Great work by our tiatrists
Your column in Herald Insight titled ‘No MLA can ever intimidate a Tiatrist who is the people’s voice’ (Herald, June 24) made interesting reading. My full admiration goes to the Tiatrists for raising their voices against injustice and if our society is walking on the right path today it is mainly because of our Tiatrists since the inception of Tiatros about 150 years back by Lucasinho Ribeiro from Assagao, Bardez.
Ribeiro’s intention when he penned down his first Tiatro Italian Burgo was to raise his voice against the injustice perpetrated by the strong over the weak and because of this the cardinal principle of Playwright is to attack the strong and arrogant. With this view in mind, the first attack Tiatrists directed on high caste landlords who then was known to treat the commoners and Mundcars like dirt.
If caste discriminations have been eradicated at least partially in Goan society it is only because of the strong tirade directed by the Tiatrists from the stage where the legendary Minguel Rod played a major role. Tiatrists like Airestides Dias and M Dod de Verna played a strong role to force the Goan Catholic Church to be sensible to the real teachings of Christianity based on equality and discard the man made “apartheid’ in our Churches.
Since the censorship was enforced in Goa, the mouth of Tiatrists was stitched preventing them to say anything against the Government in Goa even then there were so many Tiatrists wanted to tell the Portuguese to leave Goa peacefully by handing over the power into the hands of Goans.
In some quarters, it was remarked that the Tiatrist were pro-Portuguese but I strongly refute this on the grounds that the Goan Tiatrists being more Goa conscious and their attachments to Goa, Goan language, culture, tradition, folklore and other Goan aspects including the sincerity, were interested in having independence for Goa but never they volunteered to live under foreign domination.
The Trio Kings namely Conception-Nelson-Anthony, William de Curtorim and Francis de Tuem and Alison de Curtorim did nothing wrong. They all raised their voices against the injustice going on in our midst. If our politicians are left untouched by anybody then they will destroy Goa totally.
A.Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Restart seamen pension
According to your newspaper, dt. June 22, our respective CM assures financial support to the tiatrist artistes, by the support of Benaulim MLA. Churchill Alemao. Well done. CM and MLA bab Churchill Alemao, they are also our brothers.
But I want to ask Churchill, as you are a seaman, you must support and ask our respected CM to release, Goa seamen welfare pension scheme in NRI dept, Porvorim, which was stopped from Oct. 20, 2019 till June 2021. Hope on behalf of my brother seamen, Churchill supports us, and will request to CM about our pension problem.
Hope our CM, will see our senior citizen seamen difficulties and release our pension, at least on June 25, which is the Seafarers Day.
Edgar Martins, Chinchinim
Effective land use
The pandemic has proven without a doubt that the elected representatives are completely at sea as far as their abilities are concerned. Further, they even hid such inadequacies like oxygen shortage, wrong decisions creating the deadly 2nd wave. All the 40 elected were either in hiding or making excuses. They proved themselves to be totally unfit.
This inadequacy cannot be limited to the pandemic handling alone. All matters concerning Goa are ill thought-out plans proposed mostly by Central Ministers meant to benefit outside businessmen. This is a fact.
Land is the costliest resource and cannot be created but can be usurped from one holder to another for a pittance. Goa is very small with limited land which must be considered as a scarce resource to be shared with future generations too.
The Government is on spree to ensure change in land ownership with no thought for the locals. 5 lakh sq/ mt of SEZ land is to be auctioned. What will be the benefit of the same to locals in terms of jobs etc.? The Benaulim prawn hatchery is being given out to the highest bidder: what benefit to the locals? The Government now wants to give land -maybe on lease- which is like 99 years? (this is a gift) for the India University of Legal Education and Research with a ‘planned’ reservation of 20 seats for locals. First, we know that this will reduce later on for varied reasons. Next: land is being taken up from the locals for the use of 20% locals only? The rest 80 % is for outsiders? Does this sound sense? Surely 80% of the benefits must go to locals! During the pandemic: did the elected provide 80% of their income from Govt. Office for the benefit of their voters? Did we see just 42 oxygen concentrators, when needed? Why are they so free with resources that are not theirs? Does the GCCI/TTAG run their business where 80% benefits go to their customers?
Party voters must form alliances to ensure we get, not just educated representatives but toppers. Otherwise, there will be no Goa left.
R Fernandes, Margao
Police dept needs some policing
This has reference to the Edit ‘Does the police department need policing?’ (Herald, June 24). The answer is yes, the police department does need some policing. And this applies not just to any specific location, but the entire country. But of course, this is not to paint the entire police force with the same brush. There must be many in the police force who are clean, efficientand willing to help. But it is the system that gets them bogged down.
At least during these pandemic times one would have expected them to take a more humanitarian approach towards the public. There’s no taking away the credit from those who have gone out of their way of course, to reach out to those in need during this unprecedented pandemic. They need to be commended for their deeds.
On the other hand however, your front page report of ‘cops in the dock for dark deeds during the dark hours’ is indeed cause for worry. Such misdeeds ought not to go unpunished. Corruption, bribery, etc, seems to be deep rooted into the system. Needless to say, there’s a need to clean up the system. The question is, do they have the will to do that?
Melville X. D’Souza, Mumbai
Congrats to Pooja
I take this opportunity to congratulate Pooja Melekar for securing the first rank in ‘Analytical Chemistry’ at BSc examination passed through PES Ravi Naik College, Ponda.
Although a female, she played a vital role during the agitation launched against the IIT project at Shel-Melaulim in Sattari. Pooja used to regularly occupy the road at Melaulim during the said agitation. While doing this she spared time, especially during late nights for studies and finally achieved most favourable results. It is but certain that she won the battle not only against the IIT project, but also against her academic career. Due to lack of network coverage, she faced great difficulties in studying her lessons. Still she visited different spots in the forest and studied wherever network was available.
On behalf of Goans, I once again congratulate her on this remarkable feat and wish her all the best in her future prospects. It is absolutely necessary for the state government to consider the plight of rural population due to lack of network coverage and initiate appropriate steps to provide the same on regular basis so that innocent students do not face any difficulty in studies. Prompt positive action in this important matter would indeed be appreciated by one and all.
Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai
