Cycling to glory
Cycling, like life, is not an easy ride. A straight road, and it is a relatively easy path for a cyclist to destination. A steep up, and the rider huffs and puffs to the final post. The important thing for a cyclist is to maintain a fine balance throughout. To keep one’s balance on a bicycle, and in life, one has to keep moving. The affordability, utility, versatility, uniqueness and longevity of a bicycle transcend boundaries. Even if legs give way, mind and heart long to make them their subservient servants. Among all people, cyclists see and feel more of the world, and contours of the country are best learnt. Muscle strength, joint stability, weight loss, stress reduction, enhancing endurance –benefits of cycling are so well understood. The small marvel is an environmentalist’s delight – nothing better than the bicycle to combat air pollution by utilising very minimal fossil fuels. In India, barring top constitutional functionaries, others can be asked to take recourse to cycling to offices on alternate days to save fuel and beat pollution. A start could have been made on June 3, the World Bicycle Day.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Ties with Türkiye
As a consequence of ‘Operation Sindoor’, Pakistan deployed tens of Turkish-made drones on India’s western border. In retaliation, on May 15, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security withdrew the security clearance of the Turkish company ‘Celebi Airport Services Pvt Ltd’, which provides ground and bridge handling services at nine Indian airports. Yes, we have a prerogative to fire companies when national security is concerned. The company approached the court claiming that they were neither given a notice or a hearing. On May 27, the Bombay High Court vacation bench stopped Mumbai International Airport Ltd from making a final decision on bids invited on May 17 to replace the company. The stay will continue till the courts reopen and the case is heard by a regular bench. Again, on May 27, a report of the NITI Aayog mentioned Türkiye as one of the countries (besides Australia, Canada, Singapore) from which we could learn best practices to address skill gaps in India’s medium enterprises. The above two steps by the bureaucrats leave the citizens confused, about India’s and Türkiye’s “love-hate” relation! As in national politics, so in global geopolitics, there are no permanent friends or foes. No country can be completely isolated or kept too close for comfort, but all need to be at an arm’s length from one another for a peaceful coexistence, trade, employment etc.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Fire audit
A massive fire reportedly broke out at an eatery in Colva recently causing extensive damage to goods and property. One has become familiar with fire incidents taking place on land. But it is rare for a boat anchored in water to get completely charred in a blaze. A luxury 60-seater boat was reportedly completely destroyed in a fierce fire in the early hours of Saturday near the Malim jetty. The luxury vessel, which was primarily used for pre-wedding events and photo shoots, fortunately had no guests on board at the time of the mishap and was anchored. If the fire incident had to occur when the boat was on a trip with guests aboard, the consequences could have been disastrous. Be that as it may, not even boats in water appear to be free from fire incidents. It is learnt that the mooring ropes were burnt causing the vessel to drift. A potential disaster was averted, as swift intervention of a tugboat managed to steer the burning cruise vessel away from the high-risk casino zone, thereby preventing the situation from escalating. Luckily, fire tenders could bring the fire under control by using a hose from the Captain of Ports jetty. It must be said that fire audits are necessary not only for buildings but also for boats, especially passenger boats and even ferryboats. All boats, be it passenger boats or otherwise, need to be equipped with the basic fire-fighting equipment. Fire engines stationed on land may not be able to put out fire if a boat is midstream. The cause of the fire on the luxury boat needs to be thoroughly investigated so that such incidents do not occur in future.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Protecting villages
There is a need for Goans to protect villages from land sharks. The people of Goa cannot afford to be complacent any longer. The stakes are high and it is easy for outsiders with deep pockets to move files in the corridors of corruption in the villages. Goan villages need strong activism on the lines of the taxi unions. Villagers must unionise themselves into village protection forces, one for each village. Whenever called up to agitate, they must turn up in full force to protect their village from the land sharks.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
