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O HERALD O
Wanted leaders with humility
Vol No CX No: 264 Goa, Wednesday 20 October, 2010
Govt in line for ‘imperfect ten’
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he ill-fated River Princess remains put. On Monday yet another tender was floated and the process for removal of the vessel begins all over again, ten years after it got stuck along the Sinquerim beach. There were two final contenders for the job - Titan Salvage and Madgavkar Salvage, whose bids were to be considered by the government, as Salgaocar Mining Industries Private Limited and River Princess Hatao Manch both withdrew their offers to remove the ill-fated vessel for free, citing reasons that the performance guarantee of Rs 10 crore demanded by the government was too high. Titan Salvage held an edge over Madgavkar Salvage after submitting that it would execute the project within six months, beating its rival who had said it required three years to complete the work. However, the bid submitted by Titan, including a handwritten note, did not comply with the tendering rules and Madgavkar threatened to take legal recourse over it. The State Disaster Management Authority meanwhile conducted a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and decided against going ahead with the eighth tendering process as it was fraught with legal loopholes. It sounds rather strange and one if left to wonder over the seriousness of the government in getting the ship off. Instead of thoroughly preparing a set of requirements and clauses, the government is caught on the wrong foot for quite some time. This is the eight global tender which has been scrapped. And one is amused by the fact that River Princess has weathered all the pulls and pressures from various political parties and bidders, besides villagers and the fishing community. The common man has every reason to doubt the initiatives, because every time a move is made to get the vessel out, the government has run into various hassles resulting in a huge waste of time and public money. Keeping these anomalies in mind, the government has floated a fresh global tender – the ninth one. The last date for submitting the bids is November 1. It is also known unofficially that government is ready to relax some conditions if the bidder is found to be technically competent to execute the job. There have been enough of tenders, charges and counter charges. It’s time to give one last push to River Princess. The government has wasted enough time on issues, which it could have avoided. The aam aadmi has run out of patience. It’s time to put the act together. Please make your intentions very clear. This is the ninth tender. And for heaven’s sake, don’t make it an ‘imperfect ten’.
Rains! Come some other day
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ll eyes are on the third and final one-day cricket match between India and Australia slated for October 24. Goa has resurfaced on the cricket map after a nineyear gap. The April 6, 2001 ODI between Australia and India had hit the headlines after cricket fans with genuine tickets were left stranded outside the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda. This time around, every thing appears well laid out, at least till now. Unfortunately, it has been raining for the past several days. Hope the weather Gods smile on us.
Mobile summons Carlos Conceicao, by email I have been issued a notice by the Dy SP Traffic for “Speaking on the mobile while driving” on Sept 3, 2010 at 18.20hrs. I am surprised as I was not out in Margao on the above date and time, nor are there any calls on my mobile phone records. I went to Margao police station to inquire; they told me to go to Panaji police station. I have the right to know the following: on what basis they issue such notices; what proof do they have; is this a money-making racket; what precautions should law-abiding drivers take – cover their number plates?
Pigs become bosses Aditya More, Dona Paula The lead on your editorial page ‘The farmhouse at Porvorim …’ by Dr Joe D’Souza (Herald, 18 Oct) is an insult to the intelli-
100 Years Ago PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS
20 October 1910 Honouring Guzman’s memory
Lately a grand reunion took place in France to honour the memory of the great Aviator Fr. Bartholomew de Guzman correlating the victory over space with Free Thought.
Raposo granted extension
Was extended for another 60 days, the established term to follow the career of his choice the Graduate Antonio Simao Raposo, Delegate of the District of Bicholim.
Brazil Lisbon sea lane The Brazilian Government has authorized the Lloyd’s Brazil to establish a shipping line from Brazil to Lisbon.
De Melo in Republican Party
Mr. Jose Pinheiro de Melo, President of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce left the Progressive Party to affiliate with the Republican Party.
