Say No to Sunburn
The reported annual trance music and drug event to be held in the midst of the decennial expo of our Goencho Saib, where millions of devotees will be attending the event, should be given the thumbs down sign anywhere in Goa, be it north or south.
The EDM festival on December 28, 29 and 30, is another deliberate attempt to foul the religious atmosphere which will be created during the expo where lakhs of people, both domestic and international will be attending, which will create an unprecedented atmosphere of bottlenecks on our road network. The State’s fragile transport system cannot cope with any major event taking place in our small State.
Hope that the powers that be open their eyes and deny any permission to the Sunburn organisers so that we can have a peaceful 45 days of religious devotion and activities coinciding with the expo.
Lucas D’Souza, Verna
Set up primary schools in Konkani Romi script
These days Romivadis are going around campaigning for official status to Romi Script for Konkani. My only advice to them is also to promote Konkani medium (Romi Script) primary schools run/aided by the government, changing them from English medium. But will they?
Mousinho de Ataíde, Saligao
Have colour code for water tankers
On the first day of the ongoing monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao raised the issue of water tankers transporting sewage and cited such illegalities taking place in Margao and Verna.
He alleged that the government has no mechanism to monitor such incidents.
It may be recalled that last year Sancoale residents had demanded stern action against a water tanker owner allegedly transporting sewage. The permission issued to the water tanker had also expired and that the tanker was operating illegally for over a year.
Water tankers carrying sewage is a matter of grave concern as it could lead to an epidemic in the locality. Water tankers are utilised to supply potable water to several households whenever there is water shortage due to bursting of pipelines which occurs at a disturbing frequency in the State.
The Transport Department needs to carry out an audit of all the water tankers supplying potable water in the State. Water tankers supplying potable water need to have a particular colour code which could be decided by the Transport Department.
When we have black-and-yellow taxis and white tourist cabs, why not have a colour code for tankers supplying potable water? This will go a long way in keeping a tag on the water tankers. Water tanker operators who are apprehended using the vehicle for transporting sewage should be blacklisted and their licence cancelled.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Vamos Carlito
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia affectionately called as ‘Carlito’ gave a splendid display of his talent by stunning Novak Djokovic, the seven-time winner of Wimbledon to announce that the new El Rey of the tennis court has arrived.
Alcaraz became the youngest man and the first male teenager in the Open Era to top the singles rankings, at 19 years, 4 months, and 6 days. He has all the attributes of a well-balanced player, has good serve, powerful well directed ground strokes, pushing the opponent to the baseline, coupled with the most deceptive drop shot.
Alcaraz comes in par with names of the big four who have dominated tennis in the recent past: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.
Twenty-one-year-old Alcaraz has the potential to become the greatest player of his era as he matures and reaches his mid-thirties.
Agnelo Furtado, Chinchinim
Tighten gun laws
While we received with great anguish the shocking news that an assassination attempt was made on former US President Donald Trump, it has also come as a great relief that he had a providential escape and suffered minor injuries.
While the 20-year-old assassin is said to be a registered Republican who had also contributed $15 after Trump won the Presidential election last time, it’s a mystery why he has ventured to assassinate Trump. As the shooter has also been killed, it would be difficult to find out the real reason for his attempt to murder the former President.
It is also unfortunate that the US, still considered the promised land for many, should fall victim to gun culture resulting in every Tom, Dick and Harry carrying a gun with him as a status symbol. It is tragic to find the younger generation, including students and even children having access to loaded guns and opening the same on others indiscreetly, even on minor irritations over arguments or even without any perceptible reason whatsoever.
It is time a conscientious decision is taken by the American authorities to control issuance of gun licences, keeping in mind the safety of the public, if gun licences are issued to the ilk of crooks like, Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter of Trump.
The responsibility to contain this menace lies not only in the government and the political leaders, but also in all law-abiding citizens of the US, who want their country to remain in lasting peace and tranquillity.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
Trump assassination bid motive unknown
Less than a week since former US president Donald Trump’s right ear was grazed by a gunman’s bullet at a campaign in Pennsylvania, a complete picture of the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who tried to assassinate the ex-president, is yet to emerge, and details of what led to the stunning event remain ambiguous.
But there are some intriguing and engrossing questions that arise: 1) Why did a nursing home aide try to kill Trump when he had no criminal record, no known history of any mental illness and was not known to the FBI prior to this incident? 2) Why the building, which is only around a few hundred yards away from where Trump was speaking, wasn’t monitored strictly? 3) How and why was the shooter permitted to ascend to the roof of a building just outside the rally perimeter, but still close enough to allow a clean shot at Trump? These are crucial questions that naturally will linger in everyone’s mind.
Meanwhile, the US law enforcement will certainly have a tough time, drilling down into the precise motive of the dead gunman, who had a soft and unsuspecting look.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai