COMMUNITY NEWS

Zanzibar: Wolfgang `Wolf` Dourado interviewed Photo by Benny de Souza 29 May: The Guardian (Tanzania). Wolfgang `Wolf` Dourado served as Attorney General of Zanzibar for 13 years … After the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution, Dourado chose to remain behind and support the Revolutionary Government as other Goans fled … He was interviewed in his `White House` residence in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Excerpts: “The British Government liked the Goans because they could be trusted with the cash, whereas our ndugus have light fingers" “They wanted to give me a party, and I said: `Goans are not rich. We don’t have money. I don’t want the party (but) let us collect the money for the [Saint Francis] Society”. [Info from Mervyn Lobo]. Text, 1898 words, at click here.

Calgary: Sybil Braganza: Program aims to connect newcomers to the city
24 May:  Calgary Herald. … Grandparenting Across Cultures is a program that empowers new immigrants to identify areas where they'd like to learn more about Canadian culture … Based upon a similar program in Australia, it is aimed at removing barriers -- particularly language barriers says Sybil Braganza, community social worker with the Senior Services division of the City of Calgary … For more information about Grandparenting Across Cultures, call Sybil Braganza at 974-3128.
Sybil Braganza immigrated to Canada from Karachi, Pakistan in 1981. For a photograph and more info about her in GVUK 2005-42 click here.

Croydon, UK: Kelly DeSouza: There's no messing with Croydon's 'charlie's angels'
25 May: Croydon Advertiser. Sarah Mackinnon, Annie Naine and Kelly De-Souza were walking in Church Road, Croydon when Sarah's handbag was ripped from an arm by a hoodie. She chased after him. Meanwhile, Kelly and Sarah tried to detain a second youth who had been with the thief.  Kelly, 37, phoned the police, Sarah caught up with her attacker and grabbed her bag back. The thief and his friend then fled the scene, having more than met their match.  592 words. Click here.

Croydon, UK: Sharon Pereira: 'Treated like a dog over a Scottish fiver'
25 May: Croydon Advertiser.  Sharon Pereira was left fuming after being told she couldn't use a Scottish £5 note at Coulsdon Pets Centre. Mrs Pereira, of Rickman Hill, Coulsdon, phoned the centre's manager to complain after her visit on May 18. She was told again it was not the store's policy to accept Scottish notes. Mrs Pereira, 42, a deputy manager at an after-school club, said: "My husband was given the note when he paid for petrol at a garage … A spokeswoman for the Treasury confirmed that Scottish notes were not legal tender in England and that it was up to individual traders whether to accept them.

UK: The D'Souzas' yearly get-together Dr D’Souza 26 May: The Guardian (UK).  … Patti Rundall - nee D'Souza - was one of 14 children born to a Portuguese-Indian doctor and his Welsh wife in Merthyr Tydfil from the late 1935 to the late 1950s. "We're an extremely close family,” says Patti, 56. They have a picnic in Regent's Park on the same weekend in June each year.  She adds, "Our parents would be really pleased that we're still meeting up after so many years. Our father died aged 53 back in 1962 but he loved families. Other family members come too - so there are usually around 50 of us in all."   For the full text, 387 words and a photograph click here. Patti Rundall, Policy Director of Baby Milk Action, was awarded the OBE in 2000 for services to infant nutrition. Her father, Dr Francis Henry D’Souza lived in small mining village called Bedlinog near Merthyr Tydfil.  He was a colliery doctor and surgeon at Merthyr General Hospital and GP from 1935 until he died in 1962.  He traced his Goan roots to Calangute. For a photograph and brief profile of Patti Rundall click here. For ideas of how to help her campaign, see www.babymilkaction.org  For the India group see www.bpni.org

London: Konkan Day 2007
27 May: UK Konkans successfully hosted Konkan Day on 26 May 2007. As promised by the organisers, the event was full of fun and all round entertainment. Text and 19 photographs click here.

Nairobi: Eve De Souza: BBC Africa Radio Awards
28 May: Capital FM, Kenya.  Kenya’s Capital FM joined three other African countries in making big wins at the first ever BBC Africa Radio Awards … In the Interactive/Talk Show of the Year award, Capital FM’s ‘Chit Chat’ hosted by Eve De Souza, Solomon Munyua and Alex Wafula was among the finalists. De Souza said: “We’re really excited about entering the BBC Africa awards next year and taking our interactive talk show to even greater heights.”  Nairobi’s talk show queen for the last six years added: “I honestly feel that we’ve come a long way in informing, inspiring, educating and touching peoples lives across Africa. And recognition like this from BBC inspires all of us in Africa to be better, to do more and to continue to touch peoples lives in a positive way.” click here.

New Zealand: Anushka Britto: Mixing cultures is a tug of war
29 May.  New Zealand Herald. Anushka Britto a Year 11 student at Epsom Girls' Grammar School in Auckland writes. “Indians born and brought up in New Zealand usually struggle with their culture and ethnicity.  Their lives are like a massive tug of war: parents and family tie them to India while friends and school life pull them to New Zealand … I am glad that as a Catholic I don't have as many restrictions on my life as other religions and cultures impose. But some of my friends aren't so lucky … Since I am Indian by ethnicity and New Zealander by nationality, I find myself caught up in a tangled web of opinions and values, not knowing who to follow or what to leave behind” …  538 words. Click here.
For a photograph of her click here.

Cricket: Canada: Mississauga: Sunil D’Souza bowls Ramblers to victory
29 May: Mississauga News. The bowling of Sunil D’Souza sparked the Mississauga Ramblers to a season-opening victory.  Photo and text at http://www.mississauga.com/article/3349

Toronto: Brendon deSouza: Sick Kids.  By Mike Strobel
31 May: Toronto Sun. Next time you feel hard done by, take a stroll through Sick Kids. That will snap you out it. Real quick. My stepdaughter practically grew up there. I met the wisest 11-year-old I ever knew, Brendon deSouza, at Sick Kids. He was 12 when he died of leukaemia … For full text click here.
For details of the G.O.A. (Toronto) Brendon deSouza award click here.

Toronto: Vision for G.O.A. (Survey deadline extended to August 31, 2007)
From Chris Martins: The Goan Overseas Association is seeking feedback from both members and non-members to help form a new vision for the future. We invite you to complete the vision survey and attend the vision workshop on Sunday July 8, 2007 at the Valhalla Inn in Etobicoke. Full details can be found at http://www.goatoronto.com/vision

DEATHS

29 May: Mwanza, Tanzania. JOEL (CHIKU) SOLANKY. Husband of Jeannette. Father of Leroy.  Son of Late Parimal and Mandakini Solanky. Brother of Diana.  Brother-in-law of Sanjeev Pandya, & Rosalie, Patricia, and Arlene Dias. Uncle of Pooja and Badal Pandya.  Funeral Service will be held in Dar es Salaam at St. Alban's Church, Azikiwe Street on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 1:30 p.m.  followed by burial at the Kinondoni Cemetery. [Info from Diamond Carvalho].

28 May: Washington, DC. RONNIE PEREIRA. (ex Dar es Salaam Water Supply and Dar Yacht Club). Husband of Ivy (teacher, Aga Khan Secondary School).  Father of Louise, Daphne and Cheryl. Ronnie also authored two books in the USA. [Info from Mervyn Lobo].

26 May: Nachinola, Goa. ELVINA MARIA NAZARE E FERNANDES. (Ex-Uganda).  Wife of late Jose Francisco. Mother of Theodore, Molly/late Olivio, late Lydia/Brazinho, Philomena/late Charlie, Joseph Conrad (Joe)/Vanda and Desmond/Bella. 

25 May: Perth, Aus. IGNATIUS DOMNIC D’SOUZA. (Born 1917). Husband of Esme. Father of Jillian/Patrick Rapp; Astrid/Anthony Dias; Geraldine/Gilroy Dias; Christopher/Marita; Lorraine/Robin Martis; Gisele/Phillip Bonaface.

Re Death of MARY LOBO, UK, 16 May: Denis, Gareth, Jennifer, Neil and all of Mary's family thank you for being part of her life.  Mary lives in the laughter and tears of everyday life. Thank you for all the beautiful flowers and cards.  We will try to acknowledge every one of them.

HOLIDAY INFORMATION

Monsoon manoeuvre
16 May: Express Hotelier, India.  Seasonal changes at destinations solely dependent on tourism can acutely affect their economy. Rajesh Rodrigues speaks with hoteliers in Goa to find out their plans for tiding over this monsoon. 936 words. Click here.

Goa: Charter flights have fallen by less than half
25 May: Goa Plus. … as the Europeans head home in their chartered flights, domestic tourists are just coming in … The Goa Economic Survey points that the total inflow of tourists has reduced by over one lakh in the last two years. Charter flights have fallen by less than half to 317 charters as against the 719 charters which came in 2005 – 06 … 603 words. Click here.

Video: Matt Damon speaks about Goa
26 May: CNN-IBN, India. Interviewed in Cannes, Matt Damon says, “I was lucky enough when we were shooting the Bourne Supremacy when we were shooting in North and South Goa. It was so beautiful but I wish it wasn’t so far. To come from America, to take my whole family, it’s a 20-something hour flight. But once you are there, you never want to leave. It’s beautiful.” 6m 07s click here.

