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The former <keyword id="19935584" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RSS-chief" source="keywords">RSS chief</keyword>, <keyword id="23419565" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Subhash-Velingkar" source="keywords">Subhash Velingkar</keyword>, recently stirred significant controversy by demanding a <keyword id="20615498" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DNA-test" source="keywords">DNA test</keyword> on the relics of <keyword id="23459102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="St-Francis-Xavier" source="keywords">St. Francis Xavier</keyword>. Velingkar claims that the test would confirm the authenticity of the remains, but his statement has triggered protests and condemnation from Goa’s <keyword id="19935795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Catholic-community" source="keywords">Catholic community</keyword>, who view it as a direct affront to their faith. This article will explore the significance of St. Francis Xavier in Goa, examine the implications of a DNA test, and review the political and social reactions to Velingkar's statement.<br /><h2>St. Francis Xavier in Goa</h2>St. Francis Xavier, one of the most venerated Catholic saints in the world, arrived in Goa in 1542 as a Jesuit missionary. He played a crucial role in establishing Christianity in Goa and spreading it across Asia. Known for his compassion and selfless dedication, he is affectionately referred to by Goans as “Goencho Saib” (Protector of Goa).<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112672114" title="“Please do not photograph our homes!” plead Goa’s homeowners" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>His relics, preserved at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, draw millions of pilgrims from across the globe. The relics are especially significant because, every ten years, they are publicly displayed during the Exposition, a major religious event that unites the community in faith and reverence.<br /><h2>What is a DNA test, and what could it prove?</h2>A DNA test involves analysing genetic material to establish relationships, origins, or identity. DNA testing on human remains can reveal biological data such as ancestry, possible familial connections, or genetic characteristics. In this case, Velingkar’s call for a DNA test is ostensibly aimed at verifying whether the relics truly belong to St. Francis Xavier.<br /><br />However, such a test would be challenging because it would require preserved genetic material, which might not be feasible — although doable under the right conditions — after nearly 450 years. The main issue is that without direct descendants or known relatives, a DNA test would have limited capacity to “prove” the relics' authenticity definitively. Many Goans argue that such a test is unnecessary, given the historical and religious context of the relics and the deep spiritual significance they hold.<br /><h2>Protests across Goa and political fallout</h2>Velingkar’s remarks have provoked a backlash, with protests erupting across Goa. Demonstrators in Margao and Canacona have voiced their anger, demanding Velingkar be arrested for offending their <keyword id="19978801" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="religious-sentiments" source="keywords">religious sentiments</keyword>. At these gatherings, local leaders have condemned his statements, arguing that he is attempting to provoke divisions in Goa’s harmonious society. Some have also called for Velingkar to undergo psychological evaluation, questioning his motives and the wisdom of his demand for a DNA test.<br /><br />While Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured the public that legal action will be taken, some community members remain sceptical, perceiving a lack of urgency. The Congress party has criticised the BJP-led state government, accusing it of neglecting the issue to avoid alienating potential voter bases.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111809476" title="Why is a music festival causing controversy in Goa?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The controversy has also cast a spotlight on the BJP’s stance toward the Catholic community, particularly considering how the state was mum for an exceedingly long time on their intentions to invite Pope Francis to the upcoming Exposition. This hesitation and the ongoing controversy has compounded frustrations among Goans, leading to questions about the government’s respect for religious diversity in the state.<br /><br />Goa’s history is marked by religious tolerance and a unique blending of cultures. The Catholic Church has played a pivotal role in maintaining peace and fostering unity across different communities in the state. By calling for a DNA test on the relics of a beloved saint, many argue that Velingkar risks jeopardising this delicate balance. Religious leaders have warned against divisive rhetoric, underscoring that Goa’s strength lies in its ability to maintain harmony among its diverse population.<br />

