MyVoice: Views of our readers 3rd May 2023

Freebies amount to bribing voters

Free milk, free rice, free gas, free millets, and what not. The freebies in the election manifestos of political parties to woo voters should have been disallowed by the Election Commission. Competitive politics are ruining the country. Is it not a corrupt practice and loot of treasury to garner votes promising something for free? In fact, it is worse than bribing. Implementation of manifesto is for 5 years that too from taxpayers money. None of the parties is promising good governance - job oriented courses, affordable health care, improving job opportunities, curbing crimes, drug free society, pollution-free air, adulteration-free food, etc. In short, parties are prepared to promise anything other than good governance.

K L Rao, Visakhapatnam

SC ruling may lead to clumsy situation

The discretionary power of courts to do away with waiting period for grant of divorce in the specific case of irretrievable marriage is a double-edged sword. The number of couples seeking separation is alarmingly on the increase. It is because of the changing times and poor upbringing by the parents on the institution of traditional marriage in our country. So, waiver of six-month waiting period means giving wings to lakhs of couples seeking divorce for clumsy reasons. Henceforth, couples, too, might use their ‘discretion’ in seeking divorce which is now made easy! Only recently I came across a study report on divorce all over the world wherein India has a healthy record of divorce rate with just one percent (perhaps thanks to the lengthy legal process) whereas Portugal stood at the top with 84% followed by Russia (73%), USA (45%), China (44%), Saudi Arabia (37%) and so on. Now with the decision of our Apex Court we will surpass all other countries within no time in divorce rate.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada

ED sheds more light on Kavitha’s scam

‘ED charge-sheets Kavitha, husband.’ (THI, May 02, 2023). This refers to the inevitable that the KCR family had feared most in Delhi liquor gate, involving the South Group, comprising MLC K Kavitha, that involves her husband Anil Kumar and close associates as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed its third charge-sheet in the Delhi Excise scandal. There is virtually no detail that is left out pertaining to Kavitha’s land deals in the wake of spilling of beans by Kavitha’s Chartered Accountant Butchi Babu; and South Group head and key accused in the Delhi Liquor Scam Arun Ramachandra Pillai, in which Kavitha allegedly provided investments to Pillai in the Indo-Spirit company which earned nearly Rs 192 crore profits in the Delhi Liquor business of which the South Group had pumped Rs100 crore as hawala money.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

Sportswomen’s helpless plea for justice

As the editorial - A moral convulsion in nation’s psyche - highlights the genuine grievances of wrestlers, every sports enthusiast and right-thinking individual feels saddened at the sight of wrestlers revolting by staging protests at the unsavoury behaviour of Brij Bhushan Singh, chief of Wrestling Federation of India towards female wrestlers. Demanding stringent action against him is just and reasonable. Notwithstanding the realities that the star wrestlers brought laurels to the nation by winning medals at international sports events including Olympics, it is sad that the attitude and conduct of self-indulgent politician at the helm has pushed the players to this unpleasant situation. It is time, before things get worse, the government must act positively and see action against the wrong-doer is initiated. The silence maintained by the government so far even as wrestlers are firm to continue till their demands are addressed goes to show that politics matters more than justice to sportspersons.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Sickening politics behind convicts’ release

The premature release from prison of gangster politician Anand Mohan Singh, convicted of killing Dalit IAS officer G Krishnaiah in 1994, is hoped to prove beneficial for the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar. However, it may not be the case. Similarly, release of rapists of Bilkis Bano in Gujarat does not show BJP in glorious light either.

The releases are all apparently aimed to reap electoral benefits and appeal to the respective constituencies - case in one’s case and community in other’s. What is amply clear is the sickening decline of the moral values of all the political parties, particularly those in power. Surely, electoral issues weigh more than ethical issues in their eyes.

There could be numerous such cases across the country. What has happened to the posturing on Dalit and minorities empowerment and fighting for the helpless and underprivileged? The hypocrisy of netas turns us into cynics. It is time

for the citizens of the country to effect complete overhaul of the political system.

Mahesh Kumar P, Tirupati