MyVoice: Views of our readers 18th October 2026

Ayudha Puja - A thanksgiving gesture for tools

The ritual makes no distinction between a costly computer and a well-worn chisel

Theclang of hammers falls silent. The whir of machinery comes to a halt. Saws, spanners and cutting pliers lie neatly arranged, while laptops and computers are switched off for a day. Across workshops, factories, garages, construction sites, offices and homes in South India, the instruments of everyday toil are washed, decorated with flowers, adorned with vermilion and sandalwood, and offered prayers. The hands that wield them through the year now fold in reverence before them. For one special day, the tools of labour are given their well-deserved rest, and work itself becomes an object of worship.

This is the enduring magic of Ayudha Puja, a festival that transforms the commonplace into the sacred and reminds us that behind every livelihood lies an instrument of effort, skill and aspiration. A carpenter’s saw, an electrician’s pliers, a mechanic’s spanner, a farmer’s implements or an office worker’s laptop may appear worlds apart, yet each holds the promise of productivity, sustenance and dignity. On this day, they are united by a single sentiment: gratitude.

In south India, this puja is much more than a ritual performed before a decorated toolbox. It is a celebration of the relationship between human beings and the things they depend upon to make a living. This sentiment can be seen across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; tools of every description receive their annual moment of glory. Even the humble pair of scissors in a tailor’s shop or the weighing scale in a provision store is worthy of reverence. The beauty of the tradition lies in its democratic spirit. A business tycoon may worship expensive machinery, while a daily-wage worker places a few flowers before a hammer that has served him for years. The ritual makes no distinction between a costly computer and a well-worn chisel. Both are valued for the work they enable. For a carpenter, electrician, plumber, mason, mechanic or construction worker, these instruments are not mere possessions. They are partners in earning a livelihood, supporting a family and building a future.

And the festival has kept pace with changing times. The objects of worship now extend from tractors and industrial equipment to smartphones, printers, cameras and sophisticated computer systems. The engineer’s keyboard, the designer’s software workstation and the delivery worker’s motorcycle belong to the same extended family of useful instruments. Tradition, it seems, has no objection to a little technology joining the prayer.

Ayudha Puja draws its deeper meaning from the nine days of Navratri, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her manifestations. Across south India, homes come alive with ‘Golu’ displays of dolls, temples glow with lamps, devotional music fills the air, and families exchange visits and festive delicacies.

Ayudha Puja is widely observed on Maha Navami, the ninth day, while Vijayadashami follows as the celebration of victory over evil. Customs vary, but the spirit of renewal connects them all.

Perhaps the greatest lesson of Ayudha Puja is that gratitude should not be confined to a single day. Tools must be maintained, machinery operated safely, and the people who use them treated with dignity. A decorated hammer is a lovely sight, but a worker paid fairly and protected from injury is an even greater tribute to the festival.

Once the flowers have faded and the tools return to duty, the message remains. We may worship the instrument, but it is human skill, perseverance and honest labour that give it meaning. That is the real divinity Ayudha Puja invites us to recognise.

K Chidanand Kumar, Bengaluru

Owning a house is the foundation for a dignified life

Thisis further to the report “Tackling insecurity, high rents and homelessness.” A home is far more than just four walls and a roof; it is the foundation of human dignity. A house gives a person safety, belonging and confidence to face the world. It offers privacy, permanence and freedom to live with self-respect and independence. For a family, home is the central pillar. It is where relationships are nurtured, children grow confidently and happily, values are shared, and memories are built. Without ownership, family life remains temporary and dependent on a landlord’s will. Today, nearly 20 per cent of the global population lives in rented accommodation, mainly in major cities that are economic hubs. In these cities, soaring rents consume a major share of earnings, leaving families with little disposable income for health, education, savings or future dreams.

The most deprived are the homeless, left entirely to the mercy of nature. They endure scorching heat, freezing cold and heavy rains, becoming vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, with no safe place to recover or rest. If every human being is to live with dignity, an own house cannot remain a luxury or dream. It must be recognised as a fundamental right, supported by affordable housing policies, so that safety, confidence and happiness become possible for all.

N Sadhasiva Reddy,Bengaluru-560056

House security is central to human dignity

Prof B Suresh Lal’s article on insecurity, high rents and homelessness raises a vital concern. With nearly 28 to 30 per cent of Indians living in rented homes, and rents in major cities consuming about a third of household income, low-income families and migrant workers are left with little for food, healthcare and education. Housing schemes exist, but their benefits must reach those who need them most. Governments should expand affordable rental housing, ensure transparent beneficiary selection, and protect tenants against arbitrary eviction. New housing must also be connected to transport, schools, hospitals and livelihoods, so that families are not pushed to the margins of cities. A secure home is not a luxury. It is the foundation of health, education and dignity.

Divyanshu Dhakad,Dhenknal

AI use in banks

Withrising cases of digital fraud and increasingly complex laundering tactics, Indian banks are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to stay ahead and prevent money laundering activities through accounts maintained with them. Instead of just flagging transactions based on fixed rules, AI tools now analyse customer behaviour, transaction timing, device usage, and even social connections to detect patterns that might suggest mule activity. These make for effective preventive measures and help customers save their hard-earned money.

