Goan Voice UK: Newsletter. Issue 2008-15. April. 10, 2008

Angela trains for her tour to France

27 Mar: Haringey Independent ( London) … Tottenham resident and mother-of-three Angela Simoes, 55, has decided to get on her bike and raise some money for charity. On July 15 she will pedal to Dover, hop on a ferry to France, and then cycle another 184 miles to Paris. She said: "I've been made redundant recently, my three daughters are grown up, and I have a lot of time on my hands.” Angela, of Higham Road, Tottenham, London, hopes to raise £1,000 for the global charity Médecins du Monde. For more information about Angela's own Tour de France, or to sponsor her, visit her fund-raising page. Click here.
For full text of the article, 389 words, click here.
Angela nee Fernandes was born in Mombasa to Olinda and Simao (Valent) Fernandes and was at the Star of the Sea Convent School until the age of 12, completing her education in Mumbai with a B.Sc degree. She arrived in the UK in 1975 and obtained a law degree in 2001. She has a brother in Guildford, UK and a sister in Mississauga, Canada. She is looking for generous sponsors within the Goan Voice forum to reach her target.

Rudy Lobo sells 2.5 million Regus shares at 98.6 pence each

4 Apr: Yahoo News. Regus Group Plc. said group chief operating officer Rudy Lobo sold 2.5 million shares in the company at 98.6 pence each, cutting his stake to about 2.20 million shares in the company. Lobo sold the shares in advance to the proposed changes to the capital gains tax legislation and for personal reasons, the company said click here.
Rudy Lobo was born in Nairobi. His Regus salary + bonus in 2006 was £362,200. For a profile of him click here.
For more information about him, click here.

Maria Fernandes/Keith Vaz: Immigration raids hit Indian restaurants in UK
5 Apr: Express India. Many Britons have recently had their evenings at Indian restaurants rudely interrupted by raids by immigration officials seeking to nab illegal workers, leading to a welter of protest from MPs and campaigners … Goa-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz called for a halt on the raids … Vaz, the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee said the raids were having a devastating effect on Britain's catering industry … This week, Maria Fernandes, Chair of the Ethnic Minority Citizens Forum, joined over 350 restaurateurs at a public meeting with Minister for Immigration MP Liam Byrne to express a number of concerns about changes to the rules on work permits for Chefs. 513 words. Click here.
Immigration clampdown will close 16,000 eateries
6 Apr: The People ( UK). Maria Fernandes warned: "Restaurants in high streets will simply disappear. They rely on chefs coming from abroad. The new rules will spell the end of the UK as the recognised capital for high quality, multicultural cuisine." 348 words. Click here.
For the GVUK Fernandes/Vaz supplement click here.

Tony D’Souza awarded Guggenheim fellowship
7 Apr: NDTV. Five Indian-Americans have been selected for the prestigious Guggenheim Fellow for the year 2008 … writer Tony D'Souza at the age of 32 is possibly one of the youngest recipients of this fellowship. Born and raised in Chicago, his first novel Whiteman received the prestigious Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His second novel, The Konkans was released in February this year … For photo and text click here.

Boston, USA: Ashley Fernandes charged with murder

8 Apr: Boston Globe. Ashley Fernandes, 28, went to an Indian restaurant and confided to a stranger in the next table that he had murdered his girlfriend and later added that he "had too much freedom in this country" and was "ready to die." He also doodled on a piece of paper, cursing the world and jotting down his parents' contact information in India. The person he spoke to went to the police. They searched his apartment and found the body of his estranged girlfriend, Jessica Herrera, 25 … Fernandes has pleaded not guilty to the murder and is held without bail until a May 9 hearing. 785 words. Click here.
Peabody murder suspect had threatened victim before
8 Apr: Salem News. Click here.
Remembering Jessica Herrera
7 Apr: Salem News. Family, friends 'devastated' by bubbly young mother's slaying … 424 words. Click here.
For links to more information click here.

Dr Dominic Pinto: Amin-era doctor tells of scale of Omagh disaster

9 Apr: The Irish News. A consultant surgeon exposed to Idi Amin's reign of terror in Uganda had never experienced anything to rival the Omagh bomb carnage, the High Court heard … Dr Dominic Pinto, who led the emergency response at Tyrone County Hospital after the explosion, said the sheer scale of victims was for him unparalleled though between 1970 and 1973 he had worked in Uganda and seen the most horrific injuries … 249 words. Click here.
Dominic Pinto, djdtpinto@yahoo.com was born in Marna, Siolim, Goa and was brought up in Nairobi. He attended the Catholic Parochial School and Dr Ribeiro School there before qualifying in medicine in London in 1962. He later taught at Makerere University, Kampala. He is the brother of Fr Tony Pinto who is based in Nairobi and was active in the Nairobi Heroes.
For links to more information about him click here.

Edinburgh: Herman Rodrigues: Suruchi Too is at risk
10 Apr: The Scotsman. Herman Rodrigues, of Suruchi Too, said the Indian restaurant, frequented by Bollywood stars has laid off staff and is threatening to close after claiming tram roadworks in Edinburgh have devastated its business … More info at suruchitoo.com … 423 words. Click here.

