MyVoice: Views of our readers 12th January 2023

A moment of great pride for Indian cinema

It is a red letter day not only for the Tollywood but also for the entire Indian film industry when a Telugu song has won our maiden Golden Globe award. Music director Keeravani richly deserves the award for his original composition of the song, "Naatu, naatu (a Telugu word for rustic or crude) from the Telugu period movie, 'RRR' directed by S S Rajamouli. One can't miss out the fact that a movie song is a product of a team work. In this particular song also many elements – a couple of young Indians dancing for a fast beat folk song against the modern background of imposing tall buildings with English audience cheering – undoubtedly contributed to its global success. Therefore the Indian government and the State governments must honour the song lyricist Chandra Bose, singer Rahul and choreographer Prem Rakshith fittingly for winning our first international laurels for a song.

M Somasekhar Prasad, Hyderabad

II

It's heartening to note that a Telugu song 'Naatu Naatu' from RRR film has bagged the prestigious Golden Globe award for original score. This is the first time for Indian song to get the award.It may help the movie to be counted seriously for Oscar too. The music director, Keeravani and the director of RRR film,Rajamouli, deserve all praise for the achievement at global level. A moment of pride for Indian cinema and moment of rejoice for cinefiles.

Dr DVG Sankararao, Vizianagaram

Don't lower guard on Covid front

It sounds heartening that China has at last opened its borders to international travel, letting its citizens breath easy for three gruelling years under a stern zero Covid policy. It may give impression that China is out of Covid woods, yet the world needs to keep its guard against any remote resurgence of the pandemic. India is yet to inoculate its own population - particularly vulnerable sections such as daily wagers and informal sector workers - fully with boosters. It needs to augment its supply of Covid vaccines by supporting indigenous vaccine makers. For a safer world, it also should, together with South Africa and others, force developed nations to ease controls over IPR rights for Covid vaccines and therapeutics.

Ajay Thyagi, Warangal

It's perform or perish for Congress in 2023

Emotions rarely win elections. Hard numbers, logic and meticulous planning do. Rahul Gandhi's apparent outreach to Opposition for forging a strong united front against the Modi juggernaut has had few takers so far. Despite winning Himachal Pradesh, his party lost in major states of Gujarat and UP. The Grand Old Party can inspire regional satraps and other party heads to join hands, only if it can score considerable success in this year's elections in Karnataka, the Hindi heartland and four Northeast states. Otherwise, it will be yet another easy comeback for Modi in 2024. Hence, Rahul must focus on strengthening party at the grassroots and talk wisely. He should perform or else it is a road to perdition.

S Seetharam, Medak

Utility of Governor system in question

Once again, the role of the Governor of a state is in the news for wrong reasons. It is for the nth time pointed out that the role of the Governor in the our country's constitutional framework needs a thorough overhaul. At the outset, the locus standi of the office itself is questionable as it remains a mere figure head with no useful purpose served at all. The past files of Governors were replete with the office of the Governor of a states acting at variance with its legislative wing. If at all any purpose is served, it is just to promote the cause of rehabilitating the ruling party's past loyalists only. It is high time that a serious thought is given to the altogether abolition of this gubernatorial post forthwith.

Seshagiri Row Karry, Hyderabad

II

The unsavoury confrontation between DMK government with Tamil Nadu Governor in the state assembly on account of deviations from the text of the speech ended in the Governor walking out. As the tensions between the DMK government and the Governor have been brewing for quite some time on one issue or the other, the lid blew after the Governor all of a sudden described him as Governor of Thamizhagam, though it is not the official name of the state. Even then the DMK cadre going hammer and tongs criticising Governor by pasting posters saying "Ravi get out" is unethical and unconstitutional. It is time the DMK government stopped this disrespectful attitude towards Governors.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

NIA arrests 2 more terror suspects

Shimoga: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two more accused in the case of experimental bomb explosion on the banks of Tunga river in Shimoga.

The arrested were identified as Majin Abdul Rahman of Thokkottu in Dakshina Kannada district and Nadeem Ahmed of Devanayakanahalli in Davanagere district. Maz Munir and Syed Yasin were appointed by the main accused Majin Abdul Rehman and Nadeem Ahmed to increase the Islamic State terrorist activities in India. NIA said in a release that the preliminary investigation revealed that a test blast was carried out on the banks of the Tunga river as part of a larger scale expansion of the conspiracy. A case was registered in Shimoga rural station on September 19, 2022 under the charge of bomb blast in Tunga shore. Later, the NIA, which registered a separate case on November 4 and started the investigation, had previously arrested four accused.

Syed Yasin, Maz Muneer, Shareek Ahmed were arrested in the case. While Yasin studied engineering in Shimoga, another Nadupadu from Konaje is doing final year M.Tech in a nearby college. It is learnt that Shariq Mahmud, a native of Tirthahalli, was working as a salesman in a cloth shop. Syed Yasin, Maz Muneer and Shariq Ahmed, who have been arrested, had done secondary PUC together at Akshara College, Shimogga.

Forest dept captures rogue pachyderm

Chamarajanagara: The forest department officials team have captured a radio-collared pachyderm which was attacking villagers and destroying crops and property during night. The officials with the help of department elephants launched combing opertion on Sunday and have finally succeeded in capturing the pachyderm in Kadakoti area of Gopalaswamy Betta Zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Tuesday.

After the farmers appealed to the Forest Department to capture and relocate the elephant on December 21, the officials obtained permission to capture the elephant. The movement of the elephant was checked and the search was expedited on January 8. The officials pressed combing operation with expert elephants Abhimanyu, Mahendra, Ganesha and Bhima of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve into service and veterinary officers Dr. Mirza Wasim, Dr. Ramesh and Dr.Mujeeb Rehman into elephant capture operation. As a result of the continuous efforts of the forest officials and staff, the elephant was safely captured by giving tranquiliser. The captured elephant with a radio collar is being shifted to Rampur breeding camp in Ainur Marigudi zone under Bandipur forest division.