HATE SPEECH!
THE Delhi High Court on Monday (June 13, 2022) has called for strict action against hate speech, particularly those delivered by elected representatives and religious leaders. The High Court has sought action against any posts or statements targeting a religious, caste, region or ethnic group. The High Court has suggested pre-emptive action to prevent controversies. This is in the context of the recent comments made by Nupur Sharma on `Times Now’ which caused a storm of protest from around the Islamic countries of the world. Perhaps we should in general think twice before venting our thoughts in broad daylight…if we want to stay out of jail.
REPAIRS EVERYDAY
PWD MINISTER Nilesh Cabral has claimed that the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation will repair potholes daily. This presuming that new potholes will come up on the Atal Setu every day and provide an opportunity for PWD contractors to make money by repairing potholes again and again. The GSIDC which claims to monitor road condition reportedly has a team on standby for repairing potholes on the 3.1 km long bridge inaugurated by the late Manohar Parrikar on January 27, 2019.
GOA REVOLUTION DAY
GOA Revolution Day marks the second phase of the liberation movement in Goa. It was on June 18, 1946 that Ram Manohar Lohia famously defied the strict Portuguese curfew and called for the lifting of the ban on freedom of speech at the present Lohia Maidan in Margao. These historical grounds were named after Lohia. The socialist freedom fighter had come to Goa for some rest and recreation after coming out of jail in Lahore where he had been imprisoned by the British government. Lohia was invited by Dr Julio Menezes who a classmate of his from their time in Germany. It was the revolt by Ram Manohar Lohi which revived the spirit of the Goan freedom fighters and which eventually culminated in the Liberation of Goa. Find the complete details of the history of the second final phase of the Liberation of Goa in the book `Sampoorna Swaraj’ written by Rajan Narayan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Liberation. The book is available with the Department of Culture in Goa.
VASCO IS SAMBHAJINAGAR NOW?
FORMER RSS chief Subhash Velingkar has called for the renaming of Vasco da Gama in memory of Chatrapathi Shivaji. Velingkar wanted Vasco city to be renamed as Shivajinagar. However, historically there is no evidence that the Maratha King Shivaji Maharaj ever came to Goa. The memorial put up for him at Farmagudi is a con because he was never there either. But it is claimed that Shivaji’s son, Sambhaji, visited Ponda taluka at a time when it was in the control of the Bhonsles of Sindhudurg, who owed allegiance to Shivaji Maharaj.
SINGLE MOBILE CHARGER
THE European Economic Committee has demanded that instead of the multiple mobile charges available in the market, there should be only one charger for all mobiles. At present virtually every mobile has a charger specific only to the instrument being sold. The European Union has been campaigning for standardisation of chargers for the convenience of consumers. It has also been pointed out that the development and use of a single charger will greatly minimise the colossal burden of cyber waste.
DRIVING LICENSE SUSPENSION
OVER 2000 driving licenses have been suspended following the amendment of the MV Act since May 1, 2022. The offences for which licenses were suspended include drunken driving, jumping traffic lights and use of mobile phone while driving. The suspension of the licenses will be for a minimum of three months. Licenses are also liable to be suspended for not wearing helmets.
COVID DEATHS
GOA witnessed its first
covid death in the fourth phase of covid on Monday, June 13, 2022. A 95-year-old
covid stricken woman succumbed while undergoing treatment in a private hospital
in south Goa. The woman was not vaccinated. She has no other major co-morbidities but
reportedly suffered from congestive heart failure due to viral infection.
GMC’s Dean Dr SM Bandekar has repeatedly asked for the strict implementation of
the usage of face masks in public places.
VEGAN SCHOOL IN GOA
THERE is a proposal to set up a vegan school in Goa. The plant-based culinary school will be inaugurated in September and it is being promoted by Ashish Sathalia, the course coordinator. The school will award a diploma in plant-based cuisine food. The founder of the school has cooked vegan over 10 years of experience in kitchens around the world. Vegan is all set to arrive in Goa if it hasn’t already arrived! More and more young people are turning vegan out of consideration for their own health as well as the health of mother earth which is being messed up by industrial food waste as much as other kinds of toxic waste. Eat vegan, be eco-friendly – reap health!
VEGGIE RATES HIKED BY 150%!
IN an attempt to boost vegetable cultivation in the State the Agriculture department has hiked the assured procurement prices of vegetables by almost 150%. The new rates and vegetables procured by the Horticulture department are: Brinjal (₹26/kg), bhendi (₹50/kg), cluster bean (₹51/kg), green chillies (₹42/kg), onion ₹44/kg), tomato (₹29/kg), bitter gourd (₹42/kg), bottle gourd (₹30/kg), cucumber (₹27/kg), ginger (₹53/kg), ridge gourd(₹36/kg), suran(₹23/kg), tendli (₹41/kg), carrot (₹21), capsicum (39/kg), ash gourd (₹29/kg), dioscorea (₹32), drumstick (₹18/kg), cabbage (₹21/kg), red pumpkin (₹26/kg), sweet potato(₹30/kg), bread fruit (₹32/kg), wal (₹27/kg), banana flower buds (₹17/kg) and jackfruit (₹24/kg).