Judgment for Goa
Courtesy the untiring efforts of Norma Alvares of the Goa Foundation and others, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the state government not to issue any further permissions of zone change under Section 17(2) of the TCP Act. The court has read down the rules and guidelines under the section. Lakhs of square metres of farmlands and orchard lands have been illegally converted to ‘settlement zone’. TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane has claimed that the HC has not struck down Section 17(2), but instead ordered modifications to rules and regulations of the Act. The state government will move the Supreme Court next week, possibly to find some loophole in the High Court judgment which can be used to keep the ‘land conversion’ game going. Hearing another suo motu PIL on unlawful constructions and encroachments, the HC came down heavily on the government for allowing and encouraging the unbridled illegal constructions. The bench issued instructions to the Chief Secretary to take action and make available two additional demolition squads for both districts. The court also directed an immediate halt to all deforestation on the cliffs around the court building at Penha Da Franca. This tight slap should bring a halt to the brutal assault on our land.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Language tangle
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has rightly asserted that the much zealously promoted national education policy is nothing but a ‘saffron policy’ aimed at promoting and developing Hindi; not the nation. And if indeed it gets demanded that the students get enlightened of three languages, then this option be best left to states of this multilingual and multicultural democratic country of all, where no language or religion is superior or inferior to each other. And states can also be awarded the provision of offering languages of own choosing which the students can take up accordingly. So the insistence of compulsory study of the North Indian language in the schools all around the country again exposes the imperialist mindset of ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’ which definitely needs to be firmly resisted. What a clear transmission of the message that Indians enlightened of Hindi are ‘First class citizens’ with the rest nothing but ‘subjects’ who can afford to rot at their own mercies!
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
Trump’s tariff war
We should not buckle down to Donald Trump’s pressure to reduce tariffs on US imports into India. The tariffs are decided based on the priorities and needs of our economy and cannot be dictated by any foreign economy. The problem with Trump is that he is like a truculent child used to getting his way. The way to deal with him is to stop on one of his unreasonable demands and he is bound to reconsider and stop his tantrums. Moreover we do only some US $100 billion worth of trade with the US, which we can easily dispense with. Our portfolio for exports is well diversified and this can be made up with exports to other countries particularly the European Union. We seem to have concerns that if we take a tough stand with the US on tariffs then the supply of defence items and high technology imports will be hit. But we have to walk this path and see its impact since as far as wars are concerned it is only China that is a threat; although Pakistan keeps making noises, the state of its economy and political scenario is such that it is unaffordable for them to start a war with us.
Srinivas Kamat, Mysuru
Go beyond Women’s Day
Celebrating Women’s Day once a year is not enough to bring real changes. While it may draw temporary attention to women’s issues, things quickly return to the status quo. Such observances are commercialised and reduced to symbolic gestures rather than meaningful action. Women face deep-rooted societal challenges. Female foeticide remains a grim reality, often enabled by sex determination tests that circumvent legal restrictions. It is troubling that a mother herself may participate in abortion, ending a life before it begins. The high mortality rate of girl children is another alarming issue, as is the perception of grown-up girls as commodities in the marriage market. Progress has been made in terms of equal opportunities for education and employment, but much more needs to be done. Dowry-related deaths should be met with stringent legal action. Sexual harassment—whether in the workplace, institutions, or public spaces—must be taken seriously. Rape cases should be fast-tracked and resolved within a month with severe punishment for perpetrators. Initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao should not remain mere slogans but translate into real efforts to empower girls. Human trafficking for prostitution is a horrifying crime that dehumanises women, and urgent measures are needed to eliminate it. Advertisements often exploit women’s bodies to sell products while society turns a blind eye, calling it ‘art’ rather than addressing its obscenity. Women’s empowerment has made significant strides. They have proven their capabilities as leaders and professionals across fields, yet their numbers remain disproportionately low.
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim
