Note: Eddie Fernandes is on holiday 15-30 April inc. During this period please e-mail your contributions to: jjds@ican.net Alternatively contact Flavio Gracias inLondon Tel. 020-8723-1322, Fax 020-8578 7548 or e-mail remote-printer.Flavio_Gracias@441815787548.iddd.tpc.int

FORTHCOMING

23 Apr. 19:00 Goan Association UK & Dark Star Social Club. Grand Easter Ball. Lola Jones Hall London SW17. Edna Moraes-de Souza 0181-672 1973, Savio Pereira 0181-679 4331, Hazel Rodrigues 0181-357 6776 or Flavio Gracias 0181-723 1322.

23 Apr. 19:00-0100 Music Mania Dinner Dance Thamesmere Leisure Suite, Woolwich. Breakthru Band and Music Mania Disco. Tony/Roseline Joanes 0181 265 9644, Vincent/Sabina 0181 244 5598 or Paul/Veronica Barretto 0181 311 1195

23 Apr. 15:00-23:00 Mapuca Union Easter Dance. Say One Do One Disco. Bishop Thomas Grant School, Beltrees Grove, Streatham, London SW16. Eusebio Pinto 0208-802 6373 or Matthew D'Souza 0208-304 9089.

30 Apr. 12:00-19:45. Cortalim Union Feast. White Hart Lane School, Wood Green, N 22. Mass followed by dance. Tickets: Rita, 0181- 800 5413; Manu, 0181-809 1128; Maria, 0181-803 5146 or Assumption, 0181-641 5995. Please book in advance.

1 May 13:00-19:30 Uganda Reunion Social. Wandsworth Town Hall, SW18. Open to all. Apply for tickets ASAP none will be sold at the door. Joe Mendes 020-8303 3974.

13 May 19:00-24:00 Xavierites Assoc. Annual Dinner Dance. Police Club, Aldenham Road, Bushey , Herts. Music by Velvet Touch. Members and Guests. £25.00 each. Cherie Martins, 020 8363 0086 or e-mail oscarmartins@compuserve.com ASAP

14 May 13:00- Annual Assolna, Velim, Cuncolim (AVC) Union Social. Bishop Thomas Grant School , Streatham, London SW16. Book early to avoid disappointment. Eunice Barros 0181 672 0807 or Nico Antao 0181 560 6559.

21 May. 13:45 - Asian Chaplaincy. Festival of Patron Saints. Mass followed by cultural programme. Tel. 020-8563 9102

27 May 18.30 - 22.00. BBC Music Live 2000. Merton Hall, 76 Kingston Road, Wimbledon. The Goan Musical Society ensemble is one of the 10 groups participating in the "Festival of Folk Music, Song and Dance from around the World". Adults £6, children £3. Ms Sabitri Ray 0208-648 0084

4 June. Wandsworth Town Hall Ex Students from Catholic Parochial and St Teresa's Boys and Girls School, Nairobi. Millennium Reunion. Norma Menezes 020-8771 4457 Menezrahim@aol.com or Tonyjo Fernandes 01895 259947.

6 -13 June. Asian Chaplaincy. Holy Land Pilgrimage. £599. Derek Gomes. 020-7263 5203 DEREKGOMES@compuserve.com

18 June. 12:00- Siolim Union. 20th anniversary & Feast of St. Anthony of Padua. Bishop Thomas Grant School, Beltrees Grove, Streatham, London SW16 Mass followed by Dance. Maz & Co. and Fantasy Disco. Members and guests welcome. Derrick Fernandes 020-8395 1084 or Eugene Fernandes 020-8240 0818

13 August. Bastora Union Feast. Holy mass followed by social at Merton Council Hall, 76 Kingston Road, South Wimbledon (nearest tube station South Wimbledon).

COMMUNITY NEWS

St Michael's Convent High School in Anjuna, Goa.
From: "Tim de Mello" <timdemello@hotmail.com>
Subject: Computers for Goan Schools
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 18:24:12 PDT

Dear Goa-Netters:
One of the projects undertaken by this cause is to install computers at St. Michael's Convent High School in Anjuna, Goa.
A webpage has been installed on GOACOM at:
http://www.goacom.com/community/schools/schoolpages/anjuna/stmikes.html

It can also be accessed from http://www.goacom.com/community/schools/

The project is in urgent need of sponsors. If you can see it in your heart to help this worthy cause please respond to the contact on the webpage.

All sponsors will be reconized on this page - no matter how small a contribution you make.

Please help
**********************
From: David Futers <David@f-w-a.demon.co.uk>

It was good to see Tim D'Mello's posting about St Michael's at Anjuna. I have visited this school and it really needs help. The sister who is head teacher told me that the community needs a boost being, and I use the term loosely, in the "hippie" belt of Goa. Children can make money on the beach during the season working in shacks but we all know that they need a long term future.A computer education would help children in the school and help them obtain employment later in life.The school has put aside a secure room with a concrete roof for its computer centre and we should be planning to install up to ten machines for them. Some of these will be new and some will be recycled machines that have been tested by a team of experts in Goa.
Why don't we develop a world wide Anjuna and surrounding area help group and come to the assistance of this school. Some of the pictures I took are now on the web page which has been established. Please get involved and give this area the help it deserves.
Contact Tim D'Mello at timdemello@hotmail.com or myself david@f-w-a.demon.co.uk with you offers of help and assistance.
Goanetters in Goa who wish to go to the school and help set up a local support group will be very welcome. Check out the website as well A webpage has been installed on GOACOM at:
http://www.goacom.com/community/schools/schoolpages/anjuna/stmikes.html
It can also be accessed from http://www.goacom.com/community/schools/
LETS MAKE THIS PROJECT A THE SUCCESS IT DESERVES

DEATHS

19/4/00 + TOLLY BARRETO from Hayes, Middlesex, musician(ex Nairobi). Sympathies to his wife Irene and family.

NEWS HEADLINES
( mainly from Joel D'Souza in Goa, courtesy of GOACOM, e-mail: goanow@sancharnet.in )

April 20: CRORES FOR TOURISM: Goa Tourism minister Victoria Fernandes romped home "in principle" sanction of the central assistance to the tune of Rs.160 crore for various tourism projects in Goa. (GT)

April 20:FIRST TEST: The electricity mobile vans launched with fanfare in Goa's major cities failed to be of any use to the suffering public when the sudden showers frightened the lights away day before yesterday. Consumers kept dialling 135 for the Power Mobile vans, which could not move out to help anyone due to lack of staff to operate them. (GT)

April 20: COP PROTECTUION FOR CUNCOLIM: The Parish priest of Cuncolim Fr Socorro Mendes, fearing interference in the Easter week-end services, has asked the police to grant 24-hour protection
during the Holy Week. (H)

April 20: TIGER CENSUS TOO: For the first time, the Wildlife Division of the Forest Department will be conducting a systematic census of tigers in Goa's forests. (H)

April 19: TIATR, A GOOD TOOL: CM Francisco Sardinha asserted that the medium of Konkani tiatr should be properly utilised to eradicate social evils in the society. While speaking at the Tiatr Day celebrations, Sardinha acknowledged that the lion's share for keeping Konkani alive and its development, is lifted by tiatrist, who with their dedicated and concerted efforts not only rejuvenated Konkani theatre but enriched a powerful medium of mass communications. (H)

April 19:SUICIDE BY A WOMAN: Rajeshri alias Geeta Raghoban Naik (35),believed to be mentally unsound, committed suicide by consuming a poisonous wild fruit 'kajra' at Palyem in Pernem. She leaves behind her husband and three children. (GT)

April 19: APRIL SHOWERS: To the accompaniment of squally weather, lightning flashes and thunder claps, the first of the April showers visited Goa lastnight at around 11 PM. Of course, as usual the lights went off five minutes in advance and did not return untill morning. All the raw mangoes came down with the wind and the showers will finish off the cashew harvest.

April 18: THE TRIBAL LIST: Goa's minister of Social Welfare, Dr Suresh Amonkar, met the Union Minister of Social Welfare (Tribal Affairs), Jual Orum, in New Delhi, and demanded that Goa's Dangar, Kunbi, Gauda and Velip communities be included in the tribal list. (NT)

April 18:ASPIRIN HEADACHE: The Goa Medical College hospital continued to administer the aspirin tablets, supplied M/s Tivim Pharmaceuticals, to patients though the Director of Food and Drug Administration had written to the company on April 6 to recall the tablets since they were found to be not of standard quality. (NT)

April 18: DR DIAS FOR LONDON: Dr Felix Dias was recently awarded the chartered chemist status by the Royal Society of Chemistry (London), in recognition of his professional contribution to chemistry and related areas, including catalysis, fuel cells, renewable and non-renewable energy sources and polymer science. (NT)

Note: NT - Navhind Times; GT - Gomantak Times; H - The Herald

IN THE NEWS
(e-mail eddie@fernandes.u-net.com for the full text of items marked *) .

Fish Crisis in Goa
Weather prevents trawlers from entering sea, fish crisis in Goa
The Times of India News Service - 20 April 2000
PANAJI: Most of the mechanised fishing trawlers could not go into the deep sea since the last three days due to changing weather conditions in the Arabian sea thereby creating shortage of fresh fish in municipal markets in Goa. The fishermen noticed erratic changes in wind directions and also in tidal movements which made it difficult for them to fish in deep waters. These weather conditions spoke of early rainfall this year, according to these fisherfolk.

GOA HAS MANY HOSPITALS AND DOCTORS... AND SICK PEOPLE TOO
By Frederick Noronha PANJIM, April 15:
Goa has one of the most extensive health systems in the country. But despite its impressive range of
health services, the people of the state remain a sickly lot.
"Despite (the widespread health network) it is pertinent to ask why all Goans are not in good health?" asks a study on the State of Goa's Health, to be discussed shortly at a meet. Compiled by the Sangath Society, and supported by the Voluntary Health Association of India (New Delhi), this independent study suggests that "quality" of health-care is more important than "quantity".

Goa Govt takes a step forward towards educating child labourers
The Times of India News Service - 19 April 2000
PANAJI: With police in tow, 400 children belonging to migrant families, selling plastic carry bags have disappeared from the municipal market areas in the four towns of the coastal state.
The migrant population largely hail from the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The disappearing act of the children has forced the state government to solicit help from school teachers and social workers to track down the minor children who do not go to school and either loiter in towns or get employed due to poverty.
A fresh attempt is on to locate all such kids in the state, fish and vegetable markets which recorded ample presence of such poor children during the whole day. The government headed by former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane passed a law in 1996 making primary education compulsory for every child in Goa. Those parents violating this law could be jailed for a period of minimum six months, according to provisions in the law.

COMPUTERS FOR GOA SCHOOLS - Raffle Prize Winners
With Files from marlon Menezes

Over $1250 was raised duringthe raffle, along with anonymous contributionsof $3000.
The money raised is being used to fund a shipment of 100 computers to Goa which has been organized by Goyan's Daryl Martyris.
The shipment is due to arrive in Goa any day now. Some of the money is also being used to fund a teachers exchange program (under David Futers) between the UK and Goa.
List of main prize winners:
Savio Fernandes, Ca: tickets for 2 on Alaska Airlines, cook book
Sunila Muzawar, UAE: $100 cash, CD and a cookbook
Agnelo Gomes, Pa: Goa sausages, CD and a floral bouquet
Tony Fernandes, ?: CD, cookbook, floral bouquet
Romulus Pereira, Ca: CD, cook book

Indo-Centric Jesus Christ
Columnist in Gomantak Times April 15, 2000
By Dr Cajetan Coelho
Full article @ http://www.goacom.com/news/news2000/apr/msg00123.html

The Portuguese, Dutch, French, Danish and the English colonization of India from the sixteenth century onwards was accompanied by and inter-connected with the philosophical and religious ideology of subjugation. The combination of European military, economic and ideological power was utilised by the West to render India inferior in all aspects of life, so that India could qualify to enter the realm of the Third World Countries.