COMMUNITY NEWS

Making the Canadian dream come true. By Cheryl Antao-Xavier.

Dr. Saldanha

John Menezes

18 Jan: Confidence Bound (Toronto). For many highly-skilled new immigrants, the road to success is uphill and long. Some who made it to the top share their secrets … [Among them are] Dr Colin Saldanha, now a physician with a busy family practice and a recipient of the federal ‘Canada 125’ Commemorative Medal for services to the community … John Menezes, president and CEO of Cyberklix Inc, an IT company he founded to package managed security systems … It took him two decades of hard core training in the trenches of IT networking and security before he was able to realize his entrepreneurial dream … 2237 words. Click here.

World’s Sexiest Asian Women – No. 5: Laila Rouass
18 Jan: Eastern Eye (UK). It’s no surprise that Laila is once again the highest-placed Brit in the list again. Like fine wine, the sultry siren looks better as she gets older. Thankfully for her legion of male admirers, she got back into shape in super-quick time after having her first baby earlier this year. Click here.
Laila Rouass’ father is Moroccan and mother a Goan. For the GVUK Laila Rouass supplement click here.

Morel D’Souza: Clever ideas
18 Jan: Kent Messenger (UK). On the back of the BBC’s popular Dragons’ Den, Oakwood Park Grammar School stages its own version in which pupils pitch business ideas to a team of experts … One of the judges, Maidstone councillor Morel D’Souza said: “There were some fantastic ideas - I don’t know how they dreamed up the things they produced. It’s really encouraging that young people can think for themselves.” … Click here.
The photo shows Morel D’Souza [ex-Nairobi] in the foreground. For more photos of him and his bio in the GVUK supplement click here.

Issues faced by NRIs
18 Jan: Goa Plus. By Cyril D’Cunha. Tony Colaco, the General Secretary, World Alliance, and President of the Goan Overseas Association in Sydney, Australia, spoke about some of the issues faced by the NRIs and plans to address them … A Goan Youth Day would be held in Sydney some time in July/August this year … to spread Konkani language among the uninitiated in Australia, MelGoans from Melbourne, are publishing a magazine ’Gosali’, which translates English words to Konkani, to help the readers … The organisers of the ’Reunion Nite’ on January 19, which include Antonio Mascarenhas (Canada), Benito D’Souza (UK), Rene Barreto (UK) and Vivian D’Souza (USA), disclosed that around 500 NRGs will be attending the event … 433 words. Click here.

Goa Card released for Expatriates
19 Jan: Navhind Times. The Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Mr Eduardo Faleiro said that to ensure that Goan expatriates were given faster access and attention by the government departments during their short stay in Goa, the office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs decided to issue them ‘Goa Card.’ … 26 cards were disbursed to the expatriates, which include 15 from Kuwait, 5 from United Kingdom, 4 from Canada, and one each from Bahrain and Australia. 310 words. Click here.
To download the application form click here.

Francisco D'Souza: For Cognizant, Two's Company
19 Jan: Business Week. The tech-services provider found an approach, called "two in a box," that eased the headaches of managing—and being managed—from afar … 694 words. Click here.
Francisco D’Souza was born in Nairobi in 1968, the son of Sushila and Placido D'Souza; brother of Jacinta, Lucia and Maria For links to more information about Francisco D’Souza check out the Wikipedia entry on him – click here.

Nairobi: Ian Fernandes: Poghisio to push for media rights
20 Jan: Daily Nation (Kenya). Information Minister Samuel Poghisio is reaching out to the media as he settles in his new role. Nation Digital Division managing director Mr Ian Fernandes explained the workings of the division to Information minister Mr Samuel Poghisio who visited Nation Centre on Friday. Photo and text, 433 words. Click here.

Canada: Dr John Fernandes: Doctors charging fees for uninsured services
20 Jan: Calgary Herald. A growing number of local physicians are charging patients for services like sick notes and some are even offering the option of paying an upfront annual fee for such services … Dr. John Fernandes, for example, said he's offering patients the option of paying a $60 annual fee, adding this helps him plan his office administration for the year … Click here.

