Inhuman Goa govt
Mopa link road is in the news and North Goa Collector after giving a hearing told the delegation that they had no chance of winning. It is deeply regretted that five years ago when the government (Warkhand, Nagzar VP) of Goa decided on this link road, it was the duty of the government and our Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to have informed the panchayat and the poor farmers of the land. If they have waited for five years, they could have waited till May 2022 so that the farmers could have reaped the benefit of cashew and mango trees this year. The politicians do not appreciate the hard work of farmers. This Goa government has also destroyed coconut trees and advertisement boards of a poor lady at Mapusa to establish a helipad for our Prime Minister, which was not even used.
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Jawaharlal Henriques, Siolim
No water
Rationing of commodities in times of war is understandable. Further, if one commodity is not available, you can somehow do with another. But how does one survive without water, our daily basic need?
For years now, water supply in my village of Assagao has been rationed. Until some months ago, people were provided water for only two hours on every alternate day. As if that was not bad enough, even that has been stopped now. The latest PWD water bill I received shows that my household has been supplied only 3 units of water for 64 days period which is just 1 unit for 3 weeks. We are forced to buy water from tanker suppliers. The government recently announced a scheme of free water to people upto 16,000 litres per month. Where is the actual benefit to us when government supplies hardly 1 unit for 3 weeks?
Now that the campaigning and elections are over and the results are going to be announced shortly, the new government should get down to serious business and provide us water, our prime basic daily need for existence.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Fathers at the receiving end
With reference to the Herald news report “Son kills father for not getting him marriage proposal” dated March 3, 2022, how can Rajesh – a 34 years old son – kill his father Ganesh bab for not getting him marriage proposals? A father always wishes well for his children. A father’s dream is to see his son get a good job and a well-mannered and beautiful wife. A father always wants his son to get married as soon as possible so that his family’s legacy remains intact.
Why did Rajesh brutally murder his father in an insane manner? Is Rajesh mentally unstable? Can’t Rajesh find a girl for himself? Is he so dependent on his father? Or, is there more to it than what meets the eye? Of late this fad to kill father seems to be catching up in Goa. Daughters are reportedly killing their fathers for property-related disputes. Sons are not thinking twice before killing their fathers for not getting them marriage proposals.
Why are children so angry with their fathers? It is not easy to be a father. It is world’s most difficult job to be a father. Please do not kill your father. He is the one who dedicates his entire life to ensure his children’s well-being. Respect father. He doesn’t deserve fatal blows with sharp weapons. He, on the other hand, deserves a tight hug expressing gratitude and appreciation for what he has done for his offspring.
Gafaar Shaqoor, Margao.
Of Covid and folk ditties
Traditions in India have always been multihued, splendorous and dynamic, embracing not just the ancient but also accommodating the modern; the eco feminist festival of dhalo which is celebrated during Goan winter is a vibrant example of the same. This year as the women danced the fugdi to the accompaniment of folk songs, onlookers were pleasantly surprised to find mention of sanitisers and masks in the lyrics as also the neo iconic phrase ‘bhivpachi garaz na’ coined by our CM. Generally songs about socio-cultural ethos, traditions, animism and markers of tumultuous events passed down from previous generations are sung but this time around topical events like Covid, and safety protocols were woven into the ditties to create more awareness of the same. On previous occasions too, events of the then times like Gandhi’s assassination, freedom of India from the yoke of the British and the atrocities committed by the Portuguese on the local populace have been interwoven in the warp and weft of dhalo songs. Keeping true to their traditions the good women of Goa have now immortalised the pandemic in folk lore to be handed down from mother to daughter for as long as the tradition thrives.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Goa, a birder’s paradise
At the recently held ‘Goa Bird Race’ many bird watchers documented as many as 256 different species within a 12-hour period, more than half of all the bird species in our beautiful State. Analysis revealed that the white throated kingfisher, brahminy kite and crow are the most common avians while exotic birds like the shelduck, ibis, oyster catcher and ferruginous duck make Goa their home for part of the year.
Maximum number of birds was spotted in the Ghats section; there is a lot of potential for bird tourism which is environment friendly, ethical and sustainable form of tourism. The government should give a serious thought for promotion of such initiatives.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
Act before it is too late
It is really heartrending, distressing and very sad to learn that a student from Karnataka has been killed in the bomb attack by Russia in Ukraine. This is not an unexpected incident looking at the manner in which the poor Indian students were left to their own fate to find ways to cross the Ukrainian border even by foot and reach the shores of other countries like Romania, Poland or Hungary for safety, by the Indian government and our embassy in Ukraine.
The Indian students who are stranded there have also lamented that they are being attacked by the Ukrainian army for the decision taken by our government to abstain from voting in the Resolution brought against the Russian invasion in the UN which according to them tantamounts to letting them down and supporting the action of Russia against them.
It is a tragedy that our government has failed to foresee the present situation well in advance and give their advisories on time through our embassy in Ukraine to the students and other Indians to return to India without delay. When the entire nation is in mourning over the tragic death of the poor student in Ukraine and another who died of stroke, we find Prime Minister Modi busy canvassing votes for his party in UP and Manipur and UP keeping it as his priority ! A real leader / Commander is one who is at the front and leads the army in war. Should not the PM have led the ministerial delegation deputed by the government to the war zone, to comfort Indians and find ways and means to bring them back safely?
At least now, the government should act fast and intelligently to see that the stranded Indians are evacuated without further delay lest we face more tragedies due to the autocratic manner in which the Russians are acting in Ukraine.
It should also be noted that selling off of our national air, Air India has resulted in us to be at the mercy of the generous Tata group and other private flyers for aircrafts to bring back the Indians stranded in the war zone.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
