We need to appreciate Goan history
This is with reference to the panel discussion Point Counterpoint on Herald TV (ref Herald Review on Sunday July 16) where one panellist showed his bias towards our culture by stating that “Portuguese culture has become our culture and unfortunately, we are not ashamed of it .” He further went on to state that when the Arabs were ousted from Portugal and Spain , these two nations did not leave any traces of Arab influence . This is totally false and misleading as we know that many places in Portugal and Spain, then known as Al-Andulas, still cherish the old names of their former colonisers like for example the pilgrimage centre of Fatima was named after a Muslim Princess , and is today a sacred place visited by many of our Goans for its religious significance .
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Both the Spanish and Portuguese territories were ruled for almost seven hundred years not by Arabs but by the Moors from North Africa who spoke Arabic, and ruled for a longer period than the Portuguese ruled Goa. But they still cherish and maintain their influenced culture, language and roots. The central mosques in Lisbon and Madrid, the famous Cordoba mosque with its impressive historic architecture are World Heritage Sites under UNESCO just like our churches in Old Goa. The Muslims brought innumerable cultural innovations, linguistic changes to Spain and Portugal which later influenced the entire world . Alchemy which is the origin of Chemistry, Algebra and the concept of zero, game of chess, cooking with spices, almonds and dry fruits were introduced by the Moors to our colonisers and cannot be ignored by us.
Let us be proud of our roots, heritage and culture, names of our people, places and things which is unique and to be appreciated by all who want to make Goa their home.
Allwyn N D’Souza, Saligao
Mother Mhadei, soon to be history
A few months ago our Hon’ble CM had claimed that Mhadei was akin to his mother and that he would not allow Karnataka to draw a drop of water from the river basin. Many ‘hot shot’ advocates and Devidas Pangam, the Advocate General for Goa were engaged by the government to represent it’s case in the Apex Court and Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal. Nearly Rs 10 crore was spent on the professional fees of the legal luminaries and an additional Rs 5 crore was spent on sundry consultants, but no constructive result has been forthcoming. A former Assistant Solicitor General of India pocketed the lion’s share of the fees amounting to Rs 6.38 crore!
To divert the attention of the public and buy time, a fancy committee by the name of PRAWAH was constituted, which CM Pramod Sawant touted as a panacea for all Mhadei ills afflicting the state. But on the ground, the inter connecting open-cut canals built by Karnataka are enabling the full flow of the Kalasa nullah water from the Mhadei basin to the Malaprabha river. Earlier it used to flow naturally down the slope in the direction of the Mhadei wildlife Sanctuary. Although the Karnataka government had given an undertaking that the state would not utilize water from the Kalasa nullah, it did not stick to its word.
The Goa govt could do precious little to stop the violation despite engaging a battery of high priced legal eagles. To rub salt in our wounds, the Karnataka government has reiterated that work of the Kalasa-Bhandura project would be taken up in right earnest once necessary environmental clearance is obtained.
Goa has never seen such an incompetent bunch of self seeking politicians masquerading as the government, and they are trumpeting about double engine sarkar. In times to come, Mhadei would only become a chapter in the history books and a distant memory for Goans, thanks to the ineptitude of Sawant and his sepoys.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Mission accomplished
In the vast space of our universe, where mythology and science come together so often, Chandrayaan-3 shines brightly as a symbol of India’s astral hope and exploration. It shows India’s strong determination to uncover the moon’s mysteries. With careful planning and robust designs, Chandrayaan-3 gets us closer to landing on the moon and discovering its hidden secrets.
Chandrayaan-3 is the fruit of decades of labour by the scientific community since the launch of India’s space programme in 1962, followed by the creation of ISRO in 1969.
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s ambitious lunar mission, following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. Chandrayaan-3 is India’s second attempt to achieve a soft landing on the moon’s surface. It is a project undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to achieve a successful landing on the moon’s surface and deploy a rover to conduct experiments and gather valuable data. The mission is focused on studying the moon’s geology, mineralogy, and exosphere, which will contribute to our understanding of the moon’s origin and evolution.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Goa going gone!!!
It’s alarming to see the sad state of such a beautiful place like Goa. Is it a type of lackadaisical attitude? On the one hand, the roads are caving in, with hearts popping up as potholes and posing danger to the travellers. On the other hand certain towns are flooded, and the roof of Kala Academy open air auditorium has come crashing down. Thank God there was no human casualty.
Crimes/thefts are on rise and needless to say about the illegal gambling dens that are erupting at certain public places and posing danger, especially to the youth. Substance abuse in secret dens is on rise too. In addition, the pathetic condition of several government schools in Goa which are shutting down due to lack of enrolment is alarming.
Eventually, the state is heading in the wrong direction and prompt attention is the need of the hour. It’s tainting the beautiful image of Goa. It is hoped that immediate action is taken to stem the tide and everything is brought on the right track.
Joseph Savio Desouza, Candolim
