truncation ofVande Mataram to first twostanzas.
The Prime Minister of India recently saw that some stanzas of Vande Mataram have been deleted. It is true asseen from the above history, but it is only half truth. Such halftruths confuse people and do more damage to communal harmony because everyone cannot sit down and find out the background and reason for adopting the first two stanzas. As the non-Hindus had opposed the remaining stanzas containing reference to Mata Durga etc. the PM was targeting the Muslims through such a statement is very clear.It should be noted that even Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore was in favour of first two stanzas only and opposed the remaining paras due toreference to Hindu Gods. It appears that such broad-minded secular statesmen are nomore in present day India.
Isthere a need toamend it?
I am of the view there is. It is not to include the deleted stanzas from 3 to 6. Many of the words describing India in thissong have
lost their meaning. We are only paying lip service by fighting for the singing Vande Mataram to flame communal interests and destroying the core of the India described therein. Let us see this one by one. Vande Mataram starts with theinvocation Mother;IBow to thee! ThenthenextwordisSujalam.
Sujalam
Sujalam means that the country’s water is pure. In Urdu translation it reads as follows: Tubharihaimeete paanise meaning you are full of sweet water oryour water is sweet. What was true in 1875 is true no more. Water pollution is a common problem. Even taking bath in the Holy Ganga and other rivers is causing diseases after spending crores of rupees forGanga Cleaning Project under Uma Bharati as discovered duringtheKumbha Mela held in 2024 in UP. Even the PM reportedly prepared a pure water tank at Yamuna for ritual bath and avoided direct contact with Yamuna water.Allnewspapers havereported this. Bhupendra Hazarika (Fig. 1 below) asked in his song O Ganga
behatihokyon? (Bistar Hai Apaar). He asks Ganga why are you flowing as if nothing has happened; why can’t you clean the mess and create a new world. Morality stands destroyed; humanity stands corrupted. Why do you flow shamelessly (Nirlajjabhavsebaheti hokyon?)
Raj Kapoor’s 1985 film (Fig. 2 below) of the same name had the songRamTeriGangaMailihogayi/ papiyonke paap doke doke meaning Ram, your Ganga has become dirty cleaning the sins of people over the years. I think the word Sujalam needs to be deleted because it misleads people.
Sasyashamala and Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim
Sasyashamalameans the country is full of fruits in its orchards.
Aurobindo hastranslatedthislineas bright with thy orchard gleams . Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinimwastranslated byhimas cladinthyblossomingtrees.InUrdu it is translated as Terirounaksabjye-phamse.Canwesayourorchards
are green anymore? Can we say our blossoming trees and tree cover remains. No. Our projects have destroyed enough of it and much more is in the pipeline.
Take for example the Great Nicobar IslandProject. Rajaram Talloor in his article dated 8 November 2025 provides the details. Nicobar Island is a UNESCO recognised heritage site.Out ofthe toral area of1045 Sq km a total of 166.10 sq km will be developed. This includes 84.10 sq. km area which is habitat of aboriginal tribals. 7.11 lakh invaluable and virgin trees will be cutdown tobuild aport andairport at a cost of Rs 79,000 crore. Endangered species like the Leather Back Turtles (Luths), habitats of Nicobar Megapod (Nicobar Scrubfowl or Megapodius Nicobariensis) birds and20608 coral hills, special fish varieties, and the habitats of Shompen, a PVTG tribe (like our Koraga Tribe) living on this island for times immemorial will be under attack. Eighty five percent of this island was declared as Bio Sphere Reserve in 1989 and
UNESCO had declared this area asa part of its Man and Biosphere Programme in 2013. That explains the importance ofthis geographical area. 27000 Nicobaris too are living here. Galathea National Park is located in Galathea Bay of Great NicobarIslandandisfamous forthe leatherbackturtle.Galathea Bayhas been de-notified formaking way for the port and tree felling has started in 2022. A new port for transshipment ofcontainers isbeing set up here. It is proposed to start theport by 2028. Itisestimated that out of 51 active habitats of megapod 40 will be destroyed. It is proposed to compensate for the loss of virgin forest by doing afforestation in 97.30 sq. Km area in Haryana.Itisimpossible togrow the Nicobar type vegetation in Haryana due todifferent climatic conditions.
Yettinahole Project, Sharavathi Pumped Water Project, the tunnel project of Bangalore in Karnataka, Char Dham project in Uttarakhand and many other projects can be cited which involves felling of trees in large number. Is ourMother Land
a land of blossoming trees? The answer is a big NO.
SatyaMevaJayate
We should stop being hypocrite. Singing the National Song, Vande Mataramis not enough if what is
described therein is deliberately destroyed. There is no need to change the Vande Mataram. Instead, we should restore our country to the 1875 state of Sujalam, Sufalam and Sasyashamalam. We should change our hearts of stone and make them one of flesh and concern. (Ezekiel36:26).
