Edited by Eddie Fernandes editor@goanvoice.org.uk

Cheers for Political Songs on the Tiatr Stage
4 May. The Times of India. When Francis de Tuem steps on to the stage at the newly refurbished Kala Academy, the crowd cannot contain its pleasure. Francis de Tuem is known for his political songs and holding politicians to account through his song-writing. Getting straight to the heart of the matter, he sings, “You have a problem when there are conversions but chief minister Sawant himself converted 10 Congress MLAs and took them into BJP." This being a jibe at BJP's misuse of the religious conversions law.  For further details click here

A Recipe for Success in Canada
4 May. Toronto Star. Hemant Bhagwani has opened 61 restaurants: three in Ottawa, one in New York and the rest in Toronto. In high school, Bhagwani was more excited by cricket and girls than by making life plans. Then a girlfriend aspiring to go to chef school inspired him to apply to the Alpina School of Hotel Management in Parpan, Switzerland, where he completed a hotel and culinary management degree. The success came at a high price and burnout. “I just felt that I couldn’t do it anymore,” he said. So, he took a six-month break and headed to Goa, India, where he cooked with the locals. As he absorbed their dedication, his own delight returned. “I started realizing, wow, I love what I do.”  For further details click here

We Still Have our Snakes
3 May. The Nation. Kenya. The National Museums of Kenya have denied reports that highly poisonous snakes were swept away by raging floods. They confirm they still have their snakes and other exhibits well preserved. The statement by the agency comes amidst claims that snakes and crocodiles had been displaced from their cages by the heavy rains currently pounding Nairobi and were prowling in Kijabe Street, Kipande Road, Ojijo Road, and the Goan Gymkhana area.  For further details click here

A Literary Route to Celebrate the Goan-French Connection
4 May. Gomantak Times. In his French poem, Wherever I Go, author and poet, Manohar Rai Sardessai, strikes a nostalgic chord when he writes: ‘Without your love, away from your life/O Goa I do not know how to live’. It is from the French writings of this Goan author that readers in France gained an understanding of the Goa Liberation movement, and this opened the European readership to the tiny Indian State. This year, the launch of Pardon My French, a book club to discuss French literature, an initiative by the French Institute in India with Alliance, highlights the importance of literature as a bridge between nations. It welcomes Francophone writers in fostering cultural exchange and promoting a deeper understanding of French literary traditions in India.  For further details click here

Shashi Tharoor: Indians Abroad Deserve Dual Citizenship
4 May. Hindustan Times. Speaking at a press conference held in Goa, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor promised to have a “serious discussion” under a proper forum on the issue of dual citizenship and believes Indians living abroad need to be allowed to keep their Indian passports “even when circumstances require them to take another passport.” He added that a lot of Indians living abroad may have had to take a foreign passport for reasons of professional convenience, travel, work and so on. “...Yet they still feel an emotional connection to their motherland. And we need to find ways to recognise that."  For further details click here

Botswana Mourns the Death of Bishop Tony Rebello [Ex Nairobi]

No Clarity Yet on OCI Status
5 May. The Goan. Those Goans who had their paspports revoked are still waiting for clarification on OCI status. It has been a month since the revocation order was passed and every politician was quick to claim credit for this move and yet Goans are still in a state of limbo. Kennedy Afonso the covenor of Goa For Goans says this is causing a lot of anxiety for Goans waiting for clarification.  For further details click here

Death and Funeral: Natividade (Netty) Da Costa. UK. Ex. Mombasa
We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved Natividade Da Costa (nee D'Souza), aged 90 years on 22 April. Natividade (Netty) was the widow of the late Victor Da Costa. A Requiem Mass will be held for her on Tuesday 7th May 2024 at 10am, at Our Lady and St Joseph's Church, 52 Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, London, W7 3SU, followed by a wake at The Green W7, 16 Lower Boston Road, W7 3TX. Natividade is survived by her daughter Vanessa.

