CHINTAN BAITHAK ON STRAY ANIMALS!
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar.

LAST WEEK on the National Highway at Bambolim a stray dog hit a friend’s car. The dog was not wearing a helmet and surprisingly had a miraculous escape. The repair bill of my friend’s car mounted to a whopping Rs. 40,000. With our roads and highways infested with stray dogs and cattle this is not an isolated case. It’s outrageous that the authorities have not been able to do anything about this very serious menace and grave road safety hazard.

Is it just a coincidence that the stray dogs and cattle do not strike the vehicles of politicians? Could it be the strays know that most politicians move in vehicles with tinted glasses and so give these vehicles a wide berth? Even animals have started thinking.

The authorities should not expect the High Court to pull them up on every matter. It’s an obligation on their part to keep the streets free from cattle, dogs and pigs, but not surprisingly the authorities show no interest in doing this part of their duty. Issuing NOCs and building licenses brings them the cream so why bother about the crumbs? The authorities have shown rare enthusiasm in trying to enforce the helmet rule. Resolving road safety hazards is of no interest for reasons known to all. Nobody is concerned about hundreds of pedestrians and cyclists dying every year due to rash, negligent, drunken driving, coupled with stray dogs and cattle on the streets. Helmets may protect the brain but what about the limbs? May be it’s time to have a “chintan bhaithak” on this very serious and alarming matter.

BUS FARE HIKE
Armando Dias, Salcete, Goa.

THE BUS OWNERS Association is almost blind‑folded and on account of this it cannot observe any realities or violations being committed by the bus owners, drivers and conductors. In the first place the series of agreements that were executed in the past with reference to bus fares are being observed in default. Leave aside non‑issuance of bus tickets, mini buses and buses are like pythons swallowing their victims. The safety and security of passengers is always in jeopardy while travelling in overcrowded buses. The able and fittest enter the bus and secure a seat while schoolchildren and senior citizens wait for their turn to enter the bus with great difficulties as they get pushed around by uncivilised citizens and conductors alike. Women and senior citizens have no alternative in a crowded bus but to lean against seated passengers to stay upright.

The Bus Owners Associations which protect bus owners, conductors and drivers on humanitarian grounds should also equally look after the interests of bus commuters and see to their comfort. It is high time bus owners updated their buses and increased the size of their fleet of mini buses and buses. In any case routes, like the Margao‑Cavelossim route, are busy routes and the mini buses which ply are totally overcrowded, irregular and uncomfortable, both during lean and rush hours. The situation is still worse after school hours at Margao and Benaulim where minor students unaccomparnied by their parents are not strong enough to challenge the physical force of regular commuters. Since they travel on concessional bus rate the bus drivers treat these students with contempt and as if they are a nuisance. The school authorities are also to be blamed for not organising bus facilities out of M.P. funds. Perhaps on the Cavelossim-Margao route no Kadamba buses are plying because of the monopoly of bus owners who harass bus drivers and conductors of the Kadamba Transport.

Also, the proposed bus hike is steep i.e. minimum Rs.4 for the first four kms and thereafter 40 paise for every additional km. This will work out to Rs.3 to Rs.4 extra over the present bus rate. And even after the cut throat hike will the grim ground realities vis-à-vis travelling by bus in Goa change for the better? Bus drivers and conductors are addressed as Uncle by children and commuters and they should in turn be polite and civilised in their manners.

NO PROBLEM, SIR
Anthony J. Simoes, Gaura Vaddo, Calangute

Goan Observer (July 31-Aug.6, 2004) pointed out in an article that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) is ineffective. This is hardly surprising. The GCZMA (also the STE) is headed by Dr. N.P.S. Varde who is an agricultural scientist. Almost all the projects coming to Goa have nothing to do with agriculture other than to destroy what little agriculture is left. So how can Varde deal with these so called development projects?

This inadequacy has been obvious for years. He does not know a power plant from a rose plant. A port trust from a port wine. A pipeline from a pipe dream. Meta strips from lighting strips.The function of the Bofors gun is to shoot and scoot. The mandate of the GCZMA is to loot and scoot. Dr. Varde has been chosen for his initials N.P.S – NO PROBLEM SIR. I think NPS also stands for Naturally Polluting Shrine. All the members of the GCZMA have their own cupboards full of skeletons. So they use their position to leverage concessions for themselves or their right to stand up and be counted.

They are moral and ethical pigmies who have lost their credibility; they are the biblical “sheep in wolves clothing” who are happy making deals. As for the naptha pipeline I’m reminded of the old saying, “Every society must learn to respect both its plumbers and its philosophers. Or else neither their pipelines nor their theories will hold any water.

CASINOS, A BANE TO SOCIETY
Sunil Bosco Rodrigues
St. Louis, USA. NRI, Resident of Olaulim, Goa.

MY ATTENTION was drawn towards the “Chances” casino that operates without a license in Goa. I sincerely appeal to the Government of Goa to shut downthis casino in the best interest of the Goan and Indian society. There is nothing fair about casinos. Here are my arguments for not permitting any casinos in Goa.

According to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission Report in the US: The presence of a gambling facility within 50 miles roughly doubles the prevalence of problems and pathological gamblers. Pathological gamb-lers engage in destructive behaviours. They commit crimes, run up large debts, damage relationships with family and friends and commit suicide.

I am not aware of a similar study done in India. However, it is easy to draw a parallel with these findings that in any culture the vice of gambling is damaging to society and the local economy compared to any returns. When you make gambling a publicly sponsored activity, it is like letting a disease boom. Nothing is fair in gambling if you weigh in the potential of shattered lives due to gambling addictions.

I urge the elected represent-atives (MLA’s and MP’s) in Goa to make their position and opinion on casinos known to the public and government. The elected members owe a moral responsibility to the people who have elected them and whom they represent to act on social issues like these. Goa does not need a casino. Any excuse in the name of tourism or development is lame.

There are cities in the world as well as in our country that thrive without casinos.I am drawn to quote Albert Einstien who said “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” Likewise there is misrule in a democratic set-up, not because of the rulers alone, but because those ruled are silent spectators.

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