Assassination attempts on Trump staged?
The assassination attempts on Donald Trump seem to be staged for a positive rub-off on his candidature for the Presidential election.
The first incident was a miss with the bullet grazing his ear, but killing one of the spectators in the audience at his election rally. In this incident at least a shot was fired, but in the second instance no shot was fired while an assault rifle was found some 400 yards on the golf course from where Trump was playing with one of his friends.
In both cases, the assassins were intercepted, the first killed and the second now arrested. One hopes he will outline his motives and throw light on why’s and wherefore’s of the incident. Both cases have a common charge against the Secret Service for not having done enough.
In the first for allowing the assassin to take a shot at Trump and in the second that despite the assumed assassin being at the golf course for about 11 hours prior to being detected the Secret Service remained blissfully unaware of his presence.
It seems no sweeping the area and of the golf course for security was done by the Secret Service. After the first incident, the person in charge of Presidential security resigned accepting responsibility for the lapses which seems to have been repeated yet again.
This thus is a golden opportunity to discredit the Secret Service which Trump is maybe trying to exploit by charging the inefficient Biden administration for slackness.
Assassination attempts when close or unsuccessful always gain sympathy from the electorate which may be Trump’s strategy to improve his standing in the Presidential election. Given Trump’s background in show-biz, one cannot easily discount the fact that these assassination attempts were staged.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
People living in fear of crocodile attacks
The crocodile infested nullah at Kavlem has reportedly raised concerns among the residents of the locality. These crocodiles were previously seen downstream at Ramnathi. The other day the death of a buffalo in the Carambolim Lake, which locals suspected to have been caused by crocodiles, has reportedly instilled fear in the mind of the locals living on the lake’s periphery. It is learnt that the crocodile population in the lake and nearby water bodies and marshes have spiked tremendously in recent times.
Crocodiles have been sighted at various water bodies across the State in the recent past. These include Miramar Beach, near the Aldona jetty, at Fatona in Seraulim. Not very long ago, a three-metre long crocodile reportedly entered a school at Tilamol. Fortunately, the reptile did not harm anybody. Rising water level of rivers due to incessant rains helps the reptiles to move to the land. Incidentally Mugger or the Marsh water crocodile is the only one found in Goa. Crocodiles attack humans because they consider them as food and in order to defend their territory and young ones. Fortunately, there have been no incidents of crocodiles attacking humans reported in the State.
People need to be extra vigilant around water bodies during the breeding season, which is from Sept to April. Food leftovers and fish waste should be disposed of properly, since discarding waste in the water may attract crocodiles. There is a need to put up warning signboards at water bodies infested by crocodiles. Wherever possible the authorities need to build a retaining wall around the water body.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Use Smart City e-buses judiciously
It has been noticed that the e- buses introduced in Panjim under the Smart City Mission have been running almost empty, with hardly two or three passengers except during peak hours such as early in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. While, introduction of e- buses is a good idea still it would be suggested that this service along all routes in Panjim should be made efficient as far as the same making judicious use of the finances which are basically taxpayers’ money. Prudent use of buses to cater to rush hours should be such that more E- buses are run during the peak hours while during the lean period the frequency of buses run should be fewer. It has also to be borne in mind that the running of these E -buses almost empty will lead to financial losses as well as lead to depreciation of the these buses due to more frequent trips. Also, the city roads which are dotted with pot holes will greatly affect the suspension of these buses which could lead to their being decommissioned prematurely.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Eyewash on
expected lines
Even a decade after formation, the SIT tasked with probing the multi-crore illegal mining scam has failed to bring its investigations to any logical conclusion.
There are no instructions from the administration whether or not to continue with the probe or close it. The five-member SIT has just one member now without any support staff or infrastructure to take the probe forward.
The Shah Commission constituted for looking into the murky affair had pegged the losses to the State exchequer at Rs 35,000 crore. Of 16 cases of illegal mining spread across 125 leases, only one is left to be investigated with the rest either having been chargesheeted or closed. There has not been one conviction till date. It is obvious that the government is not keen to ruffle the feathers of the mining barons of Goa who are the biggest contributors to their election kitty.
Though Advocate General Devidas Pangam had asked the team to continue with the probe, all resources of the SIT were whittled down by the sarkar. What investigations can a lame duck team carry out? The studied silence of the CM makes it abundantly clear that the SIT would be buried or would be nudged to give all accused a clean chit. RIP justice.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
One Nation,
One Election
Lately, there’s been discussion about the concept of ‘One Nation, One Election’.
Political parties have varying perspectives on this, and the stakeholders involved have diverse viewpoints. During his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for ‘One Nation, One Election’, reasoning that frequent elections could hinder the nation’s progress. In this ongoing debate the ruling dispensation at the Centre is a strong proponent. Earlier, the same party had included this proposal in their election manifesto and planned to implement it during their term in office. They anticipate receiving support from other political parties. The high-level committee led by the former president recommended that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies be the initial step towards implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’. The committee did not specify a timeline.
Opposition parties are sceptical on the issue. A politician said that achieving this would require at least five constitutional amendments by Parliament.
While ‘One Nation, One Election’ may have its advantages and disadvantages, the pressing question for both the elected leaders and citizens: Is the nation ready for such a shift? The focus might be better placed on concerns such as creating job opportunities, addressing rising unemployment and resolving ethnic violence in one of the N-E States. The safety of women remains a critical concern, with recent incidents highlighting the need for more effective measures.
Rui Pereira, Navelim