Hypocrites in Politics

Eye Spy toppers in their category
(Reproduced from Gomantak Times uncensored)

1) Aim like the Alemaos
Having tried unsuccessfully to launch a political party the Alemao brothers are back (yes, I club them together because they work together even opposing each other) this time trying to become president of the GFA (Goa Football Association.) But before I kick-off there's some background you must know to understand the game. Since 1974 there has been no real GFA election. From 1977 big clubs like Sesa Goa and Dempo began getting proxy voting authorization letters from the smaller clubs. The other two biggies Salgaocar and Vasco simply played along. Later newcomers MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) and their successors Churchill Brothers joined in the games. In other words the voting process was undemocratic. So was everything else.

Remember Churchill was used to break the MRF workers' strike and rewarded with MRF buying Varca SC. It happened because MRF could influence GFA into allowing Varca to be reincarnated as MRF Soccer Foundation –the proviso being Varca rightly had to be fully disbanded. But this is GFA and so a couple of years later Varca was again allowed on the field because for the Alemaos it was a 'collection center' for the club's Carnival dances.' Varca mind you is distinctly different from the Churchill Brothers football team that was born after MRF pulled the plug on football and scratched the team. Since a football is spherical what goes around also comes around in the GFA.

Between the eighties and the mid-nineties, the smaller clubs gave up their fight for election posts, their representatives mostly staying away from the elections. Those who dared were coerced or arm-twisted into withdrawing their nominations. These strange ways continued till finally Vilas Sardessai was challenged in the mid-nineties. Officially however men owing allegiance to the big clubs continued to make up part of the committee in the name of the smaller clubs.

Enter, Alberto Colaco the current paid secretary of the All India Football Federation in Delhi. He ruled GFA like a personal fiefdom, fielding his own cronies to various posts of the GFA -all officially representing different small clubs, but de facto owing allegiance to him. Alberto simultaneously grew close to the Alemaos, their friendship evolving into a political-sporting allegiance as Alberto progressed to the AIFF, and automatically became a confidante of Priya Ranjan Das Munshi in AIFF's headquarters.

Alberto ensured no GFA elections were held and his or in some cases certain compromised panels came through elected unopposed. Problem was in 1999 Alberto could not continue as secretary having completed two terms and so his choice of a yes-man fell on the shoulders of Agnelo Alcacoas the then Velsao sarpanch, who however soon turned against his godfather. The final break came when Alcacoas issued a VVIP pass to Micky Pacheco enabling him to sit alongside archenemies the Alemaos in the Fatorda stadium VVIP box. This as you should know is just not supposed to happen.

Alberto strived hard to get Alcacoas dismissed on various counts. To do this however the story had to be made public, arousing the ire of the smaller clubs who stayed quiet all these years. To make matters worse in its final resolution the general body of the GFA not only sacked Alcacoas, they dismissed the entire executive committee that included Joaquim and Alberto himself. However Alberto managed to re-phrase the decision to 'dissolution' instead of 'dismissal' to save Joaquim and himself being barred from contesting future GFA elections as the GFA constitution provides for dissolution not dismissal.

By then Micky became a minister and dared to contest the GFA elections. But once again, a 1977-type conclave of big clubs took place in 2003 to deprive Micky and his support from small clubs of a fair contest. Micky as only he can do made things worse by trying to browbeat the GFA using the SAG, and then going to court where he lost. Alberto was again the leader behind the unification of the big clubs.

These developments since 2003 however have opened a can of worms and brings me back to the present day because Joaquim is hellbent on regaining the prestigious GFA president's post that will automatically bring him close to Das Munshi. On the other hand his benefactor Alberto wants to regain control of the GFA by proxy, having been let down by Alcacoas and then having to be engaged in a running fight with the present hon. secretary Savio Messias that is often aired in the media.

2) Boot’s on the wrong foot
The man lost the elections for the GFA executive committee but still said he won. Never mind that, you know it all by now. What was not reported was that at the Friday July 13, 2007 (was that ominous or what?) Mapusa dinner meet exclusively for Bardez clubs he told members without pretence they could vote for anybody they wanted for the executive committee but for the presidency they must vote for him.
What Joaquim Alemao does not know now is where to get the Rs50,000 assistance package he promised village clubs as the carrot for their votes. Because there are 170 clubs in Goa eight of which are professional clubs he promised a special package, which makes it 162 clubs left of which about five are institutional clubs like the Police etc.

That makes it 157 village clubs who now expect to get a whopping Rs.78,50,000. Look at it like Joaquim's first yellow card. Now where is he going to get that kind of dough? Not from the government or from Sports Authority of Goa (which is the same thing really) and in any case not from SAG because that portfolio has been retained by Digambar Kamat. So, there you are one more Alemao was made to bite the dust.

And bite he will because the new executive committee is determined from Day 1 to put him in his place with a strategy that included postponing the very first executive body meeting from July 16, 2006 which Joaquim ordered to July 20 just so to show who's boss. His second yellow card! Keep reading this column for the red card.

Remember it was ES that first exposed Joaquim's machinations that he subsequently officially denied and which actually led to both the passive and active English media at least working around what I first exposed and continued on the sports pages. Why keep reading? Because GFA certainly does not want either his pre-election promise of a stadium or his post-election altered desire to lay an all-weather turf at the open Campal stadium; instead GFA wants a simple 5000-seater stadium built on Campal's parade ground to revive Panjim's dying football culture and small club interest. It also says the cheaper and more practical option is to simply rebuild the Campal stadium that Parrikar demolished because of International Film Festival of India. GFA wants its own stadium because SAG controls at its whim all village playgrounds and is distinctly pro-cricket when it comes to the Fatorda stadium.

ES also has it that the GFA election was turned into a political circus. Thus Dr. Rufino Monteiro's campaign was discreetly accused of being BJP supported because he lent his name to the controversial doctors' pro-BJP support campaign in the Assembly elections though the BJP actually has little football in its political arsenal. Thus while some BJP MLAs who could, helped him; all the Congress MLAs supported Joaquim. For example all three St. Andre's clubs Sridao, Goa Velha and Agacaim supported the Congress.

3) Hardly Shanti
Shanti Almeida is a woman you don't want to mess with despite her name. Ask Vishwajit Rane. This resident of Sagar Housing Colony and central government employee mind you, is opposing VRs illegal encroachment on government land he claims. VRs new firm is called Meridien Real Estate. What you don't know is the bungalow, he is expanding was once owned by a Mapusa lad who owed Babush money.

Borrowing from B means principle plus accruing interest equals you lose your land because Bs recovery methods are a bit like Citibank's. He takes your keys and you take a hike. Next B sells to VR the single level bungalow that VR turns into an emblematic Dona Paula monstrosity. I digress. VR, almost a minister without portfolio, ensures the Talathi under Dy. Collector Agnel Fernandes hides her complaint file in a steel cupboard despite the fact he was ordered to make a site inspection on February 2, 2007. The only government official who made an appearance there for investigation is Jennifer Monserrate, who had the temerity to ask SA "now what do you want?" Was it money she hinted at? Did I say government official? I did actually, that makes it twice already. VR also got three water connections from his single water meter that is why he never hires water tankers.

And it goes on
The last South Goa LS poll cost the taxpayer nearly Rs3 cr. This one (2007) cost Rs4 cr. Churchill Alemao in other words is squeezing you in more ways than one.