stop calling them ‘honourable leaders’, call them ‘humble servants’ says PLAsTino D’CosTA
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f anybody watched Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli play for their school in their early teens, or for that matter practice at the nets of Bombay’s Azad Maidan, and if one had to predict who would be the more successful of the two, without a doubt most would select Vinod Kambli. Such was the dominance of Vinod that it was very obvious that even if both played for the country, Kambli would be the more successful of the two. That said, their brand of cricket was so special that it kept most commuters on foot, shuttling between Victoria Terminus and Churchgate stations and using the Azad Maidan shortcut opposite the Bombay Gymkhana, always spellbound and awestruck. That usually meant these commuters would be missing connecting trains, losing sales calls, delaying appointments and unable to reach their destinations on time. But there was no denying the fact Vinod was always the more belligerent and promising. Today if Vinod honestly reflects as to why his career did not take off on expected lines, among other follies, arrogance and flamboyance would have had something to do with it. Of course there were lost opportunities, injuries that played spoilsport for Vinod, but the major difference between an average career for Vinod and a great career for Sachin was arrogance versus humility. Cricket is a performance oriented sport; you perform or perish. The system although tainted at the moment, on match fixing allegations, is designed to measure performance based on the runs you make or the wickets you take. Having talent helped, but eventually it was Sachin’s humility that played a part in him becoming the greatest cricketer of all time. Great people are generally humble and competent modern systems are generally designed to reward humble people. Arrogant leaders might have led dictatorial states in the past, by keeping their citizens fearful of everything around them, but those kind of dictators have no place in a democratic setup, specially if there is a strong and transparent media presence. Strong media presence with a combination of educated citizens who are able to decipher actual news vis-à-vis fake, is one combination most arrogant leaders are unable to manipulate and eventually meet their fate. The arrogance of Republican George Bush Jr. is the reason Democrat Barack Obama
Life Lessons became the President of the United States. Of course economic meltdown helped. In a generally democratic world where arrogance is usually punished, how come Goa has not found a way of showing the door to its arrogant leaders? We can tolerate them for one term maximum, but the public have a chance to rectify their mistake when they appear for a re-election. Have we got so used to arrogant leaders around us, who go to the extent of playing politics over a pothole or a streetlight? Why do we give these leaders so much control of our lives? There are instances where our leaders do the most corrupt and immoral things in the afternoon and on the same day lecture their citizens on morality over a toast raising ceremony at some evening reception party. Our inability to speak freely and make up our own mind has seriously jeopardized our thinking ability. The more the processes, licenses, and permissions you need from leaders, the more they show you who is boss and an arrogant one at that. Great leaders usually provide solutions
A Diseased nation
State of Health
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he other day I had a chance meeting with one of my ex-GMC professors at a party. He has an uncanny knack of conversing in medical language. After a preamble, we had wide ranging discussions on day-to-day issues. Since corruption is the main issue, I decided to ask his views on it. Here are some excerpts: I: Sir what is your opinion about rampant corruption at all levels. Prof: This cancer is eating the vitals of our nation from inside out. It has metastasized, has spread its tentacles all over and now has reached ‘higher’ centres. I: So what are the remedial measures? Prof: The prognosis is not very good. But gene therapy will have a promising cure. I: Sir, sorry I didn’t get you exactly. Where does this therapy fit in? Prof: Sorry my dear boy, I should have said young gene instead. All old tumours have to be excised and new blood has to be infused. I: Sir, after CWG is over, do you think those responsible for
gence of your readers. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, if I remember rightly, the pigs became the bosses. The same has happened in Goa. The scum has floated to the top. No wonder nothing is being done about overflowing septic tanks in particular or the sewage system in general. We all know what the staple diet of pigs in Goa has always been. Hence no attempts are being made to solve the garbage and sewage problems facing the state.
Mental health alert Blossom Cabral, Nagoa World Mental Health Day was recently celebrated on October 10. Mental illness needs to be controlled early; else it can deteriorate rapidly and become extremely expensive. It can be triggered by stress and erratic emotional behaviour. The daily grind itself can take a toll on our body and mind. When the mind becomes fragile, medication or therapy must be sought. Mental illness is on the rise in Goa. Good cheer and laughter can keep away negative feelings away. Think positive, think bright.
Nightmare roads Stuart Cabral, Nagoa It becomes a motorist’s nightmare to drive on Goan roads. Backaches, headaches, neck pain are the common man’s penance for the sin of driving on Goan roads. Recent talks about the six-lane highway coming to Goa have given the people of Goa sleepless nights. Instead of pursuing the highway, government should first look at fixing the roads in Goa which are in shambles.
