KITAAB BOOK DISCUSSION AT ICG
A BOOK TO READ: “The Nitopadesha: Moral Tales for Good Citizens” by Nitin Pai, co-founder and director of the Takshashile Institution, a leading Bengaluru based think tank. Pai was at the International Centre Goa in Panaji for release of his book on Saturday, October 16, 2023. The book is a fascinating cache of stories from the old, old world about life’s eternal truths – as narrated through animal stories. The reading held the audience spell-bound with both Dr Pushkar (director, ICG) and the author Nitin Pai doing the honours of presentation, discussion and interaction with the audience. This is part of “Kitaab: Books in Discussion” program. Interestingly, “The Nitopadesha” consists of around 30 animal stories translated from the Tocharian script and seem to date back to the second century according to Bibek Debroy, who has written the Foreword to the book. All of us need to read about ‘The mongoose who was wise and just’, ‘How the cat and the hen set their house on fire’ and ‘The crane and her employees’! Here are absolutely delightful stories covering a wide variety of themes that are timeless and especially how power corrupts if left unchecked, the importance of criticism for freedom, happiness and prosperity; how equality among all promotes prosperity and how the notions of superiority among some, leads to conflict; and how bad laws destroy the moral moorings of society. Definitely this is the book of the month October! It’s an imprint of Penguin Random House, paperback, Rs399. Read it, re-read it, pass it on!
THE MADNESS OF HOT-MIXED ROADS
THE entire Chogm road stretch at Porvorim (starting from `O’Coqueiro’ junction up to Calangute church) was successfully hot-mixed by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation after many years, just one-and-a- half years ago, and former Saligao MLA Jayesh Salgaokar (who personally pursued this matter) had even said that the same road after being repaired will be of the best quality, nothing will happen to it for the next 15 years!
Unfortunately, what is the condition of this same road starting from Porvorim O’Coqueiro junction upto the Sangolda Lightning Club area today? Horrible. It has been fully vandalised by the Sewerage & Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa Ltd (SIDCGL) at the behest of the government in the name of carrying out underground repairs/laying sewerage pipeline network. Due to this motorists are finding it very difficult to navigate through this particular road stretch whilst using it almost every day.
If the government had plans of conducting such a mindless/evil exercise in mind then why it wasted so many crore rupees in hot-mixing same Chogm road stretch unnecessarily just a year and a half ago? This government allows its agencies to start digging roads only after they are hotmixed/restored and to damage them in the name of laying underground cables, sewerage pipelines like this all over Goa.
Is this a deliberate exercise to continuously fill its empty coffers to fund elections? When is this madness going to stop at the expense of a long-suffering public. Please stop collecting all kinds of taxes from motorists only to gift them deadly roads (resembling Hollywood horror movies).
—Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
HIT-&-RUN CASES
IT was sad to hear that a very dear friend from Mapusa, Pradip Narvekar, was crushed to death in an outrageous hit-and-run case. Pradip was always a very humble, simple and refined friend of almost two decades. Ever so patient and gentle with always a very positive attitude. He tirelessly worked to boost his cold drink stall business at the Mapusa taxi stand.
Such hit-and-run cases are on the rise and it should be a matter of concern to all. Our law makers should consider urgently amending the Motor Vehicles Act to make the owner of culprit vehicles responsible and culpable for rash, negligent and irresponsible behavior in leaving their victims to die on the roads.
Dear Pradip will be missed by many. I will miss this gem of a person.
—Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
AIRES DIAS BUILDING LIKELY TO COLLAPSE!
MANY passers-by, mostly non-Goans are shocked to see how the Panaji CCP and the government of Goa allow such a dilapidated wall, opposite popular Varsha Book Stall, down town Panaji in such a bad condition. This corner wall belonging to Aires Dias looks like it will collapse any time soon. If it collapses vehicles parked below will be damaged. Hope this letter if published with photograph will appear in all our local newspapers to open the eyes of government and municipality! Please do the needful and get wall repaired.
—Stephan Dias, Dona Paula