MyVoice: Views of our readers 29th April 2023

At last, Delhi police vows action

At last Delhi Police has informed the Supreme Court that they would file an FIR against Indian wrestling federation chief Brij Bhushan Singh on sexual harassment charges made by players nearly after four months. The players of international fame had to protest in the streets and knock the doors of Supreme Court just to make the serious case of sexual harassment case being filed, probed and put in the natural course of delivery of justice. If the law enforcing authorities are hesitant to just register a case against an influential person who faced serious criminal allegations, what level of seriousness is expected of them in further investigation of the matter. It's unfortunate that the saying 'Law takes its own course' has become a thing of redundancy these days.

Dr DVG Sankararao, Vizianagaram

The police reluctance to act against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh proves that the government is with the WFI president and not with the players. Our PM felicitates players, takes pictures with them when they win medals, but has turned a blind eye to their plight when they are seeking justice. It seems PM's slogans " Beti Bachao, Beti Padhavo " are only a farce. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha's comments that the grapplers lacked discipline as they hit streets instead of approaching them prove that in spite of being a reputed player, she is nowhere feeling pity for the players. Usha should know that they previously also protested on the same issue at about three months ago. If players did not approach her, why didn't she approach the players and try to solve their plight? It is matter of great shame to our country that athletes are now on the road in pursuit of justice.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet

Another crusade to bring Indians home

The Afghanistan crusade wherein hundreds of Indians and other nationals were airlifted safely to their places was the most horrendous and frightening experience. While it is still fresh in memory, internal conflict in Sudan, an African undeveloped country, created turmoil and that led to evacuation by the Indian working personnel through water and air services. Happy to note that Flight Lieutenant Har Raj Kaur Boparai, the first and only woman officer of the Indian Air Force flying the C17 Globemaster, is relentlessly on the mission of Operation Kaveri.

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

Operation Ganga was an evacuation mission carried out by the Indian government to rescue its citizens stranded in neighboring countries during the 2022, which marked the repatriation of Indian students studying in Ukraine providing a chance to come back home without any casualty was a landmark achievement. Now nearly 1,000 Indian nationals have either arrived in India or are on their way under Operation Kaveri, even as the situation on the ground in Sudan remains highly volatile. There are around 3,500 Indian nationals and about 100 PIOs in Sudan.

Jayanthi Subramaniam, Mumbai

Beware of perils of Lithium mining

No doubt, the recent discovery of 5.9 million tonnes inferred resources of lithium (Li) in the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir, by the Geological Survey of India has been received as a game-changer in India's impending transition to a green economy but the environmental effect from the mining is inevitable according to environmentalist. Extracting Li entails open-pit-mining followed by roasting the ore using fossil fuels which consumes 170 cubic metres of water and releases 15 tonnes of CO2 for every tonne of Li extracted. This depletes and contaminates waterways and groundwater, diminishes biodiversity, and releases considerable air pollution. Even the Himalaya (which is the youngest mountain range in the world) becomes much more unstable. Incidents of land sinking will also be reported if mining is carried out.

Vijaykumar H K, Raichur

Congress pushing itself to precipice

The editorial quite rightly highlighted current rescue operations being undertaken by India, in bringing back Indians stranded in war-torn Sudan – employing IAF heavy lift aircraft and Indian Navy vessels from different parts of Sudan as more than 2,000 people have already been brought back to India, out of 3000 odd people who are stuck there. Strangely, there is criticism and ridicule by Congress during every such serious and vital national mission undertaken by the country. The Congress behaves as if it has no role in these national exercises of great importance, which makes it lose its credibility and reliability before the electorate of the country. Unless top leadership of the Congress precisely know what to say and when, without taking unwarranted swipes at the Centre, the party is definitely in for a free fall to be reduced to smithereens, without any political interventions whatsoever from any quarter.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru