In India’s smallest State the pandemic is raging, with COVID-19 confirmed cases racing to 10,000 and the deaths sadly soon crossing a century. The health authorities are unprepared and in a state of total disarray while dealing with the spike of cases. Lack of coordination and non application of mind is on display while we are by the day now losing precious lives. The government had all these months to have the required medical care infrastructure in place but just lost the plot being focused on wrong issues as priorities. The whole situation is very worrisome and the rank failure of those in power is unpardonable and unforgivable.
The economy is in dire straits but the sex trade has not slowed down with so many young girls being rescued after the kingpins have been raided and busted. There have also been seizures of narcotics and drug parties while the gambling dens have shown no respite of slowing down so also the dhirios (bull fights). A friend who is the manager of a small but reputed resort at Dona Paula while narrating that the restaurant business was in a total slump told me that there was however no dearth of calls from affluent Goans asking if rooms were available for a quick hour or two. My friend says he hangs up on all such naughty calls not to have the messy affairs in his rooms. The pandemic seems to have not yet instilled fear in our minds and we are learning no lessons of exercising restraint in these current precarious times. It has still not dawned on the people that the virus is highly infectious and passed through personal contact. This virus does not discriminate between rich and poor, young or old, or on one’s political, social or occupational status. How many more positive cases and lives do we have to lose for both Government and people to take this deadly virus seriously and exercise total restraint and control and strictly follow the health protocols? We cannot continue to live in a worsening situation where government appears to have lost control and its political leaders deliberately ignoring the regulations. This is a time for everyone to be vigilant, rational and prudent in all aspects of life, medically, economically as well as with our personal hygiene and habits. This is proving to be a marathon not a sprint. Life now as we know it and in the new normal will never be the same again. It is a time to tighten our belts and not waste scarce resources on non-essentials and personal temptations. In view of all this, we need to know whether our accidental Chief Minister still believes and rants that ‘Bhivpachi goroz Na’. The CM and Government need to get a grip and act quickly, based on medical and economic facts and expertise if we and our future generations are to survive this destructive pandemic with some medical and financial hope and not just succumb to fear and confusion. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com