MyVoice: Views of our readers 20th Nov 2025
Invest in children, secure everyone’s future
November 20 is celebrated as the ‘World or Universal Children’s Day’. It is UNICEF’s global day dedicated to children as per the ‘Convention on the rights of child”. This was launched to commemorate the UN’s adoption of the post-World War II declaration, when the plight of children was grave all over. This serves as a global call to crusade for and protect children’s rights and their well-being.
The theme for this year is quite appropriate “Investing in our children is investing in our future”. This is to emphasise the importance of placing children’s needs at the centre of sustainable development and nurturing every child’s potential, with focus on education, health and protection. Children are the best hope for the future. They must be taught how to think, not what to think. Let’s remember: one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.
Prof Madhusudhan Reddy Burra, Karimnagar
Is Justice Gavai right?
I have been wondering whether the Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai is right in his observation regarding creamy layer and reservations based on economic status.
The fact is that the poor will remain poor, while financially well-off individuals will become richer. Irrespective of one’s caste, it is only those in the creamy layer who will keep progressing. Another point of view in the society is in providing all facilities and infrastructure to the poor so that they also can achieve great heights. Reservation is not the answer, in fact it is irrelevant.
P V P Madhu Nivriti, Secunderabad-6
Let’s together strive for clean air and climate stability
This refers to the article “Clouds reflecting less sunlight due to reduced air pollution” (THI Nov 19). The article presents a sobering paradox: cleaner air, while saving lives, may inadvertently accelerate global warming by stripping away the cooling effect of reflective clouds. It’s a reminder that climate systems are deeply interlinked, and well-intentioned policies can have unintended consequences. The challenge now is not to reverse clean air efforts, but to rethink climate strategy with this new complexity in mind.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions must take centre stage, not just as a long-term goal but as an urgent corrective to the warming that clean air may unmask. Policymakers should invest more in carbon capture, renewable energy, and adaptive technologies that offset this shift. Public awareness also needs to evolve—climate action isn’t just about cleaner skies, but about smarter, layered responses. The science is clear: we must act faster and more holistically. Clean air and climate stability are not competing goals—they must be pursued together.
M Barathi Abbharna, Bengaluru-560076
Effective counter-terrorism framework needed
Apropos “Red Fort incident calls for stern action against terrorism” (THI Nov 19), the gravity of the uncovered plot—2,900 kg of IEDs and a sleeper cell network—should jolt us out of complacency. The fact that such a large-scale plan was intercepted at a historic national symbol is both chilling and instructive. Credit must go to IPS officer Dr V Sandeep Chakravarthy and his team for their vigilance. However, the episode exposes how deeply embedded and dangerously coordinated these threats have become.
Terrorism today is not just about isolated acts—it’s about networks that exploit gaps in intelligence, public awareness, and policy enforcement. The public, too, must be sensitized so that vigilance becomes a shared civic habit. Security cannot be reactive; it must be anticipatory. A national counter-terrorism framework that is both agile and accountable could help prevent such threats.
S M Jeeva, Chennai-32