Goan Voice Newsletter: Monday 13 May. 2013

News Summary

Sir Andrew Green:

13 May: Daily Star (UK). Family Fortunes For EU Migrants. EU citizens get the same right to benefits as unemployed Brits… Sir Andrew Green (photo with Keith Vaz), chairman of Migration Watch, said: "This is a loophole that must be closed" … He gave an example from Goa. He said, "An Indian national from Goa can obtain Portuguese citizenship if their parents were Portuguese citizens prior to 1961. "They can then move straight to the UK with their family. On arrival they can avail themselves, immediately, of all the benefits available to UK citizens." About 9,000 Goans are thought to be living in Swindon… [Is this fair? Call or text the Daily Star Voteline …] Click here.
13 May: Daily Mail (UK). … A number of Indian nationals from the former Portuguese territory of Goa are thought to have taken advantage of the loophole. Indians living in Goa can claim they have Portuguese heritage and so claim Portuguese citizenship. They can then move directly to Britain - without ever having to visit Portugal - and bring a family without meeting any qualification test… Click here.
Video: Photo shows Andrew Green and Keith Vaz in a Dec. 2012 BBC Studio discussion on immigration Click here.
Ten Years Ago: Goa (Portuguese Passports). House of Commons. 18 Mar. 2003: Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have had no discussions with the Government of India on the Portuguese Passports issue. We have discussed the matter with the Portuguese Consulate in Goa. We understand that some residents of the former Portuguese enclaves in India (Goa, Daman and Diu) are eligible to apply for a Portuguese passport. Holders of Portuguese passports are entitled to enter the UK freely as citizens of an EU member state. Click here.
14 May: Daily Mail (UK) Report + comments click here

Francisco D'Souza gets over $10-mn pay package for 2012
12 May: Economic Times. Offshore-centric IT services major Cognizant has paid its India-origin CEO Francisco D'Souza a pay package of $10.61 million in cash, stocks and other benefits…. However, it was lower than $11.76 million paid to him in 2011 when 44-year old Frank had got stock awards of over ten million dollars. Frank is credited with expanding Cognizant's annual revenue from $1.4 billion to over $7 billion in last six years … click here
For a photo and profile of Francisco D’Souza, click here

UK: New Event Announcement

click to enlarge

Tiatr, Tiatr. Goan Heritage London Presents "GHUNEAU KONNACHO" written and directed by King of Political songs FRANCIS DE TUEM, First visit to UK as Director. Accompanied by his famous Goan artistes: Lawry, Marcus, Xavier, Meni Mario, Anil, Olga, Chitra, Com Anita and Master Cameron. For the flyer, click here.
Sat. 1 Jun. 2013: 6:00 pm. Featherstone Hall, 11 Montague Way, Southall UB2 5HF. For tickets contact Antonio Mendis 07882749692, Nazareth 07588844529, Inacio 07542039323, Asmisao 07404514937 and Salvador (Salu of Hounslow) 07588417307.
Sun 2 Jun. 2013: 3:00 pm. Copland School Hall, Cecil Avenue, Wembley, HA9 7DU, For tickets contact Caetano Braganza 02084531803/07882009063, Joe Paul 07550825135, Lulu 07961981792, S Caitan 07949206355 and Pravin at Triangle Food n Wine store, 07448672233

Death: Natalina Dias
12 May. Zanzibar. NATALINA DIAS. Passed away after a long illness. Wife of Late Mr. Dias (Electrician). Loving Mother of Lazarus/Sunny (Dar.); Margaret/Arnold (U.K); Audrey, Doris and Electra (Zanzibar). [The Dias family live next to the past Kalyanjee Convenient Stores. near Central Bar]. Funeral Services - Monday May 13, 3.00pm at St. Joseph's Cathedral, followed by burial rites at the Cemetery. [Info Claude Fernandes, Toronto]. Condolences to email

Love in Goa Turns Sour in Kashmir

Patrina Churm 2013

Patrina Churm 2008

13 May: Mail Online India. Patrina Churm, 57 has been fighting a legal battle for five years against a Kashmiri man whom she once loved. Churm alleges that Mukhtar Ahmad Guroo, now aged 36, duped her out of lakhs of rupees after promising to marry her… "In these five years, I aged 20 years," she says grimly. "You see these wrinkles on my face. They were not there when I first came here"… Churm met Guroo in 1993 and 1994 during her visits to Goa, where the latter had been running a handicraft business… She says, "We had a live-in relationship. It was a marriage without papers." … she provided money to Guroo to buy a house in Srinagar. In March 2008, she learned that her man had married a local Kashmiri girl. "I was devastated. He siphoned off thousands of pounds from my British bank accounts and took more than Rs 68 lakh," she alleges… 543 words + photo. click here
18 Jun. 2008. Daily Telegraph (UK). I fear for my life after Goa lover took my money, says divorcee. "In Goa life is so cheap. For £125 you could have someone killed" ... Photo. click here

'Goa leads with highest colon cancer cases'
13 May: Times of India. While there has been an overall increase in gastrointestinal diseases in Goa, the state has also registered highest number of colorectal cancer -- commonly known as colon or bowel cancer -- cases in the country. About 80-100 cases of colorectal cancer cases are reported in the state every year, a trend which gastroenterology experts attribute to eating habits a la western countries, where incidences of colorectal cancer are high… click here

Transporters begin strike against entry fee in Goa

13 May: NDTV. The goods and passenger transporters began their indefinite strike boycotting Goa operations from last night … Even as the stir began since midnight, the supplies of essential commodities like milk, vegetable and grocery remained normal in the markets of Goa… The entry fee of Rs. 1,000 is levied on the heavy goods vehicles entering Goa … click here
Goa offers olive branch to transporters opposing fee
13 May: Business Standard. Reaching out to transporters who have enforced a virtual indefinite embargo on Goa over a controversial "entry fee" from the wee hours of Monday, the government promised to issue concessional passes for regular goods carriers… Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the state government would not give-in to blackmail, but offered concessional passes for transporters by the week-end… click here

Goa: Advocate-General’s monthly remuneration increased by Rs. 3 lakh
13 May: The Hindu. Using the information obtained through the Right to Information Act (RTI), activist lawyer Aires Rodrigues has brought to light the huge fee hike given by the current government to the Advocate-General Atmaram Nadkarni. His monthly maximum salary of Rs.5 lakh has risen to a whopping Rs. 8 lakh… The Advocate-General’s monthly house rent allowance has been doubled from Rs. 10,000 to Rs.20,000. He is also entitled to personal staff as allowed to a Minister. The hike in the Advocate General’s fees is retrospective with effect from April 1 last year… 497 words. click here

Qatar: Corraine Santos crowned May Queen
12 May: Gulf Times. Corraine Santos from Kuwait was crowned the 13th May Queen at the annual beauty pageant hosted by Goa Welfare Association on Friday… Jolin Rodrigues was the first runner-up and Brunele D’Souza was adjudged second runner-up… Photo click here

Goan nun’s rare honour to have served three Popes

13 May: Herald. Sr Lucy Britto (65), who hails from Cuncolim in Goa, is the only Indian working at the Secretariat of the State for the past nine years … She works in the Vatican Archives, getting the job because of her knowledge of French, English and Italian … When asked to describe her experiences with the three Popes, Sr Lucy replied, “Each one is unique. Pope John Paul was a charismatic figure, while Benedict is a learned theologian and Pope Francis is a great pastor. They are all deeply holy Popes, very much interested in saving every human person, for his well being and growth. All have a profound experience of life.” … 591 words. click here

Since you saw it here ...

Edited by Eddie Fernandes editor@goanvoice.org.uk

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Goan Voice Newsletter: Monday 13 May. 2013