India is alive and kicking
The expert pollsters have all gone stray in their studied predictions. It is to the credit of wise voters who have shown preference to democracy and freedom. The avalanche has not happened and ‘400 paar’ is an abject disappointment. Another serious meditation or sanyas (retirement) is eminent. Voters are not fooled with slogan diets and mandir politics have backfired.
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Politically Indian voters have shown their maturity as they have broken the backbone of the party and shown them the door. It is a serious warning to the rulers emboldened by hatred, indifference, inflation, unemployment and rising crime against women.
The clamour for change in the Constitution, Hindutva push, Uniform Civil Code, CCA, NRC, jailing Opposition, including CMs, curtailing freedom of expression being highly sensitive even to mild dissent, hounding citizens through the instruments of ED, CBI, arms of police without taking diversity of India into consideration. Even some judicial pronouncements have not enamoured citizens. The citizens had been taken for granted by some sops to poor and wooed women voters.
The undeclared emergency has played havoc with the fabric of independence, democracy and its values. Indian voters have sprung unexpected surprises to assert themselves. It is a stern warning to all parties as the BJP is checkmate because of the arrogance of stakeholders. The Modi guarantee as an individual is absurd.
India is alive and kicking. Meditation is a right choice under circumstances.
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim
Maintain cleanliness during the monsoon
Having concerns over its environmental and health impact, at the onset of monsoon, the authorities concerned ought to keep a check on those areas which are prone to conversion into breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
However, we need to discern that breeding ground conditions do persist in our gardens, backyards, garages, storerooms or any other isolated areas. Gaining clarity into this matter, we do understand that when rainwater gets collected into empty cans or bottles, it turns out into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Subsequently, the citizens too have to be adamant in pressing ahead with their services of keeping their environment clean before the onset of monsoon.
Furthermore, in emphasising the need for comprehensive health promotion, the Primary Health Centre officials should sanitise the concerned areas well in advance. However, the health officials’ commitment to their services will be evident in the middle of monsoons, as it’s during this time of the year that diseases such as dengue and malaria increase gradually.
Eventually, the cleanliness of the environment can keep diseases away.
Have a clean and safe environment.
Joseph Savio Desouza, Rajasthan
Totally ban keeping exotic turtles as pets
The Goa State Forest Department staff reportedly rescued three semi-aquatic terrestrial turtle species from Colva Beach on Monday. Two of the turtles were Red Eared Sliders and the third species rescued was the Indian Flapshell Turtle.
The activity of keeping these exotic turtles as pets has increased in the country due to unregulated pet trade. It appears that the turtles found at Colva Beach may have escaped from captivity or may have been abandoned.
Turtles like Red Ear Slider Turtle, Reeve’s Turtle, Wood Turtle, African Sideneck Turtle and Indian Flapshell Turtle are the few species that are most commonly reared as pets in India. These turtles demand specific dietary and environmental needs that are hard to mimic at home.
They require certain temperature, humidity, lighting, and space conditions to stay healthy. The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, protects every native turtle and tortoise species found in India. The Red-Eared Slider, an exotic turtle species from the United States, greatly threatens India’s biodiversity. These turtles, often bought as pets, are abandoned in local water bodies when they grow too large or become difficult to care for. Once released into water bodies inhabited by native species, they become invasive and harmful to the local species by competing for food.
They have a broad dietary range, high reproduction rate enabling them to flourish in diverse environments. There needs to be a total ban on keeping exotic turtle species as pets.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Money buys exoneration?
L’affaire Porsche seems to be getting murkier by the day. From the hasty grant of bail by a partisan judge and a laughable 300-word essay sentencing, it has moved on to criminal cover up with the teen’s affluent family using every trick in the book to get him off the hook using the power of money.
The family bribed doctors conducting the forensic examination to switch blood samples so that no trace of alcohol was found in the accused’s blood. It is pertinent to note that a few hours before the lives of two techies were snuffed out by the speeding supercar, the underage teen had spent @ Rs 50,000 imbibing spirits at a prominent Pune club. The boy’s grandfather had gone so far as to kidnap the family driver and tried to force him to take the blame for the heinous crime.
The mother was busy giving blood to the doctors (who were bribed of course) of Sassoon hospital so that it could be switched with her son’s samples. First, she pretended not to know why her blood was being taken, but later during interrogation, she admitted to being part of the coverup conspiracy.
In a bid to expedite proceedings, the police plan to appoint a special public prosecutor to present the case in a fast track court. Let’s hope that this time around money power and political influence is not successful in crushing justice, the BMW case involving an arms dealer’s son and a prominent film star’s exoneration in a hit-and-run case which resulted in the death of two pavement dwellers is still fresh in public memory.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Must diminish effects of global warming
The temperatures in India have soared to unprecedented levels. In this scorching heat, getting to work is hard. The reason behind this increase in temperature is global warming and the emission of Greenhouse gases.
Many factors contribute to global warming. Some of these include the consumption of fossil fuels, deforestation, emission of greenhouse gases and urban sprawl. The need of the hour is for the government to diminish the lethal effects of global warming. This includes facilitating the switch to renewable energy, promoting electric vehicles, preventing deforestation and preserving other green spaces. It is also our moral duty to assist the government in addressing this issue so that the coming generations are protected from the drastic effects of climate change.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
