MyVoice: Views of our readers 28th March 2022

Working class interests undermined

Working class from all over the country from almost every sector going on nationwide strike is not a new affair. Ever since the new economic and industrial policies were introduced under the dictates of IMF, the grievances and livelihood issues of the working class also started mounting. The course of anti-working class measures, in due course, assumed the proportion of anti-national measures. This is rightly recognised by the wealth creating working class as depicted by their call to 'Save the People and Save the Nation.' Their demands like 'No to Privatisation of Public Sector,' for allocation of 5% of GDP to health sector and promotion of public healthcare institutions as premier institutions, exemption of medicines and medical devices from GST, etc,. make this very clear. The increasing resentment among the workers and farmers of the country cannot anymore be either diverted or subsided by plunging them in communal agenda. Let good sense prevail to save the people and save the nation.

A G Rajmohan, Anantapur

A sad state of governance in WB

It is a sad of affairs in West Bengal that it is again in the clutch of violence where eight people were done to death in a village in Birth in district by TMC goons within hours after the murder of TMC's deputy panchayat head, thus putting the state back on a trail of political violence. In the midst of lawlessness, it is unfortunate that government appears not inclined to take strict action even after clinching evidence points at TMC's men involvement in the brutal massacre of women and children. Moreover, when it is clear that Mamata Banerjee's appeasement politics is the cause for this indisputable shocking incident, belated acknowledgment of the lapse by her to form a SIT to probe the matter only after knowing that the issue is slipping out of her hand tells the sad tale of misgovernance. Banerjee must show sincerity in ensuring that all guilty are punished without delay instead of taking seriously Governor's statement and criticising it for highlighting the ground situation in the state.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

An embarrassment for the nation

The deportation of Filippo Osella, the Professor of Anthropology and South Asian Studies, on his arrival from the UK at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram airport leaves a bad taste in the mouth. He had arrived to present a research paper on lives and livelihoods of Kerala's coastal communities at a conference. That the incident happened in the supposedly 'progressive' state like Kerala raises more eyebrows. Is the action representative of stricturing of freedom of expression and free thought that pervades modern India? Through this action, has the scientific pursuit in India suffered a reversal? Inevitable and unpleasant fallout of the incident is the loss of face India could face on the international arena. India of late has been labelled as a country increasingly allergic to free thought, including that of scientific temper. That undesirable tag mustn't cross borders. The airport authorities must offer a credible explanation to the entire world on the unsavoury incident without much delay to save India from possible embarrassment.

Dr George Jacob, Kochi

Big relief for the disabled from SC

Judiciary well appreciates the problems of differently abled persons. In the past, the SC imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on an airlines for the difficulties faced by a disabled (refer famous Jija Ghosh case). Karnataka High Court also penalised an airlines for the problems faced by a disabled son and mother. A disabled IAS topper had to fight a long legal battle before the final selection. The Supreme court has delivered judgement in favour of the disabled for the UPSC to apply provisionally. It allowed him to opt for police service and the disabled can apply either physically or by courier till 4 pm on April 1. In an interim order, the SC allowed candidates with physical disabilities who have cleared the civil services written exam to provisionally apply for selection to Indian Railways Protection Force Service (IRPFS), Indian Police service (IPS),as well as Delhi, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Police Service (DANIPS). The court was hearing a plea by NGO, National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled, challenging a central notification which it said excludes people with physical disabilities from certain branches of the civil services.

Yash Pal Ralhan, Jalandhar