C K Subramaniam,Navi Mumbai-705

True friendship imbibes harmony

Somerelations on earth never die, and friendship is one among them. The willingness to accept the good and the bad of the other person, or nation, is essentially ‘true friendship’. Inter-personal friendship and friendship between societies and nations are keys to fostering global goodwill and peace. These unique characters are, of course, fraught with roadblocks. The harmonious relation between the people of the world is threatened by many factors, some negotiable and some that are not. People-to-people understanding and peer support, which usually cement friendships at all levels, stand to be broken by poverty, violence, prejudice and hatred. Terror has gripped the world with one human being yearning to smother another. Global conflicts, and ill-will, would be things of the past if people and communities of the world stand as one. Mutual respect is a special virtue which goes a long way in holding together men and women. Friendship doubles the joy and halves the misery. War-ravaged nations are struggling to come to terms with the fact that their cities and towns are getting reduced to bits and pieces. Though the world has come a long way from the World War days, the proneness of some countries to be attacked, and some of them to be aggressors, is worrying. Exchange of people between countries, through tourism, education and employment, has tremendously buffered friendship between various countries dissimilar in culture and traditions but held firmly by the glue of friendship. The language of friendship is not words but the meaning behind the spoken sentences.

Jayanthy Subramaniam,Mumbai-22

CPI delivers a September shocker for TN

TheConsumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), reveals that Tamil Nadu has the nation’s highest inflation rate at 6.81 per cent for September, which is an absolute shocker. This alarming figure towers far above the national average of 5.54 per cent, uncovering the utter economic failure of the ruling TVK administration. The soaring cost of essential commodities, especially kitchen staples and groceries, has completely derailed household budgets. It is deeply disappointing that the Vijay-led government, instead of taking steps to control the prices, was busier and more interested in fighting the recent Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections, and remained blind to this worsening financial crisis. The ordinary citizen cannot pay the price for the State’s administrative incompetence. The TVK leadership must immediately halt its political rhetoric and introduce aggressive market interventions before the people of TN face an absolute survival crisis.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,Chennai-603210

A judge’s remarks, judicial dignity and religious neutrality

Iwish to express my deep concern over the observations reportedly made by a two-judge Divisional Bench headed by Justice G R Swaminathan of the Madras High Court, (Madurai Bench) while dismissing the appeal filed by Kanzeon Public Charitable Trust against the Union Government’s refusal to grant it registration under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).

Founded by Rev. Fr. Ama Samy, S J (Arul Maria Arokiasamy), a well-known Jesuit priest and the first officially authorised Indian Zen master, who is 90 years old now, runs the Kanzeon Zendo Meditation Centre and a Montessori school near Kodaikanal. According to the submissions made on its behalf, the Trust is engaged in Zen meditation programmes and philanthropic activities, including education for children from underprivileged families in rural areas.

The Trust reportedly contended that its activities were charitable and non-profit in nature and that it should not be classified as a religious organisation merely because it practices Zen meditation or was founded by an ordained Christian priest.

However, the Division Bench, comprising Justice GR Swaminathan and Justice M D Sumathi, rejected its appeal, reportedly placing considerable emphasis on the Trust’s association with Zen Buddhist philosophy and its founder’s Christian priesthood.

This raises an important question; should an organisation’s charitable character and eligibility for FCRA registration be determined primarily by the religious identity of its founder, or should its actual activities, objectives and compliance with the applicable law be examined on their own merits?

If the Trust’s application was rejected on the basis of its religious character, the principles and evidence underlying that classification deserve careful scrutiny. The same standards of assessment should be applied consistently to all organisations, irrespective of the religious traditions of their founders or the beliefs they profess. It would also be pertinent to examine whether comparable standards are applied to other spiritual, religious and charitable institutions, including organisations associated with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Mata Amritanandamayi and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The relevant question is not whether these organisations are religious, but whether comparable applications are assessed consistently under the law. Any allegation of unequal treatment must, of course, be established through verifiable evidence concerning their respective registrations and activities.

Of further concern are the reported observations contrasting Hinduism, described as inclusive, with Christianity and other Abrahamic faiths, characterised as exclusive. Whatever the philosophical or theological merits of such comparisons, a judicial decision concerning statutory eligibility should rest on the applicable law, the evidence on record and legally relevant considerations. Religious generalisation raises the risk of distracting from the specific legal issues that the court has to determine.

The most troubling aspect, however, is the reported pun directed at Rev. Fr. Ama Samy towards the conclusion of the judgment by Justice Swaminathan; “illa Samy to you Ama Samy”- a play on the Tamil expression meaning “no” and the priest’s name, which was apparently rendered as “Aama Samy” meaning “Yes Samy”.If accurately reported, such wordplay in a judicial pronouncement raises a legitimate question of judicial propriety. A judge is entitled to scrutinise arguments rigorously, reject untenable claims and deliver an adverse verdict where the law warrants it. But a litigant or a person associated with a litigating organisation should not become the subject of a personal jibe in the process. Judicial authority carries with it a responsibility to maintain restraint, impartiality and respect for the dignity of every person appearing before the court or affected by its proceedings.

The issue is not whether a judge may express strong views. It is whether personal or religiously charged rhetoric has a proper place in a judgment determining a citizen’s or an organisation’s legal rights. Equally, any suggestion that an organisation is involved in religious conversion must be supported by relevant evidence and must not be inferred merely from the religious identity of its founder. If, as reportedly clarified in the judgment, the court did not find that the Trust was engaged in religious conversion, that distinction deserves to be kept clear in public discussion.

The independence of the judiciary is indispensable to our democracy. Equally indispensable are public confidence in judicial impartiality, consistency in the application of the law and the dignity expected of those entrusted with judicial office. Respect for the judiciary does not preclude reasoned criticism of judicial observations; indeed, informed and responsible scrutiny is an essential feature of a democratic society.

I therefore hope that the issues raised by this case will receive the attention they deserve, particularly with regard to the consistent application of the FCRA, religious neutrality in adjudication and the standards of restraint expected in judicial pronouncements. May the Indian judiciary always remain worthy of the trust reposed in it by the people.

Tharcius S Fernando,Chennai-92

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India