Five Best Pod Hotels in the World
26 May.  The Independent (UK).  Small but perfectly formed, these quirky rooms are a real treat … Set on the quieter far north coast of Goa, on the outskirts of a fishing village, Yabyum is your quintessential tropical retreat (it closes during the monsoon). In one direction is a beach of soft fawn-coloured sand, in the other shady coconut and banana plantations. The only break from the norm is the accommodation. While there are more conventional cottages available, the resort also features dome bedrooms made from rock, palm leaves and mango wood. Other facilities include an in-house masseur/reiki practitioner. Yabyum Resort, Ashvem, Goa, India (00 91 832 651 0392; www.yabyumresorts.com). Pods start at Rs4,000 (£49), including an organic breakfast. 

Video: Sun n surf, no sand is Goa's future
26 May: CNN-IBN, India. One look at the political agendas this election shows environment issues are not the top priority … Goa's 105 km long coastline is at risk. The Center for Future Studies have included Goa alongside the Great Barrier Reef as one of the top ten destinations that might just be washed off the tourist map by 2020. Experts already know whom to blame. 1m 48s. Click here.

Goa: The time machine
26 May: Berliner Zeitung. In Goa, aged Hippies search for freedom and enlightenment … hordes of young men wearing sunglasses come to Goa from the neighbouring states to ogle at the skimpily attired women sunbathing.  1192 words (German).Click here.

Sunday Brunch on the Mandovi Backwaters
26 May: Navhind Times, Goa.  ‘The BarcoLento’, Portuguese for ‘slow boat’, has made its advent. It cruises the river every night for two-hours, and on Sundays for a fantastic brunch.  633 words. Click here.

While termites ate my bed
27 May: Sunday Age (Australia). A Western woman travelling alone in India can expect to experience the best and worst of the country, writes Alexandra Roginski … It was the idyllic sands of Palolem Beach, Goa, that confirmed the reality that I wasn't in Melbourne anymore. For a bargain sum of 650 rupees I dozed off in my hut, gazing at a tropical-paradise cliche: slender palm trees leaning in to kiss; a curve of bay adorned by a full moon. I woke to a rat running across my face … In this deranged tapestry of Indian life, I also registered the schizophrenic attitude exercised towards Western women … A rickshaw driver once started urinating in front of me as I tried to negotiate a fare … 2465 words.

For the hippies Goa was once far-out. Now it’s just out
27 May: The Observer, UK.  Its beaches used to be paradise for hippies, but the local population, the vast majority of which are Catholic [sic], were never impressed by the parties, casual sex and drugs. Several years ago they started to crack down, insisting the once all-night raves were wound up at midnight. Some beach parties can still be found, but you'll have to seek them out - Goa is now far more popular with the package-holiday crowd.

Goa: Plans to create world class tourism infrastructure
29 May: Navhind Times, Goa. The Union Tourism Minister, Ms Ambika Soni has said that Centre has “designed” some proposals to create world class infrastructure and attract high class tourists to the state in an attempt enhance tourism potential in Goa …  She said that by 2010 the flow of foreign tourists in the country would touch 10 million. 539 words. Click here.

Innocent abroad
29 May:  Down Democrat (Ireland). We spent nearly two weeks in Goa doing just about as little as is humanly possible … A little outdoor café did a very nice line in muesli, fresh fruit, yogurt and honey with shredded coconut on top and served decent coffee, a bit of a rarity in India … the many touristy restaurants were geared up to western palates, unlike anywhere else in India that we’d been …  Click here.

Malaysia lures European tourists visiting Goa
30 May: Business Line, India. Malaysia is also promoting the `second home' concept at affluent Western population to buy property and settle down in its cities.  "We are trying a `one destination, two countries' concept (with Goa)” said the Malaysia Tourism Minister, Mr Mansor.  595 words. Click here.

GOA REAL ESTATE:

Paradise found
27 May: The Sunday Times (UK).  Anyone looking for a holiday home overseas wants sun, sea, sand – and money left to enjoy life once they get there … Then there is the Indian state of Goa, one of Asia’s lowest-priced holiday-home locations. Of its 75 miles of coastline, 50 are beach. While you would struggle to find a flat for £135,000 in many countries, the same money would buy you a six-bedroom townhouse in the state … Click here.

Video: Why everyone wants a slice of Goa
27 May:  CNN-IBN, India.  Simon Hayward quit his job in New Zealand and flew to Goa for a holiday. Today, he's quite at home in the little villa he bought and now runs as an exclusive hotel …  But it's also the nightmare of every Goan who finds his land being taken over by outsiders … So what's drawing people from the rest of India and from around the world to invest in Goa? Most says it’s the quality of life. Most of the people who are retiring want a home out here. When they retire the pension is not enough to live in the UK … The Goans who feel discriminated against because they are unwilling to pay the newly inflated rates are now complaining of a far more dangerous fall out … 1m 46s.  Click here.

