Tread cautiously on races
The complaint by a Pernem resident challenging permission for the Formula 4 street race at Mopa has once again sparked debate over whether high-decibel motorsport events fit into Goa’s ecological and social landscape. Residents in Mormugao had earlier opposed the race proposed in their locality, citing noise and disruption, leading to its relocation near Mopa. The state government has now announced a three-year agreement to host Formula 4 races and has even signaled ambitions of attracting Formula 1 in the future. For many Goans, car racing is an unfamiliar spectacle. Unlike football or cricket, motorsport does not have deep cultural roots in the state. Beyond the thrill and glamour, how will such events benefit Goa and Goans in the long run? It is true that hosting internationally recognised motorsport events can help diversify tourism. It can generate hotel occupancy in the hinterland, and create demand for local transport, food services, and event management companies. Large-scale events can accelerate road improvements, public transport links, digital infrastructure, and emergency response systems in surrounding areas of Pernem taluka. However, noise pollution concerns are legitimate, especially in ecologically sensitive zones. Environmental impact assessments and strict decibel controls are essential. Locals need to be taken into confidence.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Underage driving risky
‘Speed thrills, but kills’ is one of the common plaques seen on highways to discourage drivers from overspeeding. Young, inexperienced and more, often than not, ‘immature’ and ‘licence less’ boys and girls run amok on roads. In India, the legal age for driving light motor vehicles is 18 years. But it is extremely common to spot those with less than 18 years of age driving as fast as they can on busy roads and highways posing serious risks to fellow travellers. A spate of major accidents in cities is attributed to rash and negligent driving by underage drivers. Addiction to reckless driving, unhindered access to vehicles, poor parental guidance and supervision are attributed to the surge in minors taking to wheels. Parents and the police cannot play the blame game to suit their own ends. Both need to pull up their socks and take stock of the situation before it spirals out of control.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
An enduring rivalry
India’s 61 run win over Pakistan, thanks to opener Ishan Kishan’s explosive knock of 77 runs in the current ICC T20 World Cup was nothing but a familiar script. This time it was louder, too bold, and ruthless. For Pakistan, the defeat raises uncomfortable questions about adaptability under pressure. For India, however, the match reaffirmed the depth of their batting arsenal and the emergence of players unafraid of the grandest stage. The magic of this rivalry has always rested on balance. Even during phases of dominance by one side, the belief that the other could spring a surprise kept fans invested. Iconic moments, last-over thrillers and individual brilliance from both camps have sustained its global appeal. Nonetheless, the India-Pakistan contests will always carry extraordinary pressure. The side that manages emotion better often prevails. An enduring rivalry demands two evenly matched characters. Without that equilibrium, even the fiercest battles risk losing their sheen. Pakistan needs to reclaim self-belief and play the brand of cricket that once made them formidable. The tournament still offers redemption and they have to seize the moment.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Delusive figures
When inflation falls while the economy is tanking, it’s not a win. That’s the patient dying in excruciating pain. Do you know why retail prices aren’t going up? Because nobody is buying anything. The aam janata is tapped out, they’re scared, they’re broke as hell. When demand collapses, prices can’t rise. It doesn’t take a financial genius to figure out that the economy is on life support. So much for celebrating the world’s 4th largest economy with cooked up numbers and shifting base years and harping on the non-fact that inflation is under control. This whole chimera is akin to a plastic rose, sans fragrance, sans beauty, sans meaning.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
On art and politics
No kudos is enough for Booker prize-winning author Arundhati Roy for refusing to attend the Berlin International Film Festival after finding certain statements of members of the festival jury as “unconscionable”. Indeed how can the members assert that “Art should not be political” when a question was asked to the Jury revolving around the genocide in Gaza. Now right from the two World Wars to Indian Partition to formation of Bangladesh to US-Vietnam war, politicians were involved intrinsically. Now does that mean one cannot make films on the disasters of the World Wars, the annihilation of Jews by the Nazis, refugee saga from Bengal to Punjab or genocide of the Bengalis in erstwhile East Pakistan? The Jury President has even gone to the extent that the filmmakers have to do the ‘work of people’.
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
