Water is the key to life and while all were concentrating on saving this we learn that life is threatened by food as well. Whether it is chemicals for fruit ripening, for increasing vegetable and fish shelf life, gaining higher profits by using mawa etc. in Indian sweetmeats in Goa all these unheard-of means are being used for the profit of a few. A few years back, some people were selling corn roasted on coals from a crematorium! So far only because there is no liquor ban in Goa, are there no deaths due to spurious liquor though adulterated liquor still makes its presence here.
Is the FDA equipped to tackle these kinds of life threatening food adulteration, even if they are given full authority? Take the fish alone: the trucks are loaded with fish in ice. To test the same, they must do a proper sampling. Considering that formalin is not allowed at all, the sampling lot must be 100%. Even if the FDA goes for 10% sampling, compromising the lives of the people because they are under staffed, will they take only the easily retrieved fish from the top? Will not these be the unadulterated fish? Can the FDA then say that no Goans will be ‘fed’ formalin laced fish? They cannot.
So, what is the antidote? When Indians go abroad, overnight they stop hawking and spitting in public places. Goans have never resorted to adulteration of food products.
The antidote is: Special Status for Goa. Once we have this then all these kinds of evils will disappear. Some politicians need to also disappear as they are totally in sync with their Central counterpart’s as far as crooked means are concerned.
The BJP came to power in Goa on the plank of Special Status. The BJP was to have an all-party delegation to meet the Central Ministers to push for special Status: but they went alone apparently to take all the credit. However, they could barely mumble ‘Special’ to their Central bosses who thought the local BJP wanted special status for financial reasons! What a failure: they even had their very own Defence Minister at the Centre but could not even be heard.
Nothing short of special status can save Goa. Without this Goan life will be an unending struggle for survival till the finish. And finish it will finally be.
