MyVoice: Views of our readers 8th April 2022

PM picture on wrapper distasteful

During the BJP Parliamentary meeting which took place in the national capital, a saffron cap worn by the PM and a Energy Bar Chocolate was distributed to 400 MPs. While I have nothing against the party distributing the saffron cap worn by PM Modi, the "energy bar" chocolate wrapper carried the picture of the Prime Minister of India. It is not clear after eating the chocolate either at the venue or home, where the wrapper with the PM's photo has gone. Whoever has thought of distributing the energy bar chocolate seems to have forgotten that Modi also holds the position of Prime Minister. Can we allow the wrapper with the PM's photo to find a place in the dustbin? There are conventions on the use of photos of the PM, President and other constitutional heads. It is time BJP give respect to the office of PM previously occupied by tall leaders.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Growing religious bigotry in India

If only all prosperous and oil-rich Middle East countries gave importance to religious bigotry, millions of Hindu Indian NRIs would have been back in India by now. They are rightfully realistic that in the long run, it is economy that matters more than religion. We have seen how such countries like Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, to cite a few examples, are suffering precisely for ignoring their economy over religion. Now, as we see with disparity in who should run a shop, it's high time we shed this practice and give importance to economy, revenue generation and alleviation of poverty. We need not go out of the way in building other religious structures to ape foreign countries but let us not at least spread hatred against any religion.

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad

Poor burdened by price hikes

The steep rise in the prices of fuel and food items are going up unabated and well-nigh an everyday happening. Hike in the price of gas is causing suffering to the poor and the middle-class people. Another shocker is surge in public transport charges. To rub salt in the wound, electricity charges are also increased. Add to these, prices of pulses, oils, grains, spices, etc have shot up. Owing to this, children from poor and lower middle classes face malnutrition, which hampers their growth. Living cost has become overburdened to the underprivileged. Governments must consider the consequences of surging prices and find ways to curb inflation.

K Manoj Kumar, Huzurabad

Give due respect to Governors

Apropos 'Insult to Governor's office unacceptable' (April 07, 2022). While some States are complaining about the federal structure being usurped by the Centre; they are in no mood to adhere to the Constitutional responsibility of extending the requisite respect that Governors as Constitutional heads of state deserve. Kerala, Telangana and West Bengal governments are berating the role of Governors, treating them as agents of the Centre in keeping a hawk's eye on their functioning. This irrational notion is unwarranted and unfounded. One hopes that the TRS government would not slip into a similar mindset, taking cue from anti-Centre states like Kerala and WB, in downplaying the status of Governor.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

Pursuit of true happiness

Hedonism, in philosophical psychology, is the view that all human action is ultimately motivated by desires for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Happiness is your natural state. It is your unconditioned true nature. You can't acquire happiness because you already have it. A person who pursues pleasure - chases after it - will not be happy because such pleasure must be balanced out with an equal amount of pain. The pendulum swings one way, it has to swing the other. The person who takes life as it comes, however, is not unbalanced by pleasure, so pain does not follow. I don't believe that the pursuit of happiness is to avoid pain, because in that case it would be escapism which would ultimately land you in a cyclical loop of quick happiness and pain. We all want what feels good, but why we want it is the dictating factor. Is it to escape an uncomfortable feeling in the moment? Or is it because we would appreciate having that experience? However, in pursuit of happiness, by understanding and working through our pain and downfalls is what leads to true happiness. By doing this you are letting go of the pain to embrace and appreciate your happiness.

C K Subramaniam, Mumbai