Mining a resident evil
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes, Dubai
Mining in Goa has been going on for ages. From Sattari to Canacona along the eastern border mining thrives. Along with the income it generates, miners too have made a fortune for themselves and in turn have managed to control the police, bureaucrats and the politicians as well.
Despite all the hue and cry over the dangers of mining to nature, environment and humans too, the government and the police are unwilling to take any action against this highly polluting industry. The CM who incidentally also has mines under his charge, has promised action against the erring miners time and again but unfortunately nothing ever materialises.
Instead there are only the implicit knee-jerk reactions whenever there have been accidents, with more promises as usual. At this point in time, mature and a tactful handling is required rather than the high-decibel theatrics of our chief minister.
A lot of people have lost their precious lives, both young and old, to the mining traffic, and after the latest causality, a ban on mining traffic was enforced. But again the money power of miners has played a pivotal role in not only lifting the ban, but a free travel time is also being allotted to them from 6 am to 6 pm, with namesake restrictions on load, speed and number of trips, which are hardly of any consequence. None of the restrictions are being heeded by the mining traffic and are back to their usual business of F1 racetrack driving. The police when notified of the non-compliances, have failed to take any action, thus putting the lives of the public to further risks.
Even after the assurances that erring drivers and transporters would be taken to task, by the Advocate General, just yesterday a scooterist had a lucky escape when he missed to get run over by a mining truck. What action has been taken against this driver or the transporter? Why is our Government not showing any concern for the lives of the public?
My heart goes out to the people living in these mining areas, who breathe in the dust, day in and day out; their water too is mostly contaminated; their houses full of mining dust, making life, a living hell. It is indeed a good sign that the people of Quepem are on to the streets in unity with peaceful protests putting pressure on the Government and hope the CM sees reason before things get complicated and out of hand.
Time for humility
Dr. Francisco Colaço, Margao
Your edit dated April 14 under the above caption comes in the nick of time. You also deserve to be congratulated for writing the truth, the whole truth and nothing else but the truth.
It is definitely a time for crisis in the Catholic Church with the abuse scandal staying in the news on a continual basis. But the persistent focus is only due competitive sensationalism of the media. The tough, arduous, committed years of thousands of priests and nuns are conveniently brushed aside in preference to sensational reporting of sex scandals by a few black sheep. Not that they must go unreported and unchecked. Far from it! But it is sad to see “traditional enemies” of the Catholic Church basking in the media hype. Even as a layman, I know priestly life is full of crosses. Every day for a priest is filled with difficulties. More than that, often at times there is that frightening human feeling of loneliness. However, few priests will complain. But, I know for sure, they would love to see once in a while, some expression of gratitude from the myriad souls they help find meaning in their lives. I also know of priest-stalwarts who through their exemplary lives, proved to be true role-models for many of us, in our formative years. Today, in sheer humility, I pay a tribute to them. It is definitely a time for introspection, but it is also a time for moderation, self-examination and self-restraint.
Bonanza for politicians
Orlando S. A. Da Silva, Carmona
Goa gets 21 per cent hike in annual plan is good news for the political fraternity because an increase in plan outlay directly means increase in incomes of the politicians and a hole in the pocket of the aam aadmi in an era where there is no accountability over the use of tax payer’s money.
Take for example the PWD portfolio where the majority of the outlay always goes. There have been allegations by PWD contractors that commission payable to people in power in the present government has gone up to 20 per cent of tender amount.
The chief minister is talking of strengthening of cruise services, beach safety, green field airport and so on. All this hardly matters to the aam aadmi of Goa. The aam aadmi wants improvement in basic infrastructure of water (24×7), electricity, garbage management of which there is no mention.
The aam aadmi desires faster justice and better administration of rule of law which is conveniently forgotten by our elected governments. A labour dispute in Goa takes 15 to 20 years for adjudication. Will the CM and the planners please take note of this?
Tharoor fiasco
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
It is most unfortunate that the spat between Union Minister Sashi Tharoor and IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi is getting murkier by the day. The tiff now seems to have become more personal with the Modi camp referring to Tharoor’s alleged romantic ties with a Dubai-based socialite businesswoman and the Tharoor camp saying that Modi was convicted in the US for cocaine possession. In the past too, the flamboyant Central Minister has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. His twitter remarks had racked up controversies on more than one occasion.
The government seems spineless in taking action against the minister. It would be in the fitness of things for Tharoor to keep away from petty squabbling and concentrate more on the working of his ministry. After all, there are more pressing matters to look into in the ministry that he heads than wasting time on franchise of an IPL team.
An odd episode
Gregory Fernandes, via email
Apropos the news item ‘Sania, Shoaib say ‘Kabool hai’ finally (Herald, April 13), at one point in the tragicomedy episode, it appeared that the marriage for them would remain a distant dream. The fact that the marriage was scheduled, rescheduled, preponed and postponed several times over the past week or so underscore the impossible nature of the alliance and the odds that the two braved to find love. Things were sorted in an amicable manner and credit for this goes to Sania for she firmly stood by her man.
However, all the lies, spin and deception by Shoaib even if he had reasons to resort to it, has set a bad precedent and has only made mockery of himself.
The US folly
S. Kamat, Alto Betim
The metronomic regularity with which killings are reported in the media out of terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve the greatest condemnation. Almost every day some 50 people die in these two countries out of a bomb attack or friendly fire or a terrorist strike or a UAV missile strike. This tally does not include actual and identified terrorists who are killed by the US military coalitions or the local military or police. While in Iraq the US is bent upon moving out by middle of 2011 it will leave the country tattered and battered and open to more such attacks between rival political factions, the terrorists or armed mercenaries out to loot the country. The question that one begs to ask is why did the US come into Iraq in the first place if it is going to leave the country in a bigger mess than when they came in? Afghanistan is going the same way as Iraq and will be left in a similar situation if and when the US coalition moves out. Clearly the objective that the US had in both countries has not been met and thus there is a need to introspect before the US repeats this kind of a misadventure again.
The time has come when the US should realize that by running scared they are only making the enemy stronger willed and more determined to attack while if they had built better intelligence and quietly eliminated the terrorists in their home bases without actually invading the country,the US would have become more effective.