Video: Russian mafia usurps Goa land, govt in denial mode
30 May: CNN-IBN, India.  Land sharks in Goa, including the Russian land mafia, have been forcibly evacuating small landholders and farmers from their land and usurping prime lands through fraudulent land deals.  Goa Chief minister Pratapsingh Rane has gone on record stating that the RBI and the Enforcement Directorate were investigating as many as 482 properties illegally purchased by foreigners in the state. 2m 21s. Click here.

Impact: Goa to net land sharks
31 May: CNN-IBN, India. After a CNN-IBN Special Investigation exposed how Russian land mafia in Goa are colluding with the state government and looting the state of its prime estate, reactions have been pouring in from politicians and activists in Goa. 243 words. Click here.

GOA NEWS HEADLINES:

Rane: Govt will create job opportunities to woo overseas Goans
25 May: Herald, Goa. Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane said that the Congress government will channelise all efforts for creating employment and opportunities to bring back to Goa all those who migrated nationally and internationally for gainful employment. 467 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/25006

Seaplanes to land off Goa coast
26 May: Times of India.  If all goes as planned, amphibian planes will be touching down off the coast in places such as Goa, Andaman and Nicobar etc in a year or so.  365 words. Click here.

US Navy Warships Visit Goa
27 May:  India Defence. Two US Navy warships have docked here on a friendly port visit to India. During the four-day visit, crewmembers of 'USS Chosin' and 'USS Milius' will interact with their Indian counterparts, participate in friendship building activities, will meet locals, and experience the Goan customs and tradition. Captain Steven A. Lott said, “…this is an opportunity for my ship and my sailors to have an opportunity to visit Goa and to see what there is to be seen here in India." http://www.india-defence.com/reports-3250

Marathi vs Konkani debate continues in Goa
31 May: PTI. Even as poll-bound Goa celebrates its 20th anniversary of statehood on Thursday, the vexed issue of official language status to Konkani and treating Marathi on par with it still continues to invite strong reactions.  333 words. http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/may/30goa.htm

GOA ELECTIONS 2nd JUNE:

Video: Liquor lobby protests Goa's 'dry run'
25 May: NDTV. Goa, India's best known party destination, is on forced leave from merrymaking … 2m.55s click here.

Video: World is a stage for Goa politicos
25 May CNN-IBN, India. Politics is a lot like theatre, a lot of acting, some laughter, tears and plenty of melodrama. Maybe that is why in Goa politicians use local theatre to woo voters … Theatre is always a crowd puller and it is this power that is now being harnessed by politicians to drive their campaigns especially, when there is a ban on posters and banners.
World is a stage for Goa politicos… 1m.26s. Click here.

The Royal Sickness. By Rajdeep Sardesai
25 May: CNN-IBN, India.  On election eve, the Goa Congress party resembles a disjointed, tattered army struggling to get its act together … How else does one explain the ridiculous situation of the Congress chief minister's son fighting as an independent, and then getting the official party candidate to "withdraw" in his favour? Or of a senior minister in the Rane government leaving the party after getting nominated on the grounds that his wife too must be given a ticket? Or the party's mercurial MP, Churchill Alemao, breaking away to form his own group in the hope of damaging the Congress? click here.

All set for Goa polls.  By Frederick Noronha
26 May: IANS. Election officials say they are all set for the June 2 elections when people in the small but politically fractured state will elect a new 40-member legislature. In all, 202 candidates are in the fray … Goa's voters total one million, including 504,582 females. There will be 1,066 polling stations with around 1,500 electronic voting machines.  224 words. Click here.

On the wagon in Goa
26 May: Hindustan Times. … Liquor retailers in Feni’s Own Country have indefinitely shut shop to protest against the state Election Commission’s directive to keep a watch on liquor traders. 260 words.Click here.

Family political power grows in Goa. By Melvyn Misquita
28 May: Herald, Goa. Like them or loathe them, you simply cannot ignore them. Whether you wanted a government job or facilities for your locality, there are strong chances that you would have come in contact, by choice or compulsion, with a politically powerful clan in your taluka … at least nine talukas in the State now feature a clan that wields considerable economic and political clout. In fact, decisions at all levels within their jurisdiction are rarely taken without involving them. 501 words. http://oheraldo.in/node/25067

Church urges Catholics for secular vote in Goa
28 May: Business Standard, India.  An Appeal by the Catholic Church to vote for ‘secular’ candidates is going to add to the BJP’s problems. As it is the party hardly gets any support from Goa’s Catholic Christian community, which constitutes nearly one-third of the state’s population. 386 words. Click here.

