10 Dec 2017 | 06:27am IST
letters to the editor
Reward men who foiled bank robbery
The daring bank robbery of the Indian Overseas Bank in Verla Canca has shocked Goa. The absence of a security guard is a major flaw even though the CCTV was functional. The presence of mind of the bank peon, who slipped out of the bank and raised an alarm, must be commended.
The two brave men of Parra – Vasu Lingudkar and Anthony Noronha – must be rewarded for their bravery for chasing and overpowering the armed robbers in spite of the robbers shooting at them during the chase. This is a good lesson for all banks and ATMs to employ security guards and working CCTVs. Credit to all the alert citizens of Verla Canca who assisted in apprehending the bank robbers.
Dastardly act of kidnapping
It is very disturbing to hear about the kidnapping of four Higher Secondary School boys by four gangsters, one of whom is a Goan and the rest migrants. How could this act be committed in broad daylight without anybody’s notice is a puzzling factor. The whole episode is surrounded by mystery. Had it not been the equally daring courage of the parents of the boys the case would have not been easy to detect and even if detected it could have been too late. To see such daylight kidnapping in Goa is a matter of great worry for all parents. To prevent such incidents, what is important is that the antecedents of the migrants need to be checked. For this the cooperation of the public is required in that the owners of the dwellings where these migrants stay need to report to the police and any failure on the part of the owners should be penalised. In addition to this policemen on beat duties should conduct discreet enquiries where all migrants stay, and conduct night raids on those places and due action taken on both parties – the owners as well as the migrants. This way we will be able to control the influx of migrants flocking to Goa from all over India. As per the newspaper reports the kingpin of the gang was staying in Raia, Manora. The villagers were raising the issue of illegal constructions in their village but no attention was given. This incident is a wakeup call to the authorities to act decisively, otherwise the situation will worsen.
Antonio Carvalho, Arossim
Rescue politics from mudslinging
This refers to the article, ‘Politicians should mind their language’ (Herald, People’s Edit, Dec 9). Aiyar’s jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indeed almost as bad as the constant ‘pappu’ jibe against Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. In the present atmosphere of free-for-all mud-slinging, what is really appreciable is Rahul Gandhi’s prompt and positive action against Aiyar. Such action should be set as a model of what is to be done to rescue politics from the quicksand of a dangerous dirty game ground. It is also time to take action against those who are in the habit of using filthy language in the social media.
The Transport Department is contemplating fixing digital meters for taxis and fixing a per kilometer rate. However, considering that various types of taxis ply on Goan roads, starting from a less luxurious taxi, such as a van to a more luxurious taxi such as a Innova with leather seats, fixing a flat rate would not be fair. Is it fair to have one fixed fare for both these types of taxis? To be more particular, the taxis plying on Goan roads have varying degrees of value in that the taxi might have been used for a long time and depreciated considerably, while others are newer and still others are spanking new and luxurious. Can all these varieties of taxis be clubbed into one category? It is noticed also that in the recent past, in order to attract customers, the latter breed of taxis drivers have been buying expensive vehicles, thus it is right for them to charge a higher fare.
Besides, often taxi drivers, especially when catering for tourists, double up as guides on a sort of conducted sightseeing tour. In which case, would it be fair for them to charge a separate service charge for having become a driver-cum-guide? It is pertinent to note that a calibrated approach should be adopted while fixing meter-based taxi fares so as to take various realities. A cola in a small hotel/restaurant costs Rs 15, whereas in a starred hotel it costs almost Rs 150.
I strongly oppose fireworks at all festivals/celebrations including Diwali, Christmas, New Year, weddings. Anyone can just check credible sites on the internet of the severe harmful effects of fireworks on the air quality, releasing serious toxins, contamination of water, worsening on climate change, heavy metal fallout etc. Goans must start getting aware on this serious issue and see for themselves why fireworks must be discouraged in Goa.
It is a common practice today to see teenagers smoke cigarettes, chew tobacco and consume alcohol. These young people fail to foresee the consequences of their actions when they do this.
The ever-rising popularity of tobacco products among youngsters is alarming. Young people start these habits under pressure of popular culture, failing to foresee the consequences of their actions. Simply banning the sale of tobacco and tobacco products is just not going to help. Teenagers need to be counselled about the ill-effects of smoking. Schools, colleges and parents should together make efforts to educate young people about the lasting harm a supposedly ‘cool’ activity can cause. When I was young, my best friend was caught smoking secretly in the school toilet. His parents became quite upset when they were told about it. I tried my best to convince my friend to quit smoking but he turned a blind eye towards it. A few years later, he passed away due to lung cancer. This incident taught me that one’s teenage years are the most important part of one’s life.
Smoking is harmful for every organ of the body and is responsible for several diseases, such as lung cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, heart diseases and as well as premature death. Nicotine is highly addictive. When a cigarette is burned and inhaled, a drug is released into the body which is called nicotine. It is a pleasure enhancing drug and people easily get addicted to it. The intake of this drug stops your body growth and results in causing various diseases. The government cannot ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products because banned items sometimes become more attractive to people. The government also earns huge revenue from the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Giving up smoking and eating gutkha is not an easy job but it can be done. The choice is yours, how you want to quit, what kind of help you need, which option you want to choose and where to go for help.
