Panaji, Feb 9 (UNI) The third edition of Difficult Dialogues, an annual conference tackling the most vital issues facing South Asia, with the theme of gender equality this year, opened with a performance by the Goa University Choir, a thought-provoking panel discussion on the gap between laws and policy implementation reaching the last mile, as well as a spoken word poetry performance, besides agenda setting speeches by the governor and several dignitaries here on Friday.
Filmmaker PrakashJha, Goa State Commission for Women chairperson Advocate Shubhalaxmi Naik, North Goa Collector Nila Mohanan, women’s rights activists Dr Pramod Salgaokar and Albertina Almeida were all part of the panel discussion moderated by NDTV’s Anjali Istwal.
Mr Jha, whose films often challenge the establishment, was critical of government policies whereas collector Mohanan took exception to his statement that all government policies and bureaucrats are ineffective. Advocate Shubhalaxmi Naik remarked that laws were often “stagnant” and a review board was needed to bring laws up to date.