MyVoice: Views of our readers 18th February 2021

Hans is for factual journalism

The success of any newspaper is to attract the readers with rhythmic, impressive and emphatic captions with effective print for readability. In this direction, Hans India's stately doctrine of adhering to valuable and factual journalism is wholeheartedly hailed by its followers. Compared to other print media, Hans places its readers at helm by allotting considerable space in letters column and a full page for eliciting Readers' Pulse every Sunday. Withstanding amid competitive domain, our most idolised Hans India has successfully completed one decade of its memorable existence. As an ardent reader, I wish this newspaper to travel its journey for a greater number of decades to come.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

Hans has set a benchmark

I have been an ardent reader of your newspaper, 'The Hans India,' for the last ten years. First of all, I want to congratulate The Hans India for completing 10 years of publication. I am very thankful to the management of Hans India for publishing my letters in the LETTERS column. Whenever I want to publish my letters in your newspaper column you accept it. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say a big thank you. After the coronavirus outbreak, the scenario has changed, and it affects the newspapers also. I really missed the Sunday edition of your newspaper. I request you, sir, to start the Sunday edition for the readers. Please dedicate one page to Coronavirus news and articles, one page to Tokyo Olympic games and publish latest news from new technology in IT, mobiles, electronics. Your newspaper has set a benchmark in the newspaper industry and given a fight back to all the old English dailies from Hyderabad. The time has come when your reputed daily will be No.1 largest circulated newspaper not from Hyderabad but on all India level.

Syed Nisar Mehdi, Hyderabad

Retain sedition law with riders

I feel that repealing sedition law, because it was introduced in the country by the British, had been extensively used against the patriots like Bapu and many others who were in the forefront of gaining freedom for the country from the British rule, is not a sane idea. The situation has not entirely changed after India became a democratic country to repeal Section 124A (sedition) in the IPC. There are internal and external inimical forces working against the country, in different ways to weaken and destabilise the nation. The contention by the Supreme Court is that the law could be misused will not hold water. If at all the law is misused, it will not stand scrutiny in the court of law in the country. It is very important to understand sedition law is clamped after a great deal of scrutiny and investigation against the perpetrators; and only when the authorities are convinced beyond doubt about that the candidate or the organisation is so incorrigibly anti-social and anti-national, despite several chances given for course correction and improvement are given, it is inevitable that the law is applied, otherwise this will prove to become a trend and pattern for others to play the mischief against the state, with impunity.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

II

The propriety of sedition law has in the past been questioned on various occasions. The latest is a Supreme Court's poser to the Centre. The point of the sedition law does essentially suppress free thought, free speech and free writing, all of which are unpopular with the governments. Given the statute's frequent misuse and the Parliament seemingly reluctant to revoke it, it's high time that the Apex Court struck it down on its own.

E Sethuramalingam, Kollam

Rationalise tax on fuel, LPG

Now-a-days it is made mandatory to display the price of petrol at each petrol bunk. The display depicts as follows: Basic price Rs 35-50; Tax Rs 60 comprising Central Tax at Rs 19.50 and State tax 41.55. Together with distributor commission of Rs 6.50, it adds to the total of 103.05. The tax and the distributor charges put together is almost double the price of the petrol. This is ridiculous. In spite of public protest, not reducing the tax/ price is not fair. Cooking gas costing Rs 495 is now sold at Rs 861.18. It includes central tax, central transport, state tax, state transport, dealers' commission and subsidy. Fuel and cooking gas, both are essential for public consumption. Governments should reduce the tax burden and also the pricing of these two essential consumer items without any further delay. 28% GST on ambulance purchase and 22% cess on it should be reduced to 5% and 2% keeping in mind how essential an ambulance is to public. Likewise, 18% GST on health insurance should be reduced to 5% keeping in view the importance of health insurance to public. I suggest that the government appoint an ombudsman to safeguard the interests of the public and redress their grievances.

KL Rao, Visakhapatnam

Eatala's followers in a fix

KTR's advice to Eatala Rajender to do self-introspection is apt not only from the point of what he has done to TRS party and vice versa, but also analyse whom he attacked the most when he was in the ruling party. Was it BJP or Congress? If it is BJP, he should self-introspect whether he did the right thing by joining the saffron party. He put a good number of his supporters in a quandary. There are many who feel he thought more about self than his supporters by joining BJP. He would have earned groundswell of support, if he remained independent. By joining a party, he diluted his importance and gave precedence to a party than to himself. Right now he has created hype as if he is heading to Assembly straight away. Wait and watch is the mood as of now.

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad

Will PK revive Congress fortunes?

Speculation is rife over the election strategist Prashant Kishore joining the Congress. He was previously with Nitish Kumar. He walked out because of differences. He is a failed politician too. The grand old part is in the ICU. It needs oxygen. In such a situation we have wait and see if his joining the Congress party will have any impact on fetching votes in the states and UTs that go to the polls in 2022.

Sravana Ramachandran, Chennai