Karnataka’s Quixotic Law
Camilo D’Souza, Anjuna
The passing of the ‘Prevention of Cattle Slaughter & Preservation Bill, 2010’ in the Karnataka State Assembly – which bans the slaughter of cows, calves, bulls, bullocks and buffaloes; prohibits sale, use and possession of beef; and even restricts transport of cattle – is like telling tigers and lions not to eat meat. Minorities, tribals and even certain sections of Hindus (especially scheduled castes) eat beef. If the government bans them from consuming beef, prices of other commodities will rise.
It is the people’s fundamental right to consume beef. The Directive Principles in the Constitution only advocates banning cow slaughter, not bulls, bullocks or buffaloes. The BJP should change its attitude, and stop insisting on such a blanket ban.
One man’s food is another man’s poison. If such laws are passed, then the country will be divided, as they are not meant to protect the holy cow (already protected under the existing ‘Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964’) but only to harass beef-eating minorities. Religion is best confined within the four walls of your house. It should stop at your front door.
The Karnataka Governor’s decision to send the bill passed by the State Assembly to the President is appropriate. I trust that the President will decide on the basis of democracy, not on demands by religious fanatics. Tourists come to India and want non-vegetarian food. Goa is famous for its beef steaks and pork chops. If beef is banned, tourism will also suffer.
What’s in a language?
Jonas Correia, Aldona
The middle ‘What you saying men?’ (Herald, 31 August) is unfair. Goans were never under British rule, and to expect the ‘Queens English’ is unrealistic. Language, after all, is only a means of communication; we are not competing for a Nobel Prize. But to denigrate a whole society citing a solitary example is unfair.
Goans are respected all over the world for their honesty, integrity and character. Why Call Centres? We have had principals of schools and colleges, bankers, ambassadors, cardinals, bishops, governors, union ministers, managers and directors, bureaucrats, doctors, judges, even a prime minister of Portugal and a queen’s counsel.
Could Ms Coelho explain why we have 18 official languages if Hindi and English is all we need to earn our daily bread? America, the world’s most developed nation, does not have its own language. And Goans do not want another controversy.
Exhibitions a must
Olencio Fernandes, Nuvem
I support Anthony Fernandes (‘BPS exhibitions’, Herald, 3 Sept). The banning of exhibitions is not acceptable. All should rise in protest and demand that exhibitions go on, and are manned by polite and disciplined staff. They offer goods which New Market traders cannot.
If traffic congestion is a problem, traffic police should not allow parking around the venue, and exhibitors’ vehicles only inside the premises. The MMC need not dance to the tunes of the CM.
Burn Tar Balls
Ian (Doc) Watson, Calangute
Further to my letter ‘May not be local’ (Herald, 3 Sept), I can suggest an easy way of disposal of Tar Balls. Burying them is like an ostrich putting its head in the sand; they will eventually reappear.
Tar balls burn well when put on an open fire. Beach shack owners who have beach bonfires should collect them in buckets-full. Once the beach bonfire is going, throw the tar balls on the fire and they will keep it going all night.
Could they possibly used for domestic cooking instead of burying them? If people are made aware of their fuel value, perhaps they might start collecting them and reduce the clean-up burden on the authorities.
Despotic attitude
Joao Felipe Pereira, Nagoa
The OPinionatED by the Gauncars of Taleigao (Herald, 31 August) further illustrates the misuse of comunidade land and assets by the government for political gain, creation of vote banks and amassing of wealth.
Once upon a time, comunidades were the backbone of Goa’s economy. They were so well organised, that Goa overcame famines during and after the Second World War, because they compelled farmers not to keep the fields barren.
Liberation brought the Tenancy Act, which ravaged the comunidades and religious institutions. The present masters have destroyed agriculture. Now, there is a tussle between the government and South Goa comunidades over non-release of Derrama (contribution of money for administration). The comunidades took this decision to keep away from the irregular and corrupt recruitment of staff in contravention of rules.
