PANJIM SMART CITY?
Amitabai under the mango tree next to Caculo Mall, Panaji: She has been doing her early morning milk and newspaper retailing here for years now, come rain, come whatever. This is the current scene scenery if CCP’s debonair Mayor Uday Madkaikar and Panaji’s even more debonair MLA Babush Monserrate are interested. So much street hardware is purchased, then lack of maintenance sees it discarded here, there and everywhere, putting citizens at risk. This muck has been here for almost a month now if anyone who collects from the public Goan exchequer is interested. Or if Chief Minister Pramod Sawant cares about citizens’s safety in public places in broad daylight!
PORN CLIP ADO!
THERE is lot of fuss about the porn clip shot in Goa! Why? Do we protest about the many pseudo massage parlours cropping up in the midst of residential areas and negatively influencing young minds? Have the licenses of clubs holding beachside parties and violating SOPs been cancelled? What about the many lockdown parties which took place? Vehicles on beaches? Sunburn is burning bright.
The signature tune of Goa is anything and everything is possible if money goes into the right hands. Goa has become a playground for characters of dubious repute. Do what you want! Ride bikes on the new Mandovi Bridge. Anything! Sit back and watch the fun. Few people will run helter skelter lodging complaints but this only provides more mirth for the perpetrators of all the vandalizing beach parties. TTAG and others of their ilk welcome all this which is giving Goa its reputation as sin city of India – cash is exchanged and footfalls keep increasing.
Why cry? SAG director says Goa must be proud to host the ISL! Pray: For how much did he negotiate the 10+ 13 grounds hired out to high spending clubs? No grounds for locals means no building up local players. Is there a cost benefit we cannot see? Empty stadiums abroad are filled with dummy spectators. Did the SAG insist that contracts for the same are given to locals who excel in such arts be it carnival or Narkasur? Nope, a smile will do. There is more to come: be patient. Goa is just a playground for India and the world!
— R Fernandes, Margao
PANDEMIC RAGING
OUR nation is still witnessing a raging Covid-19 pandemic. In Goa our communal harmony has always been our pride and joy as we have been very fortunate that our Hindu, Muslim and Catholic brothers and sisters have always worked in tandem. Our unity regardless of creed has been our strength.
However, in the prevailing scenario it is pertinent that we take every step and measure to ensure that we do not enhance or aggravate the viral contagion form spreading further. Enough lives have been lost, economically people right across the State are suffering pain in anxiety and fear. As responsible citizens we need to resolve that at least for the rest of the year 2020 we must keep away from large religious or any other festivities that will aid coronavirus transmission.
Let us save the crackers, fireworks, music and revelry for those better days when we can celebrate as a united joyous people and State, free from a deadly pandemic rather than in these sad and challenging times. We are currently in a very dicey state of affairs so let us not do anything that will further worsen the current already sad state of affairs.
Can’t our celebrations wait for safer days to come? Protecting our health and environment is far more important than bursting fireworks and freaking out to loud music! Let people breath fresh, clean air and animals live in peace. Once the virus is gone we can celebrate the festivals of all our people. Goa has and should always live in communal harmony.
Remember that we reap only what we sow. There is no gain without a little pain. A few months of personal sacrifice is all that is called for. Surely every faith can expect the faithful to act responsibly to protect self, friends, neighbours and the environment. Please, don’t throw caution to the winds recklessly.
Benjamin Franklin,a founding father of America, coined the phrase “No Pain, No Gain.’’ It is a very apt, timely, and sound advice.
— Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
US POLLS?
IT has never happened in the US presidential polls. However, if theoretically it can happen due permutations and combinations of the individual 50 state electoral college votes, then in such a keenly contested poll a rare and unique thing can happen.
There are totally 538 electoral college votes and a tie will happen if each receives 269 electoral college votes. The permutations and combinations which can make this possible but it has not been explored. Donald Trump and Mike Pence of the Republican party and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of the Democratic party are the contenders for the current election to the White House, and in no time in the history of United States has such a tie occurred.
Doing a mathematical calculation and taking into account each of the 50 states of the US individual votes and calculating the permutations and combinations will determine if such an eventuality is possible. Soon we will know!
— Elvidio Miranda, Panaji