Opium to China in the past, and now fentanyl from China to America: Opium to China:
Dinkarray Mandaliya
There were two opium Wars between China's Qing dynasty and Western powers, primarily Britain. The wars were fought over trade disputes, particularly the British opium trade with China, which led to a massive addiction problem in China. The First Opium War (1839-1842) ended with the Treaty of Nanking, which forced China tocede Hong Kong to Britain and open several ports to foreign
trade. The Second Opium War (1856-1860) resulted in treaties that further expanded foreign access to China and granted more rights to foreigners.
Opium that was traded toChina via Hong Kong primarily came from India, where the British East India Company had expanded poppy cultivation. The company sold this opium to private merchants who then transported it to China. The British East India Company cultivated opium in its territories in India, particularly the Bengal Presidency.
Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy of the Bombay Parsi family was the primary opium merchant. His cooperation with the British East India Company hadyielded him sufficient profits to purchase six ships for carrying primarily opium anda little cotton to China.By 1836, he had amassed what, at that period of Indian mercantile history, was
Queen Victoria (1819-1901)
Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy (17831859)
regarded as fabulous wealth. The British Empire Queen Victoria awardedhimaknighthood andlater a baronetcy. There are four statues ofSir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy inpublic places in Bombay because he was a great philanthropist. JJ Hospital of Bombay was built by his donation. However, the money he spent came from the opium trade.
FentanylfromChina:
Well, now the time has changed, and the ships carrying fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent, are exported from China to America, where the settlers were from England and Ireland. China does not have to have a war of fentanyl with America. The Mexican border with America is two thousand miles long. Fentanyl trade adds tothe economy of China and takes revenge of the past. During the last meeting with Xi Jinping, Trump agreedtoreduce the fentanyltariffby 10% andrequested that China purchase agricultural products and temporarily ease its
control over rare earths. Opium and fentanyl both produce typical opioid effects, but the primary difference lies in their potency and speed of onset. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that isvastly more potent (50 to100 times stronger than morphine, a major component of opium) and acts more quickly, significantly increasing the risk of fatal overdose. The number of deaths in Americadue tooverdose offentanyl is more than due toheart problems. About 100 deaths per day, over 40,000 every year. Fentanyl anditsprecursor chemicals are inexpensive to produce in China but acquire avery high value on the street due totheir extreme potency.
For the last five or six years, Mexico, because of its very long border, 2000 miles (3200 km) with America, has largely replaced China as the primary source of U.S.-bound illicit fentanyl. China now acts as the primary source for precursor chemicals, which are then used by Mexican transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) to manufacture the final product. Fentanyl from China,with individual illicit shipments typically weighing less than one kilogram, is being shipped to evade detection. One kilogram ofhigh-purity fentanylcan generate between $2 million and over$32million when soldinsmall quantities toendusers onthestreet, depending heavily on how it is cut, processed into pills, and the local market prices. The law enforcement seized over 115 million illicit fentanyl pills in 2023. These seizures, whilesubstantial,represent only a portion of the total supply. Theactual amount offentanylin the country is likely much higher.
Fentanyl is highly potent, with a potentially lethal dose estimated to be as small as two milligrams, an amount that fits on the tip of a pencil. The amount seized in 2023 was equivalent to hundreds of millions of lethal doses, illustrating the severity of the public health threat, creating millions of drug addicts.
The Chinese government has provided economic incentives, such as value-added tax rebates, for the export ofcertainfentanyl analogues andprecursors, furtherboosting the illicit trade's profitability for those companies and adding to the
Chinese economy. Xi Jinping must be very pleased to see the damage he could cause to the enemy country and the money his country could make, potentially billions of dollars, without sacrificing a single soldier.
The Trap
-By:MollyPinto.
Itseems likeonlyyesterday,whenwewere youngandfull of dreams
Stupidandcarefree,neverconsideringthesacrificesmade Bythosewhogaveuptheirdreamstomakeourscometrue Prioritizingourneeds,losingsleep,tokeepussafefromtheworld
Thatheartthatlovedusaboveall else,sparingnothing Whentheylookedatyouwithloveandpride,didyounotrealise Thatthiswaswhattruelovewas,oneyou'll neverfindagain
Theloveyouseekisnotforkeeps,it mustbeearned
Itseems likeonlyyesterday,youturnedyourbackontruelove
Believinginsteadinastrangeryoujustmet,tokeepyouhappyall thedays
Thepassionwashigh,promisingtoburnbrightforevermore
Blindingreasoningofanykind,fleeinginsteadofuncertainty
Fooledintothehoneytrap,nowreaptherewards ofyour misconception
Ormaybe thiswastheplanfromthestart,touprootyoufrom stagnation
Sothatyoumaybe brokenandremoldedintoastrongeryou
Intheever-evolvingpreparationforthenextchapterofyourlife
-Molly Pinto
Oh, Mother Mary!
