Letters To The Editor

The animal husbandry department is ready with their  assigned technicians to affix a tag with a 12-digit  unique ID number inside the ears of cows to protect them  and stop their smuggling to Bangladesh. From now on,  each cow and its progency across India will get a Unique  Identification Number for tracking. And hearing this, we  don't know to laugh or cry.

In some ways, cows for Indians are like the pets in the  Western Culture. You don't see dog meat, cat meat or  even horse meat in the US, as these are the animals  people have in their homes and form a special bonding  with. For some Westerners, killing a dog for meat can be  as gruesome as killing a human for meat. In the same  way, many of us Indians formed a special bonding with  our cows, that's a true fact and we cannot deny it. But  for the selfish reason that the cows are getting  smuggled to Bangladesh is unique. If the Central govt is  facing the smuggling problem then they should engage  more security on the India-Bangladesh border but not  issuing a Aadhar card to them.

There is a proverb in Konkani "Khorpota eke kodden ani  khorpitat boltech kodden". This is just a ploy to give  respect for the "Holy cow" and nothing else. Day-by-day  our national animal Tiger is disappearing from the  forest due to smuggling of their skin, but the Govt is  not doing anything to protect them. If the BJP is  thinking that they should protect the holy cow, then  they should give a Unique Identification Number for the  cobra's also, cause some of the Hindu's worship them as  their God.

This is just an issue created by the BJP to stop beef  and nothing else. The most commonly given ethical  objection to meat-eating is that as, for most people  living in the developed world, it is not necessary for  their survival or health; slaughtering animals solely  because people enjoy the taste of meat is argued by some  to be wrong and morally unjustifiable.

Aurelio Viegas, Chinchinim/Mumbai

If we expect our government to eradicate corruption, it  is never going to happen. If we want corruption to end,  we have to start with ourselves first. Don't take and  give bribes. Don't do anything unethical. Actually  corruption has become a part of our life. Whenever we  go, we try to jump the huge queues through money power  or acquaintance. 

When we are caught violating any traffic rules, we tend  to give some money to the traffic policeman instead of  paying up and taking a receipt.  We even try to evade  paying tax by giving fake rent receipts, medical bills,  etc. There are plenty of other examples which I would  like to give. Unless and until we stop taking and paying  bribes, nobody in this world can stop corruption.

 Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai

It is understood that in order to prevent food wastage  the government was planning to fix the amount of food  being served by restaurants.  It is true that there is  wastage of food which could otherwise feed several poor  hungry people. However it must be said that people do  not waste food whenever they pay for it.

 Wastage of food could take place when the food is  served free of cost like in buffets served at wedding  receptions and parties. It is also observed that  vegetable and fruits are used as decorative items on the  buffet tables by way of vegetable and fruit carving. The  vegetables and fruits used for making flowers and other  decorative items on the buffet table may be pleasing to  the eyes but then vegetables and fruits are for eating  purpose which could have filled the stomach of at least  a few poor people. It may be argued that the quantity of  vegetables and fruits used for decoration is less. 

However given the number of buffets spreads that are  served every single day at parties and wedding  reception, the amount of food wasted in this way could  be substantial. It also shows our insensitivity towards  the plight of the poor who go to bed on an empty  stomach.

 Fresh flowers and papers flowers need to be used for  decorating the buffet table and not vegetables and  fruits carvings.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

Although we are known as an agrarian society, most of  our agricultural activities have taken a back seat due  to the technological advancements and more so because of  the lack of support of the government to provide for  basic necessities of farming. 

The claim of Fatorda farmers of restricting them water  supplies is one of such necessities curtailed. The  government must keep in mind that despite the decline in  farming there are a numerous locals dependent on farming  and base their livelihood on it. The government must  devise plans to support farmers by providing for their  needs rather than making plans to sell their land for  big projects.  Farming is the most appreciative  occupation so far as the farmer relates to mother nature  and places his or her trust in her to produce  fruitfully. Development no doubt is required but not at  the cost of the livelihood of someone else. Given the  hard hearted times where the ecosystem is not cared for,  these farmers must receive an impetus to carry on their  occupation.

Carlos Luis, Varca

The Supreme Court ban on liquor sale on highways is  confusing. In spite of the liquor ban, a person who  needs alcohol will find alcohol by hook or crook. The  logical step would be to improve  traffic enforcement to  book the offenders. 

The blanket ban has shut down thousands of long-  standing business establishments all over the country  overnight and has snatched away jobs of lakhs  of people  who were legimately employed! It has also created a huge  loss to state exchequer.

  Disagreement with the court ruling is our right but it  is to be shown by bringing out facts which may have not  been presented before the honourable Supreme Court.  For  example NCRB data for 2015 shows that drunken driving  accounted for only 2.6 percent of deaths due to road  accidents whereas 47.9 percent of the deaths were due to  over speeding.

 Closing the liquor shops on roadsides alone may not  reduce drunken driving but increase as drivers,  especially long distance truck drivers can stock liquor  beforehand and carry with them. Making the drivers aware  of dangers and encouraging them to drink more coffee to  tackle body ache and providing cheaper coffee and more  breath analyser tests and spot fines will reduce drunk  driving more than merely closing liquor shops.

Diomedes  Pereira, 

Corlim