Whose fault is it anyway?

Readers react to the British govt's advice to its citizens to be careful in Goa

Readers react to the British govt's advice to its citizens to be careful in Goa

BEWARE! The British foreign office issued the travel advisory in wake of the unsolved murder of Scarlett Keeling

This is with reference to the article that throws light on the advisory issued by the British foreign office to its citizens advising them to be careful while traveling to Goa. This is a matter of shame for Indians, who are known to be tolerant, generous and reasonably law-abiding citizens.

However, while the British embassy has asked the women not to wear short skirts, they should also be warned not to be crass. Foreigners should be told not to indulge in drugs and behave with the same decency as we Indians do when we travel abroad. Foreigners tend to flout every law of this land.

Goan beaches have turned unsafe as young teens are often seen roaming around under the influence of alcohol and drugs at odd hours.

Take for example the case of Scarlett Keeling. Leaving a 16-year-old girl alone in a foreign country did not show maturity on part of her mother Fiona Mackeown. This of course does not condone what happened to her daughter, Scarlett.

Goa is know for its hospitality, but it's the foreigners that often take advantage of the niceness of the locals.u00a0 And in the long run, it's India's image that is tarnished.

Kamal Panthaki
kamalp9@hotmail.com


Wake up call

This is with reference to the article in MiD DAY 'Don't roam in short skirts published in the February 11 edition. The British government has issued a travel advisory to its citizens visiting Goa not to wear short skirts or travel alone at night.

It is indeed a matter of national shame when other countries perceive us to be nation where Talibanisation is growing. Gone are the days when India was once renowned for its hospitality towards foreign guests.

Right wing political outfits seem to have spread their network across the country. They continue to indulge in hooliganism and don the role of the moral police because they have no other agenda.

What's worse is that the media gladly obliges them to garner the publicity they crave for. But, the media can even be excused.

What is not excusable, however, is that majority of Indians, who are dismayed by what they see around them, barely bother to raise their voice in protest.

The recent Pink Chaddi Campaign launched by a Nisha Susan against the Sri Ram Sene is a notable exception. But most Indians show little concern about what is happening around them.

Every little freedom we are deprived ofu00a0like not being able to dress, as we like or not being allowed to go to pubsu00a0amounts to an exploitation of our democratic rights. We, Indians, need to wake up and fight for our rights.
u00a0
Firoze Hirjikaka
Colaba