Illegal liquor transportation
It is learnt that a team of Excise Department officials raided a private sleeper luxury bus at Anmod check-post on Goa-Karnataka border and seized 319 litres of Goa-made liquor worth Rs. 34 lakh hidden in cartons. This incidentally is the second such seizure in 12 days of liquor being transported illegally from Goa. Karnataka Excise officials reportedly seized around 158 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) at Anmod check-post near the Goa-Karnataka border recently. The stock was concealed inside a Gujarat registered tempo. The Goa Excise Department doesn’t issue a liquor transport permit (TP) to Karnataka and Maharashtra as the excise policies of these two States do not allow it. As elections to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly are round the corner, it is obvious that there will be an increase in the smuggling activities of liquor bottles across the State border. Distribution of free liquor bottles to the electorate is usually used as a ploy to woo the voters. There is a vast price difference between the liquor bottles available in Goa compared to Karnataka. This leads to smuggling. The administration in both the States needs to step up checking for Goan liquor being illegally carried to Belagavi and other areas. As the election date approaches, one can anticipate an increase in illegal transportation of liquor from across the border, due to which it is necessary to maintain alert 24×7.
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Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Curb the hands of
anti-India forces
The government should curb extremism; action should not be delayed against people like pro-Khalistan extremist leader Amritpal Singh Sandhu who are playing in the hands of anti-India forces. The delay in taking action against him was sending the wrong message among the people. When there is a threat to internal security, it is necessary for the Centre and the States to act together. It is also no secret that such elements exist outside the country as well. They are not only in countries like Canada, Australia, Britain etc., they are also in Pakistan. While the Government of India will have to see how these elements are reined in. The question is about Amritpal’s rise as the new poster boy for radical ideology in Punjab. There seem to be organised forces behind him who have an eye on the radical space. And what seemed the protests at Indian Consulates across countries like US, Canada, UK and Australia were marred with acts of violence and vandalism.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Are Israelis
anti-nationals?
The people of Israel who identify themselves strongly with their country’s patriotism, did not hesitate a bit to protest, demonstrate and resort to strikes by many of the public and private sector units, ministries and business organisations. They even went a step further by closing down embassies across the world unless their government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relents in his contentious plans to overhaul the judiciary and desists to grant the parliament power to pass legislations to enact and pass laws which earlier could be ruled as invalid by the Israeli Supreme Court.
Strong public struggles and massive street protests had been going on for quite some time with the active participation of the old, young, even children. Citizens of every walk of life came out on the streets to show their anger and disapproval of the government’s evil intentions to crush the powers of judiciary and ensure the supremacy of the parliament to quash the judgements even of the Supreme Court.
The question that comes to our minds is: under the circumstances of those Israeli citizens actively protesting against the government decision to overhaul the judiciary and limit its authority over the parliament, can their actions be termed as anti-national?
Nevertheless Israelis are of the firm belief that only an independent judiciary and the Supreme Court are the true protectors of democracy.
Antonio Diniz, Fatorda
Where is Jan Lok Pal?
In 2012 and 2013 there was a huge movement all over India and that movement which was led by none other than Anna Hazare was known as India Against Corruption. Anna Hazare was not alone. He was assisted by leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Kumar Vishwas, Prashant Bhushan, etc. This India Against Corruption movement was supposed to be a fight against corruption all over India which was ruled by the UPA government at that time. Their loud demand was to institute Jan Lok Pal to punish all those who are involved in the game of corruption. As a result in 2014 UPA government was dethroned and BJP government came to power and simultaneously to everyone’s surprise all the leading leaders of India Against Corruption movement dispersed and disappeared. Kiran joined BJP, fought election on BJP ticket and lost very badly. In return she was made a Governor of one of the States. Arvind Kejriwal left and formed his own political party called Aam Aadmi Party. Kumar Vishwas and Prashant Bhushan just disappeared.
Anna Hazare suddenly felt that he was old and retired and others went wherever they wanted to go. What was the outcome of that movement, only to pull down the UPA government? Was Jan Lok Pal instituted? If so, how many corrupt Indians were caught and arrested? Can anyone answer?
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Secure tourism
That tourism is a key sector for boosting a country’s economy would be an understatement. Tourism has liberally contributed to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), nearly six per cent, and the sector is also a large avenue for employment in India with as much as 25 million workers earning their livelihood. In a country as diverse as India, it is indeed a laborious task for the government to keep tourist places safe which is why the role of citizens in cooperating with the authorities in securing key tourist places is so vital. Sadly, some exquisite tourist centres are a far cry from what they were at a point in time. A recent incident in the world famous Goa, where a tourist family was badly beaten up, reportedly by locals, is a scar on the lovely place.
Antemortem and postmortem of the attack will go on, and the police are seized of the matter. But it is incumbent upon the governments in India to initiate urgent measures to prevent the Goa-type of incident elsewhere. A correct study of every hotel employee’s antecedents is a must, and this should periodically be reviewed. Some sort of robust protection in and around the hotels and resorts should be ensured by the property owners, and they should report to the police. Helpline numbers should be accessible, transparent and responsive. It’s easy to say that no one must take law into their own hands, but extreme provocations may push even a normal person into committing something unimaginable.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Are marriages
made in heaven?
Marriage is one of the most important social institutions, and is recommended to all. Having children in wedlock brings fresh perspective and an increased sense of meaning into our lives. Marriages are made in heaven and successful marriages are about compromising and being not rigid but flexible. Today, sadly the institution called marriage is failing for trivial reasons as the main reason is ego has taken over any flexibility in the materialistic world. Marriages in this materialistic world are about compatibility and not adjustment. It should be about respecting each other’s differences and finding points of convergence. There are many married couples whom I know are different as chalk and cheese but still happy to be together for four decades and also have one or two children. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that marriage as a social institution survives in a robotic era in future.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