Oh, Mother Mary,
Virgin most holy
This day at your feet
We praise unto thee
Wipe away tears and fears from me,
Shower your gracious blessings upon me
Oh, Mother Mary
Oh, Mother Mary
Heaven and earth are praising your glory, Make me humble, sincere and holy, In the way Mother, you want me to be Beautiful Mother, Like you no other,
Teaching your children
Love one another,
Open your arms and provide me with shelter, For you are our loving Mother
Velvet gown and golden crown, People all over, Bow their heads down, Rich and poor in the world around, Who will dare to utter a sound,
Faithful children praising a sound,
Because of you Mother, I am so proud
-Wilfy Kulshekar
This Isn't war, It's a Massacre
We had apartments, Now we live in tents. We had flowing water— Now we suffer in thirst.
The borders are shrinking, And the population too. Some became refugees, Some lost their beloved.
While markets stand empty, The hospitals overflow. As destruction deepens, Survival becomes slow.
The child once full of life with privilege to attend school, now fears for his life
Classroom now lies in ruins
One of the worst sights to witness: Waking at night
To the startled cries of bombs— A newborn traumatized, Struggling to sleep. The echoes of support Slowly fade away. Before, the world whispered. Now, it stays mute.
While everyone says “Death has no age,”
You can witness it here— This isn’t war; it’s a massacre.
While petty concerns Capture people’s minds, This oppression goes unseen— Not because it's unimportant, But because few are bothered.
Sunlight: More Than Just a Daily Glow
forgets to rise or set. Everything is well set. We may forget our daily routinesoften,buttheroutineinthe natureisperfect.
Sunlight isfreeandGod giftenergy for us. Sunlight is considered as pure and extremely beneficial for our health. It has miraculous benefits for physical and mental health. This is free and you are missing outifyou arenot outopen in the 1st or 2 hours of waking up. Few minutes of morning sunlight canboost your mood & your body. Just 20-30 minutes in the morning candowonders forhealth.
God’s system is so curious that no disorder in his creation. Sun never
Thisisastonishing thatthedistance between sunlight and earth is almost 150 million kilometers. The sun’s temperature can reach up to 15 million degrees Celsius. The sun isabout4.5-billion-year-old and it’s mentioned bythescientistthatSun will not die for another 5 billion years. So, nothing to be worried about sunand nobody canstop us fromtakingbenefitsfromthesun.
Watchingsunriseinthemorning
will be another excitement. If you have not done this, please do this and watch and take your family as well. This should be done onceina life as a least case. Sleep is the biggest obstacle for this. We can watch the sunrise only if we can overcome the morning sleep. See how your day will move with positivity and great energy after watchingthesunrise.
Sunlight has massive benefits for ourhealth.Here istheadvantageof morning sunlight.
1)Sunlight triggers mood boosting chemicalsinyourbrain,helpingyou feelhappier &moreenergetic. Eyes areafterallanextensionofthebrain & exposing to sunlight is the best waytofireupyourbrain.
2)Many of us feel difficult to wake upinthemorning.Morningsunlight realigns you’re in rhythm making it easiertofallasleepatnight&wake
3)upalert.
4)Sunlight sparks focus & productivity by raising your cortisol levels naturally. Morning light also tellsyour body whento wind down latersothatcanhavearestfulsleep.
5)Just10-20 minuteseachmorning cantransformyourday. Sostepout & soak in the beauty of morning sunlight.
6)Provides you enough Vitamin D naturally which is crucial for bone health, immune system & mood regulation. From the early morning sunlight helps the body absorb calcium more effectively leading to stronger bonesandteeth.
7)Earlymorningsunexposurehelps the body to synthesize without the riskof skindamagefrom UVrays.It hasspecialtypeoflightwhichhelps tokeepskinyoungandhealthy.
8)Early morning sunlight exposure can elevate the symptoms of depression, anxiety & seasonal affective disorder and toxins from thebody.
9)Early morning sun exposure can reduce the risk of cancer & many otherdiseases.
10)Ithasbeenproventhatstudents that go outside in the fresh air & exercise in the sunlight are able to
concentrateandgetbettergrade in school.
So, lets utilize this free God gift natural medicine. The benefits are multiple. 10 minutes away from your air-conditioned room won’t harmyou.
“The sun will rise andsetregardless. Whatwechoosetodowiththelight while it's here is upto us”
“O,
Sunlight! The most precious gold tobe found on Earth”.