Death and Funeral: Lineth Marie Jose. Canada
30 April. Lineth Marie Jose passed away peacefully in Colingwood, Canada. Born in India in 1941, the youngest daughter of Wenceslas and Rose Fernandes, wife to Mel D'Souza and mother to Helen and Gillian. Fondly remembered by her grand and great-grandchildren. Funeral mass will be held at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m. on Friday May 10, 2024. Interment at St. Mary’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital in her memory. Friends may visit Lineth's online Book of Memories at www.fawcettfuneralhomes.com

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Goa's Festakar Makes Waves in Kenya
4 May. The Goan. Lui Godinho. The man popularly known in Goa as festakar for his penchant for putting together events that celebrate village festivals, Marius Fernandes returns to Kenya after five decades to retrace the footsteps of his grandparents. Marius born in Meru County, will be a guest on 'The Books Cafe' programme to air on KBC on May 4th being interviewed by Khainga O'Okwemba.  For further details click here

UK Goans mark 50th Anniversary of Portugal's Carnation Revolution
4 May. The Goan. Lui Godhinho. A number of UK Goans including Jennifer Vaz marked the 50th anniversary of Portugal's Carnation Revolution at a gala held in London. The Carnation Revolution brought to an end five decades of Salazar's oppressive regime. Other dignataries included Chief Ambassador from the Foreign Ministry of Affairs Dr Luis de Almeida Ferraz and Consul General of Portugal in London Dr Luis Leandro da Silva.  For further details click here

Goan Awarded 'Woman of the Year 2024' in Boston
4 May. The Goan. Rowena Kay Mascarenhas from Saligao was awarded the Woman of the Year 2024 at an event held in Boston. She received the award from Indian venture capitalist Desh Deshpande. With a wealth of experience spanning over two decades, Mascarenhas has been praised for excellence in corporate, academic and non-profit sectors. Apart from her professional responsibilities at TiE Boston, Mascarenhas devotes her time volunteering on a farm and at DAWN dedicated to addressing gender inequality.  For further details click here

Stitching Stories with Savia Viegas
4 May. Herald. Writer and journalist Vivek Menezes writes about the multimedia exhibition centered on narrative embroidered artworks by Dr Savia Viegas...Viegas is a distinguished scholar, with a doctorate in Ancient Indian Art from the University of Mumbai...“My mother Berta Elisa Viegas had to discontinue schooling when family funds ran out due to her father’s early paralysis,” explains Viegas, “but an independent personality streak led her to seek options to provide a source of income. Her sewing teacher was Dona Leonora, a renowned seamstress in Margao who trained girls in this very useful domestic craft. Mai tried hand-stitching clothes before she could afford a second-hand machine, then purchased a Singer.”  For further details click here

Goa Stays Land Plans of BJP MLA
3 May. Hindustan Times. The Bombay High Court in Goa has held that MLA Michael Lobo would become one of the main beneficiaries of the conversion and zone changes proposed in order to develop agricultural land and hill slopes for residential and commercial building. Politically controlled planning bodies have been making arbitary changes to planning regulations.  For further details click here

Tax Implications of NRIs renting out Property in India
3 May. Gisuser. In recent years the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) investment in India has gone up significantly. The tax implications for NRIs renting out property in India can be quite complex. For tax purposes, the NRI is not considered a resident of India, and is subject to TDS, which means tax is deducted at source.  For further details click here

Of Goans and the Constitution
4 May. Herald. Goans have embraced India's forward looking Constitution but have also repeatedly reminded the state that they need a special pact. This challenge to the interpretation of the Constitution by Goans have come at certain junctures in history. The Indian State gathers its support from the Indian diaspora, but does not want the ‘inconvenient’ diaspora who raise uncomfortable questions about the development trajectory, chosen by the India State  click here

