SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Kudos to fire
dept officials
It is commendable that the Goa State Fire Services conducts fire extinguishing, emergency and rescue operations big or small. Recently a cow fell in a storm water drain in our village. Unable to stand and move, the poor animal remained there for two days without food or water.
Luckily, a villager who saw the animal, informed the villagers, who contacted the Fire Services. The fire department officials responded promptly. However, the big problem was that no vehicle could reach the spot. The fire force and the locals pulled out the animal manually, by cutting the bushes, clearing the path and ferried the cow to the Animal Rescue Centre for treatment. The entire operation lasted two hours. The work carried out by the Fire Department officials led by Shahid Khan and our villagers in saving the animal is laudable.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Remembering Antonio Joao Rebello
My deep sympathies to the family, soccer fraternity of Goa and India over the sudden death of ace Goan footballer, late Antonio Joao Rebello considered as the all-time great defender of Goa.
I have seen many defenders while playing for the then top teams of Goa but not a single defender has created a lasting effect on our minds. In view of this after watching best of Portugal and Goan players in fifties, I can rightly equate Menino Figueiredo of Salgaocar to late Antonio Rebello though both were dependable defenders with accurate marking of their opponents both on the ground and in the air.
When I was playing for Sesa Goa in the late sixties, Sesa hired a Bangalore coach Raman, who while discussing with us the future of Indian soccer, said Indian soccer will never develop because other than Calcutta there is no respect for the footballers across the country. In Bengal all respect and adore footballers. Citing his example, he said, “12 years after he retired from donning the colours of Mohun Bagan, he returned to Calcutta and the moment he stepped on the Railway Platform, a chaiwalla noticing him, screamed saying Raman has come back.” And jumping from his stall he kissed Raman’s feet and hugged him, others too followed the same. This gesture made Raman extremely happy and he told us that such a happiness no money can buy.”
May the soul of the late Antonio Joao Rebello rest in peace, but Goa it looks to me for the first time, gave such a vast media coverage for the deserving sportsman. During his few years of stay in Kuwait, people, who saw him playing, were enjoying his game, so much so, once or twice, a few Kuwaitis came to watch him. The English Press too provided him due coverage. Though he visited Kuwait after he passed his prime, yet spectators enjoyed watching him playing.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Women have equal rights to property
Men and women irrespective of their religion and marital status should have equal rights to the properties of the parents and ancestors. Modern women no doubt have scaled unprecedented heights in the fields of art and literature, politics, business and professional management but many women couldn’t excel may be due to exploitation by the men. Are they shouldering responsibilities at home in the same proportion, barring shopping groceries? About the inheritance of women, the Supreme Court had recently conferred daughters equal right to parent’s property. The judgement unequivocally said that women have equal rights to ancestral property, irrespective of any cut-off period. Women's liberalisation will remain a myth till important issues are not addressed especially in the rural and far flung areas of the country and hence education is the only weapon if it is available to female in every nook and corner of the country then only we will see major transformation and also upliftment of women socially and economically and raise their status.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Execution of death convicts
A few days ago, the Supreme Court Bench may have asked the Centre to suggest alternate means for a more dignified and less painful method to carry out death sentences, taking into consideration today’s medical science and technological advancements. But no optional stately methods towards snuffing out a person’s life can be a moral justification against execution, as any form of execution is barbaric and inhumane. Viewed in a broader perspective therefore, the only answer is to do away with capital punishment, which many countries follow. Also laws in these countries allow life sentences for murder that severely limit or eliminate the possibility of parole. Execution of death convicts deterring certain amount of murders has been thoroughly discredited by social science research. And such a thing falsely convinces the public that the government has taken effective measures to combat crime and homicide. Capital punishment is a remorseless remnant of an uncivilised society. It is immoral in principle and unfair and discriminatory in practice.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Vehicles ‘falling victims’ to Smart City works
The spree of heavy vehicles falling victims to Smart City works in Panjim continues as on Tuesday the rear tyre of a truck got stuck after a road caved in along the 18 June Road. Though the road is completely closed for traffic the truck reportedly belonged to the contractor who is executing the road infrastructure work at the site. Incidentally, this is the eighth such incident reported in the capital city since February 6. It remains to be seen how many of such incidents take place as digging is carried out on most roads. It may be recalled that in one of the incidents, four workers were injured and had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. Be that as it may, it comes as a surprise that most trucks that have been involved in such incidents belonged to the contractors as the roads are closed to the general traffic. Someone should bear the responsibility. The contractors should be the ones, who are in the know of the location of the digging activities that are taking place. These contractors should warn the truck drivers not to drive on the roads which are likely to cave in. It is entirely the responsibility of the contractors to avoid such incidents.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Prashasan Tumchya Dari? Why in Marathi?
Goa attained Statehood on May 30, 1987 and the then Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu passed a Legislation making Konkani as official language of Goa on February 4, 1987. Since then the State Official Language is Konkani. So why the State Government is using Marathi “Prashasan Tumchya Dari”? Why not in official language Konkani as “Sorkar Tumchya Darant”?
Tarquino De Souza, Vasco