Thesunisalsoasymbol of hope. It will set and rise again tomorrow. Similarly, our joys and sorrows are not permanent, this moment will passawayandleadstohope.
Finally, Ihopeyourealizethatevery day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in yourlifewaiting tobewritten.
-RoshanDsouza,Kinnigoly
Screening of Konkani Film ‘PAYANN’ in
(News: Rons Bantwal)
Mumbai, Nov.16:The St.John Konkani Community (SJKC) serving at St.John the Evangelist Church, Marol, AndheriEast,organizeda
special screening of the Konkani film “Payan” at PVR (Sangam Cinema), Chakala, AndheriEast.The film, produced by Neeta JohnPeris under the banner of Sangeet Ghar Productions, Mangalore, and conceptualized and musically
composed by noted musician Melwyn Peris, is based on timeless traditions.
The filmscreening wasarranged to raise funds for the Health and WelfareFundofaneedyyoung
woman from Marol. Present at the event were Fr.Andrew Alva, Assistant Parish Priest of Vincent Pallotti Church, Vijayanagar, Marol; Deacon Arun Gonsalves, Fr.Francis Fernandes (SVD), CliveDiasBarkuru (Ex.Councilor of
BMC), Entrepreneurs Gabriel Mendonca (Belman) and Francis Rasquinha (Padu), Model Bank Directors Vincent Mathias (Attur) and Clement A.Lobo (Nakkre), Konkan Association Charitable Trust’s President Leo Fernandes
Jerimeri, Film Director, Producers
Melwyn Peris and Harry Fernandes Barkur, Eugine Monteiro Bhandup (grandfather of cricketer Jemimah)among other dignitaries.
SJKC Office Bearers welcomed and honoured the guests with floral bouquets.
Also present on the occasion wereStanley Saldanha Ghatkopar, Walter D’Souza Kalmady (Jerimeri), Jerry Lewis
150 Veez
(Belman), Paul D’Souza (Marol),
Valerian Lobo (Chakala) and many others who watched the movie contributed generously to the health fund.They lauded the organizers for their noble initiative of bringing people together through entertainment while extending personal financial assistance to a young woman in need.
TheProgramme WasAttendedby
SJKC Vice Presidents Hilda Pereira and Jessy Fernandes General Secretary Lavina Padinjaratala, Treasurer Thelma D’sa, Jt. Secretary John Lobo, Jt.Treasurer Jaya Veera C.Monteiro, Executive Committee Members Edwin A.Soares, James P.D’sa, Alice B.D’souza, Claudy Francis Monteiro, Gretta D.D’silva, Hilda V.Mathias,Mrs. Leena W.Lasrado, Violet E.LoboAmongOthers.
President Sunita A.Soares delivered the Welcome Address Compeered the Event. The Chief Coordinator Claudy Montero Proposed theVote ofthanks.
Konkani Association Charitable Trust Celebrates
Relationships grow through mutual acquaintance: Rev. Fr Nelson Saldanha
(News: Rons Bantwal)
Mumbai, Nov.09: The Konkani Association Charitable Trust (KACT) celebrated theKonkani Sahamilanon Sunday evening at the St Jude School Auditorium, Jerimeri, Kurla West. The simple gathering, held under the leadership ofKACTPresident Leo
Fernandes Jerimeri was graced by the chief guest Rev. Fr. Nelson Saldanha, Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Goregaon West,whodeliveredhismessageon theoccasion.
Fr Saldanha said, “When people come forward as acquaintances, human relationships grow. This leads to a prosperous and happier life. Programmes like Sahamilans encourage the learning, preservation, and progress of our mother tongue and promote the growth of artistes. Only when we
instillloveforourmothertongue in the minds of children can our language, culture, and traditions flourish and survive. Therefore, learningthemothertonguemustbe prioritized ineveryhousehold. Only thencanpeace, love, affection, and unitythrive withinthefamily.
Asguests of honour, senior theatre artiste Francis Fernandes Cassia,DivoKonkani weekly editor Lawrence Coelho, KACT Vice President Walter D’Souza Kalmadi, Treasurer Pritesh Castelino, Joint Secretary VincentCastelino,
ExecutiveCommittee membersCyril Castelino, ManuelP.Fernandes and Levin L. Fernandes were present on stage. On the joyous occasion of Rev.FrNelsonSaldanhacompleting his Silver Jubilee of priesthood, he was felicitated and honored on behalfoftheTrust.
Speaking on the occasion, Francis Cassiasaidthatplatforms likethese greatly support communication in themothertongue.Suchgatherings unite everyone with a common purposeandserveasinstrumentsto showcaseouridentity.
