SC decision on demonetisation
The many PILs filed on this subject were decided by the 4:1 decision which is not in public interest for the following reasons. The RBI was consulted but the then chairman Raghuram Rajan reportedly had not agreed. The decision was taken suddenly and RBI was not ready to handle the fallout! If secrecy was required an Ordinance could have been issued so matter could subsequently be discussed in Parliament! If results of such decision, where as a consequence people die, suffer in great distress, economy of country is damaged, business has to close down, tourists stranded without access to their own money and the stated aims not achieved as clearly elucidated to the bench, however good and noble the intention may have been, where do the public go for accountability and justice if not the Supreme Court? The lone dissenting woman junior-most judge appears to have seen through the charade!
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Demonetisation: Most misconceived of policy decisions
The Supreme Court in its judgment on demonetisation cleared the mechanism of taking the decision by the government and whether due process was properly followed, but it did not give a clearance on the necessity of demonetisation and the manner of its implementation. That demonetisation was misconceived and not at all necessary has been brought out in many forums. That the introduction of the Rs 2,000 note, which created snafus at ATMs, was out of context with shopping practices resulting in many small shopkeepers refusing supply of goods when proffered this note and that instead of reducing black money it allowed more black money to be stored in the same space. These facts have now been implicitly proven since the Rs 2,000 note is almost out of normal circulation. The government is not able to demonetise or withdraw this note since it would immediately attract attention to demonetisation with accusations that no purpose was served by this measure. Apart from this, the pain inflicted on common people during the withdrawal of the old currency notes and replacement with the new notes led to many lives being lost even in the queues formed in front of banks to exchange the notes. Thereafter the disruption of businesses leading to the closure of many MSMEs is a fact that cannot be denied. These aspects are not part of the legal scrutiny by the Supreme Court. Thus demonetisation remains the most misconceived of policy decisions in independent India which had drastic ramifications on the people of this country from all walks of life without meeting even a single stated objective as set out by the incumbent government.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
Covid-19 has not
gone away
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact communities around the world, it is more important than ever to take steps to protect ourselves and others from it. Hence, it is of prime importance to take measures to keep ourselves and others safe against the deadly virus. This includes wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing our hands frequently, and following guidelines from public health agencies.
Covid-19 has not yet gone away. It is here to stay just like tuberculosis, jaundice and AIDs. That is why it is essential to take precautionary measures. As the saying goes, ‘precaution is better than cure.’
People should continue to follow measures to reduce their risk of getting infected with Covid-19 by wearing masks, following hand hygiene and physical distancing, improving ventilation of indoor spaces, avoiding crowded spaces and getting vaccinated.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Goans should fight to uphold rights
Keeping an eye on the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre has reportedly approved Karnataka’s revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to divert Mhadei water for the Kalasa-Bhandura project, ignoring Goa’s interests.
Unfortunately, our CM Pramod Sawant (of ‘Bhivpachi Garaz Na’ fame) and his council of ministers, instead of resigning en masse to put pressure on the Central government to withdraw the said approval, are still misleading Goans by giving false assurances and holding some useless discussions.
If our ruling politicians are really serious on the Mhadei issue then why are they not going to New Delhi, sitting on a hunger strike outside the Parliament and forcing the Central government to immediately withdraw the above approval?
We, Goans have indeed been affected very badly by our respective governments at the Centre over the years since Liberation.
Yes, sometimes I do feel that this tiny State was indeed liberated by our business-minded Indian rulers to accommodate people from neighbouring States to simply loot/destroy our natural resources, to allow them to grab our ancestral properties/houses through forgeries, to run their illegal activities to slowly displaced all the niz-Goenkars from Goa under some pretext or the other in the long run.
I therefore personally feel that we, Goans should unitedly come together on one single platform at the earliest over many vital issues (including Mhadei issue) and fight to uphold/defend our own rights.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Tourists or polluters?
Our beautiful little Goa’s position as a tourism hotspot for beaches has disgustingly received with alcohol as beer glass bottles dangerously smashed, plastic littered, empty food containers left on beaches, roadside pavements turned into a cooking stations or resting places.
Apart from this, some hooligans have saved their lodging cost by sleeping on the beaches overnight till sunrise; wake up as early as possible to defecate on the beach and around. Sadly the public exchequer is forced to spend huge amount in cleaning up. Goa, which is endorsed as “tourist destination”, has gone for a toss on the Eve of New Year 2023 as the images seen on media were hard to digest. Love for Goa, Goans and the community-minded local residents around these beaches are heartbroken.
What about Goa Tourist Places Act 2019 imposing Rs 2,000 and Rs 10,000 fine for individuals and groups drinking in public places, beaches, etc? Probably it remains on paper and not applicable to these “polluters” or to the tourism authority to cross examine.
Gaston Dias, Sarzora
Rhino conservation: Assam has done well
Assam is home to the rhinoceroses in India. India comprises world’s 80 per cent of rhino population. It is common knowledge that poaching is the biggest threat to rhinos. Local poachers, hand–in-glove with international smugglers, pose a big threat to 2,613 rhinos. The Assam govt had setup a STF to achieve the aim of zero poaching of rhinos in 2022. The STF seems to have done exactly that. No poaching of the endangered animals was reported last year.
What the STF did was to arm the forest personnel along with dedicated commandoes so that the dual task of vigil and action complimented each other. The force went collecting data on poachers. CCTVs were installed at entry and exit points. People in border areas were sensitised. District authorities were trusted with the task of keeping an eagle eye on civilians. The zero tolerance policy paid huge dividends. All political parties stood as one with a steadfast focus on the task at hand. It is important that the State government keeps up the good work in the coming years.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
