THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Who are the Church burglars?
This has reference to the news item ‘Burglars break into Panjim, St Cruz churches’ (Herald, July 23, 2021). So, once again Christian churches have become the victims of attacks. This time burglars have broken into two churches in Goa. Pity however, the booty according to reports, was poor.
Although CCTVs have captured the incidents, one wonders, is there a larger design? Who are these burglars? During this pandemic, collections must have definitely been poor in many churches not only in Goa but all across the country. Then why target the churches? The burglars seem to be looking at the wrong places for making easy money. The pandemic has rendered many people penniless. They ought to look elsewhere, do we need to tell where?
Melville X. D'Souza, Mumbai
Clear all students at SSLC & HSC levels
Bengal has cleared 100% of the students appearing for the Madhyamik (SSLC) exam and declared them as having passed during this pandemic year. This is a good gesture when students as well as parents have more worries than just the exams on their minds.
It also shows a generosity on the part of the Bengal government and sensitivity to people issues. In contrast Goa held back just 60 odd students from the almost 10,000 that appeared for the SSLC and asked them to appear for a supplementary exam to be announced later.
This shows the desire of our government to sit on a high horse and continue wielding the stick without being sympathetic in these difficult times.
What the Goa government can still do is cancel the supplementary exam and declared everyone passed including those that had failed in the previous year. The government can declare this as a one-time gesture and not to be considered as a precedent for the future. This initiative will go down well with the people and be truly appreciated.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
National Cousins' Day
Today is National Cousins' Day. Every year, National Cousins' Day is celebrated on July 24. For people who do not know what the term cousin means, this word is referred to as someone who is a part of your wider extended family. National Cousins' Day is a day to thank our cousins for all that they do for us.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
The 'mawali' mindset
The minister for culture Meenakshi Lekhi called the protesting farmers in Delhi as 'mawalis'. This comes just a day after the health minister Mansukh Mandavia said that the Government of India was not aware of any Covid-19 death due to shortage of oxygen.
Twelve BJP Ministers like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harshad Vardhan were sacked because of the foot in the mouth disease. If the new Ministers continue in the same fashion they may also meet the same fate.
Matias Lobo, Tivim
Tourist prefer IMFL to local feni
This is in reference to the news item 'Tourists in Goa say cheers with beer, whiskey' (Herald, July 22). A study by the Goan University has revealed when tourists come to Goa, those who drink alcohol prefer beer, whiskey and others over the native brew feni.
In order of preference they prefer to consume in hotels, bars and beach shacks, when I visited Goa I had put up with close relative, who entertained us most loyally. The drinking tourists from outside have a reason to go for the normal drinks than feni either because they had never taken the local brew or some find it pungent too.
Necessary to recall feni is of two types, coconut palm toddy and from cashew nut. The Portuguese brought cashew nut then from Brazil. Now feni is distilled and bottled well, comparable to normal alcoholic beverages. A sharp increase of feni intake and selling adds to some resources of the local population involved in preparation, distillers and dealers especially in these Covid times.
One does not advocate drinking, those who do must realise effects on the physique besides the cost factor which may lead to pauperisation and misery .Though State revenues are expanded, taking alcoholic beverages have become a fashion and permeated every section of society, outside tourists make trips to Goa for fun, frolic and availability of drinks openly and cheaper the price. Very few come to Goa for a more sacred mission and return back, minds and hearts fulfilled.
Strong beverages act as the mystic drinks to regale and bring contentment in our mechanical and senseless lives. Goa be blessed.
Parthasarathy Sen, by email
Anti-national employees shown the door
Terminating the services of employees for their alleged involvement in anti-national and terrorist-related activities in J & K is welcome and there may be more such officials, should be shown the door. Similar action was taken in 1995 and 2016. Both times, however, the officials were reinstated later. But the question is how these criminals obtained Job. The list of the sacked J&K employees is just a tip of the iceberg with more in the pipeline.
There were serious complaints in the past that the employees who were taking part in “anti-national” activities during street protests, instigating people against security forces were not booked, nor FIRs allowed to be filed against them by political governments; the administration was pressed not to act against them. The charges against the sacked staffers range from propagating and promoting the secessionist ideology of Jamat-e-Islami, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and their sponsors in Pakistan, to informing militants about movement of security forces, harbouring militants, and hawala transactions.
The tax payers money should not be wasted to feed traitors and termites. There should be a strong background check by the Police for all suspicious employees and also any new hirings for critical postings in J & K.
K G Vilop, Chorao
