Suicides cases on the rise among farmers
It is really sad that suicides of farmers, who are the backbone of our country, are on the rise. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data, a total of 10,881 persons from the farming sector have ended their lives on their own in 2021.
Small and marginal farmers toil right through the day to eke out a living by selling whatever little they produce, but they are unable to reap their rightful benefits out of it, and the Centre, as ever, continues to turn a Nelson’s eye to their miseries.
Recurring drought, scarcity of water for irrigation, combined with a lack of modern farming equipment, have all contributed to a steep fall in productivity and income, forcing our farmers to take huge loans, without being able to repay them.
There is widespread perception that the agrarian crisis is an outcome of natural calamities which none can fight. Governments, over the years, have used this to hide their inefficiencies in problem-solving. The time has come to scrutinise the impact of ‘LPG’ – ‘liberalisation’, ‘privatisation’ and ‘globalisation’ - reforms on Indian agriculture. An agrarian crisis is a much broader phenomenon than it is understood by many.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Hoardings on road safety needed
In response to relentless road accidents plaguing South Goa, it is learnt that the Colva and Margao traffic police have initiated a unique awareness drive to promote road safety.
Equipped with megaphones, police personnel ventured into the coastal villages to educate residents on traffic rules, an initiative aimed to instil responsibility among drivers regarding safe driving practices.
While this seems like a novel idea, it must be said that the police personnel may not be able to carry out this drive on a regular basis or for a considerable period of time. The traffic cops have other duties to carry out like controlling the movement of the traffic and ensuring that roads-users maintain traffic discipline by penalizing the violators of traffic rules.
A long-term method of reminding the vehicular drivers of the various rules would be to put up permanent posters and hoardings along the roadside. Pictorial hoardings of the aftermath of a road accident can go a long way in reminding the drivers of the consequences of a road accident just like cigarette packets carry pictorial warnings of smoking. This will ensure road users drive carefully and follow the traffic rules out of fear of meeting with an accident. When there are several hoardings of advertisements dotting the roadside, why can’t the authorities concerned put up posters and hoardings to promote road safety?
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
World must join hands for peace
It is painful to see our brave soldiers being killed by terrorists especially in the Valley. This is not only a loss to the nation but also for their families who go through a lot of agony.
Our bravehearts Col Manpreet Singh Maj Ashish Donchak and DSP Humayun Bhat have laid down their lives while defending the nation.
This is a never ending war between two countries fighting for land. Ukraine and Russia are locked in battle and the world is moving to a war zone. It’s time the world leaders should join hands for peace and live in harmony.
Ashwin Caeiro, Cansaulim
Employees should respect work
The State government officially gives a two-day public holiday every year for all its employees working in different government departments on account of Chaturthi festival in Goa. Unfortunately, most of the govt employees are seen annually bunking from work after the completion of the above mentioned two-day official holiday period and casually staying back home for almost a whole week or so without even putting their leave applications and by giving their own silly excuses/justifications, resulting in total breakdown in the functioning of most govt departments of Goa.
Our government is always heard giving big talks to everyone about the importance of work (especially on Gandhi Jayanthi Day every year) but is never seen taking any action against such type of employees who are annually seen refusing to work during such major week-long festivals in the state.
The government should shut all it’s departments at least for one week during the festival season every year instead of forcing the people to make frequent trips unnecessarily by running most of it’s departments fully empty with just a handful of staff sitting in offices and fooling the general public in Goa.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Doles are a need of the hour
This morning when our maid came home to do the household chores, she informed us with all happiness and with moist eyes that the amount of Rs 1000 announced by the Tamil Nadu Government under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam has already been credited to her account on September 14 itself.
She is a 40-year-old widow with two children and struggles to make both ends meet.
She said this monthly dole is a great blessing to her and will help mitigate her poverty to a larger extent and profusely thanked Chief Minister M K Stalin for creating such a scheme for destitutes like her with motherly affection.
We are very happy that the lofty scheme has reached one of the most deserving beneficiaries.
This novel scheme is worthy of emulation by all the other Indian states as well.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai