MyVoice: Views of our readers 9th October 2026

Nana Patekar’s demise, a great loss

The demise of Nana Patekar is indeed a great loss to the film world and humanity. Unlike many in the film fraternity, he has often said that he came to Mumbai only to earn through films and, once a shoot ended, returned to his village to work in the fields. He reportedly avoided film parties and preferred a simple life.

His powerful film Prahar reflected his association with the armed forces. He also advocated that every able-bodied citizen should undergo a year of military service. The Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, along with many others, mourned his passing. Sadly, the same respect was not shown to 94-year-old veteran filmmaker Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. Artists belong to the nation and deserve equal respect, irrespective of where they come from. May both artists remain in our hearts.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

Our PM is a leader eager to achieve

Twenty-five years of unbroken public service is rare in any democracy. Since October 2001, Narendra Modi has led Gujarat and then India, and whatever one’s politics, the change in everyday life is visible. Toilets and gas connections have reached homes, millions have opened bank accounts, and UPI lets even a roadside vendor accept digital payments. Roads, railways and airports keep expanding. His new mantra, “we will do it,” shows a leader still eager to work. Viksit Bharat 2047 will need all of us. Through my words I would like to say that consistency is the key power of success.

Rajat Kumar, Dhenkanal, Odisha

Modi’s popularity at an all-time low

The occasion of the completion of 25 years of public service first as Chief Minister of Gujarat and then as Prime Minister if India by Narendra Modi has seen his bhakts and Godi media anchors eulogizing him as a great leader like no other. But an objective assessment of his personality and performance gives enough reason to sing a different tune. Throughout his political career he has demonstrated his identity as a “Hindu nationalist”. Religious polarization is the name of the game that he has always played for self-promotion. A profoundly polarizing figure, Narendra Modi sets no great store by diversity, secularism and pluralism. In his 12 years in power India has seen a backslide of democracy and a weakening of institutions. Dissenters are called ‘tukde, tukde gang’ and ‘urban Naxals’ and ‘dimagi Naxals’. “Modinomics” has found no solution to the problem of unemployment; it has only helped widen the gap between the rich and the poor. It is ironic that his supporters paint a rosy picture of his 25 years in office at a time when the protests against what the Opposition calls “vote chori” is gaining momentum across the country and Modi’s popularity is at an all-time low.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Congress playing irresponsible games

This is further to your editorial ‘Gyanesh Kumar finds himself in a tight corner amid protest’. The nation is witnessing a nasty agenda propagated by Congress for the ouster of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, over the disagreement with other two Election Commissioners, based on a report published in a section of the media, some time ago. The disagreements by the concerned officials over SIR are not meant to be in the public domain; such discussions are purely internal issues about which there must be no adverse publicity. The Congress latching on to the news report to prove its point for the resignation of the CEC is ridiculous. Rahul Gandhi has taken up on himself as his life mission indulging in all sorts of childish and irresponsible pranks that warranted filing FIR against him and other Congress MPs for misbehaving and rude conduct with the police. Interestingly Rahul claims that every such FIR he regards as a medal for him. What a shame.

K R Parvathy, Mysuru

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