Goa remains indebted
to Dr Jack de Sequeira
Every year, on October 17th, we observe Dr Jack de Sequeira’s death anniversary and pay homage to Goa’s first Leader of Opposition. But for his then tireless efforts during that historic Opinion Poll which was held on 16th January 1967, Goa today would have been a mere district if not taluka of Maharashtra.
Dr Jack de Sequeira as the then fiery voice of the Opposition toiled with a vision and passion towards highlighting issues relating to the development of Goa. A spirited leader of integrity, honesty and commitment.
As a school and later college student, I had the privilege of interacting with Dr Jack de Sequeira many times and nostalgic are the memories of his debates that I witnessed in the Legislative Assembly. Always well prepared and ever so eloquent. Later after that 1975 State of Emergency, I had the occasion of addressing many public meetings along with that great and inspiring leader.
Dr Jack de Sequeira fearlessly dared to speak from his heart and always walk the talk. It is imperative that today students in our schools and colleges are made aware of the very rich and invaluable contribution to Goa by Dr Jack de Sequeira. May his role as a statesman be remembered.
Aires Rodrigues, London
Billions still
thrive in misery
Bullet Trains, World's highest statue, Gigantic flags, "Grand" Ram Temple, "Glittering" Vistas, "Elitism" of attainment of Mars orbit or the other side of the Moon, Displaying the country's "might" through performance of mass yoga on streets at State's expense – just note the priorities of the highest authorities of the land !
But we have no time for the unfortunate billions plagued by serious level of hunger, malnourishment and innumerable other ills thereby "leading" us to a "magnificent" ranking of 105(among 127 nations!) in the Global Hunger Index with more than 200 million citizens or 13.7% of the Indian population remaining underfed/ undernourished! Not to forget the fate of the children (i.e. future of the nation) with 35.5% of them being stunted, 18.7% suffering from wasting and 2.9% of them perishing before their fifth birthday!
Far from accepting this bitter reality and amending ways; how heartlessly can the concerned authorities dare to question the methodology applied behind the atrocious rankings in various Indexes which matter and sweep the hard facts under the "patriotic" carpet! Else how can they shamelessly assert that "the whole world is looking at us" as if the country is basking in the "glory" of "Good Days" with its economy(5th largest) being the "fastest-growing" in the globe set to attain the position of third largest in very near future!
In renowned Bengali author Buddhadeb Guha's novel "Rijudar Songe Lobongi Bone" (In the Lobongi forest with Rijuda), while narrating the plight of the inhabitants of the Orissa jungle; the protagonist Rijuda told his companions – “This is our real country. Not Kolkata, neither New Delhi nor Chandigarh. Not flyovers, Metro rail or fountains. When all these common vulnerable innocent rural people will be able to afford two square meals a day, modest attire, not suffer in the chill of the winter, receive drinking water in the summer and also for farming; only on that day will you know that something has happened in our country".
Yes, despite zealous chest-thumping, self-praise and beating own trumpet; the ultimate reality remains that billions of common marginalized people of the country are still residing at the furthest distance from basic human rights and dignity which proves that indeed nothing has happened in our country.
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
Food security, a major
concern in India
The contrast between India’s ‘growth story’ and its rising inequality appears to be playing out year after year, as the country ranks 105 out of a total of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2024. It is all the more disturbing that India’s GHI score of 27.3 this year puts it in the “serious” category.
While the ruling BJP always calls the ranking’s methodology as ‘shocking’ and ‘unscientific, the painful truth is that hunger and malnourishment tracks with growing inequality in India, which is something inexplicable and shows the extent of disparity of incomes and callousness towards the poor.
Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies globally, India continues to lag behind several of its South Asian neighbours, highlighting the urgent need for effective interventions. The seriousness of the problem of hunger and malnourishment should be highlighted and tackled at the national level, since States alone cannot handle a problem of such enormity. Both, government and the civil society need to address the root causes of hunger and undernutrition.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Is 'No Helmet, No Fuel'
policy practical?
It is learnt that the Directorate of Transport has directed collectors of both North and South Goa to enforce the ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’ policy at fuel outlets. Fuel outlets are now required to display the ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’ banners. It is pertinent to note that the initiative is not an enforcement order, but an advisory in order to raise awareness about helmet use. The order is aimed at promoting road safety as part of the 13th State Road Week.
The questions that arise is whether the enforcement of the policy will be continued after the ‘Road Safety Week’ is over. The “No Helmet, No Fuel” policy may emphasize the critical role of helmets in protecting lives.
However, how effective the policy will be is a matter of conjecture. Is it practical to deny a two-wheeler rider fuel because he/she is not wearing a helmet? After all, the two-wheeler rider is a customer who is paying for the service.
The owner of the fuel depot would not want to lose business. Denying fuel could lead to an altercation between the rider and the fuel station attendant. And what about those riders who are wearing helmets which do not bear the ISI mark? To ensure safety of road users it seems prudent to extend the policy to car drivers as well who should be asked to wear the seat belt, as per traffic rule, before providing the fuel for the vehicle?
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Quit smoking,
save lives
Winning the all-important battle against smoked tobacco requires focus, dedication and perseverance. A research published in "The Lancet" has pointed out that cutting down smoking by five percent of the current rates by the year 2050 would increase the life expectancy by a year among men and 0.2 year among women.
The study adds that by current trends ,the global rate of smoking could continue to reduce by twenty one percent and four percent among men and women respectively. Lower and middle income countries directly bear the brunt of tobacco ill--effects. 1.2 million lung cancer deaths can be prevented in 185 nations by 2095 by totally banning the sale and distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The Lancet study advocated for a " tobacco free generation policy" by which tobacco products are to be banned in individuals born after a specific year. New Zealand, unfortunately, went back on its 2022 order of banning tobacco sale in anyone born in or after 2009, for a myriad of reasons.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola