Politics, a mission or business venture?
Goa has voted to elect its 40 new MLAs. With 301 candidates in the fray the people have had an assortment of candidates to choose from.
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This time around there has been no straight fight in a single constituency but a multi cornered contest with five and more candidates in 38 constituencies while Siolim had the highest with 13 candidates followed by CM’s Sanquelim with a dozen in the fray.
We would now have to wait till March 10 for the counting of votes when 261 of the contesting candidates would lose this battle and have to try their luck in 2027.
In the run up to these elections, over the last two months we have seen aspiring candidates changing parties as never witnessed before taking the political turf to a very new low.
Politics was meant to be a mission but sadly it has ended up being now a business venture with crores needed to venture into an Assembly constituency.
In the 60’s and till the early 70’s we had to coax and convince people to contest but now things have drastically changed with candidates having to be coerced and lured to withdraw. Electoral politics has taken a full circle unfortunately for the worse. A sad state of affairs which can only get worse.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Loss of a colossus in automotive industry
With the passing away of Rahul Bajaj, India has lost an original make in India champion and a colossus of the automotive industry. During his captaincy, Bajaj scooters soared from a small family concern to one of the biggest in the sub-continent and became a household name. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Bajaj Chetak scooter became an aspirational symbol for the middle-class, with the ‘Humara Bajaj’ tune becoming synonymous with their hopes of a better future.
Under his stewardship, Bajaj Auto saw its turnover grow from 17.2 crore to Rs 12,000 crore, with the firm’s scooters becoming the mainstay. However, Bajaj didn’t hesitate to call a spade a spade and had his fair share of brush with the authorities making him unpopular with the netas. His death marks the end of an era.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Groundwater rivers are national assets
Every Indian state is endowed with groundwater/presence of water tables and the depth of occurrence, quantity and quality of water could vary due to several geological and other factors. There are private players who pump, store, transport (in leaking water tankers) and sell groundwater to hotels, restaurants, houses, societies, etc.
Perhaps in some States, as in Goa such activities are permitted and hopefully there are checks on the private players. But for every legal and registered operator there would be many who are not. These operators make a roaring business especially in places where rains have failed, when water pipes get damaged (intentionally or unintentionally), no water supply from Public Works Department for days and so forth.
State governments need to have rules (if not already existing) such as registered operators, charge licence fees, fix working meters between the source and storage point, potability of water, permit only a particular quantum of water to be pumped per day, royalties which will vary with quantum of water pumped annually and any other which an expert panel can suggest. In the absence of a regulatory body, at present crores of money must be lost by the States.
Groundwater and rivers are natural resources and national assets, similar to minerals, metals and ores. Hence, tapping of groundwater and stream/river waters needs to be strictly monitored.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
The die has been cast
People have given their verdict in the polls held on Feb 14. The fate of the 301 candidates who are contesting for the 40 seats of the Goa Legislative Assembly is sealed in the EVMs which are kept in the strong rooms under tight security. The results of the elections will be known only on March 10. Till that time Goans and indeed the candidates will be keeping their fingers crossed.
For many candidates, who do not win, including those who are trying their luck for the first time, it will be a learning experience. For still a few seasoned leaders a defeat in the polls could mean an end of their political career. For the winners it should be an occasion to rejoice and at the same time keep the promises made to the electorate.
Be that as it may, it would be an exercise in futility to predict as to which party will form the government post March 10. But one thing seems certain. It could be one of the most keenly fought electoral battles Goa has ever witnessed. There could be close results.
A hung assembly will not be in the interest of the state. Hope Goans have given a decisive mandate in favour of one single party.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Rahul Bajaj, a true business icon
In Industrial icon Rahul Bajaj’s demise the nation has lost one of its greatest industrialist, businessman, visionary and philanthropist who carved a niche of his own in the global industrial hall of fame and in the heart of us Indians. A colossus in the Indian industrial world he made Bajaj a household name and the caption ‘Hamara Bajaj’ truly means how much we Indians are bonded to this man and his elite company.
At a time when Indians could only aspire and dream of having a two wheeler Rahul Bajaj made the dream come true through his famous Bajaj chetak scooter that became a must in almost all our Indian homes in the seventies and eighties and is still a part of Indian life with modern Bajaj bikes and scooters standing tall in front of each and every portico.
The name Chetak was taken from Maha Rana Prataps valiant and faithful horse and standing testimony to the name Chetak scooters are so powerful and strong that riders believed that these travelling machines never let down its rider in their journey – short and long.
Rahul headed the Bajaj group of companies which now consist of various sectors automobiles, general and life insurance, investment and consumer finance, home appliances, electric lamps, wind energy, special alloy and stainless steel, material handling equipment and travel.
This only goes to show his excellent entrepreneurial skills and further shows that if one has farsightedness and the grit to venture into business endeavours with a clean and clear vision success comes automatically.
Definitely Rahul Bajaj is an encyclopedia in the business world and his great life is a great lesson to be followed.
M Pradyu, Kannur
Increased lifespan of the elderly
The increased lifespan of the elderly has thrown open new vistas, and some are challenging. For many, looking after elderly parents is a bother. They also have to take care of their children, in addition to working. Elderlies on their part are anxious about their children and grand children. Products and services aimed at purchasing potential of the elderly are convenient for them.
The concept of sage and sacred are innovative, as elderly people are an immense storehouse of knowledge and wisdom, which could be fruitfully channelised for profitable ventures. Since the elderly mostly view these activities as a means of utilising their time, the question of handsome payment, or one with commensurate with their qualification, does not even arise. Let the seniors age gracefully while the young live peacefully.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
