Nossling!
I refer to the letter ‘Portuguese article, unique and informative’ (Herald, April 13) by António Diniz, the eldest scion of the Catholic branch of the illustrious Nayak Rao Sardesai family from Bandora, which donated the plot where the Seminary of Rachol stands. What is being presented these days as a discovery, was dealt with scientifically by Mgr Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado in his masterly work “Dialecto Indo- Português do Norte”.
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What is required is to preserve the dialect and not to destroy it by trying to convert it into the metropolitan Portuguese. This would be a tragedy, and this is precisely what is being suggested by those who wish that some from Korlai should be brought down to Goa and taught the standard Portuguese, of which then they would be apostles there.
This work of preservation, which I propound, is herculean. The basis has to be laid down by sociological, linguistic studies. Descriptivo-prescriptive grammars have to be confected, textbooks have to be produced, the dialect has to be taught in school; the speakers of the language have to have pride in it.
The end result of this painstaking and time-consuming effort will be an independent language itself, sister to the standard Portuguese, as the latter was to the Spanish. These efforts can be financed only by institutions like Gulbenkian, Fundação Oriente. Praises of discoveries have only an empty meaning if the mentioned efforts are not even thought of.
Mousinho de Ataide, Saligão
Banning of meals in domestic flights
The Civil Aviation Ministry has banned serving of meals in domestic flights that have a duration of less than 2 hours. The rule kicks in from Thursday April 15, 2021. We really have some weird rules in place. Passengers are made to undergo all the usual SOPs (temperature check, social distancing, sanitising the hands, no handling of luggage by airline staff, etc.) and in some cases even have to carry COVID-19 negative report. After all these precautionary measures the passengers sit in close proximity and in an air-conditioned plane for about 2 hours.
As per certain reports, the virus spreads more in a closed space forget what the airlines have to say about pure air being pumped in at regular intervals to keep the interior fresh. Under these circumstances, how can in-flight meals be reasons for spread of the virus?
By banning the meals, we are closing a few services namely flight catering and those associated with it such as suppliers of vegetables, fruits, etc. Additionally, hundreds of workers who are directly or indirectly employed with these sectors would be rendered jobless. The retrogressive step of banning meals on flight would also lead to a weakening of India’s economy which was just picking up. The Aviation Ministry need to rethink and revoke the ban on in-flight meals.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Live streaming of Masses necessary
It is learnt that the Saligao church has temporarily stopped services for its faithful as a precautionary measure due to the present surge in Covid-19 cases. The church has reportedly decided to take a small break so that it does not become a transmitter of the virus. It may be recalled that about the same time last year the churches in the State were closed to the parishioners due to the pandemic and masses were streamed live.
Later on the churches did open, however, the church authorities had instructed each parish to strictly follow all SOPs and made the parish priest responsible for taking decisions according to the situation at hand in order to ensure safety of the people. It must be said that the pandemic situation as of now is worse than it was last year. The health of the people is of paramount importance. It must also be said that priests also need a summer break after a long and hectic Lenten season and the heat now makes things even worse.
It would be desirable for the church authorities to take a collective decision to live stream the masses like last year while keeping the doors of the church shut. If this is not possible the decision as to whether to temporarily close the church for the parishioners could be left to each parish priest depending on how badly the Coronavirus infection is spreading in the locality.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
It’s curtains for the beach shacks
The influx of tourists to Goa has seen a sharp downward swing as other States impose clampdowns and travel limitations to neutralise the Covid surge. Beach shacks, which were de rigueur on every visitor’s itinerary have begun closing down much before their scheduled end of operations on May 31, even the usually busy North Goa beach shacks have downed shutters.
Domestic tourists who were the mainstay of the shack business are apprehensive that they might get stuck in Goa due to sudden imposition of restrictions in their home state and are therefore avoiding travel, foreign tourist arrivals are near zero.
Since November 2020 things had begun to look up for the tourism sector but unfortunately the second wave of Covid put paid to any form of revival. Some shack owners, to make their operations Covid safe had also invested heavily in frequent testing of their staff but all that is now money down the drain. The year 2021 is going the 2020 way and we can only but hope that with multiple vaccines now being available, the Corona scourge would be contained. Let’s pray that things return to normal and visitors throng the State’s beautiful shores again.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Stop all board, entrance exams
One year ago because of the pandemic PM Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown. Today the situation is much worse. For students appearing for board examinations, the year has been very stressful. They have had little or no classroom studies and are not prepared for the exams to the extent they would like to be. Moreover HSC students will also have to appear for competitive examinations. Not all will be in a position to do so if the board exams are not over.
There is much uncertainty and stress for the students. The centre must step in and unilaterally stop all board and entrance exams pan India, like how it had imposed a nationwide lockdown. All offline examinations must be stopped and an alternative mode of examinations implemented, preferably internal assessment. The need of the hour is for an unambiguous nationwide examination policy providing a level playing field for students of all States.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
Musical chairs
Municipalities and Panchayats are bodies which should be kept beyond the influence of electoral politics they should serve its people as independent bodies.
However, what we see these days is a no confidence motion moved at a drop of a hat and the sarpanch is ousted, a case in point: the Sarzora sarpanch was ousted because she did not allow illegalities. It has come to light that she (Sarpanch) was opposing a hill cutting near comunidade land.
Sarzora has a unique picturesque lake with a lush green mountain as its backdrop a biodiversity hotspot where peacocks, foxes, king cobras, mongoose, wild cats, deer are often sited; this is part of the range of the western Ghats, it is a pity that people are building houses at the foothill and are making inroads into forested land destroying the environment and ecology, monetary assets will be worthless for our younger generation without salubrious environment. We need to breathe clean air to prevent pandemics.
Agnelo Furtado, Chinchinim
