Caring for the old
AS Prabhu, Moira
With the tourism boom and construction activity, there is an influx of migrants of different shades that has added to the population of Goa and caused disparities. But the other side of the picture is that with the opening of seas — Cruise liners and Gulf rigs — many of our youngsters have migrated overseas. Besides, a bulk of Goan families has also migrated to Canada, USA, Australia etc.
The total uprooting of families has deserted the countryside with several houses being closed by elderly for want of suitable maids to look after them. As a consequence, ‘Homes for the Aged’ have proliferated practically in all villages.
During the erstwhile Portuguese regime, there were ‘Asilos’ which were restricted to district headquarters and run by ‘Provedoria da Assistencia Publica’, exclusively meant for the destitute. These were open for people of all religions.
Recently, I paid a visit to one such home and interacted with the inmates. The general feeling is that of ‘craving for love’ of near and dear ones. They have been provided with everything by their children and family members ‘minus filial love’ which is the essential ingredient for their existence on this earth.
Too much wealth has rotted the social fabric and the social organisations have to work out a solution to alleviate suffering of the old. We cannot equate ourselves with European countries where the lifestyle is totally devoid of any human consideration. Suggestions to remedy this situation would be welcome.
Change labour laws
Orlando SA Da Silva, Carmona
Come May 1 every year the labour class world over celebrates this day by organising mega rallies and other programmes to highlight labour problems to the Government in power.
In India, Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan celebrated the first May Day in 1923 at Madras and since then the labour movement has grown by leaps and bounds. The issue that needs introspection today is, whether with so many existing laws and rules in force the unorganised sector is able to get immediate speedy justice. Take for example in our tiny State a labour dispute runs for 15 to 20 years forcing the affected workman and his family to suffer miseries for years.
In my opinion if there has to be jubilation to commemorate the Labour Day in our country and the State, the Government in power has to be forced to enact laws to give time-bound speedy justice to all workmen including the unorganised. Over the six decades of our independence, the Industrial Dispute Act has lost all its teeth under the corrupt bureaucracy. Is anybody listening?
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Submitting to clutter
R Fernandes, Margao
FMCG marketing ‘gurus’ stress on increasing signage for their products inorder to increase sales. With the onset of summer, it is the turn of soft drink manufacturers to foist three-sided arch monstrosities in front of shops sporting their products or schemes. These arches result in reducing daylight in the shop, increases the dinginess, makes the shop crowded, encroaches on pathways and in short, clutters up our lives. This has become a common practice of banks, two-wheelers, etc.
Why do we submit to this forced cluttering up of our lives? Municipalities and panchayats do not object to this either due to lack of time or being immune to clutter or because of their friendly contacts with local salesmen and acceptance of freebies, etc. We can try to boycott the products and convey the reason to the shop owners. Do not be cowed down.
Power wastage
Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai
On April 26, streetlights at Manaswada, Kundaim in Ponda were on as late as 12.30 in the afternoon. This means, the linesmen on duty at this strategic location failed to do their basic duty of switching off the same at 6 in the morning as per the notified timing. Such negligent attitude ultimately led to wastage of a sizeable amount of power supply on this day.
Even the local residents at this location seemed unmoved to this national loss. The higher authorities at the Electricity Department need to conduct an enquiry and initiate stern action against the concerned linesmen who were responsible for the necessary loss of precious power supply.
Unless negligent linesmen are punished, it will be totally impossible to achieve discipline in the functioning of this important department. Power supply needs to be utilised in the best possible manner and even minor wastage needs to be avoided at public interest.
Uneasy, the head
FR Ferrao, Santa-Cruz
It is said, Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Our Digambar Kamat wears the crown of the Chief Minister of Goa.
As such, it seems he is suffering from schizophrenia and often flies to Delhi at the cost of tax-payers money to consult Dr Manmohan Singh who is the Dr of Economics and Sonia Gandhi who is the Dr of Physiognomy. Instead of rushing to the national capital, the Chief Minister should consult our very own famous Goan psychiatrist from Moira.
I am sure with his treatment, our Chief Minister will get back his last psyche and run the administration smoothly and orderly. Consequently, the aam aadmi will be happy and besides the tax-payers money will also be saved.
Digvijay’s outbursts
SND Poojary, Miramar
The so-called senior Congress leader, Digvijay Singh, is reported to have poured venom on P Chidambaram on his handling of the Maoist violence. His out-pouring was after the Prime Minister instructed the central ministers not to comment on internal security. Digvijay Singh mentioned about the ‘intellectual arrogance’ of the Home Minister. At least Chidambaram has the intellect to be arrogant. Unlike most of the Congressmen, he has the courage to acknowledge that the buck stopped with him as far as the death of the CRPF personnel is concerned. Veerappan could not be caught for a number of years and he killed policemen at will partly because of the covert support he enjoyed from some political quarters. The same situation prevails now in dealing with the naxal violence.
Some political parties and some arm-chair intellectuals openly plead the cause of the naxals. In the bargain they show no sympathy towards the hundreds of security personnel killed by the naxals; these men in uniform are just protecting the nation against serious internal threat.
Wasteful sea-link
S Kamat, Alto Betim
A number of people have been writing in the papers about the wasteful project that the Dona Paula-Vasco sea-link will turn out to be among whom I happen to be one. In fact I would go a step further and say that the project will never see the light of day but by that time in the darkness of the night there will be many crores which will vanish into the pockets of consultants, middlemen, touts, politicians and the like to tell us what we know already, and that is — the link is not feasible.
Therefore, instead of pursuing mirages, our CM and this Government should get their feet firmly on the ground use the money that they were willing to invest as their share of the sea-link and take up the second Zuari bridge project which is critical, the third Mandovi bridge to connect Panjim and revamp the traffic structure of entering Panjim from the north and south by the NH17.
Right now entering Panjim from north Goa is a circuitous route which we citizens are used to and re-orient our heads by screwing it right once we are in Panjim but tourists and outsiders find it increasingly difficult to find their way in. Even if they find their way, the way out though easy for us remains perplexing for them.
As time goes by we will have more and more accidents while we enter and leave Panjim unless the traffic movement is not streamlined. There are many other important bridge projects around Goa like connecting Divar with Old Goa which have been promised for a long time now and maybe forgotten. These are still needed and will go a long way in easing the lot of the aam aadmi than the one sea-link sweeping from Dona Paula to Vasco.
