Give us affordable daily bread
The humble pao it appears is all set to join the ranks of other essential food items at an unaffordable price of Rs 5. But, unlike the prices of other essentials which keep rising and falling according to the season, there is no chance whatsoever for the price of the pao to come down once it has been raised. In such a bleak scenario, the days of the aam aadmi seem to be numbered, unless the Goa government steps in to resolve the matter amicably. Bakers in Goa have had their way two years back by hiking the price of pao to its present price of Rs 3, even as the size keeps shrinking by the day and customers are forced to cough up some more at times. Asking for a further increase to Rs 5 is therefore both unjustified and unethical and will bring to an end the glorious tradition and uniqueness which the Goan pao enjoyed over the years, besides depriving the poor of their daily bread.
A F Nazareth, Porvorim
Lay off Alina
It is a known and established fact that it was the commitment and the move by late Matanhy Saldanha to join the BJP just before the 2012 elections that tilted the scales in favour of the BJP. Now, any move by the top brass of the BJP to divest Mrs Alina Saldanha of her portfolio which she has so efficiently managed for the last three years in the absence of her late husband would amount to total disrespect and disregard to her honest and committed efforts to protect Goa’s ecology which speaks for themselves and is appreciated by all Goans at large. This attempt to belittle Saldanha will be an attempt to disrespect the champion of Goa's ecological protection struggle Matanhy Saldanha and the Goan people will not accept this BJP move lying down.If this move to dislodge Alina Saldanha becomes a reality then the BJP mask of empowerment of Goan women and its claim of zero tolerance to corruption will be unmasked.
John Fernandes, Cansaulim
The news that there will be a cabinet reshuffle is alarming, especially since someone like Alina Saldanha might lose the Forest and Environment portfolio. She has been in charge of that department for a long time and has done a good job. But, her relations with the media were strained and it appears perhaps that the powers that be were not happy with her work. The BJP government should surely allot another portfolio for her. Taking her out of the cabinet will not be a good idea
Sanjay Naik, Mapusa
Good and evil
God sent many greats on this earth as saviours, like Ram, Krishna, Jesus, Prophet Mohammed, Paigambar, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, St Francis Xavier, St Josephn Vaz, Mother Teresa, to mention a few. However, it is not understood what was the need for Goa to send destroyers as well, like Raavan, Duryodhan, Kichak, Janasandh, Hitler, Idi Amin, Mussolini, Aurangzeb at the same time.
Arvind Kakodkar, Chicalim
