MyVoice: Views of our readers 30th July 2022

Time to scrap MIG 21 planes

Two pilots were killed when the Indian Air Force MIG 21 jet crashed during a training sortie in Barmer Rajasthan. The MIG 21 is a Soviet-era single engine multirole fighter attack aircraft that forms the backbone of its fleet. Our Air Force planes are crashing without any interception by the enemy camp. This is not a good sign. In this case the plane crash landed on a routine training sortie. The pilots could not eject from the aircraft as the plane was picking up speed and hence could not survive. It is time to use indigenously manufacture fighter planes and MIG 21 ought to have been scrapped long ago. The death of two pilots is a costly loss.

Anandambal Mani, Coimbatore

Voter ID should include email and phone number

It is a positive development that the Election Commission of India (ECI) now permits those above the age of 17 to apply in advance to be included to the voter list rather than having to wait until they reach the required age of 18 in a particular year. Additionally, ECI should let all individuals to register their cell numbers and email addresses so that they appear on voter identification. The ECI made a wise choice to update the electoral roll every three months is appreciable. The registration forms should be simplified and made more user-friendly. The young people should obtain an electoral picture identity card after registering along with mobile number and email addresses.

Vijaykumar H K, Raichur

MPs must hang their heads in shame

Discipline is the essence not only in academic institutions, offices and establishments and everywhere including people's houses in States and at the Centre. Once again the parliament sessions could not be held in right perspective on the first day of opening due to pandemonium performed by seniors and freshers. What we generally call it a fish market, it turned exactly like that. People have to bow their heads in shame for electing them and members are least worried for spoiling time and money ín all days of sessions as if certain animals never bother rain on their bodies. These days most of the parliamentarians are well qualified and what they have learnt leaves us a question.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

Parliament is a platform to debate discuss & deliberate policies & frame laws. It's not a battleground to settle political scores. Every session of the house witnesses unruly scenes pandemonium, walkouts etc., thus wasting enormous time and energy of the members. The loss of money in terms of costs involved is also huge. A poor and developing economy can't afford such a colossal waste. Leaders of both ruling and opposition parties should repeatedly bear this in mind when they attend sessions. Sessions shouldn't end by just passing routine bills & instead turn fruitful so that the nation & its citizens ultimately benefit.

N R Raghuram, Hyderabad

At the outset, when 'Rashtrapati' is a gender-agnostic word, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's reference to president of India as 'Rashtrapatni' appears deliberate and therefore calling it a slip of tongue is unacceptable. The Congress leader relented to apologise for his remarks before the president but not to the hypocrites in BJP. This further escalated with both opposition and government engaged in heated arguments. In fact, from the day Droupadi Murmu was elected as woman president, Congress seems to be unhappy and the intemperate remarks by Congress leader within days after her assumption of office fuelling a veritable storm is a serious matter which cannot be allowed to be buried with a mere apology from the member. Swift and strict action on Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will only render justice and bring calm in both the houses.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Adhir Ranjan Chowdary's comments are not a slip of tongue but a deliberate sexist insult against the President. Why are BJP leaders repeatedly calling our president as Dalit president? Why don't these leaders think that she is the President to all our country? When will these leaders stop calling her repeatedly a Dalit president? Adhir Ranjan Chowdary clarified that it was a slip of tongue and offered and apology to our President. He clearly said that it is a slip of tongue to the language barrier claiming he is a Bengali and not proficient in Hindi. Even Sonia Gandhi apologized regarding this matter. But still BJP is making a mountain of a mole hill. Smriti Irani 's reaction seems to be over dramatic in this issue.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet