MyVoice: Views of our readers 1st September 2024

Govts’ role in Telugu promotion is crucial

The writer V Ramu Sarma in the Bold Talk analysing at length and bringing to light about the youth of today feeling pride in studying in English medium schools and giving more weightage to learning English than giving his/her mother tongue the due is absolutely right. Due to this, the study of Telugu language was neglected by successive governments including the present ones in the two Telugu states. Telugu is held in high esteem by foreigners for its sweetness in every breath. What is more shocking and surprising is that even the opposition never raises its voice when Telugu stands neglected. In fact, all regional languages in their respective states of origin in India face the same fate with no effort made by the governments to project the importance of mother tongue to the people. Knowing fully well that the practical way to express correctly and fluently is only through mother tongue, it is imperative that one must develop passion to learn and master Telugu, because it is passion, the fuel that lights the fire of life. It is time AP and Telangana governments accord prominence to Telugu, the native language, by making it mandatory keeping in mind that "Telugu is the dear child of great kings who not only held sway over the language but guarded it zealously and patronised to every extent so that the layers of sweetness in its words spread its fragrance forever.”

–K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

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Sub: Declining patronisation for Telugu – Bold Talk – V Ramu Sarma. (August 31, 2024). If the conduct of Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam event was lackadaisical and less involving the literate, it tells upon the inefficiency on the part of the I&PR departments in mobilising the talented and erudite ones to be part of the show in uplifting and supporting Telugu language, without any political or personal agenda being played out. The lack of needed support to the language is mainly owing to mediocre officials at the helm who have no creative and innovative thinking in meaningfully promoting the language. This has been the story during the “World Telugu Sabha” decades ago, under the leadership of the then CM Jalagam Vengal Rao, at LB Stadium. It is true that Telugu literature has witnessed the presence and contribution of great stalwarts like Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy Pantulu. There have been many others who truly contributed to Telugu literature, in tune with the times and trends. The great poet of Tamil Bharathiyar appreciated the sweetness of Telugu, without any bias to his native tongue. Telugu is undoubtedly a classical Indian language, to be the fourth largest spoken language in the country; and its importance and significance will not diminish as the Teluguites are self-respecting individuals who continue to believe talking in Telugu wherever they are – inevitably words like “mom, Dad” have crept in the spoken Telugu, these days being seen as a creative angle to the language.

Surely, it becomes the duty of the government in place to meaningfully promote the language, with the quality and grammar not being compromised, with the advice and support of inclusion of stalwarts lest the coming generations may look askance when great names in the Telugu literature are put before them.

– S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

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Thousands of students who studied in Telugu medium in villages are spread across the globe. Our both states Chief Ministers talk in fluent Telugu with confidence and usable knowledge. In Andhra Pradesh there are approximately 62,000 schools and TS there are 40,000. But the trend for the last few years has been growing shift to English medium.

As a result, Telugu writing and reading students number is diminishing in our Telugu states. So, all the students shall be encouraged to study in Telugu medium. Thousands of Telugus are shining in various jobs. But they never ignore Telugu as and when it is needed. Even our retired Chief Justice NV Ramana once in SC explained to a Telugu couple in Telugu about their legal case, when they could not understand other languages. Even in US Embassy in Hyderabad, they have Telugu speaking employees to translate questions asked by visa examiners in English. Requesting our both Telugu states Chief Ministers to appoint more Telugu teaching teachers in all the schools. They should encourage use of Telugu language!

–G Murali Mohan Rao, Secunderabad

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Patriotism for Telugu culture and language may have declined due to various factors, including as people move to cities and adopt global cultures, regional identities may fade. Political changes and shifting priorities may have reduced emphasis on regional identity.

Modernization and changing values may lead to a decline in cultural traditions. Younger generations may prefer speaking other languages like English or Hindi. Telugu language and culture should be be adequately incorporated into the education system.

–Raju Kolluru, Kakinada

Protection of water bodies must continue earnestly

It is really a good initiative and move to protect lakes FTL (full tank level) and buffer zones in Hyderabad. If the government is serious, it should continue the operation as it was done in the case of the N-Convention, as proved in a short time by the seriousness and commitment of Revanth Reddy by appointing a sincere officer like Ranganath as HYDRA Commissioner. The city cannot withstand even 2 cm of rain as most of the lakes have been occupied and structures laid on nalas and in buffer zones. We need to protect our lakes for our future generations. It’s the responsibility of the government and the politicians.

–Kanagiri SN Prasad, Hyderabad

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The real estate boom in Hyderabad has come to a sudden halt due to the HYDRA bulldozer threat, leaving lakhs of flat buyers in a state of anxiety. These buyers, who have invested heavily by taking bank loans, are facing sleepless nights due to the fear of Full Tank Level (FTL) threat. To infuse confidence in the market, the government should: Clarify the areas that come under FTL and those that are safe for investment; Introduce a policy or scheme to protect the interests of existing and future buyers; Provide a clear demarcation of zones where construction is allowed and where it's restricted.

Furthermore, as hundreds of petitions have already been filed in the Telangana High Court seeking stay, injunction, and direction, it is imperative that the government takes proactive measures to address the issue. Not every affected person can approach the court, hence the government should formulate rules and regulations, issue dos and don'ts and provide clear guidelines. This will not only alleviate the concerns of flat-buyers but also save valuable judiciary time. To further address the concerns and clear doubts, HYDRA chief Mr. Ranganatha should consider hosting an Open House debate.

– Ganti Venkata Sudhir, Secunderabad

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Hyderabad once had several beautiful lakes. Today, the water bodies are either highly polluted due to civic apathy or the area around the lakes was grabbed, giving way to multi-storeyed buildings and apartments. GHMC authorities are in connivance with unscrupulous builders. As a result, our water bodies have been encroached and are on the verge of an irreversible ecological damage, causing environmental and water pollution. Not only this, domestic and industrial sewage is also being released into these lakes, thus threatening flora and fauna. The biological oxygen demand of our lakes is decreasing and this is turning our lakes into a bed of weeds. GHMC's indifference towards protecting our natural water bodies is indeed concerning. There is every need for us to save our water bodies and preserve our biodiversity. The demolition drive by HYDRA may not be sufficient. We need a tough stand against these land sharks, who are responsible for the shrinking of our lakes and turning our beautiful city into a concrete jungle.

– Parimala G Tadas, Hyderabad

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It is great news that the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Authority, (HYDRA) would be given more teeth in terms of sweeping powers in the removal of illegal encroachments and structures on ponds, lakes, parks and government owned lands.

This is a brave initiative by the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy that has been pending for long which led to flooding of several parts of the twin cities during the monsoon. Though the BRS contemplated such a step, they could not know where to begin. Let us hope the Musi River cleaning would be accomplished as a result; and the officials who had given permission to these illegal structures would be taken to task and punished.

– K R Parvathy, Mysuru

Skeletons tumble out of Mollywood cupboard

This refers to editorial "Me Too Movement resurging: Will it fizzle out?" (August 29). The very first answer is 'NO'. Why? Since the days of yore, Me Too and casting couch incidents are a recurring problem despite arrests, punishments and warnings by governments. Women always try to be attractive in appearance with minimum dress and exposure that often leads men to involve in unsocial activities. Cine field is known for unlawful relations for getting roles in movies. Some lady artistes used to reveal facts how and why they had to yield to pressures. However, only two options are left for Mollywood, Bollywood or any wood. One is acceptance and the second one is to get away from the field.

– Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

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Many skeletons have been tumbling out of the Mollywood Shelf since the tabling of Hema Commission Report, shocking thousands of fans about their idols on silver screen. Though the report alludes to odds faced by women viz., pay disparity, and women-unfriendly working conditions in Malayalam film industry, one of the most respected in India, attention has been hijacked by charges of sexual misconduct by film personalities toward women colleagues, akin to #Me Too movement. The issue of sexual misconduct has overshadowed other equally important issues aided by the press, which poured oil into the fire, derailing the purpose of the Commission report. Other issues must also be addressed with equal seriousness to churn the slime out of Mollywood. Simultaneously, those blamed of sexual misconduct must demit all official posts, however ‘mighty.’ including an MLA of the ruling front till investigations prove or disprove accusations.

–Dr George Jacob, Kochi

Best is yet to come?

Reeling out exaggerated figures and claims of technological or digital growth won't change the ground level situation. We have seen several worst situations in the country during the past 10 years including the poor handling of the second and 'deadly' phase of Covid-19. Yet, PM Modi exhibits guts to state that the best is yet to come. During his first two terms we have seen the rich getting richer whereas the poor were told to be satisfied with some freebies but not permanent employment measures. If there is a phenomenal growth in startups, it helped the rich and the educated, while the good majority of uneducated or under educated or semiskilled or unskilled youth of the country are yet to find ways and means for regular employment that gives a steady monthly income to sustain his or her family. What the nation needs is real ground level action to deliver electoral promises, not political rhetoric which is of no use. Hindutva alone cannot sustain NDA for long. Modi had absolute majority for himself (BJP) during 2014-2024, yet his performance was below par and that was why this time (3rd term) he is on two most unreliable crutches (TDP & JD-U) because of which he has to appease his partners in NDA at every step. What better could be expected of him under the present uncertain conditions?

– Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada

UPS doesn’t protect retirees’ interests

Even the colonial rulers, under whom we had to live like slaves, had recognised the need for caring for those who have served as inevitable tools in the administrative set-up of the government and offered pension as a third benefit till the employee's death and even to his dependent wife after his demise. Such a scheme, recognised as a necessary social security for the superannuated employees, is arbitrarily removed, under the dictates of the lending agencies, and a contributory pension scheme (CPS) that resembles just recurring deposit has been imposed by the ruling dispensation as a display of its anti-working class policy. The intensity of the outrage and the voice of the victims could be understood only by losing a comfortable margin in the elections. The government which was conveying its firm and empathetic ‘no’ to the demands of the employees for restoring Old Pension Scheme (OPS) had to retreat and as a face saver introduce a new scheme as Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). This scheme is not comparable with the OPS but has a few clauses that make it better than the earlier Contributory Pension Scheme. This is launched with an expectation of the employees rushing to accept this offer. But the demand of the employees is for restoring the OPS. In spite of the UPS offering assured minimum pension,assured minimum family pension, assured lump sum offer and assured inflation indexation employees are not inclined to accept this UPS offered by the government. The irritation of the employees mounted as the government decided to keep a portion of the fund in the stock market where the returns are unable to be assured by anyone including the operator and the government is not able to compensate in case of any eventual loss. This act of the government is uncalled for as the corporate may gain a good source of funds from the contributing employees without any guarantee for returns, reminiscent of the saying, 'Robbing Peter to pay Paul'.

