Safeguarding labourers
It is a matter of crying shame that in spite of snowfall and avalanche alerts since February 24, labourers working on a stretch of the road to Badrinath Dham had not been evacuated in time. Four days went by but no action was taken to bring those labourers to a safer place. They were kept in the danger zone till avalanches hit the area on February 28. As a result, some labourers were killed and some went missing. This indicates a total apathy towards the safety of labourers. Now, who will be accountable for playing with the lives of so many labourers? India needs stringent labour laws and their strict implementation. Otherwise, such a tragedy will become a routine affair.
Sujit De, Kolkata
Bar corrupt politicians for life
The central government is against totally banning tainted politicians from contesting elections for entire life. According to the existing law, a convicted political leader must be immediately disqualified and banned from contesting elections for six years. After six years, the leader becomes eligible for contesting elections. But will this punishment act as a deterrent to others? Why can’t the ban be extended? Many are of the opinion that a lifelong ban is the best option. Most political parties are not bothered about giving tickets to tainted leaders as victory is more important than the credentials of the candidate. One wonders why political parties are reluctant to place leaders without corruption charges in elections. Trials of corruption cases take a prolonged time for completion. During this time, the tainted leaders contest elections. Speeding up the trials helps get rid of such leaders. Leaders must not get involved in anything that will damage their reputation.
Venu G S, Kollam
Tourist menace
In the last 14 months, 27,774 traffic violations related to rent-a-vehicle (cars and bikes) were booked. (NT March 2). This mind-boggling number is for the period between January 2024 and February 2025. This translates into 1,983 violations per month and 66 violations per day. These are cases that were acted upon by the police while there might have been a few hundred where the offenders either escaped or settled the matter. Most of the cases were of tourists caught performing dangerous stunts, rash driving, drunken driving, driving on beaches etc. The authorities state that one reason for the tourists to be offenders is that they do not know the topography of Goa. But this does not absolve them of the other offenses because tourists presume that any illegality is tolerated in Goa. The police need to set right this attitude and crack the whip without bothering about the presumed connections that a tourist may have, either political or otherwise.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Scourge of loneliness
Healthy living is not a privilege, but a right. Sadly, however in our country, healthy living is more like a right in the pocket of people who are able and willing to pay for it. It is time to provide easy access to superior quality, affordable fitness regimens that will be an integral part of every Indian. Chronic loneliness among young Indian urban residents is a mental-health issue that is not getting the attention it sorely deserves. Stock images of loneliness often depict the elderly in darkened rooms staring at nothingness, but the reality is starkly different. It is time to have better healthcare measures, proper health check-ups and a balanced diet can bring peaceful living.
C K Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai
Caring for the ears
The World Hearing Day is observed on March 3. It reminds us silently but seriously the problems of hearing. The day encourages individuals to take action by understanding the importance of early detection, prevention, and treatment. It is really shocking to know that according to World Health Organisation, one in four people will suffer from hearing problems by 2050. The world body has struck the alarm bell stating that currently one in five people have hearing problems but most often it is just ignored and uncared for. The same amount of care and attention that we give for various other ailments is sadly not given for matters related to hearing except when we have severe pain in the ear or some other problem. The WHO has called in for global action and has asked the nations across the globe to take immediate measures to check this ‘silent danger’ which can put thousands into a state of ‘complete silence’ if issues related to this health menace is not properly addressed. The day also emphasises the dignity of those suffering from hearing loss and discourages disrespectful behaviour towards them. The theme for World Hearing Day 2025 is ‘Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!’. Hearing loss can be avoided through preventative measures like detection of infantile hearing problems, vaccinations against diseases that cause hearing impairment, protection against loud sounds, good ear care practices during childhood and after. A healthy and hygienic way of caring the ears should be developed from childhood itself.
M Pradyu, Kannur
The home and the school must join together in this matter. As our lifestyle has changed, our ignorance to such matters has also risen. Modern medicine with modern technology and implementation of certain safety norms can put an end to such difficulties provided that the governments, health organisations, NGOs and other agencies come forward to mitigate the problem.
On tourists’ food habits
This is with reference to the news report ‘Lobo’s ‘Idli sambar’ remark political stunt: Ex Calangute MLA’ (NT, March 1). By some strange and absurd reasoning, MLA for Calangute, Michael Lobo has arrived at the conclusion that the serving of ‘idli sambar’ at beach shacks and restaurants has contributed to the fall in numbers of tourists in Goa, especially the foreign tourists. In this connection, it is pertinent to mention that several foreigners have made it very clear that they would never like to visit Goa again because, besides being overcharged and cheated at every stage, they also feel unsafe on Goa beaches due to the stray dogs that have bitten several of them in the past few months. So, what we witness today in Goa is the proliferation of domestic tourists, many of whom are vegetarian and do not like Goan cuisine. This leaves the shacks and restaurants with little options than to cater to their demands for non-Goan dishes, especially ‘idli sambhar’, ‘dosa’, ‘vadas’, etc which, besides being cheap, are relished and enjoyed by all. We need to accept the reality and go with the tide to save what is left of Goa tourism.
A F Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
