MyVoice: Views of our readers 6th July 2021

Unity in diversity

Nothing can be happier than the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's appeal saying that development is not possible without unity in the country. His reiteration that all Indians have the same DNA and his assertion that he is not saying this as an image makeover exercise is heartening to note, notwithstanding his bitter critics taking this with a pinch of salt. So, he and his party along with BJP and their ancillaries should take upon the responsibility of disproving the opponents.

This can happen when RSS and BJP unitedly ensure over a period of time during their tenure in power the actual translation of their words into deeds. Like minded Hindus and Muslims always yearn for harmony and peace and unless they see visible and tangible action in curbing fundamentalism of all religions across all regions, they would say that this is emerging because elections in five states are fast approaching. All trouble making bodies irrespective of the religion should be reined in and only then people would enjoy harmony between various religions. Lynching, per se, is against all religions including Hindutva.

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad

Padayatra politics

THI's editorial "Padayatras to electoral victory!" (July 5) specifically stating amassing of people's mandate in elections as a result of walkathons is an indicator to grab the hearts of people. Decades ago, LK Advani's rath yatra and NTR's vigorous campaigns on his van also put them in governing seats. Today prominent political party suzerains in Telangana state are keen to stage a big walk to win sympathy waves of the public. As the proverb promotes that many cooks spoil the broth, all padayatras may not yield ambitious goals as voters are cats on the wall.

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

It's actually Kursi yatra

This refers to "Padayatra to electoral victory!" (5 July). If one goes into the history of "Padayatra"(journey on foot), it was the father of the nation who introduced the journey on foot in 1930 famously known as "Dandi Match" and then again in 1933-34 against untouchability. On both occasions, there is evidence of Gandhij journeying on foot for power or position. Post independence, Vinoba Bhave undertook a foot journey called "Bhoodan" movement. Much later though it did not look like a padayatra for power or politics, the late Chandrashekar went on a Padayatra from Kanyakumari to Raj Ghat in Delhi covering 4620 km of what he claimed to understand the problems of masses.

The Padayatra was then hijacked by politicians including late YSR who did reap political power and position. Of course, a different version of yatra was pioneered by none other than late NTR which ventured to use his old "Chevrolet" van and called "Chaitanya" yatra and then BJP leaders Advani and others aped him to go on "Rath yatra" from Somnath to Ayodhya leaving behind trial of death in many parts of India ending BJP finally sitting in power.

I think people know politicians like Bandi and Revanth. The question one should ask is why BJP and Congress leaders are undertaking the Padayatra. Will they be able to bring down the prices of essential commodities, will they provide jobs, better roads and clean drinking water. We the people don't consider this as "Padayatra" but a yatra for position. I would rather call these yatras ras al "Kursi Yatra". In this pandemic time, we want someone to conduct "Rozi Roti Yatra". Time has come for the people to boycott these "Pad-Yatras".

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad