Mid-summer’s nightmares!
The season of election is upon us and the built-up heat will soon reach an inferno. The rituals of hop-skip-jump by politicians have started and so has mid-summer’s nightmares. Sometimes neither the ‘jumper’ nor the party knows what is happening while the people are taken for a royal ride. Laws prohibiting changing parties or punishments to be meted to ‘jumpers’ are not in place and this is favourable to all parties. Even if there are some laws but these are full of loopholes for after all laws were made by politicians themselves! The simian attitude of jumping frustrates the voters and upsets loyal workers of both the parties.
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On a national level, if a ‘jumper’ moves from party X to Y after winning the election then he/she should be debarred from joining and asked to stand for re-election from party Y. This is better than getting signed affidavits and defiling religious places by going there to take oath that the candidate will not change parties after winning. If the candidate is people’s favourite then he/she will surely win irrespective of which party they join.
At party-level, if a ‘jumper’ moves from X after winning then money and resources spent on the candidate during campaigning should be recouped along with interest. Till then he/she should not be allowed to join Y party. Will all the parties have the gumption to implement such measures to prevent politicians from changing party T-shirts at the drop of a topi?
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
State must award KTC bus drivers
It is learnt that a driver with the Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) received a national award on Tuesday for his unblemished service of 20 years without an accident. Forty-two drivers of public transport buses from different parts of the country were reportedly recognised and felicitated with Safety Awards as ‘Super 42 Drivers’ with zero accidents. With a view to recognise the drivers for their efforts in ensuring safety and preventing road accidents while driving public transport buses, Association of State Road Transport Undertaking (ASRTU) celebrated the ‘Heroes on the Road’ felicitation in New Delhi. The forty-two drivers were flown in along with their family members from all across the country for the event as a gesture of gratitude for their unblemished services. This is a very good initiative since the task of the bus driver assumes great responsibility as the safety of the occupants of the bus depends on the driving skills of the driver. Their primary duties include picking up and dropping off passengers, following a specific timetable while on duty, obeying regulations, traffic laws, and safety procedures, and halting for passengers and small children to get on and off the bus. The Goa government also needs to install such awards for the State-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation bus drivers for their unblemished accident-free service. This needs to be an annual event so that the bus drivers strive to drive the vehicle with caution.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Atiq killing is a blow to law and order
The public murders of gangster-turned politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother in Prayagraj erodes popular faith in due process, which forms the bedrock of any criminal justice system. A daring shootout outside a medical college with scores of escort police and people present in the heart of a prominent city is disturbing enough. The murders were captured live on TV. There is no justification for the police failing to protect a high-profile criminal who is wanted in 100 cases. Probably the first time people have been killed by a third person whilst in police custody. The question arises as to how such incident can take place in such alleged high security. Such matters are a severe threat to the democracy and rule of law, such acts are establishments of anarchy and prima facie development of police State. Murder in any police custody of a person is a very serious act and indicates the failure of police system in Uttar Pradesh. Subverting or violating the rule of law and judicial process for any political purpose is dangerous for our democracy. If people are not safe in police custody then where are they safe?
K G Vilop, Chorao
Root out politician-criminal nexus
The rising crime rate in Goa is a matter of concern. No fear of the law is a reason why Goa is moving towards lawlessness. These crime levels will only proliferate unless the nexus between politicians and criminals is uprooted.
It is common to see politicians moving around with shady characters having a criminal record. All this must stop so that the criminals are exposed and not given credibility and acceptance in public life or a false sense of security for the public.
If a person with a criminal record is not qualified to even be a sweeper, it is ironic that those with a gory criminal history are allowed to contest elections and go on to becoming MLAs and even Ministers. The one law that is urgently required to be in place is the one that bars a person with a criminal record or outstanding criminal cases, contesting any election to a public office. This will clear the cess pit and sanitise our now soiled political turf.
Very laughable is Goa Government’s latest decision to assign special stickers to the vehicles of tourists coming to Goa to ensure their hassle-free movement in the State. Does this government need to be told that it has failed to even properly implement its special stickers for the vehicles of our 40 MLAs. Those stickers landed in the hands of all and sundry with even history sheeters merrily affixing them on their vehicles.
Without zero tolerance to corruption at all levels and a single-minded determination to root out, arrest and convict criminals without any fear or favour, the crime rate will continue to escalate to the detriment of the public.
Aires Rodrigues,
Ribandar
