Increase retirement age
Joaquim Pacheco, Divar
Age brings experience and wisdom. With France raising the retirement age to 65, after Britain with 62 and the USA with 68, it won’t be long before other countries follow suit. The idea of a retirement age was invented by Otto von Bismarck in the 1880s, when as Chancellor of Germany he needed a starting age to pay war pensions. He chose the age of 65, because that was typically when ex-soldiers died.
Some may worry that an older workforce will be less innovative and adaptable, but there is evidence that companies with a decent proportion of older workers are more productive than those addicted to youth. This is sometimes called the ‘Horndal effect’, after a Swedish steel mill where productivity rose by 15 per cent as the workforce got older.
In 1965, ‘The Who’ sang: “Hope I die before I get old.” Today, those who survived drugs, fast cars, or bad marriages are older and still rocking. Mick Jagger (born 1943) is still swinging. Tina Turner, at 70, dances with stiletto heels and a micro skirt. Non-celebrities also remain active, assertive and independent as they age. They fill seminar halls and run marathons. Far from being a weight on society, many of them look like a new human-resource-to-be.
In future, old people will be expected to stay in the formal economy for longer. Of course, many older people need health care, but others are fit, competent and self sustaining. Aging of the human race is one of the surest predictions of this century.
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Proud of Dr Vaidya
Dr Francisco Colaco, Margao
This is a proud moment for Goans and the medical community. An alumnus of our Goa Medical College (GMC) has made international headlines. Dr Jayant Vaidya is the son of the late Dr Sharad Vaidya (consultant general surgeon practicing in Panjim, with a great penchant for cancer surgery – our teacher in the ’60s – and founder of the Goa Cancer Hospital).
Dr Jayant, a consultant oncologist and surgeon at the University College, London (UCL), is a world renowned researcher engaged in the study of breast cancer. He has pioneered the novel technique TARGIT (TARGeted Intra-operative radioTherapy), giving radiotherapy to the tissues surrounding a breast cancer soon after its surgical removal. This vastly improves on post-surgical radiotherapy. The earlier technique (external beam postoperative radiotherapy) had obvious flaws.
Dr Jayant Vadya’s novel method TARGIT is going to revolutionise breast cancer treatment. The recently concluded Phase-3 trials have substantiated that Dr Vaidya’s method is the best. He coined the onomatopoeic word, set in motion the various trials and led the successful completion of the final research necessary to prove his point. He is our hero.
Don’t raise prices
Robert Castellino, Calangute
This is with reference to the letter ‘Raise liquor prices’ by S Kamat (Herald, 24 June). Raising prices of liquor will prove to be counter-productive in all respects. Like it or not, one of the main reasons why millions of domestic tourists come to Goa is availability of cheap liquor. In the long run, raising prices beyond a reasonable limit will result in the inflow of domestic tourists tapering off. Revenue to the state will decrease.
So far as health is concerned, people who drink liquor will continue to drink, even if prices are increased. This will only prove to be an additional burden on their families; wives will get less money to run the home.
Most important, if the increase in prices is too much to bear, cheap illicit liquor will quickly make its way into the state. Illicit liquor has an even more deleterious effect on the health; it kills people or blinds them instantly. But its gradual effects are even worse; it kills slowly. Such cases are never reported.
Is this ‘It’?
Madonna, Colva
Friday was the first death anniversary of Michael Jackson. It saw the world remembering him. TV channels aired his videos, people talked about him, blah blah… I myself ended the day watching the documentary ‘This is it’(I’m not giving you a gist, go watch it). I thought it was so cool. His passion just came through, whether it was his music, his dance or most importantly his concern for the future of the Earth.
Undoubtedly, the world missed a memorable comeback by the king of pop. But the loss of MJ is unforgivable. Like him, not many have the will to take on the responsibility that comes with being famous. Most of us reach for the stars, a few of us get there but just one in so many remembers the Earth.
Probe Mapusa Council
Vasanti Alornekar, Virnoda
A thorough probe is needed into the working of the Mapusa Municipal Council. This should be done by a renowned retired judge of the High Court. It will reveal a nexus between the builder lobby and Mapusa Municipal Councillors.
Investigators should first find out which councillors and MLAs have been gifted with flats and shops by real estate developers and builders. Then they should find out whether the builders have constructed their buildings according to the approved plan, and whether the Mapusa Municipality has inspected the building before issuing an occupancy certificate. Let’s get some justice.
Keep it up, Parrikar
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim
The root cause of early retirement of teachers is Manohar Parikar. Now he is being an absolute hypocrite. This ‘Chanakya’ is expressing sympathy and solidarity by his presence with the striking teachers solely to take mileage. The least expected of him is a public apology to the striking teachers for his misadventure in reducing the retirement age.
If for any administrative reasons the just request of the teachers is untenable, at least two increments could be added and the last pay fixed notionally. The pension and gratuity could be re-fixed and difference in arrears of the pension could be paid as an alternative solution.
Chase drugs case
Julius Carvalho, Dubai
On one hand the Goa Police Crime Branch headed by a woman cop did a wonderful job by nailing criminal Mickky Pacheco and his OSD Lyndon Monteiro. But, unfortunately, the same Crime Branch headed by a gentleman carried out a very poor investigation that led to bail for Goa’s greatest drugs mafiosos and corrupt cops in the infamous narcotics case. The surprising thing is how the Goa Police can’t catch these two fugitives (Mickky and Lyndon) in such a small state with police stations and outposts at every corner.
The Goa DGP, without any fear of being transferred out of Goa by our criminal politicians, should hand over the drug mafia-police nexus case to Sunita Sawant and give her full freedom. Nailing the cop-mafia nexus will not eradicate corruption in the Goa Police, but at least the morale of honest cops will be safeguarded, as well as the safety of youth across Goa’s coastal belt.
Political garbage
Sayed Iftiyaz, Margao
Goa is plagued with garbage problem, at both Bainguinim and Sonsoddo. The government is unable to find a solution. Now, Sonsoddo is covered with plastic to avoid garbage being scattered and toxic substances leaching out in the rains. This is just temporary. The company that has taken the responsibility has vowed to solve the problem at the earliest.
Now we Goans have to take an even more important decision; how to clean Goa’s political garbage. Is any Goan ready to take the responsibility, or are we destined to live with these rotten political pigs?
Chief Minister Digamber Kamat is the Head of the Department of Political Garbage in Goa. Babush Monserrate and Vishwajeet Rane are back in the corrupt Congress party. Any Tome, Ricardo and Hari can enter this corrupt party and leave it anytime they want to.
In such a political set up, Joaquim extracts exactly what he wants; Ravi lives his own ‘lifestyle’, Churchill huffs and puffs like the three little pigs put together, the Ranes still act like the Maharajas they once were, Phillip wants more portfolious, Dhavlikar wants Sanatan to carry on with its explosively ‘good’ work… The list goes on.
We are responsible for this mess. Let us take the responsibility and accept our guilt. Then, let us accept the responsibility to make a positive change in Goan politics…