Aspart of the culturalprogramme, renowned musician Leo Ranipur presented the 117th edition of his Universal Melodies Musical Dhamaka.Performances weregiven by Anthony Tauro, Manuel P. Fernandes, Lewin Fernandes, Andrea Suares, Rudy D’Souza (Miraroad), Sarah Mathias, and Ronald D’Souza. Poems were recited by Neri Nazareth and Prasanna Niddodi, while Francis Pereira,AllwynGoveas, andReshma Allwyn Goveas presented comedy skits. Dance performances were given by Jenice D’Souza, Joyce
D’Souza, andRuth Vaz.
The programme was attended by many dignitaries including Secular Citizen weekly publisher Sujatha L. Coelho, Real estate agent Paul Mascarenhas, St. John Konkani Community Marol (SJKC) President Sunitha Suares, Edwin Augustine
Suares, Claudy Francis Monteiro, Melvin Fernandes (Hon. Treasurer, Konkani Bhasha Mandal Maharashtra), Clement Madantyar, JawaharPereira, IvanSuarez, Simon Gomes Mulund, Francis Lewis, Joan Rodriguez Vasai,KACT Executive committee members Gregory Monis,IdaM.Monteiro, John
Rodrigues, George Chettiar and
severalothers.
Pritesh Castelino welcomed the gathering. Leo Fernandes delivered the introductory address and honoured the guests with floral bouquets. Cyril Castelino compared the programme. Vincent Castelino proposed avoteofthanks.
Vasai Konkani Welfare Association
Hilda Dsouza selected as New President of VKWA Mumbai, Nov.06: Vasai Konkani Welfare Association (VKWA) has selected new Managing Committee for the year 2025-28.
Hilda Dsouza (President), Wilfred Furtardo (Vice President), Jacinta Ambros (Secretary) Leo Monterio (Treasurer), Henry Pinto (Joint Secretary), Richard Lewis (Joint Treasurer), Albert Dcosta (Coordinator), Reginad Santhmayer (Managing Committee Advisor), John Dsouza (Cultural Committee Advisor), Francis Lewis, Seema Gonsalves Allwyn D'Souza (Managing Members), Lawrence Mendonca (Cultural Committee Member).
The selection of the executive Committee and Office Bearers washeldattherecently inVKWA’s meeting at theiroffice at Vasai.
RBI Upgrades Model Bank to Scheduled Bank Status
Albert D’Souza congratulates everyone who contributed to the bank’s overall progress
Albert DSouza
Mumbai, Nov. 18: In recognition of its significant contribution to the urbancooperativebankingsectorof Greater Mumbai, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has accorded ScheduledBankstatustoModelCo-
operative Bank Ltd, whichhasbeen serving thecommunity formany
decades.
Maxim Pinto
WilliamSequeira
The Mumbai-based RBI has included Model BankintheSecond Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, thereby granting it theprestigious statusof a
VincentMathias
“Scheduled Bank.” As per Section 42(6)(a) oftheRBIAct,1934, theRBI issued a Gazette Notification on Thursday announcing the inclusion ofModelCo-operative BankLtdin the Second Schedule and elevating it to Scheduled Bank (Listed Scheduled Bank)status.
theinstitution. Expressingimmense happiness over the RBI’s recognition, Model Bank’s Chairman Albert W. D’Souza extended hisgratitude totheRBI.
With this inclusion, the bank will now enjoy several benefits such as availing loans from the RBI at the bank rate, participating in clearing houses, and enhancing its financial credibility among shareholders and customers. He noted that although the bank had been striving for scheduled status for many years, it hasfinallysucceeded.
Founded by members of the Christian community of Karnataka’s coastal region under the name Mangalorean Catholic Credit Society Ltd, the institution has grown into the present Model Cooperative Bank Ltd, which recently held its 108th Annual General Meeting. During the meeting, the bank had clearly stated its primary objective of securing scheduled status, saidAlbert D’Souza.
ModelBankisthefourthUrban Cooperative Bank(UCB) toreceive scheduled statusinthecurrent financialyear,amatterofpride for
The Model Bank Board presented the annual report, audited financial statements, andthestatutoryaudit
report for the financialyear ending 2025. The bank recorded total business of around ₹1,900 crore, withanetprofit of ₹7.26crore after tax for 2024–25. Owing to this remarkable financial performance, theRBIclassifiedthebankunderthe
‘A’ audit category, D’Souza added.
Atthe26thAnnualCeremonyofthe Maharashtra State Co-operative Banks Association Ltd held lastJuly under the presidency of Bhau Bhagwant Kad, Model Bank
received the Padmabhushan Vasantdada Patil Outstanding Urban Co-operative Bank Award. Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home (Rural), Housing, Education, Co-operation, and Mining, Dr. PankajRajeshBhoyar,presentedthe award, D’Souza said.
Among 1,472 urban co-operative institutions in the country, Model Bank standswithin thetop 6%, and has received several awards at city, state, and national levels for its consistent performance. Its capital adequacy ratio is 15.82%, which is above the RBI requirement of 12%. These indicators reflect the strong financial health of the bank. The bank has served as a source of employment and skill development for the youth of the community. Achieving Scheduled Bank status brings both pride and added
responsibility. D’Souza expressed gratitude to the founders, shareholders, former and current directors, customers, well-wishers, and staff whose efforts made this recognition possible.
Currently, the bank’s board includes: Vice-Chairman: Maxim I. Pinto Directors: William Sequeira, Vincent Mathias, CA PaulNazareth, Abraham Clement Lobo, Sanjay Shinde, Thomas D. Lobo, Lawrence D’Souza, Advocate Pius Vas, Gerald Cardoza, Ancy D’Souza, Hilary L. Mendonca, Advocate Fiona M. Nazareth, Asha S. D’Souza, George Castelino, Ronald H. Mendonca, External Board Members: CA Elroy Rodrigues, Jude P. Lobo, Sunna A. Lobo, General Manager & CEO: OsdenA.Fonseca.
-RonsBantwal
Environmentalist Vishwanath U. Mada Passes Away
Mumbai, Nov.19: Environmentalist and former president of the Jayashreekrishna Parisara Premi Samiti, Vishwanath U. Mada (85) passed awaytoday (Wednesday) at his residence Lhotse located in RuiyaPark,Juhu,AndheriWest,due toage-related naturalcauses.
Originally from Kuloor–Kudrady in Mangaluru taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, he had settled in Mumbai for several decades. He
pursued higher education here and
underwent pilot training, subsequently serving as a commercial pilot with Air India for nearly three decades. Later, he worked as a senior official before retiring.
He was actively involved in social service through various organizations, including serving as the President of the Juhu Citizens Welfare Association and the Jayashreekrishna Parisara Premi Samiti, as well as being an active member of JAWAB (Juhu Andheri Versova Vile Parle Association of Bunts).
He is survived by his wife Hema V. Mada, two daughters and a grandson, along with a large circle of relatives and well-wishers. Many office-bearers and members of various associations across Greater Mumbai expressed their condolences. The final rites were performed tonight (Wednesday) at theSantacruz Westcrematorium.
Kavita Dsouza Kitchen:
Authentic Mangalorean Pork Pickle – spicy, tangy, and packed with rich flavors!
This traditional Konkani-style Pork Acharis made with tender pork, roasted masala, andflavorful spices — a perfect side dish that stays tasty for months.
Try this easy homemade pork pickle recipe andenjoy the real taste of Mangalore’s traditional food.
Watch the full recipe and get all the tips forperfect preservation!
Subscribe to Kavita Dsouza Kitchen @kavitadsouzaskitchen1 formore authentic Mangalorean recipes.
PorkPickle Ingredients
For themarinade:
1 kg pork cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablepoons of white vinegar
salt to taste (1 tsp)
For themasala:
20-24 long dry red chillies deseeded. can add kashmiri chillies also
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
10-15 peppercorns
1/2-inch piece of cinnamon orcassia bark
4-5 cloves.
For thewater-vinegar-salt solution
1 cup 240ml water
1tbsp salt
3tbsp white vinegar
For thetempering (seasoning):
4-5 tablespoons of gingelly Indian sesame oil ormustard oil
8-10 cloves of garlic cut intomedium size pieces
6-7 green chilies cut into small pieces
1 inch piece of ginger cut into small pieces
Instructions
Wash the pork andlet the excess water drain off over a colander. Pat dry.
Marinate with the ingredients mentioned under 'For the marinade' for about 2-3 hours.
Prepare the water-vinegar-salt solution by placing all the ingredients in a saucepan and bringing it to a boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes, turn off the heat and allow tocool completely.
Grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'For the masala' to a fine paste using the vinegar-salt-water solution
In a wide based frying pan or wok boil the meat till tender and until all the water evaporates andthe fat gets released. Let the meat fry in its own fat till it turns light brown. If required, you may add a little oil once it has turned tender. Once fried, remove and allow tocool completely. In a heavy, wide based wok heat the oil and fry the chopped garlic (make sure the heat is not high orit will burn quickly), the chillis andginger lightly andkeep aside.