YouTube spills Goa’s drug secrets
15 Mar. Yahoo News. A video that surfaced on YouTube featured a person, ostensibly a drug dealer, who claims to run a smooth trade by bribing Goa police. Speaking with a strong East European accent, the person identifying himself as Atala says he has to bribe police at all tourist spots like Anjuna, Arambol and Panjim to sell drugs … In the 4.25-minute video, Atala gets a call … he says “the chief of the police team demanded for Rs 2 lakh … I told him it was too much … the deal was fixed for a lakh … He said police cannot stop his business because most of them help him sell drugs. 249 words. Click here.
To watch the video click here.

The Goa drug divide
24 Mar: Daily News & Analysis. Mayank Tewari travels across Goa and finds that while the south is still about beautiful beaches and tourism, the north is where hashish and the hippie make a heady cocktail … Cocaine, LSD and hashish, rave parties, a corrupt police, the Russian mafia and the odd murder or two... tourism in Goa couldn't have been more exciting … It's difficult to miss the drug mob-cop connection in Goa … The Goa police have a very keen grip on the hashish supply in the city … The man who allegedly killed Scarlett Keeling was one such drug pusher with inroads in the Goa police … 1499 words. Click here.

Goa on a platter
30 Mar: Express Hospitality. There is much more served up in Goa than fresh crustaceans from the sea. The men who rule the culinary universe at the Park Hyatt Goa speak of regional and international influences on the grub of the land. 643 words. Click here.

UK to re-introduce long-term visas for Indians
3 Apr: Times of India. After introducing bio-metric visas last December, Britain has decided to re-introduce long-term visas of up to 10 years for Indians intending to visit that country … Click here.

Goa : paradise lost?
3 Apr: Spiked. After the murder of a British teen in Goa - known for its long beaches and wild parties - locals and tourists face serious clampdowns on fun. 1121 words. Click here.

Take the train for a massage through India
4 Apr: Daily Telegraph ( UK). India’s new luxury tourist train includes a gymnasium and two massage rooms for traditional herbal treatments. The Golden Chariot, which cost £7 million to build, began its first tours last month and will make weekly seven-night round-trips from Bangalore to Goa … Prices for the trip, including one night in a hotel, flights and transfers, start at £1,994 per person. Click here.

Drugs cocktail killed Ripon tattooist in Goa
4 Apr: Ripon Gazette ( UK). A fatal combination of ketamine and morphine killed a 38-year-old Ripon man in Goa an inquest has found. The body of tattooist Andrew White, 38, of Church Lane, was discovered in a Goa guesthouse in January 2007 … His family said they believed he had bought the drugs in Goa … Recording an open verdict, coroner Geoff Fell said: "There is no evidence to indicate how Andrew came to be intoxicated by the drugs." 159 words. Click here.

Medical tourism booming in India
4 Apr Times of India. An increasing number of NRIs settled in the US and the UK have also been availing of healthcare services in India … while a heart bypass surgery would cost a patient $6,000 in India, the same surgery would cost the person $23,938 in the US and $19,700 in Britain … the government plans to provide visa facilities on priority for medical tourists. But the main impediment for medical tourists coming from the UK and US is the fact that the insurance companies are not willing to cover treatment in India. 597 words. Click here.

Goa , a big city with big city problems
5 Apr: Indian Express. … The Scarlett Keeling incident is an aberration in the old Portuguese-influenced town’s history of splendid hospitality. Goans are dismayed at the publicity the Keeling incident has generated, a lot of it suddenly portraying Goa as dangerous for tourists … The character of Goa has evolved, from a simple seaside town to a bustling metro, where, as we know, murder is hardly that uncommon. 440 words. Click here.

Goan crazy
5 Apr: Gulf News (UAE). Travel feature. After spending months planning our holiday to Goa, one that we had been dreaming about for ages, the time had finally come when we were all ready to discover a new world … The first impression of the place is that of a land of golden beaches dotted with coconut trees — a place I would recommend everyone visit. It will leave them with beautiful memories and a longing to return to its shores. 385 words + photos. Click here.

Welcome to the two Goas
6 Apr: Daily News and Analysis. Goa has split into North and South Goa … Portuguese and hippie legacy is visible in the north while the south is still struggling to carve out an identity … North Goa is a lethal cocktail: John Lennon + Kurt Cobain + Lindsay Lohan. South Goa is a mocktail: O2 + H2O + sand + Bob Marley. The idea of a great lunch in the south is fried mackerel + sardine curry + feni. The idea of a lunch in the north is a dry brunch … 725 words. Click here.

India planning to introduce tourists visa on arrival
6 Apr: PTI. With the aim of increasing tourist arrivals, India plans to introduce visa on arrival facility for foreigners, the Tourism Minister, Ms Ambika Soni has said … Citing the example of families in Kerala who had made available a clean room with bathroom for 40 pounds a night to foreign tourists, Ms Soni said this had helped small families earn money. So rural tourism was real a boon, she added … 540 words. Click here.

Sin on Sands. By Bosco De Sousa Eremita
6 Apr: The Week. Drugs, crime and sex rule Goa beaches more than ever before … The hippies have gone. The new breed of western tourists is demanding, imposing, and indifferent to local sentiments … And, at times, they are here to die. 1538 words. Click here.

