Tragic if Manipur crisis spreads
The States such as Mizoram, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh that are going for elections next month should take a lesson from the Manipur example where for close to five months now Narendra Modi and his BJP led government have taken no decisive action to resolve the problem and to stop the strife. This has caused law and order issues leading to massive destruction of both public and private property and loss of life of some 170 persons.
All this talk of development, providing jobs, controlling price rise etc that Modi and BJP keep blowing their trumpet about, has no meaning if peace on our streets is not ensured, safety of property is not guaranteed and lives are lost. Without life there is no point in talking about anything. Therefore the States going for the upcoming polls should not vote for the saffron brigade since if they are also subject to the kind of crisis that Manipur is facing. They will have to continue seeing our chief station master of the Indian Railways, Narendra Modi flagging off Vande Bharat trains while they are enmeshed in saving life, limb and property.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
Tough action needed against hate mongers
This refers to Altaf Shah’s article, ‘Hate speeches are here to stay’ (O Heraldo, People’s edit, October 5, 2023). The hate speech which was delivered in the Parliament should be treated as the icing on the cake of toxic hate speeches because of the importance of the place where it had been made.
However, this is a small icing on a very big rotten cake. As per the half-yearly report of Hindutva Watch, a US-based research project, 255 documented incidents of hate speech gatherings targeting Muslims took place in the first half of 2023. Eighty percent (205) of these hate speech events occurred in BJP-ruled states and Union territories. One third of these gatherings explicitly called for violence against Muslims.
Hate speeches make the mob bay for blood and look out for easy prey. As a result, the victims of lynching are the most vulnerable people like daily wage earners and those who are specially abled. Recently a fruit vendor’s specially abled son was tied to an electric pole with saffron cloth and beaten to death in the national capital on the suspicion of stealing prasad from a stall near a temple. The victim was mentally ill and could not provide satisfactory answers when confronted by the attackers. In February this year, Mohammad Faiyaz, another person with mental health issues, was lynched by a mob in Bihar’s Samastipur.
We know what is the situation in Manipur. We must not let Manipur like crisis engulf all of India. Strong action needs to be taken against those who have been delivering hate speeches.
Sujit De, Kolkata
Assist Indian tourists to return from Israel
Several Indians belonging to the Catholic faith undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy land. The Catholic pilgrimage is an opportunity to explore the spiritual experience of the Holy Land, including its geography, history, and culture. The tour includes scenic sites of Jerusalem, Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Several tour operators in Goa also conduct tours to the Holy Land and several Goans take part in such tours. However the war between Israel and Hamas has put a big question mark on such tours in the near future. Be that as it may, it is learnt that dozens of Goans returned to the state from the pilgrimage to Israel on October 6, a day before the Israel-Hamas conflict commenced.
It was by providence that those on the pilgrimage were not caught in the crossfire between the two warring sides. However, there could be more tours underway in the war-torn country conducted from various parts of India. These Indians could be stranded in the war-torn country. The war could go on for several weeks if not for months as Israel has ordered a complete siege of the Gaza strip. This could result in numerous casualties on both sides. It would be desirable for the Indian government to find out if there are Indians on a tour to the Holy land as also tourists visiting Israel who are stuck in that country and assist them in returning home.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Need for counsellors in schools
This has reference to the report ‘Child Rights panel urges government to appoint school counsellors’ (O Heraldo – October 10, 2023).
This is indeed a step in the right direction, making counselling a vital part of the educational team. The pressure on the student community today, is tremendous. It is not just the studies, but there are other factors which influence students’ behaviour, such as love affairs in the higher age group going bad, etc.
We can see this is in the behaviour of several students – fist fighting, abusive language perhaps, violence, even using sharp instruments etc.
In the West, students are also using guns. Counsellors therefore, would certainly play a very important role in shaping the minds of these young children. Today, the world is in need of mental peace and peace in our hearts. We adults ourselves must understand the importance of mental peace. Indeed, adults are also in need of counselling.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Waiting in vain for ‘acche din’
Today the common man is hardly left with any money for health and other expenses. The price rise, inflation and unemployment, makes one wonder when the promised ‘acche din’ will come. The politically lucrative slogan of ‘good days’ has not been delivered yet. Even after nine years, the Centre has failed to bring back black money from abroad. And it has failed to deposit Rs 15 lakh in the accounts of common people as promised and two crore jobs every year.
The people of the country are already struggling to make their ends meet due to ongoing inflationary pressure. They are now struggling to survive with reckless price hikes of all commodities. The Centre privatizing PSUs and banks is a strategic concern. There are major concerns regarding the privatisation and asset monetisation programmes of India. It seems that Indians are not going to see the light of ‘achhe din’ in the near future.
K G Vilop, Chorao
