02 Aug 2021  |   05:18am IST

Letters to the editor (02 August 2021)

Letters to the editor (02 August 2021)

Govt’s democratic manipulation 

Latest Goa Government offer is ‘don’t work hard’ and get your own land/home? Migrants please ‘come to Goa, trespass, encroach Goan land illegally, break laws criminally, promise your vote to the respective MLA and own your own home legally?

All the Goa Government ruling politicians are only interested is in how to win the next election, they are not bothered about huge negative cost to Goa, Goans, its land, environment and identity.

Arwin Mesquita, Colva


Teaching, politics no match

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has already ruled that academic institutions are required to be kept away from politics. The Court held that a person in employment of an educational institution was required not to have any political association or connection whatsoever while in service.

While holding that a teacher’s role is to impart education to students in an impartial manner and that if a teacher is actively associated with any political party it may hamper the educational atmosphere of a school, the Court had observed that if a teacher was actively associated with a political organisation, the political ideas may influence the teaching. While ruling that education should be kept away from politics, the High Court held that the educational field should not be allowed to be polluted in any manner by bringing in politics.

“There are some institutions which are required to be kept away from politics and an academic institution is one of such institutions” the Judges had observed.

Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar


Cleaning Goa’s mentality

Goa denies deaths due to oxygen shortage. Oxygen shortage means non-availability of oxygen to patients at the required flow rates and concentration when the latter needed the same. The deposition before the HC in Goa by the GMC Dean cannot be ignored.

This constant denial and the inability of those in power to rectify the same is the biggest insult to those who lost their lives for this very reason. Why? Is this the type of governance we want? 

The death due to the PWD tree cutting at Nuvem, those from electrocution by the Electricity Dept, we seem to not want accountability.

Why? Why is this ‘fear’ of admitting the truth and not punishing the perpetrators so acceptable to all of us? Because we ‘know’ some person involved and does not wish to punish him? This is dangerous because someone or the other will have some connection.

The sad rape in Benaulim exposed the possibility of a politician trying to shield one of the arrested. Similar case when one innocent person was attacked at Rawanfond: what happened to that case? 

The Press does not publish or follow up with such matters: they connive to let it rest: why? They too ‘know’ the perpetrators and play God? This attitude is the cause for the current law and order: we then shout from the rooftops.

R Fernandes, 

Margao


Protect judges’ life

The CCTV visuals showing Dhandbad Additional District and Session Judge Uttam Anand being fatally run over from behind by an autorickshaw in Jharkhand while on his morning walk, is deeply disturbing.

The vehicle suddenly veering towards the judge indicates that the murder was pre-planned. The judge was hearing two high-profile murder cases - one on the theft of coal - and had rejected a gangster's bail plea. The shocking incident highlights the professional hazards of the judges' fraternity, and there is a dire need to protect judges' lives.

N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru


Secure the judges

Knowing well that many judges prefer to be left alone most of the times, the hit and run murder of Dhanbad additional district and sessions judge Uttam Anand is shocking. It has sent a dangerous message to the judiciary. So far judges were not physically harmed for the verdicts they gave in a courtroom except for a very few instances. Assuming Uttam Anand was killed for reasons other than personal, the incident is a chilling warning to the top echelons of judiciary that the life of a judge is no more foolproof. 

The judge is said to have rejected the bail application of an unwanted element who was close to a former legislator. He was also seized of some important criminal matters pertaining to the Dhanbad mafia. The jurisdictional police presumed the judge was hit by an unknown vehicle. They did not care to go deep into the matter. Even after the video of the incident went viral, it is said the police were in two minds about registering a case of murder. They were 'waiting' for a formal complaint from the judge’s family. Were they under pressure? 

Some time was lost before the two auto drivers were apprehended. Police say they are further investigating. But the alacrity with which the legal fraternity took stock of the situation was commendable. Senior lawyers repeatedly made references in the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice of India spoke to Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice. It was only after that things really started moving. Ideally a high court monitored probe has to be undertaken. It was appropriate that top ranking police officials were in attendance at the courtroom of Jharkhand chief justice to explain the course of the investigation. The murder should be proned from all angles, and the culprits have to be quickly nabbed. 

Ganapathi Bhat, Akola


Help students of illiterate parents

Since the pandemic commenced last year, globally the education system has gone for a toss. Lakhs of Indian students belonging to the middle or low-income groups are more severely affected due to prohibitive cost of laptops, smart phones, lack of/no Internet facilities, erratic power supply, irregular transport to attend if classes are held off-line and so forth. To add these woes their parents may have lost their jobs, not got their salary, taken a pay cut or closed their trade and business.

Despite these hurdles most urban and rural students manage to study due to the encouragement of their parents and dedicated teachers. The students with educated parents have an advantage for they could be kept busy in some activities and also be home tutored. But it is pitiable to see the conditions of semi-illiterate and illiterate parents whose children do not have the luxury of discussing their lessons or obtain help with assignments doled out by the teachers.  

Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem


Mirabai Chanu's incredible journey

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has become the first Indian to win a medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. While her achievement was celebrated in a grand fashion as she came back to India with the medal, her pictures at home have gone viral on the social media.

The photo showed the Olympic silver medallist at her humble abode in Manipur, enjoying a plate of rice and some vegetable, as she sat on a cemented floor, in a tiny room with unpainted walls wooden shelves and with no chairs in sight. This picture must have sent chills down the spine of many Indians.

Poverty should not be an excuse not to achieve one’s dream. The weightlifter is reportedly known for commanding exceptional strength since she was a child and would carry massive bundles of firewood back home from the forest. The star performer has seen a lot of failures in life. Her journey in the 2016 Rio Olympics was an absolute disaster. But her never-say-die attitude has kept her going on which ultimately brought her glory in the form of an Olympic medal.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco


IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar