Modi’s hollow claims
In his reply to the President’s address in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came across as if he was speaking at an election rally. Instead of replying to the issues raised, he indulged in reeling off the supposed measures that his government undertook for the welfare of the people. He claimed having the support and confidence of 140 crore Indians, which was clearly hyperbole, as in the last Lok Sabha polls the BJP polled just 23 crore votes. The Prime Minister also said that India is the fifth largest economy in the world in terms of GDP growth. In this he was not wrong, but the right yardstick for a prime minister to look at is the per capita income, where India ranks 145th; in terms of per capita in purchasing power the country’s ranking is a little better at 128th. In India the rich are getting richer: 1% of people own 21% of national income and 10% of them own in excess of 50%. On the other hand, the bottom 50% of the people contribute only 10%. In wealth accumulation since the 1990s, the top 1% of people accounted for more than 38% of the new wealth. The acceleration has been seen mostly from 2020, coinciding with the start of the coronavirus pandemic. There is an urgent need for the redistribution of wealth in India to make it more equitable.
S. Kamat, Alto Santa Cruz
An eyesore on flyover
I frequently travel over the flyover in Margao. The flyover provides a short route to the Margao market and the rest of Goa, and vice versa. I enjoy the vistas the flyover gives – the tracks below and the city. However, recently what captured my attention was the increase in the amount of garbage dumped on the flyover. Initially, there was one bag full of trash, then two, then three and now the number is increasing every passing day. I request the authorities to install CCTV cameras along the flyover and declare it as a no-garbage zone at the earliest. It will be a relief to all the passersby if we all act against the menace and uphold the vision of Swachh Bharat.
Valanka Jilda Rebelo, Chinchinim
A body blow to the poor
The price rise in cooking gas has dealt a body blow to the poor and middle class, who will now have to further tighten the belt, work harder and eat lesser. The price of domestic LPG has crossed `1,000 per cylinder, while a commercial cylinder will cost more than `2,000. Opposition leader in the Goa legislative assembly Yuri Alemao has stated that now even frying pakodas will be difficult for the educated unemployed! Food is a very basic necessity of life. The increase in cooking gas will have devastating consequences leading to malnutrition which is a silent killer and is not reflected in our much-touted GDP. We may be the fifth largest by GDP, ahead of many western nations, but if we divide the GDP by population we nose dives to number 127; and that is the real GDP.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
The spectre of flu
There are no major cases of the coronavirus pandemic, which has been on decline. However, a fresh surge in influenza cases has been reported across the country with symptoms lasting more than a week. The surge in flu cases in India comes on the heels of a similar surge in the West between September and January, according to the World Health Organisation. It is claimed India is in the grip of the flu, one that leaves most people with a painful rasping cough that lasts for days, sometimes weeks, with experts attributing the surge in cases to low immunity. Although the spike has not caused deaths and hospitalisation, the symptoms are similar to those of COVID and last for as long as two-three weeks, medical scientists have said. There is a need for the government to investigate in this direction. Symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza are similar but there is a need for proper studies to understand their clinical presentation. According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) figures, H3N2, a sub-type of the influenza virus, has been in wide circulation for the last two-three months, slightly more than the swine flu virus.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco