Sudin soap
The recent statement of the PWD minister is in line with the largely conservative party line. The BJP, in its attempt at cleaning up, reminds me of a distressing situation which might have occurred to many of your readers: you are trying to wash your hands and the water runs out in the tap, leaving you only with soap on your hands. While the BJP tries to be a ‘soap party’, it should remember that the water comes from the people. If the water runs out, the soap is only an irritant that one needs to get rid of it somehow. I hope the party will pay attention to governance first and apply the soap to the demeanour and performance of its legislators and giving us a first-class, non-corrupt government. Indian culture will take care of itself, as it always has.
Salil Chaturvedi, Chorao
My take on Dhavlikar’s statement
This has reference to a statement passed in the press by a minister in the Goa Government, Sudin Dhavlikar, banning short dresses in pubs and bikinis on beaches. Well, had he pressed for a ban on such outfits in places of worship, yes, I would whole heartedly support him, but in pubs and on beaches, I feel Mr Dhavlikar seems to have forgotten that Goa is a tourist destination and a statement of this kind would drive tourists away, as is already the case with actions and statements being made by some of the ministers in the government.
Secondly, Mr Dhavlikar needs to check on himself and wash his own dirty, cause he proudly wears a pair of trousers, which is also not Indian culture. Would it be better if he wears a dhoti or kashti to the assembly session this time around instead of a pair of trousers?
Last but not the least, ministers in the State government have been elected to run the state and not to function as moral police. Can Mr Dhavlikar mind his own business?
Ashley J Fernandes, Margao
Spoil sport
Going through the today’s edition of Herald, it is surprising that Sudin Dhavlikar, PWD minister of Parrikar regime and also the active member of controversial organization Sanathan Sanstha has woken from sleep after fifty years of liberation of Goa to change our culture. His true colours have been exposed by his statement on our life long culture, which is existing from Portuguese era. He is the spoil sport of the tourism in Goa, on which Goa sustains. He is second brother of Pramod Muthalik who wants to shake entire India with his dictatorial attitude and Sudhin wants to shake Goan culture. Please, Mr Sudin Dhavlikar note that the Goan culture, style of living of the Goans was the same and always will remain the same. He (Sudin) wants to stop the tourists swimming in bikinis, girls going to the pubs to drink and dance in Goa, why he and his affectionate brother Pramod Muthalik are not objecting to the Hindi Films wherein the actresses dance with under wears and bras? That is worst than the girls swimming with bikinis, the bikinis at least cover the most part of their bodies. The electorate who voted Sudin to power, should take note of this and vote him out during next election. He is the spoil sport of Goans who have their unique style of living and Goa’s tourism on which Goa get major chunk of taxes.
Marcos Alemao, Varca
Boys will be boys but girls cannot be girls!
This is the gender equality we seem to be professing in Goa today. In light of recent remarks by our minister that women should not drink as it is bad for health; am I to believe that it is okay for men to drink? Are we not aware that moderate drinking of alcohol is in fact, good to our body? A study conducted by The Harvard school of Public Health revealed that in fact there are more than 100 prospective studies which show that there is an inverse association between the consumption of alcohol and risk of cardiac arrest. In the Nurses’ Health Study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study amongst others, gallstones and type-2 diabetes were less likely to occur in moderate drinkers than in non-drinkers. One cannot ignore the social and psychological benefits of alcohol. A drink before a meal can improve digestion or offer a soothing respite to a stressful day. However, as anything in excess is harmful, so same is with the case of alcohol. If alcohol does not discriminate between man and woman, then Mr Minister, why do you only point a finger to women drinking in Goa?
Also, “Women going to pubs in short skirts or dresses is against Indian culture”. Can I ask whether it is Indian culture to allow men to stride on the roads bare-chested? At some point of time, one must have been witness to beer bellied tourists who parade their close-to-bare naked bodies, skimpily clad in tight shorts or just swimming trunks at times, openly walking in broad daylight on the streets. In the end, after so many years of Independence and democracy, women still are soft targets for blame and male behavior turns to deaf ear.
Concerned Goenkar
