Drunken tourism is booming in Goa
In 2018, the number of domestic tourists visiting Goa stood at 70 lakh, while foreign tourists amounted to 9.3 lakhs. Five years later (2023,) the number of domestic tourists has remained the same while the number of foreign visitors plummeted to 1.7 lakh– a fall of around 80 percent! Goa’s loss is Kerala’s gain.
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Personally I don’t think foreign tourists will come back when there are cheaper options in India and abroad. Moreover the news of Goa’s archaic transport system has reached foreign shores. Foreign tourists don’t mind paying but they are averse to being ripped off.
What we are now witnessing is a booming ‘drunken tourism’ which is destroying Goa. Govt must make concerted efforts to bring in more quality domestic tourists. Ultimately, only quality domestic tourists will keep the industry afloat. We can safely forget about foreign tourists given the ground realities. Foreign junkets by officials will benefit them, not tourism. What we need is to first improve conditions at home.
Robert Castellino, Calangute/Mumbai
Focus on making Goa garbage-free
We were recently greeted by the sight of PM Modi wet mopping the already clean floor of Kalaram temple in Nashik with a dozen cameramen in tow, he also exhorted everyone to participate in the ‘swachh teerth’ movement.
No sooner had he said this then our defence minister was seen sweeping a temple floor followed by the civil aviation minister doing the same; joining in these shenanigans were luminaries like Ashwini Vaishnav, Meenakshi Lekhi, Dharmendra Pradhan and various others . These days the PM spends all his time ( 24 hours, not 18 ) in religious pursuits, visiting temples, experiencing untold spiritual bliss, fasting , sleeping on the floor, feeding cows etc.etc. ; is the head of the executive paid by taxpayers to do all this?? But what the boss does, his minions follow. In Goa too, several ministers made a beeline to the nearest mandir with great alacrity to mop and sweep the floors, a task which we have never seen them doing before.
This reeks of repulsive hypocrisy, almost the whole of Goa is drowning in a sea of garbage but the ministers never thought it fit to focus their attention and energies on cleaning the state. Showbaazi and exhibiting competitive loyalty (loyaler than thou) to Modi has replaced substance and actual work in New India and the sad part is that this is now entrenched as the new normal.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Rising cyber crimes is a matter of concern
The raging incidence of cyber crimes is a matter of serious concern. Cyber crimes are a leading problem that fails to get the right attention. It is imperative to spread awareness and improve digital literacy. Cybercriminals are stealing money and fiddling with bank accounts with a variety of strategies. Fraudsters utilizing fake social media profiles to defraud the gullible of their money.
The cybercrime has increased in the last few years due to increased usage of the internet. Since cyber transactions are steadily increasing, it is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies, banks, and other financial institutions to ensure the transaction are done safely and securely. And also it is crucial for law enforcement agencies, individuals, businesses, and policymakers to understand the changing landscape of cybercrimes. As technology continues to advance, so do the tactics of cybercriminals, making it essential for all stakeholders to stay informed and vigilant.
K G Vilop, Chorao
January 16 has twin significance
Goa celebrated ‘Asmitai Dis’ (Identity Day) or Opinion Poll Day on January 16. It was on this date in 1967 that Goans voted against merging with Maharashtra and chose to remain a Union Territory. Though referred to as an ‘opinion poll’, the vote was in fact a plebiscite. Opinion Poll, the first ever in the Country was held to ascertain the wishes of the people: whether or not Goa should be merged with Maharashtra and Daman and Diu with Gujarat. The people of Goa voted against the merger and Goa continued to be a union territory. Subsequently, in 1987, Goa became a full-fledged state within the Indian Union.
It is strange that we celebrate Statehood Day, but not the Opinion Poll that allowed that to happen. January 16 also has significance for the Catholic community in the state. On the same day Goa celebrates the feast St Joseph Vaz at Sancoale. St Joseph Vaz canonized on January 14, 2015 by Pope Francis at Galle Face Green, Sri Lanka. He was named the Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa on June 26, 1999. This year over a lakh of devotees thronged to Sancoale for the novenas and feast of the great saint. Given the twin significance of the day it would be desirable for the government to declare January 16 a public holiday in future. This would give the Opinion Poll Day due importance and for Catholics to celebrate the feast of their beloved saint with fervour.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Kudos to the SC verdict
The re-arrest of the eleven rapists and murderers in the Bilkis Bano case is a slap on the face of the Home Minister and the Prime Minister of India who were accused for their complicity in the Gujarat riots. The injustice meted out to Bilkis Bano is an indelible blot, one that will make the entire nation hang its head in shame.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Music transcends language barriers
Indian cinema has been rich and wide for nearly a century, and the Tamil film and music industry has immensely contributed to its overall beauty. From representing the culture of Tamil Nadu to taking this beautiful language to ears across the globe, Tamil film songs have done it all over the years.
However, intriguingly enough, from the mid 1950s until the time of the late S P Balasubrahmanyam a few years ago, Tamil film music was enriched and dominated by playback singers largely from the rest of the three States in South, and their names became synonymous with Tamil Nadu. Legendary singers P B Sreenivas, K J Yesudas, S.P.Balasubrahmanyam, P Suseela and S Janaki – all are/were from Karnataka, Kerala and Andhrapradesh. Another legend, T M Soundararajan, a Saurashtrian, born in Madurai, dominated Tamil film music like nobody else for well over six decades. Needless to say Tamil film music wouldn’t have been what it is today without the golden voices of the above renowned playback singers, and for which Tamil Nadu owes a lot to them. Music transcends language barriers, and truly so.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
