IN LOVE WITH AYURVEDA! Visiting chief guest Mauritian prime minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth after the inauguration of an Ayurveda herbarium at the Sandu Pharmaceuticals plant at Pilerne industrial estate on November 16, 2016. Group pic also has AYUSH minister Shripad Naik, director of Health Services Dr Sanjeev Dalvi, Shashank and Umesh Sandu with staff. Ayurveda medicines are popular in Mauritius and First Lady Sarojini Devi confided that ‘neem goli’ is useful for diabetes. (Pic by Tara Narayan)
UNEMPLOYMENT FREE!
I APPRECIATE the efforts of Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, to stop black money proliferating in the country. It is a bold decision and he has ended a major setback destroying the country and this should also warn people accepting bribes as a way of life.
Now he must look at freeing India from unemployment. There are many unemployed people, and the absence of jobs is encouraging them to take to criminal activities and also feel suicidal. There is a need to create more opportunities for educated as well as uneducated people.
– Cajetan Peter D’Souza, Goa
BADLY MANAGED
THE country wide demonetisation exercise conducted by the central government under prime minister Narendra Modi has exposed the government’s inability to manage such an exercise – which had led to hardship for the poor people with some even dying or committing suicide. This is bound to alienate the PM from whatever goodwill he enjoyed. This so-called coup bodes ill for the common man, especially those who live by the sweat of their brow on a daily wages basis.
Modi has shown that he cannot lead the country. He should stand in a serpentine queue to exchange his own money and be given only `4,000 for his daily expenses. It is also clear that some people expected this demonetisation and have invested in real estate and gold in advance; they were given an early warning. This smacks of double standards and injustice for the common man who is definitely disenchanted and will withdraw support for this prime minister who considers himself the protector of the country and its people!
– Elvidio Miranda, Goa
SO MANY CROREPATIS?
A FRIEND from Goa says he cannot understand why there are so many crorepatis queuing out and inside banks in India to exchange their `500 and `1,000 currency stashed away in warehouses or under the bed!
All this tells us something about us Indians to whom I offer these words of wisdom:
- Too many people spend money they earned to buy things they don’t want, to impress people that they don’t like. (Will Rogers)
- A wise person should have money in his head, but not in his heart. (Jonathan Swift)
- Wealth consists not in having great possessions but in having few wants. (Epictetus)
- Money often costs too much. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
- Every day is a bank account and time is our currency. No one is rich, no one is poor. We’ve got 24 hours each. (Christopher Rice)
- It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success. (David Feherty)
– Joseph Rebello, UK
RESPECT BANKERS
I CAN stand in a long queue at the temple for my greedy thoughts. I can sand in a crowded queue for a faltu hero. I can show my patience at cinema halls and cricket grounds. But I feel irritated when forced to stand in a queue for my country!
The unsung heroes in the current demonetisation context are our bankers. They are slogging. On one side they have to meet statutory requirements at short notice and on the other side they have to handle customers who are in a state of confusion and panic. They also have to take care of their normal work (monthly targets and KRAs). As customers let us be aware of this and treat our bankers with patience and respect. They are also human beings!
– Kalindi Lotlikar, Goa