MyVoice: Views of our readers 26th April 2023

Viability of Project Cheetah remains a question

It was tragic news that two cheetahs died in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in less than a month. However, the four cubs that were born a month ago were cause of hope and cheer. The first death was that of Sasha, a female cheetah from Namibia on March 27 due to a kidney ailment. The second death was that of Uday, a male cheetah from South Africa on April 24 due to heart failure or cardiopulmonary failure. Their conditions could have been aggravated by captivity. Anyway, the worst fears expressed at the time of the translocation that some of the cheetahs might not survive in the Indian conditions came true. It was a sad thought that if both the felines were to live or let live in the wild in Namibia and South Africa they would not have met an untimely death. Presumably captivity within fenced enclosures or denial of adequate space in the wild for free movement may have stressed them and weakened their fitness and immunity. The cheetahs in KNP are also said to have been fed buffalo and goat meat instead of their normal diet of chital, sambhar, nilgai, springbok and impala meat affecting their metabolism and rendering them more vulnerable. Botulism is also suspected to be a cause of death. The back-to-back deaths of the two translocated cheetahs raised questions over the viability of Project Cheetah and underlined the need to make it more robust.

G. David Milton, Tamil Nadu

Amritpal in rightful place

The law has finally caught up with self styled radical Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh who was on the run since 18th March. Whether he was nabbed or he voluntarily surrendered is not of great importance, what matters is he was able to elude manhunt by Punjab Police and said to have visited 3-4 states during this period. His sudden rise from a truck driver after the death of Deep Sandhu is testimony of the ongoing under current in sensitive state Punjab. It is good that he has been taken to a faraway place in Assam. But now the real task begins, politicians must not use this issue to play their dirty political games, people of Punjab does not want the repeat of 80s or 90s and his links with ISI or other militancy outfits must be investigated to the root and external forces should not be allowed to create unrest in this sensitive border state.

Bal Govind, Noida

Return the Kohinoor diamond to India

The British got a 5-year-old Indian prince to gift the Kohinoor diamond to them. Hence, it's no longer morally defensible for UK to hold on to this loot. The honourable thing to do is to return it from where they took it - India. The Kohinoor was mined in India and was one of the largest diamonds ever mined. After changing hands among various kings in India for centuries, it found its way to the legendary Ranjit Singh who ruled Punjab. The British conquered Punjab after his death in 1849 and installed his 5-year-old son Daleep Singh as the king under the regency of the British. Later, they got this child to gift the diamond to them. They also moved Daleep Singh to England, converted him to Christianity and did not allow him to meet his mother or any other Indian relative so that he wouldn't be aware of his heritage. After Queen Victoria's death, the Kohinoor was set in the crown of Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII and that was used to crown her at their coronation in 1902. The diamond was then transferred to Queen Mary's crown in 1911, and then to the queen mother's crown in 1937. The Kohinoor diamond was also worn by Queen Elizabeth-II during her reign as the monarch of England. The Kohinoor diamond is now part of the British monarch. It is currently on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London, seen by millions of visitors every day. With King Charles-III succeeding to the throne after his mother's death (Queen Elizabeth-II) on August 8, the 105-carat diamond, which is steeped in history, will go to his wife, Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, who has now become Queen consort. Hence, we Indians would like King Charles-III to return the Kohinoor diamond to its rightful owner, i.e. India.

Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai

Leak of PM's security details is shocking

It is shocking that the tour plan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, running into 40 odd pages in Kerala, to be kept confidential was leaked to the press by the ruling LDF government. The PM was on a two-day visit to the state. The police intelligence chief said that another tour plan was readied, in the aftermath of the previous one being compromised, that would make the visiting dignitary vulnerable to attack; especially in the wake of banning of PFI in India, whose cadres are enormous in Kerala, with the connivance of the ruling LDF in the state; and a close vigil on the SDPI activities, towards whom the ruling LDF always seems to be having a soft approach, with no questions asked. It is observed that LDF cadres have systematically infiltrated all branches of administration to be eyes and ears for the government which is a threat to the nation's security.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad