Good arrangements
for the Exposition
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I went for the Exposition at Old Goa twice so far, including on the feast day of St Francis Xavier and I must appreciate all the great efforts of the government agencies, the police, Church authorities, Catholic clergy/nuns, scores of volunteers and all the rest, who have made this the Exposition as a very well organised event, spanning over so many days!
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Promote rock concerts instead of EDMs
Adding Goa to his India World Tour, the legendary rock star Bryan Adams is set to enthral the audience with classic rock hits as well as his new album ‘So happy it hurts’.
The rock icon will also rock Goa to oldies such as ‘Everything I do’ and ‘Summer of 69’. Bryan Adams will set the stage on fire at the Bambolim athletic stadium on December 17. Incidentally this is the first time Goa will be hosting the singer-songwriter.
Goan music lovers, especially Bryan Adams fans, are waiting with bated breath for the show to hit the stage. On the other hand, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) event Sunburn is allegedly facing opposition for various reasons in every location in Goa where it wants to have the event.
Given the popularity of rock stars like Bryan Adams, it would be in the fitness of things for the Tourism Department to promote music and rock concerts by international singers and bands.
The music played by rock bands is entertainment for the entire family. The elderly people will listen with nostalgia to the hits of yesteryears played by these international bands. On the contrary, EDMs may not provide entertainment for the elderly people.
There are several international stars performing in various cities across the country. The Tourism Department needs to see to it that Goa is added as a venue in the itinerary when these international bands come to India.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Health is wealth
With reference to the caption titled : ‘Safety is not a priority’ in O Heraldo dated December 4, make it mandatory with a written guarantee from contractors and their assistants to provide sanitation workers with medical insurance, gloves, gumboots, face masks and thongs for garbage beach collection or beach cleaning machines immediately and the waste should be daily taken to ward-wise recycling plants where usable garbage is converted into compost and plastic, while waste rubber garbage is mixed with asphalt or concrete for durable roads and buildings. Hence health is wealth – do not ignore it.
Peter Castellino,
Mumbai
Vendors banned in Old Goa on feast day
It was heartening to hear the soothing message proclaimed by Cardinal Tagle on the feast day at Old Goa. He said, be a messenger of love and not division. False messengers propagate messages of hate and division, while true messengers bring ‘Good news’.
As reported, some vendors were banned at Old Goa on the feast day. Some say it was the right decision because some devotees and pilgrims got disturbed by their approach while selling their items. Others say due to the ban on vendors there was a smooth flow of people in the streets and through the fair.
It seems that some sellers who can pay big money are allowed to put up their stalls and sell their goods including eatables. But the poor vendors selling ordinary items such as flowers, candles, candle figurines were banned. Was it really justified?
In pilgrimage centres all over the world, including different places in our own country, there are vendors selling flowers, candles, candle figurines, holy pictures and other holy items. Such vendors are given special places to sell their items. One cannot be so ruthless in banning such poor vendors who earn their livelihood by selling these ordinary items.
Rui Pereira, Navelim
Union Carbide’s toxic waste still not removed
It is a matter of utter disgrace and shame that tonnes of Union Carbide’s toxic waste are still lying unremoved from the premises of Union Carbide India Limited in Bhopal despite four decades having passed since the world’s worst industrial disaster took place in the city. It is all the more deplorable that both the central and State governments continue to pass the buck on disposal of these wastes even after 40 years of the tragedy.
Reportedly a “peer review committee” was formed in 2010 to examine government studies, which recommended a comprehensive reassessment of the whole tragedy. But, sadly it seems the recommendations remain on paper even after 15 years.
It is high time the Madhya Pradesh government addressed the issue of toxic wastes and the continuing contamination of the UCIL surroundings, rehabilitation of the victims and more compensation for their sufferings. Until this is done, Bhopal’s hapless souls, whose world turned topsy-turvy on that fateful night 40 years ago, will have no closure.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Volunteers are priceless
A nation is immensely benefited by the potential, utility and strength of a volunteer who can make a great difference to people in agony. It indeed is a soothing sight to see trained and untrained volunteers rushing to help in emergencies.
Volunteers, for socioeconomic development, are key cogs who work hard towards building resilient communities.
Passion, integrity, reality are virtues a volunteer aims to imbibe. By and large, volunteers benefit others without themselves being benefited, and one of the greatest gifts a person can give is his time. A voter exercises his franchise once in many years but a volunteer votes daily for a community that can change the world.
If one takes into account the whopping 70 per cent informal participation of workers for the cause of volunteerism, the esteem with which the service is held can be deciphered. Poverty, hunger, disease,
environmental degradation and gender inequality are areas that can enormously gain from enthusiastic volunteers.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
