Praise for swift action
This is with reference to the news report ‘Luthra brothers detained, to be brought back soon: CM’ (NT, December 12, 2025). An excellent job has been done by the Union ministry of home affairs and the ministry of external affairs for getting the absconding Luthra brothers arrested and detained in Thailand, and ensuring their deportation to India in the next few days. The Goa government must now act swiftly and get to the bottom of the case without sparing even the high and mighty, like top government officials and ministers who are responsible for letting the Arpora nightclub to function without any permissions and no objection certificates, that led to the devastating fire and death of 25 people. Another 17 more nightclubs have been identified and functioning without NOCs. Unless a few heads start to roll and a few more put behind bars, we will only see a repetition of the nexus and a return to square one in the coming years.
AF Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Don’t put LED lights on trees
It was shocking that innocuous looking LED decorative lights can cause a tree to catch fire! On December 7 on the premises of the famous Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Kerala, at 8.20 am a blaze was noticed on a banyan tree near the holy fire in the temple complex. Fire resulted due to a short circuit in the decorative LED lights that were installed on the tree. The fire was put out, and there were no injuries or damages. In Goa, we can witness festoons, lanterns and series lights tied to trees along the DB Marg, Panaji during Carnival, Shigmo, IFFI, Serendipity, Xmas and New Year. LEDs are tied around trees during weddings, birthdays and other celebratory times. These practices may be the same in other states too. Undoubtedly, during nigh-time roads and venues get a colourful and pretty appearance. But in the light of the above incident, the practice of installing and fixing ornamental pieces and LED bulbs in public area should be stopped by the government. This would help in avoiding unwanted fire incidents, as constant monitoring during the night would be difficult. In venues and halls, sufficient precautions and fire extinguishers must be made available.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Children and social media
Children’s involvement with the social media has always been debatable and contentious. Many nations have delved deep into finding ways to put a lid on social media use by teenagers. The excessive use of social media, and feeding on harmful contents are prone to affect the physical and mental health of children. Besides the dangerous repercussions of yielding to unwanted influences, more and more children are on the brink of nervous breakdown due to anxiety, insomnia and depression. Parental advice is discarded with disdain by a lot of youngsters. That said, the implementation of social media ban on children up to 16 years of age in Australia has evoked mixed reactions. Obviously, the decision has been taken with a pinch of salt by experts and social media giants. While it is convenient for everyone to advise a government to institute age-appropriate apps and digital literacy, these are easier said than done.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Bengalis cornered
Does the Odisha government make its existence in this 21st century or reside in the lawless dark Middle Ages when ‘might is right’ was the only norm with the mightier group brutally exterminating the weaker enemy in flimsiest of excuses? Just because a Bengali youth has been arrested on the apprehension of murdering a tribal woman, more than 163 of 188 houses of Bengalis in the MV-26 village in Malkangiri district were set ablaze by the tribals. Just mere arrest of the individual on the accusation of committing any crime bears ‘proof’ enough that indeed he is necessarily the ‘culprit’; all norms of judgment in the court of law hold absolutely no significance to speak of! And most importantly, even if (for the sake of argument) it gets accepted that indeed the accused is the culprit, can all Bengalis be tarnished with the same black brush of ‘killers’ and their houses razed to ashes? Such a brutal assault upon a whole settlement of Bengalis in our civilised country! Will the Odisha Chief Minister now step out and vehemently protest against this barbaric incident bearing the stigma of anti-Bengali racism?
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
Tone down trade rhetoric
It is evident that the United States run trade deficits with major trade partners like China and the European Union. But it is essential that in order to bridge that gap the use of logical discretion over brinkmanship be resorted to by toning down impulsive rhetoric. Countries should clinch broader agreements in trade issues through pragmatic solutions for relatively better trade deals and more inclusive measures, which will bring about benefits. At all costs they should shun protectionism by reducing contentious trade issues while trying to give credit to competitive merit. They should attempt to be more accommodative while deliberating.
Elvidio Miranda, Panaji
