Winter of discontent
The recent happenings in Delhi were there for all to see, closer home @ 2000 locals from Sattari held a rally for grant of title deeds to their own land, documents which have not yet been provided even 60 years after the Portuguese departed from our shores. Recently in the face of fierce opposition, the State backed out from thrusting the IIT campus upon Melauli, it is another matter that there is a rising groundswell of opposition building against shifting of the site to Sanguem which would destroy fertile agricultural land and the rich biodiversity.
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Also note that the government’s plan to build a marina at Nauxim which would have benefited only the elite had to be nixed, ratcheted up opposition to the three linear projects is also very much in evidence and would reach its logical conclusion. One thing is crystal clear, the age of people power (as it should be in a democracy) is dawning, and the era of projects/policies being thrust upon a hapless citizenry by a clueless government which believes in ruling (not serving) by diktat is slowly coming to an end. Violence should and must be condemned unequivocally, whosoever be the perpetrator but the habitual use of brute force for crushing Vox Populi is a recipe for disaster. The government of the day should defer to the people’s wish, not dictate to the janta, monologue has to be replaced by dialogue, confrontation has to give way to co-operation, lecturing has to make way for communication, co-opting would be a better option than control…power does not flow from the barrel of a gun, history is witness to that, and those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. True power is when you win your people’s hearts and minds. Democracy is by the people, of the people and FOR the people, merely paying lip service to it would be counterproductive, I pray that everyone around has learnt this lesson.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Laws and no law
There is a hue and cry about when to enforce the amended MVA Act; strange though. In the issue dated 23/1, Herald reported the strange turn of events when 5 ‘offenders of the law’ including a drunk and 4 other roadside vendors were acquitted by the Courts. One of the main reasons given was that the law prohibiting such acts as per the Indian Police Act, was not extended to the places where the offence was committed. This is no laughing matter as perceived by all Political parties who are silent. Shouldn’t we first learn A, B, C before attempting to read?
At whose door does this fault lie? The Police act without knowing the applicable laws? Is this not a precedent for criminals to refuse arrest because the Police do not know the law? We saw the Lib day ‘arrest’ of Youth for no reason and in an inexplicable manner. Pity the leaders who took the matter to court decided to only clear their names. Yes, all such acts by the Police are not in keeping with the law.
Sadly, political parties only ‘claim’ they are top contenders today’ but ‘do’ nothing. They are like football teams wanting to show ‘statistics’ of ‘more shots on target’ and ‘more possession’ and scoring zero goals.
R Fernandes, Margao
Examinations 2021
Students of every class and grade all over the country are unhappy and frustrated with the government’s decisions regarding their education. A year of academics done solely through a series of online virtual classes seemingly poignant as we reach the last laps albeit the exams, board exams, competitive exams and other grand exercises that are supposedly meant to define whole futures. Schools can claim they’ve done their best and put in the effort to make do with online classes and I’m sure they have but despite their best efforts, did it work? Was it enough? Thousands of student voices all over the country say no, they haven’t.
The bad or lack of internet and electronic media, the constant staring and straining at monotonous voices on a screen, the uncertainty and anxiety of a year of isolation and how their education would proceed during these times has been weird and difficult on every student mind. The government’s failure to consider or lack of concern thereof has been simply unfair on students, feeling mountains of pressure in feeble attempts now to somehow make do in these exams put onto them. All of this will be sorely evident as you look out for your children’s marks and grades in the recently held offline exams.
Parents and teachers please know that maybe it isn’t just the child slacking in their studies, maybe there are others which may factor in too, which is what we should consider when it is close to the whole of student strength doing so terribly in all academics. Maybe this result finally will force schools and the education bodies to reconsider their vanity and inflexible drive to hold examinations anyways, lest it call upon the parents and students to more surely express their want for a better future with louder, more agitated voices.
Denzel L Fernandes, Taleigao
Goan votes don’t count
I refer to the article written by Soter D’Souza on Jan 26, 2021 titled ‘Goan Lives don’t count in Goa’s tourism plunder’. I was coming back by bus from my cousin’s house in Guirim and after waiting for about 25 minutes the bus came from Mapusa. There were about 25 persons in the bus. What surprised me was that I was the only Goan seated in the bus and all the others were migrants. Some were openly chewing paan in the bus and even the conductor was chewing paan.
A thought crossed my mind. These people are the sure vote banks of our politicians and where do we stand in such a situation? Since most of the Goans migrated to UK on a Portuguese Passport our votes don’t count at all for the politicians as they depend on the migrant votes to win the election.
There is a hotel close to my cousin’s house and it was flooded with Indian tourists for the weekend. They played loud music full day and even when we told them to stop they wouldn’t stop. I feel they have backing of the Panchayat so they don’t care whether there are senior citizens staying or students studying at home.
Maria Gracias, Agassaim
Farmers’ actions, a blot on R-Day
Protesting farmers breaking away from their designated tractor parade routes and swarming into the Red Fort to hoist a Sikh religious flag in the forecourt has come as a blot on Republic Day. One farmer perished, and scores of policemen were injured in the clashes after the police resorted to tear-gassing and lathi-charge to control the mob. The farmers’ leaders held anti-social elements culpable for the violence, but they must blame themselves for the rally’s timing. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has done well to urge farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Bad year for Modi?
The year 2020 was not a good year for Narendra Modi . Modi’s calculations went wrong on the day he said “Mahabharat was won in 18 days, but the war against corona virus will take 21 days.” Thereafter , Modi had a plan to announce a vaccine on Covid-19 for August 15 ahead of other countries but that plan was shelved as it got leaked. Finally, the farmers protest has taken Modi by surprise. His government was not prepared for it.
The length to which the government has gone to convince farmers shows that the entire farmers issue could have been better managed from the beginning. This issue is not going to be solved amicably or otherwise by any means very soon until the farmers laws are scrapped by the government.
Diomedes Pereira,
Corlim