Goan Awarded 'People of the Year' in Ireland

Death: Alexandra (Ally) Cordeiro. Canada, ex-Nairobi.
29 April. Alexandra Cordeiro, born 1934 in Bombay, died peacefully in Ontario, Canada. Ally grew up in Nairobi, loving daughter of Maj. Dr. George and Eslinda Roche, sister of Cecilia, grand-daughter of OBE Dr Rosendo and Margarita Ribeiro. Loving wife to Joseph (Joe) Cordeiro, mother to Fiona/Desmond, Victor/Shipa, and several grand-children and great-grandchildren. She is remembered fondly as a pillar of strength to her family.
Visitation: Sunday, 5 May. Funeral: 6 May. Photo, live streaming link and full details click here.

'Bogus' Luton solicitor [Flora Mendes; ex Britona, Goa] jailed for selling fraudulent immigration advice

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Goan Labour trio secures Swindon Council Seats

The Gurguret and Summers of Yore

Unearthed Stone Sculpture Reveals Clues about Portuguese Era
3 May. Devdiscourse. The recent unearthing of a statue in Panjim has triggered much speculation in Goa as to its origins and implications. One plausible theory is that it was transported in the 1700s from the decaying old capital to Panjim to build 'Nova Goa.' Historian Prajal Sakhardande said the artefact could be linked to the 'Paulists', missionaries from the Society of Jesus who worked to spread Christianity in Portuguese colonies.  For further details click here

Goa Government allocates Rs 71.50 crores for St. Francis Exposition
3 May. Herald. In view of the upcoming St. Francis Xavier Exposition, the Government of Goa has allocated an eye-watering Rs 71.50 crores to infrastructural works related to the exposition. These include addressing issues of road repairs, water supply and parking facilities.  click here

Death: (Maria Agatha) Illa Coutinho. Nairobi
29 Apr: Nairobi. MARIA AGATHA ILLA ALMEDIA COUTINHO. Beloved wife of (late) Sinencio F.D.L.P. Almeida Coutinho. Loving Mother to Christopher Joseph Almeida Coutinho. Funeral on Friday, 3rd May 2024 at 10:00am, St. Austin Catholic Church, James Gichuru Road, Lavington, followed by cremation at the Hindu Crematorium Kariokor. In lieu of flowers, a donation in memory of Maria to The Capuchin Charities would be greatly appreciated. Mpesa Paybill 4023775 Account No: Maria A.I.A. Couthinho. Messages of condolence can be sent to: a1chrisjc@yahoo.com (ChristopherJ.A. Couthinho +254 733406257) [Info Goan Welfare Society, Nairobi.] Photo click here.

Death: Maria (Carmen) Do Carmo Pinto. Winnipeg, Canada, Ex Loutolim, Goa
April 7. Winnipeg, Canada. Born Loutolim, 1949. Maria (also known as Carmen) was a fiercely loving and generous mother, wife, sister, aunt and friend. She was predeceased by her parents Francisco & Julita Monteiro, and her beloved siblings Carlos, Raul, and Sarita. She is survived by her husband Michael; her son Neal (Christine); daughter Michelle (Jeff); her grandson Markus - as well as her sisters Ceu & Elisa; sisters-in-law Antoinette, Monalisa and Noemy; Diego (Ameeta), Joaquim (Melba) and Flaminio. She graduated from the University of Bombay, working as a teacher in Goa until she married Michael, and they embraced a new adventure together - settling in Canada in the mid-70's. She raised two successful children, and enjoyed a career of her own with the Government of Manitoba until retiring in 2005. She was an eminent member of Winnipeg's Goan community - especially with her soulful expertise in Goan cuisine, and her love for both Konkani and Portuguese music. Funeral was on April 20, 2024. Mass at Saviour of the World Church, Loutolim on Friday 3 May at 8:15 am. Photos click here.

