Goa Foundation is beyond reproach
Goa Foundation is an NGO of impeccable credentials. In fact, on several matters involving the Supreme Court, they are the voice and power of the people especially as far as the environment and especially its protection is concerned. It is preposterous that the NGO that has been the bulwark of conscientiousness is being sought to be probed for illegal funding. It may be emphasised that after the Justice M B Shah Commission Report unearthed massive illegal mining in Goa amounting to Rs. 35,000 crore involving politicians in collusion with mining companies and the bureaucrats, it was Goa Foundation that moved the Supreme Court and stopped illegal mining in the State which had reached beyond control. The Supreme Court immediately brought down the gavel and stopped illegal mining in the State which bled the exchequers both as the Centre as well as the State. The environment is paramount and Goa Foundation has been the conscience among NGOs as they have through legal means, which is undoubtedly the only forum through which the exposure of the illegalities can be redressed, have moved the Supreme Court, the apex forum in the country where grievances pertaining to saving the environment of Goa is concerned. Mining excesses in the State should not be allowed to spread without credible checks and balances, where caution is thrown to the wind and illegal mining becomes a scourge on the export of Goa’s ores much against environment in the State. As far as this is concerned, I hope that the premiere NGO succeeds in stopping the destruction of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the National Park in Mollem. Full marks to the Goa Foundation for doing a fantastic job and should not discourage him for fighting for the benefit of Goans.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Time to put the old men to pasture
For every Goan that survives this vicious pandemic, the 2022 Assembly elections will be an opportunity to infuse new, young, honest and dynamic MLAs on Goa’s now murky political turf. It would be an occasion to teach the defectors a lesson.
The political landscape must change for the better. To start with, it’s time we put the old men to pasture. With their vested motives, they have inflicted irreparable damage on our State.
Today very sadly politics is no longer a mission, not even an honest profession. It has been reduced to a scoundrel’s last resort. It has so sadly become a ruthless business, with morals and ethics twisted beyond recognition, thrown to the winds or long buried deep in the slush of ignorance and thuggery. Politics is now a safe vehicle to swiftly rise from rags to riches and a personal investment rather than a calling or mission to serve the common good.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
GE has to be upright
Finally ‘Goencho Ekvott’ has been formed. This is imperative at this hour as facing issues of high calamity; Goans must come together under one common umbrella.
Being fighters, Goans perform well when they come together and because of this, Goans won the Opinion Poll, Konkani Language, Statehood and many others. This attitude is deeply ingrained in their blood and even abroad they do the same by risking their jobs. For example, when Goans from the Gulf, especially from Kuwait, realised that they must come to the rescue of their counterparts in Goa fighting for the cause of the Konkani language, Kuwait Goans, discarding their differences joined together in mid-1979 and formed their own group that received allegiance from all others involved in Konkani activities and sent lakhs of rupees to Goa to fight the Konkani cause.
Now, ‘Goencho Ekvott’ is assured of their full support by the innumerable Goan associations to fight anti-Goan projects by the government, because of their ill effects. It is imperative to fight the enemies of Goa who are destroying Goa in the name of development. I too lend my support to GE on behalf of all the like-minded Kuwait returnees.
I have noticed that we Goans are first class in initiating something but last class in maintaining it. We easily go into disarray because of our leaders’ selfishness for gaining cheap prominence and the greed for illicit money. My request to all involved in GE to be upright.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Students addicted to social media
As educational institutions have remained closed since March owing to the COVID-19 lockdown, students have become more addicted to social media.
No doubt, the internet is a source to help us in gaining knowledge at the global level, but it is a shortcut. Reading a whole book and finding its true essence and applicable knowledge is a long-term knowledge source. We waste our entire day on Facebook and YouTube but we should limit our time on these apps and focus more of our time on reading books on history, literature, etc.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Marriage proposal?
It appears that the proposed IIT campus at Guleli in Sattari is not welcome. The farmers there definitely have a point regarding their livelihood. Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar has offered to house the IIT in the GEC campus at Ponda. I’m unsure of the benefits of doing this. However, the IIT bride comes with a huge dowry of Rs 1500 crore, which it recently received from the Centre. Surely no Goan bride would be a match to a bride like this one. It is surprising that there are not many grooms coming forward. If looks are deceiving would wearing dark glasses help?
Vinay Rodrigues, Margao
Guv’s corrective advice to government
It was heart warming to note the current Governor pulling up the government for its inept handling of the COVID pandemic and other issues. There was not a single murmur from the previous governor against the government throughout her term. She must have been under the mistaken notion that the government was providing Goans a heavenly existence whereas the truth was exactly the opposite.
Manohar Parrikar was a good administrator in his healthier days, which was not the case when he was ill. This was the beginning of the downslide of the Goan economy. Yet through all this there was not a single critical squeak from the then Governor. We heartily thank the Governor for giving corrective advice to the government and look forward to his continuing action for the good of the Goan people.
Michael Silveira, Divar
Leadership change?
Rumours are doing the rounds that the BJP’s central leadership has decided to appoint a new leader as the next CM along with a new set of ministers replacing Dr. Pramod Sawant for allegedly having failed in containing the ongoing spread of the corona cases.
Today if Goa has gone from the green zone to the red zone then it is not due to the acts of Dr Sawant alone but because of the foolish decisions taken by his ministers. What was the need to open up l the borders, allow domestic flights, trains in such a hurry and invite people/tourists even from all the red zone neighbouring states to fast-track the spread of the coronavirus and to make matters worse in Goa?
I feel that the BJP’s central leadership must try to study the actual ground situation and then think of going for a immediate leadership change in the State at the behest of a few known power-hungry opportunist bullies from within the rulling government in Goa.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
