I always maintained that BJP is a communal party. The BJP governments at the center as well as in Goa run at the behest of RSS and VHP. No sooner the VHP adopted a resolution for banning cow slaughter at the Fatorda meet, the Goa government stopped the sale of beef in Goa and put the beef eating Catholics as well as the traders into doldrums. Beef being an essential food of most of the Goans as well as the tourists coming to Goa, the Goa government should not follow the diktat of VHP and RSS. Now the ball is in the courtroom of those Catholic MLAs supporting the BJP in Goa. Otherwise we should be prepared in advance to throw out this BJP government in the next assembly election to be held in 2017.
Marcos Alemao, Varca
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India’s inconvenient truth
How long can India shut out the truth? After a series of horrendous rapes, I ask the nation and the ruling government this: do we, as a responsible, evolving nation, have the luxury of picking and choosing what we think the public has the right to see, to know and to have access to? With a string of atrocities that now functions as a noose for the nation, can we really afford to sugar coat the ugly truth and compromise on justice for something as comparatively inconsequential as the nation’s image? Being a nineteen-year-old student and a girl myself, my conscience tells me that it is time for the youth — my brethren — to take a firm stand together and demand for the truth, however painful it may be, to demand for free public access to the documentary made on the rape case of Nirbhaya and which, in the process, gave a voice to thousands of anonymous victims of rape or sexual harassment.
Gail Pinto, Alto Porvorim
Budget for khas Aadmi!
Budget presented by the government seems to be favouring the corporate and elite class and with little to cheer the middle and lower classes.
Firstly, waiving off of wealth tax which is normally paid by persons having excess or surplus wealth is favouring the elite. Secondly, decrease in five percent of income tax for rich and high profit companys is again favouring the elite.
Thirdly, exemption upto 4.5 lakhs. Obviously, a person who earns very high income can take huge loans to become eligible for this exemption. But what about people whose gross income is below that figure? Even the increase of service tax will basically affect the common man. It’s the common people who avail various services and pay tax on them.
Akbar Khan, Colvale
Discouraging tourism
Has the Indian government sounded death knell for UK tourists to Goa? If what I read in the UK press is correct, UK tour operators will no longer be able to obtain Indian Visas on behalf of their customers, from March. This will put an end to package holidays from the UK; and private visits will dwindle to a handful. Visa applicants will have to apply in person to their local Consulate for interview. In the whole of Scotland there is only one Consulate. Applicants will have to travel hundreds of miles to visit Consulates and there is no guarantee the members of the same family will be seen on the same day. Is there any wonder that the number of UK tourists is in decline.
Dranreb Aclos, UK
Kohli should apologise
Virat Kohli seems to delight getting into controversies. This highly talented player has revealed again and again that he has a dark side which he has failed to curb. His supporters and admirers would be scratching their heads, every time he gets into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. The fact that such unfortunate incidents are happening regularly is worrisome. Virat should know that for all his achievements, such incidents mar his otherwise illustrious career. Some of the regrettable incidents that continue to rankle include his pointing the middle finger at spectators during an earlier tour of Australia. While it is true that the crowd provoked him by abusing him, what he did, cannot be justified. That the latest incident has occurred at the Cricket World Cup tournament being held in Australia and New Zealand has attracted global attention. Virat should apologise for his behaviour and declare publicly that he would not resort to such obnoxious behavior again.
Albert Colaco, by e-mail
