MyVoice: Views of our readers 26th April 2022

Channels must shun overzealous reporting

The government on April 23 advised television channels to refrain from broadcasting "violative" content, "provocative headlines" and videos of violence, as it cited coverage of the Ukraine war and recent violence in northwest Delhi as well as in Khargon Demolitions. Some channels had provocative headlines and videos of violence that could incite communal hatred and disrupt peace and law and order. TV channels should refrain from publishing and transmitting any content which is violative of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995 and the rules. A former CM of MP posted a photograph which was of Bihar state but presented as if it pertains to Khargaon and later the picture was deleted when the reality came to the knowledge of common man. Similarly after the abrogation of Art 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the president of Congress party made a statement that many deaths occurred in the state and the same statement was presented in United Nations and the Indian government had to contradict the statement. We are also aware that Iraq war was fought on false information that Iraq had Mass Destructive Weapons (MDW) whereas the reality was otherwise. From these, it is clear how false information can harm the society.

Yash Pal Ralhan, Jalandhar

Overexploitation of groundwater alarming

When conservation of water is the mantra to be preached and practised, it is disturbing to note that five states extract 50% of groundwater, while Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan extract more than 100%. As a result, water table is declining at an alarming rate. Even as statistics reveal a frightening picture for other states where groundwater recharge is below 70%, stabilising groundwater stocks and managing water quality has become imperative because water is fundamental in sustaining lives and continues to be the need of every organism, activity on the planet. Time has come to understand the hydrological cycle so as to derive its benefits without unduly disrupting it by strictly following water conservation practices.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Right wing politics more harmful than Marxism philosophy

This refers to the letter "Marxism has damaged Indian heritage badly." Yes, the militant trade union practice in West Bengal in particular and Kerala in general forced the industries to look elsewhere. Today, due slow death of unionism, schools run and managed by central and state governments are not filling up vacancies of teachers and are following ad hocism which would ruin the future of schoolchildren. As for Indian heritage that stood strong for more than 70 years, it is getting damaged much faster by right wing rulers and their supporters in spite of the absence of Marxism in most parts of India. All this in the name of safeguarding Hindus and Hinduism so much so that a highly communalised right TV news channel has say in Army's working that Army Twitter Handle was forced to delete Iftar post after their main TV anchor went on to claim disease of secularism has entered the Indian Army. It is because of secularism and pluralism our armed forces continue to stay strong and it is not left but right wingers that are damaging our heritage more than Marxism.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Minorities need not worry about UCC

This refers to the news that the Uttar Pradesh government is serious about the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the State, close on the heels of a similar announcement made by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami. There is nothing unusual or amiss in the proposed idea as this is earmarked in the Constitution, waiting to be implemented for the past seventy five years since India got its freedom. It is interesting that while other aspects enshrined in the Constitution are efficiently put to use by the minority community in the country, the issue of UCC is being stonewalled by them, citing one reason or the other. There is already precedent in the country, in the UT of Goa, where UCC has been in practice since the days of Portuguese rule. The Muslim community in India should have no reason to fear or worry about UCC being implemented in the country as there are already several similarities in laws pertaining to marriage and inheritance. It is imperative that the religion must come out of the 'Shariat' shell, in blending more meaningfully in the cultural, social aspects of the country; in the light of the multi-religious milieu of the nation.

Venkata Narasimhan, Madurai