To the same oil add the ground masala andfry until the raw smell vanishes andthe oil begins toseparate. Add the remaining vinegar-salt-water solution andcontinue to cook the masala until the oil begins to separate again. Remove from heat andlet it cool. Once the masala has cooled completely mix it with the fried meat andthe fried garlic, ginger and red chillis. Transfer contents into clean, sterile jars making sure that the surface is covered with enough oil from the masala. Keeprefrigerated for a longer shelf life.
at Heathrow Airport
Iampleasedtoannounceortellyou thatforthefirsttimeeveraKonkani Mass will be held to celebrate St. Francis Xavier feast(Patron of Goa/ India) at St George chapel at Heathrow Airport London. The Eucharist Mass will be held on 3rdDecat14:00 hrs.LT.
Hope youwillgiveusduecoverage in your esteemed magazine which haslarge following among Konkani orKonkanispeaking diaspora. Thankyouinadvance, LeisterMartins President, UnitedFriends Heathrow London,UK
22nd Transmedia Gujarati Screen & Stage Awards Held with Maharashtra
CM Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai (RBI), Nov.22: The 22nd Annual Transmedia Gujarati Screen & Stage Awards – 2024, presented by Mumbai Samachar, concluded with great splendour at Hotel SaharaStar,Mumbai. Theceremony wasgracedbytheHonourableChief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, marking the first time a top Maharashtra leader attended the event.
Known as the world’s oldest and largest platform honouring Gujarati film, television, and theatre talent, the Transmedia Awards partnered this year with Mumbai Samachar,
the world’s oldest newspaper, adding greater prestige to the celebration. Atotalof 55artistsand technicians from the Gujarati entertainment fraternity were felicitated.
As per the annual tradition, 11 distinguished personalities received special honours. Sneha Desai was presented with the Govindbhai Patel Maharathi Award, while the Mahesh–Naresh Award went to singers and composers Sanjay Oza and Parth Oza. The Hemu Gadhvi Awardwasgranted tosinger
Bhoomi Trivedi. Folk singer Rakesh Barot, Gutkarman Rabari, and film star Vikram Thakor received the Transmedia Special Award. The Lifetime Achievement Awards were conferred upon acclaimed artists Apara Mehta and Utkarsh Mazumdar.
Among community recognitions, C.V. Shah received the Samajsevak RatnaAward,RameshbhaiVora was honoured with the Jain Ratna Award,andSanjayThakkarreceived the Dhirubhai Memorial Award.
In the theatre category, “Sambandho Sparsh Vina Na” by Rubaru Productions won Mumbai’s BestPlay,alongwithacashprizeof ₹51,000 announced by Smt. Rupa Anand Pandit. Friend Theatre Group’s “Powerful Patidar” was declared Best Gujarati Play.
The event saw the presence of several eminent guests, including Anand Pandit, Jayantilal Gada, Bhargav Patel, Praveen Kotak, and Dharmesh Shah. Celebrities suchas Mehul Kumar, Arjan Bajwa, Ayesha Jhulka,SunilPal,YogeshLakhaniof
Bright Outdoor, Umesh Shukla Director on OMG, Mona Kanodia, and Mansi Parekh Gohil added glamour to the evening. Superstar Vikram Thakor, known for rarely attending such events, made a special appearance and delivered a live performance.
Performances by Vikram Thakor, HituKanodia, MonaKanodia, Reeva Rachch, Arvind Vegda, Dipika Patil, Bhoomi Trivedi and others entertained theaudience. Afashion show curated by Archana Haria’s team was a major highlight.
Choreography was handled by Praveen Nagar – Maggie, Tanvi Nagar, and Deepak Toori, with creative direction by Rafiq Pathan. Thelivetelecastoftheceremony on the Mumbai Samachar YouTube channel attracted lakhs of viewers and will soon be broadcast on the SohamChannel.Eventmanagement was supported by Jignesh Bhutani’s High-Tech Events team and Raju Sawla'sMunjalThemes&Occasions Pvt. Ltd., with overall coordination by Deepak Antani.
The film Kasumbo emerged as the biggest winner with nine awards, including Best Film. Hitu Kanodia and Niilam Panchalwon Best Actor andBestActressrespectively forthe filmNasoor.
-RonsBantwal
Orientation Program of Quality
Inaugurated at Vijaya College, Mulky
Mulky, November 20:Anorientation program of Quality was held at the auspices of Internal Quality Cell of the college on Thursday, November 20, 2025. The orientation program
was inaugurated by Hemacharya, the director of daijiworld Media Pvt. Ltd and Managing Trustee of Ian Cares Foundation by lighting the auspicious lamp.
Other dignitaries such as Vasu S Poojary, president Kanthu Sevegara Dharmachavadi, Bappanadu, Ganesh Bhat, Senior IT Security Engineer at MRPL were present. Addressing the faculty and the students, Hemacharya explained the ‘five etiquettes', which are the part of 'Quality for Life'. He further shared a few anecdotes of his experience at Sophia College Mumbai, Salalah, Muscat and Dubai and said how the term 'Quality’ is understood and lived in different parts of the world.
