FOR THE EYES OF THE GOANS ONLY

LETTERS TO THE HERALD BY GOANS

Don’t encourage beggars by Abhijeet D Naik, Fatorda

On Tuesday, after I saw the Idhar-Uddhar cartoon on beggars, I saw a gang of beggars – five couples with small children – at Fatorda, telling people they needed money for food as their kids didn’t have anything to eat. This has been going on for more than three years now.

What irritated me was that they were allowing the toddlers with them to get wet in the rain, to garner sympathy from people. These people think Goans are suckers. They come to Goa in Volvo bus loads during X’mas and New Year.

I dialed 100. By this time these beggars reached Fatorda stadium junction, and went into a restaurant to eat. The PCR van came and the cops apprehended one couple, while the others escaped.

At the Margao Police Station, the beggars told the PSI that they were ‘Marathi Manoos’ and that the police, being their own, should let them go. I told them that we were ‘Konkani Manees’, not ‘Marathi manoos’. I’m waiting to see what action the police take. I would like to ask people not to part with even a single rupee to these well-off beggars. Instead, simply dial 100.

Why hurt feelings? By Luis Fernandes, Aldona

Niranjan Chodankar of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (‘No freedom to insult’, Herald, 24 August) needs to be appreciated for being open-minded, but also defending his religion. Just because there are nude paintings in the Hindu temples or because it is mentioned in the sacred texts of Hinduism does not give anyone any right to use this to hurt religious sentiments, even if the Supreme Court of India thinks otherwise.

There are many nude paintings in the Sistine chapel. But Christians would be pained if a Hindu painted these as representative of the Christian religion. Neither would Muslims tolerate such a thing. So let us respect others and not lower them.

On the other hand, let’s not forget about the Babri Masjid demolition, the Gujarat and Kandhamal genocides, and the martyrdom of Graham Staines and his little sons, which all point fingers at the ugly side of Hindutva.

Examine your heritage by Caetano Goes London

What does Niranjan Chodankar of the HJS (‘No freedom to insult’, Herald, 24 August). know about painting? The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti should visit Ajanta, Ellora, Khajuraho and Konarak to see Hindu painting and sculpture. Why do they not protest about these sculptures and paintings? By saying Dr Jose Pereira should paint Jesus Christ and Mother Mary in the nude, they prove themselves to be communal. They should leave religion to be practiced only in temples, churches, mosques and homes.

Roman Right by John Rebello, Old Goa / Bahrain

‘Roman Script: Our Human Right’ by Wilson ‘Wilmix’ Mazarello (Herald, 25 August) is all fact. Even after Liberation, we are still being held hostage by our Goan masters, and deprived of our basic right to read and write Konkani in the Roman script. Are some Goans second class citizens in our own state?

Goans – in Goa and worldwide – should not rest till the Roman script is given its rightful place. We want all those who gave their lives for Konkani to be vindicated. Long live Konkani, Long live Goa.