SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
Vote for candidates with commitment
The caliber of our representatives in Parliament can be gauged by their ability to fight the causes of the majority of the people of Goa in order that the interests of the state is protected even if it means going against the wishes of the Centre.
It is also to be stressed that the party for whom the candidate is representing is not necessarily the party which is going to be in power. In view of this, it is of utmost importance that the electorate in Goa exercise their franchise to those candidates who have been in the forefront of the protection of the environment which the people' of Goa are very sensitive about in view of the destruction of our forest and unabated chopping of trees which has been the bane of Goa.
Also, it is most important to protect the livelihood of our indigenous Goans who even go to the extent of worshipping nature and seeking its blessings. Remember, do not forget how many times you had to agitate to protect your precious land.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Give proxy rights to home- bound senior citizens
We are going to vote this May 7. That's our right to vote for a secular government to be in governance that we enjoy a democratic rule to exercise our freedom. Those who can go to the polling booths will do so but what about the senior citizens, who for some reason, cannot move out of their homes due to some medical complications.
Their caretaker inmates feel these seniors should be given their right to exercise their franchise. This request must be taken into consideration by the concerned authority this election in granting their franchise right to the senior citizens incapable to go to the booths.
Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo
Primeiro a obrigação depois a devoção
‘Gaddi gheu-nu zatreku oitam. Ietat zalear sangat mhaka muz barar ortam’. Robin Vaz's song 'Sitaram Gaddiwalla' from the film Sukhachem Sopon is still a treasured memory for us.
The Weekly Express train departs from Vasco to Velankanni every Monday. A large number of passengers, book tickets in advance. The Lok Sabha elections in Goa will take place on Tuesday, May 7. The travelers who have already bought tickets to attend the pilgrimage to Velankanni on May 6 are facing difficulties. As the election this time is significant, some believers who had purchased tickets ahead of time decided to withdraw their entry to Velankanni.
But! A new segment of 'Sitaram Rel-gaddiwalla' has been created to dismantle the Christian lock. Pilgrims going to Velankanni have been given a break from travel, food and hotel accommodations. Certain people took advantage of the opportunity to receive free tickets, food, and lodging. Do you believe that Velankanni Saibin welcomes you because you've come to worship without any commitments? Will the prayers be heard by her?
In the country, Christians are attacked, nuns and priests are persecuted, and churches are destroyed and burned. The current government is observing everything with its eyes closed. Your rights and your precious votes are the only way to bring an end to this. The time has come for the voters to wake up to this. Prioritize your duty and then dedicate yourself.
Lino Baptista Dourado, Utorda
Safety, security gone for a toss in Goa
In a tragic incident, a 70-year-old woman was found in a pool of blood in her room at Kharewado, Vasco on Sunday. The woman was living alone and the motive behind the murder is yet to be ascertained.
It may be recalled that a few days back a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered at an under-construction site in Vasco. Vasco police swiftly solved the murder case of the young girl by arresting the accused from Bihar. Police said an FIR has been lodged against the accused under IPC sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder), relevant sections of the POCSO Act and the Goa Children’s Act.
The Panaji police have booked an unidentified person for kidnapping a 13-year-old minor from Caranzlem. The kidnapping took place on Saturday morning. Be that as it may, it must be said that right from a five-year-old child, to a 70-year-old senior citizen, no woman is safe in Goa. Age does not seem to matter for these murderers. Most crimes in Goa are being committed by people coming outside the state. Many of these migrants could have a criminal background. Every migrant worker should mandatorily possess a labour card. Goa could be going the way of Bihar and UP as far as crime rate is concerned if this menace is not nipped in the bud.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Taylor Swift's latest album breaks record
Doesn't mind the fact that Taylor Swift's 11th studio album `Tortured Poets Department' was leaked before its official release one day before April 19, the day it was supposed to be officially released, the fact remains that this album vies for being within touching distance of being an all-time best for its sheer variety and excellent, catchy and meaningful lyrics.
Reminds one of Bob Dylan in his heyday, the original vagabond who lighted up the music world to the highest pinnacle, what with Dylan having won the Nobel prize for literature, this Taylor Swift's album sure is a memorable one, never mind a rarefied sprinkle of profanity, spices to the fare, a state of warped grace, it all gives one a peek into the mind of Taylor Swift in recent times. Tales that are blowing in the wind, waiting to be plucked. A fantastic album that deserved having sold 1.4 million copies on the day of its launch, April 19, 2024. A tour de force musical compilation, beautifully done, amazing! It has everything, the blues and the bright side. Doesn't fail in keeping you obsessively spell-bound. The `Albatross' is a gold chain around the neck.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Dubai floods - cause for worry
Reference editorial ‘Dubai floods wake-up call for world’ (April 22), needless to mention, every major religion in the world have witnessed disasters caused by the Great Deluge several millennia back. The recent heavy flooding in Dubai and South Asian countries are a grim reminder of the grave risk nature’s fury can unleash on inhabitants of mother earth. Dubai was thrown out of gear by one of the unprecedented torrential storms that the desert city ever witnessed, highlighting the seriousness of climate change impact on people's lives. Despite being advanced, the floods showed Dubai’s unpreparedness to manage natural disasters.
Goa’s capital city, Panjim too witnessed flooding last week like it does every year with water logging striking the central business street and throwing life out of gear. Flooding of the smart city went viral with people coming down heavily on the government of the day and its administration. One of the major reasons for the flooding remains, the city’s crumbling drainage network, which failed to keep pace with rapid urbanisation and haphazard construction.
The very fact that some of the driest areas on the planet are experiencing floods shows how irregular global weather patterns have become. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and opting for alternative sources of energy should be the way forward for advanced countries.
Preparing for monsoon seasons or extreme weather should not just be about managing the crisis but preventing the worst of its impacts.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
