AAP’s writ on Goa CM & Dy CM
We have the AAP Dy CM of Delhi Sisodia announce that the CM face for AAP in Goa will be from the Bhandari Samaj and the Dy CM will be from the Catholic community in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Firstly, is this not playing society polarising games putting caste and community forward? And secondly, why should the dictate of who the office holders would be come from Delhi?
Has AAP given up on grassroots democracy and will not let its members in Goa decide who the CM & Dy CM would be?
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
Pink police force needed
This is in reference to your editorial ‘Pink police force is an urgent need.’ (November 12). Of late criminal activities and deteriorating law and order situation causes alarm and destroys the once good image of Goa sending shivers in the minds of Goemkars and those outside who love this State. It may so be the case that the existing police force may be highly pressured with several obligations in today’s scenario, their mind sets too deeply entrenched protecting the privileged classes besides not looked after very well with existing salary and perks.
To blame them is easy, very few of us take the easy way out to condemn them outright, forgetting their problems and tensions. High time for sorting out their agony and reformation of the force on right lines so that various atrocities against women and children are well looked after.
The idea of creation of a Pink Police Force highlighted on the lines of Kerala and Delhi deserves immediate attention if we desire a respectable Goa. This force must be picked up with better and sensitive candidates both officers and personnel attuned to protection of ladies, children and other vulnerable sections from present day onslaught by notorious and criminal-minded elements.
Be they incidents of Benaulim, Calangute and in case of the Russians recently, Goa has been put to shame. Once created and assigned tasks, the Pink Force have to be posted to vulnerable, lonely places and all sea beaches, preferably with ordinary dresses so that they are not easily recognised by miscreants.
Parthasarathy Sen, by email
Special Goan film category at IFFI
The 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India will be held in the State capital from November 20 to 28. It is learnt that the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) has reportedly decided to scrap the special Goan film category if it doesn’t receive a minimum of four Konkani films. This move will be very harsh and discouraging for the Konkani film producers in the state.
IFFI is an opportunity for Konkani film makers to showcase their talent to the world. It is pertinent to note that the special Goan section at IFFI was started in order to encourage a film culture in Goa. Due to limitations of the pandemic, only two Konkani films have been produced and are ready for release. Konkani film makers need to be encouraged on an international forum so that they produce world-class films. A time may come in future when a Konkani film could be filmed as the opening or the closing movie at the film festival. It is pertinent to note that well-known Goan film-maker Sanjay Shetye has had his Marathi films being screened at various International film festivals across the globe and has won several awards. Konkani film makers should get an opportunity to screen their films at IFFI.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Kindness cost nothing
Kindness or courtesy is not given as much importance as it deserves. There is no need for a person to find a real reason to be good and kind to others. One can be anything, so why not be kind to others? For many, kindness comes naturally. Positive vibe of kindness can work wonders towards supporting friendship and unity. The quality of heaping benevolence on unkind persons may have an eclectic effect on the receiver as well as the giver. Similarly, unexpected kindness is least expensive and most powerful of all routes to societal change.
On a larger platform, a kind environment is all the more necessary to push nations of the world to create a safe and secure place to all. There is a false notion that a country has to be cruel to be tough. Nothing can be further from the truth. An act of kindness has no race or religion. It has no predilection to region and age either.
People may forget anything but they will not forget how one made them feel through acts of sympathy and compassion. Small gestures like allowing the opposite side to talk, observing and hearing out the distressed by talking less, offering a stranger a cup of coffee, lending a hand for the elderly across the road, opening the door for someone who generally does that for everybody, feeding the stray animals on the road, offering a seat to the old, disabled and women in public transport — are all signs and signals of kindness.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Aussies found their form in T-20 semis
Australia produced an extraordinary performance at the T20 World Cup in Dubai to outmanoeuvre Pakistan and set up a title clash with arch-rival New Zealand. Looking down the barrel at 96 for five in pursuit of 177, the Kangaroos found their heroes in Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade, who stitched together an unconquered 81-run stand off just 6.4 overs.
The spectacular assault included three consecutive sixes by Wade off left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi to finish off the match. The result saw Australia enter the World T20 final for the first time since 2010, and one can expect an exciting contest.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Let there be full accessibility to all
It was sad and shocking to read in the front page of Herald dated 11/11/2021, that Margao Municipal Council building is not provided with necessary facility for people with disabilities including the present CEO Agnelo Fernandes, easy access to all the offices in the building for their official work.
MMC being a public utility building whether it’s a heritage building or not has no right to prevent people who are handicapped to visit the building and get their work done without any inconvenience, just like any other normal person. It’s very insensitive on the part of the Goa government to entertain the objections raised by SPDA for making arrangements for an easy access to persons with disabilities.
It’s to be hoped that the Goa government will intervene immediately and take steps to provide necessary and unhindered accessibility to all the offices located inside MMC premises and that no one is deprived of their right to visit MMC for their work.
Antonio Diniz, Fatorda
No enforcement of Covid-19 SOPs
It is very disheartening to see all the good work done by our Covid Warriors going to waste. Hardly do you see any tourists and locals wearing their Face masks when they are in public places such as beaches, markets, malls, bus stops, etc. To add to this there is no enforcement of the SOPs, there are no fines imposed on the offenders.
Also the SOPs are not followed by business owners. No social distancing followed, no thermal screening, no disinfection of used surfaces, etc. Also here there is no enforcement of the COVID SOPs. It looks like the people and the government want the 3rd wave to come faster.
It’s sad that all the good work done by our doctors, nurses, police, essential suppliers and other Covid warriors go to waste. Please help by bringing in sense to people by enforcing the COVID SOPs.
Ramdas Naik, by email
