THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Petrol price hikes
Petrol has been raised constantly, almost every day since last week. As of June 30, the litre is Rs 75.89. Now everyone finds the two/four wheelers expensive to own. The rise in petrol also affects the movement of other commodities resulting in rise of their prices. Diesel too hasn't been spared by the rise. In fact it has become more expensive than petrol. Many want to opt for bicycle, but it's ok for short distance and for the younger generation. For long distance travel, a motor vehicle is a must.
Lamented one citizen: we were promised acche din, Rs 15 lakhs to our account among many other promises in 2014 election, these promises only went flying in the wind with time and nothing has materialised. Now we are facing the brunt. With social schemes like DSS and Grihar Adhar having been withdrawn life is becoming difficult even to be stretched. Medications too is becoming difficult to maintain our health, said one sr citizen. And with pandemic playing truant, with lockdown restrictions life has become boring with no cultural activities. Who will save us?
Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo
Police brutality
The ghastly murder of father and son duo by the Tuticorin police has sent shock waves across the country. In the case of George Floyd the crime took place in broad daylight and passerby’s took video footage of the gruesome incident which went viral triggering worldwide protests. In the case of Jayaram and his son Bennix they were brutally assaulted in a police lock-up sans video cameras which could not be streamed live.
In a shocking development it has now come to light that some of the police officers in the Tuticorin custodial death case are believed to have also been involved in religious persecution and human rights violations earlier this year. Incidentally it has come to light that the same cops Ragu Ganesh and Balakrishnan and Head Constance Murugan who are believed to be responsible for the deaths of Jayaram and Bennix were also involved in brutally assaulting a Christian Pastor and eight of his members in February raising suspicion of religious overtones as both belonged to the same faith.
This raises serious questions as to whether religious freedom exists in the state of Tamil Nadu and if the state government is trying to bury the hatchet as a one off incident. The case of George Floyd resulted in Indians demanding for action. George Floyd’s death shook the conscience of the world as we all could see the video of that brutal act. If one was shown the Tuticorin father and son double murder on video with their knees being smashed with bamboo batons and the body beaten black and blue, anyone will agree that Floyd's murder is no comparison to this barbaric and savage act committed at the Sathankulam Police Station.
When police brutality resulted in the death of George Floyd in the United States, the people came onto the streets to protest which resulted in taking stringent action against the perpetrators of the crime. Do we also need a George Floyd kind of demonstrations to awaken the conscience of the authorities that things are seriously wrong and getting out of control.
Justice is not met by mere suspension and transfer of the cops. The need of the hour is to level murder charges as has been done in the case of George Floyd against the errant police officials which will act as a deterrent to the entire TN police force.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Powerful message
to China
The government’s decision to ban 59 Chinese apps must send out a powerful message to China that India will not take things lying down any longer.
Delivering a bouncer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exited social networking platform Weibo: the Chinese version of Twitter. Weibo went blank on Wednesday, with the removal of Modi’s photograph and 115 posts made over the past five years. The government cited threats to data security and India’s sovereignty as the reasons behind the move even as the clamour against Chinese goods grew louder.
Uncle Sam has also welcomed the ban on Chinese apps stating it will boost national security.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Investors are
Indians too
It's good step taken but government to ban Chinese products and it's every Indian's desire also to impact China economically by banning its products. But it should be kept in mind that those Indians who have already paid their money and invested in Chinese companies, what would be their solutions?
And those Indians who have already stoked Chinese products in their shops and warehouse, what will they do with them? Indians use 90 percent of Chinese products such as electronic goods and toys. So to ban Chinese products is not kids' stuff. Government should make any plan so that this does not harm Indians.
Shahin Ahmed, Mumbai
Cause of our
suffering
The experts and researchers across the world have now realised that the novel coronavirus is a natural virus and not a man-made phenomenon. A recent World Economic Forum report states that our broken relationship with nature has led to pandemics like coronavirus. Covid-19 is thought to have jumped from wildlife to humans. Some scientists have opined that if the coronavirus was man-made, then they would have found some traces of substances in the human bodies while conducting autopsies.
The Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi once famously said that there is enough on earth for everybody’s need, but not enough for everybody’s greed. The main cause of our suffering today is because greedy people have encroached on the forest and farming land. Forests are supposed to be the natural habitat of the animals. If humans further encroach on their habitat, then we are forcing the livestock and wildlife to live side by side with us.
Increasing contact between the humans and wildlife will expose us to animal pathogens. It is learnt that similar zoonotic diseases like Covid-19 are emerging at an alarming rate and therefore humans should realize that we have to mend our ways and protect the Mother Earth. Otherwise the societies and economies will continue to face huge negative impact as we are witnessing today. Even during the crisis of pandemic, we are seeing that our governments, both central or state, are involved in passing projects which will have severe repercussions on our country. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy.
In our state, there is still a substantial Communidade land which can be utilised for farming and other agricultural activities, which should be a matter of priority for our government. Instead of building Panchayat Ghars, samadhis and statues with the public exchequer fund, it would be more appropriate for the government to encourage community farming and invest in agricultural equipment and machinery to develop advanced farming the way it is being practised in countries like Germany, Australia, Israel and other developed countries. It is the need of the hour that our government encourages and motivates people to take up community farming, apiculture, sericulture, floriculture, horticulture, poultry, cattle rearing etc and restart agricultural economy in Goa.
The present pandemic crisis is an opportunity for our government and people to work together for sustainable development, posterity and heal our relationship with Mother Nature. Let us remember these wise words of an anonymous author '' when the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten and the last stream poisoned, you will realise that you cannot eat money."
Mary Jayne Dias Pinheiro, by email