Goa protests: Why is an ex-RSS chief demanding to DNA test the body of a 450-year-old sacred saint?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thousands protested against overtourism in Spain earlier this year, telling tourists to "go home."</li><li>Spain's tourism is still booming, with record numbers of international visitors.</li></ul><p>Protesters in Spain staged massive demonstrations against <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overtourism-measures-limit-tourism-going-to-increase-venice-amsterdam-rome-2023-10">overtourism</a> this year that made headlines worldwide — especially after spraying tourists in Barcelona with water guns.</p><p>But don't expect American visitors to the country to have heard about them, let alone to have altered their travel plans as a result.</p><p>Spain recorded a record number of international tourists this summer, despite the mass demonstrations in places such as Barcelona, Mallorca, and Malaga throughout the year, according to data compiled by the Spanish government.</p><p>The country recorded 10.9 million international visitors in July and August, a 7.3% increase from the same months in 2023, according to government <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/FRONTUR0824.htm">data</a>. Spain's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/CTH0824.htm">National Statistics Institute</a> also said overnight hotel bookings were up 2.6% in August compared to 2023. In the first eight months of the year, overnight hotel stays were up a total of 5.6% from the year prior.</p><p>A survey conducted by Mallorca's tourism board and released last month found 89% of US tourists were not even aware the protests occurred, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://skift.com/2024/09/26/mallorca-had-record-hotel-stays-despite-overtourism-protests/?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20%7C%20The%20Daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8fEz_JeOu4dKzkHPM3xPKv0uMPpuEp7GZSIuIFgPUYTxwg-jIPAR0YcLpnRkkdCC0zzoP6Kuh6qy4Z3N2e883I8qy9eQ&amp;_hsmi=326524474&amp;utm_content=326523580&amp;utm_source=hs_email">Skift</a>, a travel industry news site. The survey, which included 1,000 American respondents, found that nearly 70% of those who were aware of the protests said they did not impact their plans to visit the Spanish island. The board did not respond to a request for the survey from Business Insider.</p><p>Spain is among the global destinations dealing with the impacts of overtourism, such as overcrowding, expensive housing, and high costs of living. The tourism protests intensified in April when an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people in the Canary Islands demanded tourism limits be enacted. In July, thousands took to the streets of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-protesters-rallying-against-overtourism-in-barcelona-2024-7">Barcelona to protest overtourism</a>, which many blamed for the high costs of living in the city. Demonstrators shot tourists with water guns and shouted at them to "go home."</p><p>But that message alone is unlikely to be enough to significantly curb tourism numbers, according to Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy that specializes in the travel tourism industry.</p><p>"When you are looking at where to go, where not to go, it's really the perception of safety that will drive that," Eylon told Business Insider of how tourists decide where to travel.</p><p>Though the Spain protests made headlines, tourists were not physically harmed in a way that created a negative safety perception, which he said historically can have a significant impact on the number of tourists choosing to visit a destination.</p><p>Spain, in particular, is a destination that many tourists plan and save for, he said, adding that tourists are unlikely to be deterred by these demonstrations, even if they do hear about them.</p><p>The protests, however, could impact government policy in a way that may help curb or better manage tourism in the future, Eylon said.</p><p>Officials in the Canary Islands said earlier this year that they planned to add additional limits and regulations to short-term rentals. Barcelona, which enacted a partial ban on short-term rentals in 2021, said in June it would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barcelona-airbnb-ban-florence-amsterdam-lisbon-are-regulations-working-2024-8">ban all short-term rentals</a> in the city by 2028.</p><p>Eylon said every country and local jurisdiction typically requires a unique approach to managing the impacts of tourism, while still getting the economic benefits. In addition to short-term rental bans or limits, those measures could include visitor caps, increased tourism taxes, or initiatives to build more permanent housing.</p>