Podcast: Goa's clan system and migration: The numbers behind it all

Talking Konkani Music from California to Goa
2 May. Herald. Savio Rodrigues is an internet musical sensation. Based out of California, US, every month he brings Goans worldwide together with his Facebook musical programmes. Son of Lazaro Rodrigues and Susan Mendonca e Rodrigues, Savio was born in Bombay but grew up in St Estevam since the age of 2 years. Though the family of six, including Savio and his two brothers and one youngest sister, were facing difficulties financially, they found joy in attending the village tiatrs. It was especially Susan’s love for Konkani music that inspired Savio to take up singing and acting at the age of 7. Eventually, Rodrigues landed in the US where he formed a band called ‘Poco Locos.’ It was during the Covid lockdowns that Rodrigues started uploading his music online, and a new journey began.  For further details click here

Manchester: The Best Curries at Zouk Tea Bar
30 April. Manchester Evening News UK. If you have ever been to Goa, then you’ll know the long-haul flight is almost worth it for Goan Fish Curry alone! Fortunately, you can skip the flight and dig into it any time at Zouk. Added to the menu because it is the owner Tayub’s favourite dish, this is one for seafood lovers to enjoy. It’s a warming aromatic curry with coconut, mustard and curry leaves. Although the fish can vary at Zouk they use delicious haddock that melts in the mouth with each bite.  For further details click here

Indian Social Workers in Swindon may Strike over pay
1 May. BBC UK. Social workers that were recruited in India to work in Wiltshire are considering strike action due to a dispute over pay. The workers, who were hired by Swindon Borough Council to work for their social services branch in Euclid Street, criticised the department's "colonial" hiring practices…Between 2022 and 2023 the council addressed its need for more social workers by recruiting 14 from India…However, the 14 workers - who are all members of the GMB trade union - are now set to be balloted on whether to take strike action as they are unhappy with the way pay has been structured in the past year. click here.

Wendell’s Moda Museum Finally a Reality
2 May: Navhind Times. The Moda Museum as envisioned by the late fashion designer Wendell Rodricks is finally becoming a reality. It will open in December of this year. It was in 2014, after working on the book ‘Moda Goa: History and Style’ that Rodricks came up with the idea of creating a museum and research centre to preserve Goan heritage. This led to several donations of vintage garments, costumes, textiles, accessories like shoes, hats, armour, jewellery, cigar holders, statues and photographs. In fact, over 800 such interesting items were collected, dating back from the 7th century AD to the present. The designer’s own personal collection of items gathered over the years is also going to be a part of the museum display.  For further details click here

Death: Jennifer Augusta Paul. Dar es Salaam
29 April. Jennifer Augusta Paul died in Dar es Salaam. Beloved sister of Joyce Almeida, Juracy Sequeira, Julie Braganza and Joe Paul.

Before Becoming Goan
1 May. Trailing Spouse. Michelle Mendonca spent 18 years as a trailing spouse in three countries before moving back to India — where her adventures have been chronicled in her new book, “Becoming Goan: A Contemporary Coming Home Story.” Here Mendonca talks about her earlier life. Her trailing-spouse journey began in 1993, when her husband Bharat was offered a job in either Dubai or Nairobi. They evaluated both opportunities and chose Dubai for the safety of their young family.  For further details click here

The Violent Birth of Kampala
1 May. Debunk Media. When it sprung up in 1890, Kampala was a suburb of Mengo. But by the end of the decade and century, the roles were quickly reversed; Mengo became a Kampala suburb. But here you were a Black citizen of Kampala, barely a generation new into what used to be barred to your grandparents, and you were expected to have already fitted into a city not built for your culture. One of the most important clues that they did not want you in this city, was that space existed for European, Arab and Asian religious beliefs but none for African ones.  For further details click here

