Dry days and liquor prohibition
It is a given that under the Model Code of Conduct, dry days are announced in a State where Panchayat, Zilla Panchayat, State assembly and general elections are to be held. Selling and serving of liquors are banned for 2-3 days, before and on election day and on the day of counting of votes. This precautionary step is taken by the government to decrease and/or stop incidents of bribing the voters and possible law and order problems under the pretext of intoxication. But the days preceding the elections/counting, inter and intra-State smuggling of liquor occur since good money is made by anti-social elements, and during the dry days liquor is sold on the sly at premium prices.
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Liquor prohibition in States is a failed exercise. For example, it was in force in Maharashtra, off and on in Tamil Nadu and in Andhra Pradesh and this made people to flock to the nearest watering holes like Puducherry and Goa. Presently Bihar observes prohibition while in Gujarat it is in place since decades.
Dry days and prohibition in States help a certain category of people (moonshiners, black sheep in law enforcement agencies and political parties, carriers, agents etc) who make a roaring profit. People yearn and are tempted when some things are banned whether books, movies, liquor and so forth, leading to misconducts and abuse of the laws. Let the governments take a cheerful decision to do away with dry days and prohibition as these seem to encourage hoarding, black-marketing, corruption, loss of lives and, let us admit it, an immense loss of revenue to the States.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Traffic rules are for
everyone’s safety
This has reference to the report ‘When the flag of Road safety was not flown’ (Herald August 16, 2022). A sad scenario that! At a time when we are celebrating our freedom from foreign rule, we seem to be giving up our freedom to death, waiting to engulf us in case we falter.
Unarguably, traffic rules are meant for the safety of all. If is therefore sad to note that all caution was thrown to the winds at the two-wheeler Independence Day rally, when the helmets went missing from the biker’s heads. Without wading into controversy, one wonders whether it is ok for bikers to ride without helmets in future. We all surely love our freedom, but are we looking for freedom from life itself? Need one say more?
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
What was the hapless infant’s crime?
The news report, ‘Sirsaim wakes up to 5-month-old baby’s murder by her parents’ (Herald 15-08-2022).
India is celebrating 75th Independence Day. It is saddening to note that young children – just recently born in this case – are still unsafe from the clutches of their own parents.
What kind of parents commit such a heinous crime? Are they mentally unstable? How can they use latni as a murder weapon to do away with the beautiful child that has not even opened eyes properly? What was that unfortunate child’s crime?
Mind boggles. What will the police do? What will the judge do? Sentence them to life imprisonment? What purpose will it serve? Humanity just died a horrible death. Rest in peace.
Gafaar Shaqoor, Margao
Panch should work for good of village
Every panch/sarpanch must be dedicated and honestly work for the betterment of the village. As a responsible person, they must volunteerly undertake any task no matter how big or small. They should be reliable candidates who should try to complete their work promptly ensuring that citizens do not experience agony and hardship. Any sanction that is made for the village by the government should not be misused through fraudulent and deceitful activities.
Working for the people must be the uttermost duty of the panch/sarpanch and not a burden to them as whoever steps foward to contest must be truly be devoted to sacrifice their life and sincerely work to bolster the welfare of the society until the end of their tenure. Various activities must be taken up by the Panchayat bodies such as pruning the trees or unwanted weeds and grass on the either sides of the road. Making sure the drains are cleaned before the rains as it should not result in flooding, keeping the environment and market area clean, discouraging unnecessary felling of trees, and avoiding sanctioning of NOCs for mega projects should be brought to effect.
Working for the better interests of the people should be the ulterior goal of the panch. Lately, we see how candidates bribe their voters and voters are forced to vote for them.
We also see after the elections how money is lavishly spent on huge rallies or sound systems and so on just to boast in pride, resulting in illogical expenses. But if candidates would use the same amount of money for the village and moreover try to be abreast with all the new technology and infrastructure, it would be highly appreciable.
I would conclude with a quote “Empty vessels make the most noise” and if truly a person is sincere their actions will do the talking.
Roseamio Fernandes, by email
Climate change causing diseases
Climate change has exacerbated more than 200 infectious diseases and dozens of non-transmissible conditions, such as poisonous-snake bites, according to an analysis in Nature Climate Change. Climate hazards bring people and more than 200 infectious diseases closer together, leading to a rise in cases.
Global warming can also make some conditions more severe and affect how well people fight off infections. Researchers found reports of worsening non-communicable illnesses, such as asthma outbreaks caused by increased levels of plant and fungal allergens because of global warming. Those allergens are still pathogens — biological agents that cause harm to the human body. Increases in temperature and rainfall have expanded the range of mosquitoes and contributed to outbreaks of dengue fever, chikungunya and malaria. At the same time, heat-waves draw more people to water-related activities, leading to a rise in cases of waterborne illnesses, such as gastroenteritis. Storms, sea level rise and floods force people to move and have been implicated in outbreaks of cholera and typhoid fever.
Climate threats have also made some pathogens more virulent or boosted their transmission. For example, high temperatures increase the survival and biting rates of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus. Global warming has a role in Asthma outbreaks caused by increased levels of plant and fungal allergens (biological agents that cause harm to the human body). Furthermore, these hazards weaken people’s ability to cope with infections through factors such as mental stress, lowered immunity and malnutrition.
Alvarinho Luis, by email
Rushdie’s recovery, good news
It is heartening that Salman Rushdie is off the ventilator and is on the road to recovery. The Booker Prize winner sustained life-changing injuries after an assailant stabbed him at a literary event in the US.
A fatwa issued by Iran’s former Supreme Leader, late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, called for Rushdie’s killing over his portrayal of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed in his novel “The Satanic Verses”. Meanwhile, several prominent world leaders and organisations denounced the attack.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
