Xit-Koddi - Jan 2012

The highlight of the evening was the arrival of Santa Claus accompanied by the tunes of Jingle bells and showering of Christmas sweets and  goodies. The evening concluded with Santa distributing gifts to all the children upto 12 years of age. A good number of parents also joined in celebrating this annual club event. Above pictures shows one group of kids with Santa Claus.

Christmas & New Year Celebration: Goans in Bahrain celebrated the festive season with pomp and gaiety. The New Year's Dinner Dance organised by the Young Goans Club at the Ramada Palace Hotel with the band 'Nightshades' in attendance attracted a good crowd of around 400. Besides other Goan social groups had their own get-togethers with the Riffa Goans toping the list with a colourful evening to bring in the new year. A group of Goan families based in Gudaibiya, also organised a well attended Christmas party on December 25, at the Phoenicia Hotel in Hoora.

Looking Forward..............

Goan Cuisine: The Sacred Heart Church Annual Parish Family Day 2011 is scheduled for February 4. The fun day with variety of games, food stalls and other entertainment will be held at the church compound from 10 am onwards. Like every year the Goan Cuisine food stall under the banner of Konkani Community will cater and sell food delicacies of Goa. Those willing to contribute to this stall may contact the Konkani Community coordinators on mobile nos: 39659539 or 39083239.

Readers Write

Chris Noronha: Just went through your December issue of Xit-Koddi and must congratulate you on coming up with this great idea.  What a innovative informative way to relay to all about the happenings in Bahrain. Keep up the great work.

Anthony M Fernandes: Congratulations to you and your team for coming out with this much awaited Newsletter  Xit-Koddi. Very nice column by John Rebello to cover Goans on the island. Hope to read about many Goans. Fr. Diniz deserves to be the first one under this column.

Maria Ida Dias (Kuwait): Heartiest Congratulations on the launch of a new Newsletter.  May Our Lord bless each input in this letter and make it a grand success to benefit and unite all our fellow Goans wherever they are. Well done! Keep it up! Good Luck.

Footprints of Goans in Bahrain: Francis Correia -----------By John Rebello 

"My vision is to help every Goan feel they are at home and make their life happier in Bahrain" echoed Francis Correia, when asked about his vision for his fellow compatriots who have made Bahrain their second home.

Son of late Camillo Philip and late Maria Boavida, Correia hails from Cansaulim, Goa. Though well known in Bahrain as Francis Correia, he was born a capricorn and was christened as Pedro Aulona Francisco Renato Correia. A holder of masters in Marketing, he is employed with Ahmed Mansoor Al Ahli managing their Real Estate & other properties. Francis, who loves socialising with interest in music and dancing found his match and got married to Carmina Santiago in 1981. They are blessed with two children Clevin Jesus Leo and Charlaine Boavida. A daughter-in-law in Shweeta is added to their family tree since 2009.  

Francis has been holding the mantle of the prestigious Young Goans Club for quite a number of years. The first being an Assistant General Secretary in 1980, and was elected President for the first time in 1997, the post he held until 2000. He took over the reigns again in 2006 and continues till today as the President of the Young Goans Club, Bahrain. He is also the Assistant Coordinator of the Konkani Community at the Sacred Heart Church.

He has great love for his native Goa and is always at the forefront in organising events to promote Goan language and culture among the Goans in Bahrain. He loves to help his fellow brethren especially the destitute, housemaids, laborers and goes far enough to help repatriate deceased bodies back home in coordination with authorities here and the embassy of India. He is recipient of the Global Goans Community Service Leadership Award from the Govt. of Goa in 2008. Of late he has attended the two-day Global Goans Convention held in Kuwait, which was organised to focus, interact and exchange ideas with other delegates to preserve Goan Identity. 

(Who deserves to be next in this Column ? Tell us & We will Cover)

Pick of The Month

Greater Goa ? Churchill Alemao former Chief Minister, now holding the PWD portfolio in the Goa Govt has renewed his threat to annex Karwar and Joida talukas into Goa to create Greater Goa. (Read the whole story at the link given below) 

Http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_alemao-churchill-wants-to-annex-joida-too_1480966

What do our Goans based in Bahrain say about this threat ? We asked a few. Their concised comments are reproduced here:

Amparo Fernandes: The former Chief Minister should not carry out his threat to annex Karwar and Joida. In a democracy, there will always be opposing forces who may and will resort to undemocratic means to attain their objectives. This would result in violence, destruction and possibly bloodshed as not all people would be happy to join Goa. It would only lead to discord and disharmony. It is true that Goa is a small land mass and could do with a little more area. But we should concentrate on developing and perfecting the area we already have before trying to gain more land, and surely annexation is not the answer. Our politicians should concentrate to tackle the problems in Goa like lack of transport, traffic congestion, sanitation, garbage disposal and high cost of living among others. Develop Goa to such an extent that people of other areas would WANT to be a part of it and would be proud to be called Goans. Please, Goans, do not be fooled by these political ploys, wake up to reality and raise your voices to make Goa a better place.  

Gerard Fernandes: Annexing is undemocratic. Need to win the locals with respect and not by force. Give them the first choice to vote and win with a referendum. There must be a blue print of the plan with time frames set, with necessary laws to protect this new land.  

Thinking "Goa" for tomorrow is commendable. Encourage and support this vision of Mr. Churchill Alemao and hope he gets atleast a 70% consensus of all politicians across all parties on this concept/idea to move swiftly and positively. Goans are losing Goa every day, if we need to expand and sustain Goa, it is imperative we think and do "GOA" like the Goans of yester years.

Pio M Fernandes: This reminds me of the similar stand taken by the Maharashtrians and the Marathi loving people of Goa which lead to the opinion poll in 1967. It also refreshes my memory of the controversy created by ex-CM of Maharashtra Mr. Ashok Chavan about annexing Belgaum into Maharashtra contending that there are more Marathi speaking people in that district. If Mr Alemao's logic of annexing such areas into Goa is only due to language then we have to succumb to the long cherish dream of Marathi leaders of Maharashtra to merge areas of Goa into their state, which will nullify the efforts and sacrifices of our Goans in the past. Land resources of Goa are exhausted mainly due to greed of our politicians. Lets fight for the reimbursement of land from the politicians first. If we manage to do that then our areas of Goa will suffice to any developments. Goa can't afford anymore struggles in the name of language. Goans should not fall prey to such ploys played by the politicians where the only interest perceived is to survive and strengthen their vote bank.

Francis X. Rodrigues: Let us support Churchill. We have no land to dispose our garbage. We have no place to park our vehicles. We have no place to provide illegal shelters for the migrant influx. We are cutting hills and destroying greenery to build  mega housing complexes for non-Goans. We need land to bring in polluted industries. And We have no place to bury our politicians once dead. So, Goans, wake up and support Churchill.

Taking You To Goa - Links

Herald - Largest Circulated Daily Of Goa

http://www.oheraldo.in/ 

The Navhind Times - The Oldest English Daily of Goa

http://www.navhindtimes.in/ 

Vaureadeancho Ixtt (Oldest Konkani Newspaper)

 http://www.v-ixtt.com/client/main.asp

Goan Food Recipes

http://www.goanfoodrecipes.com/

Goa Radio - Konkani Online Radio

http://www.radiogoa.net/

Konkani Radio GoaWorld

 http://www.live365.com/stations/61664