Goa Elections: Disconnect between People's Concerns and Political Narrative
30 April. Frontline. The issue of grievances voiced by taxi-drivers should have taken prominence in Goa, but the general feeling is that it is neglected and that taxi driver stories during elections are no longer taken seriously. The story is simple. Goa recently got a second international airport in the district of North Goa. When the local people opposed the project, the government assured them that they would get 80 per cent of the jobs that would be created, including those in the taxi sector. Almost a year and a half after the airport’s inauguration, that promise has not been kept. The full story is by subscription.  For further details click here

Cardinal Ferrão ordains 12 new priests for Goa and Daman

A Food Writers Go-To Macau Restaurant for Goan Food
1 May. South China Morning Post. Annabel Jackson, co-founder of Slow Food Hong Kong, reveals where she goes in Macau to eat Macanese crab curry and minchi, and Goan food. Among the many Portuguese restaurants in Macau is that of Elias Colaco, who can trace his family history in Goa across centuries. He makes mostly Portuguese and Goan food - including a wonderful Goa fish curry - but he is also working on vegan dishes.  For further details click here

Chief Minister Goa: Special Status Does not Matter Now
1 May. Herald. CM Sawant said the issue of Special Status does not matter now as it has already received special treatment from the central government of India. The state for a long time has been demanding special status to preserve its own culture and heritage, but according to Sawant the Modi government has done more for Goa than special status would have.  click here

Pottery, Pool and Paddy Fields: Moving to Goa
1 May. The Better India. Kavita and Manoj Nair moved from Bombay to Goa, refurbished a rundown cottage in Anjuna, and moved in. In hindsight it was the best decision they made. In an attempt to welcome people from across India and the world to experience the magic of Anjuna, they started the homestay concept that year. And since then, the house hasn’t seen a dull moment.  For further details click here

A Beachside Wedding in Goa
30 April. Conde Nast Traveller. Despite having met as college students in Los Angeles and currently living in New York City, Mitali Gupta and Nick Ruzicka have always known they’d get married in India. After considering a few cities in India, the couple decided on Goa. Goa has a really big art scene, and a lot of Portuguese history, so we decided to lean into that and found local DJs and musicians who added local flair,” says Mitali of hiring Portuguese samba and bossa nova band Sambucada and guitarist Bors Bey She also adapted her aesthetic visions to what was locally available; while she’d hoped to use a lot of mogra (or jasmine) flowers, the plant doesn’t grow as well in the beachy climate and was cost-prohibitive to fly in. Instead, they decorated with more of the lotuses that had made Mitali love the St. Regis in the first place.  For further details click here

Paulista Statute Unearthed in Panjim

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Goa Airport Receives Bomb Threat
29 April. Mint. Goa Dabolim Airport received an email about a bomb. The police were immediately contacted and the bomb squad set about combing the area. Although extra security precautions were taken, flight operations were not effected.  For further details click here

My Encounters with the Kapenguria Six
30 April. The Nation, Kenya. Well known writer Mervyn Maciel talks about his brush with the Kapenguria Six and other detainees. In the lead-up to the Mau Mau resistance and eventually Independence, the Kapenguria Six – Bildad Kaggia, Kung'u Karumba, Jomo Kenyatta, Fred Kubai, Paul Ngei, and Achieng' Oneko – were six leading Kenyan nationalists who were arrested in 1952, tried at Kapenguria in 1952–53, and imprisoned thereafter in Northern Kenya. Subscription required.  For further details click here

British Empire Exhibition: The Forgotten Event at Wembley
28 April. BBC UK. On St George's Day one hundred years ago, King George V stepped on to the turf of the newly created Wembley Stadium to open the British Empire Exhibition - and in doing so became the first UK royal to make a live radio broadcast...t welcomed some 27 million visitors in the time it was open...Other pavilions representing 56 of 58 territories from the empire were dedicated to the different colonies and dominions and filled with displays to try to give visitors a glimpse of life around the world...While novelties like a 16ft (5m) tall ball of wool may have amused, more controversial was the use of nearly 300 non-white colonial people who travelled from across the empire to depict places like Nigeria by living and working in the pavilions.  For further details click here

