MyVoice: Views of our readers 9th February 2020

India pips Pakistan once again in propaganda war

It is indeed glad to learn that Saudi Arabia has refused to take Pak bait on Kashmir as Saudis are always wary of Pakistan's anti-India propaganda intended to malign India at the international level.

The humiliating moment came when Pakistan's effort to call an immediate meeting on Kashmir by Saudi Arabia-led Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) seemed to have not yielded desired result after Riyadh showed reluctance to the move. Meanwhile, India on Thursday reacted strongly to the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in a Pakistan-Malaysia joint statement.

It may be pertinent to note that Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey are birds of a feather and they often flock together to malign India. Their latest attempt to call an immediate meeting on Kashmir by OIC is the best example of how crooked these countries are against India.

But at the same time, India has been trying to convince to the world that Pakistan is the epicenter of global terrorism and Pakistan always wants to counter this reality by conspiring with other like-minded countries.

In the recent past, India, in a major diplomatic achievement addressed the OIC meeting Abu Dhabi for the first time. India's participation came despite strong demand by Pakistan to rescind the invitation to the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to address the grouping of the OIC , which was turned down by the host UAE, resulting in Pakistan's Foreign Minister Qureshi boycotting the plenary.

Thus, when it comes to the strategic and diplomatic level to teach Pakistan a lesson, India is second to none and India has been able to deliver the goods in an effective way.

Ministry of External affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India completely rejects the references made with respect to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India. He further said, "We once again call upon the Malaysian leadership to develop better understanding of the facts, including that Pakistan remains an epicenter of global terrorism, which continues to recruit, train, arm and finance cross-border terrorism against India."

It may be recalled that the governments of Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey had decided in October, 2019 to launch a BBC type English television channel to highlight the issues of Muslims and fight Islamophobia in the west.

What intrigues many is the paradoxical stand of Pakistan, where terrorism has deep-rooted. India has always protected the Muslims in India and always respected them outside India too.

But there are certain issues, which are exclusively the internal matters of India that these countries want to interfere in. Such meddlesome and cumbersome attitude poking around our sovereign land to see what is going on and reporting to the world in a biased manner is to be avoided by them in order to maintain good relationship with India.

Fortunately, most of the Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE etc are our best friends who can understand India and stand with India in times of adversity.

T K Nandanan, Kochi

Stringent steps help curb malpractices

Our government has taken stringent steps to avoid malpractice and mass copying incidents in class X examinations. Hats off to the government and hope that it will be implemented without any delay or exemptions. It will help the next generation surely.

Even in Intermediate, the enrolment and result percentage will be same if it is taken as a challenge.

It has become a great relief to the teachers that the result of the students will not affect the transfer points or punishments like the previous government.

The officials are also no need to put pressure on the teachers regarding result percentage. It will make the teachers to work in a free and fair environment in a dignified manner by not doing nasty works such as supplying the answers, encouraging copying in the exam hall, bits explanation, alerting the students whenever the route officers or flying squad arrives the exam centre like previous Government.

I feel the closed circuit cameras which are going to be installed in the exam centres must be thoroughly checked that they cover the entire hall including invigilators throughout the country.

Otherwise, our teachers can't change their mind with that much of easy since they were habituated to do all such type of nasty works for a long time.

Indrani Gomatam, Markapur, Prakasam Dist

India should be wary of US moves

There is no denying the fact that India's foreign policy has become complex with twists and turns off and on due to changing stance by China and similarly hostile attitude by Pakistan towards India which by and large has made matters murkier and messy.

In other words, Pakistan only tried to create problems by raking up Kashmir at every forum despite it is purely an internal matter of India. Further, Imran Khan having failed miserably requesting Trump to intervene was a blunder.

Despite this been the fact known world over, Trump expressing his desire to offer to intervene in Kashmir even after India categorically rejecting twice only shows that there is vested interest in him even when the real intent appears that US wanted to wriggle out from Afghanistan problem with the help of Pakistan.

Ironically on the other hand, Pakistan wanting to exploit Trump's weakness pressing America too often to act as a mediator in Kashmir when in fact, Trump has no business to poke his nose in a sovereign country where it has no say in the matter exposes that he is on the wrong side of the road.

Also, prior to impending visit to India in the later part of this month, Trump knowing fully well that Kashmir is an integral part of India coming out once again to offer his help in Kashmir even after been told categorically by India several times in the past that there is no need for third country intervention is laughable.

It is surprising and shocking as well why Trump is so desperate enough to involve in such a dangerous game on a policy matter knowing well that India would reject lock, stock and barrel.

In fact, keeping in mind the long term interest of both the nations, such a message from US president is not only unwarranted and uncalled for but shows lack of seriousness on a sensitive matter. It is time, US stops taking India for granted because India's development and growth trajectory has been keeping pace with the advanced nations in the world.

In short, on the eve of visit to India, Trump showing extraordinary interest to help India in Kashmir is nothing but a figment of imagination lacking any substance in it.

