English: Mother Tongue of Goans?
A speaker at a DKA function on February 21, is alleged to have said (Herald, February 24): “The language you speak at home is your mother tongue”. If he has really said it, then, according to him, the mother tongue of many Goans is English, for, especially now since the education right from the primary school is in English, parents and others speak to their children at home only in English.
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Hence, in a growing number of Goan homes, English is the language which is used for daily conversation and which is at a galloping pace supplanting Konkani. So is English the mother tongue of Goans and, in the course of time, it will be of Goa itself?
If this is the consequence of the speaker’s contention, then there was no point for Goans to wage so many struggles for Konkani, which culminated in having it seated in the Constitution.
Mousinho de Ataide, Saligão
Use jetties for ore transport
The State government should make it mandatory for mining companies to use jetties for transportation of e-auctioned iron ore. The usage of the jetties for ore movement will cut road traffic as well as reduce danger to life due to constant movement of trucks. The trucks themselves are prone to accidents due to the narrow roads, most of which have been dug up on both sides to lay utility lines. Also environmental pollution could be checked if waterways are leveraged for ore transfer and Goa is blessed to have many rivers and tributaries. Mining sludge entering fertile farmlands due to long standing ore dumps also need to be addressed on an urgent basis, these too can be transferred to metal recovery facilities on barges. Instead of being dovetailed into the fancy ‘Sagarmala’ scheme, the government should utilise our rivers and jetties to make life easier for native Goans.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
An electrifying atmosphere in Margao
Apropos to the news item “Margao witnesses massive crowd for carnival” (Herald February 28, 2022), what an electrifying atmosphere. What an excitement after such a long time. What creative floats. What a larger than life merry making opportunity.
What an appreciative crowd! What a hard-hitting message! What a once-in-lifetime experience for the tourists who watched Viva Carnival winding its way through the roads of Margao with mouth wide open. What a colourful sight! What foot-tapping music! What kind of traditional dances.
What a smile while clicking selfies with various floats. What a rush of adrenaline. Viva Carnival 2022. Proud to be a Goan. Viva Goa. I am full emotions of pride. Thank you for such a lovely razzmatazz of floats. Enjoy.
Gafaar Shaqoor, Margao
Why can’t the UN solve Ukraine crisis?
‘He is a monster, a dictator and a Hitler’ these were the first piercing words in a strong and ferocious voice telecast by BBC in its early morning news broadcast on August 2, 1990 when Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded Kuwait. Margaret Thatcher spoke these words when she was in the USA visiting US as guest of US President Bush.
Coincidentally during that particular time Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The Queen referring these words to describe Saddam Hussein impressed upon Bush to give a lead to arrange a coalition of all the nations to liberate Kuwait and if this invasion of a small country like Kuwait is allowed then she said there will be no place for the small nations in this World where big nations will swallow the smaller nations.
If she was there now and as active as she was then, I am sure Thatcher would use almost the similar terminology against Putin to punish him for invading Ukraine which is a free and independent country.
Where is the United Nations (UN) gone now and why was this conflict not settled peacefully in the UN itself? UN was brought into existence to settle the bilateral disputes and not for the super power like Russia to swallow the small nation like Ukraine.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
What happened to NCZMA plan on Goa?
When the whole of Goa held meetings in each and every corner of Goa to raise objections to the National Coastal Zone Management Authority’s Plan to make our only Port a coal hub, to nationalise our rivers, the three linear projects and now to take over the major part of Goa’s coastline, the Goa government responded by taking villagers meetings in all Goan Panchayats to know the villagers views and objections village wise.
As if government was not satisfied with villagers objections they went further to hold meetings district wise. North Goa in Panjim and South Goa in Margao. Very huge pandals were set up in both places. Even these pandals fell short to accommodate all Goans who attended. Thus government woke up to the fact that Goans really oppose CZMP. What happened after that nobody knows.
Suddenly last month comes the New Year shocking news to Goans from the centre saying that the name of Mormugao Port Trust is changed to Mormugao Port Association. These news was enough for Goans to learn and understand that all those meetings were all a mere farce to fool Goans.
But Goans are not fools. Goans at once came to know the reason behind the change of Trust into Association. It was done by the centre to take over the Association and thus Goa’s coast. If not why other Indian Port Trust names like Vishakhapatnam Port Trust and Mumbai Port Trust are not changed?
So finally everything is happening as per the centre’s plan.
This golden Goa which was once known ‘Rome of the East’ will be a black coal slowly the name Goa will get changed to either Coalistan, Coalnagar or Coalnataka. Do we need to see this day? Do we need this to happen? Let us all unitedly oppose this ‘manmani’ of the centre tooth and nail.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Nikhat, Nitu strike boxing golds in Sofia
India’s best woman boxer 25-year-old Nikhat Zareen struck gold in the prestigious 73rd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament, Europe’s oldest boxing tournament at Sofia, Bulgaria by outboxing Ukraine’s Tetiana Kob, a three-time European Championship medallist by a split 4-1 decision in the 52-kg weight category. Earlier in the semi-finals, Nikhat out punched Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakioglu by a similar 4-1 verdict. For Nikhat, Strandja has been a happy hunting ground as she had won the gold in 2019 here.
It may be recalled that for the flyweight boxing trials leading to the Tokyo Olympics, Nikhat had been denied victory over MC Mary Kom in a bout that Nikhat dominated with an aggressive display of boxing skills.
Meanwhile, Nitu beat Italy’s Erika Prisciandaro by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the 48-kg light flyweight division to give India its second gold in the tournament. Nitu in the semi-finals had outclassed her Ukrainian rival Hanna Okhota.
Nandini rounded off India’s tally to 3 medals having won a bronze medal in the +81-kg weight category. This tournament is an important build-up for the world championships. Both Nikhat Zareen and Nitu are India’s brightest prospects in women’s boxing.
Elvidio Miranda,
Panjim