Chriselle Almeida: ‘Safe is no fun,' says actress portraying lesbian
21 Jan: Daily News & Analysis. Chriselle Almeida plays a lesbian in the film "When Kiran met Karen." Playing a character that is slightly "daring, unsafe and not a stereotype" is fun, explained the actress, a Goan who was born in Mumbai and raised in New York where she moved at the age of 14 and earned a full scholarship for the acting programme at the University of California at Los Angeles. 689 words. Click here.
For a video clip of the film trailer (2m. 55s.) click here.
Very recently while on vacation in Goa, Chriselle was inspired to transform one of her favorite books, Skin, into a screenplay. She spoke with the author, Margaret Mascarenhas, and was delighted to be granted permission to take on this challenging new project.
For Chriselle’s website with links to her bio, photos, more video clips etc. click here.

Fasten Your Seat Belts
21 Jan. Gomantak Times [via GoaNet]. By Lionel Messias (ex-Mombasa, lionroars.goa@gmail.com. Goa's flying circus will never let you down because they don't suffer from jet lag. They just keep flying … The NRI Commissioner's office spent Rs 464,011 to fly in seven non-resident Goans, who wouldn't care a fig if Goa disappeared from the face of the earth, except to moan over the loss of their ancestral homes and properties which they abandoned for greener pastures, to attend the Global Goans Convention, 2007… Click here.

Swindon: Young footballers prepared to break down barriers
23 Jan: Swindon Advertiser (UK). Swindon is home to all kinds of ethnic groups - many of which do not mix. But now hopes are high that barriers between Muslim and Goan teenagers will be brought down - through a football match this weekend … "I think the game will help break the ice," said 19-year-old Ansar Miah. "The Goans tend to keep themselves to themselves so this is a way of getting together.” … Doug Imrie, a community sports coach said: "These groups don't tend to mix, whether that be down to peer pressure or the area itself, so I hope this makes a difference." Kick off is on Sunday at 1.45pm on the extended pitch at the County Ground. 209 words + Photo + Discussion. Click here.

Herman Rodrigues: Restaurant boss too sick for court
23 Jan. Evening News (Scotland). … Herman Rodrigues, 47, was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday to face the ten charges being brought against himself regarding Suruchi restaurant in Constitution Street, which he formerly owned. The case was adjourned until May 30 after Rodrigues was unable to attend the hearing. Lawyers for Rodrigues said later that he was currently in India and was so unwell with food poisoning that he could not travel. Text, 425 words, click here. For a photograph and brief profile of Herman Rodrigues click here.

Leela Alvares to honour sister by climbing Kilimanjaro
24 Jan: Gulf News (Dubai). Leela Alvares, a 33-year-old copywriter plans to conquer the world’s fourth-highest peak in memory of her sister, who died from rheumatoid arthritis … Leela is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on February 10 with three other friends to honour her sister, Preeti Fernandes’s, memory, whose death in 2005 from complications related to her arthritis came as a shock. 193 words and photo. Click here.

DEATHS

GREGORY FERNANDES MURDER :

Family anxious over probe delays

Click to enlarge

18 Jan: BBC. The parents of Gregory Fernandes killed in a racist attack in Hampshire have said they are "frustrated" with setbacks in the police investigation … His mother Angelina Fernandes said: "I'm crying every day, my son has gone... three months have passed by." ,,, Det Ch Insp Scott Chilton, of Hampshire Constabulary, said extensive medical enquiries were ongoing to establish the cause of death … In a similar case, where Stephen Lawrence, 18, was stabbed to death in 1993 by a gang of white youths in London, no-one was prosecuted … Flavio Gracias, of the Goan Association UK, said: “We hope that history will not repeat itself …” 336 words. Click here.
The photograph shows Goan Association Board members who attended the tribute to Gregory at Southampton last month.

Video: Flavio Gracias: BBC Interview
18 Jan: 6:30pm GMT. BBC TV News carried a segment about the Gregory Fernandes murder with interviews of his parents, uncle, the Police, high profile lawyer Imran Khan and Flavio Gracias, President of the Goan Association (UK).The photograph is from the interview. 6m. 31s. To view it click here.

