WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2024
INDIA Bloc needs to strategise poll campaign
With the elections in Goa scheduled for May 7, the poll campaign for the two Lok Sabha elections in Goa is reaching feverish pitch. Several meetings and corner meetings are being held by the political parties in the fray. There are allegations and counter-allegations hurled by the main political parties and alliances.
With a few more days left before the poll-date, political parties are making all-out efforts to woo the voters. It must be said that when national leaders of a particular political party address the poll meetings in the State, it can have a huge psychological impact on the electorate and in the process be advantageous to the party.
In this matter, the BJP appears to be a step ahead of the INDIA Bloc. It is learnt that Congress Chief Malikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are among the forty star campaigners who are likely to campaign in Goa.
However no tentative dates appear to have been finalized for their visit. It is pertinent to note that several Goan MLAs and leaders from the ruling dispensation have been campaigning for the party candidates in other states.
It would be in the fitness of things for the Goa Congress to invite political leaders from states being ruled by the party to campaign for their candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state, since Goa has a large migrant population.
Campaigning by the Karnataka political leaders in the state can have a huge impact on the Kannadiga population who have voting rights in Goa. The INDIA Bloc needs to strategize their election propaganda in order to make it more effective.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Massive concretisation work in fields
There is massive concretisation happening in the fields in Guirim/Sangolda/Soccoro along the National Highway 66.
Sadly, there is total destruction on both sides of fields by massive land filling. On one side there is rampant destruction of nature going on only to construct the sewage treatment project and on the other, there is large scale land filling going on to construct flyover blocks. These lush green fields were purposely neglected by the farmers and government as they were left inundated during the rains so that it remained uncultivated for years.
While illegal constructions were allowed to come up in the fields with the blessings of the people in power, a few farmers were determined to cultivate their holdings.
The Irrigation Department spent crores of rupees, laid channels but not a drop of water was utilised.
Now to overcome the heavy water logging in these low lying fields, the authorities are moving on at jet speed repair the clogged culvert to avoid any water logging. This was the game plan of the government and in few years as all the fields in this area will be turned into a huge concrete jungle. God save these villages from any calamity in future. The talk on saving our fields to increase agriculture production is just on paper.
Gregory E D’Souza, Siolim
Indian Railways has to set house right
With the horrific experience of having consumed bad and stale food at the back of their minds, plenty of train passengers carry their own food and water.
Exorbitant cost, poor quality and inadequate quantity of food available on trains have put the passengers off. Despite several measures taken by the Indian Railways (IR) to set the house right, the quality of food has gone from bad to worse.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is doing a fairly good job of arranging food for from base kitchens at stations. On any day, hygiene at base kitchens is far better than in the pantry cars. Worryingly, the passengers who travel in unreserved general bogies are hit hard because of logistics and affordability.
While higher class commuters can order food through app based delivery system, those traveling in the general class are handicapped. But that may change now as the IR, through the IRCTC, has begun to introduce affordable meals at stations: Rs 20 for economy meals, Rs 50 for snack meals through food counters that are conveniently placed near these coaches. Already, 150 counters at 100 stations are catering to the general class passengers.
More seem to be in the offing, and this step of the IR is in the right direction. Only, it has to ensure the food is palatable and hygienic.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Path of secularism leads to peace
When polarisation has become a political tool to be used as a red herring during the Lok Sabha election to take people's attention away from the real issues, what Swami Gautamananda has said is timely and needs to be highlighted.
On Wednesday, after being annointed the 17th president of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, he said, “All religions are the same and God is one. People just call him by different names - Allah, Jesus, Bhagwan and Thakur. If I believe I'm God's son, then automatically I will consider others my brothers and sisters. We will not consider anyone an outsider.”
The monk rightly said, “That is what Thakur (Sri Ramakrshna) propagated through his life and teachings that the truth or ultimate reality is one.” Sri Ramkrishna used to say, “Many opinions, many paths.” This means that every religion has the same goal even though their paths are different. Indeed, Sri Ramakrshna practiced what he preached. He embraced Islam and religiously followed its path. Then again he embraced Christianity and did the same.
Those who have been suffering from religious paranoia need to understand that there will be no democracy without secularism. Secularism prevents the conversion from a democracy into a theocracy.
Religion is a personal matter between God and a person. The path of secularism leads many countries to peace and prosperity. Voters must ignore those political leaders who use religion to hide important issues like social security, employment, education and health care.
Hate not only makes voters oblivious to the real issues but also damages their health. Doctors say that those who indulge in hate can start to deal with some seriously negative effects in terms of their health and their social functioning.
Sujit De, Kolkata
Make admissions to colleges transparent
The various exam boards including the CBSE are all set to declare their results - both secondary and higher secondary - in the first and second weeks of May. Nowadays majority of the students getting above ninety percentage in the various subjects have become normal.
Though getting high marks can come as a relief to students of Class 12 the real worries begin during the admission process to colleges. High marks result in heavy competition during the admission process in the top colleges and institutions of higher studies across India. It can result in parents forced to pay heavy donations too.
The various colleges, universities and higher education institutions must avoid such competitions and see that meritorious candidates do get what they want, while making admissions transparent and focus on assessment of the student's knowledge on the subject he or she prefers to opt for. This will help students to come out with their best and give them an opportunity to show their real flair for the subject they would like to pursue for their higher studies.
M Pradyu, Kannur
