MyVoice: Views of our readers 21st March 2022

Hijab is a matter of choice

Hijab is definitely a religious practice in Islam. The term Hijab is mentioned seven times in Holy Quran. The surah "an-Nur" is completely about Hijab. Now, the petitioners have approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict. Till the Supreme Court gives its verdict, I think Muslim girls will face a lot of problems as the Hijab hullabaloo refuses to die down. The whole issue has turned out to be a sort of victory for hardcore elements in BJP. Asking Hijab-wearing women to remove Hijab may become common. If the Hijab issue continues it could mean girls would be either locked out of schools or forced into Islamic educational institutions, which would only deepen the social divide. Both HIJAB and KITAB are essential for Muslim women. Young girls who wear Hijab or who doesn't wear - it is a matter of choice.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet.

Records galore in Ranji trophy

In the Ranji Trophy 2022 campaign, Jharkhand established a total lead of 1,008 runs against Nagaland. There has not been a time in First-Class cricket history when a side has held such a large advantage over its opponent over two innings. These matches played at the league level should not be played for the first innings lead as the matches lose academic interest once the first innings lead is achieved. That is one of the reasons for India team losing test matches overseas due to poor outing in the second innings. It is high time, we change our Ranji rules to a more result-oriented system. Achieving a record lead of over 1,000 runs is not a good sign for improving the standard of the game in India.

M R Jayanthi, Coimbatore

A great loss to Telangana State

The demise of Mallu Swarajyam is a great loss to the state of Telangana. Her stint in public began when she was just eleven years old. She fought against the exploitation of labour. Throughout her life she was in public life. Her tenacious efforts for the welfare of underprivileged and downtrodden people held her place in the hearts of Telangana people. Nizam announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for capturing her. Even then she did not take a step backward and fought against the atrocities of Nizam with her indomitable spirit. Her role in Telangana Armed Struggle bolstered the movement. Her struggle to provide succour to grassroots sections won her acclaim. Throughout her life, she stood by the side of poor people with unwavering enthusiasm. Her efforts for preventing the atrocities of landlords on weaker sections were unprecedented and unmatched.

K Manoj Kumar, Huzurabad

India acted wisely

India's energy sector is heavily dependent upon large imports to the tune of 85% of requirements, of which 1% is accounted for by imports from Russia. While Russia had offered crude oil at an attractive steep discount, India convincingly reacted. India has every right to meet it's legitimate energy requirements and the West shall not politicise same. The west which is self-sufficient in oil cannot or shall not dictate India's policy decisions.

B Veerakumaran Thampi, Thiruvananthapuram

Voters need to act maturely

The insightful remark "It is time seers and Swamis keep themselves away from politicians" made by V Ramu Sarma in his dexterously written article "Dire need to sustain the spirit of Holi longer" (THI, 19 March) denotes the perils of unholy nexus between selfish politicians and self-styled religious leaders. It is commendable that the author depicted the grotesque picture of ongoing political gimmicks in India which are devastating the economy apart from denting the secular, federal and democratic fabric of the nation. Enough damage has already been done to India because of polity being devoid of strong opposition and because of people bereft of unity and brotherhood. It is distressing to note that India fares poorly in global rankings in almost all segments. It is high time for people to punish unscrupulous politicians who are guided by self-interest rather than national interest with the weapon of vote. That is the only way forward to replace polarisation politics with a meaningful and mature political discourse. The mature voters of Punjab who voted overwhelmingly to elect a new party AAP to power made it clear that Indian voter can no more be taken for a ride by unscrupulous political behemoths.

Narne Raveendra Babu, Hyderabad