Elected ladies, only on paper?
In Goa at the panchayat and municipal level we have seats that are reserved for women. This is a step in the right direction to encourage women to play their role in the political arena and to serve the society at the grassroots level.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
But unfortunately, we have been sadly witnessing that in many cases the ladies elected are only on paper while their effective role is factually being unlawfully played by their spouse, brother or at times some other relative. The lady candidates like all others must be selected and elected on their own merit and aptitude, not as a front or smoke screen for others to run the show. They must not be puppets on a string manipulated and pushed along the way with no say. This defeats the very purpose of reserving seats for women which is meant for ensuring their empowerment.
The responsibilities of a lady elected candidate being done by a proxy is a totally unacceptable situation. Before contesting any election the lady candidate must be absolutely confident that she would be able to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the post she is contesting. She needs to realise that serving as a Ward member whether at the Panchayat or Municipal level is a full time job requiring all the patience and desire to redress the grievances of the people.
A lady who cannot discharge her duties of the elected post independently must quit and make way for another lady worthy to take up the challenge of serving the community.
Never dull your shine for somebody else. To shine your brightest light, you need to be and represent who you truly are. Never be a reflection of someone else’s light. To all the ladies not discharging themselves the duties of the post they have been elected, the message should be loud and clear, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Pratima, an Alaska in the making?
I do agree with Sujay Gupta’s assessment on Pratima Coutinho last week, but what AAP was desperately looking out for was a vociferous and a dynamic leader.
In the past Alaska was considered as useless by Russia and was sold for a song to USA, which later on turned out to be an asset for USA. I see the same in Pratima who was considered like a liability by the Congressmen. Her entry was like a windfall gain for AAP which they could certainly not ignore. Certainly she has the integrity which AAP is made up of. So Gupta’s opinion that AAP should have taken some more time would prove disastrous, if they had not capitalised promptly.
Johan D’mello, Vanxim
Covid-19 vaccine, boosting confidence?
It appears Covid vaccine has been received by the Indian public with little enthusiasm as is seen by the lukewarm response it has been accepted with.
Every second person has an adverse comment to make on hearsay and not eyewitness experience. What is required are actual statistics to counter this. Every day when the new daily infected rates are announced, a count should also be made if there are any vaccinated persons in this list. Negligible or no new cases will boost the confidence of the people.
Also calling the vaccine the Modi vaccine has not gone down well with the people. Rhetoric is all that the common man is getting as petrol and all prices soaring sky high. This is a government of the corporates and for corporates and scant regard for the common man.
Witness the plight of the farmers. Nevertheless, I am a senior citizen and have taken the Covid vaccine and have suffered no side effects at all.
Michael Silveira, Divar
Basilica needs coloured lime plaster
The Basilica of Bom Jesus was inaugurated in 1605 complete with lime plaster and whitewash. It was only in the early 1950s that the plaster was removed on the three sides to make it appear more ‘ancient’. However, the vagaries of nature have taken a toll of the laterite stones and made the structure weak. It is understood that the historic basilica is in danger unless it’s exposed are plastered. The walls are completely drenched and the water seeps through them.
The basilica is one of Goa’s prized churches and is an architectural beauty and has a singular place in the history of Goan Catholicism. It must be said that it is the colour of the laterite stones which adds to the beauty of the world heritage. People the world over are more used to the laterite stones exposed which gives the Basilica a unique look. However, we could have the best of both the worlds by way of protection of the Basilica and at the same time retaining its present beauty. The walls of the church need not be white-washed but covered by lime plaster which has the same colour as the laterite stones. This could be done by adding brown colour to the lime plaster.
This way when the walls are covered with brown colour lime plaster, it will retain the colour of the laterite stone and hence its original beauty and at the same time will also provide the much needed protection to the walls.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Inanely lethargic!
India, including Goa, is under a surge of increasing Covid cases and deaths. It appears we have not learnt from past mistakes. Just last year Goa was first in the green zone with no cases only to end up with 800 plus deaths from horrendous decisions.
Nagpur is facing an acute shortage of oxygen and ventilators. Nagpur Municipal Council (NMC) has reported that private hospitals are sending their critically ill patients to the Govt hospitals many of whom pass away on the way, just before or after arrival. NMC has now pulled up these hospitals for not first checking for ventilator availability before discharge.
What a sad irony! India has vaccine production facilities and is also exporting or gifting the same. Still we are seeing deaths; that too because of no oxygen? Imagine if India had to rely on other countries for the vaccine! Why has the oxygen generating capacities not been enhanced?
What about Goa? Has the planned budget seen the purchase of oxygen generators/concentrators for at least the GMC? Still relying on the oxygen cylinders? Have they studied the risks involved in this reliance?
I am still in doubt whether we have high flow oxygen generators as we have more than 800 deaths while countries with populations of 55+ lakh have just 30. And we are quite proud of this record!
The only risk assessment done by the Govt is of reduced cash flow from tourism!
R Fernandes, Margao
IITs, temple of learning
Lack of a regular campus, full time faculty and uncertainty over acquisition of land for setting up a permanent institute has pushed IIT Goa lower in the rankings of top technical institutions and also the desirability quotient for candidates who have successfully cleared the Joint Entrance Exam; now only the lowest ranked seem to opt for admission here.
Consider that in 2020, only candidates whose rankings were below 10,000 in the screening exam opted for IIT Goa. Lack of amenities on regular campus, which is important for overall growth and development of students, has led to a slide.
IITs are the highest temples of learning in modern India and also act as a booster to micro, small and medium enterprises of the State they are set up in, besides of course upping the prestige stakes. It is more than high time that a modern, permanent campus is constructed on suitable land, Guleli last year was a disaster and we hope the powers that be don’t repeat it.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
