Loss of life in accidents, heartbreaking
This has reference to the report ‘Innocent life cut short’ (Herald January 19, 2022). Losing a loved one or a near and dear one in a road accident is heartbreaking. It becomes all the more heartbreaking especially with the Coronavirus continuing with its various mutants.
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Newspapers in Goa have been reporting incidents of people getting killed in a number of road accidents in recent past. Of course, there are several factors which contribute to accidents resulting in loss of precious lives. For instance, however careful one may be, there’s a possibility of a drunk or rash driver causing accidents.
The other major cause is the quality of roads in cities like Mumbai, where huge ditches or craters line the roads during monsoon and otherwise, which is dangerous for two wheeler drivers. It is disgusting to note however, that the civic authorities refuse to accept responsibility for such accidents.
If we are to see a drop in road accidents there has to be accountability, both on the part of the authorities and on the vehicle drivers. The two wheeler drivers especially ought to do their part and must follow rules, which are meant for their own safety. Wearing helmets for instance and wearing them in the right manner. This will go a long way in preventing serious injuries in the unfortunate event of an accident. We all need to understand that monetary compensation has no meaning. You cannot compensate the loss of a precious life with money!
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Speedy justice is fine, but…
The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the disturbing tendency of trial courts passing order of conviction and sentence on the same day in criminal cases involving rape and murder without giving the accused time to argue the quantum of punishment.
They say that justice delayed is justice denied but hasty justice is a tad unfair to the defendant and caution must be exercised especially in judgements awarding death sentences. Quick exemplary sentencing is a grey area in jurisprudence, sufficient time and opportunity must be provided to the indicted in post conviction proceedings, some egalitarianism is definitely called for.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
Opposition parties can still unite
To prevent the splitting of votes among themselves, the TMC, Congress, AAP and RG can still unite even after they have declared their candidates by resorting to a strategic withdrawal of nominations in favour of the consensus candidate. If the four opposition parties are going to field all 40 candidates, they can still zero in to only consensus candidates that too proportionately so as to get equitable representation. 160 candidates can then be narrowed down to 40 candidates.
The reasoning is that suppose all the four opposition parties have a total vote share of 60%, then if they go separate ways, spitting of votes will hand the BJP with just 40% of the vote share the initiative, which should under no circumstances happen. If each of the above parties have -20%, 20%, 15% and 5% vote share, they will be handing the BJP the initiative on a platter.
Until today due to the anti-incumbency factor, a united opposition stands a distinct chance to win, but splitting of votes will definitely hand over the initiative to the BJP on a platter. The 120 candidates that withdraw can later be given their due by choosing them to head corporations and other plum post for their support. In this manner, the united opposition can come to power and surely defeat the BJP at the hustings.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Avoid candidates with criminal charges
According to the report of the Association for Democratic Reforms, Goa is witnessing a growing trend of persons with criminal charges getting elected as MLAs. Goa is a peaceful and educated State but having persons with criminal charges as our leaders in the Assembly in charge of the affairs of the State do not augur well for Goans.
When a peon is appointed in government service, his antecedents are checked through police verification. Similar procedure is followed before issuing a passport to a common citizen. Shouldn’t therefore antecedents be a compulsory requirement for persons elected as leaders of the State in charge of affairs of the State?
It is well known that for every job in the government as well as in private sector, qualifications and experience are prescribed. There is also a retirement age and retirement benefits are paid only after long period of continuous service. All these requirements are not there for politicians. Shouldn’t at least they be free of criminal charges? The remedy lies in the hands of citizens and we should ask ourselves one question: is it right to send persons who have violated laws of the country to the Assembly to ironically make more laws?
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Subsidies & schemes to private bus owners
It is shocking to know that the private bus operators in Goa are provided with fuel subsidy, insurance scheme and subsidy for replacement of old buses. As per reports all these are pending with the government since the last 3-5 years. It would be pertinent to determine if other States too have such subsidies and schemes. The subsidy for replacement of old buses is justifiable but not those for fuel and insurance.
In Goa most of the drivers and conductors in private buses do not wear uniforms and badges, no tickets are issued, conductors sometimes use foul languages, tease migrants and labourers, overcharge tourists and fill the buses like sardines in a tin. It is an open-ended list. The bus owners are not doing us a favour or charity or social service that the government provide subsidy for fuel and take care of their insurance.
The government (whether in Goa or other States) should not pamper only the bus owners. Using the same yardstick, similar benefits should be provided to motorcycle pilots and autorickshaw and taxi drivers. In India the ‘poor’ are taken care by the government, the rich take care of themselves and the government while the middle class is squeezed in the centre like a toothpaste tube.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
VIP conundrum
We have seen Justin Trudeau, PM of Canada and his family and Matte Frederiksen, PM of Denmark walking freely on the roads and doing shopping in the malls, Jacinda Ardern, PM of New Zealand driving her own humble vehicle to her office and Mark Rutte, PM of the Netherlands riding his bicycle to his office. All of them are without any security guards or bands of vehicles going before and after them making a security cordon. We have seen them waiting in queues with the common man for their turn to come to pay their bills in the malls or cast their votes during elections.
In this backdrop, it is quite sickening to find our leaders like President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of the states and even ministers moving around with a pose of security vehicles with all banda stalling the traffic, thereby inconveniencing the public to a great extent. That a 20 minutes wait of the Prime Minister in a flyover due to the sudden change in his mode of travel acquired such a hype and the BJP use the PM’s wait to milk political mileage out of it particularly when elections are in the offing in five important states of the country is a case in point.
It appears that unwarranted and unnecessary importance is given to the political leaders in the guise of security and that too, at a cost of huge taxpayers’ money in our country.
A nation will progress only when people elect the right people and not power mongers, hypocrites, imposters and fraudsters as their leaders.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
