MyVoice: Views of our readers 14th July 2021

NEET: Allow tutorials to run

This refers to the report 'NEET on Sept 12' (13 July). It is high time the government allowed the opening of study centers and libraries in a calibrated manner for the benefit of lakhs of students to attend offline classes and also get some extra coaching to supplement online classes. The libraries of course would help them refer to more study materials. When temples of gods can be opened, why not temples of learning as many students have already managed to get their first shot of vaccine and in fact, they can also be allowed to their Covishield second shot if they have completed 4 weeks (28 days) in the same way as those going abroad for studies. After all, those who are keen to pursue studies in India are also equally important to remain safe while taking their highly competitive examination. With all aspirants vaccinated, the government would not require to further postpone the NEET exam to another date.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Colonial mindset killed Stan

Madabhushi's article, 'Justice minus humanity is injustice' (THI, July 13) is rather a narration of a civil rights activist and campaigner for tribal rights as to how he was booked by NIA and imprisoned on trivial grounds and as to how a ripe aged Parkinson's disease patient was mercilessly denied the basic needs – no sipper and straw – and the fateful end with Covid due to recklessness meted out to him. It aptly fits the title. The NIA didn't find their sweet convenience to answer the queries of the court to the appeals by his well-wishers and right thinkers. Alas, he is no more but the institutional lacunae that killed him should be brought to book and others like Stan still languishing should be let off. In Pre-Independent India, freedom fighters used to be sent for incarceration till death in Andaman. The colonial mindset still prevails.

Dr T Ramadas, Visakhapatnam.

Open invitation to Covid

It is utterly shocking to note that people have completely thrown to the wind the Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, presuming that Covid infection is just 'gone' and there are abundant stocks of vaccines available to treat the infection even if they are attacked by the virus of different strains. It is to be noted that governments have lifted the lockdowns mainly to enable livelihoods, not for mass enjoyments, gatherings either for spiritual or for other non-spiritual purposes. Unfortunately, it is still our habit to wake up only when the fire occurs but we never prefer to prevent any likely event of a fire.

Katuru Durga Prasad Rao, Hyderabad.

Stop super spreader events

Despite the warnings from Indian Medical Association, eminent doctors and scientists that the third wave of Covid-19 are eminent, State governments have relaxed restrictions, especially on travel, tourism, pilgrimages and religious functions. This is a dangerous trend when only one-third of the Indian population got both doses of vaccine. Under these circumstances, mass gatherings would create potential super-spreaders of a third wave. Even now also there is time to review the relaxations and save the public lives.

TSN Rao, Bheemavaram