Russian Deals, No Deals. By Mario Cabral e SA
6 Apr: Navhind Times. It is wrong, absolutely wrong, to describe the Russians descending on Goa in ever-increasing numbers, as some sections of the national media do, and public opinion perceives, as the Russian mafia … Goa’s hospitality industry, from multi-star hotels to seedy beach shacks love Russians. They have robust appetites. They eat well, drink better and tip generously … Statistically, Russians may represent just 9 per cent of foreign tourists visiting Goa, but consumption-wise each Russian equals in my estimate three Britishers and five French … 712 words. Click here.

Paradise being lost. By Dean D'Cruz
7 Apr: India Today. There are two rapists of Goa unscrupulous developers coming up with large speculative housing schemes and grabbing large tracts of coastal land with political connivance and the mining mafia ravaging the foothills, forest areas and farmlands of Goa in the interior … The police unfortunately are controlled by the politicians and the system is in a shambles. Corruption starts at the lowest level a young boy approached me to put up part of Rs 80,000 he needed to pay as a bribe to get a job in the police force. 624 words. Click here.

The dark side of Goa. By Aditi Pai
7 Apr: India Today. Everyone's favourite party place is being pushed to the edge by the drug mafia, hippies, avaricious builders and venal politicians who have turned a virtual paradise into an increasingly dangerous place. Goa is a state, but also a state of mind. Everything here moves at a different pace from the rest of India the people, work style, meals, partying or building a house. Susegad (laidback) was how locals described the ambience and their attitude to life. 2648 words. Click here.
Goa: Two UK Nationals Among Four Tourists Drowned

Bill to “ban” foreigners from buying properties in Goa is toothless
8 Apr: Herald. The Registration (Goa Amendment) Bill 2008 passed recently in the Goa Assembly has raised eyebrows … While Law Minister Dayanand Narvekar asserted that the bill is meant to “ban” foreigners from buying properties in Goa, the bill does not mention anywhere its intentions of banning foreigners from buying land in Goa. In fact, there is no mention of foreigners in the bill … “The present bill does not in any way prevent foreigners from purchasing land,” says former Advocate General A N S Nadkarni. 338 words. Click here.

Goa plans to develop 'Western Circuit' for tourism
8 Apr: TravelBiz. After reaching a saturation point with beach tourism, Goa is now contemplating on developing circuit tourism and a `Western Circuit’ involving the neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 285 words. Click here.

Tourists keep coming back to Goa for drugs
8 Apr: NDTV … For tourists who are hooked or keep coming back for more, St Anthony Hospital becomes a sanctuary, as it is the only hospital along Anjuna's coastal stretch. "This year we had 58 cases of overdose, out of which, 51 are in the age group of 20 to 27 and there are more of English people," said Dr Jawaharlal Henriques … "All drugs are available here and the world knows about it," said a patient. There is an instance of a woman who makes a trip every year from France to Anjuna which is followed by a mandatory trip to the St Anthony Hospital for detoxification … 248 words. Click here.

Safety still a far cry on beaches
9 Apr: Herald (Goa). While summer temperatures rise and the craving for a dip at the beach increases, Goa’s sandy shores continue to thirst for life-saving mechanisms, importantly lifeguards. 370 words. Click here.

Goa - The Ride From Heaven To Hell. By Uma Ranganathan
9 Apr: DesiCritics. Seven weeks after her body was discovered on Anjuna beach in Goa, the story of Scarlett Keeling continues to haunt the press … For me the whole story is one more sign of how easily and how quickly paradise can disintegrate into hell in the absence of watchfulness. 1529 words. Click here.

Govt medico ‘doctors’ bills to fleece foreigners
10 Apr: Herald. Imagine paying a government doctor Rs 10,000 to get your ears cleaned or Rs 5,000 for a private consultation. Christine Fahey from United Kingdom has accused Dr Marconi Correia of charging excessive fees … Claiming that the doctor was demanding additional Rs 2.27 lakh for various “medicines”, Christine said the doctor refused to give a break up and instead, had given her bank account details to deposit the money … the same doctor allegedly charged a Danish national Rs 10,000 for removing the wax of the ears … 511 words. Click here.

Late deals
10 Apr: The Times (UK). Catch the end of the season in Goa with a week's break from £269. This deal with Goaway includes a flight from Manchester on April 18 and B&B in a three-star hotel … 020-7258 7800

Deck beds still clutter beaches
10 Apr: Herald. The High Court’s direction to remove illegal deck beds cluttered on the beaches have not been complied with … shack owners continue their old tricks … Indians are deprived of enjoying at these beaches because they are mortgaged to foreigners by shack owners who cover the entire beach with deck beds and beach umbrellas. Deck beds are erected for the benefit of foreign tourists alone who like to sun themselves stretching on deck beds … [The official policy is that only five pair of deck beds and five beach umbrellas will be permitted for each shack] 407 words. Click here.

British duo drown at Goan resort

8 Apr. Daily Mail (UK). Stanley Horne, 69 and Clare Smith, 37, from Dover, have drowned in Goa, the Indian "tropical paradise" resort which is fast becoming a graveyard for British tourists. They had been swimming in the sea near Morjim after a few drinks in a beach-shack bar … A spokesman for the British High Commission in Delhi said local officials had been warned they must do more to protect British holidaymakers who bring millions of pounds into the local economy every year … 390 words. Click here.
Proper lifeguard service needed: Willy
8 Apr: Navhind Times. 235 words. Click here.
16 foreigners drowned in Goa beaches this year
8 Apr: PTI ( India). The drowning has exposed Goa government's tattered beach safety plans … Last year 59 foreigners and year before that 55 foreigners have drowned. Click here.
From other reports:
The pair were close friends who had met when they worked in the same hospital. Mr Horne, a trained hospital engineer, had been living in Goa for the past four years, and Ms Smith had been on holiday visiting him … Ms Smith had got into difficulty as she swam and he had tried to rescue her … Post mortems are due to be carried out today and the bodies are then expected to be flown back to the UK. Mr Horne's daughter-in-law said: "Our consolation is that he was where he would have wanted to be when he died."

