Helmet rule
The transport department is likely to implement the helmet rule for two-wheeler pillion riders too. Presently, only two-wheeler riders must mandatorily wear a helmet while riding. The wearing of a head gear while riding is purely for safety purpose, as many lives have been lost due to head injuries resulting from road accidents. Many riders are seen carrying a helmet but do not wear it until they see a traffic policeman or an RTO official on the road. They do this to escape escape from penalty. The new rule is a welcome move, as it will protect both, the rider and the pillion rider from head injury. Rules brought into force should be strictly implemented.
Raju Ramamurthy, Vasco
Assembly sessions
The five-day Goa assembly ended Friday evening after a stormy session put up by the Opposition. Well done by any reckoning but to what avail? It is back to square one, with the refusal of the government to accept the ground realities and the charges levelled, as every question raised by the Opposition was met with stiff resistance by the ruling party. For instance, a lot was expected from the government after the public meeting of Retired Justice Ferdino Rebello, who went hammer and tongs at the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department for permitting the conversion of lakhs of square metres of ecologically sensitive land into settlement zones, and the hill-cutting and filling up of low-lying land. Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane blamed the previous Congress government for illegalities. Several bills were passed in a hurry despite protests by the Opposition. The Arpora fire tragedy and the 25 deaths at the nightclub and the issue of illegally obtained licences and NOCs did not get sufficient time for discussion. As a result, people’s voices were not heard properly.
A F Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Network jammers
Live coverage of the anti-Unity Mall protest by the villagers of Chimbel reportedly resumed smoothly on Wednesday after the police jammer vehicle, which was reportedly disrupting transmission and preventing on-the-spot media updates, was switched off thereby restoring communication and enabling the reporters to continue with the live transmission of the protest. Journalists covering the protest had reportedly flagged difficulties in sending real-time updates, videos and live feeds. The deployment of such extreme measures during a non-violent civic demonstration risks undermining the very freedom that defines a democracy. Internet jammers impose a digital blackout. When used during a peaceful protest, this does more than manage security. It silences media coverage and curtails the citizens’ right to communicate. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democratic society. Equally important is the role of the media, both traditional and digital, in documenting these protests and ensuring transparency. Disrupting internet access during such events directly affects journalists, citizen reporters and protesters alike. Live updates, photos, videos and fact-based reporting become impossible. In the absence of real-time information, rumours and mistrust can spread. Instead of enhancing security, communication blackouts often create confusion and fear. Internet jammers are typically used in managing extreme emergencies where communication networks are actively misused to cause mass harm. Peaceful marches obviously do not constitute a security emergency. The deployment of jammers suggests a presumption that public expression itself is a threat. The voices of citizens exercising their democratic rights should be heard, not jammed.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Unfair move
Out of the 50 MBBS seats, over 40 Muslim students, predominantly from Kashmir, qualified for medical education in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence at Katra in Jammu, based on their ranks in the competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) held in October 2024. It has been reported that some groups in Jammu and Kashmir started protesting against the admissions by forming a Sangharsh Samiti. The National Medical Commission (NMC) recently withdrew permission given to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence to admit MBBS students, leading to its effective closure, following protests by the groups. The official reason cited by NMC was serious facility and faculty shortfalls. The move is unacceptable.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
Unprecedented poliomyelitis success
An ambitious health programme aimed at saving lives and preventing morbidity merits an unflinching dedication on the part of stakeholders. When a massive initiative is a vaccination drive, pertaining to a highly contagious viral disease like poliomyelitis that crippled hundreds of children every day, the focus should not waver an inch, and it did not. India’s last wild poliovirus case was reported on January 13, 2011, in Panchla in West Bengal’s Howrah district. Fifteen years down the line, and after the administration of the first oral polio drop on March 16, 1995, India can hold its head high knowing well that polio is now history in the country.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
