People-friendly govt
In recent years, Goa has been witnessing a number of protests and public agitations from various sections of the society on vital issues. The list is too long to mention, but high on the list are the mega projects and the unbridled development works carried out through land conversions and indiscriminate use of Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act. This is adversely altering the ecology of our villages and the lifestyle of thousands of villagers. The recent 100-day agitation of Karapur residents is a case in point which has now reached the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. No changes can be expected now in view of the forthcoming 2027 assembly elections, and people will have to bear with these hardships till the next government is formed. Our hopes now rest with the opposition parties. It is, therefore, time for all the opposition parties to learn from the past failures. There is a need for them to drop their egos, sink their differences and unite to give us a people-friendly government at the forthcoming elections.
A F Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Power of youth
‘Youth’ is a talent, but a perishable one. Power of youth is insurmountable; from making to building there are no boundaries. In addition to the obvious livelihood advantage, plugging the glaring unemployment rate is the power of self-empowerment. Despite possessing abundant skills, a lot of young brains find themselves unemployed for reasons not too difficult to fathom. Learning and earning supplement each other well. Technical support and vocational training have their own place. However, it is important for the youth to learn and earn at their behest. A United Nations (UN) study has revealed that one in five youngsters are ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)’. More than 400 million new jobs have to be created to absorb nearly 70 million unemployed and another 40 million new entrants into the job market. Gone are the days when the future was built for the youth. The present world order expects youth to build a future. World Youth Skills Day will be observed on July 15, under the official theme ‘Skills for a Shared Future’.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Men of integrity
This has reference to the news report ‘Temples now insist on pocketless clothes for donation counting staff’ (NT July 14). Authorities of several temples are now seriously waking up and coming up with new out-of-the-box ideas like specifying counting staff to wear ‘pocketless’ clothing to prevent theft, in the wake of the alleged theft of offerings at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Seems interesting, perhaps, this could also be replicated by other charitable institutions in the country. It is disgusting, however, to note that people could rob even god and then the authorities forced to enforce strict measures to prevent theft. What is required is men of integrity and everything else will fall in place. It is time for introspection.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Indian football
As the ongoing FIFA World Cup reaches its thrilling semi-final stage, the tournament has definitively shattered the old myth that football excellence is a monopoly reserved only for wealthy, traditional powerhouses. We are witnessing historic strides by developing and lower-middle-income nations that have proven that passion, structured grit and grassroots focus can comfortably level the playing field. For a country like India, this is a massive wake-up call. We frequently lament our lack of presence on the grandest stage of the ‘beautiful game,’ yet we sit on a staggering population of over 1.4 billion. The problem is not lack of talent; it is the lack of a systematic pipeline to discover it. Football is a global equaliser where physical stature is secondary – even nations with smaller physical or financial statures have consistently made their mark through sheer agility, tactical intelligence and technical skill. If India is to make genuine inroads into future FIFA tournaments, we must transition from passive spectators to aggressive planners. This requires a two-pronged strategy: dedicated, transparently allocated funds strictly directed toward the grassroots level and the creation of robust youth academies across every state. By scouting early, investing in domestic leagues and establishing clear pathways for promising young players, India can transform its demographic advantage into a footballing powerhouse. The success stories of the current World Cup semi-finalists prove that the dream is entirely achievable. It is time our sports authorities and corporate sponsors step up to script India’s own football renaissance.
Everette Assis Telles, Mumbai
