Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Pot luck politics
Goa8217;s underworld may be not as notorious as Mumbai8217;s but nevertheless, it seems to be controlling the state8217;s administration. Gangsters in the country8217;s tourist capital are openly operating matka dens without any hindrance from the authorities.
Recently when Goa8217;s Director General of Police R S Sahaye cracked down on the matka operators, politicians went wailing to Chief Minister Fransisco Sardinha. Some of them even went higher to the Central Government which promptly issued Sahaye8217;s transfer orders. Sardinha didn8217;t even bother to try keeping Sahaye and promptly relieved him.
According to the grapevine it were three BJP MLAs who were so upset at Sahaye8217;s crackdown that they threatened to try their luck in the Congress camp if the DGP was not removed!
Trawler travails
It was supposed to be the Coast Guard8217;s 15 minutes of fame: hours after the Coast Guard8217;s patrol vessel Vigraha sailed into Murmagao port with four Pakistani trawlers in tow, the press was called infor a celebration.
Unfortunately for the local bosses the Mumbai edition of The Indian Express had already scooped the story while the patrol team was at sea. It was only when they were politely told that the story was leaked by the Mumbai Coast Guard was the local team pacified.
Of course the Goa boys tried to get even with their colleagues. The trawlers8217; only consignment was Piscean, they emphasised, belittling an ISI angle to the fishy tale.
Wakeful Sleep
Tourist bus operators on the Mumbai-Goa run keep coming up with new gimmick to prevent losing passengers to the Konkan Railway. While some of them offer free mineral water bottles others promise to halt at good restaurant on the way.
But what seems to be catching on are the sleeper coaches which claim to let passengers have a good night8217;s sleep. It doesn8217;t work as the buses offer double beds with insufficient room for two.
Recently a local passenger who had to share sleeping space with a very drunk companion was contemplating takingthe bus operators to court!
Tailpiece
Last week Goa8217;s bureaucrats thought of enforcing the law on motor-cyclists who refuse to wear helmets. They were stopped by none other than Transport Minister Somnath Zuwarkar. He told all and sundry that the medical fraternity was still divided over the safety of the helmets. And the matter rests at that.
SHIV KUMAR
