Goencho Saib novenas in physical mode
After a gap of a year, physical novena masses for the feast of St. Francis Xavier will reportedly be held at the Basilica of Bom Jesus at Old Goa which can be attended by the faithful by following all the SOPs. It may be recalled that last year masses were held in virtual mode due to the Covid pandemic with online masses. The Government allowing for physical novena masses comes as good news to the thousands of devotees. It goes without saying that the pandemic protocol will have to be maintained at all times.
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It is understood that only 50 per cent of the sitting capacity will be allowed in the pandal, which will come up outside the Basilica. These masses have been held outside since the mid 1970s. However it remains to be seen if the huge fair that comes up for the novenas and the feast day will be allowed by the government this year. The church is in no way connected to the fair and hence the onus of allowing the fair will be on the government.
Another aspect that needs to be looked into is the serpentine queue of devotees seen paying obeisance at the relics of the saint. Obviously since devotees come from far off places only 50 per cent cannot be allowed here. Each and every devotee should get an opportunity to seek blessings of the saint. Maintaining social distancing here will be a huge challenge. The devotees will obviously pray to the saint to relieve the world of the pandemic.
Adelmo Fernandes,
Vasco
Iffy start to Charter tourism
Uncertainty about the arrival of foreign charter tourists has left many beach shack owners hesitant about opening up for business. While some shacks are already operational in North Goa, others are adopting a ‘wait and watch’ attitude. Though the Centre has allowed charters beginning October 15, not one landing slot has been booked by private flight operators / air taxis yet. Shacks mostly depend on foreign charter tourists for business as domestic travellers don’t patronise them much, one reason being the needlessly high markup on food and beverages. Setting up a shack calls for a minimum capital expenditure of Rs 4 lakh, besides the recurring staff costs; many owners are unsure about recouping even their basic investment.
Also per the latest MHA guidelines only single entry, 30 day tourist visas shall be granted henceforth, all previously issued visas stand cancelled; intending visitors shall have to apply for fresh permits. This is a dampener for long stay foreign tourists who provide the maximum business to shacks in Goa. The Centre needs to tweak its policies to encourage quality, high value, high spending long termers to the country.
Vinay Dwivedi,
Benaulim
Retirement age of HC judges
Raise retirement-age of High Court judges with provision of no post-retirement job for retired judges till two years after retirement.
Central government should implement earlier demand of ruling BJP when it was in opposition for imposing a two-year ban on post-retirement appointment of retired judges of Supreme Court and High Courts including at National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to avoid chances, if any, of pro-government decisions especially towards end of tenure. NHRC Chief can be selected from amongst retired Supreme Court judges after two years of their retirement. Propriety demands that retired judges may not accept even membership of any legislature till two years after their retirement from judicial post.
Simultaneously central government should accept recommendation of the then Chief Justice of India CJI made to Prime Minister in June 2019 for raising retirement-age of High Court judges to 65 years. Raising retirement-age of High Court judges from present 62 years to 65 years will make it at par with that of Supreme Court judges.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Delhi
Parties cast your dice decisively
Absence of pre-poll alliances of parties that will support one another post poll will be counter productive due to splitting of votes instead of forging pre-poll alliances that will reinforce one another. If going alone is what parties want to do, then the people of Goa should know in advance which parties are likely to support major parties that may stake claim to form the government. Since as of now there are eleven parties such as BJP, Congress, TMC, Aam Aadmi Party, GFP, NCP, MGP, MDF, Revolutionary Goans, Goencho Avaaz and Shiv Sena, every party has to make a clear delineation of post-poll tendency which should be revealed by the contesting parties so that the electorate will know in advance and thus vote depending at least on tendencies.
As of now, with so many parties in the fray, it is possible that the Goan electorate will be a confused lot as to which party they should vote for. The fiasco of the last Assembly elections should not happen again. Ideally there should be a clear two party alliances which will pit only the ruling party alliance and the opposition party alliance. Such a scenario will definitely lead to a different equation. Elections in Goa should be a fore runner of what is in store for national elections in 2024. Dummy candidates should not be used to split votes.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Banners not potholes?
The BJP and readers objected to a Political Party using electric poles for banners. Now, the BJP themselves have defaced public property by physically replacing the banners with their own. See, how the non-BJP affected parties think only of themselves, objecting to this incident! They have kept mum on how, within a couple of days before the visit of their BJP leader, all potholes were magically filled!
Goans had their bearings and bones wrecked for months adding insult to the sky rocketing fuel prices but politicos protested only against matters affecting them!
To all the BJP grassroot workers: your local leaders will do anything only for their central leaders: nothing for you. Why?
R Fernandes,
Margao
Ferry suspension is for too long
I don’t know whether Diwadkars should welcome or object the move to suspend the Old Goa-Divar ferry route for 2 months from today till Dec 11 according to order and news circulating on media. Yes if it’s necessary in public interest and if it’s in bad shape then surely the work has to be carried out but I don’t think so.
It should be for 2 months looking at the inconvenience which will be caused to public who travel to work in Old Goa, Corlim, Marcel, Ponda, as we all know few months back how other route Sao-Pedro/Divar ferry ramp work was dragged for long time from completion time thus making people suffer from crossing same route and had to go via Old Goa to Panjim.
Secondly would like to bring to the attention that as churches have opened soon our St Francis Xavier novenas will also start with few people if not for whole of Goa but few God fearing citizens of Divar who take part in daily mass/novenas will be held back from attending due to long route so my request to our honourable CM Dr Pramod Sawant, RND Minister, MLA Madkaikar, ZP member Siddesh Naik, to immediately look into this issue and if possible fast track the work as nothing is impossible if there is a will to do in public interest or suspend it to further notice. Hope my letter will be taken in best public interest.
Jerry D’Souza,
Divar