Tourism in Spain is booming, despite protests that included spraying visitors with water guns 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>AWS CEO Matt Garman has been sent a letter from employees protesting his pro-RTO comments.</li><li>Garman had said most employees he's spoken to are "excited" about a five-day office return. </li></ul><p>Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">facing backlash</a> from some employees over his comments about its return-to-office policy, according to an open letter obtained by Business Insider. <br /><br />Over 500 employees signed a letter sent to the AWS chief on Wednesday,<strong> </strong>criticizing his recent remarks about Amazon's mandate to return to the office five days a week, which is up from its previous policy of three days a week.</p><p>The letter "urges" Garman to reconsider his position on the RTO mandate. It comes after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-office-policy-aws-ceo-employees-rto-five-days-2024-10">Garman told staffers during an all-hands meeting</a> earlier this month that nine out of 10 employees he's spoken to are excited to return to the office full time.</p><p>Garman addressed the policy, announced in September, for the first time in the all-hands meeting, saying, "There are other companies around" for any employee who doesn't wish to abide by the new policy, according to a transcript of the meeting reviewed by BI. He added that he didn't mean it in a "bad way."<br /><br />Some employees aren't buying Garman's comments that most people he had spoken to are "actually quite excited by this change," a copy of the letter and internal Slack messages viewed by BI shows.<br /><br />The letter states, "By rigidly mandating a 5-day in-office culture and telling employees who cannot or will not contribute to the company's mission in this specific way that 'there are other companies around,' you are silencing critical perspectives and damaging our future in doing so."<br /><br />Garman also said in the all-hands meeting that he hasn't seen people's ability to "really innovate" when they are not working together in person. The letter says his comments do "not align with the experiences of many employees."</p><p>One staffer wrote on an Amazon Slack channel, in messages viewed by BI, "This statement from Matt doesn't ring true with me or our teams."</p><p>Another staffer joked that Garman "ambushed- er spontaneously approached random AWS engineers" at the company's headquarters to come to the consensus that most employees he's spoken to are excited by the RTO mandate.</p><p>Garman's remarks came after Amazon said in September it would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-rto-faq-document-spells-out-new-rule-2024-9">require employees to work from the office</a> every day beginning next year. The policy is stricter than at Amazon's peer companies and, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-workers-blast-strict-rto-mandate-five-days-week-2024-9">by some accounts</a>, stricter than Amazon's office work policy before the pandemic. Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/ceo-andy-jassy-latest-update-on-amazon-return-to-office-manager-team-ratio">in a memo announcing the new mandate,</a> said that the company had made the decision to "further strengthen" its culture and teams.</p><p>Amazon had 1.5 million employees in 2023, most of whom work in warehouses. There are more than 30,000 employees in the internal Slack channel where the letter originated. The letter has been signed by 523 staff from Amazon and AWS, with 172 of those including their names.</p><p>In response to a request for comment about the letter, Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan told BI the company is offering resources to employees depending on their location, including elder care, pet sitters, caregiver referral services, and commuter benefits.</p><p>Read a full copy of the open letter below:</p><br /><span>Not only are these comments inconsistent with the experiences of many employees, they indicate an outright abdication of AWS' role as one of the world's most innovative companies and a leader in our industry. By making these statements, you are continuing and compounding a trend by Amazon's S-team of misrepresenting the realities of working at Amazon and the impact this mandate will have on the company and, by extension, its customers.</span><br /><span>Amazon claims to be a data-driven company, and statements which rely on "we believe" and "I feel," or exclaim how many people are excited about something to justify themselves fail to achieve our standard of decision making for critical issues that impact hundreds of thousands of the company's employees and its customers. Your statements indicate that either you have not collected enough data to support your position but are moving ahead anyways, or you have seen the data which indicates otherwise and are choosing to ignore it, or you have motivations to support this policy which you are not being forthcoming about with those it impacts. All of these possibilities break the trust of your employees who have not only personal experience that shows the benefits of remote work, but have seen the extensive data which supports that experience.