Trump must hang up his trumpet
Amidst the current spiraling number of COVID-19 cases, the United States of America is having to brace an unparalleled political crisis with the very unpredictable Donald Trump refusing to accept defeat in that November 3rd Presidential election. He has lost both the popular mandate by over 5 million votes and the Electoral College. It could not be any more resounding.
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The whole world has congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their spectacular triumph as universally anticipated. But instead of gracefully accepting defeat the 74-year-old Donald Trump continues to stubbornly claim that he has won the Presidential race. Even some of his closest aides have abandoned him because of his wild allegations of widespread fraud. But Donald Trump continues to senselessly cling on to remnants of his clan and to claim that he is the winner. It is a sad but hypocritical irony that Trump would cross an ocean to lecture and impose democracy on others but will not cross the lawns of the White House to practice what he preached by accepting the will of the people at his own doorstep.
With this strange and bizarre stand taken by millionaire Donald Trump nobody knows how this most weird saga will end. But for sure it is going to be a very embarrassing end in office for the 45th President of USA, whose entire four year tenure was mired by a chain of controversies. This will only get disgracefully worse in his last weeks by bringing unprecedented shame to the very high office the people of America had entrusted him with.
The overwhelming majority of Americans will not forgive Donald Trump for converting in a matter of days the once most powerful office in the world into the laughing stock of the world by thrashing Democracy, disrespect for individual rights and freedoms besides mocking the rule of law. He would do well even at this late stage, knowing that the game is up to heed the wise words of Abraham Lincoln when he said ‘Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. No man is good enough to govern another man without the other’s consent.’
Let us hope that common sense, as lacking as it has been in the Donald Trump’s White House will ultimately prevail and a smooth transition of Power to President elect Joe Biden and Vice- President Kamala Harris and a Government of the people by the people and for the people will take over for the good of America and the world. Donald Trump, the people have decided and spoken loud and clear, so it is time for you to move on.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Lack of maintenance
I congratulate Calangute sarpanch, although it is very late,to visit government toilets in Calangute and to find out how the locals and even tourists are being cheated by this so-called contractors who are given contract to collect money for pay toilets.
Now why Calangute MLA is blaming tourism department for the same.It is the duty of the local sarpanch, local panch, zilla members and local MLA to keep an eye on government structure and if found anything wrong , bring it to the notice of the concerned department. All should work Unitedly. Pointing out fingers to this department and that department will not help.
Can anyone tell me which governments structures are maintained properly once they are built and inaugurated? Just see the state of Collectorate building near municipal garden, Ravindra Bhavan, Mathany Complex,and even new South Goa district hospital, all the above mentioned projects are in Margao and are lacking maintenance. Government builds big projects but fail to do the maintenance and thus waste public money.To add to the list Sulabh Toilets, PWD roads, all village health centres, government schools buildings and even heritage buildings are deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. Even recently renovated Margao Retail fish market. Why six monthly or at least annually inspection are not held, so that timely maintenance can be done and eye can be kept on the contractors who cheat people. Don’t you agree?
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Killing the natural springs for projects
The illegal destruction of trees and forest ecosystems have severely impacted the water table in most areas. Goa has seen a systematic destruction of trees, bypassing regulations of the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984. As development and lifestyle repeatedly triumphs the cause of the environment. Most of the projects sanctioned through the last few years, are infrastructure projects mandated by either the state or centre. The development projects have killed the natural springs, around which most villages are based.
Goa’s already fragile eco-system is at a heightened risk. The percentage of evergreen forest canopy indicates the real health of any forest. The projects are expected to infringe on wildlife sanctuary areas. Since Goa shares an environment similar to that of Kerala, whether it is wise to push for unbridled development, considering the havoc that Kerala faced in the recent floods.
The environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, author of the 2011 Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report, argued for caution in the Western Ghats regions of Goa and Maharashtra, warning of flood risks if indiscriminate development continued to disturb natural flows in the region.
K.G.Vilop, Chodan
Net +ve on Mollem mayhem
Sunday witnessed thousands of netizens utilizing their social media accounts to focus on and raise awareness for l’affaire Mollem. More than 39 scientists besides lakhs of concerned Indians raised a twitterstorm about the impending wipeout of this eco sensitive zone which at last count sheltered 235 bird species, 219 butterfly species,70 mammal types, 44 types of fish and 27 varieties of amphibians…all of which will face extinction if the infrastructure (destroyfructure?) projects are brought to fruition.
Mollem is not only a biodiversity hotspot but is also home to Kadamba era temples and the Dudhsagar and Surla waterfalls. Various online conservation groups fighting for saving the Sahyadris, the Nilgiris, the Shivaliks and the Aravallis biosphere lent widespread support to the Goan cause by posting pictures of the ongoing protests and the lush green forests.
Green lighting of such projects which wreak havoc on Mother Nature is done on the basis of flawed, fragmented or sometimes non- existent Environmental Impact Assessment reports.Conservation of the Western Ghats should not only be a predilection but the bounden duty of every concerned individual whose heart beats for Goa, infact I would go so far as to say that Mollem and adjoining areas should be declared a UNESCO heritage precinct so that no lamebrained projects conjured up by mandarins occupying air conditioned offices in Delhi are imposed upon us.
Hopefully with both offline and online warriors joining the crusade against such wilful destruction of the planet, the government shall be forced to see the clear light of day and shelve this maniacal mayhem masquerading as ‘development / progress’.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Covid-19 has not ended
Covid-19 has not ended in India and the other parts of the world. People in Goa and India are crowding markets as if there is no Covid in Goa and India. The present situation in Delhi is a reminder that the virus can strike at any time and spread like wild fire.
So it’s better to adhere to the age-old saying of prevention is better than cure.
Matias Lobo, Tivim
