MyVoice: Views of our readers 7th May 2025
Coming out against war is not anti-nation
The Union Home Ministry has used a set of directives to States on conducting 'civil defence' mock drills right down to local communities amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Such an exercise involving the civilian population is normally conducted when there is an imminent threat of war. The prospect of war puts us in a certain mode of uncertainty about the future. The simulation of a war-like scenario is indicative of India bracing itself for a military conflict. It is no cause for worry if the drills are meant to be a cathartic experience. Beefing up civil defence preparedness in a vast country like ours presents huge logistical problems.
Nobody knows how a war will pan out, but everybody knows that it will exact a terrible cost in death and suffering. We dread to think what will happen if there really is an outbreak of war. A war will have tragic consequences. We are right in thinking that a war is dangerous and destructive. A war between two nuclear-armed neighbours can be described in one word as 'annihilation'. In this day and age, a war does not produce a winner. It will be a lose, lose situation for both sides. If a militarily superior country scores or claims victory, it will be a pyrrhic victory. Coming out against war and for peace is not speaking against the nation. Alternatives to war should be tried. This is 'not an era for war'. This is the moment of truth for the leaderships of India and Pakistan. Instead of being swayed by nationalist and religious sentiments, they must hold themselves back from fighting a war by some sense of self-preservation. They must handle the situation statesman-like and avert a war.
G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu
Civil defence mock drill is a good deterrent
Amid the high tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, the Government of India has announced a nationwide civil defence mock drill on May 7. The Ministry of Home Affairs under the leadership of Home Minister has instructed 244 districts to conduct the exercise, which will include blackout simulations, air raid sirens, evacuation drills, and public training sessions to prepare for war-like emergencies. The mock drill checks the preparedness how civilians and government systems respond during emergencies like war, missile attacks, or aerial strikes. The drills recreate real-life scenarios. The rehearsal of counterattack could definitely help and produces threat in the minds of the attacker.
Dimple Wadhawan, Kanpur Nagar
Hate culture needs to end
The image of Himanshi Narwal's stoic figure became the haunting face of the Pahalgam terror attack. Himanshi Narwals husband was shot dead at a gun point by terrorist and it is said that he was questioned about his religion and shot dead. This incident was then projected as a newlywed Hindu woman has lost her husband by the hands of 'Muslim attackers', by the right wing giving a divisive communal narrative. Later, Himanshi voiced for peace and said that 'we don't want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris. We want peace and justice. People who have done wrong with him should be punished.' Soon after her comments she became from a symbol of grief to target of hate. Hatemongers trolled her with derogatory remarks about her personal life and friendship with Muslims.
It is matter of great shame that a grief stricken woman is being targeted for her ideological expressions. Targeting her on her personal life in such a manner is completely unacceptable. The trolls became so dirty that National Woman's committee NCW intervened and warned the hatemongers. The terrorists killed her husband and these hate mongers trolls tried to assassinate her character. It is worrisome that PMO and the top BJP leaders are maintaining stoic silence on this issue. The Central Government should intervene and should take strict action on the hatemongers who are trolling vulgarly on the 'brave lady' Himanshi Narwal.
Zakir Hussain, Kazipet
Conduct comprehensive socio-economic survey
Deprivation in India is not only based on caste but also on economic, educational, gender, regional and social grounds. Reservations exist for SC, ST and OBC, but many truly deprived sections are still left behind. Some poor upper castes, Muslims and other minorities, nomads and landless people are deprived of proper representation.
The government has several schemes, but the benefits have been limited. A census based on caste alone is not enough. We need a comprehensive socio-economic survey (SES). Such a survey should also examine education, income, housing, employment and quality of life. The main argument is that policy should be based on real deprivation, not just caste, so that justice is provided to all.
