Comunidade land is being destroyed
This is to indicate my total condemnation for the robbery done in Vagator Hill cutting as you have elaborated. According to your report in Friday’s Herald, “Comunidade said it does not know how its land is used illegally used for rampant destruction, etc.” And panchayat said it does not know how the illegalities are carried on”.
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The affairs of comunidade and panchayat are in the hands of useless people. Comunidades are in existence since last so many centuries and they were managed by the most efficient, sincere and educated persons who guarded even the minute asset of the comunidades as if it belonged to them only. This type people are no more in existence in Goa, they belonged to the past generations and will never come again because our Goan mothers no longer give birth to such great Goans anymore.
Today our comunidades are run by people with dual identity like that of Dr Jekyll and Hyde who will destroy the system of comunidade that served Goa so well during the last so many years. Those who think comunidades are the legacy of Portuguese and brought into existence for the benefit of Goan Christians only are sadly mistaken. It is a pity that this comunidade system is so rudely treated by the few rogues who want to abolish this institution should be brought under legal scanner.
It is their job to see that nobody encroaches upon the comunidade land. Such dormant and useless comunidade administrations never came into existence during the entire period of colonialists but it came into existence shortly after their exit from Goa. It is a shame on us to see the destruction of comunidade.
Bravo to Herald investigation in this episode when those without any shame looked the other way when destruction of s hill was going on just below the noses of all the persons and authorities concerned.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Introspection time
for the Men in Blue
For those who have closely followed the Indian cricket team’s performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup, and before, the defeat against England in the semi-finals would not come as a shock. The team’s win narrowly against both Pakistan and Bangladesh, and loss to South Africa in the group stage was not very great. The win over Pakistan was overhyped; players were praised to the skies as if they had already won the cup.
Loopholes in the bowling attack and an overdependence on a few in batting were overlooked. The result was there to see on Thursday. While England played to a plan, India was found wanting in both batting and bowling.
The body language of the players was not a sight for the sore eyes. The Indian think-tank did not read the pitch; except Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya the rest of the batsmen failed to accelerate in the early part of the Indian innings.
In T20, it is important to accelerate without having a specific score in mind.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Humiliating defeat by England in semis
Yet another forgetful T20 World Cup campaign for Team India, as they were given a defeat for the ages by a dominant England side. The Men in Blue have yet again shown their historical meltdown in a semi-final of an ICC tournament.
It is surprising and painful at the same time to see that our players, who have played plenty of T20 international games and as well in IPL, were unable to handle the pressure in a big ticket game and wilted under the onslaught of the England openers of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, who decimated the hapless Indian bowling attack mercilessly.
It was a game that was decided in Powerplay as India managed only 38 runs in six overs with the archaic style of ‘safety-first’ approach that hurt them terribly. The humiliating loss to England will rankle the Men in Blue and the Indian cricket fans for years.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Hope Griner is released from Russia
WNBA superstar and two-time Olympic gold medallist for the US, Brittney Griner has been moved to a penal colony in Russia which is akin to a hard labour camp after she was arrested on February 17 this year in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil and then sentenced to nine years in prison.
The penal colony is just like a ‘gulag’ reminiscent of a concentration camp that Russia used during 1930 to 1955 of the Cold war. It may be stressed here that cannabis oil is a concentrated form obtained from marijuana and is used for pain management. Possession of cannabis is a punishable offence in Russia. The US government has stated that they are negotiating a prisoner swap with the Russian authorities to seek her release.
It is hoped that Brittney Griner will be released before Christmas as a prisoner swap will be acceptable to the Russian government. People all over the world have to show solidarity with Brittney Griner in order to seek for her freedom.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Mystery behind
Cyrus accident
The tragic accident of Cyrus Mistry, on Sept 4, has brought the spotlight on road safety. Dr Anahita Pandole a famous gynaecologist was returning from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on NH 48, when their Mercedes SUV hit a concrete parapet, in between a two-lane bridge over ‘Surya’ River at Palghar. Point to be noted: Just before the bridge, the 3-lane highway converges, all of a sudden, into a two lane, there are no sign boards nor rumblers (speed breakers) to warn the motorist to slow down and change lanes. If the motorist fails to change the lane in time, reaches a dead end and inevitably hits the concrete parapet.
Darius Pandole, who survived the accident, has now made a statement that a heavy vehicle was in lane 2 and prevented his wife Anahita from changing the lane from 3 to 2. The tucker should be identified and penalised.
Highway rules mandate that all heavy vehicles should travel on the extreme left lane close to the edge of the road, which is the slowest lane. However, trailer trucks and lorries invariably travel in the extreme right-hand lane close to the centre line, forcing all the light traffic to overtake them from their left and making them appear as the lawbreakers.
The EDR (Black Box) was decoded, 5 seconds before accident brakes were applied, SUV was travelling at 100 kmph, and the speed was 89 kmph just before impact. International Road Federation based in Geneva (IRF) has pointed out glaring faulty design and absence of signages, specially at the ‘Surya’ bridge. Good road design can prevent accidents irrespective of speed (ex Autobhan)
Agnelo Furtado, Chinchinim
Gem of a doctor
It is gratifying to hear that the citizens of Siolim are organising a memorial programme on November 13 in honour of late Dr Datta Ramnath Naik, son of Siolim who passed away on August 22.
Dr Naik was a proficient and selfless physician who served the community for 54 years.
I had the privilege of being treated by him a couple of times many years ago. I must say Dr Naik was a gentleman to the core who treated his patients with compassion and care. Interestingly, he charged his patients a nominal fee of Rs 3 only for decades which later he was forced to round off to Rs 5 for want of change.
In fact, many people acknowledged that he had a “hath gunn” (innate ability to heal). Dr Naik will be missed by many. He was not just one of the long serving physicians of Goa but truly a down to earth person and gem of a doctor.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