Flawed justice Tony Alphonso, Siolim The recent Court ruling regarding the Ayodhya issue as well as the Karnataka disqualification plea shows that our justice system is becoming slack and not guided by reason and justice. People will lose faith in the judicial system. The Police and the Court must remain aloof from the filth of politics and religion. Unfortunately in India it is more of Ram and Allah than unity, peace and justice. We have to seriously think over this if we want to see India as a great nation.
to a problem that might arise in their work area. In Goa most leaders create the problem, so that they are automatically called upon to be part of the solution. Lousy leaders usually thrive on chaos, the more the chaos the more they control the population. This is the reason leaders loathe smart and efficient systems, because it threatens their leadership and might render them obsolete. Great leaders are usually never insecure of their leadership; their thumb rule is to usually have subordinates that are smarter than them. That gives them an edge as a team, to perform better and stay ahead in the race. That also makes sure the leader is always humble and listening to smart advice from his subordinates. Lot of Goan leaders are seen promoting their offspring into the political arena, nothing wrong with that, but are any Goan leaders ready to listen to ideas from their offspring, for that matter is any offspring ready to point out the mistakes of their political parents? Narayan Murthy’s highly qualified children can change their names, walk into Infosys premises
and get selected for a job based on their merit. Infosys as a policy till date has not encouraged offspring taking over management, because the organization is beyond petty power struggles. Arrogance is killed at the doorstep of Infosys and that makes them the most humble organization always geared towards customer service. Google founders Sergei Brin and Larry Page found themselves too young and inexperienced to run day to day affairs of the scale Google was turning out to be. They immediately hired Eric Schmidt as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Google. Even though all the three run Google as a triumvirate, it takes audacity on the part of the founders to handover the company operations to an outsider. Narayan Murthy, Sergey Brin, Larry Page can be termed as humble leaders whose performance is measured by the results their companies declare. No big talk over the mike can mask their performance like our leaders resort to, because the audience they usually address, are not used to listening too much prose, they listen to facts and figures. Performance oriented systems usually put pressure on leaders to perform or face consequences. Goans must come out of the dictatorial mindset of the past, which might have delivered great results, but there are enough checks and balances to stop corruption, high handedness, nepotism, red-tape even in a democratic setup. For that to happen we the citizens must use our voting power judiciously. We could make a start by changing our vocabulary and start addressing our leaders from ‘honourable leaders’ to ‘humble servants’. This will have dual advantage, it will remind the leaders every time that they should be humble towards their citizens and more importantly remind the citizens that leaders are selected to serve us. Measuring performance of leaders might not be as easy as counting runs and wickets in cricket, but surely before selecting a leader we can set benchmarks they should achieve. There is an old saying that goes something like this, “Fool me once, Shame on you, Fool me twice, Shame on me”. If we go by this proverb, and the amount of times we have been fooled by our leaders, Generation Next Goans will be branding us in their history books, as Most Shameless Goans of all Time.
scams will be brought to book? Prof: Oh, (smiling cynically and brushing aside my query with a wave of his hand) these minor hiccups will die down. The post-operative period will be uneventful. After all the operation was successful! I: Coming to the state politics, Sir, I would appreciate your views on much talked about politician-police-drug dealer nexus. Prof: It’s like a hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid nexus where one is dependant on the other. When the system goes wrong investigations are ordered. I: So we will have the results soon from investigation? Prof: Don’t be so naïve my boy. These investigations like many others always remain in suspended animation. I: And Atala? Prof: When you utter his name my blood boils and pulse starts racing. After his bail, people responsible developed amnesia or may be Alzhiemer’s Disease. Atala did a bypass via Nepal and is now in the pink of health. I: What is the prognosis of the chronically ill River Princess? Prof: She has been examined by top world specialists. Two-
Faulty bank loan policy
S. Kamat, Alto Betim
I took an enterprising vegetable vendor to one of the leading nationalised banks in Panjim. He wanted a loan for two vehicles to supply vegetables to clients and another to buy produce in bulk from Karnataka. The bank seemed stuck with the principle of asset based lending; despite knowing that bad loans against assets are often stuck in expensive litigation. In a competitive economy bank lending should be based upon the applicant’s capacity to pay rather than his asset base. Banks need to change if they want to reverse the picture in Goa where it is understood that deposits far exceed bank credits to customers as brought out in the last State Level Banking Meeting. Will the banks change for the better and give loans based on the capacity to pay? Then they will see their credit targets being met.
Ethics needed
Spare teachers
Juliano Baptista, Cortalim
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Despite the call from the GBA barely 300 turned up in Panjim to protest the Government’s dilly dallying over RP2021. People of Goa do not deserve the efforts of Village groups and the GBA. After whining about all our problems we vote the same rogues into power. The social workers who put hours of tireless work are branded as ‘opposers of progress and development’. The problem with us is we believe that anything illegal becomes legal as soon as we benefit from it. We put public welfare way down the pecking order. No one says do not make money, but money must be made with the application of proper ethics.
