MyVoice: Views of our readers 17h January 2020

Tackle racism with an iron hand at once

Racism has again raised its ugly head this time on Australian soil. Recent racist abuse, which is definitely a blot on International sports, on two cricketers Siraj and Bumrah (Report: 'Australian cricket is racial, unsporting, Jan 16), at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), has to be condemned by one and all. It is appalling these things happen in stadiums when most part of International cricket has been lost in the year 2020 because of COVID-19 and even though matches have started of late but with little spectator capacity. This is not the first time but also in previous tours this indecent rowdy behaviour from spectators has happened in cricket which is called a gentleman's game. The Indian team and BCCI immediately raised a formal complaint and the host board Cricket Australia reacted by evicting spectators concerned who were involved in racial abuse from the stadium and tendered an apology.

In spite of all this rear guard action by Cricket Australia, racial abuse on Siraj and Washington Sundar continued at Gabba stadium in Brisbane. So more severe punishment can be imposed on indecent spectators involved in racial abuse, in the form of prosecuting them by bringing a law so as to prevent it from occurring again and again. Racial abuse from the players or from the spectators in any form will never be tolerated. Now the time has come to take this racial abuse as a serious issue by ICC and Cricket Australia by taking stern action against offenders. In India during IPL games all the cricketers from different parts of the world are greeted and treated equally. The ICC should tackle the racist abuse with iron fist by even banning the particular persons into the stadium for a certain period if this racist abuse from spectators continues unabated in any part of cricket playing nations. It will be the duty of a sports person suffering from racial abuse to bring it to the notice of relevant authorities without keeping mum. Enough is enough as far as racial abuse is concerned and the time has come to find a vaccine to eradicate this dreaded virus called 'racial abuse' in all arenas, not only in sports, across the globe. Few steps that Siraj has taken towards his skipper to complain about racial abuse should take a giant leap to curb the menace.

At the same time the ICC and various cricket boards should also think and mute the cricketers on the field to pass unwarranted verbal volleys against opposition team members, a la that has happened to Aswin & Co in SCG in India's second innings, so as to restore dignity and decorum in gentleman's game called cricket. It is unbecoming on the part of Tim Paine, the Aussie captain, to pass verbal abuse against Aswin at SCG, whose behaviour definitely diminishes Australian cricket pride. Australian cricketers' policy over the years is to demoralise the opponents by sledging and thereby forcing the opponents to commit mistakes while they bat. Everyone should realize that colour, caste, gender and religion are in no way decides the behaviour, skill, happiness, opportunities and success of a person.

V Nagendra Kumar,Hyderabad

World's biggest vaccination drive is on

After struggling and fighting the pandemic for nearly an year, SII and Bharat Biotech manufactured indigenous vaccine seeing the light of the day as nation prepares to start vaccination is not only a proud moment for scientists, technicians and all connected but also a red-letter day in the annals of Indian history.

While the milestone achieved by India within a reasonably short period sends a message to the world about India's vaccine capability, it also heralds a new beginning by carving a niche in the pharma sector.

As this also marks India's entry into the exclusive V5 club thereby reinforcing the fact that India's covid-19 fight is significant as it all set to roll out the world's biggest vaccination programme. Obviously, hailing India's emergence as pharma power, the striking feature is making inroads in global supply chain which only goes to show its solid base and reliability.

Thus when the whole exercise was done in a most scientific and transparent manner with nothing to hide, opposition digging its heels to criticise must bury its hatchet and extend all out cooperation like the rest of the world openly acknowledging India's feat and its constructive role at the WHO and in strengthening Covax initiative which propelled to make more vaccines to cater to global needs thus marking its name as "provider of global health security".

Notwithstanding, the drama enacted by vested interests failed to make any impact on people, the government going ahead with reviewing the preparedness and overseeing the last minute arrangements to remove pinpricks if any before the world's biggest vaccination drive takes off under the supervision of top health department officials gives added confidence to people.

This hopefully is expected to bring a great relief to the people from all the pains and sufferings they had undergone during the past one year. All said and done, as the countdown begins on Saturday, the sixteenth after extensive trials, the need of the hour is building trust and dispelling fear due to the fact that there may be inherent reactions like any other vaccine indicating the body is reacting favourably.

At the same time, it is imperative, government prepares itself well to clarify questions relating to any safety concerns raised by anyone during the ongoing vaccine drive in order to clear the air. Moreover, when world's largest vaccine drive is only to save humanity from the jaws of death, government should ensure that strict action is taken against anyone trying to scare people against the universal vaccination.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Owaisi emerges as national Muslim leader

Recently the BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj has openly said that AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has helped BJP in Bihar and he would continue to do so in UP and West Bengal as well. Right from Arvind Kejriwal to Akhilesh Yadav all are accusing that Owaisi is "B" team of BJP party. Mamata Banerjee alleged that BJP is trying to import Owaisi 's AIMIM party in West Bengal to sharpen the communal polarisation.

