MyVoice: Views of our readers 1st January 2023

RISING Sea acidification a major issue globally

Since the start of the industrial revolution more than a century ago, human activity has led to an increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. The pH (Potential of Hydrogen) of surface sea waters has decreased by 0.1 pH units during this time. The pH scale is logarithmic, so even though this change might not seem like much, it actually represents a 30 to 40 per cent increase in acidity. The chemistry of the seawater changes when carbon dioxide is absorbed by the sea from the atmosphere. About 40 per cent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the sea. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the sea also rises as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise as a result of human activity like burning fossil fuels and altering land use.

A series of chemical reactions take place when carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater, increasing the concentration of hydrogen ions. The effects of this process on the ocean and the marine life it supports are extensive. 7 is the neutral pH on the pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14. Anything above 7 is considered basic, and anything below 7 is considered acidic. More hydrogen ions equal higher acidity and a lower pH because the pH scale is inversely proportional to the concentration of hydrogen ions.

Seawater absorbs carbon dioxide, which is present naturally in the atmosphere. Carbonic acid, a weak acid that dissolves into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions, is created when water and carbon dioxide combine. There is more carbon dioxide evaporating into the sea as a result of human-driven elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Currently, the sea globally have an average pH of 8.1 which is basic but as more carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean, the pH drops and the ocean turns more acidic. Fish, crabs, oysters, and other organisms have all perished in seawater with a lower pH over time. Shells and skeletons may even start to dissolve at too low a pH. In more acidic waters, some fish, like clownfish, have a harder time spotting predators. According to studies, larval clown fish's ability to find suitable habitat is also impacted by low pH levels.

Therefore the sincere efforts are needed to reduce sea acidification.

– VijayKumar H K, Raichur

Ads that piqued our curiosity in 2022

As we draw close to another year, let us throw light on the advertisements that we loved and those that got trolled.

Cadbury Cricket new ad had a man hitting the last ball of a match for a six and winning the match, much to the delight of his girlfriend who breaks out into an impromptu dance. In the new ad the hero turned heroine and the lady supporter turns into a boyfriend. Cadbury cleverly changed the old ad into new and made it contemporary. Cadbury new cricket new advertisement was a huge success.

Cadbury Bournvita Forced Packs transformed the iconic Bournvita Jar, found in every household. It forced the jars to become something they weren't destined to be - a toilet cleaner jar, an egg box, tissue paper box, a glass cleaner bottle, a ketchup bottle, a soap box, a cooking oil bottle. These jars contain Bournvita powder inside them but don't look like the Bournvita Jar they were meant to be. When confronted with these strangely packaged Bournvita, the buyers were curious, and the message got registered strongly.

Kwality Walls advertisement shows a disapproving lady who is hostile to her new (may be gay/homosexual) neighbours. Her husband cajoles her to enter the neighbour's house and viola Kwality Ice-cream melts the lady and her misconceptions about same sex couple living together. There is a definite deliberate awkwardness in the advertisement. It was a deliberate attempt to hint at something "THAT ÏS DIFFERENT". So much so that even Asish Vidyarthi who plays the role of the disapproving lady's husband remarked about the awkwardness in his social media post. Dabur has shown two women (living together) fasting who see each other through a sieve! Dabur have shown Karva Chauth with a difference. Karva Chauth is a festival of wives fasting and praying for the health of the husband and they see the moon through a sieve after a day's hard fasting! The advertisement has since been withdrawal by Dabur!

So far so good. As usual it is the Hindu customs/festivals that are taking a beating.

– Dr M Anil Ramesh, Hyderabad

Too short, too far: Govt nutrition programmes

The fact that millions of people throughout the world are going hungry is really shocking. Currently, according to available data, there are 828 million hungry people on the planet. 345 million of them are experiencing famine and other severe forms of hunger. The current food crisis is the biggest in contemporary history.

It is a fact that the number of people who are truly hungry has more than doubled in recent years as a result of bad weather, armed conflict, rising food prices, the socioeconomic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and now the situation in Ukraine.

The United Nations (UN) introduced the Zero Hunger Challenge as part of the organization's strategy to eradicate hunger in 2012. The challenge highlights five Sustainable Development Goals components that, when combined, can abolish hunger. Agriculture and food systems could be drastically altered by these Zero Hunger ideas. The World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations continues to discover ways to provide food to tens of millions of people annually despite growing obstacles.

India has dropped from position 117 to position 120 among 193 nations, according to the 2021 Sustainable Development Report, and it faces difficulties in achieving the goals of ending world hunger, promoting health and well-being, providing access to safe drinking water.

Despite the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme's four decades of existence, the mid-day meal program's 25 years, and the more recent POSHAN Abhiyaan initiative from 2018, India still struggles with high rates of malnutrition. A comprehensive strategy and an intersectoral approach are required to address undernutrition, which is the biggest challenge.

– Dr Krishna Kumar Vepakomma, Hyderabad

An epitome of simplicity, hard work & high values

The writer V Ramu Sharma's write-up about Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he lost his mother was inspiring and down to earth factual. Like all mothers, Heeraba's life encompasses a range of emotions-- love, patience, penance, sacrifice and trust has a larger than life influence on Modi that helped shape his career to serve the people and the nation as chief Minister of Gujarat and later as Prime Minister of the country. In his glorious tribute to his mother, Narendra Modi stressing that despite living in poverty and deprivation, it was her endless struggles, courage, irrepressible spirit, self-confidence and boundless enthusiasm to raise the entire family from a young age that shaped his mind and personality thereby pushed him to serve the society without demanding anything in return. True to the adage "work is worship," Prime Minister within hours of her funeral returning to work epitomises a personality that nation comes first. Summing up, though Heeraba's loss leaves a void in the life of Narendra Modi, the magic of her irresistible smile full of infectious, energy and optimism till her last and blessings is certain to give enough strength and a sense of infinite possibilities to Modi to carry on his work for the benefit of all and nation at large even as her memory caresses his mind at every step.

– K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

The demise of PM Modi's mother is nationally noticed loss on account of inherent reasons. Centenarian mother's departure is aptly qualified by him as a glorious century rests at the feet of God. On account of her inherent characteristic qualities of simplicity or commitment to ideal virtues she personified as ideal Indian motherhood. She is indeed highly lucky in getting a distinguished son like PM Modi who is instrumental presently is ideally ruling our grand country

– Jayashree Thampi,Thiruvananthapuram

Alas! At the ripe old age of 100, Heraben, the most venerated mother of Narendra Modiji, reached God's abode. She is a symbol of true Karmayogi and quintessential spiritual person and deeply religious and spent her last days worshipping god and immersed in japam. Hence she attained moksha/salvation. In the early stage of her life, she struggled a lot to bring up her big family. The importance of hard and the values she taught to her son Narendra Modi shaped him as perfect human being that finally led him to occupy the pivotal position. Despite being the proud mother of one of the most powerful national and international figures, she preferred staying with her young son in her native place. The personal intimate bond of relation between mother and son is worth emulation by the present generations. In her presence the mighty Narendra Modi turns so humble and sought her blessings on many occasions. However great one may be, a son is always a doting figure to mother.

– Rama Krishna M, Kakinada

Lessons from death

Everything in nature teaches us some lesson. Our birth and death are no exception. Many celebrities passed away in the year 2022. About thirty celebrities in different fields breathed their last in India and a majority of them were from both the Bollywood and the Tollywood. Of course the mother of PM Modi who died on 30th December was a celebrity in her own right.

All the celebrities who left us behind played their roles well. They used their knowledge, talent, wealth and social status for the benefit and well-being of the people at large. They made lots of name and money but, alas, when the "Inevitable hour" came, they departed, leaving everything behind.

When people die, the lesson for their kith and kin is to step into the shoes of the dead to realize their unfulfilled dreams and complete the work unfinished. According to Modi, his unlettered and poor mother did all kinds of domestic jobs and hard work to run the house. He gave credit not only to his mother but to all such loving and caring mothers. This also happened in my life.

Death is a tragedy for the common man, a trade for undertakers, but a mean game for politicians! The untimely death of eight young people at a political meeting in Nellore district the other day proved this point beyond doubt. So the lesson from their death is that the government should immediately ban all political parties from holding such meetings at crowed locations in future.

