MyVoice: Views of our readers 3rd May 2024

Faulty understanding of Indian traditions

The recent SC judgement on the “essential ceremonies” to declare a marriage valid is disturbing and problematic. In deciding the sanctity of rituals, our courts have taken on the role of past Christian churches in assessing pagan rituals. In the past, both colonials and missionaries debated the “truly religious,” “secular,” and “idolatrous” (or false) components of pagan practices. It was necessary to condemn and reject the latter. Abrahamic frameworks informed their understanding. In post-colonial India, the judges now talk about the essential and non-essential aspects of Hindu practices, unchanged in their understanding. There is no attempt to involve traditional scholars in correcting any faulty understandings. Although the colonials left long ago, our courts continue to perpetuate theological ideas from the past, and the citizens grant the person of the judge supreme power.

Dr Pingali Gopal, Hanamkonda

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The Supreme court has certainly made a valid observation as regards Hindu Marriages and the several steps/rituals being discarded involved in performing marriages as per the Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act. Very unfortunately, certain traditions and culture practices that are time-testedly followed by the Hindu community for decades are being neglected by some who only relied heavily on the ‘Registration certificate’ as a concluding proof for a marriage. The sacred sanctity of a marriage has been given a go-by even by certain educated class persons which is more shocking for different reasons. Marriages are the basic criterion for development of families and it is high time that in spite of huge technological awareness, the basic traditions of performance of marriages are certainly kept alive by all.

Katuru Durga Prasad Rao, Hyderabad

Impractical doles by AP alliance sans BJP

There are three parties in the alliance in AP but only two parties jointly released the manifesto for the upcoming elections in the state .The BJP overtly kept away from the manifesto release function on Sunday. As usual the media which supports the TDP highlighted the contents of the manifesto which filled with impractical promises like ₹ 3,000 per month as unemployment dole, ₹ 15,000 per student as Ammaku vandanam, ₹ 20,000 to each farmer, free ride for women in the RTC buses, three free gas cylinders to each household and ₹ 1,500 per month to each woman in the name of Super Six. Is it possible in AP given its precarious financial position? How these people promised these schemes which require nearly ₹ 2.5 lakh crore? Further the same people criticised the YSRCP government for implementing more or less same schemes by saying the AP would become one more Sri Lanka.

Pratapa Reddy Y, Tiruvuru, NTR dt, AP

Developed world dithers on commitments

As the editorial - A historic commitment to zero-carbon energy system- elucidates in detail the recipe for disaster is due to climate change, the Paris Summit resolving that every nation cut down on greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming was a step in the right direction. Even at Cop 26 meet in Scotland during 2020 to 2021, the target for cutting emissions from burning coal, gas and oil to prevent average global temperatures from rising above 1.5 degree Celsius to decide the earth’s fate was deliberated upon to solve the climate crisis by fast-tracking global climate collaboration but this remains not fully operational due to developed nations refusing to negotiate any responsibility from climate-induced losses. All in all, it is time the developed world must step forward and honour its commitments on finance and technology transfers to set zero net target.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

AI threat to free and fair poll process

Apropos, “Rattled over quota, BJP is after me: Revanth Reddy (THI, May 02). Given the rapid spread of Artificial Intelligence in the tech world, it was on the cards that AI-enabled deepfake videos would surface during the 2024 elections. It took a malicious doctored video of Home Minister Amit Shah and turned the spotlight on the extent of the threat posed by such emerging technology on the general elections, when issues like reservations and religion-based quotas have become hot button topics. However divisive the politics of the times may be, the debate on reservations and quotas cannot be allowed to get so polemical. Quotas have been around for decades and are here to stay regardless of who wins general elections in India. It is time our leaders moved on from quota vote bank politics to other meaningful issues.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru