MyVoice: Views of our readers 12th February 2025

Modi - The Insulated PM

We have often seen our PM holding discussions either with a uniformed crowd of students or fawning TV anchors who make it a point to ask “soft” questions . We have yet to see him facing a motley crowd of reporters who are only too eager to ask “hard” questions on policy and polity. In all the years Modi has been in power, he has chosen to cocoon himself in his “comfort zone”, avoiding press conferences like the plague. If PM Manmohan Singh was the “accidental PM”, Modi might well go down in history as the “Insulated PM” who has been careful enough to insulate himself from sincere and genuine journalists/reporters.

Avinash Godboley, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh

Bring normalcy in Manipur

Nongthombam Biren Singh’s long overdue resignation as Chief Minister of Manipur was not a voluntary act of conscience, contrition or atonement. Actually, it was tendered on the advice of the central leadership of the BJP in the face of the “leaked audio tapes” revealing his instigation of ethnic violence and the imminent no-confidence motion which he could not have survived, given the dissidence within the party. Biren Singh called the Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities as “infiltrators” from Myanmar and accused them of aiding drug trafficking and illicit crop cultivation, causing alienation and anger among these vulnerable communities and deepening the ethnic divide. He fanned the flames of ethnic tensions and made his position untenable. Now that he has resigned, no time should be lost to make concerted efforts for reconciliation and return of normality. The new government must be nonpartisan and able to win the trust of all communities. It should accord priority to the return of over 60,000 displaced people to their homes without the fear of coming under attack. There can be no reconciliation and peace without justice preceding them. So, the government not only has to do justice, it must be seen to be doing justice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who finds time to visit the rest of the country for launching projects and electioneering and foreign countries must make a visit to Manipur to give the people a healing touch and make a new beginning for communities to co-exist peacefully, if need be, by agreeing to a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Maha Kumbh traffic jam is organisers’ failure

Apparently the organisers have miserably failed in anticipating the pilgrim surge. The UP government gave publicity inviting people to visit Prayagraj for that once in a life time Maha Kumbh. But it has not anticipated the huge response of devotees nor has it made adequate arrangements to meet the huge turnout. Now the UP government has gained a dubious status as the world record holder for creating a 300-km long traffic jam. This is a lesson to all those future organisers of such mass scale events to plan things minutely and make required arrangements with better anticipation. The organising committees should review the situation and plan or change the conduct of pilgrims inflow. They must keep updating the people about the ground level situation on daily basis in order to regulate the arrival and departure of the pilgrims. Already we have witnessed stampede deaths, huge fire accidents, etc. Trying to hog the limelight at such a huge event is not easy, it comes with strings attached.

Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada

Allahabadia’s remarks disgusting

Outrage by social media users and fellow youtubers and celebrities against Ranveer Allahbadia is totally justified. Categorising Allahabadia’s remarks as disgusting would be an understatement. Ranveer Allahbadia must face the law for his filthy comments. Just to get more views and eyeballs he crossed all boundaries while he used his position. And it was not an error of judgement as he later called it because he used a well prepared script which was copied word by word from an English show. So he was aware of his misdeeds . We can not pass it off and normalize it. It was a perversion of the worst kind. We don’t get to see ruling party and opposition joining hands but this is an issue where there is allround criticism for Allahbadia and Apoorva Makhija for their perverted remarks.

Bal Govind, Noida

Expectations, challenges high in Delhi

The new ‘triple engine sarkar’ of Delhi NCR has the unenviable task of making Delhi liveable again. Alongside its freebies- curtailed budget, it will also have to manage its hubris at being voted to power with an emphatic margin. Expectations are high, and so are the challenges before it. Delhites, keep your fingers crossed.

Avinash Godboley, Madhya Pradesh