Jack Sequeira Greenfield Airport
It is heartening to note that citizens are demanding for Mopa Airport to be named after Jack Sequeira because if Goa is a separate State today then the credit goes to the Father of the Opinion Poll, Jack Sequeira who along with other Goan leaders fought against the merger of our State into Maharashtra.
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If everyone is enjoying the benefits of statehood today is because of the sacrifice and efforts of true Goan heroes like him! The word ‘Greenfield’ must be retained in the name to remind us that at one time it was a vast lush-green plateau, full of shrubs and trees with the goat and cattle herding community of Dhangars who used to live there for generations. But if the authorities still think otherwise, then at least why not install a statue of late Jack Sequeira in the State Assembly Secretariat Complex?
In the past we have witnessed how vast tracts of land belonging to Goa have been sacrificed for other major projects, but what we see is that after completion they are named after some central leader or the other. If the central government is hell bent on naming the airport after national leaders then why not call it Jawaharlal Nehru Airport as it was our first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru who in 1961 liberated Goa and had also airdropped upon this plateau troops that were first welcomed into Goa by the Dhangar community who lived there!
Allwyn N D’Souza, Saliva
Name new airport after Mopa village
All lot of controversy has been kicked off in naming the new airport at Mopa. Everyone is suggesting the names of various politicians to name the airport in their honour. Sadly, who remains in the background is one upright politician who fought against the merger of Goa into Maharashtra and won the Opinion Poll in 1967 from South Goa and gave us our identity to be respected as Goons upholding our Goenkarppon and our dignity.
Had it not been for Dr Jack de Sequeira, imagine, we wouldn’t have the present day politicians in power to loot and plunder and the State Assembly at Porvorim. Politicians will come and go but Goa will remain where it is in existence. If nothing should work out in naming the new airport, let it be named after its place ‘Mopa’ like the one at Dabolim in honour and respect of the place and the people who have sacrificed their precious land for a good cause to serve the public.
Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo.
Let’s stop being emotional
There are demands from few people to name the new Mopa International Airport after some politician or the other. This would be a route into obscurity for the airport as hardly anybody beyond the borders of Goa knows these politicians. Not even the new generation of Goans.
Now that the Mopa International Airport is here to stay despite the stiff opposition, agitations and court cases it’s time we learned to live with it. Not only live with it but we have to capitalise on the opportunities offered for expansion of tourism, cargo, employment and commercial activities in North Goa.
The big hoteliers and others from the entertainment industry have already moved in that direction and it’s only a handful of those who are still resisting the idea, at least mentally. Goa as a brand is recognized across the globe for the last 50 years. We have to capitalise on the image of brand Goa if tourism has to boom in Goa.
Naming the Airports as Goa International Airport T1 (Dabolim) and Goa International Airport T2 (Mopa) would enhance the image of Goa as a tourism destination abroad as having two international airports will surely complement the image of Brand Goa.
So let’s take the commercial route and not be emotional about it. What we need is more foreign footfalls in Goa to earn the much needed foreign exchange.
Wilfred Fernandes, Vasco
Printed books preferred over e-books
Despite living in the digital age, there are some passionate and diehard habits which many of us simply cannot give up. Preferring to read a printed book over the online version is one such. There are multiple reasons for a large swathe of Indian readers always preferring hard copy of books to online reading. Psychologically, the ‘ownership’ factor could be a key reason, besides like the nice feeling you get while touching a new book, its fragrance, pleasure of turning the pages, easy portability, leisure reading – all make a physical book comfortably win over an e-book. However splendid the cover image of an e-book may look on screen, it is still an image rather than a physical thing. Another major disadvantage with an e-book is that you cannot look at more than one page at once.
In fact, a study from West Chester University of Pennsylvania reveals that students who read on iPads had lower reading comprehension than when they read traditional printed books. A good physical book is like a full course of a sumptuous meal, whereas an e-book is just fast food. Noted American novelist Harper Lee once said: “The book to read is not the one that thinks for you, but the one which makes you think.”
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Play cool and calculated cricket
India, New Zealand, England and Pakistan all fancy their chances to emerge triumphant as the four best teams to make it to the semi-finals of the T20I World Cup down under and the team that can conjure up a more professional performance in these knock-out stages will reign supreme.
In T20Is there won’t be a silly mid-off, silly mid-on, short square leg or a short fine leg to contend with like the clinching fields in a Test match. But unlike what most spectators wish for, it may not be a bang-bang affair, a cool pair of hands in adversity can steady the innings. Big hits are as important as stealing singles and converting the ones into twos and the twos into threes when the going gets tough. Merely getting off to a good start may not be enough for a team. Steadiness is what results in victory.
On the other side a combination of any of these could tilt the scales, a top-edge sailing over the wicket keeper, a lucky edge past slips racing to the fence, a straight heave just over long off or long on for a six, a sweetly timed drive past cover for a boundary, a direct throw for a run out or an overthrow, an edge to first slip, a dropped skier, a spectacular running catch, conceding a no ball or a wide in the slog overs, a steady spell of consistent bowling, a show of steely nerves to negotiate a bad situation, a smart piece of fielding or a mis-field, a dour cameo of an innings at a bad patch, a spell of fluent stroke play and a spell of disciplined bowling could all be the turning point as well as bring about a turn-around. It is as important to build an innings as it is to go for a calculated slog. An under performer could turn out to be the hero by making the much needed difference between losing and winning.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Bring home the Cup
India’s performance in the T20 World Cup has been patchy except for the emphatic win over Zimbabwe. It won two tantalisingly close games before topping the group table. Now, there are only two matches between India and the cup. There are no second chances now; the team should excel in every department of the game. What works well for India is it has played as one unit.
The bonhomie among players on the field is conspicuous. The top order batting is peaking at the right time. If India can tie some loose ends up in the fielding department, there is no reason why it shouldn’t bring home the World Cup.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