Video: TV Programme on Goa Drowning Deaths
8 Apr: BBC South East Today featured the recent Goa drowning. The photograph shows the two victims … The family of a Kent man who drowned trying to save the life of a friend have hailed him a hero … To watch the video clip, 4m. 15s. select the link below. Click here.

Mother pays tribute to her daughter who drowned in Goa
9 Apr: Daily Mail (UK). The mother of a nurse who drowned on holiday in India spoke last night of the loss of her "beautiful daughter" … Her mother, Patricia, said her daughter was starting to get her life back on track after two years with serious health problems which had left her in a wheelchair. 449 words. Click here.

Goa: Priest assault turns Tilamol violent
5 Apr: Herald. Violence erupted at Tilamol-Quepem after the parish priest was assaulted on Friday morning, as irate parishioners ransacked a shop and set ablaze a motorcycle and electronic appliances, besides blocking main roads in the area. Quepem police had to lathi-charge the protestors to force them to disperse from the site. Two brothers, Evangelisto and Joazito D’Costa, both from Quepem, have been arrested on charges of assaulting Fr Lucio Dias, parish priest of Our Lady of the Poor Church. 718 words. Click here.

Doubts raised over NRI’s rape in 5 star hotel claim
5 Apr: Herald. The 52-year old woman, who claimed she was raped in a North Goa hotel, complained the incident occurred at 11.45 pm on March 7, while a CCTV recording shows her in a bar of the hotel at 1.05 am. … Sources said the woman seemed mentally disturbed … The police, who are under pressure after the Scarlet episode, are not taking a chance and have sent their team to Delhi to get the true facts. 529 words. Click here.

Feni-makers fighting a losing battle?
6 Apr: Herald. By Frederick Noronha. … Feni is fighting a battle for survival on economic and other grounds. It faces competition from other IMFLs (Indian-made foreign liquors), faces problems of adulteration and, mainly, the poor price its producer gets for it.
“When you have to sell it at Rs 550 per kolso (a traditional pot measure, which approximates to 15 bottles), it is simply not remunerative,” said Angelo Barreto, a small producer himself of quality Feni. 545 words. Click here.

Church addresses migration troubles in Goa
6 Apr: Spero News ( Texas). A National Seminar on Migration Issues commenced in Goa to discuss respect for migrants to the region from elsewhere in India. Goans, too, migrate to the Gulf States for work while the middle-class is drained to Canada, Europe, and the US. … “ Goa for the Goans only” sentiments have been widely expressed. 592 words. Click here.

Goa Government puts on hold mega housing project
6 Apr: The Hindu. Following sustained public pressure, the Goa Town and Country Planning Department (TCP) has finally put on hold a mega-real estate project which villagers perceived as a threat to their identity … Writers like Savia Viegas have been in the forefront in the villager’s struggle against the project, which is seen as a threat to the identity of the villagers … The people had questioned the mega project, which they feel would put unprecedented pressure on the already poor water, power and road infrastructure, besides ever-contentious problem of sewerage and garbage disposal. 294 words. Click here

The Caste System in Goa. By Vinayak Khedekar
6 Apr: Navhind Times. Understanding the castes, sub-castes and inner groups of Goan society in Hindu fold is a complicated task. In ancient times the divisions were based on traditional occupation. But in a course of history it changed and was based on birth into a particular family. 729 words. Click here.

Goa ’s growth story fails to fire up the job market
7 Apr: Economic Times. Even as it boasts of having one of the country’s highest growth indicators, the tiny coastal state of Goa faces a peculiar problem — jobless growth. There is an increasing migration of semi-skilled and high-skilled workers and influx of unskilled job seekers … Click here.

Panaji: High Court orders revision of fees to public toilets
8 Apr: Navhind Times. The High Court while hearing a petition by Mr Rajan Parrikar has directed the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) to consider revision of fees for using public toilets so as to make them inexpensive. 297 words. Click here.

Aires Rodrigues lodges complaint against Goa’s Advocate General
9 Apr: PTI. Utt Goenkara, a Goa-based non government organisation on Tuesday filed a police complaint against state advocate general Subodh Kantak for cheating the state exchequer. “Kantak has submitted a fraudulent Bill,” Utt Goenkara spokesman Aires Rodrigues told reporters outside Panaji police station. Police inspector Fransic Corte said that they have received the complaint, which will be probed thoroughly before taking further action … Click here.

Goa: Siridao villagers up in arms against 2 construction projects
9 Apr: Navhind Times. Upping their ante against two construction projects, the villagers of Siridao-Palem today blocked the road by knocking down electricity polls and tree trunks in support of their demand that the construction permissions given to two projects in their village be immediately revoked. 538 words. Click here.

