SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Whining & cribbing after retirement
Why is that after retiring high-profile people (bureaucrats, judges, heads of organizations, etc) have a tendency to whine and crib that the previous work place needs improvements?
They would proclaim that they worked under suffocating circumstances, had to obey ill-informed bosses or politicians, were not given freedom/resources to improve the system and so forth. If so, they could have taken voluntary retirement or even resigned in protest. But after having eaten the delicious cake and having it too, now they rant that their old organization is in a ramshackle condition and requires an overhaul. One does not know if it was the other way around! The questions are: what where these people doing when they were in service? Did they put forward the grievances to the authorities? Did they even attempt to set right the wrongs? Now that they have retired and may or may not have been blessed with a contract / consultant / continuation in service / nominated to Rajya Sabha etc. and if they are in a position and capable to bring about a change, they should do it quietly.
Let them not blame the system, predecessors and the governments of yore for all the ills.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Brave act by SP Tavares
While appreciating the write-up on SP Tavares in Herald Cafe dated February 18, I congratulate him. Goa was a peaceful place during those good old days because law enforcers were ever vigilant to pounce on those creating law and order situation.
It was in 1960 opposite “Camara Municipal - Bardez” one man was hammering his wife like she was his slave. Many people gathered there but nobody dared to intervene while as a small boy I happened to witness this drama. Then suddenly, one off duty ‘Paklo’ policeman while passing that side noticing the man hammering a lady, jumped on him and brought him under control, then took him to Mapusa Police Station.
I feel the end of that wife would have been disastrous if it was not for the ‘Paklo’ who even without his official uniform involved in saving the life of the lady just as SP Sammy Tavares did. In fact Tavares action was bolder and if it was anywhere else even the on duty Police Officer would have ignored it saying “why should I interfere with criminals to put my life into peril?”. But Tavares was firm to his commitment to help the one needed, Goa needs such Police Officers.
By this act, Tavares made the Goa Police proud but more than that he made the tiatrists very proud because thru this daring act he made the people aware that among these tiatrists there is somebody who is an extra-ordinary personality and thus silence the voices of a few disgruntled Goans who consider tiatro business is in the hands of below level people.
I saw almost all his tiatros even in Kuwait and found them to be really good as I reviewed them all. To make this story immortal, somebody must script a tiatro on this subject.
A.Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Crimes don’t just happen here!
Gang wars have not died down in Goa. They are just being told to keep it under wraps. Recently, an Afghan National and an Indian were kidnapped and held in Goa for ransom. Earlier, off and on, illegal betting on cricket was seen from hotels in Goa. Businessmen are harassed for bribes/ protection money. Citizens' homes are regularly ‘relieved’ of Gold ornaments. One must, even at this very late hour, ask: why all in Goa? This question must be answered by the IGP/DGP and the Govt.
Drugs - including plantations and manufacturing units - OMG, prostitution etc. are now ‘habitual’ and do not command any attention. During the NYE 2021 we saw how all SOPs were thrown to the winds. Yet, the Goa Intelligence found no such violations as stated unequivocally in the State Assembly! The show must go on under any circumstances! With this kind of ‘statement’, it is no wonder we see all the possible types of crimes here in Goa! There is no safer haven for criminals. We are advertising the same!
All evidence points out to the fact that the people have no say: be it hill cutting, illegal homes on communidade land getting legalised, bold and open pedalling of drugs by gaddas even outside schools and Medical College, usurping of rivers, steam rolling of linear projects and coal movement. NYE, night parties during lockdown, Carnival celebrations during the pandemic: are all signals that go out loud and clear to all the unsavoury ‘businessmen’. Individuals hold power and authority to act alone. There is no ‘team Govt.’ There is no ‘culture’ or ‘philosophy’ or ‘direction’ in the Govt. Peoples voices are not being heard and MP’s cannot open their mouths at the only place that is not yet muzzled. Sanity is lost/ Please take stock and reason out.
R Fernandes, Margao
Illegal transport of liquor
It is learnt that the Karnataka excise sleuths on Tuesday seized an fish lorry illegally transporting different types of liquor from Goa worth Rs 9 lakh at the Majali check post, a few meters from Goa’s Polem check post. It is understood that this is the third seizure at Majali check post of liquor being transported illegally from Goa in the last four months. On the same day the Belagavi police seized illegally transported liquor worth Rs 12 lakh.
These seizures could be just the tip of the ice-berg. One hears of instances of seizure of liquor bottles, being smuggled to the neighbouring states, at a disturbing frequency. The reason for the illegal transport of liquor is the huge price difference between the liquor sold in Goa and other states. Though Goa is not exempted completely from taxes on liquor, the state government has chosen to keep all taxes on liquor low. This makes Goa the cheapest state in the country for alcoholic drinks. At present only two bottles of liquor is allowed to be carried out of Goa per person. Any attempt by tourists to carry more bottles is thwarted at the border check-posts with excise officials seizing the bottles. Hence the probability of liquor bottles being smuggled out of Goa in bulk is high, especially during elections in other states.
However the question that arises is from where in Goa is this huge quantity of liquor for illegal transport acquired.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Comman man’s dreams shattered
This has reference to the report ‘Spiralling fuel costs squeezing locals to meet ends’ (Herald, February 18). There is no doubt, every increase in the cost of fuel & gas is hitting the common man & the salaried class, below the belt. Rise in fuel costs has a cascading effect on the entire system leading to increase in price of provisions and throwing household budgets into disarray. Yes, spiralling fuel costs are squeezing the common man to meet ends. One can point out towards neighbouring countries where the fuel costs are low, even from countries which are importing oil from India.
International fuel prices may have crashed during the past years. One can point out the number of times fuel prices have been increased in outer country during the past few months. But all that just does not seem to matter. The government has all sorts of excuses and justification for the increase. Maybe, they can blame it on subsidies on other things, if nothing else, blame it on previous governments. The cost of petrol in other states has even hit the century mark.
Are we heading for a double or a triple century, signalling the death of the common man? How much more insensitive can the government get? In the meanwhile, the common man's dreams of better days are shattered!
Melville X. D'Souza, Mumbai
