MyVoice: Views of our readers 3rd November 2024

Bitter politics to the fore again

This refers to Ramu Sarma's Bold Talk on 'INDI bloc appears to be losing the plot" (2-11-24). Since the Parliament elections or even before, many irregularities are vividly placed before Congress and lNDI Alliance why and on what counts the parties are losing elections.

Now after experiencing unexpected debacle in Haryana, it is hoped that a thorough introspection will wake up INDI Alliance from its inactiveness. Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly elections are slated to be held in November. Unless this grand old party gives up appeasement politics to garner votes of other than Hindus, it would be difficult to reach its goals. Hindus constitute 80 per cent population and India is known as Bharat since ages. How can this party expect the majority votes of Hindus? Many stalwarts and statesmen are still in Congress. Why are they keeping quiet without advising the top brass?

– Dr N S R Murthy, Secunderabad

***

In your article you said rightly that the slogan "Batenge tho Katenge, Ek Rahoge tho Nek Rahoge" is a unique slogan which says that "United we stand, divided we fall.” But the slogan’s intention given by BJP leaders is definitely intended for Hindus only and not for all Indians. Definitely, BJP is talking of creating communal disturbances and trying to indulge in "vote Kato " programme. By giving this slogan, definitely, it is the calculated political strategy aimed to garner Hindu votes by BJP and RSS and a strategic push to consolidate the Hindu voters. The Sangh Parivar and Yogi Adityanath came up with the most popular slogan "Batenge tho Katenge” not to unite all Indians but talks about to unite Hindus only and it is to create a rift in the society to gain politically in coming elections in different states. Is the slogan for Hindus that if they are not united they will be Katenge by minorities especially Muslims? Is it not the slogan’s purpose to create fear among Hindus? The slogan is creating a false imagination of a minority attack on majority community in India.

– Zeeshan, Kazipet

***

The Maha Vikas Aghadi is almost falling apart as Maharashtra polls near. Can these political outfits form bedmates in Delhi? The Congress which leads INDIA eyes the Prime Ministerial chair, to the discomfiture of other INDIA constituents. A fractured alliance like INDIA is a poor bet to dethrone the NDA, well entrenched in power. Unadulterated commonality of policies that foster national interest, focused discipline, and cohesiveness despite differences render an alliance appealing to the electorate. Unfortunately, INDIA as of now lacks these.

–Dr. George Jacob, Kochi

***

The credibility of the INDI bloc is pathetically at a low when the Congress voice is no longer relevant among the group. This is clear in the UP bypoll as Samajwadi Party has unilaterally decided to fight all seats under SP leadership. It is clear that Congress is being is seen as a liability and deadweight by other constituents and make use of the chance to sideline Congress to an irrelevant level.

– K V Raghuram, Wayanad

***

Election promises made to the people in Karnataka, Telangana and TN remain unimplemented. This is a fraud committed on the people. The Telangana, Karnataka and TN governments are struggling to generate funds to keep the guarantees they had promised. Secondly, giving freebies to the voters is unjust and unfair. It amounts to bribing the voters. it is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Thirdly, the EC needs to be empowered to oversee if the ruling dispensation implements all the promises it made to the people during elections. Last but not the least, corruption should be eliminated from the corridors of power besides discipling our politicians.

– Sravana Ramachandran, Chennai

***

This grand old party bagged less than 100 seats in 2024 Parliament elections that works out to less than one fifth of total seats. Why hasn’t it introspected the reasons for this huge loss? Other members of this bloc seem to be uncooperative and uncompromising on certain issues like seat sharing. BJP has its loopholes, but it is united when it comes to a common decision. Telangana and Karnataka governments have Congress rule not because of Rahul Gandhi but because of its leaders Revanth Reddy, Siddaramaiah and Shiv Kumar who won over the people with their oratory skills. Congress party still exists, but its true leaders are not visible. Congress cannot come to power in 2029 also if the present scenario continues as it is.

– N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

***

The credibility of the conglomerate INDI bloc is at its low that was constituted to defeat the BJP in the 2024 general elections as chinks are appearing, and the trust levels are at their extreme low. It is as if everybody is on his own in the INDI Alliance, with Congress relegated to background.

This is apparently evident when Samajwadi Party started talking tough on seat sharing in Maharashtra, demanding five seats, in the wake of refusal it would fight in all 25 seats. There is no clue if the seat sharing formula is working as the nomination date has ended in Maharashtra. As of now, it appears to be a smooth sail for Mahayuti in Maharashtra but for some glitches in seat sharing.

As the writer has aptly pointed out, the nine bypolls in

UP, coupled with elections in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh elements on the card must serve as a litmus test for the BJP; and on the credible unity of Indians in the light of the war cry by the UP, CM Aditya Nath – ‘Batenge tho Katenge’ for the meaningful unity of the Hindu community in the country for the survival before it is too late to do anything.

