Rein in unruly tourists
A roadside disagreement at Candolim on Monday night escalated into a brawl with one of the involved parties whipping out a gun and allegedly threatening people. Of late, many incidents of brawls have happened between tourists and locals. Drunken driving, not following traffic rules, and over-speeding are some of the reasons for accidents involving tourists. However, the general feeling among tourists is that they can get away lightly after creating a nuisance. Many of the tourists could be belonging to families with a political clout in their home states; hence, they feel that they cannot be touched by law enforcement agencies in Goa. This attitude of the tourists needs to change. Tourists driving on Goa roads with rental vehicles or their own vehicles need to follow all traffic laws. Tourists also indulge in disruptions in residential areas like in Fontainhas, which has led to confrontation. The Parra road appears to have been “hijacked” by the tourists. In the past, many tourists have even demanded a separate road for the locals. While tourism remains a key source of revenue for Goa, its unchecked growth has led to disorder in public. Unregulated tourism coupled with laxity in law enforcement has only exacerbated tensions between visitors and locals.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Tapping Goa’s potential
Like the “Rome of the Orient” of yesteryears, Goa should have remained a tropical paradise. With its palm-fringed coast, idyllic beaches, traversed by crystal clear rivers, and bestowed with a wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as hundreds of freshwater springs providing medicinal water, if the environment of Goa had been tended to with care, the state could have rivalled the best scenic spot in Asia. To add to its scenic beauty and allure, Goan cuisine has distinct Portuguese gourmet delights, which are some of the tastiest in the world, not to forget the Mancurad mangoes and the authentic cashew nuts, which are a prized delicacy, as well as the cashew feni that serves as an appetiser that has the distinct Goan flavour to add to our music, dance, and culture. It would have taken a dedicated and devoted leader to maintain Goa as a foremost tourist destination of choice to the world replete with the vibrancy of the new and the old world vintage charm of yore that would have attracted the very best to indulge in what we could provide to please the spirit and senses. If a naturalist, environmentalist, conservationist, and heritage lover were to take over the reins of power, redemption of this paradise is still within the realms of possibility.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Trump’s hegemony
US President Trump is acting like a super cop of the world, trying to dictate terms to all and sundry with his transactional methods of pro quo tariffs. The recent spat with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy speaks volumes of his outbursts, with the meeting ending on a sour note as Zelenskyy disagreed with trading precious metals for US arms to fight the war in Russia. Trump even went to the extent of accusing Ukraine of initiating a third world war. He also admonished past US presidents for giving copious amounts of military hardware and financial assistance to fight the Russian invasion. However, there is a silver lining to this sordid episode, with European countries rallying behind Zelenskyy in his spat with Trump. What appeared to be a bonhomie welcome at the White House turned into animosity and turmoil, with the Ukrainian President unrelenting and abruptly calling it quits in a whimper. Trump is an impulsive, immature, and incompetent person who, when in a position of ultimate power, would easily slide into the role of a tyrant. His sociopathic characteristics are undeniable and present a profound threat to democracy. He is profoundly an evil man exhibiting malignant narcissism, and if left unchecked, his pathological narcissism could lead to World War 3. It is time for world leaders to come together in unity and tame Trump›s unruly idiosyncrasies before they go out of hand and the world is led by American hegemony.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Knee-jerk reactions
Some elements such as rejected / forgotten political figures, self proclaimed writers, educationists, and social workers tend to periodically make adverse remarks, controversial statements, prepare videos and make them viral. Some members of the public overreact instantly by condemning, giving threats, filing FIRs, holding protest meets and marches, burning effigy etc. In this process, those persons get wide coverage in print and social media for free. The facts / history will not change merely by some statements here and there. The so-called sympathisers or critics wait for an opportunity to jump into the fray to take advantage of the situation for individual gains. It is a well planned process to keep them in limelight and instigate the public who falls repeatedly in the same trap. It is the need of the hour for the public to be wiser and break this unending chain and refrain from getting overworked instead of using time, energy for productive purposes.
Bhalchandra V S Priolkar, Margao
Focus on sustainable development
The resplendent beauty of nature cannot be described in a few words. Its importance to mankind’s health and prosperity cannot be overstressed. Maintaining a fine balance between usage and wastage is important to fight natural calamities. A study has shown the pressure exerted on the planet has doubled the last fifty years while the rich natural resources have declined by more than thirty per cent. Conservation of nature is vital. The rich natural resources of the earth are to be savoured; not destroyed. Water and energy, paper and fuel have to be prudently used. Misuse of electricity and water should be a big “no”. Nowadays, awareness on the hazards of using plastic bags has percolated through the society but more needs to be done.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
