Goa wants governance, not polarisation
At a time when Goa faces land conversion, rampant hill cutting, environmental degradation, drugs, crimes against women, murders and illegal gambling, the Government has made religious conversion a legislative priority. The proposed Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2026 therefore needs close scrutiny. What urgent problem does it seek to solve? Forced conversion through violence, fraud, coercion or unlawful inducemen
Beyond politics, Goa needs better governance
The BJP’s focus in Goa appears to be on retaining power, raising questions about its priorities. Its record on governance has faced criticism over allegations of corruption, scams, environmental damage and concerns over land sales and conversions. Against this backdrop, the proposed anti-conversion law appears unnecessary, particularly in the absence...
Goa needs harmony, not an anti-conversion law
The proposed anti-conversion bill in Goa is the inevitable outcome of a double-engine government that toes the line of its political bosses at the Centre. The bill, besides posing a constitutional threat to religious freedom, will instead invite more problems for the people of Goa, who have been living in...
A wider shield against drugs around schools
The reported directive of the Directorate of Education in Goa asking all government, government-aided and unaided schools, including secondary, higher secondary and special schools, to ensure a 500-metre Drug-Free Zone around their campuses is a welcome and timely step. However, the question that arises is why restrict the drug-free zone...
Goa must reject divisive anti-conversion law
The recent push to introduce a stringent anti-conversion law in Goa is a concerning development. Goa has long stood as a beacon of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence among diverse faiths, but replacing this trust with a culture of state surveillance and inter-community suspicion risks causing irreparable damage to our...
OPINION & COLUMNS
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Goa wants governance, not polarisation
At a time when Goa faces land conversion, rampant hill cutting, environmental degradation, drugs, crimes against women, murders and illegal gambling, the Government has made religious conversion a legislative priority. The proposed Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2026 therefore needs close scrutiny. What urgent problem does it...
