letters to the editor

Shameful return 

at Dabolim airport

I was returning to Goa to meet my parents for Christmas after more than a year with my family. We were all excited to come back to Goa especially during the Christmas season. 

To our dismay, we had to wait for my dad for more than ten minutes even after getting out of the airport as he was saying that there is heavy traffic inside and he cannot come through to pick us up. However we were just standing at the exit and not a single car passed by for more than five minutes. When I walked by, I realised that few taxis were parked on the road and the drivers had gone to fetch customers leaving their car in the middle of the road creating a block. We had to speak/call/shout and make way for our cars to come by. My children already started crying as they were exhausted. 

To make matters worse, there were very rude goons standing at the exit demanding money as we had crossed the allowed limit of time inside the airport. My dad tried explaining to them but they were abusive and starting misbehaving. As I had my old parents and family inside the car, we gave the money they demanded and had to leave. 

Very frankly a very sad experience and shameful one especially in this Christmas season when most of our own people are coming home to meet their loved ones. We should remember if this is the way we want to welcome them. Also the way the taxis are randomly parked outside the airport gives such a bad impression to the tourists.

Robin Varghese, by email

Announcement

in Konkani

I fully support Goa Forward Party President, Vijai Sardesai asking his Goa Youth Forward to take up the issue to make flight announcement on arrival at Goa airport in Konkani. All airlines international or domestic make announcement on arrival or departure in their respective language they operate. Why not in Konkani when they land in Goa. 

Request Civil Aviation authorities and IATA to take this note in the New Year.

John Rebello, Old Goa

Not quite free as yet!

In 1947 India gained Independence from the British and became a free country. As we know our freedom is not as yet complete and so we have to fight on for it. Our next fight is not against the British but our own power crazy representatives who refuse to amend the Panchayat Act and devolve power to us, Goans so can be free! 

In India today only the people of the State of Karnataka are truly free, followed by Kerala in second place. All other States are enjoying more or less virtual freedom. Now is the time to declare a second war of Independence and free ourselves from the shackles of our elected representatives irrespective of Party. 

We should use the ballot to vote in or vote out any party which refuses to recognise our claim to all the rights enshrined in the Panchayat Act.

Joao Barros Pereira, by email

Announcements 

at bus stands

It was suggested by a minister that all airlines coming into the state should make in-flight announcements in Konkani so that we project our language first. This is a welcome idea. But then what about introducing public address system at all the bus stands in the State from which announcements of arrival and departure of the buses are made? 

It is observed that in all metropolitan cities and even in smaller cities across the country announcements are made through the public address system in the local language and Hind about the arrival/departure of the buses as also at which bus-bay in the bus-stand the particular bus will halt. 

In Goa the travelling public, and that includes the visitors to the state, are at their wits end to find about the timing of the arrival and departure of a particular bus and where to board it. In the absence of such announcements, bus conductors of private buses are heard shouting about the destination their bus is heading to.

 Every bus-stand in the state needs to have a public address system from which all such announcements are made in Konkani besides Hindi, for the convenience of the travelling public.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

Communal 

elements

Two days before December 19, 1961 when it was confirmed that the Indian Military has already crossed into Goa, some communal elements in the name of pro-Bharat came to attack some prominent Goans whom these elements considered as pro-Portuguese, with guns, revolvers and sticks. 

In my village these goons attacked the residence of Dr Gustavo Monteiro in the darkness of the evening when they fired innumerable gun shots at his door with the intention to kill him. Luckily, with the miraculous act, at that very particular moment Dr Monteiro closed the door and thus the fired shots hit the door. Who were these murderers? They were all locals who earlier enjoyed Dr Monteiro’s largesse.

Then on the next day in broad day light, again some of the local goons headed by one local driver came to the St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora, to shoot its Principal Fr Mendonca who in fact used his clout with the Portuguese government of Goa to help Goan education system linked to Indian system thru Poona SSC Board. But when his driver sensed the tragedy falling on his boss, he quietly took Fr Frendonca thru the back door and put him in the car and drove him to undisclosed location which according to one source was the Bastora Convent.

Immediately after 19.12.61 it looked Goa was splitting between Bhattkarshahi & Mundkarshai, between rich & poor but instead it was split between Christians & Hindus with a wrong notion that Christians in Goa enjoyed better privileges under Portuguese rule. In fact our Hindus were enjoying better benefits as the entire mining industry was in their hands plus other commercial sectors during Portuguese rule.

A.Veronica Fernandes, Candolim

Right to freedom 

of expression

It seems that the freedom of expression is being totally destroyed in our country. If a citizen expresses his concern towards the sensitive matters of the country, he falls in the whirlpool of critics from so-called country's patriots. As the same case occurred with bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah over his remarks on the Bulandshahr violence.

 The actor found himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month that the death of a cow was given more importance than a policeman. 

Now, it is government's responsibility to satisfy him by ensuring the strength of law and order, but on the contrary to it the actor is being trailed by the government.

Mohd Usmani, Mumbai

Dependents 

confront Sudin

The mining dependents are simply wasting their precious time, money and energy by meeting Sudin and other Ministers of the ruling BJP (Herald dated 22/12/2018). Not a single minister of the Modi  government  came to meet them, when they assembled at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi recently.  They are fooling them in order to keep them alive to vote for BJP in the coming parliamentary elections. 

The Prime Minister was very much aware that the mining dependents had gone to Delhi all the way from Goa after spending several lakhs for their journey. If the Prime Minister is very serious about restarting of mines, he would have met them. He will never be able to restart the mining in Goa unless the Supreme Court discharge the matter which is lying in the court.

It is nothing but waste of money and energy. The Prime Minister has no time to meet the mining dependents but he has time to organise Yatra and Zatra in West Bengal. 

Marcos Alemao, Varca