Vasu S Poojary, the chief guest said in his 46 years he has seen the
college students growing up in sheerdiscipline andpeacefullife.He said he had the pleasure of serving the student community from ashop he operates in the vicinity. He hada word ofappreciation forthe environ andexternal beauty of the campus. Guest of honour, Ganesh Bhat thanked the Governing Council for giving him an opportunity to witness the event.
ProfVenkatesh Bhat,the principal of Vijaya Degree College, explained the various options and facilities offered to the students at the college and stressed on the need to develop the laboratories in line with
other best colleges.
Prof Arun Kumar B. the principal Vijaya PU College exhorted the students coming from different schools for the orientation program to use the best practices in their day-to-day life.
SuhasHegde,thechairmanofVijaya College Governing Council said the college makes all efforts to give quality education to the students irrespective of religions, languages, andculture.He stressed theneed to choose the right course. Hemacharya, Vasu Poojary and Ganesh Bhat, theformer students at
the college, were felicitated with peta, fruits, memento andabooklet that covered the history of the college.
While Kumari Varshini, Kumari Kavya and Kumari Inchara, PUC II Year students recited the prayer, Kumari Preethi, II PUC welcomed the dignitaries andstudents. Kumari Niriksha introduced the guests.
Kumari Asheal Sheethal Mascarenhas proposed a vote of thanks. Kumari Prathiksha from II PUC Commerce compered the program.
(Press Report)
Mangaluru: SJEC inaugurates techno-cultural fest ‘Tiara ’25’ with enthusiasm and innovation
Pics:DayanandKukkaje
DaijiworldMediaNetwork-Mangaluru(NJC)
Mangaluru, Nov 13: St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), Vamanjoor, inaugurated its muchawaited annualtechno-cultural fest ‘Tiara ’25’ on Thursday, November 13,attheSJECBasketballCourt.The
event commenced with the blessings of God, followed by a vibrant flash mob performance by
students, setting an energetic tone forthegrandcelebration.
The inaugural ceremony witnessed the presence of Shivakumar G K, vicepresident – operations,
Invenger Technologies, asthe chief guest,alongwithFrWilfredPrakash D’Souza, director, SJEC, who presided over the function, and Fr Kenneth Rayner Crasta, assistant director, SJEC,whowastheguestof honour.
In his inaugural address, Shivakumar expressed his appreciation forthewarmwelcome extended to him by the college management and organizing committee. He shared valuable insights with the students, emphasizing that engineers should not only be skilled but also responsible and compassionate humanbeings.
He highlighted hislife mantra, Plan your day, respect your time, and deliver what you promise, encouraging students to stay disciplined and focused. He also shared a thought-provoking message, “The world does not need just smart engineers; it needs responsible and compassionate engineers.”
He concluded with an inspiring note, “Opportunities do not happen; they are created by those who are prepared for them.” He urged students to use Tiara ’25 as a platform to explore new ideas, collaborations, andpossibilities.
The event was graced by the presence of Dr Rio D’Souza,
principal of SJEC, along with staff, students, and faculty members. Priya Miranda and Sachin U served as the convenors of the fest, while Suhas L Karinja and Srishti Jalan werethestudent convenors.
*Roy Castelino is new President of Rachana*
The grand opening of Tiara ’25 marks the beginning of two days filledwithinnovation, creativity, and cultural vibrancies, showcasing the talentandtechnicalprowessofSJEC students.
*Roy Castelino* is elected as new President of Rachana, Catholic Chamber of Commerce & Industry at the AGM held at Bendur Church hall, this Sunday, November 16, 2025, evening.
Other office bearers elected: Leslie Rego (Vice President), Alron Rodrigues (Secretary), James J. Madtha (Joint Secretary) and Naveen Lobo (Treasurer).
Marcel Monteiro, Ronald Gomes, Stany Alvares, William DSouza, NelsonMonteiroandSunilVashave been chosen members of the Governing Body
I feel incredibly thrilled and honoured to receive the World Record medal and certificate from the World Record Book Foundation at Mangalore Town Hall. This is a proud momentnot just for me, but for our whole community.I’m truly blessedto be the luckyone to achievethis milestone. Thank you to my family, friends, and well-wishers for all yourlove,support, and blessings.This record celebrates a nonstop 40-hour singing marathon dedicated to the legendary Kishore Kumar.
Camões and Churchill
PhilomenaLawrence Gilbert A.Lawrence
Luís Vaz de Camões (1524-80) and Winston Spencer Churchill (WSC 1874-1965). (FromLastweek)
