FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024
Electioneering should be on a positive note
Electioneering for the May 7 polls, to be held in Goa for the two Lok Sabha seats, is reaching feverish pitch. Political parties in the race are indulging in hurling allegations and counter-allegations.
Complaints are being filed before the Election Commission (EC) for violation of the election code of conduct. Some of the allegations involve hitting below the belt. This is sending negative vibes among the voters. It would be desirable for the political parties to engage in positive electioneering. These parties should highlight what positive changes they will bring if their candidate is elected.
Political parties should not engage in washing dirty linen of their opponents in public. Everyone has a past which need not be highlighted. The political parties in the race should emphasize on what good they will do for the general public if they come to power. There is enough of the negativity in the air.
The parties should not engage in false propaganda. It can be counter-productive. Each party should concentrate on its positive points instead of pointing to the shortcomings of the opponents.
Election propaganda should send positive vibes among the electorate. By definition electioneering is the activity to persuade people to vote for a particular political party. This can be done in a positive manner without indulging in brickbats.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Will peace ever return to Manipur?
This has reference to the report ‘Gunfight in Manipur leaves 1 dead, 3 injured’ (Herald April 29, 2024).
This news report makes for disturbing reading. So, after all the violence that rocked the state of Manipur for several months, is the situation ever going to return to normal? What efforts are being made in order to bring about reconciliation between warring groups? Will those who are in relief camps, in the forests, etc, be destined to be there forever? Will peace ever return to Manipur?
These are questions which naturally crop up after all that has happened in Manipur. What do the authorities have to say? Incidents like the gunfight between two warring groups on Sunday seem to suggest that all is not well in the state.
From where are people getting the guns to fight other? Are weapons so easily available so as to disturb the uneasy peace that prevails in Manipur? No answers would be available of course but we can we go on like this forever? All displaced persons must be resettled in their homes. The government must ensure that the situation is back to normal at the earliest. Every citizen has a right to live in peace.
Melville X D'Souza, Mumbai
Ease of living for PwDs remains distant dream
The PwD’s do not get what they need to live a dignified life. The ease of living remains a distant dream for them.
It shocked many when former PM Manmohan Singh (90), using wheelchair was moved from the front row of the Rajya Sabha to the last and his “ease of mobility” was cited as the reason for this change in the allocation of his seat in the Upper House of Parliament.
This issue brings back the focus on the challenges of accessibility for the disabled. It is also observed that even educational institutions have failed to implement the provisions of the RPWD Act. Educational institutions should be inclusive for students with disabilities. India’s poor track record in enabling employment for disabled people is another area of concern. Yet, as the former PM’s case suggests, there are yawning gaps when it comes to universal access in public places.
Many public facilities like banks, hospitals, parks, eateries, ATMs, fair-price shops, transportation and convenience stores remain inaccessible to differently-abled people even today.
Moreover, Goa is a tourist destination and hotspot of beaches, monuments, temples are not wheelchair-accessible. And mostly because of the lack of infrastructures the people with disabilities cannot fulfil their dreams.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Cross-border heart transplant
Reference editorial ‘Can Indian hearts change Pak minds? (April 29). The heart-warming story of a 19-year old Pakistani girl getting a new lease of life after a successful heart transplant in India highlights how borders can be eased for humanitarian purposes and the challenges faced by heart patients in the neighbouring country. India and Pakistan have fought four wars since their independence and have endured many crises that brought them close to war.
The transplant surgery is a telling tale of nobility and medical excellence of India and the hospitality of its people. The entire ordeal went on for five years, and she is once again one of the few blessed souls who had an Indian medical visa in real-time to live on to tell the tale.
Both countries must settle their disputes within a conflict resolution framework. This will not only bring peace and stability in the region, but the people of both countries can gain immensely through people-to-people contacts, revival of cross-borders sports exchanges, especially cricket and hockey and also through trade. It is high time leaders of both countries show statesmanship, forgets the bitter past and works toward a better future.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Punjab Kings create history at Eden Gardens
The electrifying chase executed by Punjab Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens in the ongoing IPL will go down in the annals of cricket history as a remarkable feat.
Powered by a blend of audacious batting display and an unshakable self-belief in their abilities, PBKS batters have achieved the highest successful run chase ever in T20 cricket. The mountainous chase orchestrated by Punjab Kings with more than an over to spare proves that no target is safe in the T20 format of the game.
PBKS’ extraordinary accomplishment of surpassing a daunting 262-run target not just transcended mere numbers, but it epitomized the team’s unwavering spirit and explosive batting prowess. If anything on Punjab Kings’ stupefying win, the imposing Howrah bridge and the tidal waves of the majestic Hooghly river running beneath it, will have plenty of tales to offer for generations.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
