MyVoice: Views of our readers 19th March 2021

Dravidian drama

This has reference to the edit TN polls: A trend setter in Dravidian polls. (March 18, 2021.) A decade of rule in Tamil Nadu by AIADMK will be challenged in the upcoming elections in the state by others like DMK and minor and insignificant political groups like MNM among others. There is already a poll prediction by way of an exit poll to DMK to dominate the political scene of Tamil Nadu this time around, even though the CM dreamer M K Stalin has nothing significant to offer to the electorate of the state.

There are already raids by the IT department on various political entities in unearthing illegal cash flow and materials intended as freebies to voters. In a way Tamil Nadu voters have developed an affinity to such sops by political parties that have come to stay, without which winning an election is regarded well nigh impossible.

The AIADMK is fighting the election without Amma Jayalalithaa, which is a serious handicap to the party, while Chinnamma is a force to reckon with has been declared ineligible to contest elections for another decade, in view of her conviction and jail term endured. It is a big blow to the party in Tamil Nadu as the limelight is on a handful individuals who have yes masters without any radical initiative to woo voters .

Whether it is OPS or EPS, both have failed to carry the charisma of Amma even remotely, in being able to counter the tide of DMK. These leaders 'ability in attracting and motivating voters will be put to an enormous test in Tamil Nadu. The credibility of the BJP as its political alley will be put to an acid test.

Kamal Hasan's MNM has already become a laughing stock in the political environment of the State as Kamal has complained his proclaimed promised in his party manifesto to be copied by his political adversary DMK which gave the demand for all political to announce and release their party manifesto on same day, simultaneously to help avoid eleventh hour corrections and improvements, copying others promises to voters, if they came to power.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru

Kudos to Indian Railways!

One of the greatest Indian engineering marvels of the new millennium - the 476 metre-long steel arch, which is set to be the "world's highest" railway bridge in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, is almost ready. The arch bottom of the Chenab bridge has been completed and next the upper arch of the engineering marvel in making will be completed.

The magnificent arch bridge is part of an ambitious railway project connecting Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country Work on putting the main arch began in November 2017.

The Rs1,250-crore bridge will be 359 metres above the Chenab river bed and has a length of 1315 metres. What makes the rail line really amazing and awesome is that it is expected to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower !. It is also reported that once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China Railway officials had earlier said that this railway bridge will be able to withstand up to 8 magnitude earthquakes and high-intensity blasts.

The bridge is a vital link which will connect the rest of the nation with the Kashmir valley and boost tourism and enhance industrial set ups. This can help increase employment and help the Kashmir region rise economically.

It is really a feather in the cap of Indian railways and showcases our engineering intelligence and might to the rest of the world. The Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has rightly said that this is an infrastructural marvel and the Indian Railways is well on track to achieve another engineering milestone in world railways history. Kudos to the railways , the engineers and all those brains who worked so hard to create history.

M Pradyu, Kannur

Stop second wave of Covid-19

The almost alarming rise in daily new Covid-19 cases across multiple states - Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - indicates the prospect of the onset of a second wave. It has now become imperative that we must do all that is humanly possible to avoid it. There is not anything (or much) new to be said about how best we can act to stop the second wave. What needs to be done is known to most; still it is worth reiterating.

A three-pronged action that by and large makes the pandemic response is available for us to contain the spread of the disease. One is to follow the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour which includes maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks. It is important to wear masks properly covering the nose and mouth fully denying entry to the virus into its host - the human body. Wearing masks around the neck or up the jaw serves no purpose, though. The second is, testing, tracking and treating. RT-PCR testing needs to be scaled up to detect cases and stop transmission of the virus. The third is vaccination, of which no one can feign ignorance.

The vaccination drive should gain momentum as a people's movement. For it vaccine hesitancy that persists across the social spectrum has to go. People can be persuaded to shed vaccine hesitancy by dissemination of right information that convinces them of the safety and efficacy of vaccines and allays their fears. It is vital that adherence to safety norms, testing and vaccination must happen simultaneously for the success of the single-minded battle against the pandemic. It is important that the general population realizes that the danger posed by the coronavirus, still in circulation, is far from over. As a nation, we have to redouble our collective efforts to prevent the second peak and win the race against the pandemic.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, Kanyakumari-Dt