27 Jan 2022  |   04:44am IST

Letters to the editor ( 27 January 2022)

Why have a Lokayukta at all?

The Kerala government is set to amend the State Lokayukta Act through an ordinance to prevent any verdict of the anti corruption agency being binding on the State. The amendment ensures that the report of the lokayukta can be summarily rejected by the Chief Minister or Governor after giving an opportunity of being heard. 

Closer home in Goa, the governor has dismissed on 'technical grounds' five cases referred to him by the lokayukta; the issues pertaining to corruption, failure to deliver services and misuse of public funds were pending for the past three years. The lacunae cited was that the lokayukta statute was silent on how the governor should proceed under the Act against the accused public functionaries; the State government on its own had failed to take action on any of the cases recommended for fear that the proceedings would have an adverse impact on its poll prospects. 

Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim


A sincere appreciation

The Constitution of our country bestows/allows every individual the basic right to practise his or her own religion. All Indians more so Goans live in harmony despite having differences in culture, creed, caste, religion, etc. All religions teach humans to forgive, forget the past hurts and live in total harmony with one another. People practise different faiths and follow different religions but there is only one true God who is the master of all mankind. 

The write up ‘Sancoale Church controversy planned to disrupt harmony’ by Olavo Albuquerque (Herald, Jan 19) shows the clear history of Sancoale Church with all needed proofs. I thank Dr Olav sincerely for all his efforts.

May it enlighten the minds of every Goan and the leaders at large.

Vasudev Bhatale, Bicholim


Hail the Padma awardees

The Union government’s decision to confer the Padma Vibhushan, posthumously to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh and General Bipin Rawat, who hailed from Uttarakhand and was India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, appears to be a well-calibrated move ahead of the Assembly elections. The government also announced the names of classical vocalist Prabha Atre and Gita Press founder Radheysham Khemka for the second-highest civilian award.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, actor Victor Banerjee, Microsoft CEO Satya Narayana Nadella, Alphabet CEO Sundararajan Pichai and Communist veteran Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (who rejected the award) are among 17 Padma Bhushan awardees. Neeraj Chopra, who bagged a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, was conferred with a Padma Shri and a PVSM award.

N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru


How many doses will we need?

This has reference to the report ‘Israeli expert panel advises 4th vaccine for adults’ (Herald, January 26, 2022). While India is still on the way to having the second dose administered to the adult population, Israel is already suggesting the Fourth Vaccine dose for their adults. Their reasoning being, it provides three to five times the level of protection against serious disease and doubles the protection against infection compared to three doses. Be that as it may, the question is where are we heading, what is life going to be in the future?

After the fourth dose are we going to need a fifth and sixth dose in order to provide further protection? The situation is indeed frightening. What is the truth, nobody seems to know or nobody wants to tell?

It appears we are going to be at the mercy of the huge pharmaceutical industry. They seem to be laughing all the way to the Bank while the people will be crying all the way to the crematorium!

Melville X D'Souza, Mumbai


Preserve religious harmony in Goa

This has reference to the feature article ‘Sancoale Church controversy planned to disrupt harmony’ written by Olavo Albuquerque on Herald of Jan 19, 2022. I appreciate Olavo Albuquerque for his timely write-up on a sensitive topic that was the talk of town on the eve of the feast of Goa’s Patron Saint Joseph Vaz at Sancoale.

The detailed article has put to rest the false claims made by certain people as to the existence of a temple at the site where stood the centuries old church of Our Lady of Good Health from 1606 and now all that remains is its frontal facade. From the facts and figures highlighted in the said article it is crystal clear that there was no Laxmi Narasimha temple in existence then and neither is the land in possession of any individual or family. The Fabrica of the church of Sancoale in the Archdiocese of Goa is the sole proprietor of the land and the 7 properties surrounding the church.

It appears that some disgruntled elements are trying to misguide people with fabricated lies to create disharmony and disturb the peace among the two major communities in the name of religion. The fact remains that at no point of time now or in future can we change the historical facts to suit our whims and fancies and put forth false claims with an ulterior intent. The simple truth is, history cannot be changed to suit anyone’s purpose.  We need to be vigilant so that the peace and religious harmony prevailing among the people in our State of Goa is not disturbed by handful elements to fulfil their hidden agenda. 

Daniel F de Souza, 

Vasco da Gama


Padma awards for political patronage?

A cursory perusal of this year's Padma awards makes it amply clear that they are merely a means of political patronage and recompense for toeing the line of the present dispensation. A deceased top soldier with no known record of valour in wartime and a Hindutva poster boy whose only achievement was overseeing the demolition of a religious structure have been conferred with the highest peacetime award for contribution to 'public affairs'. A seer from the dominant religious sect, a politician from the opposition and a career bureaucrat have been bestowed the Padmas not for any public accomplishments but for keeping the saffron flag flying high. 

An ex CM of Bengal has refused the Padma Bhushan, two prominent musicians from the same State have similarly declined the Padma Shri; these awards have lost all their glory and are merely tools of government largesse to win over political opponents or make them more amenable to extant sarkari laws and ideology. 

Rekha Sarin, Benaulim


Self medication is self destruction

It has become a tendency nowadays for people to go for self medication as many fear going to the hospitals or clinics fearing corona infection and also as it helps them to save money. On the other hand many are unaware and ignorant that this method can lead to severe health issues and hazards. Self medication for minor issues can later lead to severe health complications. 

What people forget is that there is a vast difference between medicine consumed with the medical practitioner’s prescription and the one the individual himself 'prescribes' for his health issue. They will be unaware of the right dosage and duration of consuming the right medicine and therefore not taking it without a doctor’s advice can later cause severe health issues. 

Especially at a time when a fatal pandemic has set its deadly tentacles on every body's life it is better to consult a doctor to diagnose illness rather than self treating it. Even 'covid home test kits' now available in the medical stores for the common man to check himself  experts say, cannot be fully trusted as sometimes results can be inaccurate and a 'false negative' can spell a health hazard to the individual and the society. 

M Pradyu, Kannur


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