Croissants aren't French and vindaloo isn't Goan
28 April. The Independent UK. In this fascinating history of dishes from around the world, we discover fascinating food facts. In a new book called La Cucina Italiana Non Esiste (literally “Italian Cuisine Does Not Exist”), food historian Alberto Grandi claims, among other things, that Italians only discovered tomato sauce when they emigrated to the Americas, where tomatoes are native...Catholic missionaries brought the Western-style cooking method of deep frying to Japan in the 16th century, while vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese “vinha de alhos”, referring to the dish’s two main ingredients, wine and garlic. The latter was originally a means for Portuguese sailors to preserve fresh ingredients, but they adapted it with spices and chillies when they got to Goa.  click here

Nehru's Words: On Goa
28 April. National Herald. With a general election looming, Nehru's idea of a modern India is being re-examined. The two issues he grappled with during his tenure as prime-minister were Goa and Kashmir. Here, in his own words, we find out what he thought of his actions in Goa...I think that when history comes to be written, Kashmir and Goa will be the brightest examples of our tolerance, of our patience and of the way we have suppressed our anger and resentment at many things in order to follow the broad idealistic policy that we have laid down.  click here

Critics of Modi barred from Entering India
27 April. ABC AUS news. As India gears for its general elections, some trends have emerged which question the depth of India's democracy. British academic Nitasha Kaul sounds the alarm about the erosion of Indian democracy. The BJP party headed by Modi is set to win a third term, but to her utter surprise Kaul is among those banned from entering India. In February, she was detained and deported from India after being invited to speak at a conference about India's constitution. To date, no valid reason has been given for this decision.  For further details click here

The Transformative Power of Intergenerational Love
29 April. Gomantak Times. The plight of the elderly in Goa, left to fend for themselves, paints an ever grim picture. The young have left in search of employment elsewhere in the face of ever growing unemployment and lack of opportunities in Goa. This leaves the most vulnerable in society to fend for themselves. While the Modi government pledges support for senior citizens and Pope Francis advocates prioritising them, it is only intergenerational love which can save them from complete social isolation.  For further details click here

An Itch Impossible to Ignore
28 April. New Ways Ministry. Ruby Almeida, advocating for LGBTQIA Catholics around the world for the past two decades, including leadership in Quest, Bridge and Embrace India, and the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics, helps manage a programme for people wishing to return to their Catholic faith practice. Almeida is convinced the yearning expressed by many marginalised and estranged people in the LGBTQIA faith community, is a kind of itch that is impossible to ignore. She says, I have seen grown adults in tears when they have talked about their faith journey; that outpouring of emotion which has been bottled up for so long is a cathartic and liberating experience for them. To see them grow in self-belief, knowing that they are loved and that they are valued members of the faith community, all of this creates space and opportunity for them to grow closer to Jesus. They are able to become a the branch that bears much  click here

UK Goans speak about Goa elections.
28 April. Dainik Gomantak. In this video UK Goans endorse South Goa candidate Viriato for Congress. One member of the audience who was formerly supporting Revolutionary Goans (RG) now strikes a note of caution about them. Video 3min 25. Web Link.

Jeremy Franco: Goan Comedian from Down Under
29 April. SBS Spice Podcast. The Goan-Australian comedian and content creator Jeremy Franco has been creating South Asian content which is universally appealing and yet specifically relevant. Unfiltered, unapologetic and an absolute riot, Jeremy has now amassed an audience across social media that adores his comedic takes on life being Goan-Australian. Jeremy sat down with our co-host Suhayla at our Sydney Studios to unravel everything that has made him the entertainer he is today. From dissecting South Asian representation to asking 'where is Lily Singh?', this episode leaves no stone unturned in exploring how tangled the web has become for comedians of colour.  click here
For Jeremy Franco's video channel  click here