Don’t blame the refugees
A direct consequence of the Paris attacks by the ISIS is the strong anti-immigrant propoganda carried out by certain people and groups. The news of a Syrian passport being found near the dead body of an attacker is also mentioned to focus on how the immigrants are going to wage a "jihad" in Europe now. Some of Europe's anti-immigration parties, including the British National Party, are trying to use the Paris attacks as a strong argument to counter the pro-immigration voices. It is a fact that the concern about jihadis entering Europe under the garb of being an immigrant is genuine, and it was expressed earlier too.
However, it has to be ensured that the migrants do not face the brunt of the deeds of the Islamic State. What happened in Paris on November 13, happens almost every day in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war torn parts of the Arab region. The mere reason for which they risk their lives to enter Europe, is to get away from such happenings in their homeland.
KB Dessai, Fatorda
Redo the work
This is with reference to the news item ‘ Report sought into Miramar concrete road’ (The Goan Everyday, Nov 14). Cracks which have surfaced in the newly constructed concrete road from Miramar to Dona Paula are a serious matter which calls for a thorough investigation. Unlike the run- of- the- mill hot mix asphalt roads in Goa which are known to develop cracks and potholes in a short time, cracks in a newly constructed concrete road are not commonly encountered even after years of use. While special care is taken to ensure quality control in the laboratory with a properly designed concrete mix in accordance with existing codes of practice, it is usually bad workmanship that is the cause of defects. It may be recalled that the work of concreting the existing stretch was undertaken after the earlier hot-mixed road (on which huge sums of money were spent) was dug up to make way for a concrete road that would be of a permanent nature. Extra care therefore should have been taken by the GSIDC and the contractor to ensure ‘state of the art ‘workmanship that would be free of defects and cracks. Patchwork repairs should now be forbidden, and the contractor should be asked to demolish and recast the bays where the cracks have appeared.
AF Nazareth, Porvorim
Economic reform
A daily wage earner today earns approximately Rs. 500 to 600 per day, which approximately works out to about Rupees 15000 to 18000 a month. Yet, they are tagged as those above poverty line. Could mere statistics drawn from random surveys carried out periodically be a true estimation of the percentage of the population falling below poverty line in the country? Though definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations, factually speaking poverty is a state of deprivation of people or society, in which they are not able to meet their basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. India has assumed that the National Food Security Act, 2013, is a timely answer to the poverty in India. Yet the manner of implementation of the NFSA, which aims at providing subsidised food grains to those below poverty line leaves a lot be desired. To address the woes of the poor and marginalized, a comprehensive relief package that caters to their immediate needs of food, clothing and shelter would be that apt economic reform looked forward to eagerly.
Pachu Menon, Margao
