MyVoice: Views of our readers 27th January 2023

Centre's diktat is worthy of a tyranny and not a democracy

'I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it', whoever said it, sums up the true import of free speech. The Centre's diktat against the screening of the BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question" does not jibe with the famous saying. The way the Delhi police treated the students on the eve of the Republic Day is no advertisement for a true democracy cherishing free speech and free press.

The government may believe that what it is doing - asking students to see only what it wants or allows them to see – is right. But the use of force, deployment of 'rapid action force' and blackout on university campus to scuttle the screening of the documentary smacks of totalitarianism and criminalising protest is worthy of a tyranny and not a democracy. The political system that does not allow the dissemination of the findings featured in a documentary, that too by an 'internationally famous' broadcaster like the BBC, is the negation of democracy. That a documentary does not show a leader or a party in favourable right is not a good enough reason to disallow its screening.

The argument 'why screen the documentary when there were no riots during the last two decades' is specious for the simple reason that a wrong is a wrong no matter when it happened and what impact it had. We are baffled as to why the powers that be fear the 59-minute documentary on the Gujarat carnage so much if it has no basis in fact and don't put their faith in people to reject it if it is merely a 'propaganda piece'.

It is not anti-national to explore the political career of Narendra Modi vis-à-vis India's religious minorities, Muslims in particular. In all conscience, can Modi say that he did enough to stop the rioting and protect the Muslim neighbourhoods from the mob in 2002 in his home state? Truth and justice have to prevail beyond political and religious considerations.

G David Milton, Tamil Nadu

Valid point against China

It's the duty of every Indian to swap China and all trade with the country should be stopped seems to be a valid point from Arvind Kejriwal. It's true that moment, when we're celebrating 74th Republic Day, two effects are veritably important. China has been eyeing our borders for quite some time. Our military are fighting bravely on the border. While the government is duty- bound to support them, it's our duty to swap China and stop trade with it. But unfortunately, we're continuously adding our trade and making China richer. With that, the country is preparing dangerous munitions. We buy goods like shoes, Electronic goods like mobile, TV, Washing machine and even slippers, specs mattresses from China. We really need not buy these from China. All these are being manufactured in our country aswell.However, employment will also increase, If we increase our product. Crores of youth will get employment and China will learn a assignment.

VijayKumar H K, Raichur, Karnataka

Uphold sanity in relations with constitutional positions

May be KCR, the CM of Telangana, has not heard the famous Telugu cinema dialogue "Ekkada taggalo kooda telisina vade hero (The one who knows when to step back the war is the hero), or else he would not stretch his fight with the governor in to the Republic Day event. This is a day for the nation to celebrate, not for the CM and Governor. By advising the governor of the state not to be at the official function but to restrict herself to the compound of Raj Bhavan, KCR has exhibited his meanness. With the display of rivalry shown by KCR, it will become difficult for the neutrals to stand by him in his fight against the current governor. CMs and Governors are not individuals but constitutional entities and the persons holding those positions as of today are not going to permanently sit in those chairs. KCR should stop feeling that he is immortal with his chair and do whatever he wishes to do by ignoring the constitutional niceties. It is a recorded history of the deep differences between PM Jawaharlal Nehru and President Babu Rajendra Prasad, CM NTR and Governors Ram Lal and Kumud Ben Joshi. But they never degraded their positions by expressing their differences in such a manner as KCR is doing now. His refusal to receive the PM when he arrived in Telangana and the disrespect he is showing to the Governor is an indication that KCR is suffering from some political complex and it is better for him to come out of that complex and restore sanity in relations with constitutional positions.

Dr Duggaraju Srinivasa Rao, Vijayawada

II

The yearly pageant at Parade Ground in Secunderabad on Republic Day was given a go by, due to sheer, unjustifiable and irrelevant tug of war between Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the Governor of Telangana. But, CM KCR should not have allowed things to snowball to this extent warranting Telangana High Court to intervene in ensuring a status quo directing the State government to celebrate the Republic Day at Parade Grounds. The fete could not be conducted despite HC order, was confined to Raj Bhavan would show BRS in dismal light at a time when the party is attempting to go beyond Telangana borders. Such mindset and attitude by BRS will only help embolden secessionist and fundamentalist elements like AIMIM and Maoists in the state.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

Doctors witness surge in thyroid eye disease post Covid-19 pandemic

Bengaluru: Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is a complicated, inflammatory orbital disease that can have serious effects on one's vision. Because patients were unable to receive diagnoses in a timely manner due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in delayed treatment, the occurrences of TED have increased over the past two years.

Due to a genuine lack of awareness, many patients were also ignorant of the signs and complications of TED. The Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital Group has seen a 20–25% increase in TED patients during the past two years. The increase is largely due to the pandemic, as many patients delayed diagnosis and treatment for thyroid diseases, leading to uncontrolled rise in thyroid levels, said Dr. Devaraj Munikrishna, Clinical Head, Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, Rajajinagar.

"On top of that, pandemic also induced severe mental stress, which has a detrimental effect on thyroid levels in the body, further aggravating the thyroid disorders in the patients. Recent studies have indicated that COVID-19 virus may also cause thyroid dysfunction. Covid-19 virus can invade the thyroid gland and trigger the immune mechanisms. Additionally, there is also the possibility of antiviral drugs affecting the gland."

People with hyperthyroidism are more susceptible to developing TED since excessive thyroid levels are the main cause of the condition. TED is an idiopathic autoimmune condition that can permanently impair vision and lead to blindness. "In the initial stages, when a patient has symptoms of redness in the eyes; dry eyes; exposure keratopathy; incomplete closure of the lids, then in these cases ocular lubricants are prescribed. Sunglasses can be worn while going outdoors to avoid photophobia. Patients with Thyroid disorder must keep their thyroid levels under control and do a regular eye check up from an ophthalmologist. Most of the signs of TED are reversible if treated on time," he added.