11 Sep 2018 | 06:04am IST
Letters to the Editor
The news of mystery man in Dona Paula and a burqa-clad man in Margao gives a shout out to us to remain alert and safe. Not that we must confine ourselves to a closet but rather be cautious of our acts and be prudent. Given the scary incidences occurring on a regular basis, we tend to lose trust even on our relatives.
At this point of time we need to reinvent our relationships which are tampered by the modern day communication gadgets and social networking sites. Spend more time offline with your friends around, giving them your time and energy. Because relationships grow stronger when you sacrifice oneself for the other. This will create a stronger well knit community.
Social networking sites may get us connected with our friends in distant areas, and to stay connected to them is also important. But we must learn to connect with those around us because they at present make our society. So learning to adjust, responding to those around us, will harmonize our life and help it better awkward situations.
The society may not produce such mystery man thereafter. Even if there are we will be able to stay alert and stay safe.
Many of us take freedom for granted, we hardly recognise the sacrifices of our soldiers. It is because of our brave soldiers who gave their lives for our country that we are able to sleep peacefully. In spite of the personal loss in their lives, it is heartening to see mothers of these soldiers who lost their children becoming empowered in the aftermath of the death of their spouses.
From a shaky beginning, they have developed as entrepreneurs with independent identities, taking care of finances of the family and becoming the pillar of strength for their children. Every war has its casualties on either sides. But, ultimately, there are no winners.
The rough terrain and high altitude make any war in the Himalayan region difficult and the loss of life is indeed cruel reminder of this. India is a peace loving country and successive governments are following the same principle. However if someone forces a war on us, we have to protect our country. This was done in Kargil and earlier wars.
Let us hope that war now becomes a thing of the past with no possibility of war in future on the battlefield and peace does prevail in the region.
Kudos to Claude Alvares and Goa Foundation for taking Parrikar to task as they did ex-Salazar wannabe Parsekar, for the shameful mining lease renewal scam. Parsekar actually had the nerve to mock Claude, even though he himself had brought grief and heartache to all Goans with his blurb-ridden, civil rights stomping reign of shame. Claude Alvares and his wife Norma are true pinnacles of Goemkarponn, nay Earthponn and their diligent works for the sake of righteousness have earned them respect, awards and postings at the Supreme Court.
Parsekar, on the other hand should have been pulled up from his first week when he sanctioned a Rs 50 lakh face lift for the CM's residence, when police quarters all over Goa are decrepit and near - condemned.
His mismanagement of the IPB and its infamous coconut - grass law to benefit the red category liquor factory are as yet to be probed and punished as is his slap in the face to the ACB when he overruled their open and shut case against his bribe-taking brother-in-law.
This man claims that Claude is a busy body and basically should mind his own beeswax and let the doyens of the high seas loot and plunder with abandon as they please, as corruption and ineptitude are their apparent birthright. Someday Goans will look back at our shameful past and wonder how we tolerated such retarded leaders in office instead of giving them concrete boots and letting them swim with the formalin fishes. Kudos to the young guns at Revolutionary Goans for following in the big footsteps of Claude Alvares, you make us and your ancestors proud.
A school teacher in Odisha reportedly received 1001 saplings of ornamental and fruit-bearing trees as gifts on his wedding day. For weddings in Goa it is customary for the guests to hand over gifts to the couple getting married. However many a times the guests are in a dilemma over what wedding gift to present.
At the end of the day, the newly wedded couple could end up with things that are of no use to them as also the same kind of gift from different guests. That is probably the reason why, many a times, the phrase “No Presents Please” is printed on the invitation card. It would thus be in the fitness of things for the guests to gift the couple with potted saplings of ornamental, flower-bearing and fruit-bearing trees.
The fruit bearing saplings when planted will be a symbol of the new beginning in life for the married couple. As the trees grow and bear fruits, it will be symbolic of the growing family and a memory of their wedding day. The ornamental and flower bearing plants will beautify their home. At official functions too, potted saplings need to be presented to the guests instead of bouquets which, many a times, are wrapped in plastic. Potted plants can also make for a good birthday present. This is one way of spreading greenery which is the need of the hour in order to save the environment.
The rise in petrol and diesel prices has burnt a hole in the pocket of the consumer. The Indian consumer has been hit by a double whammy, namely, rising crude prices and a falling rupee. The Indian rupee has been the worst performing currency among the emerging market currencies. The rupee has depreciated by Rs 2.5 in a month and has been depreciating since the beginning of this year.
The Prime Minister needs to ask his ministers why the production of crude oil has declined under his watch? He should find out the most rational answer to this situation to lessen the dependence on oil as a source of energy.
The Central and States governments should accept a demand for bringing under the GST so that there is one uniform price throughout the country irrespective of their source of a robust income.