Video: Church has Goa at 'cross'-roads
29 May: CNN-IBN, India. With just four days to go for the Goa elections, the influential Church leaders have given out a confusing signal on whom to vote for. They have advised the nearly 27 per cent Christian population to not vote for the “corrupt or communal” candidates.  1m.28s. Click here.

Video: Question of faith hounds Goa church
29 May: NDTV, India. At the Church, the devout are high on faith. But are they, as the Church has been in the past, high on the Congress?  4m 43s. Click here.

Video: Save Goa campaign at crossroads
29 May: NDTV, India. A campaign was launched against a new plan in Goa which would have turned its beaches and forests into a concrete jungle.  5m. 16s. Click here.

Video: It's raining cash in Goa!
29 May: NDTV, India. If elections have meant the test of money and muscle, then Goa seems to be setting new standards. 5m. 23s. Click here.

Video: Goa ex-minister's nexus with land mafia dug up
29 May: CNN-IBN, India.  Bad Boy Babush: It was Monserrate who had tried to bring in the controversial Goa's regional plan.  For the first time, a CNN-IBN Special Investigation has bared this deep-rooted nexus backed by confessions of unscrupulous chartered accountants, lawyers and real estate dealers. 2m. 54s. Click here.

Video: Small could be big in Goa elections
30 May: CNN-IBN, India.  From Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, which ruled Goa after its liberation, to former chief minister Churchill Alemao, many a heavyweight is expecting a key role in forming the next government in the state. Click here.  

Goa intellectuals join hands to fight corruption
30 May: Indian Express.  For the first time in the history of Goan politics, members of NGOs, writers, artists and intellectuals are campaigning for the forthcoming Assembly elections. While they are not pitching for any particular party, they have identified at least five candidates they are going to join forces against.  The campaign is a crusade against corruption and communalism, they say. They liken the Congress to a rodent and the BJP to a reptile. “A rat is not poisonous, but a snake is. Goans should kill the snake first and then the rat,” the campaigners have declared at public meetings. 244 words. http://www.indianexpress.com/story/32214.html

EC crackdown on sops to voters in Goa
31 May: Times of India. Goa's notorious politicians are falling foul of the Election Commission ahead of assembly polls over sops to voters in the form of T-shirts, liquor, money, computers and more.  396 words. Click here.

Video: Goa slum spurns bribe, calls cops
31 May: CNN-IBN, India. People from a slum cluster in Taleigao constituency of poll-bound Goa called in the police, refusing to get bribed … “Rs 2,000, Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 were left at different houses in the colony,” says Sub Inspector B Pawar … 1m 10s. Click here.

Go Goa, your time is now. By Dr Oscar Rebello
31 May: Navhind Times. They say Goa is all set to keep her tryst with destiny. Or is she really?  … Will we get the same wine in a new bottle? Will we vote in the divisive forces that may unleash their brand of terror again? … (Dr Oscar Rebello is the convener of Goa Bachao Abhiyan). For full text, 495 words,  click here.

GoaNet Poll: Goa Elections - Have your say
31 May: GoaNet. If you are/were in Goa, which Party would you vote for on
June 2/07. To  participate click here.

For the Goa Elections Website see www.electionsgoa.nic.in

IN THE NEWS

Kenya: Book Review: Never Be Silent
May 2007. Awaaz, Kenya.  This book provides a comprehensive review of the press and publications in Kenya … Pio Pinto was deeply involved in the African freedom movement in Kenya and knew all the important underground leaders. But what diminutive, brilliant, highly affectionate Pio Pinto did for India and for the Indian community in Kenya during those critical days of Mau Mau rebellion can never be forgotten. Click here.
For the contents of this issue of Awaaz click here. 

UK: Shilpa Shetty: Big Brother rapped over race row 
24 May: BBC. Media regulator Ofcom has ruled that Celebrity Big Brother breached its code of conduct over the race row which dogged the series in January.  Click here.
Big Brother race row transcript. Channel 4 has now released the transcripts, which contain strong language. Click here

Tony D’Souza: An up-and-coming writer 24 May: Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL, USA.  Tuesday night, the Herald-Tribune Book Club hosted Tony D'Souza, author of "Whiteman," for a reading and discussion of his book, which is a novel about a young man's experiences as a Peace Corps-like volunteer in West Africa …  After winning multiple awards for "Whiteman," his next novel, "The Konkans," is due out in February. It also will be based in fact; it explores the Portuguese-Catholic population of Goa, India, where D'Souza's father is from. Click here. The Tony D’Souza website is at http://www.tonydsouza.com/

Karachi: Goan cuisine
25 May: Business Line (India). Of all the Pakistani cities, Karachi is inarguably the most cosmopolitan. Nowhere is this better reflected than in the cuisine it offers … Goan cuisine was once served by the Pereira brothers, who ran a bakery and a restaurant. The two fell out and the restaurant dropped shutters. Later the bakery, which sold succulent chicken patties, closed down too. Now one only gets prawn balchao, which is made by a couple of old Goan ladies, but on a limited stage.  Click here.

