Author: Dale Luis Menezes
Tractors or Cattle?
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
No matter your feelings are regarding the farmer protests, one thing is certain, the tractor is the symbol and icon of the protests. Farmers marching from all over Punjab and other neighboring states first used their tractors to barge through the barricades erected by the police. Once camped at the borders of Delhi, farmers marched inside Delhi along with their tractors to assert their demands. This is the first time that tractors have been used in farmer protests. So, why did tractors become symbolic of the protests? (more…)
Election Wins are not Votes for Development
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
The cancellation of the IIT project in Melaulim is a clear indication that the government can heed the wishes of the people. The cancellation further suggests that all development that the government sees fit to impose on Goans and the Goan land is reversible. The decision to cancel the IIT project came after much chest-thumping bravado by ministers in the ruling government, especially after the Zilla Parishad elections that the BJP swept, that they had the mandate and support of the electorate. (more…)
The Meaning of Liberation in 2021
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
This is not the first time that Goans in large numbers have questioned if Goa is truly liberated. But this is the first time when a large number of peaceful citizens, including children, were detained by the police, for creating awareness about the destruction of Goa, right on 19 December, the day Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule! The recent protests, in a long history of protests in Goa, were sparked by the Government’s decision to promote the double-tracking of the South Western Railway, and a power line and a new National Highway through Goa’s lush green Mollem forest on its southern frontier. That the state government has received a grant of 100 crore rupees for the year-long celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of ‘Liberation Day’ only added to the irony of the situation. (more…)
Intergenerational Equity: The Old and the New
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
The end of a calendar year often makes us reflect on the ‘old’ that we leave behind and the ‘new’ that we hope for. When most of the economic, social, and political problems that Goa faced last year, or even over the last few years, remain firmly in place, it makes little sense to hope for a better 2021. The pandemic, of course, gives us reasons to be even more pessimistic. We really do not know how 2021 will unfold, especially because the government everyday reinforces its spectacular inefficiency in handling the pandemic. It is for this reason that, rather than offering the usual clichés about a new calendar year, it might be better to reflect on some of the positive changes over the last six months. (more…)
‘Amka Naka’: IIT, Coal Hub, and Development
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
From Canacona to Sattari, the chorus is loud and clear: ‘Amka Naka.’ Goans once again in large numbers are saying no to ‘mega projects,’ be it an IIT (that was shifted from Canancona to Sanguem) in Sattari, or the expansion of the coal hub in Mormugao with the supplementary project of double-tracking the South-Western railway line. Underlying these vociferous protests is a rejection of an economic model, called ‘development,’ that destroys the livelihoods and landscape of Goans, and a political establishment that promotes such crony capitalist ventures. This development makes Goans and Goa disposable in the interest of (inter)national businesses. (more…)
Albertina Almeida: “Understanding Crimes of Violence Against Women in the Family: Breaking Them Up”
Albertina Almeida delivered the keynote at the 2nd Police Science Congress organised by the Kerala Police Science Academy, coordinated by Department of Women’s Studies, Calicut University, on the subject “Understanding Crimes of Violence Against Women in the Family: Breaking Them Up”. See the flier below:
This Crisis was Foretold
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
The current COVID-19 crisis and the financial unpreparedness of governments worldwide in dealing with it are a cautionary parable. In Goa, the situation is no different. If there is a difference, the situation here is undoubtedly worse than in other places. (more…)
Technology and COVID-19
By DALE LUIS MENEZES
All the worst predictions about COVID-19 have, thus far, been proven true. Whether it was the rise of infection in a particular month, or the fact that the Government would clear “projects” in the absence of any opposition, or the increase in poverty and unemployment, the COVID-19 crises have deepened existing inequalities in accessing basic resources for sustenance, and technological ones such as internet and smart phones. With India’s GDP diminishing to about 23 percent in the first quarter, these technological inequalities will deepen further. (more…)
Dale Luis Menezes: Interviewed by Devsurabhee Yaduvanshi on the scholarship on the Goa Inquisition
Devsurabhee says, “His recent article on the misuse of the Inquisition for fomenting politically motivated religious sectarianism is not only an interesting read, but has far reaching repercussions on how history is perceived and its potential future reformation. This article was the focus of our conversation, and it was intriguing to say the least! He also suggested logistical solutions to overcome hurdles in conducting thorough and unbiased research.”
