letters to the editor

Neha Bahuguna was only 23 when she overdosed on Angeldust at an EDM in Goa. An irreplaceable child lost due to our willful negligence; yes ours! The Herald carried a front page piece stating that the tourism minister wanted to "make Goa a destination for music" read EDMs, as per his earlier statement, inviting huge scale raves back to Goa after a year long hiatus. EDMs are another word for Massive Drug Parties, a European import, where youngsters pop a pill and dance unabated for hours on end.

Kudos to Vinod Palyekar for calling for a stop to the same, likewise to Parrikar for stating he would ban anything fundamentally illegal. This is a terrible, unethical and truly sickening idea, Mr Azgaonkar! A vast number of Goans may have been through the mandatory conscription into the drug world but it doesn't mean we must subject current and future generations to the same.

Massive Drug Parties or (MDPs) will require an equally massive influx of drugs, drug dealers, mules, even manufacturing facilities. More overdoses, more instances of violent crimes, perhaps even sociopathic mass murders like those now commonplace in the US. Sure, millennials may claim the hippie scene has not scarred Goa that badly, but we have surrendered pure diamonds to be used as gravel, paving the road for strangers to profane and despoil what was once Holy Soil...am I the only one who sees this, Goa?

Chris Fernandes, Miramar

It was reported in the newspapers that a Central Minister ostensibly related to Animal Husbandry has said that the government will put up cow sanctuaries on the lines of tiger sanctuaries across India. The minister has probably no earthly idea why tigers need sanctuaries or where tigers stand in relation to the jungle food chain. An interesting dichotomy will emerge if the tiger sanctuaries are contiguous to cow sanctuaries and if the tigers stray across and eat some cows because they are 'easy meat'. Then our present dispensation would probably kill the tiger and with one cow at least already dead, should we not have just killed the cow after its useful life. This would have had at least saved the tiger.

This concept of saving the cow and the methods being mooted are absolutely illogical. We should be practical in these matters. The cow is a domesticated animal and is best protected in a closed environment like a gaushala or better still as part of a dairy. So the minister should try and establish a co-operative movement or fit it in with the existing dairy industry like call in the management of Amul, the largest and most successful of the co-operative dairies in India, and have them institute an integrated complex where cows apart from giving milk for distribution are also looked after once their useful life is over with the profits that they have generated in the past.

If the scheme of mooting cow sanctuaries is to make money like Lalu did with fodder in Bihar and the same thing was repeated in Maharashtra lately when the amounts given for feeding cattle in camps during famine was siphoned off by the officials and politicians, then there is nothing much to say.

Srinivas Kamat, Alto St. Cruz

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj deserves all compliments for announcing bilingual passports in Hindi in future in tune with other countries where in many countries passports are issued only in official language of the respective countries. Earlier she expressed her commitment for assuring passports within 50 kms of residence of the person applying for the passport.

However, giving concession of ten per cent in passport fees for children below eight years and senior citizens above 60 years is not needed because a passport is issued for a ten-year long period, and such a concession may not practically give any appreciable relief to the beneficiaries, while on the other hand it may unnecessarily reduce revenue-receipt for the exchequer.

Madhu Agrawal, Delhi 

Herald’s report on Goan Football needs to be looked at by the GFA with an open mind and not with a defensive stance. The report brings out issues like:

1. Formerly most National Clubs featured Goan players; now they are replaced by NE players

2. The National Teams - different age groups - have none or few Goan players. Ditto the ISL teams

3. With only one Goan team in the I-League, there will be even less exposure for Goan talent

4. Wages of Goan players are being dropped since teams are not participating in the I-League.

5. The GFA President says Goan Football is robust and the Goa League will be of a longer duration; problem solved.

The GFA President does not address the first 4 points. A mere increase in the duration of the League does not satisfy the players. He says there is huge scope to improve our own football but does not spell it out. GFA does not acknowledge that even before the present status, football standard and Goan players’ presence in National scene had dwindled. GFA is in a denial stance. The future looks bleak and the football talent in Goa is worried.

As President, he has a commitment to the GFA member players. He must call for a meeting and address the players and allay their fears -- if he feels there are no fears - on the present scenario and invite their points on their fears/views/aspirations and provide a roadmap on the future.

Does he have one? Then spell it out. There are ways to counter the present situation. The first step is to have a blank slate; take an oath to ban factions/favoritism/politics and have unity of all people A to Z from Ambelim to Zambaulim. The next is to hire a Goan who knows and loves Goa and has worked in a Managerial capacity.

R. Fernandes, Margao

Hats off to FC Goa and Zico. Sad to hear Zico is leaving. He added glitz and glam to Goan football and helped bring it on par with international football. Seven years ago who could have dreamt such a thing was even possible. Except perhaps for a few Yogis. Carriers of the Vision. Just when it seemed no one could **** with FC Goa they let us down at the second ISL League. Save for the little fracas involving Elano, a naughty little jalapeño, FC Goa did pretty well at the second ISL League. Wishing FC Goa all the best.

Vinay Rodrigues, Margao