MyVoice: Views of our readers 6th March 2026

Nitish plotting his moves carefully

This refers to “Bihar CM Nitish likely to opt for Rajya Sabha” (5 March). Historically, the BJP (earlier Jan Sangh) had little space in Bihar, a state shaped by socialist stalwarts such as Jayaprakash Narayan, Karpoori Thakur, Acharya Narendra Dev and veteran leaders like Basawon Singh. Later, student leaders—Sharad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad Yadav—rose under Lok Nayak’s influence and collectively resisted the Sangh’s foothold in the state.

Ironically, except for Lalu, most of them eventually helped the BJP grow, often in pursuit of narrow political ambitions. Today, with dwindling numbers, the JD(U) chief and Bihar CM appears under pressure to trade the Chief Minister’s chair for a Rajya Sabha seat.

Nitish Kumar, long seen nurturing prime ministerial ambitions, may now settle for a different address—perhaps even Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2027. Either way, his political innings seems carefully insured till 2032.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

US-Iran war, a case of military overreach

In a demonstration of its military power, the US, by using a submarine, has sunk an Iranian warship, Iris Dena in the Indian Ocean off the south coast of Sri Lanka. Without disguising his glee at the sinking of the Iranian frigate, US Defence Secretary Pete Hogseth leading the Pentagon boasted that Iran was under the illusion that the vessel was safe in international waters and it was the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.

It was clearly an act of military overreach. Here in India, we felt a sense of nearness to the ongoing conflict. In this day and age there is no guarantee that a war won’t be spilled over into areas outside the theatre of war.

The US and Iran continue to pound Iran, reducing the lives of 90 million Iranians to a daily test of endurance. US claim that this war is fought in the interest of Iranians is belied by the fact that more than 1000 Iranian civilians lost their lives to the war. The deadly strike on a girls’ school has claimed the lives of over 100 innocent girl students. If it is not an act of inhumanity, what is it?

Washington speaks of “regime change” in Tehran. By the same logic, Teheran must have the right to speak of “regime change” in Washington. But then military might and economic wherewithal to impose sanctions which the US did for so long make all the difference! It is remarkable that in this moment of great difficulty people of Iran are united in offering resistance through retaliation.

In any case, it is a collective failure of our civilization that there has been no worldwide movement against war and for peace at a time when a dangerous war is playing out in West Asia. The United Nations Organization has become powerless to prevail on world powers, in the present context the US and Israel, to de-escalate and opt for diplomacy, instead of war to resolve geopolitical conflicts, no matter what their causes are.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

AI and knowledge-driven economy

Adopting AI solutions at scale and upskilling the workforce is the imperative for India’s technology ecosystem to remain globally competitive. Rather than posing a threat to the software services industry, AI acts as a powerful force multiplier—enhancing productivity, innovation, and problem-solving capabilities. Enterprises are increasingly integrating AI to expand value chains and create new avenues of efficiency and creativity. India has already witnessed several global partnerships centred on AI-driven development, signalling growing confidence in its technological capacity. Hesitation at this stage would be costly. Harnessed wisely, AI can contribute across sectors, accelerating India’s journey toward a knowledge-driven economy - to become a world leader.

K R Venkata Narasimhan, Madurai

II

This refers to your editorial ‘Adopt AI solutions at scale and up skill to remain relevant’. AI (artificial intelligence) despite the initial hiccups has come to be part of the Indian and global industrial scenario. AI will emerge as an inevitable and accepted trend in robotic automations, advanced medical and surgical aspects, automobile industries and defence fields. AI will emerge as an inalienable aspect in space research and unmanned space explorations. Engineering science will become redundant without AI applications in relevant areas, to be made part of the academic curriculum. AI adoption will become a driving aspect for jobs and emerging technologies. Technology cannibalisation may not be avoided initially in some fields; and AI-led solutions will be the future trend for the researches of the future.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad