We need to be alert
Now the Pakistan has really upped the ante. By sending explosive filled drones to Jammu, they are taking the covert warfare to a completely new level. This reprehensible attack has caught our defence forces completely off-guard. One would have thought that our brass would have factored in all potential attack scenarios.
In this war like situation, where the enemy is constantly trying to throw shift gears at us, the planners and the government have to be on alert all the times. We are sure our armed forces will come up with an appropriate response teach our old enemy a lesson in the Balakot surgical strike style.
M Ramaswamy Jayanthy, Mumbai
Driving test needed for Learner’s Licence
It is learnt that it is no longer mandatory in Goa for candidates to queue up at the RTOs to get a learner’s driving licence. It will now be available online. The aspirants will just have to log on to the website and apply for the online learner’s driving licence using Aadhar based authentication. The applicants will then undergo an online test based on road safety video provided on the same website and will be issued the said licence upon achieving 60 per cent marks.
It is understood that on an average the department issues 50,000 learner’s driving licences annually. Hence a substantial number of drivers of four-wheeler and riders of two-wheeler on the roads possess just a learner’s driving licence. A driver’s learning licence test in Goa is conducted as per the rules of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to test an applicant’s knowledge of traffic rules and regulations in order to get the learner’s driving licence. Those holding a learner’s licence, a majority of whom are youngsters, can drive/ride on the road.
Just knowledge of traffic rules and regulations does not seem sufficient to allow a person to drive/ride on the road. That is probably one of the reasons why many fail the driving test for the full driving licence. A simple driving test seems necessary before issuing the learner’s driving licence. It should also be made sure that the applicant is physically fit to drive/ride a vehicle. This may not be possible if a learner’s driving license is issued online.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Killing us softly
At the break of dawn, with practically everything under the Sun allowed to operate, albeit with conventional restrictions, the virus (Corona is incidentally the outermost atmosphere of the Sun), seems to have hit ‘Moonlighting’ aka nightlife really hard with a bit of help from the government. Pre-vaccine days, bars and restaurants were allowed to operate at 50% capacity among other restrictions and the citizens seemed hopeful of a recovering economy. Then came the lethargic vaccine rollout, certainly not helped in any way by vaccine hesitancy largely due to dodgy information being doled out by the authorities, followed by the Second wave and its disastrous handling by the Centre and subsequently by the States.
Aggressive vaccinating of citizens above the age of 18 spelt hope for us Goans, most of us who presumed that the most vulnerable age groups would have been adequately vaccinated. It is therefore bewildering why then, post-vaccination, hotels/bars and restaurants are not being allowed to function. The industry—arguably Goa’s largest employer and revenue generator, and the one entity that could enforce/implement strict Covid protocols, was crying out to be resurrected but alas, it was too much to expect the current dispensation to think “out of box’.
Those involved with the industry, especially the entertainment fraternity, and the seniors looking to break the shackles of being homebound for so long, had to silently bear the painful effect of the governments disastrous response to the pandemic.
It’s never too late though, for the government to get the blinkers off, consult with stakeholders, put protocols in place, impose hefty fines on defaulters, and get their act together to kick start an economy just waiting to be ignited.
Bosco D’Souza, Kegdevelim
Need to preserve Portuguese documents
It was indeed disheartening to read in the newspapers how the rare Portuguese books and other important literature books at Margao Municipal Library which form the heritage of Goa are getting destroyed due to neglect and mishandling.
We need to preserve this for us and the future generations as a treasure of our culture and history. This can only happen if the importance of these is inculcated in the minds of our children and people and preserving them carefully. Along with Goan land, environment, traditional arts and culture the preservation and protection of these books is of paramount importance.
Let’s not just ignore it with the attitude saying it’s a Portuguese thing but see in the perspective of the history and what we can learn and pass on as a rich heritage. We hope Fundacao Oriente will come forward along with our Directorate of Archives and Archaeology to protect these rare treasures before they are lost forever.
Jo Dias, Chandor-Cavorim
When is the third wave coming?
All boils down to your family and yourself having faced or seen how Covid-19 has shaken all societies of life. It did not spare anyone regardless of our religion, culture, customs, whether we are poor, middle or rich. It showed us the weight of humanity and reminded us who we are even if have the power.
Now it is important to pause for a moment remaining calm, collect your thoughts on how we survived uncertainty – including anxiety, fear, anger and sadness, though fortunate among those who innocently kissed the dust. Even I being Covid-19 negative, we home quarantined ourselves, we were religiously vigilant and switched on in taking care of ourselves so we are equipped to help our family through this dreadful time.
None can argue that it is normal to feel stressed or overwhelmed living in this uncertain times, feeling fatigue, loss of appetite do anything, having sleepless nights after consuming unreliable news sources and social media finding us anxious.
We should never forget that we do not live without relationships as we are very caring and share connection between us to see how we stick together at times although everything has been taken away from us due to this situation, all the unrealised plans, be it religious activities, birthdays, travels, shopping, weddings, jobs, education and sadly even attending funeral or condolence visits being powerless.
In conclusion, being stressed, we are self educated to advise ourselves that each one of us have respected the measures – Covid-19 SOPs imposed by authorities. The Earth will continue to spin, and life will flow again by then we will have learned our lesson.
Gaston Dias, Sarzora
Controlling Covid deaths in Goa
Even though case counts and Covid deaths have reduced drastically in Goa compared to May, deaths in Goa are still continuing at an undesired pace.
Comparing the statistics of Goa a small State with a population of just 15 lakhs with that of Singapore having a population of 35 lakh, Singapore was able to restrict their deaths to below 50, and then maintain a zero count ever since.
That’s real control of the virus; whereas deaths in Goa have exceeded 3000 and is still counting. Unless at least the death count in Goa is brought down to absolute zero and maintained so, we cannot really boast of having controlled the virus effectively. Could we do it?
Eugine Augustine, Porvorim
