camilpark

  “Come in..!” was the reply when I knocked at the semi-open entrance of his residence. As I entered, I saw  Bishop  Valerian D'Souza sitting on a chair impeccably dressed as was his wont – with a a felt cap, legs with socks on placed on a small stool and with a rosary in his hand.  “Oh Camil..!” was his response in his deep voice when I stood before him. I had kissed his prel ate's ring when I had first met him as a reporter of The Indian Express 30 years ago and again when I interviewed him for Sakal Times when turned 80 in 2013. Over the years, I had developed a close bond with  Bishop  Valerian. But when I called on him February 6 evening, little did I realise that this would be our final meeting or that I would be one of his last 'courtesy call' visitors. Originally hailed from Parra village near Porvorim in Goa,  bishop  Valerian was born in Pune and studied in St. Vincent School where he was a footballer. When Fr. Valerian was appoint...

सिंगिंग बिशप व्हॅलेरियन डिसोझा ” कम इन...! ” मी त्या अर्धवट खुला असलेल्या ग्रिलच्या दरवाज्यावर खटखटकले तसे हे उत्तर आले. दरवाजा खोलून मी आत गेलो तेव्हा आपल्या खुर्वीवर निवृत्त बिशप व्हॅलेरियन डिसोझा बसले होते. हा दिवस होता अगदी अलिकडचा म्हणजे 6 फेब्रुवारी 2020 चा. बिशप आपल्या नेहेमीच्या सवयीनुसार अगदी टापटिप पोशाखात होते. शर्ट, त्यावर जाकिट, डोक्यावर कॅप, मोजे घातलेले दोन्ही पाय एका छोट्याशा स्टुलावर ठेवून बसलेल्या बिशपांच्या एका हातात रोझरीची माळ होती. बिशप व्हॅलेरियन हे भारतीय कॅथोलिक बिशपांच्या जुन्या पिढीतील मात्र आधुनिक जगाच्या तंत्रज्ञानाशी पूर्ण जूळवून घेतेलेले ख्रिस्तमंडळाचे शेवटचे धर्माधिकारी होते. ”ओ, कामिल..!” मला पाहताच ते म्हणाले. प्रत्येक भेटीत मी भेटल्यावर त्यांनी मला अशी नावाने हाक मारली कि मी सुखावत असे. कारण गेली तीस वर्षे ते मला ओळखत असले तरी आमची भेट काही वर्षांच्या अंतराने होत असे आणि त्यामुळे प्रत्येक वेळी ते मला ओळखतील कि नाही याची मला शंका वाटायची. बिशपांचा आता नव्वदीच्या दिशेने वाटचाल चालू असली तरी अजूनही त्यांची स्मरणशक्ती अगदी तल्लख होती. पुण्यात...

Civic poll results exposing BJP’s weakness in rural Maharashtra Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE |  Thursday, 21 April 2016 AT 03:03 PM IST       blog ,  civic poll ,  poll result ,  BJP ,  Nagar panchayats ,  Zilla Parishad ,  Panchayat samitis ,  Maharashtra , Camil Parkhe In the recently concluded elections to the newly formed local self government civic bodies (Nagar Panchayats) in Maharashtra, the Congress has emerged as the leading party, the NCP and Shiv Sena have won equal seats while BJP was relegated to the last- fourth place. The number of the Nagar Panchayats in the state which went to the polls was very minuscule, only six and there were also bypolls to a few municipal corporations, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis. Nonetheless, the poll verdict needs to be taken seriously by all political parties in the state as they are indication of the people’s opinion about these parties. The six Nagar Panchayats...