Govt priority is to deal with pandemic
With Goa witnessing a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases and an increasing number of deaths, the government’s one and only priority must be to deal with the raging pandemic. After all, the most basic duty of any Government is to protect the lives of its citizens. Given the worsening health and economic situation, it is imperative that all pending and proposed projects must be put on hold and the unending greed of the ruling politicians must end too.
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The Health of our citizens must be uppermost and the only priority for the Government. This means that all non-essential projects even the needless Manohar Parrikar’s memorial at Miramar should be consigned to the racks. This is a critical time for us to tighten our economic belt and use all our limited resources to focus on fighting the virus, saving lives and helping the vulnerable instead of irresponsibly wasting taxpayers’ money on vanity projects for the benefit of a few instead of the many.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should get his act together and get the priorities right. A COVID hospital in Sattari and not an IIT is the need of the hour. It would also facilitate the hordes of the Health Minister’s flock that have to currently travel from Sattari all the way to the Goa Medical College at Bambolim for their gainful employment.
With the COVID crisis in the State aggravating by the day, the government must get its very slack act together and gear up for the long haul. We are today paying a heavy price for the wrong decisions, misplaced priorities, lack of leadership and planning by this visionless government.
Over the last crucial few months Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane have miserably abdicated in their duty by their flip flops in dealing with the deadly virus. For this Goa and Goans will not forgive their sheer incompetence in these crucial times.
The battle against COVID-19 cannot and should never have been allowed to be a BJP political affair. A national crisis of this magnitude should have seen a concerted and determined cross-party effort following the science and advice from experts and involving every Goan to contain and combat the virus with transparency and genuine leadership and planning.
Any government who fails to carry out its most basic duty to defend the lives of its citizens is unworthy to lead. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States wisely observed; “The care of human live and happiness and not their destruction, is the first and only object of any good Government”.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Drastic steps needed to flatten the curve
Many shopkeepers have put up sign boards at the entrance of their business premises which read something like “No Mask, No Items”. However many a times the shop keepers themselves are seen not wearing the mask or wearing it on the chin. Vendors and shop-owners at the counter accepting payment from the customers can become super-spreaders even if they are asymptomatic. It has been declared that Goa is in the community transmission stage. This makes it all the more necessary to take added precautionary measures to defeat the virus.
In the past few days Goa has been averaging 90 to 100 new cases and there have been fifteen deaths reported in the state due to the pandemic. It is pertinent to note that Mumbai’s Dharavi, which is among the largest slums in the world, has flattened the COVID-19 curve with the joint effort of the administration and the people. Many districts in several states including cities like Pune and Bengaluru have announced lockdown all over again due to the spike in the number of cases.
Ideally Goa should have declared a lockdown too. After all, other states too are facing economic-crisis. If drastic measures are not taken now, it may be very difficult to flatten the curve in the state. Declaring a few isolated spots as ‘containment zones’ may not suffice.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Cricket, cricketers and the Covid crisis
It is definitely cricket and sports that has won along with West Indies in the first ever cricket test to be played during the Covid pandemic after a long gap .When the pandemic began spreading its fatal tentacles around the globe sports lovers were in a panic unable to predict what might happen to sports and games as the pandemic danced with it’s deadly death steps causing heavy casualties in all the continents and everything stopped indefinitely .
Then came an atmosphere of hope when club football tournaments got the green signal to conduct matches followed by the world cricket body which permitted matches to be played adhering to strict Covid restrictions and protocol.
The English and the Windies players must be given a big salute as they were ready to engage in the gentleman’s game and truly performed very well in a ‘ spectators free ‘ stadium holding onto sportsmanship, displaying crickets best skills and exhibiting the best of cricket craftsmanship . Though it may take some more time for allowing spectators occupy the stands and spread the air of excitement, encouragement and enthusiasm as for now an atmosphere of hope, cheerfulness and the spirit of aspiration has definitely returned giving that extra hope that life is slowly returning to normalcy even during this unpredictable crisis and the role that sports and games and sportsmen are doing is really laudable.
M Pradyu, Kannur
‘Bhivphache garz assa’
This is with reference, and I quote what the CM of Goa stated recently “Why are Goans not scared?” to that rhetoric, I would like to take you back to the time when the CM had said ‘Bhivpav garaz na’ (there is nothing to be afraid of”). The latter statement was at a time when the borders were opened letting a surge of this virus attack our Goans. In fact, today I must say that ‘bivphache garz assa (We must be afraid), not of the virus per se, but the politicians who are taking us to our death beds. Not only us, but our land along with it too.
The irony of the situation is that teachers and people working in offices are compulsory asked to report to work, but our own legislative members are staying away from their jobs of conducting sessions at the legislative assembly. This only goes to show that they really don’t care about what happens to us or to our land but only themselves. We are left to fend for ourselves.
Also, sadly, in these times, the government is trying their best to convert forest and orchard land for development purposes. Truly, sorrowful lies our land. However, the other sorry state of affairs is that we don’t even have a good opposition to support us. It seems most of them have gone into a lockdown themselves. But then, there is still hope and that is all we can rely on – hope that the final bell has not rung and we can still be winners. Wake up Goans while there is still time.
Maria Fernandes, Panjim
Tigers are safe in India
We heard a famous film dialogue, “Tiger abhi zinda hai” (the tiger is still alive), but now tigers are living a secure and dignified life in the country. The Government of India has fulfilled its resolve to double the tiger numbers four years before the target and set a new Guinness World Record. The country now has an estimated 2967 tigers as per the latest census. The country is home to nearly 75 percent of the global tiger population.
It shows that India is a safe place for tigers. This magnificent achievement is a strong step towards wildlife conservation. Hope we will continue these efforts, protect them from danger, and create a healthy environment for wildfire.
Amit Singh Kushwaha, Satna