Body can go home to family
19 Jan: Daily Echo (UK). Police have finally released the body of Indian sailor Gregory Fernandes, who died after being attacked by about 20 youths in the centre of Fawley. His remains are being returned to his home village in Goa, where he was a popular and respected figure. Detectives are awaiting the outcome of "final medical tests" conducted on the sailor's body. 306 words. Click here.

Body reaches Goa after 3 months
20 Jan: Herald. The body of Gregory Fernandes who was killed in an unprovoked racist attack in the UK arrived in Goa on Saturday evening, ending the three-month agony for the bereaved family … “British authorities had completed their investigation and were ready to send the body to India, but they were helpless due to the indifferent attitude of the Indian High Commission in London, government authorities in New Delhi and the NRI Commission in Goa,” said Fr Diogo Fernandes, a Florida-based priest and uncle of the late Gregory Fernandes … Click here.

Hundred's attend funeral
21 Jan: Daily Echo. Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of Gregory Fernandes who died after being attacked by race-hate thugs in Hampshire … the funeral took place at a church close to his parents' home in Agonda. Click here.

For details of the G.O.A. (UK) Gregory Fernandes Memorial Fund click here.

HOLIDAY INFORMATION

PRIZE COMPETITION:

Win a trip to India for two
17 Jan: TNT magazine. Imaginative Traveller has teamed up with Gulf Air to give away a spectacular 16-day Rajasthan Explorer tour, complete with flights. Entries close 3pm, Fri Feb. 15. Click here.

GOA POLITICAL CRISIS:

Goa govt averts threat to survival
17 Jan: 2008, 19:48 IST. Sify News. Reduced to a minority, the Congress-led coalition government in Goa on Tuesday appeared to have averted an immediate threat to its survival postponing a crucial Assembly vote while Central leaders of Congress and NCP were locked in parleys to defuse the political crisis. Click here.

Land mafia behind Goa's political woes
17 Jan: IANS. By Frederic Noronha. Goa is again in the news for all the wrong reasons. The political crisis that has gripped the coastal state's seven-month-old Digambar Kamat government with the resignation of three ministers had been waiting to happen. Political analysts say the state was pushed into political instability by the leaders' lust for power and money, the land mafias and the bitter rivalry between the two major players - Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 573 words. Click here.

Goa crisis: Defiant NCP MLAs not to attend Delhi meeting
18 Jan: Rediff News. Defiant Nationalist Congress Party Legislative Assembly Members in Goa who withdrew support to the Congress-led government in the state reducing it to a minority, on Thursday decided not to attend Friday's talks, convened by the party's central leadership in Delhi in a bid to persuade them to retrace their steps. Click here.

Video: Sonia steps in for damage control in Goa
18 Jan: CNN-IBN. Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat arrived in New Delhi on Friday morning even as the political crisis in his state continues. Kamat will hold consultations with Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday evening … Click here. NCP rebels want to form govt in Goa, Kamat invokes 'God 18 Jan: CNN-IBN. Click here.

A string of political frauds
19 Jan: The Hindu. Editorial. The last time he survived a confidence vote in the Assembly, in July 2007, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat needed extra-constitutional help from Speaker Pratapsinh Rane. This time he has turned to Governor S.C. Jamir for help beyond the provisions of the Constitution … the Governor’s blatantly partisan decision is cause for serious concern … the Governor remains a potential instrument for political mischief … the Congress-led government is putting the Constitution and legislative procedures continually to test in Goa. 433 words. Click here.

Goa crisis ends
20 Jan: PTI. The crisis in the Congress-led coalition in Goa appeared to have blown over amid hints that chief minister Digambar Kamat would make some changes in his cabinet to satisfy the allies. The chief minister will announce the formula to solve the issues on his return to Goa on Sunday. Click here.

Goa Ministers rush to New Delhi
21 Jan: The Hindu. The Congress-led coalition is poised to witness a re-alignment as a consequence of the crisis-resolution formula mooted by the NCP. The proposed formula has caused panic reactions, and several senior Congress Ministers have sought the help of other alliance partners to counter it. Click here.

