MyVoice: Views of our readers 20th March 2021

World Sparrow Day

March 20 is celebrated as " World Sparrow Day". On this environmentally significant day, we recall these tiny, winged birds -Sparrows and look out in our surroundings to find them and listen to their chirping. How beautiful it is to listen to the chirping melodies of these tiny birds in mornings/ But alas/ nowadays we hardly notice them around us in our urban concrete jungles.

We wonder with despair whether sparrows have vanished completely from our surroundings as an extinct species as rued by our environmentalists and we have lost the pleasant experience of these tiny birdie chirping melodies in mornings.

It's time for our governments to take effective measures to save these tiny winged beauties from extinction and people must also make efforts for the survival of sparrows by providing some space in and around their houses with nesting boxes along with food and water.

To have a legion of sparrows flapping their tiny wings and chirping incessantly on our compound-walls and tree-branches in mornings is indeed a heaven of experience for all lovers of birds.

Dr Venugopala Rao Kaki, Kakinada

Of hit parents and flop offspring

Apropos Dr Mohan Kanda's article on dynastic politics, the adge " Pandita Putra, Parama Sunthaha" has proven to be generally true. If not outright dunces, the offsprings have failed to reach the heights achieved by parents.

May be, the parental name and fame becomes a burden on them to shine in their own right. It is generally seen that original brilliance is missing in the offspring of legends. If we see the Nehru family, Indira Gandhi didn't inherit her father's erudition or spirit of democracy.

While Nehru penned many books, Indira hardly did any. She didn't imbibe her father's quest for democratic values. Nehru was respectful to even his opponents while Indira could not stand any opposition. Further down, her son Rajiv didn't inherit her political acumen and her decisiveness.

His son Rahul didn't acquire his magnetic charisma. In the case of Mahatma Gandhi, the position is even more stark. None of his children could stand up to his reputation.

In the field of sports, Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar are the all-time greats of cricket. Their offspring could reach nowhere near them despite all the facilities and encouragement. Chiranjeevi ruled the Telugu filmdom for two decades. However his son Ramcharan failed to make a mark.

In our state politics, CBN is a successful and wily politician where as his son lacks the former's grit and wit. Only AP CM Jagan seems to have overtaken his father YSR in a short time. All those who have become legends had to struggle and strive for their success. Obviously, their children lack that 'fire in the belly.'

Vinay Bhushan Bhagwaty, Hyderabad

'Freebie for all' is here!

Its election time in India and the "freebie astras" are being used by political parties to target the vote banks. Ranging from loan waivers, washing machines to government jobs these promises just keep growing and growing like the magic tree in Jack the giant slayer. Neglecting the long term vision and lessons pandemic has taught, political parties are just hypnotising the people with their manifestos.

Political parties are often resorting to this freebie trick and people are always taking the bait. There's a famous dialogue in a movie "If you are looking for the culprit then you need to look in the mirror". Yes we need to look in the mirror.

Political leaders are only looking at the throne, they are not thinking about the future. Well certainly they think about the future of their heirs. And people are letting it to be that way.

We have the right to ask for highly efficient public healthcare, education, good living standards etc but both politicians and people lack something important - intention. One has no intention to deliver and the other has no intention to ask.

Viswamithra Bagam, Hyderabad

II

On parties' manifestos and freebies on the eve of elections, I would like to use the lines (which even BJP leaders have no qualm in using) of Pakistani social influencer "Hum Voters Hain, Woh Neta Log Hain, Aur Hum Logon ko Bewaqoof Banane Ki Tayyari Ho Rahi Hai!

The voters should understand the parties and leaders are like pickpockets who cut our pockets and use the money to give anything and everything free. It's not their money and it's ours which they are using to come to power.

We understand better now rather than when we are asked pay more for petrol etc including the taxes.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad