On tourist footfall
There have been mixed signals on tourist arrivals in Goa in December 2024. While there are social media posts that suggest that the roads and beaches of Goa were empty, while others claim that there was no decline in tourist footfall for the Christmas and New Year season. But one thing is for sure: although there has been a rise in the number of domestic tourists, there has been a notable shortfall in the arrival of high-spending foreign tourists. Hence while there has been a quantitative jump during the tourist season it has not been qualitative. According to stakeholders, business has been down by 15 to 30 per cent depending on the category of hotels. Obviously foreign tourists are opting for other tourist destinations like Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka and other East Asian countries. Several factors explain why these countries have outpaced India in attracting foreign visitors. Southeast Asia has invested heavily in tourism infrastructure, streamlined visa policies, and launched aggressive marketing campaigns that promote their destinations as accessible and affordable. Key issues, including high taxi fares and cleanliness concerns at beaches, do not augur well for Goa. Beauty and greenery is getting destroyed as ugly concrete structures are coming up everywhere. Improper planning and lack of affordable transport choices have been the bane of tourism in the state. It is high time the government reflected on what has gone wrong and took necessary remedial steps.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Monkey menace in Valpoi
Monkeys have ‘invaded’ Valpoi, causing a lot of losses to residents. Some 25 monkeys are coming from the nearby forests and are destroying tender coconuts, and eating bananas, papayas and other fruits. They also are destroying plants, breaking roof tiles and damaging water pipes, causing inconveniences to the people. Will the authorities concerned take remedial measures immediately and solve the woes of the people?
Francis Soares, Valpoi
Insincere apology
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh’s apology for the ethnic violence that has ravaged Manipur since May 2023 is too little, too late. Over 250 lives have been lost, thousands displaced and women brutalised in unimaginable ways. The ongoing conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zos has led to an estimated 260 deaths; over 60,000 people have also been displaced in the strife-torn state. The Chief Minister, once a football player having played for BSF, has dribbled on, pinning blame on external forces, Myanmar’s militias and drug cartels so far. Allegations of bias against the Kuki-Zo community have further eroded any trust in his leadership but surprisingly, he still continues to reign – thanks to the NDA government at the Centre. His apology is an attempt to deflect blame rather than take responsibility. Since Biren has finally tendered his apology, it is high time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay a visit to the strife-torn state to get the clear picture of the grave events that made the world take a note of it. Importantly, Manipur needs a leadership overhaul and a political solution grounded in justice, equality and genuine dialogue. Singh must face the consequences of his failures.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Serendipity in medicines
In 1990, in the National Award-winning movie, ‘Ek Doctor Ki Maut’ (Death of a doctor) by the late Tapan Sinha, the hero develops a medicine for leprosy. He discovers that women gave birth to offspring immune to leprosy. The side effect was that it reversed certain types of sterility in women. His colleagues mock him and the government transfers him to a remote village. Later he reads that two American doctors were credited for discovering the same medicine! The storyline is tweaked from a true case of a West Bengal doctor who pioneered in vitro fertilisation around the time a doctor in England was carrying out similar experiments. In 2022, an 84-yeard old former postmaster from Madhepura (Bihar) claimed to have been jabbed 11 times with Covid vaccine. He used the same Aadhaar and mobile numbers for nine times! He stated that the vaccine had protected him from Covid and also cured his many ailments! Earlier in 2024, the pills under the brand names Ozepic and Rybelsus, with semaglutide and used to manage Type 2 diabetes was sold as Wegovy (for weight loss). The pill became a fad among Hollywood stars, Indian hi-fliers and those who wanted to lose weight. These pills are unavailable in India, but those coming from abroad brought them in. On November 2023, the US Food and Drug Authority had approved Zepbound (Tirzepatide) to manage type 2 diabetes in adults. It was also found to help in weight loss and became popular with non-diabetic people who wanted to lose weight! Are the above cases medical conundrums or are there explanations for such serendipitous remedies? The medical fraternity and pharma companies could research on the positive-side effects and multi-curative properties of commonly used drugs.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