After Bihar elections results the Congress and RJD has also termed Owaisi as an agent of the BJP and Owaisi will work as per Prime minister Narendra Modi 's advice. Surprisingly, in Bihar elections Owaisi has targeted RJD instead of BJP. Now in UP also instead of BJP Owaisi's main target seems to be Akhilesh Yadav led Samajwadi party. Hence many doubt that Owaisi as BJP 's B team because AIMIM is considering SP Party as its main rival party in UP instead of BJP. Many intellectuals are criticising that AIMIM contesting in elections is only benefitting BJP.

AIMIM faces two serious questions from its rivals that it is a vote katwa party( vote splitting party) and it is the BJP agent. Analyst and critics are in dilemma whether Owaisi's growth is hurting or aiding BJP. Critics say that Owaisi divides Muslim votes which will help saffron party. and that when there is elections especially in Muslims dominates areas Owaisi fields his party candidates, despite knowing that he will not be able to defeat BJP or will be able to form government, but he will fight elections and BJP will get benefited. They say that AIMIM always divides Muslim votes which will benefit BJP.

Every coin has two sides. Owaisi has extended his party base from Telangana to Maharashtra to Bihar. Now he wants to expand his party's base to UP and West Bengal. Owaisi rightly says that he has every right to participate in every elections and everywhere in the country. So he has been making concrete effort to expand his parties base and there is nothing wrong in it.

Owaisi's popularity is increasing day by day and he is known as champion of Muslims. He has great mass following among youth. Previously Muslims trusted Congress party but now they have lost faith and hope in it. Now they see Masiha (the saviour) in form of Owaisi . When CAA made Muslims feel like outsiders in their own land, it is Owaisi who stood for them.

It is Owaisi who fought against the gruesome rape and murder of Muslim girl child in Kathua, against Article 370 in Kashmir, against triple talaq and many more. Owaisi fights for the Dalits and downtrodden. Owaisi became country's most recognized Muslim politician. Now it is the duty of opposition parties ,instead of criticizing Owaisi as B team of BJP ,it will be better to these parties to have an understanding with AIMIM party in next coming elections, otherwise definitely BJP will be benefited because of AIMIM.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet

Our privacy is trapped between Apps and Wi-Fi signals

With the decision of WhatsApp management about its new policy on data sharing with Facebook the users of that messaging app are now switching over to other apps such as Signal and Telegram etc. Further, the statements of reputed technocrats Elan Musk (Tesla), Vijay Sekhar Sharma (Paytm) to avoid WhatsApp for data Privacy and security has made the people to lean towards alternate apps. Though the WhatsApp management has clarified about both the data privacy and data security nearly 1.78 crores of customers preferred Signal App and 1.57 crores of customers preferred Telegram App between January 5 -12.

These statistics speak the attitude of the customers on the protection of their personal information. The European countries are having tough data protection laws but in India, the picture is different such types of laws in a dormant state. Although our Indian Parliament has initiated to bring in individual personal data protection bill on 11 December 2019, still it was in the womb of records.

Today the entire world is wriggling like that a fly trapped in the honey from social media. The social media groups that have interlaced the relations among the people with their efficiency now posing a threat to people and their personal information. The announcement of WhatsApp management has announced that the users in India should have to accept their new data sharing policy by February 8. As per the policy the personal information of the customers with Facebook and other groups of platforms. Further, one of its directors of policy has clarified that the rules remain unchanged in Europe. This announcement of the messaging platform has shocked its customers and raised many doubts on their data privacy.

On the Netflix platform, I have seen a documentary film" The social dilemma" three months ago that has been exposed to the toxic effect on humankind. This documentary consists of technocrats that worked in Facebook, Twitter, Uber-like social media giants, and designed programs for them. Their confession like statements frightening and thought-provoking. Their exemplary explanations about how customer's data used and abused make everyone experience heebie-jeebies.

Another film "The Great hack" also gives details a data company "Cambridge Analytica" which symbolised the dark side of social media during 2016 US presidential election. This type of documentary should be included in academic concepts that could alert the young generations. Further, it is very easily perceptible that when we search a product on online platforms, we will receive notifications about the same product on social media platforms such as Facebook reflects that data sharing is on. This is nothing but a deceitful breach of the laws of data privacy.

What is data privacy? Data Privacy is a part of the data protection area that deals with the proper handling of data with the focus on compliance with data protection regulations. It is centred on how the data is collected, stored, managed, and shared with any third parties. It is not only proper handling of the data but about the public expectation of privacy making an individual a key figure.

Data privacy focuses on the rights of individuals on their personal information following the law but data security meant preventing the third party from unauthorised access. Today the people are living to browse everything from their fingertips and sharing their personal information with many online platforms.

E.Gajendra Nath Reddy,Badvel