National flag, pride of our nation
The government had started a campaign Har Ghar Tiranga from Aug 13 to 15 and the whole country responded as it was a national pride to hoist our national flag on top of houses and business establishments but after three days the flag is still on top of houses and even vehicles and other places which should have been lowered after 3 days and kept in a safe place as per flag rules and regulations and norms in place.
I request all the public to view the You Tube videos to understand the flag norms like how to fold the flag and how to keep it this should be known by all our Indian brethren as it is an offence if we insult our National flag by mishandling.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
A rare flower with
lasting fragrance
August 26, 2022 marks the 112th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa served the poor not because they needed her, but because God called her to work in India. She was obedient to God’s call and to her social conscience. She called herself, “a pencil in God’s hand.” What she meant was that she was simply God’s instrument and did only his bidding, relying on his providence to provide for her order and for the poor.
In the words of Charles Dickens, “Nature gives every time and every season some beauties of its own from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave is, but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress.”
Mother Teresa is like a beautiful flower with a never ending fragrance. For Mother, her works came not from the strength of her intellect, but of the great power and love she had in her heart. Well over two decades have passed since Mother Teresa died, her mission of love – unconditional and self-sacrificing – continues in homes and centres worldwide. “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.” The world still uses this quote of Mother Teresa to drive home the message that discrimination against people with leprosy is a violation of human rights.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Let us pay heed to Sadhguru’s call
Did Goa, India’s most literate State need Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation to remind us of the dire need to save our soil? Given the current grim state of the basic infrastructure, it would be prudent for the Government not to allow the construction of any further residential complexes.
Lack of proper planning with a mushrooming of environmentally incompatible new constructions all over without the much needed infrastructure, has landed Goa in chaos. With political blessings, the real estate mafia has swiftly enriched itself multifold while leaving the common man to face the brunt of their misdeeds. The State has been unable to provide adequate water and power supply. While there is no proper sewerage system in place, the garbage management has also reached a point of crisis. The colossal environmental degradation that Goa has been witnessing over the years by way of rampant destruction of hills, fragmentation of pristine vegetated verdant landscapes and ruthless chopping of trees is finally showing the impact of interference in Goa’s age old natural ecosystems.
If those in power do not take urgent corrective, well planned and sustainable measures to save the natural ecosystems, the god gifted landscape, the eco-sensitive beaches, sand dunes, khazans, wetlands, salt pans, the last remaining hills and farms, the orchards, rivers, estuaries, lakes, ponds, springs, fountains of Goa for protecting our ecology, we will soon have a catastrophic disaster.
Goa has been a beautiful accident of history endowed with abundant resources. But the rampant greed of those in power has brought our State to a point of grave environmental crisis.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Triple whammy for
tiatr fraternity
It is learnt that staging tiatrs and cultural programmes at the Ravindra Bhavan hall in Margao will take a big hit with all bookings in the main auditorium being suspended till further order due to technical fault of the centralised air-conditioning system. Incidentally it is understood that the standby air-conditioner had also been damaged several months ago. This seems like a triple whammy for the tiatr fraternity in the state.
The 130-year-old tiatr industry had to suffer for nearly two years in the wake of a total shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is learnt that nearly 80 per cent of the artistes who are fully dependent on this performing art had to struggle for survival. Then the tiatr fraternity lost three stalwarts of the Konkani stage namely, Fr Neville Gracias, tragedy king Mario Menezes and one of the most popular tiatrists, comedian Selvy.
Closure of the Ravindra Bhavan main auditorium at Margao, the Pai Tiatrist Hall comes as a third blow when things appeared to be settling down for the tiatrists. This comes on the heels of Panjim’s Kala Academy and Vasco’s Ravindra Bhavan also being closed for renovation or repair works. Tiatr lovers will also be hit hard as they will not be able to watch the shows. The authorities concerned need to set things right on a war footing so that Goans are not denied of this most popular form of entertainment.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Forget the past and
work for the future
Finally, the noise that was created by the Election of the Panchayats and then election of the Sarpanchas and their Deputies concluded peacefully. With this, will our local Panchayats render to us the clean administration and efficient services whenever we approach them or will there be the same unwanted ugly look by the Sarpanchas and arrogance by the counter persons in handling of our problems?
Because of their poor public relationship with the locals at the Panchayat counters and Sarpanchas in their undeserving offices, the locals coming there to obtain some services are treated with disdain. The arrogance indicated by those who directly come into contact with the locals seeking the services should be stopped with immediate effect.
These employees are known to give a fearful welcome as disclosed by our local MLA 5 years back saying “people are afraid to come to the Panchayat mainly because of the arrogance of a Sarpanch” referring to one Panchayat in his constituency.
And now two days back the same MLA in his speech spoke totally differently in praise of his earlier foe and his victorious team. For smooth functioning of our Panchayats, there should not be revenge by the newly elected sarpanchas. The past should be forgotten, however, bad it may be for the good of the future.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Laudable scheme
by Stalin
It is really laudable that Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to all the 234 legislators of the State to list long pending demands in their constitution and send to the respective Collectors for urgent redressal of the same. This is indeed a novel and pioneering scheme proposed by a chief minister for the first time, in the interest of the people of all constituencies including those represented by the opposition legislators.
Invariably every day we find the chief minister announcing innovative plans to make Tamil Nadu the number one State in the country. He doesn’t just stop with the announcement of schemes but takes pain to follow the manner in which they are implemented by making surprise visits.
Anna Mary Yvonne, Chennai