Appalling posts in social media
Since the war commenced between Russia and Ukraine, the social media, more specifically WhatsApp, are being bombarded with messages, videos, memes, fake news, write-ups by unknown people, jokes and so forth. When people in Ukraine are getting killed, maimed, running for safety and taking care of themselves and their loved ones, there are so many insensitive people who flood others with unwanted news and opinions. It is also shocking that educated people share and comment on the messages. This is a sad commentary on the behaviour of people in a civilised and democratic India, which always considers the whole world as a family.
Suddenly everyone has become an expert in history, geography, international relations, geopolitics, negotiations, etc. Much of the posts are the handiworks of people who have nothing else to do or are working for MIT (Manufactured in IT cells). Media people interview the families of the children who are trapped in Ukraine for ‘breaking news.’ This should be disallowed as the families are already in a stressful situation and worrying about their children.
The above actions are in bad taste and sickening to the core. The originators of such malicious messages need to reflect what if they are or their near and dear ones were caught in a country at war. Where has humanity gone? The government needs to step in and take strict action against rumour-mongers, creators of phony news by seeking the help of the service providers. Let us remember that today it is Ukraine tomorrow (God forbid) it could happen to us too.
In the present condition when India is doing her level best to bring back the students there are supporters and opposition on this move. Some politicians, citizens and media are asking as to why the students went aboard to study and why spend tax payers’ money to get them back? When people go abroad for work, business and tourism, students too have a choice to study anywhere by spending from their own resources.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Old and neglected by successive govts
The saying that old is gold doesn’t augur well in case of senior citizens as the government is not kind to them. Senior citizens whose source of income besides pension is the interest from fixed deposits or postal savings schemes, they are always discriminated for no fault of theirs and also there is an unwritten rule that senior citizens should not be offered credit cards though they may be paying income tax. Insurance companies that do non-life insurance business such as medical insurance limit the entry point to 70 years which is not correct.
Senior citizens are soft targets of not only domestic servants but also close relatives, attempts have been made on their lives by relatives a recent example is cold blooded murder at Varca, Salcete Goa who have an eye on their properties, some unscrupulous elements in the police let criminals take advantage of the situation and when the old person is killed the conspiring relatives get away because robbery is made out to be motive.
Senior Police officials should investigate the murders of senior citizens to ensure a fair inquiry. Though we recognise the need for safer living conditions for our elders, individuals cannot do without the cooperation of the government and the society otherwise the elderly have to fend themselves.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Has Oppn committed political suicide?
Amidst conflicting claims that all the parties would perform better in the Goa Assembly polls held on February 14, 2022 and specially taking into consideration that there has been the anti-incumbency factor as well as party hopping by candidates, predicting winners will be a difficult task. However, with the opposition having split their votes, the likeliest equation would be that the margin of victory in almost the constituencies will be very slim, of the order of 1000 to 2000 votes.
In such a scenario the verdict for the assembly polls could throw up many surprises. But the fact remains that the opposition which had a distinct possibility of winning have actually committed political suicide by not resorting to pre poll alliances that would have ensured victory for the opposition. So, a distinct possibility could still emerge wherein if the BJP do not get a complete majority that the Opposition could still cobble up a government of post-poll alliance, March 10, will determine the exact outcome.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Tackle misinformation on social media
Every scientific innovation has a good and a bad side to it. This fact is very much true in the case of Social Media. Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc,. have become a handy tool in order to get the latest news on what is happening in the neighbourhood and across the globe. However it must also be said that there is a lot of misinformation that is being circulated.
Just recently the false news of the “death” of a popular Goan Konkani singer became viral on Social Media. Fortunately the singer was hale and hearty and even performed during the recent Carnival festivities. Misinformation has become the bane of Social Media. It is understood that the Department of English in collaboration with IQAC of the college recently organised a state-level online workshop on ‘Misinformation’ for the students of various colleges. The workshop reportedly trained students to understand fake news and reporting and to enable students to become responsible consumers of media.
There are several issues that plague the current news that is forwarded by WhatsApp and other social media. It is for the netizens to sift the correct news from the misinformation by cross-checking. Several netizens could be forwarding every message they receive on WhatsApp without checking its authenticity. It would hence be in the fitness of things to conduct such a workshop for the members of the general public besides the college students. In order to maintain privacy WhatsApp cannot see the content of the messages in end-to-end encrypted chats.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
India needs to do more on evacuation
This has reference to the report ‘Goan student Anezka survives Russia’s bombing of Ukraine’ (Herald, Match 4, 2022). The Goan student Anezka was one of those lucky ones who made it back home from war-torn Ukraine. It was distressing to read of the difficulties Anezka and the others experienced in their efforts to move out of Ukraine.
It is even more distressing to see how India is handling the so-called evacuation. Now they are asking them to learn Russian in order to survive in hostile conditions. It’s like Marie Antoinette telling people to eat cakes if they don’t have bread. It’s heartbreaking to read of news reports of people being told to walk to the borders or railway stations which is a ‘dangerous proposition’, while all their surroundings were being bombed. It’s like ‘jumping from the frying pan to the fire’.
One is reminded of the Lockdown when migrant workers moving out of the cities, were forced to walk thousands of miles without food or water, without any guarantee that they would reach home. Asking these students to walk out on the streets, amounts to suicide. The government must be a lot more sensitive to their needs instead of resorting to PR exercises.
Simultaneously, diplomacy to end to war can go on.
Melville X. D’Souza, Mumbai