On the contrary, taking a cue of UNSC resolution on Kashmir, Trump would do a sea of good to India by telling Pakistan in strong terms to stop raking up the Kashmir issue after UNSC rejected Pakistan's contention as baseless and devoid of merit countless times.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Casting aspersions on Mahatma

The entire nation was terribly shocked at the most abominable remarks made by Anant Kumar Hegde, BJP M.P. from Uttara Kannada on Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian freedom-movement led by The Father of the Nation for the successful attainment of independence for the country through his potential weapons of non-violence and Satyagraha.( "Gandhi's struggle an ' adjustment' with British", THI, Feb.4).

The whole world admires Gandhiji and his principles of non-violence and Satyagraha and the way he fought against the British with the weapons of non-violence for the attainment of Indian independence and the world-leaders like Martin Luther and Mandela, inspired by Gandhiji's principles, followed his foot-steps. here is our Indian politician who has stooped to disrespect the Father of the Nation and his principles of non-violence and our glorious freedom-movement.

Hey Ram! Mahatma Gandhi has been once again assassinated. Certainly, Gandhi's soul is turning in unrest and grief in his Samadhi. Let this MP thoroughly read Gandhiji's autobiography to rid himself of his abysmal ignorance and to get enlightenment about Bapuji and our great freedom-movement.

Dr Venugopala Rao Kaki, Kakinada

Who is funding Kanhaiya Kumar?

It refers to reported attack with shoes and slippers on car-convoy of former JNUSU President and CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday in Katihar (Bihar) while the leader was going towards Bhagalpur after holding a meeting at Rajendra Stadium in Katihar. It is a matter of law and order with police looking into the matter.

But big question is how this newly emerged leader is getting funds for affording a large convoy of cars. It is a bitter fact of Indian politics that big politicians suddenly become super-rich after entering politics like several former Chief Ministers of UP and Bihar.

Income Tax department should open a well-publicised cell for keeping vigilant eye on expenses made by politicians on their political activities and accumulating assets not only on experienced and veteran politicians but also on new-emerging politicians.

Madhu Agrawal, Delhi

Medical ethics and coronavirus

People expressed a certain shock at the initial reception of the news that Chinese government sought permission of its courts to kill its citizens afflicted with coronavirus. The news turned out to be fake as expected.

But the sense of moral indignation at the grossly unethical idea of killing the patient instead of the disease is highly selective.

We are doing this unfortunately every day in contemporary society while dealing with foetuses.

Many times, in the presence of a serious anomaly or a genetic incurable condition, termination of pregnancy is an acceptable solution for medicine, society, and most organisations related to ethics and morals.

It is an irony that we are applying one set of standards to the unborn and a different set to the born. Who speaks for the silent foetuses when in all certainity, we terminate the subject when we cannot treat its disease?

This is not supporting or fighting any contemporary paradigms for the dealing of difficult diseases in the born and the unborn. But the point is, our ethical and moral standards are barely neutral and objective.

Let us not fool ourselves in believing that they are. It is purely from a human perspective.

Dr Pingali Gopal, Warangal

Do our netas need character certificates?

The edit page article "Decorum in corridors of power a far cry" by Ramu Sarma has succinctly outlined the behaviour of elected representative as those who are now entering august elected bodies have lost all the manners and the character is getting reflected inside the Parliament and Assemblies.

Are the parents over the years losing manners and character in their public behaviour that it is now getting reflected in the behaviour of their children?.

In the past we learnt good manners both at home and outside through our parents. Unfortunately this culture is slowly dying or else how can young minister and that too under working under Prime Minister Modi can extort the crowd in public meeting to shoot someone and within few days a person who has been claimed as teenager can take out country made pistol (Katta) made in UP which is under the control of another BJP Chief Minister where we are told the anti-social elements are handled with iron hand.

If this was true, how come a juvenile can get country-made pistol and shoot openly in the presence of police. What is more shocking that another person who was caught with a pistol, the father claims that he is "bhakt" and will go to any extent against those who talk anti Indian.

My question what would the father of Anurag Thakur, Prem Kumar Dhumal have to say when his son extorts his supporters to take a gun. Is this what he has taught him to behave in public?

He should rather hang his head in shame to see his son's behaviour and then claim that he never said to shoot but it was crowd. If he had good manners and behaviour, he would have stopped and asked the crowd not retort with provocative slogan.

Long back when we left our school on completion of eleventh class, apart from school leaving, date of birth certificate, we were also given "Character Certificate" which was demanded whenever someone applied for job. I think it is no longer required.

If the parents continue to neglect their own good manners, India would bound get more Anurag Thakurs and the anarchy thereafter would be difficult to control.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Women police stations welcome

The inauguration of Disha women police station is a welcome step taken by AP CM. Hats off to him for his well thought-out idea. With this, a new era is ushered in. We can expect safety and security to women.

The police station will attend to the complaints made by women with regard to eve- teasing, molestation, rape and murder. The PS should also deal with the cases of ragging. The name of Disha will become immortalised in the heart of the society.

The present society is gripped by fear and a sense insecurity in the present environment saturated with sex crimes. It is appropriate to open some more women police stations in the name of Nirbhaya.

It cannot be gainsaid that the sight of these police stations will terrorise the criminals. Let us hope our society will become crime-free.

E Sreerama Murty, Yelamanchili