</span><br /><span>Data from independent research has shown time and time again that companies which embrace flexible in-office policies allow a more diverse set of workers to sustainably and effectively contribute to the shared goals of businesses like ours. If being inclusive and understanding of employees' personal working styles and circumstances isn't enough to justify why this is the right approach for us to take, research is clear that diverse perspectives lead to more innovation, productivity, and resilience. This diversity in backgrounds, locations, and working styles is essential to AWS' ability to hire and retain exceptional talent and remain a market leader and innovator in the future.</span><br /><span>By rigidly mandating a 5-day in-office culture and telling employees who cannot or will not contribute to the company's mission in this specific way that "there are other companies around," you are silencing critical perspectives and damaging our culture and our future in doing so. Moreover, this does not uphold Amazon's espoused "Strive to be Earth's Best Employer" leadership principle, especially for select and protected groups who have sought a safer, more inclusive, and healthier work environment and are disproportionately impacted by these policies. These groups include but are not limited to working parents (especially those with young children), employees who are neurodiverse or have disabilities or disorders, workers with caretaking responsibilities, and workers on a visa who have no choice but to comply or risk having to leave their home by quitting.</span><br /><span>While your remarks focus on some of the benefits you perceive in in-person collaboration, they fail to even acknowledge the significant challenges it presents to these valued workers who have often overcome adversity at every level in order to contribute to Amazon's mission. In order to highlight these challenges, we have included a selection of anonymous stories from Amazon employees about the impact Amazon's 3-day in-office policy has already had on their life and work with this letter. In addition, studies show that Return To Office mandates tend to push out more senior and tenured employees across the board , who may be best poised to participate in and give insight into these white-boarding and brainstorming sessions you refer to, while hurting the morale of those who stay.</span><br /><span>You have not addressed these issues nor presented any solution to them while touting the new and even more impactful 5-day policy. We do not accept this from our leaders. We see and value contributions from workers of these groups every day, and will not stand silently by while you dismiss their humanity and trivialize their impact.</span><br /><span>Our time working remotely during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic proved that we are effective, creative, and successful without being primarily in-person, and to take no lessons from that experience would be extremely disappointing, because Amazon is and always will be a global company. We will always collaborate with teams and stakeholders in different physical locations, countries, and timezones where the primary, and potentially only, interaction is virtual. We have tools and approaches to do this effectively which are not novel or difficult to use. On the contrary, pushing for more time in-office will harm these countless cross-regional interactions as there will be significantly fewer overlapping working hours between collaborators. This can lead to meetings that might have been done by videoconferencing now taking place via asynchronous mechanisms like email, which slows the velocity of decision-making from minutes to hours or days.</span><br /><span>Finally, by taking this action, AWS is not living up to its full potential and is creating a bleak outlook for its future. While it is absolutely true that there are challenges with flexible and remote work, we have always been a company that solves problems in new, exciting, and innovative ways, rather than relying on antiquated approaches that happened to work well some time in the past. The cloud computing industry that we now base our work and livelihoods on might not exist today if we had adhered to that restrictive thinking in our early days.</span><br /><span>Given the scale of the problems we tackle across a workforce which is distributed all over the world, we are not content with relying on spontaneous in-office conversations to make progress and drive new ideas. We are instructed to collect, interpret, and act on data and invent new mechanisms to affect the outcomes we want to see, not to sit back and hope good things happen. We worry that when customers see us encounter a true challenge and refuse to solve problems that stand in the way of embracing it, they will rightly lose trust in AWS' ability to innovate.</span><br /><span>For these reasons we urge you to reconsider your comments and your position on the proposed 5-day in-office mandate. Remote and flexible work is an opportunity for Amazon to take the lead, not a threat. We want to work for a company and for leaders that</span><br /><span>recognize and seize this moment to challenge us to reinvent how we work.</span><br /><span>Respectfully signed by 523 Amazonians, 172 of whom have elected to include their name below.</span><strong>Editor's note: BI has removed the names of the employees who signed the letter to protect their privacy.</strong></blockquote><p><strong><em>Are you a tech-industry employee or someone else with insight to share?</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Contact the reporters, Jyoti Mann and Ashley Stewart, via the encrypted messaging app Signal at jyotimann.11 or +1-425-344-8242. Email them at jmann@businessinsider.com and astewart@businessinsider.com. Use a nonwork device.</em></strong></p>

Read the letter sent to AWS CEO Matt Garman, signed by 500 employees, protesting his RTO comments

<keyword id="19909056" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mamata-Banerjee" source="keywords">Mamata Banerjee</keyword>, the <keyword id="19924917" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Minister" source="keywords">Chief Minister</keyword> of <keyword id="19896517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal" source="keywords">West Bengal</keyword> and leader of the <keyword id="19968095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trinamool-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Trinamool Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Trinamool Congress">Trinamool Congress</keyword> (TMC), has been a dominant force in the state's politics for over a decade. Recently, she offered to resign amidst the ongoing <keyword id="23154517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="R-G-Kar-Hospital-protests" source="keywords">R.G. Kar Hospital protests</keyword>, where junior doctors have been on strike demanding justice for a murdered colleague. While Banerjee’s offer to step down seems more symbolic, aimed at quelling tensions, it raises important questions about what would happen if she were to actually resign as Chief Minister.<br /><br />Here’s a detailed breakdown of the process and its implications for West Bengal:<br /><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:16pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">1. Resignation</h3>If Mamata Banerjee were to formally submit her resignation, the process would begin with her presenting a written resignation letter to the <keyword id="23154515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Governor-of-West-Bengal" source="keywords">Governor of West Bengal</keyword>. This is the standard protocol for any Chief Minister in India. The resignation is at the discretion of the Governor, who typically accepts it unless there is a compelling reason not to.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113307547" title="West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee offers to resign after agitating doctors refuse to meet without live streaming" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Once the resignation is accepted, Banerjee would cease to be the CM immediately. However, the Governor might request her to continue as a caretaker CM until a new government is formed. In this role, Banerjee would oversee a temporary government with limited powers, unable to make significant policy decisions or pass new laws.<br /><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:16pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">2. Election of a new leader</h3>Mamata Banerjee’s resignation would leave a significant leadership vacuum within the Trinamool Congress, which currently has a strong majority in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Given her deep-rooted influence over the party, it’s likely that the TMC would convene an emergency meeting to elect a new leader.<br /><br />Banerjee’s close associates, such as her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, could be contenders for the CM post. Alternatively, the party could look for a senior and experienced leader to stabilise the situation until the next elections. However, given Banerjee’s control over the party, she may still wield significant influence from behind the scenes, even if she officially steps down.<br /><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:16pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">3. Role of the Governor</h3>In the absence of a clear successor, the Governor plays a key role. The Governor might invite the TMC to form the government again by electing a new leader, but if the party fails to show a majority or experiences factionalism, the Governor could explore other options. This could include inviting the opposition to form the government if they demonstrate the numbers, or even recommending <keyword id="23154516" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Presidents-Rule" source="keywords">President’s Rule</keyword> in the state under Article 356 of the Indian Constitution, where the central government takes over the state's administration.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112644728" title="Bengal in state of flux, people lost faith in present government: Governor CV Ananda Bose" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h3>4. <keyword id="20554823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vote-of-confidence" source="keywords">Vote of confidence</keyword></h3>Once a new leader is chosen by the TMC, they will be sworn in as the next Chief Minister. However, they would need to prove their majority on the floor of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. This process, known as a vote of confidence, is crucial in determining whether the new CM has the support of the majority of the legislators. If the party remains united, this step should be straightforward.<br /><br />However, in the event of internal splits within the TMC or if Banerjee’s resignation triggers political instability, the new leader may struggle to secure the necessary support, potentially leading to fresh elections.<br /><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:16pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">5. Impact on West Bengal’s <keyword id="20142886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="political-landscape" source="keywords">political landscape</keyword></h3>Mamata Banerjee’s resignation would have a profound impact on the political landscape of West Bengal. She has been the face of the TMC and has led the party to consecutive electoral victories, defeating formidable opponents like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Her departure from the top post could trigger a realignment within the state’s political sphere.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113087561" title="Calcutta High Court seeks CBI report on nasty social media posts on RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>If Banerjee were to leave active politics, it could embolden opposition parties like the BJP, which has been trying to expand its footprint in the state. Additionally, there could be a power struggle within the TMC itself, especially if no clear successor emerges.<br /><h3 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:16pt;margin-bottom:4pt;">6. President’s Rule as a last resort</h3>In an extreme scenario, where the TMC fails to elect a new leader or where political instability leads to a breakdown of governance, the Governor could recommend President’s Rule. Under this provision, the state government is suspended, and the central government takes direct control of the state’s administration. President’s Rule is generally viewed as a last resort and can be imposed if no party can form a stable government.<br /><br />However, given the TMC’s strong majority in the assembly, this is an unlikely scenario unless there is significant internal fragmentation within the party.<br /><br />In short, if Mamata Banerjee resigns, West Bengal’s political future would hinge on how swiftly a new leader is appointed by her party and how successfully they can prove majority support in the assembly. Should this process falter, the state could face either interim governance under a caretaker government or even the possibility of President’s Rule, depending on the stability of the assembly.<br />

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Goa protests: Why is an ex-RSS chief demanding to DNA test the body of a 450-year-old sacred saint?

Ankush Banerjee

Tourism in Spain is booming, despite protests that included spraying visitors with water guns

Kelsey Vlamis

Read the letter sent to AWS CEO Matt Garman, signed by 500 employees, protesting his RTO comments

Jyoti Mann,Ashley Stewart

What will happen if Mamata Banerjee actually resigns as the Chief Minister of West Bengal?

BI India Bureau

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