MyVoice: Views of our readers 20th November 2023

BJP, an also-ran in Telangana battle

The ruling party at the Centre in a bid to capture Telangana State for the first time, has come out with a poll manifesto that tries to polarise Hindu votes by scrapping 4% Muslim quota. According to media reports in general, the BJP is in the ‘race’ only to split anti-incumbency votes and thus help the ruling BRS retain power in Telangana. After the sudden and unexpected change of guard in TS from Bandi Sanjay (BC) to Kishan Reddy (OC), the BJP has apparently become an also-ran political party in that State, as the fight is mainly between BRS and Congress, with the latter getting tacit support from a strong section of TDP. As such BJP’s manifesto would have no impact on the outcome of the poll results in Telangana, it is BRS or otherwise Congress might scrape through.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada

Jail for life is alternative to death

Abolition of death sentence is always a hot topic to be discussed and so far there is no concrete opinion or argument to abolish death penalty till now. It is to be noted that no judgement even in a rape case or a theft case or a murder case, deterrent effect is not there and the accused immediately after coming out from jail or after completion of the sentence resumes his job in the respective field. For example the death penalty for a rape case did not stop rape cases. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has defined life imprisonment as a term for the remainder of one’s natural life, and this should be the default alternative for death sentence. Again the question of remission comes. Remission should be a humanitarian act and never a source for political controversy.

TSN Rao, Hyderabad

Railways incriminate migrants

This is very unfortunate that Railways did no special efforts to streamline its working in the times of ‘Chatt Puja’ celebrations, knowing well that lakhs of migrants will have to reach their homes back in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Trains running late, cancelled, diverted uninformedly gave horrendous times to these folks as if they were children of lesser gods. When shall the sheen of so called developmental sheen touch these poor of the nation? Will the central Railway Minister explain the inefficiency?

Brij Bhushan Goyal, Ludhiana

Polls: It’s time for tongue lashing

With the election season on, it’s time for abuses. And there are abuses galore. Both sides give as much as they get. And some of them are delightful. If you have “Moorkhon Ke Sardar,” you have a counter of “Jhooton Ke Sardar”. And if you have a jibe about short in stature but tall in arrogance, a great comeback from the insulted party. What is interesting is that the Congress party keeps cribbing about the Prime Minister’s retorts, the BJP party merrily goes about its business of campaigning and waiting for the next sly comment from the Cong to retort. We certainly get to improve our vocabulary. Perhaps, one day I will compile all the great abuses hurled during elections. It would make for a great reading.

M R Jayanthy, Trichy

Let Diwali be dazzling, not ear-splitting

This refers to the article, ‘The dazzling spell of lights’, Diwali is now no longer confined to the Hindus or India but has spread all over the world. There is now a cultural osmosis in the celebrations of all the world’s festivals. Top leaders of the western world have begun celebrating it without any reservations. With increasing numbers of Indians living abroad, this was bound to happen. Nobody objects to the lights of Diwali. It is only the sounds that get the goat of many. And why don’t someone who has been startled out of deep slumber by the ear-splitting sounds of a high decibel cracker cannot be hoped to look kindly upon the perpetrators of the act. Light has often been used as a metaphor for enlightenment.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Hyderabad the best city in India

The claim of BRS working president K Taraka Rama Rao that Hyderabad equals New York is partially true. Hyderabad surely progressed with more flyovers, metro and better infrastructure. But all this at the cost of borrowed funds, and the future generation will have to face the brunt of it. Of course, compared to other places in India, Hyderabad is the best. If economy does not grow in GDP, the return of loan will be an illusion.

P R Ravinder, Hyderabad