In a tit-for-tat, the Revenue Minister is understood to have given oral orders not to disburse ‘jonos’ or dividends to the Gaunkars, among whom are senior citizens that solely depend on that money for their medication, etc.
Should they resort to hunger strikes and acts of vandalism to awaken the government from slumber?
Shameful
Alic Alexander, Borda
With an alleged scam-tainted husband and now an alleged land scam-tainted daughter, I think that this is the first time we have a President with an alleged scam-tainted family. It is sad to note the state of politics in our country.
Greed the only motive
Vishant Shirodkar, Ponda
Ever since the massive Sea Link project was mooted, people were up in arms. Letters were published in newspapers it being a white elephant. Our CM chose to ignore all commonsense and decided to go ahead with a Rs100-crore ‘feasibility’ consulting assignment.
It is obvious that greed for kickbacks is the only motive for the Sea Link project. The money for the consultants could possibly have financed a complete roll-on roll-off ferry operation!
The NHAI has rubbished the Sea Link, but the CM hasn’t scrapped the 100-crore consulting assignment. This is a gross misuse of public money.
Whither hoteliers?
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Tar balls have been appearing on our beaches far too often. This time, they have affected several beaches. The government needs to investigate the reason for the appearance of these tar-balls and take necessary corrective measures, as it is having a negative impact on tourism.
School students and village volunteers have come forward for clean-up operations. It would be in the fitness of things if the staff members of beachside hotels take up the work of cleaning the beaches, as it is these hotels that benefit most from tourists coming to the beaches.
Tar balls and oil spills
P L Fernandes, Old Goa
The Tar Balls invading our beaches are not from an oil spill by a single or a couple of ships. Tar Balls are formed long after oil spills.
After a ship discharges a cargo of oil into shore tankage, the ships’ tanks are washed and the dirty water is transferred to one of the compartments, later to be decanted. Only clean water with a certain prescribed maximum parts per million (PPM) of oil can be discharged into the high seas.
Satellites can detect oil discharge by moving ships, so it is not easy to discharge oily bilge water in areas like the Mediterranean, the Persian/Arab Gulf, or Europe and the US. Ballast water or tank cleaning discharge attracts heavy fines plus imprisonment for the captain till it is paid.
The area off Port Fujairah, next to Oman, sees ships at anchor waiting for business. Very possibly such ships – including Very Large Crude Carriers – do their dirty job and clean out their tanks into the Arabian Sea as they pass India on their way there, as there is much less vigilance here. Let us wait and see what NIO has to report.
Not as per law
Rajendra Kakodkar, Cuchorem
There is no provision in the Land Acquisition Act to keep acquisitions on temporary hold. Which powers did the government invoke? Under section 4(1) of the Act, the person nominated to perform the duties of the Collector has full powers, including hearing under section 5(a) and can refuse to accept the instruction of the government, because such an instruction is not according to law.
Keeping land acquisition on hold clearly means the government issued Section 4(1) notification in haste, without doing proper homework. If that is so, the only recourse is to de-notify the Sect 4(1) notification, or allow it to lapse, on completion of a year.
What seems to have forced the Congress government to take this step is the municipal elections scheduled in October. Congress-backed panels would find it difficult to win if the NH issue hots up. Is the Government is trying to fox the ‘aam admi’?
Doctor in the House
Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo
Goans are urging Dr Oscar Rebello to rejoin the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) and save Goa. But what can the poor doctor do unless we unite and cooperate with him? One must visit the office of the Sub-Registrar at Tiswadi and Bardez to observe the sale of Goa’s land everyday. After executing the sale document, Goans lose their rights over their ancestral property, and become foreigners in their own land.
We ourselves can save Goa and our identity, if we reverse this trend; we don’t need the good doctor. All I can do is advise him to float an ‘apolitical’ party, come to power, and form a ministry of just three members to assist him to run Goa.