Scotland: Gemma has designs on a fashion future
25 May: Highland News. TV reality fashion series Project Catwalk catapulted Fort William design student Gemma Carver (24) into the spotlight before she had even finished her degree … she has plans well under way to launch her own fashion label, Nonchalant … Using influences from other cultures is what Nonchalant will be about … “Me and my sister go to Goa every year and I would love to be partly based there with my own studio," she says. 1032 words. Click here.

Some like it hot, but men from Bristol like it... Hotter!
25 May:  Bristol Evening Post (UK). With the exception of Chelmsford, Bristol tops the list of towns and cities whose men can manage the hottest vindaloos. More than two million men regularly endure sickness, upset stomachs, chronic wind, body odour and bad breath from trying to eat the hottest curry to compete with their pals. The survey also found that the average man will spend more than £18,000 on curries during a lifetime … The survey found that vindaloo is the number one choice for 60 per cent of hot curry lovers. In contrast, korma lovers are regarded as the biggest curry softies by over two thirds, 69 per cent, of men. Even dupiaza, pasanda and rogan josh have a lowly status on the macho barometer.  466 words. Click here.

Anju Thapa: Wearer of Many Hats
27 May:  DQ Channels, India.  Anju Thapa is the operational head for the Japanese company, Buffalo … Her priority is to find a dealer in Goa who will sell Buffalo products. She also hopes to club this appointment with some personal time at this dream destination …Click here.

 India: Jesuits plan to set up Central varsity. By Ashley D’Mello
27 May: Times of India. India might have its first Central Christian University if a Catholic religious order of priests, the Jesuits, known worldwide for their contribution to the field of education, have their way with the Central government.  The university will benchmark itself against global standards and be open to students of every stripe irrespective of creed, community or caste … Delhi is being considered as a possible site for the new university. All the 30-plus Jesuit colleges in India will be affiliated to it.  282 words. Click here.

Canute D’Souza: The rupee is on a sudden and determined climb
27 May: Daily News & Analysis (India). Canute D’Souza, 26, has been working on a cruise liner in the US for the last three years. It is hard work and tough on him because he is away from his family for most of the year. But D’souza still goes through all the trouble for one reason: when his US dollar salary is converted into rupees, his wealth is magnified.  Millions of Indians who work abroad have benefited from a weaker rupee for years. But that is changing now. The Indian currency has turned around this year, rising by 9 per cent, making individuals like D’Souza poorer by a few precious thousand rupees.  http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1099405

Pooch is a real monkey mutt
29 May: The Sun (UK). John Hicks, of International Animal Rescue has some monkeys at his home in Goa. Check out the photos at http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007240575,00.html

UK: Mapping the challenge posed by India
29th May: Royal Society of Arts.  The Indian political newspaper Tehelka is hosting a key summit at the RSA, London next week to offer an insight into the growing economic and social importance of India. It has confirmed a wide array of speakers including Nobel Laureate VS Naipaul … Tehelka's 'Challenge of India Summit' will take place on 7th and 8th of June. Click here.

Sidhis: Marriage of colours and traditions. By Melwyn Pinto
29 May: Deccan Herald. Deccan Herald. Sidhis are a tribe of African origin living mostly in Karnataka. Believed to be brought to India as slaves by the Portuguese in the medieval period, Sidhis fled Goa unable to bear the torture, including inquisition, of their masters. Sidhis evolved their own unique cultural practices, enriching them with a variety of songs and dances. Marriage is one such celebration where symbolic and meaningful cultural practices are on display.  775 words. Click here.

India: End attacks on us, say Indian Christians
29 May: Reuters. Hundreds of Indian Christians, some shouting "hallelujah", held a noisy but peaceful protest in New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the federal government stop hardline Hindu groups from attacking them. 349 words. Click here.

UK immigration minister finally dashes disenfranchised Indians' hopes
30 May: Times of India.  British Immigration minister Liam Byrne has ruled out any change to re-orient the controversially-amended Highly Skilled Migrant Programme and address the demands of an estimated 30,000 Indians who claim they were suddenly disenfranchised by the UK's new immigration rules. Click here.

NRIs, now just click to access India
28 May: Times of India. For the 25 million Indians living abroad, getting information about their country, especially the growing investment opportunities in various sectors, would now be just a click away.  The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Monday launched a facilitation centre [http://moia.gov.in/] which will act as a 'one-stop-shop' for addressing all the queries of the Indian diaspora regarding opportunities available in the country.  472 words. Click here.

Canada: Ontario-Goa Student Exchange Agreement
30 May: Excalibur Online, Canada - The group representing university faculty associations across Ontario has joined the long list of critics who accuse the Ontario government of failing to sufficiently increase post-secondary funding … Chris Bentley, Ontario minister of training, colleges and universities, has announced new spending … On May 29 Bentley announced a $600,000 Ontario-Maharashtra-Goa Student Exchange Agreement at "an event celebrating international education."   Bentley said, "Our government supports students who want to expand their experiences by studying abroad.” Click here.

Boston, Mass. Spice and heat from India’s seaside state of Goa
30 May: Boston Globe. … unless you have your heart set on a fiery, vinegary vindaloo, it's hard to find specialties from the seaside state of Goa. Goan food is known by the liberal use of tiny, hot chilies, the tang of vinegar, and the sweet silkiness of coconut milk. Chicken xacuti ($15.95) at Cafe Goa in Westford is a gentle example of this tiny state's distinctive cuisine. Or look for other Goan specialties, such as shrimp balchao or a traditional Goan fish curry. Cafe Goa, 175 Little Road (Rt. 110), Westford. Click here.

Anti-Christian violence will destroy the country, says archbishop of Mumbai
30 May: AsiaNews, India. Mgr Oswald Gracias, the prelate who chairs the Indian Bishops’ Conference talks to AsiaNews about yesterday’s big rally by Christian groups against religious intolerance and warns that without religious freedom India will crumble. 505 words. Click here.

Bahrain: And the winner is... 
30 May: Gulf News, Bahrain. Twenty beauty queens will vie for the title of the Young Goans Club (YGC)  May Queen 2007 at a pageant tomorrow night at the Delmon International Hotel's poolside, Manama. The event that has been one of YGC's most loved entertainment programmes has attracted women, aged 18 to 28, from Spain, the UK, the Philippines, Pakistan, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Romania and India. 270 words. Click here.

GOANET HIGHLIGHTS by Cornel DaCosta

Will Goan Voice (UK) readers please help (via Mervyn Maciel), at mervyn@bwana-karani.freeserve.co.uk, a fellow Goan who is keen to compile a list of Goan nicknames, primarily from East Africa, with, if possible, their origins? An illustration is Godgodo D'Mello, whom I knew well and who had supposedly got his nickname Godgodo (thunder) for his quick temper!

A Conference on Traditional Asian Diet may appear to be unusual but there is a good opportunity to find out much about this theme at the International Cuisine Conference on Traditional Asian Diet, Sept. 2--5, 2007 at Hotel Fidalgo, Panjim, Goa. Information at www.indologygoa.in

Hopefully, GV(UK) readers will welcome the recent launch of the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC).This Centre will function as a non-profit organisation to promote overseas Indian investment in India, facilitate business partnerships and extend a host of advisory services to persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and Non-resident Indians (NRIs). In effect, OIFC will act as a "one-stop-shop" for information, assistance and other services.

If Goa to GV(UK) readers is represented by "susegad, carnival, sunny beaches and feni, you may alter your views on reading Tales From the Attic" by Savia Viegas. This is a "dark and brooding narrative that takes one to the post-Liberation era---a time well before the hippy, the tourist and the budget airline eras that transformed the state into beach bacchanalia." For a review of the novel by Janhavi Acharekar, please visit click here.

News about the alarming state of TB in Goa is presented by Preetu Nair in his substantial article titled A Deadly Stigma: Interior Goa Struggles With TB In a Way Stats Don't. Apart from the medical aspects of the disease, the social aspects are highlighted very well in the article.

A plea to support and re-vitalise Brass Bands in Goa  appears in one of  Goanet posts.The need for such bands and what can be done to help, is well summarised by contact person vijaydcruz@gmail.com

Well, well, well! Is it true that "Indian tourists are only second to the French as the worst tourists in the world?" Further, only slightly lower down the scale are the Chinese and the Brits according to a report drawn upon by Philip Thomas who writes much on air travel, airports and tourism relating to Goa/India. He has also reported that, tourist charter flights  to Goa have fallen significantly in the past year or so.

Finally, following much expression of interest, re the free downloading of excellent Konkani music by Prof Noel Flores in Austria and as reported in last week's GV(UK), the downloading can be undertaken at www.heritagejazz.com (under Music and Video/). I am thankful to Armando Gonsalves at armandoindia@yahoo.co.uk for this helpful and timely information.