It would be in the fitness of things to spare teachers from election duties so that they can concentrate on teaching their students in their respective schools. The state is at the threshold of elections to the Municipal bodies. Hopefully the teachers will not be called to carry out the election-duties. The task could be handed over to the staff of the state Government drawn from other departments.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar Interviews to recruit government staff are a farce since the candidates are chosen and finalized even before the letters of interviews go out to aspiring candidates. Merit and competency are irrelevant with ministers calling the shots. The heads of departments have to be blamed for not having the spine to tell the ministers that all recruitment should be on merit. The office of a very high constitutional post has been stuffed with his family and friends. His personal secretary, a clerk from CCP was brought in on a gazetted officer’s pay scale. Amongst other errands, he walks the official’s pack of dogs. Staff recruitment systems seem to have gone to dogs.
year survival rate is only 30 percent if she is bed-ridden, I mean seabed-ridden. Treatment is rather difficult. Some have opted for corrective surgery and then transport. Many veterans have shown interest for her permanent cure from time to time but have developed cold feet at the exorbitant Rs 10 crore bank guarantee. I: Sir give me your valuable opinion on the Donapaula-Vasco Sea Link. Prof: These political bigwigs don’t know what they want. Take it as foot-in-mouth syndrome. I: But sir, why we all keep quiet when we see that there is chaos in every aspect of life? Prof: Because we have been conditioned, programmed and tuned by our ancient culture, innumerable invasions and our upbringing. Since the virus of corruption at every level has plagued us, rabid politicians bite every day whoever come across their path, rapes, murders, dacoity…all diseases have become endemic. And so, we have developed immunity over a period of time, our yogic and meditation culture notwithstanding.
Letters to the Editor
Letter of the Day
Recruitment farce
By Dr Pradeep V Kamat
Sports Reservations Prof Robert Castellino, Calangute I fully support the opinion of Aires Rodrigues in his letter (Herald, 18 Oct) that politicians should be banned from holding post in sports federations. Several ministers, even without basic knowledge of the sport are directly inducted into sports bodies. Instead every sport should appoint a patron minister or influential politician to lend official support to the game. Also 50 per cent of all posts in sports bodies at the national and state level must be reserved for sportsmen who have participated at the national or state level. We have reservations everywhere else, why not in sports?
Destroy the Destroyers Nitin Kamat, via E-mail How long are we going to be manipulated by the political classes who protect and promote crime and anti-Goan policies? How long are we going to be fooled by
lies, denials and a few favours from the politicians? How long will we tolerate the injustice and hardships forced upon us? We are divided amongst ourselves. For how long will we live without dignity, respect and peace? We need to destroy the Destroyers by ousting them from the power that they have misused to remain in their chairs rather than serving and developing Goa and its unique identity.
People’s revolution Allwyn George, Carmona When I travel abroad I compare the conditions back home in Goa and India with the places I visit. Foreign infrastructure, airports, public transport, roads and other amenities are far superior to ours. My heart weeps and sadly I accept nothing is going to change. Our politicians know that the Goan electorate will be fooled at the next elections too. Once elections are round the corner we will be fooled once again by the same politicians by hollow promises, liquor, money, sarees etc. Goans need to realize that politicians are like blood-sucking parasites which must be removed and thrown out. Goa needs a movement led by the Goa Bachao Abiyan to dump all today’s politicians who with land mafia and corrupt bureaucrats are plundering the state. We need a people’s revolution …
Original names forever Jerry Fernandes, Saligao If Goans are still retaining Portuguese names in public places it is because they are proud of their unique identity. Forget the distorted and the exaggerated stories on Inquisition and other things. Portuguese brought us cashews, chillies, mangoes, football, good habits, which gave us our unique IndoLatin Goan culture. No one can erase Goa’s by merely changing a few historical names here and there. What about Goans with Portuguese names? Bombay became Mumbai, Madras Chennai and Calcutta Kolkata, but the original names are still used. Letters should be 150 words or less in length, and should have the writer’s name, address and telephone number. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for size and readability, and to delete any personal attacks or libellous /objectionable matter.
Paths of Wisdom Struggle A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On that day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It was never able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was Nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance. (Author unknown)
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