For all the women in the world
I play different roles in my life sometimes an adorable daughter to her parents, a loving sister to a brother, and a loving, caring, understanding wife for her husband, and then a loving, caring, mother for her children. Yes the guess is right I am a woman. And the most important knighthood bestowed on a woman by almighty God is Motherhood. But if you see around the world do you really think the women are really safe?
Goa is a small State but looking at the crimes increasing against the women, it is not.
And the most important thing not to forget and the world is just watching nobody is doing anything especially for the women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule who are every day going through vigorous torture.
Please as woman I appeal on the behalf of all the women in the world to all big leaders of this world please do something for these women. Every woman on this earth has every right to be free and self independent. Let’s all come together and make this world a better place to live for all these women.
Anita Fernandes,
Verna
Convert waste into manure
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is moving towards the concept of circular economy by reportedly selling the compost or manure produced through composting and bio-digestion of the waste generated in the city. It is learnt that the Corporation has already earned Rs 11 lakh by selling compost to citizens having gardens, farmhouse owners and even farmers. Besides the manure, the biogas that is generated through bio-digestion is supplied to canteens in government-run facilities.
When produced in large quantities it is claimed that the biogas produced by the bio-digesters could probably even replace LPG cylinders in the future. In Vasco an eco-friendly initiative by a former municipal councillor has reportedly generated about 70 bags of waste material consisting mainly of flowers which were used for Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. Volunteers were stationed at three locations at Baina beach, Khariawada beach and Vaddem Lake. At the immersion points the devotees deposited the flowers into bags kept at the locations. The segregated flowers were sent to the vermin-composting unit of MES College where the flowers were treated and converted into manure. The manure was distributed free of cost to the people.
Vasco Municipality needs to have its own bio-digesters located at various points so that the waste can be converted into compost. This is the best way to give to nature what we have taken from it. In the long run even biogas could be produced. Other municipal bodies in the state too need to follow this concept.
Adelmo Fernandes,
Vasco
Help baker to save Goan pao
This has reference to your Edit ‘Help the traditional baker to save the Goan pao’ (Herald, September 17, 2021). Pao is the humble food of a humble man. The importance of bread or pao as it is called, is known since ages. Like the manna which God rained down from heaven on the Israelites in the desert, centuries ago.
Bread can sustain a man for life. It is therefore only fitting that bread be made available at the cheapest possible rate for the poorest of the poor to be able to afford it. The government ought to look into the pleas of the bakers in Goa for financial help. The editorial puts it well, help the traditional baker to save the Goan pao. The pao is the common man’s food and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that it does not go out of his reach. That will be a very sad day for mankind.
The ‘choris pao’ is a celebrated food item in Goa just as the ‘vada pao’ is in Mumbai. Let the common man celebrate with his humble pao while the affluent enjoy their rich delicacies. Long live the ‘pao’!
Melville X. D’Souza,
Mumbai
Hiking pao price, justifiable?
The hike in the price of the Goan Pao seems reasonable given the increase in all other essential commodities. The bakers association says that every other thing in the market is going up. The rise in petrol and diesel has automatically increased the price of all the things required to bake the bread. However, the pao being the common man’s food, the govt should provide some subsidy to the bakers so that they can keep up this item, which is considered a ‘heritage’ item and used by most of the people.
However, there should be a check on the quality of the pao, which varies from place to place. Hope that govt reaches to a solution which benefits both the bakers and the poor people who depend on the pao.
Joao Pereira,
Porvorim
Politicians’ freebies make people lazy
Every Indian election throws up several political candidates who, despite the odds stacked against them, take a chance on democracy. The people should come out of the freebie culture and introspect on what the political parties have done to improve their living conditions. And this increasing phenomenon, over the last 74 years has actually turned the nation’s population into lethargy. The public funds cannot be misused for the personal interest of any politicians and their parties. While politicians have rights to seek publicity when they invest their own funds, misusing the taxpayer’s money for their personal aggrandisement has become a norm in the country today.
The penchant for self-promotion among our political class is such that while it is common to find photographs of the prime minister and chief ministers staring out of advertisements taking personal credit for works executed through public funds, even Covid-19 vaccination certificates have not been spared from this malaise.
Freebies are the best lucrative methods adopted by political parties to lure voters. There are many freebies and subsidies schemes available in many States. But still we find starvation deaths, lack of electricity, lack of improper and contaminated water, intermittent fuel rise, no jobs, poor education and health service. Freebies culture paves way to corrupt practice and it will make people lazy and irresponsible.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Zero waste, zero expense recycling
A few eco friendly initiatives by concerned individuals stemming from the recent Chavath celebrations deserve emulation. Tonnes of garlands are dumped in water bodies by people who believe that floral offerings being sacred should not be trampled upon after the conclusion of rituals.
A former councillor has taken upon himself to compost these discarded flowers and the manure thus generated shall be distributed to farmers free of cost, what better divine ‘prasad’ for agriculturists than this.
In another instance, villagers in Bicholim had immersed the Ganesh figurines in specially built tanks to curb polluting rivers and minimising crowds. The clay thus generated shall be extracted from the tanks and handed over to traditional artisans and potters, further the pedestals used for carrying the idols shall be distributed to the poor for use as half stools or ‘peedhas’ (low level seating). These are but two examples of zero waste, zero expense recycling and in fact such practices should be mandated by law for all religious activities in future.
Vinay Dwivedi,
Benaulim
