Hate speeches lead to violence
Hate speech poses grave dangers for the cohesion of a democratic society, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. If left unaddressed, it can lead to acts of violence and conflict on a wider scale. In this sense hate speech is an extreme form of intolerance which contributes to hate crime. The effective action against the use of hate speech requires raising public awareness of the importance of respecting pluralism and of the dangers posed by hate speech. Hate speech is a menace to democratic values, social stability and peace. As a matter of principle, hate speech must be confronted at every turn and be tackled in order to prevent armed conflict, atrocity crimes and terrorism, end violence. Pre-emptive action is a must to ensure that religious congregations do not degenerate into platforms for spreading communal hatred. Empowering the local police to nab troublemakers before they spew venom can help keep the situation under control. It is not worthwhile to conduct a routine investigation after the damage has been done. The priority should be to nip the menace in the bud.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
KG Vilop, Chorao
Where are we heading?
This has reference to the report ‘Goans made trespassers in their own properties’ (Herald June 13, 2022). That was a very frightening piece of news to read on the first day of the week. Imagine being imprisoned in your own home, not for any crime and not by security personnel, but by land grabbers the land mafia. Besides, there is also news of properties of those not living in Goa, being taken over by others. And all this happening in Goa! Where is the rule of law, one is tempted to ask. Instead of raking up centuries old issues, the authorities need to look into the welfare of the law abiding citizens. Sadly, what is illegal in our country is turning out to be legal. On the other hand, according to another report in the newspaper, the illegal bungalow built in the heritage zone in Old Goa is still standing. And, the satyagraha to demolish the bungalow still continues even as it completes 200 days. We need to ask ourselves, where is Goa headed? Where is our country headed?
Melville X. D’Souza, Mumbai
Respect all religions
The Bharatiya Janata Party in India has distanced its leaders Nupur Sharma and Navneet Jindal over their remarks against prophet Muhammed. The decision came after their remarks triggered communal tension in several parts of the world, including India. The BJP leader made her remarks during a TV debate where she expressed her opinions. Those taking part in TV debates should maintain their decorum and should not hurt the religious sentiments of other panellists and viewers.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
The black beauties
Recently, the spotting of “black feline” of the big cat family, at the Male Mahadeshwara region of Karnataka near the Kollegal–Hasanur road, created some sensation. Since these two roads connect Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the wildlife lovers were naturally inquisitive about the black cat. That the “black panther” was seen in an area amidst busy road traffic consisting of two adjoining protected forest areas has underlined the need to protect the wildlife at all costs. It was picked up by the camera traps in Biligirirangana Hills Tiger Reserve as well as Male Mahadeshwara Hills Reserve in a short span of a few months indicating its movement between the two corridors. Panthers are not species in themselves; they can be described as black leopards belonging to the felidae family. These animals are special to Asia and Africa. In India, dense forests of the southern part harbours the black beauty. Hitherto, Kabini forest reserve and Anshi Dandeli sanctuary in Karnataka, Nilgiri reserve in Tamil nadu and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Maharashtra were said to ‘possess’ the black cat. Photographic evidence backed the claims of these sanctuaries. The black cats love to live in dense evergreen forests so that they can, as far as possible, avoid light. Not too dense, not too dry is the best climate for the black leopard. These are the best months to track them. Panther is called the ‘colour variant’ of the common spotted leopard. However, a genetic mutation, dominant or recessive, causes an over expression of melanin pigments resulting in the so-called ‘melanistic leopard’. Due to the pigmentation, the spots on panthers are not easily identifiable. Popularly termed ‘ghost of the jungle’, the animal is an introvert. Not as evasive as the snow leopard, an uninhibited frenzy grips wildlife connoisseurs whenever the black cat is spotted in the wilds, the latest in Karnataka is an example. The excitement is understandable because when Kenya reported the spotting of a black panther in 2019, it was the first such instance in a century.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Does hard work pay rich dividends?
Even in modern times, many are just putting in more number of hours per day – working mentally, if not physically and even on weekends. At times, not eating or catching up sleep and some forget themselves and their personal needs by giving top priority to work with stereotype thought that hard work pays rich dividend – No, in most cases, just hand to mouth results. The truth is, hardwork itself is not important to be successful in life, but talent and skill are equally necessary qualities for success in life. Instead of working hard, one must work wisely as “only intelligent work” pays rich dividends, learning the differences between education, knowledge and wisdom, hard work is just one the component and not everything when striving towards success. Success is a destination and hard work may be just one of the stops in this long and arduous journey. There is always a small pinch of luck which goes a long way in achieving what we want. Further, he or she is required to be cunning as well, to put his or her stakes or interest above everyone else. While this may sound slightly selfish, but this is a dark side of the story which probably nobody discusses while lost in their own paradigm.
I do not believe in luck or in hard work without the so called “work smart”. It is not all about how you work hard but it is about how you manage your time, resources, mind to work together for a better output at work.
Gaston Dias, Sarzora
Crimes by migrants
It is learnt that three cases of attempt to murder have been reported in the state within a span of 13 days in the villages in South Goa which is indeed a cause for concern. An alleged attempt of murder of wife made by her husband was reported in Bhatpal, Canacona. The accused, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by the police. In another case of alleged attempt to murder reported in Guirdolim, Chandor a woman who is a native of Karnataka was stabbed by a knife by the accused. In another shocking incident a person from Moti Dongor took his nephew, a 14-year-old student on his scooter to an isolated place on the pretext of plucking mangoes and later made an attempt to murder him by throwing him in a well. After attempting for almost two hours the boy managed to come out of the well and thus saved his life. It must be said that most of the murders and attempt-to-murder taking place in the state are carried out by migrants or in slum areas. But what is even more shocking is that in many cases the victim is either a relative or is known to the culprit. All these murders and attempt-to-murder are bringing a bad name to Goa which is known across the globe as a safe and peace-loving state. The Goa Chief Minister recently said that maximum crimes in Goa are committed by those who are outsiders visiting the state.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
