On Assault Against Aires And Prajal I

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THE attack on Mr Aires Rodrigues and Mr Prajal Sakhardande is not just a simple case of vendetta and goon tactics against these two activists. This attack is also against all law-abiding Goans and a terrible reflection of what society has come to accept from shady politicians and an increasingly corrupt common man. We need to collectively come together and battle this nightmare in Goa. Law and order must be exercised at all costs and the guilty must be brought to justice. On meeting these two gentlemen in the ICU, I was struck by the fact that it could have been me minus two fingers and a severe blow to the main artery leading to the brain. However instead of being intimidated, I am empowered to fight this atrocity. All of Goa should do the same.

ALL Goans should condemn the brutal assault on advocate, Mr Aires Rodrigues and the professor, Mr Prajal Sakhardande by masked cowards, their sponsors and possibly key politicians. Let us demand that the chief minister, the home minister and the Goa police ensure that justice is done and measures are taken to ensure that such incidents never happen again. I believe that the moment of truth has arrived for Goans. We should have expected such reactions from the anti-Goans, whose avenues of illegitimate wealth are now under attack on so many fronts – corruption, mega projects, regional plan, indiscriminate land sales, SEZ’s etc. Do we allow ourselves to be intimidated into accepting the destruction of Goa or do we become even stronger and join together in increasing numbers to save Goa and Goans, once and for all? Like Edmunde Burke said, ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.’

IT was shocking to read about the brutal and dastardly attack on social acivist, advocate Aires Rodrigues and the historian, Mr Prajal Sakhardande by some goons. This act should be condemned by one and all. If there are any differences they should be resolved in the court of law and no one should take the law in his own hand. In a civilised society there is no room for violence to settle scores. The police should conduct a thorough investigation and bring the culprits to book at the earliest. If not the perpetrators of violence will get bolder and the general feeling would be that old scores can be settled by resorting to violence without approaching the court of law.

ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco

THE brutal attack by some individuals on advocate Aires Rodrigues and Mr Prajal Sakhardande, needs to be condemned vehemently by all right thinking citizens of this state. It is not that the assault on Mr Rodrigues was unexpected. But, if attacks like this can take place in the heart of the capital, one can well imagine how well prepared Goa’s police is to tackle terrorist strikes, which could take place at any unsuspecting spot in the state. One cannot certainly expect the police to be omnipresent to avoid such incidents, but when the police fail to take stringent action or refuse to file FIRs against erring individuals and criminals, who use their political clout to escape from the clutches of the law, such incidents are bound to take place, as the perpetrators are encouraged by the inaction and patronage they enjoy from politicians and the police alike.