MyVoice: Views of our readers 28th January 2020

Data Privacy Day

January 28 is celebrated as 'Data Privacy Day' in several countries including India, to create awareness and promote privacy and data protection. The main motto is to enhance awareness among businesses and users about protecting the privacy of their personal information online. Recently there has been a hue and cry from different sections of people when WhatsApp has announced data transfer of its users to it' parent organisation the Facebook.

Ever since the advent of smart mobile and Internet, privacy of individuals has gone for a toss. If the 'Location' feature of smart mobile is kept 'on' then the movements of persons are recorded with each and every second continuously by the search engine 'Google'. When the personal data is transferred into the hands of anti-social elements then there is every possibility of harm occurring to the safety of individuals' information.

There are innumerable cases being reported where the individuals are duped by cyber thieves. They will send unsolicited links to the personal mobiles and if the mobile users click the same unknowingly their mobile is hacked and their personal information like passwords of debit card/UPI are hacked. We have seen nowadays everyone is getting message alerts onto their mobiles from cell phone providers, money transferring apps, different banking sectors that at any time they will never ask eKYC details, Aadhaar details etc.,

Now it is the duty of every individual to remain alert by not sending their personal information through social media, not to undertake banking transactions through their mobiles/Laptops by using the public Wi-Fi system and change their PINs/password very often, Set screen lock/ Log in passwords to their gadgets to escape from cybercrimes.

V Nagendra Kumar, Hyderabad

Discipline in public life

What I do not understand is whether the State government or the employees are obliged to cooperate with SEC in discharging the Commission's constitutional responsibilities or are they bound to their duties as an elected Government and its employees who are paid by the Government for the duties they tender. If they fail to do intentionally or otherwise unwilling not to do so, are they are not violating the conduct rules and the Constitution? Can someone give a clear- cut clarity on this for the information and knowledge of the people?

In my opinion, it is binding on them as government employees/servants who and every one are bound by the Constitution . In a democracy if such things are not happening, it is utter indiscipline and the very concept of democracy is defeated. If so, how can we in the nation take the pride or credit to be the largest democracy in the world? It is highly known thing that discipline should flow from the top and not otherwise. Water cannot flow from downstream to upstream. Let us put all efforts to be a disciplined nation.

Y G Krishna Swamy, Rajahmundry

US and Iran affairs

With the Biden-Harris team now taking the office in the White House, there are plenty of issues to resolve. The most pressing issue that the Biden administration faces is America's relation with Iran given the concern that the present scenario may upend Washington's non-proliferation strategy and increase tensions in the energy rich Gulf region.

In 2018, Mr. Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and imposed sanctions on Iran, especially on shipment of Iranian oil through the infamous Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to put maximum pressure on Tehran to force it to accept America's maximum demands that went far beyond the agreement. It is noteworthy that the Trump's policy of exerting maximum pressure has brought Iran much more closer to weaponisation which is alarming for all the nations. Once bitten twice shy, Iran now seems to be more vigilant and has rightly cautioned Joe Biden for rejoining the nuclear deal shortly. After four years of Trump's egregious policies and isolationist rhetoric, general public can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Tushar Anand, Patna

Farmers in full form

It is unfortunate that for the first time in the history of independent India that the traditional Republic day celebrations were marked by a state / an atmosphere of violence and lawlessness. There has been an anomalous distortion of the manner in which the 72nd Republic day proceedings were held on account of a low key preparation / arrangements following Covid related protocol and restrictions that downsized the number of participants unlike as in the case of previous Republic day events and due to a chaotic situation created by the protesting farmers who tried to intrude into the capital city for carrying out their tractor rally on Janpath during the formal proceedings of the event were taking place at the Red Fort.

There seems to be a strong reason behind the security forces preventing / obstructing the farmers from entering into the capital from across the Haryana - Delhi border at Singhu, as certain apprehensions were afloat that in the context of farmers taking out a rally particularly on the Republic day, there is suspected back-up or support propped up by some terrorist groups of Pakistan to disrupt the event of celebration that was dangerously a threat / detriment to India's security in all eventuality.

Bh Indu Sekhar, Hyderabad

Farmers tractor rally in the national capital against Central farm laws is unethical and illegal. Police did a good job by using tear gas to disperse the dangerous farmers armed with iron rods, swords, lathis and other weapons. This attack by farmers is to be condemned and required action should be taken against the protesting farmers.

The Central Government should take necessary action to avoid these types of incidents in future because these types of incidents create panic in the people especially on the Republic day. Republic day events every year are celebrated peacefully, but on this 72nd republic day farmers tractor rally that turned violent is a historic event in the history of India that is to be written and remembered. PM Modi should hold talks with the farmer unions to resolve the disputes in the Central farm laws. This protest by farmers may be a Congress party encouraging political gimmick.

V Bhagirath Kumar, Hyderabad