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Bloodthirsty Pak should be taught a lesson

Despite consensus on the issue, circumstances coerced the Centre to revoke long-standing autonomous powers enjoyed by Jammu & Kashmir, prompting a backlash in Pakistan.

Pakistan, an Islamic State, humiliated by comity of nations that favoured India on Kashmir imbroglio, has aggravated its attitude of 'hate India obsession' inter alia and developed belligerent postures against India and has vowed to 'go to any extent' to protect the people of Kashmir (comprise of Muslims majority) from Indian authorities.

Besides three wars fought, there has been a long-running insurgency against Indian rule, killing around 70,000 people since 1989. The pyromaniac leader Imran Khan's outburst of imminent war over India's crackdown in Kashmir clearly exposes Islamic Pakistan's abhorrence for other religions.

US president Donald Trump and several US lawmakers have urged the Pakistan government to treat its ethnic and religious minorities with equality and dignity and to have constructive talks with India. Old habits die hard and Pakistan is thirsty for Indian blood.

Seetharam Basaani, Hanamkonda

AP CM's decision on Formation Day a welcome move

This is with reference with the report 'AP Formation Day on November 1 (THI, November 30)? After 58 days of tedious struggle and sacrifices by the great social activist 'Potti Sriramulu', we now acclaim November 1 as the Formation Day of Andhra Pradesh.

It is an agitational deed that the previous government laid no importance to celebrate this historical event. It is an appreciable deed of our new Chief Minister to inculcate the patriotic qualities into present generation.

Kolati Lakshmi Lalithya, Kakinada, East Godavari, AP

End TSRTC, govt stalemate

This is with reference to the report 'CM wants strong argument in HC to prove govt right' (THI, October 31). The reason behind the strike and rationality behind decisions of the Telangana government not to yield are best known to themselves only.

Citizens are put to hardships for no fault of theirs. The citizens have become very much matured to hold their displeasure and frustration till the next elections.

The unnatural deaths of staff of TSRTC and the number of frequent accidents are alarm bells to both the government and the workmen. Majority of workers depend on wages and non-receipt of September and October salaries in addition to festivals caused enough financial strain leading to anxiety, tension and insecurity among the striking employees.

Easy solution is full stop to life. Engagement of staff on daily wages basis is not correct for a public transportation as safety of passengers, pedestrians and other vehicles on roads is threatened.

The government is squarely responsible for the unnatural death of people due to incompetence of less skilled staff. Unions should have opened their eyes when several public sector undertakings were closed.

No significant attempt was made when IDPL, ECIL, HMT, Praga Tools etc were closed. Raising now a demand for nationalisation or merger of TSRTC with the government is equal to repentance after losing everything.

Railways had VRR, NVRR and onboard pantry services, all are now in hands of private entrepreneurs. Private trains are on Indian railway tracks. Private airlines use government airports.

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha have parallel private bus transportation and bus stations also. Is it now feasible to force government to merge TSRTC with government?

Unions and government have to be pragmatic in finding amicable resolution as all battles ended through negotiations.

G Sivaramakrishna, Hyderabad

Snooping of WhatsApp a serious threat to privacy

The snooping of WhatsApp users by a top Israeli technology firm has come as a startling piece of news. It is axiomatic that it impinges on the right to privacy.

The security measures put in place by Facebook-owned WhatsApp to protect privacy are not as impenetrable as we have been made to believe till now.

The NSO Group's installation of malware Pegasus to hack into phones is evidence of the vulnerability of technology-driven social media platforms to abuse by spy agencies.

By WhatsApp's own admission, the phones of human rights activists, Dalit activists, dissenters and journalists have been targeted for snooping.

The 'victims' of snooping do not shy away from blaming the NDA government for allowing or turning a blind eye to the breach of their right to privacy.

The BJP has no better defence than questioning the timing of the revelations of snooping. The government must clarify that none of its agencies was involved in the nefarious activity of keeping tabs on catalysts for change, given the disclosed identity of the Indian citizens spied upon and come clean.

If the government has no role whatsoever, it must spare no effort to find out the hand behind the spygate. It must go beyond asking the WhatsApp to explain.

The Israeli spyware company has justified the information theft from the most used messaging platform saying it was meant for governments 'to fight crime and terror'.

We hope and expect that the country's top court will take suo moto notice of the matter as it involves flagrant violation of the fundamental right to privacy and order a court-monitored probe.

On its part, the government should agree to a joint parliamentary committee to conduct its own inquiry to get to the bottom of state-of-the art surveillance scandal and establish the truth.

As a nation, we are all obliged to uphold the sanctity of the constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy vital for our democracy.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, Kanyakumari Dt, TN