KANTHA EMBROIDERY!

BURST OF COLOR AT THE AVNI EXHIBITION, Adil Shah Palace: Inaugurated by Art & Culture Minister Govind Gaude on March 12, 2021. Picture shows guest of honor  Radha R Bhave  (director, Goa State Museum) watering a potted plant along with artist Harshada Satish Sonak, Juliana Lohar and Govind Gaude . This ARZ program works with economically marginalized women and the silk sarees were donated by well-wishers; the project was supervised by Harshada Sonak. The result: Exquisite embroidered dupatta/stoles for the exhibition! The exhibition hopes to feature anew at the Lokotsav coming up in Panaji next month if all goes well.

WE ELECT ENEMIES!

ARE the candidates we elect with us or against us depending on whether it is pre-election or post-election? If they are for us they would act and even risk expulsion from their party: Nothing less. Just a few days back the government replied to the High Court that the hearing on the marinas issue would be taken up after the CZMP is finalised!

This is in sharp contrast to the earlier statement that the marinas project was shelved. Running with the hare and hunting with the hunter?

Why is it mandatory that the public attend a hearing of the project proposed and then only will someone up there decide whether the same can be executed? Are all villagers expected to be experts on all issues? Do they have the capacity to hire professionals? Do they have a lobby at the Centre?

The moot question here is: Who owns what was hitherto public land, water, open spaces of wilderness? Natural justice would say it belongs to the local native inhabitants. If they have decided not to have the same then why all these hearings, etc?

Again, I say: Panchayats must make a protective clause for themselves that  village resources must be used not only by the current inhabitants but also by their future generations. Land and water cannot be created: if you sell off these now, the future generation will have to emigrate.  The hearings must be between the residents alone: The moment you include the proposer then bribing and goodaism creeps in.

The CZMP is now being forced on us. Why did the government say the marina project is being shelved and that the same will be taken up after the CZMP? Because the CZMP will steal the rights of the people over land and water: Then there will be no need for any hearing: The balance of power has shifted.

It is imperative that Panchayats pass the aforementioned clause of sharing  resources with their own people.

The government has learned from Digambar Kamat: Beaches, water, etc, can be usurped by law. He showed this in the case of the beach made exclusive to Cidade de Goa: Goans not allowed. Now, Taj has exclusive use of this beach for 22 years! This tweaked hundreds of other greedy businessmen wanting exclusive private beaches for homes and hotels.

Hence, we need the Coastal Zone Management Plan, MPT jurisdiction and river nationalisation.

— R Fernandes, Margao

VACCINE VARIANCE

AS if one vaccine having different trends of efficacy in various countries, probably because the degree of resistance to infection with corona virus varies due to people of different countries having differing immunity to a particular vaccine, it may be stressed that actual experience of the Swedish/British vaccine has thrown up a mixed bag of efficacy across different countries. Unlike performance at clinical trials which observed a slightly different pattern of efficacy. Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Indonesia have suspended the use of this vaccine, while other countries have persisted with vaccination of its people.

It is fairly conclusive now that this vaccine has varying degrees of efficacy across various countries and thus, having even made the makers of the vaccine defensive, with clear side-effects — especially clotting of the blood, even bleeding and low count of blood platelets observed.

It is known that this vaccine has 95% efficacy, but in terms of actual inoculation results, that figure is obviously not consistent across countries. Can inconsistency of efficacy be ascribed to its total percentage, as seen in the clinical trials? Would that argument suffice for countries to continue vaccination drive amidst an air of uncertainty? Is 5% risk a tolerable degree?

–Elvidio Miranda, Panaji

INDEPENDENCE OF THE BUREAUCRACY

The Constitution of India makes a special provision to safeguard the existence, continuity and independence of the bureaucracy in Articles 309 to 312. The framers of the Constitution wanted that the bureaucrats be free from political persecution and intimidation.

The bureaucracy has to be independent and impartial but sadly in Goa it is not living up to this reputation. Some bureaucrats in Goa seem to have totally surrendered to the political rot.

The latest glaring example is of the Law Secretary who while officiating as the State Election Commissioner merrily danced to the tunes of his political masters. This very sordid saga has been taken serious note of by our High Court and later by the Supreme Court in very heavily worded observations.

The entire bureaucracy must ensure that the State administration at all levels is kept free from political interference. It is unacceptable that officials shamelessly bend and bow all over, while signing on the dotted line at the dictates of the politicians in Power. This not only sets a bad trend, but also exposes the bureaucrats to criminal prosecution for intentionally allowing wrong decisions even on vital matters.

Every government employee from the Peon to the Head of the Department cannot be directly or directly engaging themselves or participating in any work pertaining to any political party.  This is totally out of place and no government servant should ever have an occasion to visit an office of a political party.

Over the last few decades in particular we have seen successive governments using bureaucrats as pawns in their political games, and the situation has just got worse in recent years.

Goa has seen and I have been personal witness to brave officers like a former Chief Secretary S.R.Sharma who in 1999 and a former DGP R.S.Sahaye who in 2000 refused to succumb to the unlawful political diktats and were ready to be over night shunted out. The government had the audacity of humiliating these two officers to the extent of locking their offices and withdrawing the personal staff at their residences while they were readying to depart by the first available flight. 

We need to stem the rot over this interdependent chronic relationship that exists between Ministers and civil servants. It may be time for the parameters of the relationship between ministers and civil servants is made abundantly clear by having a code of conduct for bureaucrats and a code of ethics for Ministers which ensures a neutral relationship between a Minister and Civil servants. The fundamental focus has to be on the political neutrality and impartiality of civil servants preserved at all costs. The bureaucrats in Goa cannot be reduced to being caged parrots.

Politicians should realize that officers are there to advise and guide them on issues and not to just adhere to the illegal and unlawful political directives.

It is the bounden duty of every government officer to strictly ensure that every proposal they are vetting and approving is absolutely in accordance with law and the constitutional framework.

by Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar