Goa CM is now a miaowing cat, not roaring tiger: Congress
Panaji, July 22 : Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar on Sunday took a dig at Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, saying that coalition pressures and love for CM's chair had reduced him to a miaowing cat from a tiger he was earlier called.
He said the senior BJP leader was behaving like a puppet and giving in to the "unreasonable" demands of BJP's alliance partners to save his chair.
"Parrikar once had a reputation of a roaring tiger in Goa's politics, but now had been reduced to a cat. The Chief Minister has been reduced to a puppet by alliance partners like Goa Forward, whose leader Vijai Sardesai has tried to save those behind the fish mafia, after the formalin controversy."
He told the media that lakhs of Goans loved fish but the state government had put this favourite food in peril.
"Once upon a time, he was called a tiger, but he is not even miaowing now. Imagine Parrikar's situation: He is stuck in his chair and has become blind. He is ready to compromise everyone, including 14 lakh Goans on the issue of formalin used in fish preservation, just to save his post," Chodankar said.
The BJP-led state coalition government is under attack for going soft on fish traders, whose consignments brought from other states were found to contain formalin, a powerful disinfectant and carcinogen used to preserve cadavers.
The ongoing monsoon session of the Goa Assembly has been adjourned for two consecutive days, after the Congress demanded a discussion on the formalin controversy.
Chodankar said that Parrikar, undergoing treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer, needed rest.
"Actually, I advised him a long time back that he is not able to handle the pressure. The Chief Minister is a very important position. He is the political executive of the state. When I advised him, they (BJP leaders) started threatening me," Chodankar said.
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SC hails Harish Rana's parents for selfless love, devotion towards son
New Delhi (PTI): To love someone is to care for them not just in times of joy, but in their saddest and darkest hours, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said while hailing the parents and siblings of Harish Rana, who is in coma for more than 13 years, for their unwavering support to him.
In its first-ever order allowing passive euthanasia, the top court permitted the withdrawal of artificial life support to 32-year-old Rana noting that prospects of his recovery are negligible.
Passive euthanasia is the intentional act of letting a patient die by withholding or withdrawing life support or the treatment necessary to keep him alive.
Rana, who was a student of Panjab University, suffered head injuries after falling from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation in 2013 and has been in a coma since.
A bench of justices J B Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan, which allowed the plea filed by Rana through his father Ashok Rana, said throughout the adjudication of this matter, it has been gripped by profound sadness.
"The issues in this matter have once again brought to the fore the fragility and transient nature of the life we live, and how swiftly the tide can turn for the worse. For the past thirteen years, the applicant has lived a life defined by pain and suffering. A suffering made all the more cruel by the fact that, unlike most of us, he was stripped of the ability to even give voice to his anguish.
"However, while this case highlights how unforgiving life can be, it is easy to lose sight of another vital fact. We note with immense respect that the applicant's parents and siblings have stood as unyielding pillars of support. They have exhausted every effort to care for him and continue to do so with unwavering dedication. We can only place on record our deepest appreciation for their boundless love, endurance, and kindness in the face of such adversity," the bench said.
The top court said among the manifold truths about human existence that this case reveals, the most enduring is the resilience of love.
"In our considered opinion, the greatest tragedy in life is not death, but abandonment. Despite the catastrophic tragedy that struck the applicant, his family never left his side. He has been cared for, protected, and cherished at every moment. To us, this unwavering vigil is a testament to the true meaning of love.
"To love someone is to care for them not just in times of joy, but in their saddest and darkest hours. It is to care for them even when the horizon is devoid of hope. It is to stand by them as they prepare to cross the threshold into the beyond. Ultimately, to love is nothing but to care deeply, softly, and endlessly," the bench said.
Observing that its decision does not neatly fit "within logic and reason" but between "love, loss, medicine and mercy", the bench said its order is not about choosing death, but is rather one of not artificially prolonging life.
"It is the decision to withdraw life sustaining treatment when that treatment no longer heals, restores, or meaningfully improves life. It is allowing nature to take its course when medicine can only delay the inevitable because survival is not always the same as living.
"To Harish's family, we want to acknowledge the deep emotional weight this decision carries. This decision can feel like an act of surrender, but we believe it is, in truth, an act of profound compassion and courage. You are not giving up on your son. You are allowing him to leave with dignity. It reflects the depth of your selfless love and devotion towards him," the bench said.
