MyVoice: Views of our readers 13th February 2023

Cowering on 'Cow hug' issue

This refers to "Was govt 'cow-ed' by jokes or was it 'Cowardice': Tharoor's dig." I don't think this government is cowardly, but was fully geared to implement "Cow Hug" day as they have in mind elections in the North East where they can't afford to offend the voters. Moreover, they seem to have realised that unlike PM Modi who had shown the magnanimity to allow Rahul to hug him inside parliament and even accepted his "wink," the cow will not be so magnanimous. Also, they would have remembered Dr Surjit Bhalla's comment on why they lost a couple of elections after they formed the government in 2014, that cow gives only milk and does not vote.

- N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Ashwin at it again

The legendary off spinner from Tamil Nadu Ravichandran Ashwin did a lot of hard work and reached a stage as a striking force. Generally, spinners mature with age and Ashwin displayed his variety in bowling to a great measure and foxed the Australian batsmen in trouble straightaway. All along he was relegated to warm up benches and never gave the new ball. But this time with the new ball, he had a 5 for 37 show with an 8 wicket haul for the match. In the process he captured his 31st five wicket haul and surpassed 450 wickets tally. Despite a lionhearted show with both the bat and ball he received inadequate recognition for his manifold achievements. He is a master spinner and a trump card bowler for team India, which he proved time again with stellar show.

- C K Subramaniam, Mumbai

II

It refers to "India rout Australia by innings and 132 runs." Even before a ball was bowled in the Nagpur Test, Aussie media was writing all sorts of things about the Nagpur pitch, but what it turned out after the first test was that it was Australian batsmen's inability to play old-fashioned proper cricket which led to this humiliating loss. Yes, the pitch had some turn but there was no demon in it. You don't get to bowl out Aussies for 91 too often; in fact it was only the 5th occasion for the Indian team when it has beaten Aussies by an innings margin. It sums up the huge difference between the two teams in Nagpur. Ashwin was just too lethal against left handers, as they did not have any clue how to play him and coupled with Jadeja and Axar Patel, Aussies did not get any respite whatsoever. If Aussies want to change their fortune in the next 3 test matches they need to look at how Rohit Sharma batted.

- Bal Govind, Noida

It's a secular alliance in Tripura

As a matter of fact, the alliance forged by the CPI (M) and the Congress in Tripura should be welcomed as it is needed to prevent the split in the secular vote. In the first-past-the-post, the BJP benefits from the split in the secular vote. As parties committed to secularism, the CPI (M) and the Congress look at each other as 'the lesser evil' and at the BJP as the greater adversary, for what it represents is not good for the country. The Opposition unity being displayed in Tripura should become the template for the rest of the country to mount a united fight against the BJP to save the country from the Hindutva forces out to wreck the country's unity and its continued existence as a secular democracy. Prime Minister Modi's claims that the Left and the Congress, if elected to power, will stop all schemes that benefit the people do not stand the test of truth.

- G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

Climate Change behind earthquake

To begin with, there is no link between weather and earthquakes. This makes sense because earthquakes occur underground, where surface temperature and conditions have no bearing. However, climate change has the potential to affect earthquakes. This is due to the fact that the only true variable in earthquakes is the amount of stress on a fault line. According to NASA, the most likely scenario is that climate change causes surface water to add to the stress on a fault. There are also droughts. Droughts, according to NASA researchers, can change the size of mountains due to water loss. In theory, this could result in a change in stress on faults. Then there are glaciers, which move as well. Glacial earthquakes can occur as glaciers shift due to climate change. Therefore to reduce earthquakes lowering stress loads is very much essential. In other words, climate change could play a role in earthquakes.

- Vijay Kumar H K, Raichur