Goa’s lost glory
The press is full of the horror story of the doctor and his family in Mapusa who were terrorised by bandits, who entered their house by cutting a window grill, threatened the family, bound them, looted their house and got away with their car. The culprits have not yet been apprehended despite the lofty statements of the authorities that justice would be delivered. How can I forget the days when I was growing up in Goa, 60 years ago, when I did not need to lock my house! There was no need to lock my car or scooter either. I could leave my luggage unattended on a footpath without the fear of losing it in the next few minutes. Today the situation has changed; we have grills on our windows and double-grilled doors, CCTV cameras, burglar alarms and yet the criminals get away scot-free with every possible type of crime. My heart cries out for the Goa that we have lost and surrendered to the ‘gods’ of greed.
Rosario Menezes, Vasco
Unity Mall at Chimbel
The need for malls is appalling. We could have ‘dollar malls’ instead which could stock organic food products that are reasonably priced and healthier. Walk into any supermarket today and you will find identical products. This is because the suppliers are the same or sell similar products, which often are processed foods that lead to diabetes and other diseases. When it comes to brand wars, it is local producers and sellers who face the heat. This is because they are unable to innovate and adapt. Patanjali foods started off well with the right theme; however, they too lost it due to the lack of innovative products. Later on, it became a ‘copy paste’ kind of game with their products matching those already in the market. Why would we travel all the way to Chimbel to shop unless we get quality products there at cheaper rates?
Vinay Rodrigues, Margao
On Physics Nobel
Three US scientists, John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John Martinis, won the Physics Nobel prize for their work on Quantum Physics that laid the groundwork for modern-day electronics such as cellphones, cameras and fibre optic cables. Their work forms the basis for what is being attempted now to building of a supercomputer that is much faster than the traditional computers. A supercomputer is based on the theory that a superconductor does not have resistance to the flow of atomic particles and thus transmits energy very fast. British-born Clarke is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. French-born Devoret and Martinis are both professors at the Yale University and the University of California. Martinis was head of Google’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab, while Devoret is a chief scientist at Google Quantum AI. This year’s Physics Nobel prize winning topic is extremely significant in these times when AI is taking the world by storm, transforming the way almost everything is conducted. The trio’s experiment in 1984-85 revealed a phenomenon known as ‘Quantum Tunnelling’ that showed that atomic particles moved through a barrier in very large quantities also, paving the way for modern-day electronics.
Elvidio Miranda, Panaji
Formula 4 race
News of the Formula 4 race to be held at Bogda in Mormugao has spread like wildfire following the preparatory work that has started at the site. The race requires a 14-metre track, which is not feasible in the residential area of Bogda. The selected area has a power station, a school for special children and also a crematorium and a graveyard located there. The locals are worried about the likely hurdles that will be created in their day-to-day travel. The government should do a rethink on the plan and consider shifting the venue away from the residential area.
Raju Ramamurthy, Vasco
Mental health
Asian giants China and India top the list of countries with mental health disorders. Anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders dictate the mental health scene in India. It is predicted that the next decade will witness a surge in mental illnesses in India. The bare truth, however, is that very few Indians go to the doctors for getting treated for deviations of the mind because of ‘stigma’. Many symptoms are passed off as ‘tension’. Substance use disorders like drug consumption and alcohol abuse are ignored to an individual’s peril. It is imperative to distinguish between ‘social drinkers’ and ‘alcohol addicts’ because alcohol is an important trigger for, as well as an offshoot of, many mental disorders. Ironically, the number of psychiatrists in Asia is quite low as compared to some European countries. Unless the society readies itself for a sea change towards psychiatric patients, setting up any number of psychiatric institutes will come to a naught.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
