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MyVoice: Views of our readers 1st Aug 2025

MyVoice: Views of our readers 1st Aug 2025

Hans Indiaa day ago
Maintain parliamentary decorum
Apropos the edit 'Op Sindoor...'. There was nothing new about the debate in Parliament with each side only repeating what was said by them on umpteen earlier occasions. The Indian public is paying for the debates, and I wish there was a way for demanding our money back for these kinds of debates that are just noisy and lack substance.
The fortuitous way the Pahalgam killers were liquidated is a little suspicious because there were constant demands from the opposition to arrest them. Which terrorist would carry their voter ID card from Pakistan if they were to indulge in terror attacks? The only notable thing about the entire debate came courtesy of Priyanka Gandhi, who gave names of the dead.
Anthony Henriques, Mumbai
Aghast at Trump's doublespeak
It was a proud moment when ISRO successfully launched the earth observation satellite NISAR, which has been developed jointly by NASA and ISRO (THI, July 31). While USA and India with NASA and ISRO have collaborated, coordinated and cooperated on the highly expensive satellite indicates their great vibes as regards space technology.
Against this backdrop, it is shocking that US President Donald Trump, despite ongoing deliberations with India, has announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the USA adding penalty for buying Russian crude oil at discounted price. One fails to understand Trump's doublespeak pertaining to 'friendship' and 'tariff'.
In addition, Trump announced a deal with Pakistan on developing massive oil reserves and hoped that India would buy oil from Pakistan! The increase in tariff is bound to adversely impact both India and the United States. Hopefully, Trump will rethink his hasty announcement and reduce tariffs after which both nations stand to benefit.
J P Reddy, Nalgonda-508001
Who will bell the cat?
This has reference to the article on '80 years history of plastic chairs and futuristic environmental Villain'. It must be noted that since 1957, plastic has been promoted and sold in India, including used in everyday life. In fact, there are several colleges that offer diplomas to PG courses on plastic.
Our country has around 50,000 plastic processing units, which provide thousands of jobs. Moreover, without government support, such progress cannot happen. So far no one has found any equivalent material that can effectively replace plastic (despite the 'ill-effects') across all applications.
Gudipati Shanti Priya, Secunderabad-11
GHMC chief must follow Lucknow example
I wish to appeal to the Commissioner, GHMC, to emulate the fine example set forth by the Lucknow civic body, which has successfully turned garbage hills into green parks and waste into fuel. The great transformation has seen Lucknow leapfrog from the 41st rank to an envious third in the Swacch- Survekshan ranking, 2024-25. This can be attributed to the diligence and determination of Indrajit Singh, Lucknow Municipal Commissioner, and his team.
They successfully processed nearly 20 metric tonnes of solid waste into fuel and organic fertilizer. He not only provided 1200 EV vehicles to collect household waste but also JCB vehicles to clean up drainage canals. Making the initiative more effective, Singh ensured proper training to sanitation workers, who were all provided PPE kits and were subject to regular health check-up. By adopting such novel methods, he made Lucknow a greener and hygienic city. The GHMC chief can also take similar measures to transform Hyderabad.
R. J. Janardhana Rao, Hyderabad-28
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Trump's penalty talks create unease in Indian textile industry
Trump's penalty talks create unease in Indian textile industry

Fibre2Fashion

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Trump's penalty talks create unease in Indian textile industry

In what many see as a major escalation of trade tensions, US President Donald Trump on July 30 announced a sweeping 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from India even as India's competitors, including Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Turkiye, were levied lower tariffs of 15-20 per cent. The move has sparked concerns across sectors in India, especially after Trump also mentioned of an additional, unspecified penalty related to India's ongoing trade relations with Russia, specifically its purchases of crude oil. US President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on all Indian imports. The move is compounded by Trump's warning of an unspecified penalty tied to India's ongoing trade relations with Russia, particularly its purchase of crude oil. The lack of clarity around the unspecified penalty has created unease in Indian business circles, especially among apparel exporters. While the announcement was made without detailing the nature of the additional penalty, industry leaders and policymakers are concerned over its ramifications and long-term implications. Reacting to the latest development, India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued an official response, as reported by various media outlets. The statement emphasised that the Indian Government is closely examining the implications of the US President's announcement. 'The Government is studying its implications. India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective,' the ministry reportedly underlined. The statement also reassured stakeholders that national interests would be protected. 'The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The Government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements, including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK,' the ministry reportedly added. Adding another dimension, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, just a day after Trump's tariff announcement, underlined Washington's dissatisfaction with India's continuing imports from Russia, as reported in certain sections of the media. 'India's purchase of oil from Russia is most certainly a point of irritation,' Rubio reportedly said speaking to a radio channel. Experts are thus viewing Trump's tariff imposition not just through the lens of protectionism, but as part of a broader geopolitical agenda. Some analysts believe the punitive measures reflect the US' discomfort with India's increasing strategic autonomy and its deepening economic engagement with Russia. Of particular concern to Indian exporters is the ambiguity surrounding the 'unspecified penalty' mentioned by Trump. The lack of clarity on this additional measure has created unease in the business circles. Sudhir Sekhri, chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) , reflected this sentiment, stating, 'The penalty is a grey area, and we hope the Government of India (GOI) will negotiate this with the US…' Echoing similar concerns, Rajeev Gupta, joint managing director of RSWM Ltd, earlier told Fibre2Fashion , 'Indian entrepreneurs and manufacturers are resilient, and we are confident that business momentum will be consistently rising with planned strategies. What remains crucial is clarity on the tariff position against China,' even as he added, 'A more pressing concern is the undefined penalty clause linked to India's ties with Russia, which adds a layer of uncertainty.' The timing of this development is critical, as both countries have been actively engaged in negotiations for a mutually beneficial trade agreement. India's recent efforts to diversify trade relationships, including the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the UK, many feel, signals a broader strategy to reduce dependence on any one market even as they added the US nonetheless remains one of India's largest trading partners, and any disruption in this relationship could have far-reaching implications for key export sectors such as textiles. 'The Free Trade Agreement with the UK opens up varied opportunities and is a welcoming move,' claimed an industry player interacting with Fibre2Fashion, who expressed apprehensions over the penalty ramifications if not sorted out soon. However, as things stand now, the Indian exporters seem to be adopting a cautious approach, a wait and watch policy to see how things unfold in the days to come as the steep duty imposed by US could hurt nearly half of India's exports, as per some estimates, adding to which is now the threat of additional penalty. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DR)

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