letters to the editor

A good 

move

Earlier this month, Members of the Goa Road Safety Forum gathered at Ponda and tied reflector belts around necks of stray cattle squatting along the road. This is a good move and should be done all over Goa, as it would prevent cattle related accidents and reduce the traffic chaos caused by the cattle in the nights. 

To avoid chaos on the roads, I urge all our Goan farmers and villagers to cooperate with the people and government authorities (such as the Goa Police force) to come forward and claim their cattle.

Aaron Fernandes, Porvorim

Censor Board 

change at the helm

A person who does his job with honesty and morality is often shunted out in this kalyug. That is what happened in the Censor Board.  Most of the cuts in general in films are at large in society’s interest - the censor board for the  same have valid reasons. It is sad that the film featuring vulgar scenes and abusive language are demanded to be passed by sick film producers in the name of reality-can you allow bedroom scenes for such reasons? 

The demand for such cheap and vulgar-abusive language films to be passed as an adult film is also absurd because even adult minds are also gullible and prone to moral corruption, which the film may perhaps spread in the society. What shocks me is that the media whole-heartedly supports the enterprise of non-didactic cinema!

Mahesh Kumar, New Delhi

The traditional 

Ashtami Fair!

The papers inform that the traditional Ashtami fair is being moved to Kala Academy. This is an ill-advised move considering that the Kala Academy is a cultural and educational venue and it should be kept as such. The fair is linked to purchases for the upcoming festival and the best place for it is its present location the DB Marg proximate to the Panjim market.

 Purchasers are then provided the convenience of the fair as well as the market to complete their buying. If traffic problems are an issue then we can bear with it since the fair is for only a week and if at all has to be shifted then move it to the Campal area either the Football Ground or the parade grounds. 

The Kala Academy environment should be allowed to remain that of an art and culture institution and not bring commercial considerations into it. But for the Lokotsav festival and fair at Kala Academy, the trend to use the venue for shopping festivals, real estate promos etc. should be stopped unless Kala Academy needs the money due to lack of funding from the government.

Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz

An opportunity 

to save Goa

It’s an indeed a heart-throbbing edit, Tomfoolery with Panjim, by Joe D’Souza dated 18th August. While going through the above-mentioned edit, it was soothing to know that there are genuine Goans who love Goa and its natural beauty. Pen is mightier than the sword, and so, such articles will certainly go a long way in enlightening the electorates. 

 As rightly and courageously stated that once a heritage city, the Panjim city has become a festering city and the electorates of Panjim constituency are solely responsible for it. There is another town down south that is Margao. It has become a den of robbers, drug peddlers and a place for anti-social activities. 

In Margao, the inter-state bus stand, the market areas, the wholesale fish market are filthy and the smell of the stench unbearable. But the electorates keep on electing the same goons who do nothing for the betterment of these towns. The story is similar in every constituency in Goa as well. And there is no doubt that the electorates are solely responsible for it. Whether it is Panjim, Vasco, Mapusa, or Margao, the politicians have succeeded in changing the equation regarding electorates. 

The outsiders rule the roost, anyone has doubt about it? The other factor is that the greed of electorates is such that they are ready to cast their votes for any candidate who gives them more cash. Goa is one of the states which has a very high literacy rate and deep religiosity. It’s irony that the electorates in Goa keep on electing goons who loot and destroy Goa and its natural beauty. Therefore every election must be an opportunity for introspection and to save Goa.

Rui Pereira, Navelim

Preventing Dengue

There has reportedly been a sudden rise in Dengue cases in Mormugao Taluka with 22 suspected cases being the current month (Herald August 18). It must be said that the sporadic rainfall with long intervals of dry spell are perfect conditions for breeding of mosquitoes. So one of the most important steps to stop the spread of the vector-borne disease is to arrest the breeding of mosquitoes. 

Fogging is an effective way in controlling proliferation of mosquitoes. The Guppies fish also play an important role in preventing the growth of the mosquito by feeding on the larvae. Specifically, one of their favorite foods of this fish is the mosquito larvae and mosquito eggs. It is understood that his tropical fish, the Guppy, is able to eat almost their total weight of mosquito larvae every day. Guppies in particular have been introduced to various parts of the world to try and help control mosquito proliferation. As a matter of fact it is understood that goldfish, which is a popular fish in fish tanks, also eat mosquito larvae.

 The local authorities need to stress on the usefulness of having guppies and goldfish in the water tanks in  homes in controlling the growth of mosquito population. Frogs and tadpoles also play an important role by feeding on full grown mosquitoes and mosquito larvae. Besides artificial methods like fogging, natural methods by having larvae eating fishes at home also need to be followed to control mosquito growth. This will go a long in preventing vector-borne diseases like Dengue, Malaria and Chikungunya.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

Panjimites need 

Parrikar

As the countdown for Panjim by-election is coming closer, we see a lot of hard campaigning against CM Parrikar but cannot see any big timers in the fray. Well as the record of last 23 years win of CM Parrikar speaks everything I don't think it's easy for anyone to defeat Parrikar because the Panjim residents including minorities forgetting the U-turns have faith in IIT candidate and his administration abilities, his simplicity which no one at present can replace. 

Secondly remember as my personal experience in politics says as this time Babush has joined GF it means another 6000 to 7000 votes will be diverted to CM Parrikar and not surprisingly Mr Mayor who is seen as Parrikar’s good friend will also divert his personal votes to Parrikar.

So according to me CM Parrikar will win by a margin of atleast 4000 to 5000 votes. 

Jerry D’Souza, Divar

Gulf jobs on 

the wane

Yes, it’s true that ‘Gulf jobs are on the wane’ as written by Gregory Fernandes in his letter dt. Aug 6. Since the oil prices crashed many people especially in the construction industry will have to return home soon as the Gulf countries themselves are struggling to survive.

So what we used to refer to as ‘Gulf jobs’ are no more the lucrative jobs that existed in the 80’s and 90’s. Whatever few jobs that exist do not pay as much and living and working conditions are very bad. 

So as we return home we look for help from the Goa Government and our new savvy NRI Commissioner to help us in setting up small business ventures and thereby reducing the already existing unemployment in the country.

Matias Lobo, Oman