MyVoice: Views of our readers 14th October 2022

Feverish race to purchase votes

Twists and turns are taking place in the Munugodu bypoll campaign, with political parties offering choicest gifts in addition to cash and gold to entice and enchant the voters in their favour. Newly-wed couple are also not spared to get into corrupt coupling. Voters are now honoured as VIPs and then they will be treated with the missing letter 'I'. In this open obstreperous game plan, how and why Union government, Election Commission, and other related machinery are maintaining absolute serenity is not intelligible. Where are strict and fearless officers like TN Seshan? Remedy is not in sight.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

Ban on hijab should be lifted

We tend to agree with the view of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia that wearing the hijab is a matter of personal choice. Free citizens of a free country cannot be told what they are to wear or not to wear. By no stretch of imagination can it be said that the hijab is an immodest adjunct to the dress. The hijab is not revealing or obscene for any moral prude to raise his or her eyebrows or objection. If female Muslim students feel comfortable sporting the hijab, why discomfort them by disallowing it against their will? It is not for the lawmakers or administrators to decide if wearing the hijab is a part of the essential practice of Islamic faith or not. The right to wear a dress of one's choice cannot be made a casualty to religious intolerance.

G David Milton, Maruthancode (TN)

SC right to take up demonetisation issue

The apex court in the country initiated a welcome move on Wednesday by asking the Union government and the RBI to submit separate affidavits to it on the issue of demonetisation that was declared on November 8, 2016. The court found fault with the government as it deviated from established norm which was used in 1946 and 1978's demonetisation by using separate acts debated by Parliament whereas it was done through mere notification issued under the provision of RBI Act 1934. In fact the public must know ground reality for demonetisation as the government argued it was done to curb black money, to control financing of terrorist groups and to remove fake currency.

Pratapa Reddy Yaramala, Tiruvuru, AP

Hindi imposition unacceptable

As soon as the recommendations of Parliamentary committee on official language are released, so much of dissent has been coming out against the recommendations especially from Southern zones from CMs of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and CPI leader Sitaram Yechury. They said that Hindi cannot be imposed as main language of instruction in the higher centre of learning as the country has many languages and a single language cannot be termed as the country's language. Late Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru made a futile exercise to impose Hindi as official language, but after seeing the big protest from Tamil Nadu he had to withdraw the proposal. Sitaram Yechury, the leader of CPM, said imposing RSS vision of Hindi on India's unique and rich linguistic diversity is simply unacceptable. The previous three language formula must be continued i.e English, Hindi and local language, and teachings upto secondary level must be in local language and after that English. This is good for the country.

TSN Rao, Hyderabad

India set for population explosion

It is time to have an overall control over the population all over the world and India is not an exception to this. The focal theme is adopting family planning for keeping up the health status of mother and child's health in a big way. When the same talk is opened up in India to control less than 135 crore population there is no concurrence from the people or from the political leaders. And given the current rate of growth, the population of India is expected to surpass that of China by the year 2023, ahead of the proposed increase by 2028 year end. It is indeed a dangerous proposition.

Gundu CK Mani, Ghaziabad

Blatant majority appeasement

While in opposition the BJP had often accused Congress of minority appeasement and even now they are sparing the Congress. However now we see the PM participating in all the Hindu temple foundation or inauguration functions. He is seen openly performing all the rituals which are widely covered in all the electronic media in prime time. In personal capacity the PM has all the right to visit and participate in all temple related activities but the PM should not directly participate in temple rituals which have no official sanction as he represents all sections of people irrespective of the community they belong to.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

BMRCL to cut down 382 trees for airport metro line

Bengaluru: Days after the Karnataka High Court approved a petition by the metro authorities, the BMRCL started cutting down trees on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) between Kempapura and Hebbal for the airport metro line (Phase 2B).

In order to cut down 429 trees along the route, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had to obtain authorization. Additionally, permission was obtained last year for the felling of 1,332 trees between Kasturinagar and Kempapura.

382 of the 429 trees will be cut down, while 29 will be relocated, according to the plan made by the BMRCL and presented to the court in response to the report from the Tree Expert Committee.

K'taka Police raid residences of SDPI & PFI workers, 5 taken to custody

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police on Thursday raided the residences of the workers of the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Dakshina Kannada district.

The police took five persons into their custody for interrogation. This is the first raid on the PFI workers in the state after the imposition of ban orders. According to police, the raids were conducted in Panambur, Surathkal, Ullal and Mangaluru Rural locations.

According to sources, the police have arrested the detained persons. All persons belong to the banned PFI. The police have slapped IPC Section 121 and invoked provisions of the UAPA.

The SDPI and PFI are alleged to be involved in subversive activities and anti-national acts. The ruling BJP leaders in Karnataka have demanded the ban of both SDPI as well. The Central government had mentioned the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Kumar Nettare in Dakshina Kannada district and the proposal by the government of Karnataka to impose ban on the PFI. (IANS)