Recent tragic suicide of a 22-year-old has regrettably shifted from a police investigation to a public trial. While candle-light marches and political backing often characterise such situations, we must wait for the facts. Assumptions create distractions and lead to emotional exhaustion. Crucial questions surrounding the youth’s death remain unanswered. First, is the suicide genuinely connected to the garbage-related video? Second, how did a 22-year-old access a firearm? The family and the press should clarify whether there was a valid licence. Furthermore, garbage dumping is a severe problem in Goa, and authorities cannot be blamed for everything.
The recent “name and shame” approach has been used by concerned citizens to combat this menace, yet those who report offenders are unfairly branded as villains. In my vaddo of 16 houses, the local Panchayat has assigned a door-to-door garbage collection agency. In my four years of residence, they have never failed to arrive. Yet only four houses consistently hand over their segregated dry waste. What about the other 12 houses that refuse to comply despite the administration’s efforts? My own neighbour frequently dumps plastic bottles nearby. After requesting them to stop, my wife and I often end up cleaning the area and packing their dry waste for the collection agent. If I use the “name and shame” approach to correct a neighbour who refuses to follow basic civic duties, does that really make me the villain?