Committee formed to resolve Goa crisis
21 Jan: NDTV. Just a couple of days after the Goa crisis was averted Chief Minister Digambar Kamat met Sonia Gandhi on Monday. All the state coalition parties, including the Save Goa front, which has merged with the Congress, have decided to form a coordination committee to resolve all pending issues. Click here.

Goa Chief Minister leaves it to God
23 Jan: PTI. Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said on Tuesday he was leaving it to God on how long he would be Chief Minister.“ I will continue to be the Chief Minister till God wants me to be,” he told reporters. Click here.

GOA NEWS HEADLINES

Paedophilia in Goa: Justice delayed justice denied
18 Jan: Mangalorean.com. By Armstrong Vaz. In 1991 seven men were accused of sexually abusing downtrodden children at an orphanage run by co-accused Freddy Peats in south Goa. Of them, five are yet to stand trial in the case as Indian law enforcing agencies have been battling against all odds to get the accused extradited and to stand trial in India. The abuse had international links with the accused hailing from countries like Australia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, France and Germany. 847 words. Click here.

Wedding in Goa ends in tragedy
18 Jan: Press TV. (Tehran, Iran). At least 12 people were charred to death and 10 others seriously burnt in Goa when their tourist bus collided with a tanker filled with acid. Among the dead were 10 non-resident Indians (NRIs) mostly from Britain and France, who were accompanying a newly-wed couple just married on January 10. The young couple also perished. The group had chartered the luxury bus for a brief holiday to Goa, before a scheduled return to their adopted countries on January 24. Click here.

Video: Goa University honours Lata Mangeshkar
19 Jan: CNN-IBN. Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar received her latest honor - a D Lit from the Goa University … Mangeshkar says, “Goa is special for me because it is the birthplace of my father, Mangeshi village.”
For the video click here.
For the Wikipedia profile of Lata Mangeshkar click here.

Govt directed to comply with order on stray dog menace
21 Jan: Herald (Goa). The Goa Government does not seem to be serious about curbing stray dog menace. It has even failed to comply with the directions given by the Bombay High Court for removal of stray dogs from streets … Any citizen bitten by a rabid dog is to be compensated and provided with anti-rabies injections at Rs 50. 443 words. Click here.

Goa SEZs issue referred to Law Ministry
21 Jan: Zee News. The Commerce Ministry has sought Law Ministry's opinion on Goa government's proposal to scrap Special Economic Zones, especially those that have already been notified. Click here.

Goa SEZs on legal terrain
22 Jan: Economic Times. The Goa government does not want any SEZs in the state, but three zones have already been notified. A final decision on Goa SEZs is likely to be taken next month but sources say it is not possible to evict developers from land they already own. Click here.

High Court: Probe Goa Minister
22 Jan: The High Court has directed the police to investigate the complaint filed by Utt Goenkara against Minister Dayanand Narvekar and others in connection with land allotment under the controversial IT habitat project. Utt Goenkara spokesman Aires Rodrigues claims that 180,000 sq. m. of prime land was sold by a group headed by Mr. Narvekar, at an average rate of Rs. 4,500 per sq. m., much below the ruling price, Rs. 20,000-35,000. Click here.

Youth opting for money, exposure
23 Jan: Navhind Times. Goa’s youth prefer to leave their homes and rush overseas, in search for greener pastures. Lack of opportunities and better financial package beckons most of the Goa’s young brigade to look out for jobs abroad … Click here.

Fundação Oriente promove festival de música na Índia
23 Jan: Diário Digital (Portugal). Click here.

Goa Inspires Opponents to Land Deals

Dean D’Cruz

23 Jan: Voice of America. By Steve Herman. The tiny coastal state of Goa has become the first state in India to rescind the creation of special economic zones - putting it into conflict with the central government and powerful developers across the country. Environmentalists and other opponents argue the zones only enrich land speculators and are of dubious economic value to the public … "We're rated nine on the ecological scale, which is just a little behind the Brazilian rain forest. There is a realization that we need to protect this heritage. If we lose it, we've lost the basic charm of Goa," said Dean D'Cruz … 950 words. Click here.