Some massage parlours in Goa are not healthy
9 Apr: Navhind Times. Massage parlours have sprung in many parts of Goa with many of them concentrated in the coastal belt. Ironically many of them are just a front for the world’s oldest profession … each massage parlour should be checked, especially if they employ masseuses … It is not that only men are the clients of these parlours. Even women constitute a major clientele … The parlours having masseurs are comparatively cheap. But the charges are high in the parlours having masseuses … there are reports that on the beaches themselves massages are given quite openly on the beach beds to semi-nude foreign men and women. 787 words. Click here.

Three Congress MLAs to leave for Australia today
9 Apr: Navhind Times. Three Congress MLAs heading three-government run corporations would leave for Australia tomorrow on a 10-day tour to study good governance of the corporate bodies there … All three of them have been sulking on being ignored by the government and this tour appeared to be a step to please them … 157 words. Click here.

Aldona residents to form action group
10 Apr: Herald. A group of residents from Aldona have decided to form an action group ‘Aldona Bachao Abhiyan’ (ABA) to monitor activities and projects in the village including the controversial housing project at Carona. “Aldona has caught the fascination of the rich and the famous in India and abroad,” stated a press note by Mariette Correa, spokesperson of the ABA ad hoc committee. “The stunning scenic beauty have been utilised by the promoters to boost demand for exclusive villas and gated communities in Aldona … Quite a few of the NRI Aldonkars have expressed a view that the villagers should be allowed to plan the development of their village in a way that is suitable to them” … 254 words. Click here.

Sangath Receives MacArthur Foundation Award
10 Apr. The Guardian (UK). Eight nonprofit organizations were named winners of the ``MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions,'' and each will receive up to $500,000 from the MacArthur Foundation … Sangath, Goa, India. A leader in child development, family guidance and behavioral health services in India. It provides direct services and conducts research to benefit India's 350 million 10- to 24-year olds. Click here.

Campaign against Goa casinos begins
10 Apr: The Hindu. The discontent among the people against casinos is set to surface as representatives of various organisations, including women’s groups will hold a demo here on Friday to oppose the setting up of casinos in the State … 204 words. Click here.

Goa's Storm set for UK launch

31 Mar: Automotive News Europe. Volume 13; Number 7. Cover story. Indian automaker San's two-seat Storm convertible car could go on sale across Europe after its UK launch at the British auto show in London in July. "At the moment we are focusing on launching the car in the UK, but if it is a success then we will look to sell it in Europe," Dream Machines Managing Director Tony Waite said. The Storm is built in Goa. It will cost £9,995 (€12,705) in the UK. 113 words. For a review of the car which appeared in The Daily Telegraph (UK). Click here.

New TV channel for British Asians
5 Apr: Times of India. Brit Asia TV, a new free-to-air television channel aimed at the British Asian audience, will be officially launched on Monday 7 April 2008. It will be available on the Sky Digital platform, but unofficial broadcast has already begun. With a mix of feature shows, music, entertainment news, chat shows, drama serials, reality TV shows and more, the station hopes to capture the lucrative young British Asian market, joining similar rivals such as Raj TV. 295 words. Click here.

Revenge of the Native
6 Apr: Times of India. Behind that fawning façade of an Indian at the service of a white tourist, is usually a devil hiding his trident… "We have many Britons boarding our cruise said a Goan who works as an assistant waiter on board a holiday cruise liner "Some are pompous and speak rudely to the Asian crew.” … George Fernandes who runs a restaurant in Goa recalls a time three years ago when he drove a taxi, and was once summoned to Park Hyatt to ferry a couple of Americans, and they wanted 'women' … It must be said that uncouth foreigners are an anomaly—most of them are courteous … "If anybody disparages us, it is the Indian himself, especially the NRIs. They're the ones who tell us 'You Indians are a bunch of idiots'." 850 words. Click here.

Sailing the Seychelles: The Fiery Cross of Goa.
6 Apr: The Sunday Times ( South Africa). … During the 18th century, a confederacy of pirates terrorised the Indian Ocean. One of the most famous was Olivier le Vasseur, known as La Buse, whose greatest catch was the Portuguese vessel Vierge du Cap carrying the Archbishop of Goa’s seven-foot-high Fiery Cross of Goa, studded with precious stones. La Buse was caught and hanged in Mauritius. As he went to the gallows he threw cryptic papers to the crowd, taunting them with cries of “find my treasure he who can”! Despite the rewards at stake, the mystery remains unresolved. Click here.
A book about the Fiery Cross of Goa entitled A Footprint in the Sand, by James A. Oliver was published this year. ISBN: 9780955663826. For full details and ordering information click here.

Jade Jagger: Style with a difference!

8 Apr Jade Jagger, 37, the jewellery designer, socialite and only daughter of Rolling Stone Sir Mick and Bianca Jagger, is in Mumbai having spent a few days in Goa, where she has a beach house and where it rained while she was there... "a full monsoon rain in April, it poured for seven days, people hadn’t seen anything like it" … Click here.
For an article on Jade’s Goa connection click here.

Video: India: Faking homosexuality to obtain a visa to the UK
8 Apr: NDTV. 2m. 03s. Click here

Highly skilled Indian workers in UK win landmark judgement
8 Apr: BBC News. The government acted unlawfully in changing immigration rules for highly skilled workers who want to stay in the UK, the High Court has ruled … 44,000 people in the UK would have been affected … Judge Sir George Newman ruled that the original scheme should be honoured. The government says it wants to appeal … The Highly Skilled Migrants Programme Forum group brought the case against the government, arguing the new system was " grossly unfair" and "a clear case of breach of legitimate expectation". 251 words. Click here.

