Shortage of essential
goods during wartime
As attacks by Pakistan escalate, India retaliates. India reportedly thwarts fresh Pakistan bid to strike military sites in Jammu and Pathankot. Several such attempts have been foiled by Indian air defense. Tension soars between the two countries amid fears of a wider conflict. Goa may not be directly impacted by the ongoing stand-off between India and Pakistan. But the ripple-effect of the ongoing conflict may be felt in the state in the days to come.
This could be in the form of rising prices of essential commodities and food items. Several unscrupulous traders could engage in hoarding in order to increase the price of essential commodities, vegetables, fruits, etc. These traders could be falsely spreading the news that essential commodities are not arriving in the state. Citizens could also engage in panic buying and stocking of food items in order to beat the possible price rise.
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi has urged citizens to remain calm and avoid panic buying amid false rumours of shortage of essential goods following Operation Sindoor. He assured that India has ample food reserves and fully operational supply chains. We in Goa may have not felt the tremors of the war thus far. Nevertheless the Goa government needs to see to it that there is no shortage of food items in the coming days and act against those traders who engage in hoarding.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Gun-slayers should be
brought before law
Operation Sindoor has created a huge wave across the world. It has become a topic of India’s highest priority and exigency right now and a case conference of diverse scenes, including politicians, sportspersons, film stars, and mundane residents, who hailed the nation’s reprisal to Pakistan to the Pahalgam terror attack in one voice.
Social media surged with posts, tweets, and videos on Operation Sindoor, and TV news channels covered it extensively, turning it into a trending topic. During the last few days, people discuss it at work, at home, on streets, and everywhere literally. The mere mention of ‘Operation Sindoor’ seems to have perked up all Indians, cutting across caste and religious barriers, with renewed energy.
It seems as though the entire nation is engulfed in excitement, with people eagerly anticipating the forthcoming developments. ‘Operation Sindoor’, the very name chosen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appears to have rendered some kind of justice to the women, who lost their husbands in the gruesome terror attack, and it will fulfil its entire purpose when the gun-slayers are brought before the law.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Want a war? Pay for it
The US dollar has weakened against all currencies across the world, courtesy Donald Trump and his absurd tariff policies. The USD to INR exchange rate has declined from Rs 88 to Rs 84, an almost 5% drop.
This should have immediately translated to a 5% drop in price of petrol, diesel and gas. But on the contrary, the prices have gone up as the government has increased the excise duty on these items. Today, crude oil, trades at its lowest price of @ $ 71 a barrel but those benefits are not being passed on to consumers.
As we are a nation at 'war', one can expect the prices of petrol, diesel and gas to rise. After all someone has to pay for this war and you want a war, therefore you will have to pay for it. Even those who don't want war will have to pay for it, there is no choice.
Rekha Sarin Trehan, Benaulim
Futility of war
Is India too becoming a military-industrial complex? Consider the fact that many Indian companies, including those owned by Ambani, Adani and Mahindras have now diversified into defence production.
These items are being sold to the Indian defence forces, maybe they are coerced into buying it on grounds of patriotism and Atmnirbharta.
Many of the stocks, especially the ordnance, has an expiry date, it has to be either used by that date or discarded.
A war promotes the sale of these companies who mint billions as the forces have to augment or replenish their arsenal periodically.
War is music to the ears for these behemoths, but it is a disaster for the nation.
The USA has the biggest Military-Industrial Complex, it has been at war, inciting a war or supporting a war at some location or the other across the globe ever since it came into existence @ 250 years ago.
Is India going down that very same path? A nation known for beacons of peace in Buddha and Gandhi, is seemingly headed in the wrong direction.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Tourism in doldrums
That several beach shacks have closed early this year is indicative of the sorry state of Goa Tourism. No statistics are needed to prove the point. To my mind, there are a few things that need to be fixed urgently.
The taxi issue must be resolved. The system is unique and not seen anywhere. The government must get all taxi unions under one common platform and compel them to form their own aggregator app.
Goa was known for its hospitality, much before the slogan atithi bhavo deva was coined. Nowadays media reports and social influencers portray only hostility. Hospitality, is very much in the Goan DNA, but a few rogue elements are giving it a bad name. If the taxi issue is solved, much of the hostility will vanish. Dogs have taken over Goa like never before. When in Goa, I do not go for morning walks any more for fear of attracting the ire of stray dogs. Hotel rates must be competitive. Tourists find it cheaper to go to Vietnam instead of Goa for a holiday. Affordable homestays must be encouraged in villages near tourist hubs. These villages may be given some incentives for purchase of bikes and solar panels Finally, the tourism dept must come up with a catchy slogan encapsulating traditional Goan hospitality and tranquillity.
Robert Castellino, Mumbai