TitBits-020 (Comments on 18 Nov. Editorials)

========================================================================
Goa's phone numbers change from Nov 10, 2002. Prefix old number with a 2. New 
numbers will be seven-digit 2XXXXXX (where XXXXXX is the old number).
========================================================================

TitBits-020

And "TitBits" having crossed the 19th. mark which equals the earlier Tits &
Bits , liked by some,  and,  considered  offensive  by others. With its
20th. mark,  the  'TitBits'  is now free to take its own  Sweet & Sour
course.

And  today's editorials of our main English dailies, are,  as usual,  very
hard hitting,   which makes the Goa's  4th. Estate what it actually has to
be, despite what our Union I&B Minister  Ms Sushma Swaraj may think, or,
perhaps prefer  clamping down the Indira Gandhi type " Emergency Censorship"
to see that all the sins of omissions and commissions of her  BJP government
don't become public. She has a point there too. The fourth estate should use
its discretion in reporting at least the name calling of the Prime Minister
by the VHP bigwigs. What do they mean by insulting him by calling him a
"Poet?"

And whereas, the Herald editorial has given us a true insight of the meaning
of the  two legged "rats"  both political and bureaucratic who, of late, are
given to indulging in gobbling up huge amounts of grain meant for public
distribution. How can anyone blame them when there is nothing left to eat
elsewhere, specially at the Secretariat? What little is left to eat in terms
of money, this Shanna Manohar Parrikar is sitting on it like an aggressive
'roost hen' or should I say  "the  dog in the manger?"

The Navhind Times has said the right things at the right time about Mr.
Ramesh Chennithala, who is back in Goa for a possible refill of the election
time booty, which, they say,  has, up to now, kept him busy shuttling, not
between the many states of the Union but between New Delhi and the Gulf
states. The message to Sonia from Arun Sinha with love, that she must first
sack Ramesh Chennithala before looking for patching of relations  leading to
unity within the Goa Congress flock, is much appreciated. He should have
advised her to  send the entire flock to the slaughter house and start
afresh.  True what he says, that Congress men and women  should decide first
if they are fighting communalism or pulling each other down  to keep
themselves afloat. And, in the days when all our vegetables are imported
from Belgaum and elsewhere outside Goa, cabbage is the only vegetable which
can be peeled and re-peeled to come to a core which is relatively safe from
the abundance of DDT which, I hear,  is being used by farmers  there,
indiscriminately. However, Manohar Parrikar has seen to it that the basket
full of Goa Congress cabbages have been peeled to the extent that there is
nothing left of them to be called cabbages anymore,  and may even resemble
tennis balls to be dispatched for aces with grace. What a pity! indeed!

And the Gomantak Times for its share has condemned the VHP for being the
bane of the otherwise peace loving, industrious   Gujarathis. However, do I
detect a slight soft corner for Narendra Modi here?. If at all Narendra Modi
is complying with the EC directives, it is because he has been quietly
advised by his mentor Advani to take it easy and behave like how he has been
commanded to  by the iron man Lyngdoh, enough for Modi to realize  that his
bullshit has hit the ultimate high and it is now ready to come down on his
head like a ton of bricks. For her part, Sonia is again seen to be going
'on' and  'off'  like  a light bulb, as far as the seculars joining-up to go
for the BJP kill in Gujarat is concerned. Hope she does not repeat the Goa
scene in Gujarat, again,  in believing the likes of Chennithalas  that
Congress could perhaps go it alone. She must realize that at the moment her
'Congress' is a 'one winged chicken'. No matter how much it flaps its
solitary wing, it is not going to fly. And it is paramount that the BJP in
Gujarat must be soundly thrashed at the doorstep. This is only possible if
the seculars put their heads together and give a quality fight without
seeing dreams for themselves. Booting out BJP and clipping the fast growing
wings of the VHP will be the prize worth in diamonds and gold for all
seculars to share in times to come, and  at the same time sending a crystal
clear signal to the communal vipers that it is time for them to take their
religious bullshit and run.

Cheers
Floriano.



----------------------------------------------------------
What's On In Goa (WOIG): 
Nov 06 Children's book exhibn opens, Walkabout, Anjuna... (all weekdays)
Nov 06 ArtHouse, Calangute: Chaitali's acrylics on canvas till 19.11
Nov 07 Revision of electoral rolls (till Nov 30) See schedule.
Dec 01 Two day conference, Goa Agenda. IT For Society. (Ends 2.12) 
Every Sunday: Music therapy sessions at Moira, 5 pm. 278, N.Portugal

----------------------------------------------------------