Good Friday is a time for introspection, and for us in Goa it is a time to reflect on what is good and bad. And if we make a comparison between the two, the 'bad' overshoots the 'good' in today's uncertain time.
Christ died on the cross to redeem mankind and rid them of their transgressions. But from the time Christ died till today, we stand at a point of no return. And salvation is nowhere near, until we accept we have wronged.
However, the term wrong does not exist in the vocabulary of humans, it is only found in the Oxford dictionary, so to speak. Our egos and arrogance have blinded us to the word 'wrong' because we, as a superior race, believe we can never do or be wrong.
And that's precisely the reason why for us global climate change is not a concern and fighting wars is never wrong. While the issue of climate change is often expressed eloquently on global platforms, the act of warfare is seen as a means to restore equilibrium in the world.
Our egos and arrogance have blinded us to the word 'wrong' because we, as a superior race, believe we can never do or be wrong.
If one looks at human progress, what we have achieved is indeed commendable – we have been to the moon and to space and back. Yet we find it so hard to maintain and save what God has bestowed us with on Earth.
It's tragic that we managed to become literate, yet can't explain the unemployment rate. We are claiming to have a good GDP growth rate, yet we have people who go to bed hungry. We are boasting of green energy, yet we can't explain why we are losing our forests and green cover.
The story of the world is the same everywhere and it's no different in India and in our tiny Goa, which is under tremendous strain from rising population that is putting a huge burden on our local resources like land for housing and water for human consumption.
If there's one thing that Goa must prioritise in terms of conservation, it would be its water and land resources. Why? Because without land, there would be no space for growing our food, and without water, there would be no nutrition for the crops.
If there's one thing that Goa must prioritise in terms of conservation, it would be its water and land resources.
The interconnectedness of everything in nature necessitates the prompt declaration of a tiger reserve by the Goa government. Why? Because establishing a tiger reserve will be a significant achievement in ensuring that our water resources are not misdirected where not required and our nature is saved from further destruction.
Today, in Goa, we are enthusiastically giving permissions for mega projects, not realising the ramifications of our actions in the long run. The State's topography is very fragile and it will not withstand hill-cutting and filling of lands. If we stay blinded to these facts, then the future appears bleak.
What we know or see as good today, may not actually be good. Land doesn't belong to us to do what we please with it. It has to be used judiciously for the greater good of humanity or else destiny will not be kind to us.
Today, there are thieves among us, who have their eyes on what is not theirs, especially land. We need to keep an eye and be extra vigilant to ensure these thieves don't have a free run with our precious lands.
Land has to be used judiciously for the greater good of humanity or else destiny will not be kind to us.
On Good Friday, let's recall the story of the Passion where Barabbas, a well-known thief, was set free instead of Jesus. Despite Pilate acknowledging Jesus' innocence and his desire to release him, he succumbed to political pressures and released the guilty Barabbas instead.
There are Barabases in Goa too, who, with the blessings of the powers that be, are roaming at will striking big deals to snatch our forests from us. If you let them go, then you will be likened to Judas Iscariot who sold Jesus for a few silver pennies.
