Democracy in doldrums
The BJP is thanking Goans for their victory. Fact is they reportedly got only 33.3% of the votes and won narrowly by 77 votes in Ponda, 213 in Priol etc. Notably 66.7% did not vote for them!
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The real issues are sidelined to religion, caste, timely freebies and popularity of a leader, never mind the exhortation of the Supreme Court, Election Commission of India and ADR statistics of criminality and riches of those whose parties favor them due “winnability” criteria! Getting them to make it public and even declare openly seems to have no effect on people with blind faith and it appears who believe suffering is their karma!
The countless deaths due to handling of the pandemics, migrant labour crisis, farmers year long agitation, loss of jobs, soaring prices of essential commodities etc causing widespread terrible trauma and pain seem to be non existent at time of elections.
On the world stage it is incredible how Russia can invade and bomb into dust a sovereign democratic nation like Ukraine and demand a regime change, never mind if it displaces millions of families, destroys hospitals, schools, residential buildings and infrastructures, horrible deaths in the process with the UNO, ICJ and world forced to watch due nuclear powerful nations backing for and against each other.
Heroic fight back remains history like China ultimately overcoming mass people Hongkong resistance with ruthless police action! Democracy where people are supreme requires rule of law and unity.Weak individuals when staying united are strong and it is in the ruler’s interest to keep people divided. It is the big ego and stubbornness of our Opposition that keeps them divided to the glee of the ruling party! The peaceful people of the world are pawns and helplessly suffer in this deadly game.
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Conspiracy against the film
The film ‘The Kashmir Files’ depicts an inhuman genocide of Hindus (Kashmiri Pandits) by the religious fanatics in Kashmir in 1989 and their exodus afterwards. The film ‘The Kashmir Files’ has been screened in 550 cinemas across the country. The audience has given an overwhelming response to the film.
While the film was being screened at the PVR cinema in Bhiwandi, an attempt was made to mute the audio during some of the scenes. The audio of the character playing the role of the religious fanatic character was deliberately muted. Due to this, the audience opposed it.
Bhiwandi is a Muslim majority part of Maharashtra. Suppressing ticket sales for the movie and creating the impression that people do not like the movie has started in Goa. The film was not screened at a cinema theatre in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya.
It was informed to the audience by the corresponding cinema manager that, ‘the film was not screened as the reels of the film were not received. Is it Indian or Pakistani cinema management that is trying to prevent atrocities against Hindus by jihadi terrorists? This is a conspiracy against the film which is exposing the atrocities against Hindus.
Ketan Patil, by email
Rise in cybercrime cases
There is an rise in cyber crimes with innocent peoples being victims. Especially senior citizens are the favoured targets of the scamsters. Number of cases has been reported in India.
The surge in cybercrimes is being accompanied by a significant increase in the size of losses. The usage of online applications, messages, increasing by the day, fraudsters on cyber crime are targeting more people’s through various forms of cheating which include email, lottery, SMS, phishing to get access to online bank accounts and attempt to obtain sensitive information such as passwords and card details by masquerading as a trustworthy online entity.
And the reach of internet to remote locations in the country has increased the number of online criminals who target those in cities. In some cases fraudsters are operated from overseas and some from within the country. The union government should look for remedies to prevent and awareness of about such cybercrimes.
K.G Vilop, Chorao
Requiem of our beloved Goa
At last the assembly elections are behind us and once again the spectre of the saffron brigade will rule the state for the next 5 years with their people non-centric policies.
All exit polls predictions which were in favour of the Congress returning to power went for a toss. Rightly said that the splitting of anti-incumbency votes of TMC, AAP and RGP helped the BJP in securing the required numbers in government formation. Everybody was in tenterhooks on the results awaiting the rout of the BJP but strange are the ways of the electorate who by and large made it a bi-polar contest between the BJP and Congress by dumping the Johny-cum lately’s to the dustbins of history.
All and sundry had high expectations of the sustained campaign launched by Herald through their flagship mascot, the rooster and it’s ironical that the awareness programme did not yield the desired results. Even the stronghold of the Salcete bastion Navelim has been steamrolled by little known Ulhas Tuemkar but the silver lining in the otherwise murky politics is the MLA-elect Adv. Carlos Ferreira from Aldona and Dr Chandrakant Shetye from Bicholim constituencies who will provide a healthy debate during the assembly sessions.
In all this conundrum of a questionable verdict mired by machinations and manipulation, let us sing the requiem of our beloved Goa.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Politics of opportunism
Goa is a perfect laboratory for politics of opportunism. In order to judge the greed of any politician one can take a walk in his or her constituency from Pernem to Canacona and see the development done by the MLA. Take an example of Mapusa which is being ruled by the party with a difference for more than 30 years.
The residents of Mapusa have been crying for a clean and neat bus stand for more than 20 years in spite of the ex-defence minister coming from the same constituency and sitting on the streets of Mapusa to eat chicken xacuti amidst the squalor of cows, dogs and the constant traffic jams for want of a single parking lot. If they can provide a helipad overnight why could they not build a model bus stand with clean toilets instead of constructing a cowshed?
Now that the dust of the elections has settled it is time for the race of the CM’s khursi and to bargain for plump posts in the Government. One ambitious MLA whose father gifted his seat to his daughter-in-law is leaving no stone unturned to win the CM’s khursi even after giving Government jobs to the whole of Sattari!
So this is what we get in the end. What matters most in politics is the art of making money.
Matias Lobo, Tivim
Elected candidates changing sides
A warning to all those candidates joining another party that they will have to first resign from the party that they were elected by the people and stand for elections again for the party they choose to represent now.
It’s not only your people who were campaigning with you’ll to decide whom you can join after being elected but it’s the people of Goa who elected you on one banner to decide whether you can join another party or not. So resign from the party that you got elected and contest again on the party you choose and let the people decide on your choice.
This is democracy. People chose you on one name so please do not betray the people’s mandate. A straight warning to all those changing sides.
Vincy Soares, Orlim