SEZs: A broken promise
23 Jan: Business Line (India). Opinion. The decision of the Goa Government to scrap SEZs is unreasonable and an abuse of power vested in the Government. It has cast a shadow on the future of SEZs, not only those situated in Goa but also in the northern States which have taken unilateral, populist measures against the industry’s interest. Click here.

Why Goa does not need SEZs
23 Jan: Business Line (India). By Matahny Saldanha. How can 18 SEZs be allowed within the dot-sized Goa? Development has to be totally based on the needs of the State, with a vision for growth and not for the sake of so-called development. Click here.

IN THE NEWS

London: 10 Top bargain bites
12 Jan: The Times (UK). Masala Zone. 25 Parkway, NW1. The fifth link in the Masala Zone chain opened at the end of 2007… There are noodle bowls (prawns in coconut and coriander sauce with egg noodles), meats grilled in the tandoor, and a range of curries such as chicken Madras and Goan prawns. These are best sampled as part of a thali (platter) … It's cheap, ungreasy (though flavours can be a little muted) and great for kids or a quick bite before the cinema or a gig.

German adoptee look for Indian roots
16 Jan: NDTV. A couple from German is planning to knock the doors of the courts to know the roots of their adopted Indian children … Andrea the mother said, "The agency says biological parents don't want to give any information, the Missionaries of Charity don't want us to get any information." Click here.

World’s Envy, India’s Worry
17 Jan: The Telegraph (Calcutta) … what happened to Indians in Kenya, Uganda and Myanmar in the Fifties and Sixties and what is sporadically happening in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Russia and elsewhere today are only attacks that a potentially powerful nation should expect to face from those who feel threatened by its economic growth, employment opportunities and other livelihood options. As India marches ahead with a potential 10 per cent growth rate, it should also be aware of the dangers of ethnic violence from time to time against people of Indian origin living in alien lands. 681 words. Click here.

Kenya: A cracked nation holds its breath
17 Jan: The Economist (UK) … Asian Kenyans are especially jittery. Many in the western city of Kisumu, Mr Odinga's provincial capital, have fled to Uganda. Some in Mombasa say they want to leave Kenya for good. An exodus of Asians would badly hurt Kenya's economy … Click here.

All is worthwhile in Lisbon
18 Jan: The Calgary Herald. By Matthew Mallon. Where to Eat: My favourite: a tiny, very reasonable Goan restaurant in atmospheric Mouraria called Tentações de Goa (23 Rua S. Pedro Mártir, tel. 218-875-824). You'll need to make reservations, and you might have to ask for directions on the way, but it's worth it.

Abusive NRI beaten up at airport
18 Jan Times of India. It was a never-before-witnessed scene: an NRI being beaten up by immigration authorities at the international terminal of the Mumbai airport … 376 words.Click here.

Stephen Bennett Murder: Meeting with MP has given new hope
19 Jan: Daily Echo (UK). Relatives of Stephen Bennett, the Cheltenham man murdered on holiday in India, have met with a Foreign Office minister in their fight to bring his killers to justice. Stephen's sister Amanda and mum Maureen made a direct plea to Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, the minister with responsibility for Asia … The family have been fighting to get Indian police to agree that Stephen didn't commit suicide, but was murdered. 420 words. Click here.

Stephen Bennett Murder: New probe demand
20 Jan: The Observer (UK). The Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown has agreed to press for a CBI inquiry into Stephen Bennett's murder following a meeting last week with his family. The bureau has the power to arrest police officers on corruption claims as well as order fresh DNA tests to solve suspicious cases … The intrigue over Mr Bennett's death comes amid mounting concern over the number of unsolved crimes concerning tourists in Goa. 327 words. Click here.

Are you rich? Come, settle in UK
21 Jan. Times of India. Rich foreigners willing to invest a minimum of one million pounds can get a residency permit in the UK from April 1, even if they lack proficiency in English language, hitherto considered essential. Click here.

Uganda: More city schools to go
21 Jan: Daily Monitor (Uganda). It is now a general policy that schools in the city center be relocated to the outskirts, not only in Kampala but also in Jinja and Masaka … The minister's revelation comes at a time when many city schools' land has been gifted to investors and others repossessed by Asians … Buganda Road Primary School is only one out of several schools in Kampala that will be affected under the new policy. Click here.

Jade Jagger: Goa Connection
22 Jan: Daily News & Analysis. Jade Jagger keeps a low profile in Goa where she owns a place of her own. She went there in early December and stayed on to celebrate the New Year. She bought a place in Goa recently after she fell head over heels in love with the place a year ago. She was accompanied by the musician boyfriend Daniel who was very impressed with Goa … Click here.

London: Quilon awared Michelin star
23 Jan: The Evening Standard (London). Five London restaurants have been awarded their first Michelin stars in the new guide published today. Another Michelin debutante is Quilon in Victoria. Under head chef Aylur V Sriram, it specialises in cuisine from the Indian states of Kerala, Goa and Karnataka. Click here.

Away Team.
23 Jan: Asian News (UK). Football and rugby shirts from Rochdale scored high with boys in a children’s home in Goa. The shirts and other sports kit were hand-delivered to the home by Darren Tyson and Karen Mercer. They returned last Friday having spent two weeks in Goa during which they made several visits to the youngsters at the St Joseph’s home. Around 80 boys, many of them orphans, live in the Catholic-run home. Photo and text, 457 words. Click here.

Drama over pilot's upset stomach
23 Jan: Manchester Evening News. An airline captain declared an emergency at Manchester Airport because he had an upset stomach flying in from Goa on First Choice Airways flight FCA175 which was carrying 255 passengers. A spokeswoman for the North West Ambulance Service said a man was taken to hospital from the airport suffering from suspected food poisoning. Click here.

Asian nations adopt action plan for overseas workers’ welfare
24 Jan: Navhind Times. Twenty-one Asian countries, including India, have decided to launch a new collaborative approach to ensure welfare of overseas workers and prevent illegal recruitment practices. Click here.

Schools' link-up proves a real Goa
24 Jan: Nottingham Post (UK). Penpal letters from Notts schoolchildren will be taken to Goa by their teachers in a bid to develop educational links.
Children at Richard Bonington Primary and Nursery School are writing the letters for students at St Antony's High School in Mapusa, Goa. Alex Gregory, 11, said: "We have been drawing pictures of India which started off as mud huts but now we've realised some of the houses are just like those on Coppice Road.” 419 words.
Click here.

GOANET HIGHLIGHTS BY CORNEL DACOSTA

Do read a critical commentary about the Global Goan Convention of 2007. Stemming from an article originally in the Gomantak Times of 21/01/08, by Lionel Messias, the Goanet article says "Apparently, the NRI Commissioner's Office in Goa spent Rs 4,64,011 to fly in seven non-resident Goans who would not care a fig if Goa disappeared from the face of the earth, except to moan over the loss of their ancestral homes and properties which they abandoned for greener pastures..." In addition, there were references to the costs for accommodation at the five star hotel, Cidade de Goa, in Panjim.

In contrast to the above, Plastino DCosta provides a well-crafted argument about the tremendous value of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who have vast experience in many fields that would be beneficial to Goa. He illustrates with many examples, how NRIs in different parts of the world have a range of skills and expertise which could directly feed into meeting specific needs in Goa. This has of course, echoes of the views of the Indian Government that is ever so keen to harness the wealth and expertise of NRIs to the benefit of India.

George Pinto from California, USA and a long-time Goanetter reminds us on Martin Luther King Day (21/01/08) about the tremendous work done by King and the many African Americans who made so many sacrifices during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. George further states that, "Goan prosperity owes a great deal to the opportunities and freedoms created by the Civil Rights Act but wonders if US Goans stop to reflect on their good fortune following the earlier efforts of so many African Americans."

