THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024
Neti, Neti
Using skillfully the philosophical method ‘neti, neti’ (not this, not that), Dr Jason Keith Fernandes, researcher at the Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA), Lisbon, has in his article ‘Locating Goan Difference’, gone on excluding a number of qualities as hypothetical markers of Goan identity. But then he stops and zeroes in on Catholicism or Catholic Faith which, he says, “makes Portugal distinctive and Goa different”. Hence, according to him, Catholic Faith is the marker of Goan identity. I am a Catholic, but I find hard to digest Dr Fernandes’ thesis. In fact, I reject as being nonfactual and communal.
Mousinho de Ataíde, Saligão
Distribute life jackets to Panjim residents
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant (after casually allowing the clueless city godfathers/contractors/duffers to mindlessly dig/vandalise/damage all the underground cables, drainage sewerage pipelines and even some newly hotmixed interior roads of Panjim city for months for the sake of giving them to enjoy their own commissions) has now appointed Sanjit Rodrigues as a CEO of the Smart City Project, with the sole intention of fast-tracking/finishing the ongoing incomplete work of all its multiple projects by June 15 and with the hope of desperately stopping the Capital City of Goa from flooding this time during the fast approaching monsoon.
Unfortunately, after seeing the actual horrible condition of some of the areas on the ground in the city of Panjim, especially from the sewerage treatment plant (STP) at Tonca to Caculo Mall, from Expert Pharmacy to Madhuban circle, stretch from National Theatre to Govinda building and other road stretches (most of which resemble like bombarded areas of war-zone Ukraine), most city residents are rightly raising their own apprehensions and expecting these areas to look more like swimming pools, if not rivers after getting fully flooded this time. In fact, they feel that they might even have to use small boats or canoes this time to move around from this end to the other, due to the looming fear of floods hitting these areas soon after the monsoon.
I therefore think that the government of the day should either close down these areas temporarily or seriously decide to distribute free life jackets for people residing in these areas (including those coming to Panjim from other places and moving around in these areas) during this year’s monsoon, to really save them from getting drowned and seriously injured after exploring the fully messed-up city called the ‘Smart City of Panjim’.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
We need balanced development
For some time now we have been going through every sort of calamity and undesirable thing, which a small State like Goa should not have to face. Due to the Smart City works we had a dozen road cave-ins posing danger to vehicles and citizens. Mala area residents have gone through a harrowing experience of sewage floating around them, similarly around St. Inez Church. Almost a year passed since the demolition of the culvert on the creek in Tonca and traffic is being diverted to the internal roads of La Campala and Lake View colonies.
People living on the St. Inez road right upto the culvert will face the brunt during the current monsoons. Panjim will have a sorry tale to narrate in the monsoon fury and it is anyone’s guess whether we will have sewage water flowing on the streets along with the flood waters. Even the PWD minister has stated that no assurance can be given about flooding.
Sewage mis-management appears to be the latest threat to the whole of Goa. Already in Margao and Vasco the STPs have started reducing or rejecting the intake of raw sewage from the tanker drivers who will surreptitiously unload their tankers any place they find polluting ground waters and increasing the incidences of various diseases. Before sanctioning any project are all capacity bearing parameters vetted by the authorities? The whole of Goa has been going through greed based rather than need based housing construction. It is the avarice of the huge number of builders who can market these apartments to the northerners for their 2nd and 3rd homes as very few Goans can afford such apartments. Can Goa take such a load of unnecessary developments whereby the very face of Goanness, especially in the villages is destroyed? Negligible Goans find employment in the real estate sector, so we have unnecessary manpower imports from the rest of India whose large numbers cause other sets of problems including the dilution of the Goan culture. Goans need to put the brakes on before Goa is completely destroyed and will be unrecognisable in the near future.
Alwyn M. D’Sa, Miramar
Congress must ensure transparent governance
This refers to “Siddaramaiah to Karnataka CM” (May 19). The political drama in Karnataka is finally over with veteran Siddaramaiah becoming the 23rd CM by all accounts on rotation and the state unit chief DK Shivakumar as his deputy. The quick and amicable resolution of what could have been an ugly spat should now inspire the Congress to douse the flame in Rajasthan where CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are at each other’s throats. Having served a full term as CM (2013-18), Siddaramaiah is undoubtedly the right choice.
However, he faces the challenge of living up to the expectations of Karnataka’s voters, who have given a clear mandate to the Congress.
Hence, it is imperative for the Congress to ensure clean and transparent governance. The odds are in favour of Congress this time as it will not face any coalition pressures. The onus is on Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to work in tandem while the high command needs to be proactive about addressing issues that might crop up between them. The performance of the party in Karnataka will have a bearing on the Congress’ prospects of leading the Opposition in the 2024 General Election.
Gregory Fernandes, Marcel
Five years, long wait for seafarers
Since 2018 till date our retired seafarers who have applied for pension are still waiting to receive their first instalment of their pension. Till today they have not received senior citizens pension or seafarers pension. These retired seafarers who are also senior citizens are suffering, some are left by their families and their children don’t look after them. Some leave alone with no one to look after them. Why these retired seafarers who have brought foreign currency to the nation are made to wait to receive their first pension? Why are their applications not acknowledged and accepted? Can anyone answer?
Government is spending crores of rupees in celebrating events and functions. All the influential business tycoons are also forgiven debts amounting to crores of rupees and our retired seafarers are made to suffer. A seafarer is always kept last as far as any government schemes are concerned. Hope now at least before the coming monsoon assembly session these seafarers will receive their first pension.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