– K R Parvathy, Mysuru

***

Even as the ground situation reveals that MVA has come under intense scrutiny, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urging his party to exercise caution on their campaign promises by advising to avoid making commitments that could strain the state's budget serves a shot in the arm for BJP. Apparently, in India's complex democracy, maintaining a balance is essential to prevent erosion of foundational principles of federalism, the Prime Minister Modi's quote "Ek rahenge to safe rahenge" is apt in the midst of certain forces like MVA through a disinformation campaign igniting sentiments of people to garner votes.

– K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Pollution: What is worse? Firecrackers vs. wars

Bursting of firecrackers during Diwali dramatically increase Particulate Matter of 2.5 micron size (PM2.5), for example, in Delhi, according to a study by, Airvoice, its levels could spike upto by 875%. Firecrackers also release significant amounts of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals like lead and cadmium contributing to air and soil pollution

The environmental impacts of ongoing wars/ conflicts in regions of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Ukraine are as follows. The Isreal-Gaza conflict alone had generated between 4,20,265 and 6,52,552 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the first 120 days, which is comparable to the annual emissions of several countries, as per study done by Queen Mary University, London.

Wars produce large quantities of debris and toxic waste, which contaminates soil and water, particularly depleted uranium. According to a news item, the conflict in Gaza had resulted in around 39 million tonnes of debris. Military activities release significant amounts of particulate matter and toxic gases. Militaries consume vast amounts of fossil fuels contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. The use of explosives in military operations release large quantities of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Toxicity due to use of chemical weapons and pollutants from military activities remain in environment for decades posing health risks

Bombings and military movements destroy natural habitats of animals. Wildlife is forced to leave their habitats and flee due to noise and destruction. Trees are cutdown for fuel or to clear land for military purposes leading to deforestation. Wars cause shortages and contamination of water sources. The destruction of sewage system and industrial facilities lead to environmental degradation. Firecrackers cause a sharp, temporary spike in air pollution, particularly in urban areas, while wars cause prolonged and widespread environmental damage all over the area of conflict. Both have serious health and environmental consequences, but the scale and persistence of pollution from wars are generally greater. Therefore, there should be more concern about pollution and environmental degradation due to wars/ conflicts taking place in many countries, than about the bursting of crackers during Diwali in India, particularly in Delhi.

Dr O. Prasada Rao, Hyderabad

Freedom of Press must be upheld

It is noteworthy that Washington Post has lost a chunk of subscribers since it refrained from supporting the Democrats in these Presidential Elections. I recall the indefatigable stand of Arun Shourie, the editor in chief of the Indian Express all through his stint no matter come what may. Ram, the editor in chief of the Hindu, was equal to the task and notwithstanding the repercussions he stood firmly against Rajiv Gandhi government in exposing the Bofors scandal. I am sure that the Goenkas and the Kasturi & Sons stood by their editors respectively. It is a sad state of affairs that the print and electronic media runs after the politicians elsewhere and get a remark of being a mouthpiece of the government in vogue.

The industrialists or the rich who own the print or electronic media got to stand by the ideology of the editors and be prepared to face the consequences come what may in upholding their quest to keep their esteemed readership abreast of the news and views distinctly and that is how they have won the heart of readers, over decades if not centuries, who are prime at all cost.

I appreciate that The Hans India from Hyderabad with editions elsewhere is perhaps the only English daily that has a full scape page, "Readers' Pulse" on Sunday and the esteemed readership has an ample for free expression of their views and unlike elsewhere space is not the constraint. That is the spirit of freedom of press and expression of viewership upheld one way in the Preamble of our Constitution.

–Dr T Ramadas, Visakhapatnam

Team India at crossroads

Is the current state of cricket against New Zealand a temporary blip or some deeper malaise? This is a question that is haunting the cricket lovers of India. NZ may be good competent side but by no means a great team. Batters have disappointed cricket lovers with their string of low scores and it seems like it will be the end of a long journey for some of the team’s stalwarts. The main drawback has been the selection of individuals from the IPL games instead of domestic cricket. For the T 20's, maybe, this would be alright but not for the longer formats of the game.

For Tests, we need batters who could go through the grind for long hours without losing their concentration.

The inability to face not so great spinners of the NZ made it clear that the tag 'good players of spin' no longer applies to Indian batters.

It would be a good idea to make all the test players play for a mandatory number of matches in domestic cricket to make them eligible for selection for the tests. At present there are too many contenders for a place in the Indian team. The many fast bowlers of IPL have been found wanting in the higher echelons of cricket and faded after a couple of seasons. The performance of cricketers in Australia would probably decide the fate of more than half the team that tours Australia.

– Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Real tribute to the makers of our Constitution

Dr Ambedkar is revered as the maker of our Constitution, but our rulers care least for the implementation of most essential Articles 47 & 48 about total prohibition of liquor and cow-calf & oxen slaughter. Added mania is drugs, ganja, etc. Many surveys over decades pinpointed that the libid state of persons is the main cause for all crimes and accidents. Lakhs die year after year. Many become orphans due to domestic violence. But governments controlled by liquor mafia bother least about the ill-effects; they are only interested in the income thereof. India is degenerating – particularly youth. Even high school students are getting addicted to drugs, hukka, gutka etc.

Steps must be taken to enforce total prohibition in the entire country. Even pubs and disco centres must be banned. Laws must be made stringent, with RI of minimum 10 years, confiscation of properties of all those who deal in liquor and narcotics. Corrupt police and excise cops are also responsible? One corrupt coast guard official took bribe and allowed Kasab gang to enter Mumbai which resulted in havoc of 200+ deaths, Taj hotel massacre. Not a single cine/TV artiste booked for drugs is convicted. The reason is obvious.

Only 4-5 States implemented liquor and cow slaughter ban. One cow helps to farm 30 acres, besides giving milk, which is only substitute for mother's milk. If there is a will there is a way. Income can be generated in alternative sources as some States are doing now. Hope good sense prevails on all concerned and a real tribute to makers of Constitution will be a reality.

– RSN Rao, Hyderabad

Census allows for nuanced approaches to devt

I am writing to express my thoughts on the recent article, "Census, Delimitation: Address Concerns of Southern States". As a concerned citizen from Andhra Pradesh, I appreciate your newspaper's efforts to highlight the unique challenges faced by southern states in the census and delimitation processes.

The article rightly pointed out the concerns regarding undercounting, data quality, and representation. I agree that decentralized data collection, citizen engagement, and expert committees can help address these issues. Moreover, the use of technology, such as GIS mapping and satellite imaging, can enhance accuracy.

However, I would like to emphasize the need for more nuanced solutions tailored to each southern state's specific concerns. For instance, Tamil Nadu's urbanization and migrant population require special attention. Similarly, Kerala's high population density and demographic changes necessitate targeted approaches.

I urge the government to establish a permanent Delimitation Commission to ensure periodic reviews and adjustments. This will help maintain fair representation and prevent disputes.

– Raju Kolluru, Kakinada

Definer of Indian fashion

Seldom does a fashion designer break the chimera of a fascinating world swirling in stardust. But Rohit Bal, the definer of Indian fashion as we know it today, was aware of its fragility. Most importantly, he knew that fashion had to become the common man’s language if it had to make business sense. His inspiration often came from how ordinary people dressed and how he could take his design sensibility to them. He knew how to break the ice, spending hours sitting on the floor, watching the weaver work on his loom in the alleys of Varanasi. He loved the chinar tree, his place of solace. He believed in Kashmiri Yat but never overplayed his Kashmiri identity. Yet, his work is heavily influenced by poetry, folklore, carpet weavers. And he loved and served Kashmiri food at home.

A lover of India’s craftsmanship (his Defence Colony apartment was crammed with antiques), Bal would invest himself heavily if the artistry appealed to him. He was so taken by the artisans and crystal cutters of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Central Europe that he launched a line of handcrafted crystalware, never forgetting to keep an affordable tableware range of champagne flutes, decanters and wine glasses. Some of his brand extensions, like his restaurant Veda, didn’t do too well. But that’s because his ultimate joy was sketching a design on the drawing board.

– Calicut Krishnan Ramani, Chennai

Bhai Dooj celebrates sibilings’ affection

Bhai Dooj marks culmination of 5 days of Diwali festivities. Bhai Tikka assumes importance as sisters pray for the good health of their brothers and their well-being. This too has mythological significance as brother-sister relationship is everlasting. Kheer with Kesar are offered on this day to brother by sister and in turn the brother passes on the blessings and offers a valuable gift to his sister to shower his love and affection. Diwali is not just about lighting diyas but cleaning your inner self of doubt, jealousy and spreading joy all around.

The festival is celebrated by Hindus of the Indian subcontinent, notably India and Nepal, on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar or of Shalivahan Shaka calendar month of Kartika. On Bhai Dooj, women invite their brothers home and apply 'teeka' or 'tilak' on their foreheads and offer prayers to the gods while their brothers present them with gifts in return. Another popular origin story for the festival is that Lord Krishna's sister Subhadra welcomed him with an aarti, tilak, sweets and flowers after he killed the demon king Narakasur. On the occasion of Bhai Dooj, women pray to the gods for long and prosperous lives for their brothers. It is celebrated two days after Diwali. This year, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on November 9. It is the time to renew relationship between brother and sister on the auspicious day.

–Jayavanthy Subramaniam, Mumbai