This incident I am quoting here happened somewhere in 1970-71, if I am not mistaken. It happened in my village Candolim at Dr. Gustavo Monteiro Foot-ball ground during the inter-village football final between Saligao and the host Candolim. I was one of the players playing for Candolm as captain of the team. The situation on the ground was fluid, the spectators in bigger number were favouring the Saligao team to win. Suddenly there was an altercation between two players of each team that resulted in exchange of wrestlers blows between both the players, one Mr. Damu of Saligao and the other Lopes from Candolim. Within a split of a second, the crowd from all sides invaded the ground and one could only hear the sound of blows. The chief guest of the day was the then Law Minister of Dayananda Bandodcar, Shri Prataphsing Raoji Rane the father of the current Health Minister of Goa, Shri Biswajit Rane who I am sure was not even born then.
Sr. Rane while seated in the VIP Gallery, got up and spoke in his normal Hitlerian tone telling the people to stop fighting. Punaji Achrekar the then MLA of Saligao was accompanying Sr. Rane but favouring the existing commotion on the ground with his silent nod to the rowdies to carry on with the commotion because Candolim were winning the final. Then there were answers from the public to Rane to be silent because “you know nothing of football”. For this, Rane lost his temper and came out along with Achrekar and others from the host side escorting him, in the middle of the ground and started shouting like a "Bebdo" thus “Aum tumkam bienare, tumche sarkille anvem kitlech polleleat, aum student astana anv khusti khelpi ani anvuim zogddonk zanna”. Hearing this undiplomatic tone and text containing nothing but “abuzad”, the people started abusing Rane with filthy words even directing against his non-Goan wife. This type of rough language with raised voice did not suit the Minister, instead he should have used a soft tone with soft language to pacify the crowd who felt hurt by the wrong decision of the referee leading to this end.
In the same manner, in Margao at Hospicio Hospital Biswajit Rane also acted like his father earlier leading to the two ladies to lose their temper because they were hurt by the security. The Jr. Rane was acting like a Hitler with his high tone and Hitlerian words like “You shut up”, “you don’t talk”. As a Minister he should have cool down his temparement and taken both the ladies in a nice and civilized manner to any office inside and sorted out the differences but surely not the way he acted. He acted thus because he is a kid meant to play “goddeancho khell”. Good that neither of the ladies slap on his face. Because of his father he got political platform ready made and ministership without maturity, wisdom and required medical education to hold the Health Ministry. This leads to the mockery of his job. He will never be able to bring in changes there but will succeed in looting the public exchequer like others and if given a chance he will promote and practice NARVENKARISM. These today’s “Kalche porche potte” while as Romeos are become MLA’s and ministers and ultimately what good one can expect from such kids? It is a shame for the voters from Valpoi to have such a "gorvam rakhnno type boy" as their representative who in the coming election must be voted out to teach him a very good lesson.
A.Veronica Fernandes.