MyVoice: Views of our readers 15th February 2022

KCR's tantrum highly objectionable

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's outburst against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranged from corruption, bank fraud, Covid lockdown etc. He highlighted the new-found friendship with Mamata Banerjee, Stalin and Uddhav Thackeray, who proved to be main source of his information. It was outright disgusting and unwarranted. The last straw was KCR's comment that PM Modi has gone mad and ruined the country. KCR owes an explanation to the nation, berating the PM of the country as the world countries are full of praise for PM's zeal in revamping India's economy and infrastructure on all fronts, in an effort to make the nation number one in the world. His son KTR using similar foul language against BJP is highly reprehensible.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru

Chief Minister KCR's aggressive stand on BJP by calling Modi 'mad' and the party 'Gande log' over the Hijab issues raging across the country and going further to blame Modi for all ills plaguing the nation is unacceptable. Even the opposition parties acting in similar fashion only goes to reveal that all parties are alike with politicians only bothered to win polls by hook or crook for power rathan than working hard to put an end to vortex of economic and social crisis the nation is passing through. Further, his making sarcastic comments without touching upon pressing problems is a serious matter. Therefore, it is imperative that TRS and its chief introspect seriously their own failings that resulted in growing unemployment in the state.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Hasty act harms out bioresources

The environment ministry has proposed amendments to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 through the Biological Diversity Act (Amendment) Bill 2021. The original Act laid emphasis on conservation of biodiversity and recognition of rights of communities who are protectors of biodiversity. The Amendment Bill, on the other hand, does not seem to give importance to these. As per the original Act, prior approval from the National Biodiversity Authority was required for accessing biological resources for certain categories of people and corporates but this has been done away with under the amendment, which will lead to indiscriminate exploitation of bioresources. Attempts by foreign firms to obtain patents on indigenous products in India are examples for this. The 2002 Act considers all offences against the environment criminal offences. The new Bill, on the other hand, proposes to reduce such offences to only civil offences.

Venu GS, Kollam

Threat to India's religious diversity

The hijab issue in the broader context of Hindu revivalism raises the question where we as a nation are heading and, more ominously, poses a threat to India's religious diversity. When internationally renowned linguist and civil rights defender Noam Chomsky says that "Islamophobia has taken a most lethal form in India, turning some 250 million Indian Muslims into a persecuted minority," it cannot be dismissed as something entirely without substance or as part of an 'international conspiracy' to defame India. It should make us sit up and take notice and defend India's continued existence as a secular democracy.

G David Milton, Maruthancode

The Hijab Controversy is totally unnecessary. Bringing hardcore religious practices at educational institutions should have been avoided as it simply brings divide within the pupils, teachers and staffs. Our Constitution has given equal opportunity for all in our Bharathavarsha then why this untimely controversy in the midst of pandemic times. Our Bharatavarsha believes in pure secularism which is practised by true Nationalists and it should be followed in the long run.

Sharadchandran S, New Delhi

Industrialist with 'spine'

Rahul Bajaj revolutionised two-wheeler market by making it affordable to Indian middle class families and lakhs of others involved in small businesses. He himself accepted in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah the name Rahul was suggested by none other India's first PM Nehruji. He could criticise UPA government against wrong policies and wonder whether it is possible to do the same against the BJP as environment was unsafe to do that. He was the only industrialist who had the spine. His son Rajiv Bajaj was equally forthright in views when he interacted with Rahul Gandhi, and spoke against wrong policies including Note Ban, GST, prolonged lockdown etc. May we get to see more such businessmen who can keep a check on government's wrong policies.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad