Human rights for every person
On December 10, while the world observed Human Rights Day, hope we have all vowed to selflessly make our Goa a better place where human rights are not a privilege of just a few but a rightful liberty entitled to every human.
It is appalling that this power intoxicated government pays scant respect to the orders passed by the Goa Human Rights Commission which is an independent authority constituted by law to deliver justice and bring to book the violators of human rights. It is money all down the drain if the government has no respect for their orders and directions.
In the current state of anarchy, there is a paramount need to secure the human rights of one and all. No citizen should have to fear the State but should confidently participate in its administration and stand up for his Rights.
We need to be all champions in the battle of ensuring everyone’s Human Rights. There couldn’t be a more worthy cause to be striving for.
In fact every day is a Human Rights Day, a day on which we work to ensure that all people can live with equality, dignity and freedom in its true sense.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Barking dogs seldom bite
The Congress President Girish Chodankar’s all time, everyday allegations on either electronic or social media, against the present dispensation is like barking dogs seldom bite. Chodankar should learn from other party presidents that the role of a party president is of building a party and not of a spokesman. His role should be marketing his party and proving to the Goan electorate what the Congress government can give if elected to power, rather than just accusing the present government baselessly.
He has accused a minister of sex scandal, why is he not naming the minister? He has accused the CM’s office of corruption in recruitment process and promised the people of Goa to stall the recruitment process within 8 days on November 28, 2021. Today, December 10, 2021 and Girish is no way seen anywhere close to the courts gates to stall the process. With such baseless accusation, seems like the ruling parties will have an upper hand on the Congress. The matured politicians in Congress, should start taming their president, so that the party doesn’t lose reputation in the forthcoming elections, or Girish Chodankar should act on what he accuses. At least then there will be some viability in his words.
Allen Noronha, Porvorim
Farmers’s demands finally accepted
Protesting farmers deciding to end their year-long agitation across the country brings the curtains down over the farm law stand-off. The move follows the Centre offering the olive branch and accepting the remaining demands of the farmers.
These include withdrawal of criminal cases filed in various States against agitating farmers, providing compensation for the kin of farmers who died at the protests and forming a panel to ensure that all farmers can sell their produce at remunerative minimum support prices (MSP).
While the farmers celebrate victory, the BJP would hope to reap political rewards out of this move ahead of the Assembly elections in some key States.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Stop feeding stray dogs with raw meat
There are several animal lovers who feed stray dogs on a regular basis and some even feed them every day. It must be said that stray animals have had a tough time during the period of the lockdown due to the pandemic as the hotels serving food were shut down and hence the animals could not be fed on the leftovers. Animal lovers took to feeding these stray animals. Some continued feeding the stray dogs even after the lockdown was over. This is a step in the right direction as a hungry pack of dogs can prove dangerous to the general public.
However, great care must be taken not to feed the stray dogs with raw meat. Feeding the dogs with raw meat will make them aggressive and hence they can attack people. The rising number of stray dogs is a cause for worry and, if fed with raw meat, they can pose danger to the general public. It is understood that some meat shops in Vasco feed stray dogs with raw meat waste and chicken waste. Packs of dogs are also seen near garbage dumping sites who feed on garbage and animal carcass.
Stray dogs should be prevented from rummaging the waste at the garbage dumping site. It is learnt that there has been a rise in cases of dog bites in and around Vasco and one of the reasons attributed to this is that stray dogs are fed with raw meat waste and chicken waste by meat shops.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Where’s the subsidy?
Is the LPG cylinder now costing Rs 900 cheaper? People have not received any subsidy on their LPG cylinders since April 2020. Like onions, cooking gas is a basic need of the people, without which we cannot survive.
The government needs to be aware of the LPG subsidy which has disappeared from our bank accounts since April 2020. Till today, the government has not given any clarification to the people as to why the LPG subsidy has been removed?
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
‘The Wall’ will protect cricket
The news about the appointment of Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Indian cricket team came as a breath of fresh air for he is the best choice to fill in the shoes of Ravi Shastri as I think the trend of appointing foreign coaches is downhill. Dravid, as a player, is known for his level-headedness, composure and equanimity when the going was tough for the Indian team. He was a player who never got perturbed or lost his mental balance in times of crisis, on or off the field. He transformed many Test matches into a draw, which is why he had the moniker “The Wall”. He was handy as a wicket-keeper in the 2003 world cup.
Though a strict disciplinarian, Dravid mingles well with team members, particularly young players, who were his protégés in the Under-19 team. Dravid’s stint as a coach has begun on a winning note as India vanquished the T20 world cup runners-up New Zealand in the just concluded T 20 series. Wishing Dravid every success in his new assignment.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Satyagrah, ahimsa are still relevant
Hours after receiving a signed missive from the Centre accepting most of their demands, farm unions suspended their year-long agitation but shall be meeting again in January to take stock of the situation and assess whether the government is actually acting on their demands, such is the trust deficit.
Inspite of being branded as anti-nationals, Naxals, criminals and Khalistanis by the government and a virulently partisan media besides being subjected to lathi charges, water cannons , bullets, sabotage and other unspeakable horrors by the Deep State, the farmers did not resort to violence or even once deviate from the path of peaceful protest; ultimately the ‘rulers’ had to capitulate. The ‘my way or the highway’ approach of the hubris saturated sarkar ultimately had to go for a toss.
There are a few takeaways from this year long movement; one, the Gandhian approach of Satyagrah and ahimsa is as relevant today as it was eight decades back ; two, truth ultimately prevails ; three, bullies are cowed down by resolute resistance and four, might is not always right. Jai jawan, jai kisan.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
