LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FOR THE ISSUE DATED MARCH 07, 2026

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FOR THE ISSUE DATED MARCH 07, 2026

Letters To The Editor, Mar 07- Mar 13, 2026 March 6, 2026 , by Goan Observer Team

SEASON OF LENT!
THE season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday, with a reminder that, “Dust you are, and into dust you shall return.” As we pass through this season we’re reminded of God’s divine love through the Stations of the Cross, Sundays of Lent that focus on our renewal and reconciliation, the ministry of priesthood that was instituted at the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, as Jesus said “Do this in memory of me!” And Christ’s crucifixion on the Holy Cross on Good Friday with the words, “Lord, forgive them for they do not know what they do” and finally in the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.
The season of Lent invites us to surrender ourselves to God and to reconcile with God and as we reconcile in his love, as a penance participate in Christ’s mission and ministry of empowering people through the various parish associations and small Christian communities, etc. Our penance should be to reach out to people and touch their lives by regularly visiting the sick and the disabled, the orphans and the aged people.
The season of Lent helps us build stronger relationship with God the Father and also with our family and friends. It helps us to encounter God the Father in our day-to-day hopes and struggles, joys and sorrows, struggles and suffering, and empower us to understand that life is a gift and a challenge to face the difficulties we undergo in our day-to-day struggles.
Participating in building God’s kingdom means taking part in the death and resurrection of Christ. Many parish associations are always short of members and volunteers who will empower and enrich their association and reach out to the people within the parish.
Hence, to make our Lenten mission more meaningful, let us not only contribute monetarily towards Lenten alms, but also let us contribute our time and talents towards the renewal of ourselves, church and society. Many parish associations need continuous help and assistance in helping to build God’s kingdom and the time and talent we contribute will help in the empowerment of our parish, church and society.
Let our Lenten mission be to help those who have strayed from God, that they return to God and the Church. Let us bring those who are away from Christ to reconcile with Christ and be back in the flock of the Good Shepherd. This Lent, as we observe fast and abstinence, let us also abstain from speaking ill about people, using foul language, that breaks or ruins relationships. Let us abstain from speaking rudely to people and help other people to join in this mission.
This Lent, let us first reconcile with ourselves, ask God pardon for the wrong we have done and then spread this message of reconciliation to people around us. Let reconciliation be our mission as we give Christ to people in form of His Body and Blood.
— Cajetan Peter D’Souza, Raigadh Chowk, Ghatkopar East,Mumbai.

**NEGATIVE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHILDREN**
In view of the growing concerns over the negative impact of social media on children, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), government of Goa, convened a meeting with key stakeholders to deliberate on the issue and explore possible regulatory safeguards at the Paryatan Bhavan in Panaji on March 5, 2026. The theme was “Impact of Social Media on Children and Regulatory Safeguards for Child Safety” and the meet was chaired by Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Rohan Khaunte.
Also present were Santosh Sukhadeve, IAS, Secretary IT, Kabir Shrigaonkar, Director, DITE&C, Rahul Gupta, Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Cell, Ribandar; Praveen Volvotkar, MD, ITG; Revati Kumar, CEO & ED, GEL; DS Prashant, SITPC; Neville Noronha, OSD to Minister IT; Arvind Budge, Joint Secretary Law, Law Department Secretariat; Dr Kavita Asnani, Associate Professor, Directorate of Higher Education; Bhavneet D’Souza, Headmistress, Jnyan Vikas School; Dr Nishank Halarnkar, PTA member, Dr KB Hedgewar School; Ambika Dhakenkar, Deputy Director, GCCI; Chinmay Kamat, Secretary, GTA; Royam Carvalho, Director, ASSOCHAM, Goa; Darshana Kossambe, Asst. Director, ASSOCHAM, Goa; Fabio Fernandes, Executive, ASSOCHAM, Goa; Meena Parulekar, ASSOCHAM Goa; and Prajyot Mainkar, CEO, Sofueled.
With children increasingly exposed to digital platforms, the discussion highlighted emerging concerns such as rising digital dependency, reduced attention spans, cyberbullying and access to inappropriate online content. A concept note was presented outlining key issues and possible approaches, including examples of regulatory measures adopted in other countries. It was noted that there is currently no single comprehensive framework in place globally to address these concerns.
Mr Rohan Khaunte emphasised the urgency of the rising instances of child abuse and bullying, as well as the growing risks and vulnerabilities children face on social media today. He stated, “Children today are often introduced to mobile phones at a very young age, which can eventually develop into an addiction. It’s therefore important for parents to take responsibility, closely monitor their children’s activities and instill good cyber hygiene from an early age. As a State, we must bring together academia, industry and government to create a comprehensive document. Goa needs to strike a balance between enabling access to educational digital tools while identifying and regulating platforms that may be detrimental to children. Through Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant we will take these recommendations to the Central government.”
Several suggestions were put forward during the meeting, including the introduction of parental controls and application-level filters, restrictions on the use of mobile phones in schools, awareness programs for parents and the need to collect data on the social media platforms most used by children. A technological framework is on the cards to restrict access for children below the age of 16.
Rahul Gupta, shared that over the past two years, six cases involving children as victims of cyberbullying and related offences, including photo morphing, have been reported. He emphasized that parental awareness is critical and suggested that awareness programs be conducted through educational institutions, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), workshops and in coordination with the Department of Women and Child Development.
It was decided that Goa will formulate a policy document containing recommendations, expressing its intent to address this growing social challenge. The recommendations will be further deliberated at meetings by March-end. h.

`SELFISH LEADERS’ PROVOKE WARS
SELFISH leadership occurs when leaders prioritize their own interests, power or advancement over the well-being of their team and organization. Characterized by a lack of empathy, manipulation, and poor communication, this style creates toxic, low-morale environments with high turnover. Only “selfish leaders” build terrorism and provoke wars.
There so many so called world leaders in Taliban, Hamas, Mossad and some more in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, and so on. Aspects of selfish leadership are driven by personal ambition, fame, or financial gain. Erodes trust, creates silos, and destroys collaboration. Manipulative, dismissive of feedback, and often unwilling to take responsibility for failures. These aspects result in high employee turnover and disengagement and destruction.
“Selfish” as self-care. Some contemporary views reframe “selfish leadership” as a positive, necessary practice focused on a leader’s mental health and energy management to avoid burnout. This approach argues that a leader who protects their own well-being can better serve their team only and not for the general public.
A selfish leader establishes clear professional boundaries to protect public mental energy and keep records of projects and contributions to protect against credit-stealing. Consequences of this nature give birth to terrorism and wars.
— Rajesh Banaulikar, Arpora, Goa