Judiciary comes to our rescue
This is in response to your issue of 13th of this month including your excellent editorial describing the details of the upholding of the Bombay High Court judgement by the Supreme Court against the appeal by the Goa government. The expenses that Goa government does for anything are coming from the public and as such when the government in this matter suffered a humiliating defeat, who is responsible to fritter away the people’s money on challenging the High Court ruling?
Who will reimburse the kitty of government with the huge amount of money that was unnecessarily frittered away by the BJP government of Goa? Was the BJP Government of Goa advised to go for an appeal by its drunkard advisers or mentally deranged advisers? I have lost my confidence not only on the advisers of Goa Govt but more than that I have lost my confidence in the Goa Govt headed by CM Sawant who if having any self respect, would resign from his chair.
While congratulating the Supreme Court of India on upholding the ruling of High Court at Goa, I feel now stronger knowing that at least our judiciary is upright.
Earlier once our judiciary has surprised everyone when the Allahabad High Court passed its verdict in the early 70’s against the then Premier of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi, by unseating her from her seat that she won thru fraudulent means. This momentous judgement was passed by the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Justice Sinha as detailed by the renown scribe Kuldip Nayar in his book “The Judgement” which was published immediately after Janata Party came to power at the Centre. In the same book Kuldip Nayar describes how Justice Sinha was given tempting offers by Indira Gandhi thru her emissary but Justice Sinha was not a Judge of the type of Ladru and Pedru who have lowered the prestige of our judiciary. Such judgments give us strength to fight for our rights by relying on our judiciary that it will surely come to our rescue when we are in need of it.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
COVID-19 protocols at exhibition halls
It is seen that several shopping festivals, exhibition-cum-sale with games and entertainments are being held at various open spaces and Ravindra Bhavans in the State. These exhibitions are very popular attractions for the people during the summer season and draw huge crowds. However, times are different. It seems absolutely necessary to observe Covid-19 protocols at these exhibition centres.
With thousands of people visiting these places, maintaining social distancing in a small area is next to impossible. People are seen jostling with each other while making the purchases. Many of them are seen not wearing the mask including several of those manning the stalls. We are still not out of the woods as far as the pandemic is concerned. There has been a rise in the number of fresh cases of infection reported in the State. Goa could well be witnessing a second wave of the infection. Hence following the Covid-19 SOPs becomes very important.
Wearing a mask should be made mandatory for those who visit these exhibition centres. Sanitisers should be made available at the entrance of the exhibition halls. People should be advised to maintain social distancing. It is not only wedding halls which can spread the infection but also exhibition halls. Another outbreak of the infection could prove disastrous for the economy of Goa which has already suffered during the first phase.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Women take precaution when travelling alone
While travelling in an auto rickshaw or a taxi, women must be careful, especially if they are alone. They must remain alert to the possibility of danger whenever the auto rickshaw driver or the taxi driver suddenly appears to be having an engine problem or tries to stop his vehicle in a deserted or isolated area.
In such a situation, they should immediately get out of the vehicle and stand somewhere where they are visible to the passers-by. They must not remain seated and glued to their seat in the auto rickshaw or the taxi. They must always store an emergency contact number in their contact list in such a manner that it can be easily dialled whenever they face danger.
Women and young girls are advised that if they happen to be travelling in even a slightly lonely area, they should make it a point to call at home or anybody they know, informing the other person on the line that they are travelling by an auto rickshaw or a taxi. They must also give the vehicle’s number to the person they are speaking to.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Urrak distilling, an occupation on decline
Beginning mid February, March, April and mid May, these months were very busy with hectic activities for our ancestors in the earlier past. They visited their hilly properties to clear them of unwanted bushes to make easy accesses crisis crossing pathways into each other’s property. With mutual understanding all were owning their property peacefully.
The cashew plantation began to bloom bringing it to its peak keeping our ancestors on their toes in the family annual business in the cashew extract distillation of the local brew, urrak or feni. The whole village atmosphere could be smelled with the tempting aroma of the seasonal flavour attracting men to visit the distillery in the locality for the taste of urrak and then be on high returning home for lunch singing the mando ‘tambde roza tuje pole…’ and very often some were seen lying in the roadside rain water drain. But not so anymore now in present times.
The village life is missing with lifestyle having changed. Political interference and craze for land grabbing by the builders to construct residential complexes have forced many villagers to give up their family tradition to come to an end. Says one villager: “We are unable to fight with the builder mafia in connivance with the local politicians in power.” Rightly so, with a few still holding on to their right of property possession, the traditional family occupation seems to be on the run into oblivion.
Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo
Fully-equipped heart hospital needed
The number of people in Goa with heart disease is increasing every year. Stress, change in lifestyle, improper diet and lack of exercise are said to be the causes of it.
There are only 5 private heart hospitals in Goa besides the premier GMC which performs heart surgeries — 3 in south Goa and two in Tiswadi. Most of these don’t have even a pacemaker checking machine or a holter test device. There is not even one heart hospital in north Goa. There were long serving CMs, Dy CMs, and health ministers from north Goa but not one tried to have a heart hospital in north Goa.
North Goa has remained backward in many ways. There was no engineering college in north Goa for decades. Students from Sattari to Bardez had to travel to Farmagudi and Verna to study. It was the Assagao Comunidade which strived, donated huge land and paved the way for setting up of Agnel Engineering College at Assagao which is bubbling with activity now.
It is seen that big upcountry builders and corporate houses are rushing to Goa to build big projects. It is high time that the Goa government encouraged at least one of them to set up a fully equipped heart hospital in north Goa which will not only provide the vital medical care to people in Goa but also promote medical tourism.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
