ASHES TO ASHES

The last of the Narkarsurs burning in capital city Panaji 8am in the morning. This year the Narkarsur effigies suffered from unseasonal November rain. And after the burnout begins the cleaning up courtesy the hardworking women of the CCP dealing dangerous potholes filled with rain or gutter water. Nothing to be proud about despite sarkari promises! (Pics by Tara Narayan)

DIWALI TOURISM

VARIOUS festivals are celebrated in India. People participate in this in a big way. These are the days of Diwali. There are holidays in schools & colleges on the occasion of Diwali in different states of the country. Some people go to tourist places with their families on this occasion specially to overcome the stress of working throughout the year. It is acceptable to go after Diwali for tourism. In order not to waste the Diwali holidays, they go for tours with their family or friends when the holidays begin. What would be the joy of celebrating a festival anywhere other than at home? Really should be at home on the day of festival. To enjoy the festival with family many people who are abroad or in other states due to work & business come home on vacation. can learn from them. It feels very strange to lock the house during the festival days. Diwali is basically a festival of light. Isn’t it ridiculous to leave home in the dark on a festive day & go on a tour? We must go for tourism. There is no doubt about it. But it is necessary to think. What is the use of celebrating the festival in another place despite having a home? How will the children know how the festival is celebrated? In Diwali holiday, I used to go for a long tour somewhere. It will be implanted in their mind. Doesn’t it feel like we are taking the kids away from festivals? One should get the blessings of the deities by performing puja at home during the festival days. see to it. April-May is a long holiday for the students. At that time can plan to travel.
Diwali Issues are published on the occasion of Diwali. Every Diwali, many Diwali issues come in the market. There has been a decrease in covid infection in the country. So the things that used to be online during the lockdown have now gone offline as usual. The use of mobile education by children has increased tremendously in the last one & a half years. It also caused eye problems for some. Try is needed to keep children away from mobiles. What is the joy of reading books? Let the children experience this. Diwali issue is a good opportunity for this.
There is a difference between reading online & reading through books. Reading from a book will not be as stressful as reading from a mobile. This will increase interest in reading. The Diwali issue includes writing on many topics like nation, religion, finance, art, sports, culture, spirituality, sociology, stories, nursery rhymes etc. This will increase the knowledge of the students. The investment made to buy books never goes in vain. It’s a source of knowledge, it’s always beneficial. ‘Gyan Ganga’ flows uninterruptedly. How many people wash their hands in that flowing river? that’s important. Man should be intelligent. Do not be ignorant, children should be taught how to spread the light of knowledge.
— Jayesh Rane, Mumbai

ROAD RAGE
UNION Minisster of Roads, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, during his two-day visit in Goa, recently, claimed that developmental work worth several crore of rupees has already been completed in Goa since 2014.
If what he says is 100% true then how come the condition of most roads in Goa have gone from bad to worse and that too for the first time ever since Liberation! Most roads are still potholed with patchwork done on them. The multi-crore monies spent as mentioned by Nitin Gadkari were really spend by the government to buy MLAs and not on repairing roads in Goa!
Public Works Department Minister Deepak Pauskar claims nearly 80% of potholed roads have been taken care of (as promised by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant before November 1, 2021), he says only 20% road repairing work is still left to do and “all is well” in Goa.
The reality is most repairs are still awaiting repairs, just a few have been partly repaired with shoddy patched-up tarring here and here. Mr Pauskar cannot claim that his department has done brilliant work repairing 80% of Goa’s deteriorated and degenerated, potholed roads!
And Nitin Gadkari should stop fooling Goans by “sanctioning” multi-crore rupees on construction of four-lane highways, superways, expressways, fancy bridges, etc, in the name of development in our tiny state which is becoming a permanent coal hub to ruin the quality of life of Goans. The money would be better spent constructing a few world-class roads (not just in cities but also in interior villages) to do Goa proud. Hope better sense prevails, viva Goenkar!
—Jerry Fernandes, Saligao

RIBANDAR CAUSEWAY IN DANGER
DUE to sheer negligence by the authorities 387 years old Panaji Causeway, once referred to as the longest bridge in Asia, has been in a perilous state for long. That a part of this causeway wall gave way on Diwali eve comes as no surprise.
In 2016 based on a report of technical experts, the then North Goa collector Nila Mohanan had declared the causeway unsafe for heavy traffic and ordered that traffic be stopped. But the government slept and for the last six years the causeway has further deteriorated. It is literally hanging on borrowed time in a dilapidated condition.
This is criminal negligence and the authorities should be held accountable for wilful neglect of this historic causeway which serves a vital purpose. All cosmetic repairs done by engineering quacks has only seen public money go down the drain. Before some major disaster occurs it is now imperative that traffic movement is immediately restricted on this causeway.
Can this government act swiftly to carry out real remedial measures of this causeway on which driving along gives awesome panoramic and scenic views?
—Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar

BJP PANIC!
AFTER a poor show in recent by-polls due to high prices Modi and Goa CM panicked and reduced prices, since six state polls are due in three months! And that too only by a measly Rs12/17 reduction in petrol/diesel prices which prices almost doubled in a year. They should be cut by at least another 20 rupees per litre.
And I am sure that after the polls the reduction will be done away with and prices will be increased by 20 rupees!
—Vladimir de Monte Furtado, Panaji