– A G Rajmohan, Anantapur

How many wake-up calls does the nation need? 

People are very proud to say that they are living in the era of advanced technology. But they should know that technology is a boon as well as a curse, if it is not in the safe hands. Of late unsavory incidents have been taking place one after the other across the nation, which are ranging from rape and murder of a young doctor at MG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, raping of two minor girls in Maharashtra and such other incidents elsewhere in the country. The incident at Seshadri Rao Gudlavalleru Engineering College at Gudlavalleru in Krishna district has disturbed the minds of girls as well as women across the state. Nearly 300 videos of girls allegedly captured through secret cams in rest room are said to be doing the rounds. Under these circumstances, it seems there is no safe place for women anywhere. Wherever these things come to light, speedy investigation and swift action against the culprits may act as deterrent.

Pratapa Reddy Y, Tiruvuru, NTR dt, AP

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Like any other parents we would like to condemn strongly of the incident, considering it a serious violation of privacy and trust. Such an incident having occurred in an educational institution, we all demand for a thorough investigation, punishment for the culprits, and measures to prevent such incidents. It is very sad that such atrocities occur in educational institutions, which are expected to be safe spaces. It smeared apprehension among students and parents about the safety of girls in educational institutions. Expectations are there that the college administration and authorities take responsibility for the incident and ensure measures to prevent recurrence. We express empathy towards the affected students and demand support for them. This atrocity highlights the need for increased security measures and awareness about privacy and consent.

–Sridevi Tejaswini K, Kakinada

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In response to nationwide protests following the tragic killing of a medical professional in Kolkata, the West Bengal Chief Minister has been writing to the Prime Minister for enacting a new law aimed at ensuring swift and stringent action against rape. Criminal law falls under the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, allowing both state legislatures and Parliament to legislate on the subject.

Five years ago, the Andhra Pradesh Legislature passed the 'Disha Act' (Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act-2019) in response to 'Disha's' murder. This legislation inspired Maharashtra to attempt to enact the 'Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2020.' These laws are designed to expedite the investigation and judicial processes for crimes against women and children. The Disha Act also includes provisions to combat social media harassment. However, both the Disha and Shakti laws have yet to be implemented, as they are pending presidential approval.

The urgency for these laws is now clear. According to Article 200 of the Constitution, if a Governor believes that a Bill might affect the powers of the High Court, it must be referred to the President for consideration. Yet, these Bills have remained stalled in the ministries for years. Beyond the constitutional impact on High Court powers, other questions have arisen, such as the choice of names like 'Disha' and 'Shakti,' and whether the new criminal laws are sufficient. These inquiries appear to exceed the scope of Article 200.

Immediate approval of these laws is necessary, or Parliament should enact a national law, as called for by Mamata Banerjee. Implementing the Disha and Shakti laws in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra first, and then allowing other states to adopt them based on those experiences, might prove more effective than hastily passing national legislation.

– Srinivas Madhav, Hyderabad

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The honourable president's remarks on dastardly crimes against women are an eye opener to the "PM,CM & DM," the mighty triumverate of Indian governance system and to the people of India. (Enough is enough, 29 August). A glance at the NCRB data on the growing crimes and atrocities against women is heart breaking. Whether it is Kolkata, Badlapur or Farooqabad, the rape-cum-murder incidents have made all the Indians to hang their heads in shame. The need of the hour is not a blame game, but deterrent actions like castration and death penalty for rapists. The "PM, CM & DMs" should conduct vigilance meetings on monthly basis and take preventive actions.

P H Hema Sagar, Secunderabad

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As the CJI, D Y Chandrachud, put it, the nation cannot wait for another rape and murder to happen for initiating action to end sexual crimes against women. The rape and murder of the female trainee doctor in a Kolkata hospital should be a wake-up call for the whole country and galvanise it into action to prevent the recurrence of the tragedy of the kind in Kolkata anywhere in the future. We cannot be without social conscience and ordinary human feelings and be patriotic at the same time. Most disturbingly and distressingly, there is an increase in the number of reported rapes and other acts of sexual violence against girls and women in our so-called civilized society. It is evidence of lack of safety for girls in schools and women in workplaces. The enforcement of the laws against sexual crimes against women, no matter who the perpetrators or circumstances are, could send the right message that the guilty cannot escape punishment and deter potential sexual predators. Change of attitude towards women is of the utmost importance to create a social milieu in which women’s dignity is recognized by all as inviolable. Now is the time to act and ensure the safety and security of women and become a truly civilized society.

–G David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu