It is very bewildering to know the way the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji is revered in the State when Goans voted against its merger with Maharashtra. Why is the taxpayers’ money being spent on celebrating Shivaji in Goa? It is always said in Goa or rather described how Shivaji fought against the oppressive Portuguese regime when history has enough evidence to show the former had very cordial relations with the latter. Why distort history? Let me point out that Shivaji had entered into a treaty of friendship with the Portuguese on December 11, 1667. In April 1675, despite the treaty, Shivaji had plundered the villages of Cuncolim and Veroda. It has become customary of late to seek to change history to justify new narratives about Shivaji by those in power. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has sufficiently demonstrated his love for Maharashtra when he diverted oxygen to districts of the neighbouring State at the height of the pandemic in Goa. Keeping Goa’s borders open, one reason being tourism and the other that thousands of Maharashtrian workers commute daily from Sindhudurg to Goa. Allowing vaccines allotted to Goa to be administered to people coming from Maharashtra, something unheard of in any other State of India, as each State was allotted a quota as per its population. Pramod Sawant’s predilections for Maharashtra are well known. In fact, even when he supposedly speaks Konkani, it can hardly be understood, as it is heavily Marathi accented. One is left to wonder, keeping in mind all that has been happening in the last more than one year in this our land, whether Sawant has any love for Goa, its people and its history.
Time to protect the environ & not give mere speeches on it
Recently, a peacock was hit by a speeding truck near the Flames Bar and Restaurant in Chandor. Such has been the fate of the national bird in Cavorim-Chandor. The Village Panchayat needs to put up a signboard to make sure vehicles go slow to protect the birds from getting hit. The peacock is well protected by environmental laws and we need to do enough to save this bird. Today, June 5, is World Environment Day and we must not forget that the peacock is an important part of…
