TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024
Is Modi residing in the past?
Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister, more often than not seems to reside in the past. The other day he raised the issue of the Sardar Sarovar Dam blaming the 'urban' Naxals for spreading disinformation about its supposed benefits. This agitation at its peak dates back 20 years though the dam was formally inaugurated by Modi himself in 2017. It is not only this but Modi's favourite whipping horses are Nehru and Indira Gandhi who are both dead and gone some 60 years and 40 years ago respectively. Thus you find him mostly living in the past.
Maybe he does this deliberately to avoid the problems that he sees around him in the present. The unmanageable economy, a currency that lately has taken to fly higher and higher against the US Dollar, raging unemployment particularly among women, law and order issues with increasing crimes against women that continue unabated.
If one analyses this it is but natural for Modi to try and live in the past and blame everyone but himself for the quagmire of problems that the country is facing today, though he has been Prime Minister close to 10 years now. Thus if his penchant is avoidance and he has a preference for the past, it is best that come 2024 we also relegate Modi to the pages of forgotten history.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
Fear of kidnapping of children
The scare of kidnapping of school children has worried institutions across Goa prompting managements of various schools to issue advisories to parents and students.
The Goa Police department too has sent communication to all police stations to intensify police patrolling in and around school and college areas. However, the police officials have asked parents and students not to panic but to take necessary precautions in order to avoid any such incidents. Precautions like not letting their children wander alone, not to go with any other persons except their parents and not to take lift from any unknown vehicles.
It is pertinent to note that there have been several incidents of kidnapping of children taking place in other States across the country. Many of them are kidnapped for their internal organs like liver and kidney which are sold.
In what appears to be a fall out of the fear of kidnapping of children, an irate crowd on Tuesday reportedly thrashed a man after accusing him of attempting to kidnap a minor boy in Vasco before handing him to the police. A video of the incident went viral on Social Media. After a medical check-up it was opined by the doctors that the man was mentally unstable. It seemed improper for the public to take law in their hands and beat up the person. They should have handed him to the cops initially.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Cheetahs and leopards
In the past week, we saw widespread Government publicity on the re-introduction of cheetahs to India by bringing eight of them from Namibia. While I am not critical of the latter, I find it extremely hypocritical that on one hand the government is all out with the cheetah propaganda and on the other hand, the government destroying the habitats of wild animals currently facing threat to their survival; like for example the leopards and others.
Take for example the un-necessary second airport at Mopa where large habitats of these wild animals are seriously affected/destroyed permanently and one can only imagine that with such destructive development, how we are pushing many wild animals to extinction.
The other example is the Goa government's continued persistence to continue to look at ways to set up power transmission lines, construct roads and rail tracks through wildlife sanctuaries and forests; mainly to favour coal transportation. The government's intention looks more like a "cheetah propaganda" for promoting itself than actual/general concern for the animals.
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Vital to catch breast malignancy early
The month of October is special because it will be observed as the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Contrary to general perception, breast cancer is a disease that is completely curable if the diagnosis is made at the right time. The situation is quite tricky in small places, especially in villages, where women do not tend to report to doctors early. A high index of suspicion is very vital to catch an early breast malignancy.
Women must be taught the art of palpating or examining their own breasts. In this context, the role of local doctors is of paramount importance as they have to spot the disease and refer the patients to specialists. Irrespective of the stage, breast cancer treatment is a long drawn process that tires the patient and their relatives physically, mentally and financially.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy, two key treatment modalities apart from surgery, have to be used judiciously by the doctors. A gap in treatment, disobeying the advice of the treating doctor, is like a loose cycle chain, and the patient may be deprived of the benefit of the entire treatment they may have received till that point in time. Treatments have their own side effects and, therefore, the treating doctors require an amazing level of patience. They also need unstinted cooperation from the latter.
Breast cancers are known to run in families and if a mother or a sister is affected by the disease, it is imperative for the daughter and other sisters to undergo basic tests like mammography, which is an X-ray of the breast, as per the oncologist's advice.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Gehlot and Congress president elections
A cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over the candidature of Ashok Gehlot for the Congress presidential polls. Gehlot is not opposed to giving up chief ministership but is averse to passing on the baton to his detractor and former deputy Sachin Pilot. Instead, he is keen to hand over the reins to any of his loyalists, which has embarrassed the leadership. With the deadline for filing nominations fast approaching and only Shashi Tharoor and Pawan Bansal collecting the nomination forms for the October 17 election, don’t be surprised if the Gandhis pick another contender.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Right advice by CM Stalin
Chief Minister M K Stalin's advice to his party workers to be careful not to fall a prey to the designs of the 'poisonous communal forces' that use all tricks to get a toehold in Tamil Nadu by distorting and selectively quoting the speeches made by DMK office-bearers, Ministers and other leaders is very timely and appreciable.
Looking at what all is happening after the DMK came to power, it appears as if it is only to create law and order problem in the State by vested interests particularly, the religious fanatics and the communal minded elements and to give a bad name to the ruling DMK dispensation.
Right from the day Stalin assumed office as Chief Minister, we have found him to be approaching every issue very carefully and calmly but firmly. He is also well aware of the vicious and poisonous web that is being spun around his government by the disgruntled and power hungry elements.
There is no doubt that the power hungry elements do all this unable to digest the fact that Stalin and his government are becoming popular not only in Tamil Nadu but in all the other States as well.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