– M Somasekhar Prasad, Hyderabad

Obscenity in films disturbingly on rise

Through your columns, I would like to draw the attention towards increased obscenity and objectification of women in our Films. Why can't our filmmakers make clean and good content which can be viewed by the entire family? With OTT and social media easily within reach, this kind of exposure can affect young minds and distract them. The reality is our film heroines themselves agree to do such content in the name of freedom and liberation, which otherwise are having serious ramifications.

Films are a great medium of entertainment and our filmmakers should use this medium to bring positive changes in our thinking and in our society, instead of showing obscenity on screen with scantily clad heroines. I would not hesitate to write that the kind of vulgarity and obscenity shown in our films is also one of the foremost reasons for increasing crime rates against women.

- Parimala G Tadas, Hyderabad

The call for the boycott of the upcoming film Pathan is a sign of the times. Never before has filmdom got it in the neck as now. Offence taken at Deepika Padukone wearing a saffron-hued bikini of sorts in a dance sequence in the film shows how easily the Hindutva brigade can get touchy over something they perceive to be inappropriate and insulting to the Hindu religion.

It is hard to understand how anyone can take objection to the colour of a bikini. Bikinis the world over come in many sizes, shapes and colours. The problem is not with the bikini or its colour or its wearer, but with the beholder. The far right Hindutva groups behave as if they have taken out a patent on saffron.

BJP still seems to harbour a grudge against the celebrated Bollywood actress Padukone for visiting the JNU student leaders when they came under attack by a mob. In a democracy everyone has the right to freedom of expression and choice.

– G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

Take strong action over hate speeches by BJP MP

BJP MP Sadhwi Pragya Thakur has given a controversial, inflammatory speech and shocking statement in Shivamogga in Karnataka, saying Hindus should sharpen their knives to defend themselves. She has urged the crowd to sharpen their vegetable knives to give a befitting response to those who dare to attack them. She urged to keep at least a vegetable knife to cut the throats and heads who indulge girls in Love Jihad. Pragya Thakur is one of the accused in the September 2008 bomb blast near a mosque in Maharashtra's Malegaon that left six people dead. Previously she insulted Hemanth Karkare, who died fighting terrorists during the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, by saying her 'curse' killed Hemanth Karkare.

The BJP MP said over the controversy surrounding film "Pathan" row that people should kick Sharukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the stomach, destroy their businesses and never watch any of their films. She said that Muslims and athiests speak against Hindu Gods and how can anyone tolerate them.. Further in a statement she said Nathuram Godse is a real patriot. PM Narendra Modi intervened in the matter and said that remarks made by Pragya are in bad taste and are very wrong for the society.

She is a repeated hate monger. Supreme Court has said that police should act suo motu in hate speeches and take action immediately. Enough is enough government and Supreme Court should take strict action on all hate mongers.

– Zeeshaan, Kazipet

Prohibition not practical in India

Bihar witnessed several incidents of death due to unbridled supply of illicit liquor in the state; cries for removal of liquor ban, even as the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar calls it as propaganda, to be far removed from realities.

It is definitely time to take a serious relook at the liquor policy prevailing in Bihar in terms of revocation, towing to peoples' aspiration who want liquor to be available without hassles and restrictions in the state. The illegal hooch laced with chemicals and lethal toxic substances is routinely claiming lives of people in different parts of the state as branded liquor is freely available in the state, available from the neighbouring states that are wet to the hilt. It is interesting that many lawmakers and the vast majority of police forces in Bihar are addicted to liquor. With liquor ban revoked, the state will enjoy some sense of freedom and relief not depending on the killer brew. It is said that even the NHRC team feel unsafe for want of police protection.

It is abundantly clear that prohibition will not work in India. For some states like Kerala, liquor sale is a sole revenue earner. Telangana expects a revenue of 1000 crores in the wake of New Year revelry. A stage has come for manual workers to have liquor akin to morning coffee and tea.

CM Nitish Kumar must surely have a logical rethinking on the prohibition policy prevailing in Bihar though he was a supporter of the prohibition earlier. But, there is no loss of face, if he revokes the liquor ban in the state as commonsense and public demand dictate. This must serve as an eye-opener to Gujarat too, to think in these lines, sooner than later.

– S Lakshmi, Hyderabad