Students visit children in Goa
9 Apr: Braintree and Witham Times (Essex, UK). A group of 18 students, who are studying for the CACHE Diploma in Child Care at Braintree College, visited Goa for 15 days, where they helped teach and care for youngsters who attend a school supported by the charity Novi Survat … Two students have already planned to return to India in November to work with children in orphanages. 163 words. Click here.
For the Novi Survat website click here.

Indians most employed group in Britain
9 Apr: NDTV. Indians, who constitute the largest group in Britain among the ethnic minorities, are the highest number of people employed among all social groups, according to the 2008 edition of 'Social Trends', a publication released by the Office for National Statistics … According to it, Asians are the largest ethnic group in Britain constituting five per cent of the total population … 90 per cent of the population is white, compared to 93 per cent in 2001. Click here.
For the full text of Social Trends, including sections on Diversity, Health, Education etc, click here.

Mary Yelland: Lifeboat in mercy dash
9 Apr: North Devon Gazette (UK). Mary Yelland, 68, of Abbotsham, Devon died from a brain haemorrhage at her home the day after she returned from Goa … For more than nine years she and her partner, Trevor Fishleigh, visited Goa twice a year to bring aid to street children and families living in slums. This trip had see the opening of a day centre as a result of more than £9,000 fund-raising by Mary and was named Tremara Cottage - a tribute to Trevor and Mary. When Mary's funeral is held at St Helen's Church in Abbotsham at 2pm this Friday another service will be held simultaneously in Goa. There will be family flowers only, with donations invited for the El Shaddai Charitable Trust … 601 words. Click here.

The trance of life
10 Apr: The Daily Iowan (USA). No matter where you are in the world, psytrance parties always begin as the sun sets. Attendees enjoy an environment engineered to accentuate personal freedom, stripping the emphasis on sexuality and throwing it on self-discovery … Born on the beaches of Goa, India, during the time of hippie love and draft dodging, psytrance enjoyed a long underground evolution in Europe, Australia, and the United States. It evolved from the early psychedelic rock to a more electronic focus in Germany in the '80s. 1522 words. Click here.

Death in Colonial Goa

12 Apr: Tehelka. Richard Zimler speaks about his book, Guardian of the Dawn … I wrote this book as my vengeance against the power-hungry Catholic priests who tortured and murdered Indians under their rule, who almost succeeded in wiping out all traces of Hinduism from Goa … When I see the golden candlesticks in Catholic churches, I try to remember that all that wealth was made, in part, by murdering Indians in Goa … I find it unforgivable that Francis Xavier who petitioned to impose the Inquisition on Goa was later canonised … Sainthood for a man who made it possible for the priests of Goa to torture and burn former Hindus up to 1812? Excuse me for being blunt, but I find it disgusting. 692 words. Click here.
For the website of the book and a sample chapter, Click here.

Prize Competition
7 nights stay at one of the 4* Pinewood Village on Kenya’s South Coast for 2 people in a suite with your own personal chef, on a HB basis including return flights and transfers to your hotel. Click here.

Indian police linked to mafia, says mother
3 Apr: Western Morning News ( UK). Fiona MacKeown has accused the Indian police and politicians of being involved with the country's drugs Mafia … she said the investigation into the murder of her daughter Scarlett Keeling had been hindered as a result of corruption … She said that she had intended to bury her daughter's body in the grounds of her home. Mrs MacKeown said: "We are not a religious family and I would not want to think of her in some grave yard surrounded by dead bodies. She needs to be back home here with her family." … An exclusive deal was struck with the grieving mother by Sky News and even yesterday's press conference was partly managed by the television channel … 615 words. Click here.

Scarlett Keeling: ‘Drugged To Order’
4 Apr. Daily Star ( UK). Fiona MacKeown claims officers were paid to hide the truth of Scarlett’s death. She said: “I think she was drugged to order and that it’s something that happens a lot over there. She’s not the only tourist that has been murdered and then the death is just wiped away as an accident.” 219 words. Click here.

Another murder covered up in Goa?
5 Apr: Hindustan Times. In a chilling parallel to the murder of Scarlett Keeling, a Russian who died on a Goa beach over two years ago had a stab wound to his stomach, yet police maintain he drowned and have withheld the viscera results … The similarities to the Keeling case are startling. Despite this evidence, police declared that the 25-year-old from Moscow died of drowning. The investigating officer in the case was Nelson Albuquerque, brother of Nerlon who led the Keeling investigation and has since been suspended for botching it up … 377 words. Click here.

Text + Video: Drug dealer in Scarlett case gets bail
5 Apr: CNN-IBN. The Goa court order granting bail to prime accused Placido Carvalho alias Shannuboy in the Scarlette murder case says there is no evidence against him … The court says that there is evidence to link him with the rape and murder of Scarlett Keeling … 0m. 37s. Click here.

Scarlett Keeling: Three-week wait for body
5 Apr: Western Morning News ( UK). Fiona MacKeown had hoped to bury her daughter within the next two weeks but the post-mortem examination could not be complete until toxicology results had been received and that could take up to three weeks … This post-mortem examination is being held at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital … The embalming of Scarlett Keeling’s body after the first post-mortem in Goa will prevent some tests being carried out now … An Exeter Coroner spokesman said: "The post- mortem was carried out by a Home Office pathologist who will wait for the toxicology reports before submitting his report to the coroner and the police." 290 words. Click here.

‘Carvalho paid police to ensure he was not arrested’
6 Apr. MSN News. In a further embarrassment for Goa police, Placido Carvalho, one of the two suspects in the Scarlett Keeling murder was given bail because of lack of evidence — despite the police’s claim that they had “cracked” the case … when Carvalho first appeared in court his wife had hysterically shouted outside that they had paid the police to ensure he was not arrested. 214 words. Full text at the link below.
31 Mar: Daily Mail. … It is rumoured that Placido Carvalho withdrew 1.1 million rupees (£14,000) from a bank after the murder to give as a backhander to the police to cover up what had happened … Click here.

Sensationalism, media competition blew up Goa’s Scarlett murder case
6 Apr: IANS. By Frederick Noronha. Over six weeks after her death, British teenager Scarlett Keeling continues to make news as few other cases involving tourists and crime in India have done. The 15-year-old was found dead, almost wholly naked sending the media in the UK, in Goa and across India on a tizzy to follow up a case that has links to sex, drugs, crime and, allegedly, even the local mafia and political connections … 1123 words. Click here.

Scarlett Keeling: Shifting Sands
6 Apr. Yahoo. By Seema Goswami. Fiona MacKeown intends to return to Goa to ensure justice for her dead daughter. But even as the Indian media throw their might behind her cause - as indeed they should - a small part of me can't help thinking that if Fiona had paid as much attention to Scarlett when she was alive as she is doing now, she probably would not be in this position today… 910 words. Click here.

Foreigner deaths: allegations of cover-ups haunting police
7 Apr: Navhind Times. The spectre of foreigner deaths does not seem to be sparing the Goa police with relatives of people who died in the state in past complaining that they are not satisfied with the investigations and alleging cover-ups … the British Home Secretary is visiting India on April 8 and will bring up six more outstanding cases among them British man, Martin Neighbour who was found dead in Arambol two weeks before the Scarlett death and Stephen Bennett, who was killed … 584 words. Click here.

Stephen Bennett: New Bid for Action
7 Apr: Gloucestershire Echo. A Campaigner has written to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in an effort to get justice for Stephen Bennett who was killed in December last year while on holiday in India. His body was found hanging from a tree in the remote village of Malsai near Rohan in Goa. He had been beaten and lynched … Stephen's sister Amanda said: "There are a lot of cases in India that don't receive any help from the British government.” 506 words + photo. Click here.

Scarlett Keeling: Victim many times over
7 Apr: MeriNews. By Seema Prakash. Though the public reaction to Scarlett Keeling’s story is hardly surprising, it is somewhat saddening. This is a classic example of the sort of societal reaction that disclosure of sexual abuse always draws- of blaming and shaming the victim and therefore, of re-victimisation … What happened to Scarlett was a violent child sexual abuse … In fact it seems that Scarlett became a victim many times over. Goa is where she was raped and murdered unquestionably by society’s moralistic and voyeuristic reactions, even after her death. 867 words. Click here.

Editorial: Morbid Act
7 Apr: Navhind Times. … Ms Fiona Mackeown has revealed that the third autopsy on the body of Scarlett conducted in the UK had shown that several body parts - uterus, stomach and kidneys - were removed in India … The government should institute an inquiry to ascertain the truth must not hesitate in proceeding against the person found involved. How could any one indulge in such an act in a case, which is internationally sensitive? The Chief Minister and the Home Minister need to make policing most efficient and most honest. Policing has been corrupt, inefficient and inadequate … 590 words. Click here.

Video + Text: Scarlett Keeling: Placido Carvalho to file defamation suit

10 Apr: CNN-IBN. Placido Carvalho, the main accused in the Scarlett Keeling murder case, is planning to file a defamation suit against Scarlett's mother Fiona MacKeown, some policemen and media persons. Goa's Children's Court had granted bail to Carvalho last week saying there is no prima facie evidence against him … “There are sufficient grounds made out. First is defamation — both criminal and civil, and second is malicious prosecution,” Carvalho’s lawyer Peter D'Souza says … 226 words. Click here.

Fiona MacKeown ticks all the boxes in Anorak Bingo
10 Apr: Anorak. Fiona MacKeown, mother to murdered teenager Scarlett Keeling, is the subject of heated debate among the newspaper columnists. Much of the opinion is prefaced by the word “sorry” or “forgive me”. This is always followed by an attack. “Sorry, but I blame Scarlett’s mother,” says Allison Pearson on the Mail’s front page. Readers can join in … Pens at the ready… Click here.

For many of us, it is difficult to keep up with rapidly changing electronic technology but Borg Costa has supplied information to Goanet about a new development called 'The Grid'. This is "a lightening-fast successor to the Internet" that can down-load a full length feature film in five seconds or at around 10,000 times faster than a normal broadband connection. It is anticipated that it will also transmit 3D holographic images and high-definition video telephony for the price of a local call. Do find out more about this development from a substantial article on Goanet.

