Stoning buses
For two consecutive days, men riding on motorbikes, wearing black tinted helmets have reportedly stoned tourist buses with an aim to injure passengers, mostly tourists. While two buses were on the Goa-Bangalore route, another bus was on the Goa-Mangalore route. One probable reason for these sudden stoning incidents could be rivalry between tourist bus operators. Unfortunately a driver lost his life and another driver was seriously injured in such incidents. Such acts of violence bring a bad name to a tourist destination like Goa and could keep foreign tourists from visiting the state during the coming festive season. The police needs to investigate the stoning incidents thoroughly and bring the culprits to book. It is pertinent to note that a couple of incidents have taken place at a particular spot. The lives of the bus passengers as well as the bus staff cannot put at risk because of such incidents. Until such time that these acts of violence come to an end, it is necessary to step up police patrolling along the route and even provide police protection for buses which ply on this route.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
He is a saint
November 20 marks the 88th death anniversary of Ven Fr. Agnelo D’souza , which is observed every year with solemnity not only in Pilar, where his mortal remains are housed, but also in the various ashrams set up in his name. Fr Agnelo was essentially a holy and deeply spiritual person, whose spirituality was reflected in his sermons which kept the congregation spellbound. We are told that a day after his funeral, crowds from all over Goa flocked to his grave-side as an acknowledgement of his saintliness. We see this happening even today at all his ashrams where thousands of Christians and non-Christians gather for the weekly novena services. Hundreds of favours are granted through his powerful intercession and many miracles worked and testified. It is therefore time that the Vatican takes cognizance of this widespread devotion and acknowledgement by people of different faiths, and speeds up the process of beatification.
A F Nazareth, Porvorim
Taking responsibility
The attitude towards migrants has changed in the wake of the Paris attacks but the world needs to exercise caution when dealing with this mass exodus out from Syria and other countries, lest they play directly into Islamic State’s hands. What is surprising though, is the attitude of the United States with regard to rehabilitating migrants. Many states have vowed not to take these migrants in, forgetting that their country is practically responsible for the state of the Middle East today. If Obama hadn’t pulled out of Iraq, the situation wouldn’t be as dire as it is now. Islamic State was born out of the ashes of a burning Iraq. The West needs to roll up their sleeves and get to work fixing this problem asap.
Bhushan Kamat, Panaji
