25 Mar 2018 | 05:10am IST
letters to the editor
Dr Seema P Salgaonkar must be congratulated for her article, "Statue vandalism: Politics in India hits a new low" (Herald, March 24, 2018) where not only has she condemned statue vandalism in our country but also speaks against exorbitant spending on the statues at the cost of the state exchequer. As a matter of fact, past obsession can turn out to be very costly but past modification is indeed deadly.
We have just seen the efforts of such modifications at Belonia in Tripura. Belonia witnessed vandalism on the statue of Lenin triggering a series of the desecration of statues of Ambedkar, Periyar and Syama Prasad Mookerjee. We cannot modify or ignore Lenin's contributions to our freedom struggle. Nor can we forget the contributions of Bhagat Singh and others who were greatly influenced by Lenin and the October Revolution. Even Jawaharlal Nehru had said, "Almost at the same time as the October Revolution led by the great Lenin, we in India began a new phase in our struggle for freedom. Our people for many years were engaged in this struggle with courage and patience. And although under the leadership of Gandhi we followed another path, we were influenced by the example of Lenin."
Are the Taliban breaking the statues of great men at some places in our country? As a matter of fact, there is no difference between the Taliban who had dynamited the Buddha statue at Bamiyan, Afghanistan and the mob that had broken the statue of Lenin at Belonia in Tripura instigating other Talibans to do the same injustice to the statues of some other great men as well. Should not we protest in one voice?
Nitin’s special status shocker
Narendra Modi has been clearly informed that for Goa Special Status, Goans are asking on this not on financial incentives but to protect our Environment, Hills, Forests, Ecology, Waters and Identity. He acknowledged this via a mega BJP meet in Goa some years back.
So how can Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari be so ignorant and say we want Special Status in Financial Terms! Does he have a memory loss or is he like our Goan Ministers making any irrelevant statements without thinking?
Worse, where are the Goan Ministers? Could they really not correct him or are they just blinded for power or not wanting to jeopardise their personal perks/incentives from the Centre?
Speaking at the 46th All India Police Science Congress, Bureau of Police Research and Development Director General reportedly said that the social media has the power to play with minds of people and management of perception. The senior police official said that social media has the power to make a lasting impression on the human mind and practically control it. However, he reiterated that it seems difficult to control what is being posted on the social media.
Many a time fake news is posted on the social media and at times news is sensationalised which may go viral in quick time. Then there is also the increasing number of persons with fake IDs being active on the social media. In today’s world the social media can have a profound impact on social life including the political fortunes of leaders. Netizens need to confirm the news before forwarding it, specially, when it concerns the life of public figures.
A system needs to be in place to prevent fake news being circulated and those active on the social media with fake IDs to avoid the negative impact of this fast growing and powerful media.
The edit dated March 20 instant, termed those protesting on that black Monday the March 19, as ‘mining affected’. The next day, the people’s edit termed them as so-called ‘mining dependents”. In my view there is a huge difference in the two sobriquets.
“Mining dependents” are those (and their families) who earn a living from the said industry and are paid to carry out their delegated jobs. That they were party — consciously or otherwise — to the loot carried out is quite another story.
On the other hand, “Mining affected” are the people and the Environment who were forced to inhale the dust floating around and in contrast literally have to pay through their ‘noses’ to seek medical relief!
Only recently, the tourist taxi association held the State to ransom protesting the Supreme Court’s direction to install speed governors. They claimed it would affect their “livelihood”. On a lighter note, having a Governor who acted with alarming speed in installing a government in place, it may seem a tad unfair to impose speed governors on the taximen! Here again we have the ubiquitous ‘Taxi trade dependent” i.e taxi drivers and their families and the “Taxi trade affected” i.e. passengers-both tourists and local.
Whilst exemption from installing speed governors may purportedly enable the taxi drivers to ‘earn their livelihood’, their penchant for speed, coupled with rash and negligent driving will surely result in many passenger ‘deaths’. Better they lose their livelihood than passengers lose their lives!
Incidentally, in all this orchestrated chaos, the State has conveniently overlooked the atrociously exorbitant murderous rates charged by the taxi operators which for me is the biggest bane for passengers. I’m inclined to think that the Government, by not invoking the MRTP Act (Monopoly and Restrictive Trade Practices Act) in this case has done itself and its own people a GREAT disservice and may probably have to pay a huge price for pandering to a boorish few.
Bosco D’Souza, Kegdevelim
Govt should not oppose PIL
It is wrong for government to oppose PIL at SC against tainted. It refers to central government on 21.03.2018 opposing in Supreme Court a PIL requiring a ban on tainted persons holding posts in political parties which are recognised by the Constitution being backbone of democracy. Therefore there should be every provision to ensure cleanliness in the system at the very root-level of political system starting from political parties.