An unusual article titled Welcome to the Two Goas by Vinay Kamat illustrates significant differences between north and south Goa from a historical and contemporary perspective. To read more about this click here.

Three key questions have emerged on Goanet recently.
These are: 1) Is there such a thing as a true Goan, 2) What is Goan Identity? and 3) What is Goan culture? It does appear as though these questions have emerged now because of the pressures that local Goans feel about the influx of many new people into Goa. There seems to be a real fear that the Goa of historical memory will be completely swamped and that the old aspects of Goa as lived and experienced will be entirely lost unless something is done to prevent this. Goan Voice (UK) readers are encouraged to respond to the three questions posed by Dr U G Barad on Goanet and to offer their own perspectives on issues that now seem to trouble local Goans rather a lot.

Finally, any GV(UK) readers keen to learn more about the complexity of the caste system in Goa, ought to read an excellent article from Vinayak Khedekar, titled The Caste System in Goa. Khedekar draws from many academic sources and argues (among other things) that, there has been greater fluidity in the system than perhaps we have been inclined to note in the past. Differences too in the caste system in Goa and the neighbouring states in India are also illustrated very well.

MOTORING: East African Safari Rally. Motors TV
Saturday 12th Apr: 16:00 to 17:00. A summary of the 2007 East African Safari Rally, held in Kenya.

DOCUMENTARY: Immigration. Channel 4 (Also Online)
Monday 14th Apr: 20:00 to 21:00. The Inconvenient Truth: A Dangerous Fragmentation.
Award-winning journalist Rageh Omaar investigates how immigration has affected Britain in a landmark three-part Dispatches series.

DOCUMENTARY: Meet the Immigrants. BBC 1
Monday 14th Apr: 22:35 to 23:05. Meet the immigrants to the United Kingdom, legal and illegal.

DOCUMENTARY: The Age of Terror. BBC 2
Tuesday 15th Apr: 21:00 to 22:00. The extraordinary story of the 1976 hijacking of a plane which ends with a dramatic raid on Entebbe airport to rescue the hostages from Idi Amin's Uganda.

CHAT SHOW: Night Waves. BBC Radio Three
Wednesday 16th Apr: 21:45 to 22:30. Salman Rushdie talks about his new novel The Enchantress of Florence, which juxtaposes the barbarism of Renaissance Florence with the tolerance of Mughal India.

MAGAZINE PROGRAMME: Desi DNA. BBC 2
Wednesday 16th Apr: 23:20 to 23:50. First of a two part documentary special. Food fan Ravinder Bhogal goes on a quest to trace how Britain came to fall in love with Indian food. She travels to some of the most notorious curry hotspots in London, Birmingham and Leicester to meet some of the people who brought curry to Britain.

FILM: Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. Channel 4
Thursday 17th Apr: 00:55 to 04:00. Hrithik Roshan introduces his debut movie, directed by his father, Rakesh Roshan.

DOCUMENTARY: Unreported World. Channel 4 (Also Online)
Fri 18th Apr: 19:35 to 20:00. Kenya's Human Time Bomb. The root causes of the recent violence and tribal massacres in Kenya.

SOLD OUT Sun 4 May. 12:30pm- Cortalim Union (UK) 30th Jubilee Celebrating the Feast of Sts. Philip and James … Holy Mass followed by the social. Music provided by Nite Life. Also hosting the May Queen and May King. Smart dress essential.

Sun 4 May. Saligao Association (UK) Celebrates our patron, Mae de Deus, with Holy Mass at 12 noon followed by May Feast function till 8pm at the Ursuline High School, Crescent Road, Wimbledon SW20 8HA. Enjoy good music with the sounds of MeloTones & Disco plus children's entertainment and good food with lunch, snacks & afters by the popular Viva Goa !, Formal dress please. Tickets are (£18 (adults), £16 (11-18yrs), £11 (2-10yrs), under 2 free, ALL WELCOME. Contact Zemira 01895 259947, Lucia 0208 670 4023, Ros 0208 542 0528 or go to www.SaligaoUK.com

Sun 11 May. Margao Union UK – Feast of THE HOLY SPIRIT. Mass at St. Boniface Church, 185 Mitcham Road, Tooting, at 1.30pm. thereafter a get-together at the Church Hall. Price including snacks and buffet £ 10.00. Band “DIMENSION”. Contact: Bella-020 8372 1253, Rosalind-020 8767 8652, Lucas-020 8967 7471, Agnela-020 8646 6996

Sun.11 May BMX REUNION (Ex Students of Britto's, St Mary's and Xavier's) 1.30pm to 8pm at Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon. Proceeds will go to worthy causes. Everyone is welcome. For tickets contact - Bernie Gracias 020 8723 1322, Norma Menezes-Rahim 020 8771 4457, Ilona Fernandes 020 8300 5347, Proto Carvalho 020 8640 3135, Jaime Rodrigues 020 8684 0456, Liz Coutinho 020 8647 6387. For the flyer click here.

Sat 31 May. 7pm. GOA Anniversary and May Ball. Wandsworth Civic Suite. Crowning of May Queen and May King. Music by Mellow Tones and Nite Life. Further details from Norma Menezes Rahim 020 8771 4457 Rosy De Souza 020 8677 0390 Rose Remedios 020 8658 7769 Claire De Souza 01784 421421 and Bernie Gracias 020 8723 1322. For full details click here.