EXPOSED: Hundreds of Goans were kept out of the Kala Academy in Panaji during the public hearing of the new Coastal Zone Management Plan (CRMP), is this responsible for spreading Covid-19?

BY RAJAN NARAYAN

AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when covid-19 causalities in Goa crossed the 800 mark. For a Saturday following the week when as many as 789 candidates are contesting in the civic elections for March 20. For a Saturday following the week when tired of being locked down teenagers reportedly secretly meet their boyfriends without the knowledge of their parents. For a Saturday following the week when former High Court Judge YV Bhakre withdrew the consent he had given to occupy the Lokayukta’s post in Goa. For a Saturday following the week when the prices of both domestic cooking gas and edible oils have registered a huge increase. For a Saturday following the week when non-resident Indians lost the status of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).
AND a few stray thoughts on the continuing spurt in the number of Covid-19 cases. With three casualties reported on Tuesday, Goa’s covid-19 mortality count crossed the 800 mark. The three deaths on Tuesday included a 78 years old woman from Majorda, a 55 years old woman from Pune, who was undergoing treatment in a private hospital, and a 59 years old man from Margao. While the State reported 75 fresh infections the number of those declared cured was only 41. For more than a week the number of fresh infections has exceeded the half century marks.
Panaji and Margao have been reporting the largest number of cases. The capital city which had never crossed the century mark reported 103 cases on Tuesday. Coincidently, the number of cases in Margao also rose to 103. We wonder whether the sharp increase on number of cases is due to the public hearing on the Coastal Zone Management Plan held last Sunday, March 7, 2021 at both the Kala Academy in Panaji and the Ravindra Bhavan in Margao. The thousands of affected fisherman from both south and north Goa did not follow any covid-19 guidelines. The harsh ground reality is that Goans who were very careful for almost a year since covid-19 struck, have now become bindaas. Most Goans seem to have decided that they have seen the last of covid-19 and can now relax, especially if they have got themselves vaccinated.
Indeed, a Central team of Covid-19 experts who visited all the states and Union territories which seem to be witnessing a second wave, came to the conclusion that it was primarily because of the casual attitude of the citizens. In the case of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should be held responsible for permitting people from Maharashtra to freely enter Goa without any covid-19 free certification. It is well known that Maharashtra is witnessing a massive second wave with thousands of cases reported every day.
It is not only Mumbai and Pune with which Goa has close connections that have been affected. Even other districts in Maharashtra like Ankola and Nagpur have reported a sharp increase in cases. As in the case of Goa several other states have also relaxed curbs on large gatherings of people for marriages and celebrations religious or non-religious. The earlier limit of 50 for social gatherings like that of marriage or public meeting has been lifted. The on-going campaign for the civic elections in Goa may also be contributing to the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.
Neither candidates nor the aam janata attend public meetings bother about wearing masks or maintaining physical distance. There are exceptions when the government wants to prevent people from attending meetings like the public hearing on the new CZMP. The government deliberately permitted 200 people to be present within the Kala Academy auditorium which has a capacity of accommodating a thousand plus. Admittedly, those who allowed in seated themselves on alternate seats.
There are two new developments with respect to covid-19. Perhaps the most shocking is that the covid-19 vaccines are not suitable for young people including children below 16 years. Apparently, the side effects of the vaccines available in the market are not designed for teens and children. Now new research is on to modify vaccines for children to protect them from the dreaded contagion. The assumption is that children have stronger antibodies than adults and can naturally fight the covid-19 virus. There is some truth in that although here have been a few cases of children and teens being infected by covid-19. But more recently there have been reports of mass covid-19 cases in some educational places, including 54 students who tested positive at a Sainik school run by the armed forces.
Our major concern is that if there is an outbreak of covid-19 in the Cujira educational complex more than 5,000 students would be running the risk of getting the infection. The other report which seems relevant is new research claims that covid-19 spreads not from surfaces but through the air. The research report points out that four people speaking loudly in a close room without mask is more dangerous than touching the door knob!

WHOPPING 789 CANDIDATES!

AND a few stray thoughts on the forthcoming civic elections scheduled for March 20. There are as many as 789 candidates contesting the 12 civic bodies including the Corporation of the City of Panaji. In the CCP there are 95 candidates. While Babush Monserrate has announced candidates for all the 30 wards, his chief rival Surendra Furtado has announced candidates for 26 wards. Besides Surendra himself and his wife Ruth, the Surendra panel includes Nelson Cabral whose name was deleted from the voters list and restored by the High Court. Babush has reportededly not granted tickets to many veteran BJP councillors.
So Utpal Parrikar, son of the late Manohar Parrikar and former Panaji MLA, Siddharth Kunkoliekar, have decided to support rebel BJP candidates standing as Independents. Utpal has made it clear that he has not rebelled against the party but would only supported Independent candidates who have been working for the BJP for more than two decades. It is not clear if Siddharth and Utpal are supporting the same candidates.
As in the case of Panaji in the commercial capital Margao, there are 90 candidates. This includes besides the BJP panal groups set up by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and the Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai. The Congress is supporting 11 candidates in Margao under the banner of Model Margao. Vijai Sardesai has limited himself to putting up candidates in 11 wards which are part of Fatorda. It is believed that there is an agreement between Digambar Kamat and the Goa Forward Party to work together and not oppose each other’s candidates. On its part the BJP has put up 25 candidates under the banner of Vibrant Margao which includes the husband and wife team of Sadanand and Babita Naik. The State government does not appear to have declared any standards operating procedure for conducting the civic polls.
At least in theory after every vote is cast the ballet box should be sanitized and physical distance should be maintained outside the polling booth.

OCI CONTINGENT

AND a few stray thoughts on non-resident Goans having lost the status of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI). Following the protest from non-residents OCIs will not now need a visa to visit their relatives in India, but not for tourism. The OCI label virtually conferred dual citizenship on non-resident Indians. Which meant that they enjoyed the status of citizenship of both the country they lived in and India. Among the worst setbacks to OCI is that now they will need permission under the Foreign Exchange Act to send money to their relatives in Goa. They will also need permission to buy or sell immovable properties in India. There are lots of Goans who have invested in properties in India which gives them an income by way of rent. This may not be possible and they may have to transfer the ownership of the flats to their relatives or friends in India. It is not known if OCI can open bank accounts in India or transfer money to their accounts in India.
Fortunately, lakhs of Goans who are working in a Gulf countries will not be affected as they were never granted the OCI status. This is because the Gulf countries do not offers citizenship to any outsiders. So much so Goans and Indians in the Gulf are free to send money to their relatives. Similarly, the changes in the status of OCI is unlikely to affect more than 10 lakh Goans who are working on cruise liners.

PERSONAL REASONS

AND a few stray thoughts on Justice UV Bakre. Though retired judge Bakre cited personal reasons, it is believed that he turned down the offer to be the Lokayukta in Goa because of the dilution of the Lokayukta’s powers. Till recently the Lokayukta had a great deal of authority and power with respect to cases of corruption.
The first Lokayukta of Goa was appointed by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on the advice of the Law Commission which had framed strong and affective powers. Under the amendment passed during the recent session of the Legislative Assembly the powers of the Lokayukta were diluted. As Aires Rodrigues pointed out in a petition in a High Court, in given circumstances, no worthy person would want to be the Goa Lokayukta and occupy what is now a powerless chair with pay and perks but the hands are tied.
There are 75 cases of corruption against bureaucrats pending before the Lokayukta. The Lokayukta has now been reduced to a ceremonial post like that of the governor with no executive powers.

KILLER OF ROMANCE

AND a few stray thoughts on how covi-19 and consequent lockdowns have killed romance amongst young people in Goa. It is in the age group of 13 to 19 years when the libido is raging. Thanks to Facebook, Instagram and other such platforms on the social network it is easy for young women, including minors, to establish relationships without the knowledge of their parents! The e-learning that was in force for almost a year meant that parents had to share or give their minor children smart phones. Not surprisingly the young ones learned how to use and misuse smart phones much faster than their parents. Most parents probably do not even know whom their children are in contact with on their smartphone.
There have been reports in the media that a 14-year-old in Mapusa travelled to Vasco da Gama to celebrate the birthday of her boyfriend whom she met on Instagram. The One Stop Centre (OSC) located at Bambolim has reported that there have been over a dozen police complaints by desperate parents with missing minor daughters. These complaints have not come from migrant parents but from very well-to-do upper middle class parents who have not been paying enough attention to the smart phone used by their children. There is even a police complaint of the case of a 13-year- old girl who despite travel restrictions took her parents car to meet her boyfriend in Karnataka. Ironically, the parents had to produce covid-19 negative certificates to cross the border to bring her back.