Security challenges
facing Goa
Every year, the twin months of November and December have been hectic for Goa. There is the novena leading to the feast of St Francis Xavier on December 3. The Novenas of Fr Agnelo at Pilar will be held from November 11 to November 20. The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is scheduled to be held from November 20 to 28 attracts delegates from all over the country and across the globe, not to mention the filmy buffs. This is followed by the festive season which attracts tourists who come to Goa to usher in the New Year.
For the past several years, the Electronic Dance Music Festivals (EDMs) has attracted huge crowds. This year, the floating population could reach a new high. This is so because the decennial Exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier is scheduled to be held from November 21, 2024 to January 5, 2025. This year IFFI will be special because four Indian cinema legends will be honoured followed by filming of some of the celebrated films in Indian cinema. Things could get worse if the EDM is held this year. Obviously security will be a huge challenge. It is common knowledge that terrorists strike when there is a massive concentration of foreigners at a particular place. Goa has never seen a terror attack in the past. But now times have changed and the State cannot take any chances.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Trump to the
White House
The results of the US presidential elections convey the fact that Americans want to Make America Great Again. The decisive mandate they have given to former President Donald Trump is based on their high expectations that Trump will abide by what he promised to them in his election rallies. One only hopes that realising the precarious condition in which the world lies today mainly because some of the countries have engaged themselves in unwarranted war against each other and also the dwindling economy of the US,
Trump will have to keep aside his quixotic and temperamental attitude and show absolute maturity in handling the world problems and bringing them to a logical end, acceptable to all the stake holders. At a time when countries like Russia and China are hell bent on floating a new currency to counter and bring down the lustre of the US Dollar, Trump has a major work cut out in this area to see that the USD continues to rule the roost over all other currencies in the world. He might also be ruthless in taking action against the illegal immigrants and limit the entry of skilled workers from other countries into his nation at the cost of jobs to the local Americans, which is inevitable and cannot be questioned.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
American electorate votes decisively
Donald Trump scripted history and created a new chapter in becoming the first President in 120 years to return to power after being ousted after his first term. Thus, Trump laid the blueprint of his second term. With at least 51 Senate seats secured, Republicans will retake control of the chamber for the first time in four years.
The American electorate has, decisively, chosen to trust their destiny in the hands of Donald Trump. From being written off after January 6, 2020, Trump now owns, not just the Republican Party, but the United States of America. The USA is now Trump country. He has won one of the broadest racial social coalitions for the Republicans; the shift in Hispanic votes, for example, is quite remarkable. Prima facie, Trump had so many disadvantages: Allegedly, the baggage of January 6, indictments and age. He had prominent businessmen like Elon Musk on his side, but he was outspent by the Democrats. So this is not a win that can be put down to oligarchic manipulation. Trump returned to power stronger and bigger in a landslide win.
C K Subramaniam,
Navi Mumbai
Job scam getting murkier in Goa
Skeletons keep tumbling out of the job scam cupboard on a daily basis with more and more scamsters getting arrested for duping gullible job seekers. As of now, five accused have been arrested and the number is likely to swell with more complaints being filed by many victims at various police stations in Goa against fraudsters.
The case has even got murkier with one alleged accused dying by suicide after he was grilled by the police.
The Goa government should go through the Staff Selection Commission Exams for selecting candidates in various posts and recruitment should be done in a fair manner so that eligible and deserving candidates get jobs.
In Goa, we have educated youth who are jobless and many prefer to 'buy' government jobs by paying middlemen or agents who claim to have political connections.
The demand for government jobs is always high and hence even parents often go out their way to see that their children get jobs even if it means paying agents or politicians.
The arrest of a few accused is just the tip of the iceberg and the law has to get tough with wrongdoers so that it deters them taking more youth for a ride.
Raju Ramamurthy, Vasco
Decline in academic
freedom raises concern
India’s academic freedom has declined significantly over the past decade, according to the “Free to Think 2024” report published by the Scholars at Risk (SAR), a US based international network of academic institutions.
The report, which focuses on academic freedom globally, notifies India as “completely restricted” with just 0.2 points in 2023 - its lowest score since the 1940s. One of the key findings of the report is the growing political influence exerted by the ruling BJP on educational institutions. The government’s push to align higher education with the Hindu nationalist agenda has led to increased political control over universities.
India is one of the countries where academic freedom has been heavily compromised, with the report highlighting various measures imposed by the government and university administrations to limit student protests and scholarly discourse.
This decline in academic freedom raises concerns about the future of higher education in India, as political interference and restrictions on free expression continue to pose significant challenges for students and scholars alike.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai