Christmas- The centrality of Christ
Ah, it’s Christmas time; it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas means joy, for mankind can have eternal life by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Christmas means hope, for we have been rescued from sin. We all need the greatest gift, love. Pure love, Jesus, the son, born on Christmas night became one of us because he loves us so much. Imagine, Our Lord and Saviour becoming a human to save us. He could have been any age. He chose to be a helpless baby, born to a teenage mom and foster father. Every baby is also a great gift from God. Jesus was born into poverty and a suffering, sinful and chaotic world. Hope this Christmas brings peace and happiness to our families.
Anish Esteves, Mumbai
Crime and candidates
To discourage tainted candidates from contesting elections, the Election Commission of India has demanded that political parties will have to disclose the criminal records of all their candidates and also explain the reason (very pedagogic and a tall order) why that particular candidate has been chosen to contest . The EC has rightly said the public in order to make an informed choice should be fully informed about the antecedents of their prospective representatives and that the former shall be very strict about it. The EC also dutifully mentioned that candidates should not make hate speeches which vitiate the atmosphere and that a special cell reporting directly to the CEC is being constituted to monitor the criminal records of would be MPs and MLAs. It is pertinent to note that 233 of the 539 MPs (an astounding 43%) elected during the 2019 general elections had criminal records. Hate speeches by candidates are the new normal with many from the ruling party and its fringe groups going so far as to openly demand the extermination of the minority community, anything and everything for the majority votes and consequent power and pelf. All these fervent and well-meaning statements have been made since the time of our strictest election commissioner late T N Seshan; even the SC has time and again exhorted parties to field ‘clean’ candidates but sadly to no avail. Hate and crime have been ruthlessly mainstreamed now and unless the parties undertake self censorship and take it upon themselves to weed out dubious candidates from the electoral process, such sanctimonious appeals will remain just that – appeals, words hanging in the air.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
N Goa lacks hospital with major facilities
It is not known whether the CM’s statement in this pre-election time that the State should start rebuilding temples destroyed by the Portuguese and asking people to give his party strength to reintroduce temple Sanskriti in the State is part of his party’s manifesto or whether it is a political statement. It will be good if he clarifies it. So far as my village is concerned, there exist 10 temples. Some of our Hindu brothers say they are happy that they have enough temples to pray but they are not happy that even after 60 years of liberation they don’t have regular supply of water and electricity. In entire north Goa there isn’t a hospital with facilities for major operations of heart, lungs and kidneys. The government should give priority to these needs of the people.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
The Goan voter
You have the power; your vote can save Goa. The question is of being able to discern the honest candidate and the cleanest party.
Again, only we Goans can truly identify with our people and what we need today and for the future of our children and Goa.
Watching the game of musical chairs, sitting peacefully in my balcao, it saddens me to see the game of greed and opportunism unfolding during elections. Are such men, and women, with their respective parties able to be responsible for the future of Goa and us Goans? Or will it allow them five years of amassing wealth, favouring their cronies and destroying our Goa, its culture and heritage?
Sincerely, we must scrutinise every aspirant, their character, their education, their reputation, their service to society (did it begin only in the months prior to elections – as is seen in some cases) their nature and language (abusive or not? as seen in videos circulated) and their ability to fairly, honestly and impartially serve every voter of their constituency and all Goans.
It is felt that the voter will not vote for clean and upright men because they will not be bribed to approve our illegal activities. Perhaps a party that has Core Committee of respected Goans from various fields, religion, ethics, agriculture, employment, environment, industry, law, medicine, administration, planning etc, to guide their elected representatives, our MLAs, at all times but more so when they form the government, could be an answer to the present malaise.
May God give Goa a clean government for the peace, progress and prosperity of Goans, a government that will usher in a bright future for our children.
Alan Rodrigues, Carmona
Wall collapse incidents
Even in this technological world, accidents have been a common sight. In all those unfortunate cases, numerous innocent lives have been lost. The same way, at least three schoolchildren had been killed in a recent wall collapse incident in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. Even though such wall collapse incidents have been taking place across the world from time to time, countries like India and continents like Asia have been the worst-hit by wall collapse Incidents. As an English content writer, I have been writing articles and blogs about safety norms like pool fencing and fire safety prevalent in Australia. In Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Nagercoil, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, authorities have been contemplating plans to dismantle old school buildings now. Way to go! Even then there have been reports of such accidents claiming lives the world over. In this context, stern action must be taken against those responsible for utter negligence so as to send a strong message across the board.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Mumbai
Check fish in trains
In the past concerns were raised about formalin-laced fish entering Goa from other States. There was a hue and cry raised by Goans about the fish brought to the wholesale market at Margao being laced with formalin. Fish arriving by road brought in my trucks from other States were subjected to mandatory tests for formalin which is known to be carcinogenic. Now there is concern raised about the quality of fish transported to Goa in thermocol boxes from other States by train. Several people from Margao fear that the fish coming from Gujarat by Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) trains could be stale as there is no checking of the quality of the fish for its freshness at the Margao Railway Station. It seems necessary for the Fisheries Department and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take necessary steps to see that stale fish does not enter Goa by train. According to the railway authorities, the formality of checking of fish is completed at the start point before any parcel is accepted. However, due to the duration of time it takes for the fish in thermocol boxes to reach its destination in Goa. It would be desirable for the authorities in Goa to also check the quality of fish for its freshness at the end point once the fish arrives at the Margao Railway Station.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
