Non-availability of textbooks
The government provides textbooks for students of Standard 1-8 while those of 9 and 10th have to be procured from the market. The schools in Goa reopened on June 6 and yet there are no signs of textbooks for all the students. The non-availability of textbooks is a recurring theme and nightmare, year after year, for the parents, students and teachers. Since the government is aware as to when the schools are closed and reopen it has sufficient time to make arrangements for printing and distribution. This year there should not have been any excuses since schools have re-opened after two years and there was ample time to get the textbooks ready. Someone seems to be messing up big time and this is costing the educational system.
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Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
There can be no room for hate politics
The current public discourse over religion, that our great country is sadly witnessing for quite some time, is utterly distressing, disgusting and absurd. This time round, it has understandably infuriated the world.
The fanatics who are maliciously sowing the seeds of disharmony into our peace-loving nation must be dealt with an iron hand. Spreading hate amongst communities must be a non-bailable offence with stringent exemplary punishment.
No one, howsoever well connected, should be spared whilst disturbing our secular Peace. Action against such elements has to be swift and merciless, acting as an effective deterrent. As enshrined in our Constitution, India must always strive to be a peaceful, secular society, and a beacon of communal harmony. It is imperative that the political class must rise to the occasion by displaying statesmanship, competence, honesty, dedication, maturity and selfless determination to keep the nation as it has always been. Temples, mosques and churches and all other places of worship should be focal points to unite diverse communities instead of creating rifts amongst us. As we are all children of that one loving and tolerant God, there can be no room to divide us on the basis of creed or caste.
And we should always be guided by those words of Mahatma Gandhi “Always aim at complete harmony of thought, word, and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.”
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Bring all vendors
under one roof
After putting up resistance for 15 years, vendors in the Vasco fish market finally moved out of the premises to enable the demolition of the structure and the subsequent construction of a new fish market. Construction of the proposed fish market at Vasco had hit a roadblock with vendors unwilling to move to a temporary shed built by the Goa State Urban Development Agency to facilitate the construction of the new project. It is pertinent to note that in Vasco the vegetable market, the fruit market, flower market, meat market, etc. are spread over a vast area. Citizens have to go from one market to the other either by foot or in a vehicle. In other cities the various markets dealing in food items are either located under one roof or in close proximity. This is not the case in Vasco. Hence, consumers, especially the senior citizens are put to a lot of inconvenience. One also sees several vendors occupying the pavements and the roadside thereby inconveniencing the pedestrians and the vehicular drivers. It would be desirable to bring all the various vendors under one roof or in close proximity just like the Panjim market. The new fish market could have another floor or two which could accommodate vegetable vendors, fruit vendors, meat vendors and even flower vendors besides the fish vendors. The authorities concerned could work on this line which will be a great boon to Vascoites.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Land to the tiller
The tenants right to land was heralded as the biggest reform that would usher in agrarian revolution. Communidade institution was almost ruined. The rent was abolished. Government took over the administration of Communidades and thus destroyed the institution. Large tracts were kept fallow. Cultivation has cone to a grinding halt due escalating labour costs, lack of labour and inputs. The menace of stray cattle has aggravated the situation The only cheap land available are fields. Government has acquired merrily for all social purposes like roads, railways, housing, industries grounds, markets etc. The permission for subletting fields has not taken off the ground as yet.
The mechanized farming, subsidies, buy back facility does address the labour costs, but labour intensive field cultivation is not attractive still, coupled with vagaries of nature and crop insurance is not a beneficial option loaded against farmers’ interests. The land conversion mafia is making hay while sun shines. The government went a step further to allow tenants to buy fields at dirt cheap price. Such transfers have strict provisions against conversions. But owners are converting it into orchard and illegal habitats with the eye on converting to settlement zones too it is against spirit and clauses of purchase. The government must stop fields turned into orchard fields are also natural barriers against flooding. Will the government ensure that tenants who bought communidade fields are cultivating it and should revert to communidade if kept fallow.
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim
Testing times
It is a testing time to run a government in India. Even a slightest provocation led to protest, peaceful march and police firing. The caste, creed and religion all taking a primary role, whereas no one cares for rising prices and high inflation and the public property is damaged without any consideration. Instead of having heated arguments, peaceful discussions can take place across the table and to sip a cup of tea in the process. The heated arguments lead to war of words and that goes beyond control at point of time leading to uncalled incidents and happenings across the country. We as a peace-loving country look for peace and prosperity all the time and that was the reason for our survival when our neighboring countries are facing crisis and subsequent collapse. It is time for the ruling party and the opposition have some sort of make-or-break situation thereby peace can be purchased and thus paving way for an amicable settlement.
Krishnan Subramaniam, Chennai
Peace in the valley
It is really paining to see innocent people being killed and the peace in the valley being tested almost every day particularly after the hasty abrogation of Article 370 and bringing Governor’s rule after splitting the united Jammu and Kashmir into two entities.
The people in the valley are in constant fear and almost everything has come to a standstill. Even tourism has taken a beating and the entire atmosphere has become polluted with fear for life, chaos and confusion. We find more army men in the valley than people on roads and an eerie calm prevailing in the valley.
It is indeed a fact that the problem of the Kashmiri Pundits that remained solved to a larger extent has been made to erupt again exposing their lives in danger.
The earlier rulers were very careful in handling the issues of this sensitive State envisaging the resultant effects and never took any decision without deliberations and discussing the outcome of such moves thread ear.
Contrary to this, the BJP government went ahead with such national moves including abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir unilaterally without having any discussion in the Parliament, other right forums and the related stake holders.
We dread to think of what is in store for the people of J&K who are in constant threat of their lives.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
