MyVoice: Views of our readers 21st January 2021

Stop this religious hypocrisy

There have been any number of movies in Telugu and other languages as well depicting Hindu Gods in poor light- mocking them and making fun of them. Come Vinayaka Chaviti festival, there are truckloads of cartoons poking fun at Lord Ganesha. NTR's Yamagola was a blockbuster where in Gods were continuously rebuked and mocked. Our sentiments were not hurt. On the contrary we thoroughly enjoyed such movies. It was alright if Gods were treated lightly and were made subjects of entertainment.

Of late, many, particularly the BJP cadre had become hyper-sensitive and active on anything related to God as seen in the current Tandav controversy. Police cases are filed, lot of vitriol had flowed and the producers were made to tender an apology. All hell broke loose because the actor concerned is not a Hindu, though his mother and wife are of Hindu origin. Reference is to Saif Ali Khan, Sharmila and Kareena Kapoor respectively. First of all, let us stop making fun of our Gods even for fun's sake. Other religions don't do it.

When we don't follow ourselves, why make fuss when others do. Either we stop taking these things seriously or take them up with all seriousness. In that case, all earlier movies that made fun of Gods should be banned. All said and done, the commoner remains unaffected by all the drama. It is only political devotees who are agog.

Vinay Bhushan Bhagwaty, Hyderabad

Talasani is being immature

With reference to Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav's comment praising a particular community and ignoring Gangaputra community appears as a conspiracy to isolate Gangaputra community. The comments are surprising, immature, and unexpected, an apology has no value as the damage is done. Such remarks are dangerous and leads to conflict between the communities. What is the intention is not clear of minister. There may be political milage or some type of conspiracy to remove Gangaputra community from BC-A reservation quota or alterations to it.

Gangaputra community do not have any relationship with other occupations, no lands and no relation even agriculture or Husbandry. The financial condition of the community is very poor. Many community members lost lives while catching fish and no compensation or support from successive governments. TRS government should take action on Talasani not to repeat the same, and protect the suffering community.

Deshavena Kishan Prasad Rao, Thimmapur

Dispel vaccine-related doubts

Almost all the media outlets have been carrying many stories of the worldwide vaccine rollout. Countries from the West and the East have been into the rollout process and have been dealing with all the concerns and complexities possibly involved in the vaccine procedures.

Having been coping with the COVID guidelines like wearing masks, the people are now having certain vaccine-related doubts. Who are going to benefit from the jabs? Who should get vaccinated in the first place then? Is it mandatory to do so? Simultaneously, it would be better to come up with pamphlets and pocket-sized books on the vaccines against the coronavirus covering answers to those questions mentioned - such books must be made accessible to the people in all ways possible whereas the books have that enduring attraction to get the attention of all out there.

Even then wisely speaking, the actual corona patients can better get vaccinated at first even as there should be continuation of the mask mandate for quite sometime now- as ways forward in the corona fight so to speak. Above all, the world media houses should take positive steps to dispel all the rumours and apprehensions on the corona vaccine shots. Yet again, the international community and the WHO should come forward with much more confident measures like accurate bulletins and quick references to the COVID-19 fight to name a few to say the least.

P Senthil Saravana Durai, Mumbai

Well done, LS Speaker!

Om Birla deserves the gratitude and congratulations of the people of India for doing away with the subsidies on refreshments and meals to the MPs. This has always been vulgar because while the ordinary citizens of India are paying full prices for what they eat and drink, the MPs had been getting them at a fraction of what people outside the Parliament pay. Precaution may be taken so that this good deed is not undone by the introduction of sumptuary allowance for the MPs.

Dr T Hanuman Chowdary, Secunderabad