01 Apr 2022 | 06:29am IST
Portugal in WC
Congratulations to Portugal for winning their crucial encounter with North Macedonia by scoring twice thru the boots of their forward Bruno Fernandes. Viva Portugal. From Portuguese we learnt the beautiful art of playing beautiful soccer which they always took pleasure in teaching us. If Goa is having such a rich tradition of soccer then the credit should definitely go to the Portuguese mainly their military personnel as seen from those days teams comprising some of the outstanding footballers not only from Portugal but also from African Portuguese colonies namely the great right outer of Vasco-Arantel and the centre forward of Benfica.
I have not seen such Negroes in any of the Black African teams even playing in the World Cup Tourneys. Those teams Benfica, Bicholim, Goa Police and others were known to dish out excellent brand of soccer. I know for our Candolim team itself when it was promoted to the Primeiro Divisao somewhere in 1957-58 and wholly managed by the late local Dr Gustavo Monteiro, 4 players were recruited from Aguada Military citadel and they were so great that inspite of the tremendous development the soccer has made I am yet to see such greats again.
The kind gesture of Goans in erecting the monument of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo indicates the great bond existing between Goans and Portugal and I feel it should be further strengthened.
In the 1966 World Cup tournament held in England when the host defeated Portugal in the semifinal, major portion of soccer crazy Goans spent the sleepless night to watch the radio commentory of this match where Portugal captained by the great defender Coluna and the finisher Eusebio – both from Mocambique and the latter was considered as the best in the world and even the great Pele accepted this fact when while exchanging his jersey with Eusebio’s after Portugal defeated Brazil in the quarter final saying “now you are No. one”.
Will such an enactment of the scene take place between Ronaldo and Messi this time? Time alone will tell.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Goa’s per capita income
During the last pre-election campaign leading to the election held on 14th February 2022, some very interesting things happened in Goa. Both local and national parties and their leaders portrayed a very gloomy financial picture of Goan people. Each contesting party tried to make the voters believe that they were in dire state and only monthly payments of Rs 2000 or more could make them survive or help to overcome the difficult phase they were passing through.
According to them various doles, financial schemes and programmes were badly needed to restore their financial health and make Goans stand on their own feet. A very depressing situation was being painted in which only the financially fittest among the lot would survive, unless they voted their party in power to restore the parity.
However interestingly the budget speech delivered by CM Dr Pramod Sawant painted a completely different picture of the financial state of Goa. The per capita income of Rs 5.80 lakhs mentioned by him is the highest among the states in the country and way ahead of national average of Rs 1.5 lakhs. With this mammoth per capita income, it certainly makes every Goan quite wealthy and capable of managing financially without any monetary contributions from the government. Although many may argue that this is far from reality and that there are hundreds of Goans who live in dismal conditions, who hardly can make the two ends meet.
Others may offer different reasons such as the bulk of the money is concentrated in the hands of a few, while rest of Goans are way outside the bracket of so called per capita income as mentioned by the CM. Hence it appears that monthly payments, free medical insurance and all other financial schemes are the need of the day.
Antonio Diniz, Fatorda
Depression
This is with reference to the article titled ‘Woman jumps off Mandovi bridge to death’ (Herald, 30 March) where it is mentioned that she was suffering from depression and had travelled to the hospital but was sent back because she hadn’t taken a prior appointment. Her sudden act to jump off the bridge happened on her way back from the hospital and it was a split second decision as eyewitnesses even heard her crying for help after landing into the water.
Depression patients, when they come for help need urgent attention as the time period between a suicidal thought occurring and actual commitment of the act is very minimal. It is during this crucial time perhaps that this poor lady went desperately to meet the doctor. There has to be a special counter to handle such depression patients who come without prior appointments and advise regarding their medication etc .
Even to take a prior appointment sometimes one is told to call after 8 am when the registration counter opens but sometimes it is quite frustrating when one calls again because both the phones get continuously engaged.
I hope the concerned authorities look into this suggestion and help such victims in future .
Allwyn N.D’Souza, Saligao
Don’t get fooled today
The first day of the month of April is called ‘All Fools’ Day’ or ‘April Fool’s Day’. On this day, people take delight in playing practical jokes on each other. The custom started in Rome when King Leopold of Belgium, who was married in Rome, was made a fool of by his sister-in-law when he went to his father-in-law’s palace on the first of April by mistake as he had been invited there on the first of May.
Today, several centuries later, the April Fool jokes are played on people on a large scale. It is played by students in schools and in colleges, and also by employees with their colleagues in offices. So be alert and don’t get April fooled this year.
However, instead of playing jokes on April Fool’s Day, I suggest you plant at least one sapling in your surroundings to make it an April Cool Day. This small campaign of yours may help in making this earth cool and a better place to live in.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Thought provoking article
The article ‘Your Absence taught me’ (Herald, 31 Match 2022) was certainly thought provoking, throwing more light on the deeper meaning of ‘absence’. Molly has spoken my mind and I suppose, of all the readers as well. She has posed the right question – what happens when we are get caught up with absence of persons or things, and even accessories for that matter like the modern gadgets or the modern props? And yes, above all, it is true that the vacuum felt by the absence of a loved one just cannot be filled. We all need to understand this.
The reality hits us hard when we take others for granted, our spouses, our parents, our siblings, relations, friends, our right to vote, whatever. Nobody can dispute the fact that their absence is certainly killing. It is said, you will never understand the value of something until it is lost and lost forever.
So let us value the things we have, the people present in our lives before we lose them forever. We need to sit up and reflect, and as Molly suggests, Lent is the appropriate time. We need to reflect on the absence of God himself in our lives. We may need able to get on in life without everything else but we cannot move on in the absence of God. He is the Light and He shows us the way! This quote hits me hard, “it hurts every day, the absence of someone who was always there”.
Melville X. D’Souza, Mumbai