Firefighting the firestorm
Violent protests against the badly thought-through Agnipath recruitment scheme continued to rack India for the third day running with arson, looting, stone-pelting and even hand-to-hand combat being witnessed between unruly elements and the police. Protests that destroy public property can in no way be condoned but these also show the scale of the challenge in initiating reforms in India even when fronted by a PM with the strongest political mandate in five decades. One reason is pushback by vested interest groups that benefit from the status quo; equally, unilateral decisions sans consultation with stakeholders, sloppy (non)planning and execution that feed into a pre-existing credibility crisis authoritarian governments face make it tough.
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Defence chiefs had strongly advised the Centre that the scheme should first be enrolled as a pilot project, teething troubles debugged, the final product refined and then implemented on a mass scale but a bullheaded PM would have none of it and went ahead with the foolhardy launch. Of course, the mantris, media and compromised civil society cheerleaders went about tom tomming Agnipath as yet another master stroke by the visionary Supreme leader.
The fiscally reckless act of introducing OROP without a concomitant move to rationalise numbers made Agnipath inevitable but there was no clarity as regards concurrent steps taken to ease the transition of the 75% of soldiers who would be demobilised after four years. The Chinese army had also undertaken a similar exercise but specific government officials were explicitly tasked to help in the job search and matching placement of the de-inducted army personnel failing which they themselves would be put in the dock by way of not being considered for promotions or wage increments; no wonder their short term recruitment plan was a resounding success.
Promises of ‘priority’ in employment at a future date as is being bandied about now will just not cut the mustard given the extreme trust deficit the Centre ‘enjoys’. Almost every ill-conceived public policy announcement by the head priest from the saffron pulpit leads to a firestorm which is then left to the police and law enforcement agencies to douse; remember the farm laws, demonetisation, lockdowns, CAA, NRC etc. The staggeringly incompetent political executive has to take ownership before and during the process of implementing far-reaching reforms, not just shoot and scoot leaving the whole nation in shambles.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
A father shows compassion
June 19 was celebrated as ‘Father’s Day’ in several countries including India. It is said that fathers are the first friends one makes and the last love of one’s life. The value of a loving father has no price. Children want to make their fathers proud, and an involved father promotes inner growth and strength. Studies have shown that when fathers are affectionate and supportive, it greatly affects a child’s mental and social development. It also instills an overall sense of well-being and self-confidence. Fatherhood similarly is about nurturing what’s best in their children.
They want to set an example for them, and most of all, they want their children to feel loved and accepted for who they are. It is also about the little things in life, like spending time watching their favourite show or playing a game of basketball or their favourite sport.
It’s about listening to children tell you about their day. In today’s world, men are playing a more active role in parenting. They don’t just take the role of provider, protector, and disciplinarian in the family. They also provide dependability, involvement, compassion, being verbally expressive and above all being human. Thank heaven for the special relationship between fathers and daughters. It is blessed from above. A father teaches his daughter how to love and be loved.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Proud of Karwar Konkani speaking lovers
It was nice to see that the Konkani speaking lovers unite and join together in a protest against the Karnataka Rakashana group which is creating problems among the people speaking in the mother tongue language Konkani in Karwar, Karnataka. Konkani is not only spoken in Karwar Karnataka but in Mangalore and other parts of Karnataka right from the generation era but the trouble makers are now out to destroy peace among the people in the name of language. Karnataka state is always been in the News for creating problems among the citizens taking the issue of religion and now language.
As per my information, the people of Karwar and other parts of Karnataka don’t hate their mother tongue language Kannada but feel proud to speak in Kannada. They also love to speak in Konkani which is their own choice and right and coming out on the street to save and protect the Konkani shows respect for the language. There are various types of groups in Karnataka that only create a panic situation in the state and don’t give freedom to its citizens. Just imagine if they get a chance to rule Goa what problem they will create here.
Today Konkani is spoken Worldwide and we the people of Goa are proud of Karwar people who came together to save and protect Konkani. Shame on the political leaders in Karnataka who don’t respect others’ freedom rights but only makes a noise like an empty vessel. Uloi Konkani. Viva amchi Mai bas Konkani.
Ronnie D’Souza, Chandor
India in the crossroads
A dispassionate assessment of the performance of the BJP government at the centre in the past eight years would endorse the view that this government appears to be not interested in the welfare of the country and maintaining peace among all sections of the people who until they came to power were living like brothers and sisters, irrespective of their caste, community, creed or religion. We now find people being polarised and divided in the name of religion just to help the saffron party remain in power, not only at the centre but also in the states.
The cadres of the party take the law into their hands and lynch innocent people in the name of cow protection and we find even the spokespersons of the party abusing Prophet Muhammad knowing fully well the repercussions their act is going to create. As expected, there had been protests from the Muslim community and we have witnessed how the BJP ruled UP government brutally manhandled them and also bulldozed their houses and business properties.
Even before this flame created by the motor mouths of the BJP could be doused, the Union Government has brought in a new scheme Agnipath, of course, unilaterally, without discussing this most important decision that concerns our army which is a very sensitive issue, with all the stakeholders. Their plan is to recruit youngsters for the Army, strain them for four years and absorb only 25% of them at the end of the fourth year, leaving the rest of 75% in the lurch. The youngsters of the nation who have realised the motive behind this scheme have risen in the clamour and have started protesting against the same.
We find violent manifestations against this announcement by the government in many states. However, the government which appears unperturbed by the calamitous situation that prevails in the country is bent on thrusting this Agni also down the throats of the already unemployed youth, evidenced by the statement made by Home Minister Amit Shah in appreciation of the Agnipath.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
