log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 135 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 Shah Rukh Khan turns 60, celebrating his iconic journey from Delhi dreamer to Bollywood’s comeback king The cult of ‘busy’ Decode your laziness SPORTS »PAGE 7 Gyokeres, Rice score as leader Arsenal beats Burnley How to stay calm in turbulent times Life lessons parents should teach children Super Cup: FC Goa fall short as NorthEast finish on a high ‘I am the last of the stars’ >> SEE PG 2 CROP LOSSES: CLIMATE CHANGE HITS HARD MAGAZINE MAGAZ Women of different faiths uphold Tulsi Vivah traditions in Goa When religion crosses the line: Hidden crisis of spiritual abuse Unseen Assagao: Brewing a new chapter of ‘Coffee Culture’ in Goa When a minister dies: The Constitutional silence on executive continuity 09 11 Is ‘busyness’ becoming a badge of honour and exhaustion the proof of our worth? Explore the five hidden causes of laziness and learn practical ways to overcome them FARMERS FACE FLOOD OF CROP DAMAGE 690 Bicholim ryots affected, 200 hectares of paddy fields initial loss pegged at `2 cr damaged in Pernem taluka THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK BICHOLIM Stating that 380 hectares of fields have been damaged and 690 farmers have suffered losses in Bicholim taluka, Director of Agriculture Sandeep Phaldesai has said the initial loss is estimated to be around Rs 2 crore. Phaldesai was speaking to media persons on Saturday after he had accompanied Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye and other officers to assess the losses to paddy crops on account of heavy unseasonal rains. There has been extensive damage to paddy fields across Bicholim taluka, including Sal, Mencurem, Dhumashe and Mulgao in Bicholim constituency. Assuring that agriculture officers will visit all affected areas and prepare documents for compensation to the affected farmers, Dr Shetye said authorities are working to provide relief to the affected farmers, who have been struggling due to the loss of crops. Phaldesai said as per the government’s policy, affected farmers will PERNEM An estimated 200 hectares of paddy fields in Pernem taluka have been damaged by unseasonal rains in October and efforts are on to assess the losses in order to provide compensation to the affected farmers. Fields have been damaged in different parts of Pernem taluka, with the maximum number of affected fields located in Mandrem, Torsem and Morjim. According to the Pernem Zonal Agriculture Office, the ZAO teams have, so far, inspected 160 hectares of damaged crops and have collected information from the affected farmers. The ZAO has also received applications for compensation from 120 affected farmers. Even though ZAO teams have been making assurances of compensation after visiting the affected paddy fields and inspecting the damaged crops, many farmers are unconvinced that they will either receive adequate compensation, or on time. While some farmers claimed that they have not received Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye and Director of Agriculture Sandeep Phal Desai inspect the damaged paddy fields in Sal-Bicholim. be provided immediate assistance of Rs 40,000 per hectare. “We have planned to complete all the procedures at the earliest and we hope to provide assistance to all farmers by December,” said Phaldesai. However, Meghshyam Raut, a farmer from Sal, has appealed for higher assistance of Rs 80,000 per hectare due to the huge loss suffered by the farmers. Others accompanying Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye and director of agriculture included Agriculture Officer Neelima Gawas, Navnath Pissurlekar, and other officials, as well as a group of farmers and panchayat members. IN SHORT >> Valvanti river floods low-lying areas HE FINAL T BICHOLIM: The Valvanti River began to overflow and a number of low-lying areas in Sanquelim were inundated on Saturday morning, after heavy rains and rising water levels prompted authorities to open all four gates of the Anjunem dam. Residents became alarmed as water entered many low-lying areas.  >> See pg 5 Goa’s October GST collections dip PANAJI: Goa’s Goods and Services Tax collections for October 2025 registered a significant dip of three percent against the collections in the same month last year.  >> See pg 5 ROAD TO WORLD CUP INDIA PANAJI: After districts like Mumbai and Sangli, Solapur has now emerged as a new source point from where young women are being allegedly trafficked to Goa for commercial sexual exploitation. A study by NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi stated that a persistent and organised trafficking route between Solapur and Goa has come to the fore.  >> See pg 3 LAURA VS RENUKA & KRANTI BATTLES DEEPTI VS NADINE & MLABA TO WATCH OUT FOR MANDHANA VS KAPP Beat Sri Lanka Crushed Pakistan Lost to South Africa Lost to Australia JEMIMAH VS MLABA Lost to England Crushed New Zealand Bangladesh match abandoned Stunned Australia `125 SOUTH AFRICA Solapur new hub for CSE, reveals study History beckons as India and South Africa get ready to face each other in the final of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday Lost to England Won against New Zealand Edged out India Defeated Bangladesh Won against Sri Lanka Demolished Pakistan Lost to Australia Defeated England MATCH STARTS AT 3 PM IST CRORE CASH WINDFALL LIKELY BCCI is likely to reward the squad with same amount -- Rs 125 crores -- that was given to the Rohit Sharma-led team after winning the T20 World Cup in the Americas last year ALL EYES ON JEMIMAH Jemimah Rodrigues, the new linchpin at No. 3, has become a formidable presence, with her recent heroics elevating expectations to the level usually reserved for India’s male cricketing icons >> REPORT ON PG 8 TRAGEDY STRIKES ANDHRA TEMPLE, 9 PILGRIMS DEAD IN STAMPEDE 1 At least nine people -- eight women and a boy -- were killed and many others injured at a stampede which occurred at Venkateswara Swamy temple, a private one and not under the Endowments Department, in Srikakulam district on Saturday. The temple usually witnesses a turnout of 1,500 to 2,000 devotees every Saturday but the tragedy worsened by the Ekadasi observance coinciding with ‘’Karthika Masam’’, drawing large crowds. The incident occurred as the temple is located at an elevation on the first floor, and when the devotees were climbing, the railing broke, resulting in the people standing at a corner falling on one another. The approach to the temple was narrow, with only a single entry and exit point, which led to a buildup of devotees on both sides. 