CLOUDS AT WAR IN PUDUCHERRY!
Computer programmer Siddharth Shankar captures cloud formations suggesting a war between three demons, you may guess which demons! This picture was taken morning of the Tamil new year day Puthandu in Puducherry where he is currently residing
COVID VARIANTS!
IT’S quite alarming he way the covid19 virus is spreading the world over. There is no end in sight and to the contrary, it may get worse.
May I sound scientists to research a sensor on a pen, built-in to sense or detect signals received from coronavirus positive cases at a certain distance when someone approaches? Is I possible? Being a scientist I think nothing is impossible in a world where man has stepped on to the moon!
Now think of such an invention as a pen sensor for covid19. Later if successful they may think to develop variants of sensors for different types of virus? This will be real achievement.
— Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
MONEY TALKS!
The pandemic gears have now shifted to the jab! What was known even before the vaccines came out is now happening. We saw it in the case of ebola: There were wilful differences in the way it reached people. Every class/business entity now wants the jab: Why?
In India the jabs started with the health workers and 60+ and those with comorbidity. Then came the 45+ phase. In the 2nd phase the courts demanded that their ‘class’ be treated as frontline workers and must get the jab. They questioned how India was exporting/gifting vaccines to other countries first.
Fact: India produces 2M doses per day and their target is 3M per day. If we take the first 17 days of March data, where1.87M were given the first jab, India will take 2.4 years to vaccinate 70% of India’s population with the first jab only. WHO rejected the Covishield Indian manufacturer to increase shelf life from six to nine months.
In Goa we have a 30,000 crore tourism lobby rooting to jab their workers and owners today putting forth all kinds of excuses and ‘influential’ people! Mind you, this industry has people from 18+ years! When will the remaining ‘classes’ of people get their turn?
On the scales of justice which group must be next? The tourism lobby has a lot in their control. The front office people, restaurants, etc, can determine how many people to accommodate so as not to violate social distancing. In South Korea, the tables have glass partitions! They refuse people who don’t mask up. There is personal responsibility and they don’t rely on police or owner!
Now take the case of the humble bus commuter/driver/conductor. Can they demand social distancing? What can they do and whom can they call on if a commuter is not wearing a mask or wearing it improperly? Public commuting is bound to be a major source of transmission with no means of contact tracing. Any which way you look at it, this group must be next for the jab.
Poor commuters: They neither have the money, lobby or even a sane voice in lobbies like GCCI/ASSOCHAM even though these commuters work for them. One wonders how they can even look into the mirror!
— R Fernandes, Margao
BLOOD CLOT PREVENTION?
EVERY person after getting the covid19 jab should be kept under observation. Also after the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines they should be kept under observation vis-à-vis blood clot formation in the brain, so that they may be treated quickly in the nick of time, before it becomes a full blown case of blood clotting. Such a measure would require monitoring of every jab recipient and it would reduce reduce and even eliminating mortalities. This would mean a comprehensive regimen of administering blood thinners to those susceptible to blood clotting. At the moment is there sufficient focus on this aspect of covid19 treatment in our hospitals and are doctors aware of this danger which is the determining factor between life and death?
— Elvidio Miranda, Panaji
NO TO POLITICAL PROSTITUTION!
AS A step towards ensuring that morality prevails on the political turf the anti-defection law came into force in 1985. However, this has had no effect in stemming the endemic political defections of legislators tempted by power and monetary gains.
It is expected that speakers in the Legislative Assembly be non-partisan and sever all ties with their political party after assuming the office of Speaker. This has not happened and so we have in Goa Speaker Rajesh Patnekar who has been prolonging since 2019 the election petitions pending against the 12 MLAs in the Goa Assembly. Speaker Patnekar has been coming up with every possible excuse under the sun to delay the disposal of the election petitions to benefit the defecting MLAs, allegedly in clear contravention of the constitutional framework.
To defeat this kind of a thing there there is a need to ensure that election petitions relating to the Anti-Defection Law should be decided very expeditiously in a time bound manner by an independent authority, possibly the Courts — and not by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly, who instead of being fair and independent prove to be partisan tools of the party in power.
The elected should be held accountable for their deeds and misdeeds. The legal maxim of “Justice delayed is justice denied” seems to be a norm or the rule rather than an exception for unscrupulous politicians and those desperate to abuse the rule of law and flout constitutional democratic rights of the people.
The Anti-Defection law’s intent was to prevent corruption by way of horse-trading and to debar defecting MPs and MLAs from holding public office for five years and from contesting the next election if they defect. Goa may be India’s smallest state but it has become a laboratory for every possible political experiment and has shown the nation the way to circumvent the Anti-Defection law, with political prostitution and party turncoats at its very hilt. We have sadly witnessed midnight defections with the governor swearing in minister in the wee hours of the morning!
There is an urgent need to legally plug the loopholes in the Anti-Defection law which has proven to be defective legislation. Nobody is above the law and justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done in a timely manner. Lawmakers have a moral duty to lead by example and must never be law breakers abusing the trust people have vested in them. Authentic leadership can only come with ethical governance. The defections we have seen in Goa and the lack of will of the LA speaker and others is a sad betrayal of public trust.
— Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
CABBIE NONSENSE
I JUST cannot understand the reasoning when guys defend taxi operators. Are taxis unique only to Goa? Why must taxi arrangements be different in Goa? Every state in India has taxis and so does every country in the world. Taxi fares are calculated based on cost of fuel and return on capital investment after depreciation. Enough is enough. If Goa Miles can do it so much cheaper than Goan taxis, and if Uber and Ola can do it cheaper than Goa Miles, what more is left t discuss in favour of the Goan taxi operators? Please do not waste your time and ours discussing these fellows who have no respect for commuters!
—Salus Correia (courtesy FB post)