Healthier footwear
for school students
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The recent decision to review the use of canvas shoes with rubber soles as part of school uniforms deserves thoughtful attention. While uniformity in dress code fosters discipline, the choice of footwear should prioritise the health and comfort of students, especially in our region’s hot climate. Canvas shoes with rubber soles, often standard in many schools, come with significant drawbacks.
On hot asphalted roads, these shoes can trap heat, causing discomfort, headaches, and even health issues. Prolonged use also leads to foul odors, further emphasizing the need for change. Parents, educators, and the education department must collaborate to identify healthier alternatives. Breathable and heat-resistant materials, such as natural fabrics or mesh, can offer relief. Ergonomic designs with proper ventilation could mitigate these issues while maintaining affordability. The feasibility of any proposed solution should align with the economic realities of all families. Partnerships with local manufacturers could keep costs manageable while ensuring high-quality alternatives. Furthermore, pilot programs in selected schools, along with feedback mechanisms, can provide valuable insights before rolling out changes on a larger scale. Students’ well-being must remain the priority. As this discussion progresses, it is essential to involve stakeholders and consider diverse perspectives to make well-informed decisions that cater to the region’s specific climatic and social needs.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Communal harmony
is in DNA of Goans
In a shocking incident, a statue of St Francis Xavier was reportedly stolen by some unknown persons from a grotto in private property located barely 30 meters from the Quepem police station. Why would thieves target a statue that is 30 years old? This seems like an attempt to create communal tension and create division among Goans. However no force on earth will succeed in disrupting the harmony among the different faiths in Goa. Recently unidentified persons entered into the St Anthony Cross at Chicalim and decamped with a donation box containing cash. In 2022, miscreants burgled a temple near River Sal and decamped with cash from the donation box.
Not long ago, thieves struck Azad Jama Masjid at Bicholim and decamped with money from the donation box. Desecration of a cross at Maina Curtorim recently, the third in one month, triggered protests amongst people as they demanded action in the matter. It must be said that theft is not restricted to any particular religion.
However, thefts at religious structures have the potential to create communal tension. Communal harmony is in the very DNA of Goans. Built over generations, it transcends politics. Some undesirable elements are out to foment communal disharmony in the state. We need to be alert and foil these attempts. One of the oldest strategies in politics is to divide and rule. Goans show respect to all religions which is on display during festive seasons of various faiths. We need to keep this spiritual bond which has stood the test of time.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Save Goa before
it’s too late
As a senior citizen, I have never witnessed a time like this under the current government. Even during the Portuguese era and during the tenure of former chief ministers Dayanand Bandodkar and Pratapsingh Rane, Goa was much better and more peaceful. Today, we are surrounded by projects everywhere—on hills, fields, seashores, lakes, rivers, and beyond. But who benefits from these projects? Outsiders are taking control, while Goa’s natural beauty and resources are being exploited.
The law and order situation has deteriorated. Crimes such as rapes, murders, and robberies are on the rise, yet the police and other authorities seem to be under the influence of the government, leaving Goans vulnerable. There are no jobs for the locals, while outsiders are taking the available opportunities. Documents like Pan cards, ration cards, and other essential records are being handed over to outsiders first, just for the sake of vote banks.
Despite efforts by activists to save Goa, there seems to be little support from the people or the opposition. It has become a situation where only the “survival of the fittest” matters.
Goans must rise and fight for their rights. In the upcoming 2027 elections, we must demand paper ballots, not EVM votes, to ensure fairness. Irrespective of our religion, it’s time to unite and save Goa for future generations. If we don’t act now, Goa as we know it may no longer exist.
Let’s not wait until it’s too late. Stand up, fight for Goa, and ensure its preservation for the generations to come.
Edgar Martins, Chinchinim
Money just cannot
buy luxury
Clint Eastwood, the 94-year-old acting legend, formulated one of the most important lessons of his life which can be a guiding beacon for gen-Z, the millenials and youngsters at large . He says,
“Don’t look for luxury in watches or bracelets, don’t look for luxury in villas, private jets and yachts. Luxury is certainly not a diamond bauble on your wrist, a Rolls Royce or a fleet of Ferraris parked in your garage.
Luxury is laughter and having true friends, luxury is the gentle rain on your face, the petrichor of wet soil, luxury is hugs and love, luxury is experiential travel. Luxury is being loved and respected by people, luxury is having your parents alive, luxury is being able to play with your grandchildren in your garden. But the greatest luxury is the luxury of time; when you have time to do whatever your heart desires, the time to be with your loved ones, the time to be an asset to society. Luxury is something that money can’t buy.
Rekha Sarin Trehan, Benaulim
History is not
politician’s forte
Surprisingly, the centuries-old rivalry between Mughals and Marathas continues to witness sword and dagger fighting. This only proves that history is being manipulated in the hands of present day politicians to gain mileage.
The suspension from the Maharashtra assembly of Abu Azmi, a legislator from the Samajwadi Party, for his attempt to defend the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb is a case in point. The unearthing of historical truth must be left in the hands of scholarship that prioritises a methodology based on facts, sources and texts, a methodology that shuns the lure of sensational reinterpretation. A dispassionate appraisal of context and prevailing conditions is needed to attain a fair assessment of such chequered characters.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