Macao is invariably linked to casinos in many people's imaginations but an unusual article tells us about the origins, growth and decline of adherence to Catholicism in the tiny 'province' that is now part of China. The article is titled Crisis of Faith for Catholics in Macao and informs us how Macao became the birthplace of Catholicism in China and East Asia and how it had thrived in the past with the help of many Goan priests.

Finally, for yet another great touch of humour, do read Cecil Pinto's article on Sex, Lice and Boochie Combs. It first appeared in the Gomantak Times on 17/01/08. It departs from the theme of the title initially but then beautifully weaves its way through innumerable 'corridors' to keep one amused throughout.

More details can be found at the Goanet archives at http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/ Or to subscribe to Goanet, send an email to subscribe@goanet.org

UK: TV & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS By Lira Fernandes

DRAMA: The Elephant God. BBC World Service Radio
Sat 26th Jan. 20:00 to 21:00. Acclaimed film-maker Satyajit Ray's famous Bengali sleuth Feluda returns.

FILM: Something of Value. TCM
Sun 27th Jan. 08:50 to 10:50. Rock Hudson and Sidney Poitier star as boyhood friends in colonial Kenya. 1957.

TRAVEL: Earthwalkers. Travel Channel Plus
Wed 30 Jan. 08:30 to 09:00. Goa. David from England and Annemarie from the Netherlands hire mopeds and explore the region's heritage attractions.

DOCUMENTARY: Always Coca Cola. The Business Channel
Wed. 30th Jan. 16:30 to 17:00. The Coca-Cola corporation is coming under increasing fire over it's activities in rural India.

ASIAN MAGAZINE: Desi DNA. BBC2
Wed. 30 Jan. 23:20 to 23:50. Includes a look at the new British film, Shoot on Sight (with Laila Rouass).

DOCUMENTARY: Masterpieces of the East. BBC 4
Thu: 31st Jan. 19:30 to 20:00. Series revealing the stories behind iconic artefacts from the Indian subcontinent.

COOKERY: Come Dine with Me. Channel 4
Fri. 1st Feb. 12:30 to 13:00. Chef Ishrat Gazala vows that she'll make her food hot enough to burn the house down …

FORTHCOMING

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

Sun. 20 Jan. 2:00 pm. Mass for Fr Agnelo at St John Fisher Church, 207 Cannon Hill Lane, London SW20 7DB, followed by tea/coffee in the hall next door. Nearest tube Morden/Wimbledon.

Sun. 3 Feb. VIVA GOA ENTERTAINMENT presents Traditional RED & BLACK evening in WEST London - Old Actonian Assoc. Sports Club, Gunnersbury Drive, Ealing, W5 4LL. Music by – “LEVEL 4” and "CHICO." Doors open 2.30 onwards. Limited admittance; tickets £10/adults & £3/child. Contact Francis/Norman on 0208 932 9375/ 07957206169/ 0208 647 1887

Sun: 3 Feb: Mungul Union (UK). 30th Anniversary. Feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel at St Ignatius College, Turkey Street, Enfield, EN1 4NP. Band: "Rainbow's End". Disco "Nite Life". For tickets and details, please contact Rosy D'Silva - 0208 352 9450 or Rosalind Rebello on 0208 767 8652; ros.rebello@amserve.net. Members note cut-off date 13 Jan. Public transport to Hall: Buses 217 from Turnpike Lane or 121 from Wood Green. Overhead train from Liverpool St. Station to Turkey St.

Sun 6 Apr. 1pm – 8.30pm. Charity Dance in aid of Osteoporosis Brittle Bone Disease. Venue: Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey CR9 3AS. All proceeds will go to St. George’s Hospital Tooting. Featuring Music by Dimensions Band. Disco by ‘Say One Do One’. Plus Cabaret shows. Admission: Adults - £13 with food; Children (4-10 yrs) - £5 with food. For tickets, please contact: Derrick Pereira – 020 8952 8899; Clare D’Souza – 01784 421421; Irene Mendonca – 020 8767 2762; Hazel Rodrigues – 020 8357 6776; Bernie Gracias 020 8723 1322.

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