An Alexyz-style laughter session... it happens in Goa

Obit for Sushruta Martins

Sushruta Martins, a popular homeopath from Goa, India, passed away in early May 2010. A tribute from Miguel Braganza... Sushruta was a popular figure at the "unofficial press club of Goa", the Cafe Prakash!

in reference to: [Goanet] OBIT: Sushrut Martins, homeopath, campaigner, photography-enthusiast, President's Scout and more... (by Miguel Braganza) (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ignorance, prejudice... and warm wishes always...

Someone calling herself Kylie Suarzes sent me this note, published here in full (excepting the deletion of two names of journalists, mentioned a bit disparagingly), without comments:

Dear Frederick, Hi! I trust this mail finds you in good health. First of all it was good to read your work in the Goan Womans ebook.

I enjoyed reading it thoroughly and felt so proud to be a Goan. But I want to mention that chapter nine 'Goan women in fine print' was absolutely Incomplete.

First of all you forgot to mention a leading young goan journalist -- Cheryl Rodrigues, who started her career with Herald only in class XI.

She won the Best poem competition in Herald in class VII and has been pursuing writing since then. Her articles were one of the best as far as I remember and were much appreciated by all readers. She was so creative and covered good issues. She contributed not just to Herald Friends (Youth supplement) but also to the magazine Herald Insight, under Ethel Da Costa.

She covered some of the best stories for the youth and the Goan community at large. She interviewed some of the best personalities too.

Yet you had not a word of mention about her.

She went ahead to write for Home and Garden, a magazine started by Guru Sardessai in Panjim. She also worked as a Radio journalist for programmes like Yuvvavani. and as a Radio Jockey on All India Radio.

Thanks to her influence and inspiration, she got the so-called good writers .... [names deleted --FN] involved in Journalism. She was the Pioneer and they only followed her footsteps.

So much so that when she went to pursue Journalism in one of the best colleges, Bombay College of Journalism (Mumbai), [names deleted-FN] only followed suit. Nothing much can be said about their writing, which lacks structure and a good editing style.

Cheryl went International by becoming the Desk editor and staff writer for Kuwait Times, and continued some of the best stories for them and yet Mr Frederick you had of appraisal for her.

How can anyone write an article without mentioning Cheryl Rodrigues, anout spoken talent that even [names deleted -FN] can vouch for. It is nothing but a shame. As a matter of fact, I'm sure she will be more than disappointed to even hear about this.

This is what discourages us Goans. Few writers like you, inspired by your lack of awareness, prejudices and ignorance tend to shun out some ofthe brillinat achievers our society has produced.

Thank you. I look forward to your response in this regard.

Warm wishes always,

Kylie Suarzes

technorati tags:goa, journalists, gulf, journosingulf

Blogged with Flock

New Year thoughts... thanks to LFY

EFY, Electronics For You, the New Delhi-based group that publishes the Linux For You magazine too, had this small surprise for me. A 2007 desk calendar. What was interesting was the quotes it contained, some from people whom I don't quite admire ... or appreciate their role in changing the world in a certain direction. (Walt Disney, for instance). But whose words are inspiring in a way. So let me share the same with you:

To talk well and eloquently is a very great art; but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop. -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. -- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). The important thing is not to stop questioning. -- Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Be great in act, as you have been in tought. -- William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. --Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895). The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection. --George Orwell (1903-1950). We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -- Aristotle (384-322 BCE). I can give you a six-word formula for success: 'Think things through -- then follow through.' --Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). Everyone things of changing the world, but no one things of changing himself. --Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best. --Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). Kites rise highest against the wind -- not with it. --Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965). When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do. -- Walt Disney (1901-1966).

Says the calendar:

How do you feel? The way things are going in your life depends on how you choose to feel. Your feelings are your most sincere expectations. Some see a challenging situation and feel dismayed. Others see the same situation and know that they can choose to feel energized and inspired. How do you choose to feel about things? Whatever it is, that is the way your life will play out.

Here's what Dr Cornal DaCosta has to say about Goanet in the latest issue of GoanVoiceUK:

The Football World Cup tournament has unsurprisingly generated many posts on Goanet. One line of thought asked why India does not produce footballers of the calibre of many small nations as represented by this year's tournament? The responses have been varied including the lament that football crazy Goa is not entitled to send a team. Others have claimed that, India has excelled in field hockey many times and should concentrate on this game rather than football. GV(UK) readers are invited to provide their views on this and other matters.

Is there something called "a rock solid Christian moral code?" Discussion on this theme has been ongoing for some time but there are some new considerations currently being examined in this controversial theme.

There is much on Goanet about the Konkani stage in Goa and elsewhere. An unusual performance as a disabled girl by Rosy Alvares in Mario Menezes' tiatr receives many plaudits and is definitely worth finding out much more about it.

Whether pupils should wear school uniforms or not is an ongoing controversy the world over. Now, Goa seems to be gripped by this issue but with an unusual twist. Tension has emerged between those who seem happy with Indian attire and those wanting western attire in schools.

Domnic Fernandes presents an insight into life in the 1950s and 1960s in his excellent piece on the Cuckoo. This time, Domnic has been good enough to present his material in Konkani but with an English translation. Clearly, this is helpful when a command of Konkani may not be that sound among some GV (UK) readers.

Finally, do read a scholarly article by Priyamvada Gopal of Cambridge University. Apart from Goanet, this article has appeared in several sources and is well worth reading for much thought about revisionist British Imperial history. The title of her essay is "Imperial apologists peddle poisonous fairy tale." Readers' comments on this piece would be very welcome to Goanet administration.

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

Prasun Sonwalkar, London blasts, and blogs

Prasun Sonwalkar studied in Goa, at the People's High School, I think. Got to know him when he was on the desk at Bhubaneswar (for the TOINS), and contributed to the Deccan Herald, where I was then employed. We met up via Debashish Munshi.

Just today came across his article July 7 was a 'tipping point' for British media. It's about the July 7 blasts in London and how the media -- and specially blogs -- responded to it. Indo-Asian News Service concludes the article saying: Prasun Sonwalkar is a London-based journalist and a journalism teacher at the University of the West of England. He can be contacted at sprasun at yahoo.co.uk

Goajourno is here

Goajourno, a for-journalist-only (ex-journalists covered too!) mailing list for those who work or worked in Goa, is accessible here. It's archives are here.

Sports, ESPN, and the cost of viewing a match

Pamela D'Mello's article titled Goaaaaaaaaal! But not every hotel and outlet has scored which offers an insight into the economics of football. So, ESPN is charging big money to screen football matches in Goa's restaurants, making it tough for people to afford viewing!

Pensions... who foots the bill?

Currently, the Goa Union of Journalists is seized with the issue of pensions for retiring journalists. Priviledged as we are, this is the only private sector class of employees who not only get our wages regulated by the government, but also now get a (even if nominal) pension in Goa. Thanks to the Parrikar government's sense of priorities, a retiring journalist is now entitled to Rs 1000 by way of a government pension. But, journos were quick to realise, this is hardly sufficient. So, they want a hike to Rs 3000 pm. Of course, the Rane government (till now at least) and the bureaucrats taking the decision, put their foot down. If retiring journalists want more pensions, then they need to contribute more, they argued. (Obviously, the reserves would run out fast otherwise.) But, to add to the complications, the younger journalists resent the fact that they would have to pay a hiked-up contribution, so that an elder already-retired segment (who never paid any contributions) could get a three-fold hike in pensions. This view came out strongly at the 2006 union general body. To make things even worse, the managements, who were supposed to contribute to the kitty and build the pensions' fund, are unwilling to do so. Or have just pointedly refused! So that's where things stands. A complex issue indeed!

Interruptions at the news-conf

July 2006 debates on the GoaJourno mailing lists have begun with some angry perspectives on interruptions at a news conference. Rupesh Samant of PTI and Y Balamuralikrishna of the UNI are early posters on this issue. Rupesh's plaint is: "Hi guys, sometimes journalists can get so nagging. I was covering a Das munshi press conference in Margao. Sports minister as he is Munshi is also the Information and Broadcasting minister. When I ventured to ask Munshi a question related to his IB ministry, one journalist who is also a member on our mailing list had the gall to say "Mr Munshi is here to answer sports related questions". I find this apalling. This enabled Munshi to wriggle out of the nasty question I was feilding him. This is so not done. This is absolutely unethical and pissing off."

ToIGoa, Vijay Times... and the rumour mill

Rumours are rife among the media circuit that the Times of India is planning to come out with a Goa edition, printed out of Pilerne, at their plot given to them in the early 'nineties when Suresh Parulekar was minister. If that happens, how will it impact Goa's far-from-inspiring journalism? Meanwhile, this blog entry is confirming that the Vijay Times has been taken over by the Times of India. Likewise, another blog entry with more details is called "A small Tribune story helped TOI pick up VK, VT".