UK: TV & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS By Lira Fernandes

COOKERY: Sizzle. Wedding TV
Sat: 2nd June. 09:00 to 09:30.  Canadian chef Michael P. Clive helps Priya create a masala of British and Indian food for a special family meal.

DOCUMENTARY: Lie Lab.  Channel 4 – also online  
Sat: 2nd June 19:00 to 20:00.  Two British Asian men who were labelled as terrorists undergo new scientific tests that aim to discover if they are telling the truth. 

FILM: The Darkest Light. BBC 2  
Mon: 4th June 01:55 to 03:25. Drama about a Yorkshire family … their new Asian neighbours are trying to adjust to their unfamiliar, occasionally hostile environment. 1999. 

TRAVEL: A Fork in Africa: Zanzibar.   Travel Channel   
Wed 6 June 2007. 07:00 to 07:30.

SITCOM: The Spiritual Centre. BBC Radio Four  
Wed. 6th June. 11:30 to 12:00.  Guru Bharat has to convince the Asian community that he is not a baby hater.

TALK SHOW: Thinking Allowed. BBC Radio Four   
Wed. 6th June. 16:00 to 16:30. Laurie Taylor discusses most notorious cases of police racism in Britain, after the body of David Oluwale was pulled from a canal in Leeds in May 1969.

FILM: Bhaji on the Beach. Film4   
Wed 6th June.  23:15 to 01:15. A group of Asian women decide to escape from the pressures of their various lives for a hilarious trip to Blackpool.

TRAVEL: A Fork in Asia: Delhi.  Travel Channel
Thu. 7th June.  23:00 to 23:30. Delhi.  

FORTHCOMING

See http://www.lanfranc.com/lanfranc_location_2000.pdf for help in locating Archbishop Lanfranc School, Croydon

Sun.10 Jun. Siolim Union (London) invites you to celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua at Archbishop Lanfranc School Hall, Mitcham Road, Croydon. Commences with Holy Mass at 12 noon followed by social and dancing to the music of Maz 'n' Co. Tickets which includes snacks and a meal costs £10 for members and £12 for guests. Children under 12 Free Admission. Licenced Bar. For tickets please call Tony Fernandes on 0208 540 3566, Edwin Athayde on 0208 679 5514 or Eugene Fernandes on 0208 665 4773

Sun 24 Jun. G.O.A. Summer Bash at HSBC Sports Club, Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent commencing at 11am. Activites to include hockey, junior football, volleyball, whist drive. Contact: Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 – 8771 4457, Richard Fernandes 020 – 8300 5347, Fidelis D'Mello 020 - 8698 9678, Bernie Gracias 020 – 8723 1322. See GOA website for further details. (Due to logistical reasons, the planned event for past office bearers and helpers has been postponed).

Sun 24 Jun Benaulim Association(UK) We are celebrating the our 25th Anniversary Feast of St John the Baptist at St Ignatius College Hall, Turkey Street, Enfield, EN1 4NP commences with Holy Mass at 12.30pm followed by dancing to the Music of "Breakthru" and disco by Nite- Life. Members £8.00, non-members £10.00, Children (10 -16) £4.00, Children under 10 FREE. For tickets contact Felipe on 0208 368 9663, Mary 0208 803 9752 and Josephine 0208 967 7471. Public transport to Hall: Buses 217 from Turnpike Lane or the overhead train from Liverpool St. Station to Turkey St.

Sun. 01 July. G.O.A. Golf Open at Blue Mountain Golf Course, Bracknell. Further details from: Jacinto D'Silva 020 - 8723 1233, Menino Mascarenhas 01784 211832

Sun 01 July.  Aldona Association - Celebration of St Thomas’ feast at the Irish Centre, Pretoria Road London N17 8DX.. Mass 1.00pm, music by Maz ‘n’ Co. We have some great raffle prizes including two prizes of 7 nights BB hotel accommodation in Goa. Application form can be obtained from our website www.aldonalondon.org.uk or email aldonalondon@hotmail.com For more information contact Jude-020 83604102, Tino-01628 680529 or Les-0208 4408832.

Sat. 15 Jul. 3.30 P.M. Archbishop Lanfranc High School, Mitcham Road, Croydon. Konkani Dramatic Association proudly presents Tiatr "GOODBYE LONDON" Written and Directed by Jr. Nelson. First show in U.K. with talented artistes from Goa. Heartthrob, Olga Vaz, Singer and actor Menino Mario, Jet speed singer William de Curtorim, Master Comedian Ben Evangelisto, Comedian superstar Philip, Multi-talented Rosita and Topmost Maestro Josinho. For tickets please telephone Judy on 0208 7632606 or 07949403741, Nina Pinto 0208 7670663 or Cornelius Monteiro 0208 6818716.

FOR LATER EVENTS SEE http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/