2 3 >>See pg 6 Apa Shetgaonkar shows the destroyed paddy crop at his field in Morjim.  Nivrutti Shirodkar compensation for the losses they had suffered last year, others insist that the compensation provided to farmers is not sufficient to cover their losses. Pernem has large tracts of paddy fields across the taluka and while there have been places when land has been left fallow, some progressive farmers have been experimenting with different methods of cultivating paddy. However, the heavy unseasonal rains this year have severely affected a large number of farmers in the taluka. Pre-test for Phase-I digital census commences in Goa ENUMERATORS BEGIN VISITS TO GUIDE CITIZENS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The pre-test for the first phase of the Population Census 2027 has begun with Goa joining the nationwide exercise to assess the efficacy of the digital self-enumeration system. Enumerators in select pockets have commenced visits from Saturday to guide citizens in filling household details on the dedicated online platform. Two locations – Corgao village in Pernem and Ward 16 of Margao Municipal area – have been identified for the week-long self-enumeration module from November 1 to 7. Residents in these areas can update their own details by logging on to test.census.gov. in/se. This will be India’s first fully digital Census and also the first decennial Census to be conducted since Independence. Officials said that the self-enumeration website and the mobile application developed for the Houselisting and Housing Census phase are KEY FEATURES OF CENSUS „„Online self-enumeration „„Data collection via mobile applications „„Geo-referenced digital mapping for precise location tracking „„AI-enabled data processing „„Digital monitoring systems for field operations currently being tested and will not be widely publicised until field conditions, access and useability are evaluated. During the pre-test, households will be required to answer around 30 questions covering building and house numbers, construction material, head of household details, number of residents, access to drinking water, lighting, toilets, fuels for cooking, and ownership of devices and vehicles, among others. Information on the main cereal consumed and the mobile „„Caste enumeration of all household members number will also be recorded. Ahead of the exercise, the State government designated the North and South Goa Collectors as Principal Census Officers. The Directorate of Census Operations (DCO) deployed 27 teachers and government servants as enumerators and supervisors for the exercise. “The pre-test will take place in two parts. Between November 1 and 7, enumerators will share portal access details >Continued on P6 St Inez sees rare spiritual overlap of All Souls’ Day & Tulsi Vivah rituals VEDA RAUT THE GOAN I PANAJI I n Goa, where the rhythm of life flows between church bells and temple chants, faith has always found a way to coexist. This year, that shared rhythm finds a remarkable echo as All Souls’ Day and Tulsi Vivah fall on the same date, November 2. At dawn, Catholic families across Goa will make their way to cemeteries, candles in hand, to pray for their departed loved ones. By dusk, Hindu homes will light up with diyas, flowers, and music to mark the sacred union of Tulsi and Vishnu, a symbolic wedding between the divine and the human. And right in the heart of Panaji, in St Inez, this harmony is not just symbolic. It is visible, tangible, and centuries old. Outside the St Agnes Church Cemetery stands an ancient Tulsi Vrindavan, believed to date back to the Kadamba period. It is a quiet witness to time and perhaps the most eloquent monument to how Goa’s faiths have long shared both space and spirit. For locals like Santosh Borkar, who runs the wellknown Café Borkar near the cemetery, this connection is not new; it is part of life. “We live together in harmony,” says Borkar, smiling as he recalls past celebrations. “When WHEN FAITHS CONVERGE: A grave decorated with flowers and candles on the eve of All Souls’ Day at St Agnes cemetery on Saturday. (Right) An ancient Tulsi Vrindavan outside the cemetery.  Narayan Pissurlenkar they have their All Souls’ observance, we wait. After that, we conduct our Tulsi wedding (Tulshiche Lagin). This has been happening for more than a hundred years.” Each year, residents from nearby homes and shops, including Mayenkar General Stores and Bar Pinto, gather by the old Tulsi plant after the church ceremonies are done. There is no division, no conflict, just a shared sense of belonging. “We do things properly from there,” Borkar adds. “There are no differences between Hindus and others. Everyone respects each other’s faith.” In St Inez, the cemetery and the courtyard are not seen as opposing spaces. They are simply parts of the same neighbourhood, stitched together by memory and habit. Historian and heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande has spent decades studying Goa’s layered past, and the Tulsi Vrindavan of St Inez remains one of his favourite examples of what he calls living harmony. “It’s a beautiful monument,” he says. “It has carved faces on it; no one really knows whose. There are many theories, but we are certain it belonged to a temple that once stood in this area during the Kadamba era.” He recalls the fascinating discovery. “An archaeologist told me that while digging a grave in the year 1967, workers found this stone structure. Instead of discarding it, they placed it outside the cemetery. That’s how it has remained, part of the church precinct, but also revered by Hindus.” Over the years, the Vrin- davan has survived urban growth, road expansion, and even the Smart City project. When construction debris once threatened to damage it, the community stepped in. “We protested. The media supported it. And the monument was saved,” says Sakhardande. “That shows you how much people value it, not just as heritage, but as a shared symbol of respect.” He gestures to the city’s geography to make a larger point. “If you walk down Dada Vaidya Road, you’ll find the Mahalakshmi Temple, then a mosque a few metres away, and right opposite that, >Continued on P6