16 Oct 2017 | 05:17am IST
letters to the editor
Konkani tiatr and Konkani films will now come under the purview of the Goods and Service Tax (GST). This can severely affect this industry. Tiatr has for long been the popular form of entertainment for the average Goans.
The directors of Konkani tiatrs have kept the rate of tickets at a nominal price so as not to burden the common man and to popularize Konkani. Presenting a tiatr involves a lot of expenditure. This includes hall booking, paying the artistes, musicians, stage setting, lights, transport, etc.
The director could be making a nominal profit and if there is a poor crowd response, even suffer a loss. Nevertheless the directors have kept the show going because of their love for this form of art.
Now several even film directors have come forward to produce Konkani movies. GST will also affect these film directors. Producers of Konkani films enjoyed a 25% entertainment tax waiver from the state government. Under GST regime this tax exemption may not be possible. Accounting and filing of returns will now be an extra burden for the directors.
The increase in expenses for the director as a result of GST will obviously have to be passed over to the tiatr goers by increasing the price of the tickets. This may dissuade several Goan specially, those belonging to the lower income groups, from going to watch the tiatr. In the long run this could deal a body blow to the industry.
The government needs to come to the rescue of the industry in any way possible. The show must go on.
Why no Goans
in U-17 World Cup
India’s ouster from the Under-17 World Cup has broken the hearts of million of Indian football fans all over the world but a few questions are yet to be answered.
The non-inclusion of a single Goan player in the team is one of the main mystery which the fans need an explanation as we have a lot of Goan clubs who invest in trainings much more than other states so the question is how the whole selection process was done for the last two years or was it done without the knowledge of GFA or GFDC who are spending crores of public money.
The next question is about the Indian team coach who is a Portuguese national who did not see any potential in Goan players after he took over six months ago.
The players focused more on individual talent than the team work again the coach needs to answer. Lastly why were there so many North-Eastern players in Team India?
Was there any Baichung Bhutia influence who did the selection before the new coach took over six months ago sidelining the Goan talent.
These are all questions which we as Goan football fans have the right to know as we lost a golden opportunity to shine where the FIFA handed this opportunity to host the World Cup.
It refers to Union Tourism Minister KJ Alphons on October 10 in New Delhi on side-lines of an event to announce Blind-walk 2017 proposing Union government to make eye-donation compulsory, with presently just 45000 making eye-donations annually in a country of 130 crores.
Idea though good in intention, but is not practical.
Best remedy can be eye-donation being made compulsory in all deaths being in recognised hospitals (private and government).
Rather another noble concept of body donation much-needed for medical research and in some cases for transplantation of body parts may be made compulsory to start with in deaths occurring government-hospitals.
Many eminent personalities like Captain Laxmi Sahgal, Anil Biswas, Vishnu Prabhakar and Jyoti Basu opted their bodiesbe given to medical colleges.
Such ideal of body-donation after death can and should be popularised and adopted in practice by giving state-honours only to those departed leaders who may have donated their dead bodies for medical education.
Commoners usually follow the trend set by political leaders. Once the phenomenon is made compulsory for leaders, people will follow thus making human-bodies available in plenty for medical research and education.
Good or bad, the
liberation of Goa
Actually demographically there are lot of changes in Goa after liberation from Portuguese but still many people are not happy with the present ruling. There were hardly any crimes, murder, robbery, rapes and other illegalities during Portuguese rules in Goa. The criminals, robbers, rapists were punished when caught, and jailed for several years with severe punishment.
The people were not afraid to keep their doors and windows open during day as well as during night .The people could sleep peacefully without any fear of above mentioned crimes.
Only one or two policemen could control entire area with huge crowd in comparison with today’s situation. The criminals were jailed and not bailed as today.
Although the Portuguese had not done any development as it is today but the people were very happy except some so called freedom fighters, who were creating problems.
Underage bikers
should be stopped
The highest number of road accidents take place in our State. Many will say that the reason is potholes roads but it is not only the potholes roads but many underage teenagers ride bikes without a licence and take the bike to school and tuitions.
Parents should see that their children are not issued driving licence till they are age of 18. Many teenagers use bike to show off. These few teenage students ride their bikes fast.
They don't know the traffic rules and regulations and ride anyhow, any direction without following correct signs, going through No Entry, putting other drivers and people in trouble.
The parents should realize the serious problems involved in this violation as they will not even be able to claim insurance in case of fatal accident involving their underage children. The school should also monitor them.
My request to all the parents to protect your children because our children are our precious gift from God. Don't blame the police and government if something wrong happens. We will lose them and it's of no use to cry later.
The Goa Police, RTO, Traffic cell department should take action on the underage children both in cities and villages.
So that they may follow the rules and regulations and correct their mistakes when they put their life in danger.
Voice protests
against eviction
This refers to Kajal Chatterjee's article, "Citizen of none" (Herald, People's edit, September 14, 2017). Swami Vivekananda, in his famous 1893 Chicago speech, had said, "I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth."
So, if the religion and the nation of the refugees like Rohingyas start influencing the decisions on whether or not we should voice our protest against their eviction and whether they are to be given shelter in our country then it will definitely show disrespect to Swami Vivekananda and his ideals.
At the time, when we are celebrating the 125th anniversary of his Chicago address, we must not forget what he had actually said in it, - "We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true."