Mohammad Asad, Mumbai
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Mamata Banerjee's trusted aide, a lightning rod for controversies: Why Firhad Hakim is again receiving brickbats
He is one of Mamata Banerjee's trusted leaders, but Firhad Hakim often leaves his leader and party in a spot of bother with his comments. Affectionately known as 'Bobby da' in the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Hakim, who triggered a row a few months ago by saying that Muslism would one day 'become a bigger majority than what the current majority population is', hasstirred the pot again with his comments targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Operation Sindoor. The four-time MLA sparked outrage on Saturday after he questioned the success of Operation and claimed that Modi had halted military action against Pakistan as he feared a 'big nation' would label him 'kapurush (coward)'. The BJP was quick to latch on to the remarks, with the party's state chief, Sukanta Majundar, saying that Hakim's criticism stemmed from 'an inability to digest such an operation', especially due to the lack of such actions during the UPA era. Hakim's political rise has been meteoric. Born in a family that traces its ancestry to Gaya in Bihar, the 66-year-old began his political career in the late 1990s as a councillor in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and, in 2021, became the first Muslim to occupy the post of Kolkata Mayor since Independence. He first entered the Assembly in 2009 after winning the Alipore bypoll. He then successfully contested the 2011 Assembly polls from Kolkata Port, a seat he has retained since then. His influence in the port area is so extensive that he is considered to have the final word there. After the exit of Mukul Roy in 2017 and the arrest of former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in 2022 in connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam, Hakim is said to have solidified his position as one of Banerjee's trusted lieutenants. Since the TMC first came to power in 2011, he has been a part of her Cabinet and held important portfolios such as Urban Development and Municipal Affairs. He also serves as the Chairman of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Hakim is also known to organise one of Kolkata's most popular Durga Pujas, in his neighbourhood of Chetla, where Banerjee is a regular visitor. List of controversies Hakim's latest remarks are the latest in a long list of controversial comments that he has made in his two-decade political career, sometimes even leaving his own party red-faced. In 2016, Hakim, in an interview with Pakistani daily Dawn, referred to his constituency as 'mini-Pakistan'. However, he maintained that his comments were not accurately reported. The same year, Hakim's name popped up in the Narada sting operation after he was allegedly seen accepting bribes on video. The following year, the CBI questioned him in connection with the case and arrested him after the 2021 Assembly polls. The TMC leader received bail from the Calcutta High Court in the case in May 2021. In 2023, the CBI raided Hakim's house in connection with alleged irregularities in KMC recruitment, prompting him to accuse the BJP of 'using central agencies to harass him over his refusal to bow down before them'. Last November, Hakim was forced to apologise after he faced sharp criticism for his alleged derogatory remarks about the BJP's Haroa bypoll candidate Rekha Patra, an alleged sexual harassment victim from Sandeshkhali. The following month, he claimed that Muslims did not consider themselves a minority. 'We believe that with the blessings of the Almighty, one day we will become a bigger majority than what the current majority population is,' he said, reportedly even leaving Banerjee upset. The comment led to the TMC distancing itself from Hakim and saying that his remarks 'do not reflect the party's position or ideology'. Seen by many as an 'one-man army' in the port area, which comprises areas such as Khiderpore and Metiabruz, Hakim's propensity to get into controversies has failed to diminish his stature within the TMC as its powerful minority face and key strategist.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Whole World Now Knows The Truth': Tharoor Wraps Up US Visit, Quips on Pakistan's Terror Links
/ Jun 09, 2025, 03:31PM IST Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading a multi-party Indian parliamentary delegation, declared "The world knows the truth now" after concluding a high-level visit to the US to brief global powers on Operation Sindoor—India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Tharoor said the international community now understands the scale of Pakistan-backed terrorism and India's measured but firm retaliation. The delegation met US Vice President JD Vance and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who expressed outrage at the Pahalgam killings and praised India's restraint. Tharoor emphasized that India's moral clarity and strategic intent were acknowledged by key US stakeholders. Meetings with top US lawmakers, think tanks, media, and Indian-American leaders capped the visit. Tharoor paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Washington, reiterating India's commitment to peace—but not without strength.#shashitharoor #operationsindoor #pahalgamattack #worldknowsthetruth #indiausrelations #jdvance #christopherlandau #usbacksindia #indianusvisit #terrorfrompakistan #indiandiplomacy #mahatmagandhiwashington #globalsupportindia #strategicretaliation #indiafightsterror #toi #toibharat #bharat #breakingnews #indianews
India.com
17 minutes ago
- India.com
This Indian 'Missile Bus' with 5800 km range can wreak havoc on enemy, destroy multiple targets at once, it is..., it can carry...
New Delhi: Agni V Ballistic Missile: India shares its border with Pakistan on one side and China on the other, so it is very important to strengthen the land, water and air defense system. After the Pahalgam attack, the ferocity and aggression with which India taught a lesson to the terrorists and Pakistan by launching Operation Sindoor, astonished the whole world. Defense experts have been surprised by the ferocity of the BrahMos cruise missile and the capability of the air defense system. The China-made air defense system could not even detect the Indian missiles. However, India did not use its most dangerous missile in this military operation. It is Agni-5 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) which has a range of 5800 km and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Agni-5 is also equipped with MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle) technology. MIRV is also called a 'missile bus'. It is developed by DRDO. What is Missile Bus? Now the question arises that why is MIRV technology called missile bus? Actually, MIRV is such a technology, through which many missiles can be fired from a single booster. These missiles can destroy different targets at the same time. This not only saves time, but there is also no need to fire missiles again and again. Its ferocity increases further when this missile is equipped with nuclear weapons. Its long striking range helps in striking targets at different locations at the same time. The Agni-5 missile can easily dodge enemy's radar as well as air defense system. America was the first country to deploy a missile using MIRV technology. It deployed the first missile equipped with MIRV technology, Minuteman-III (Minuteman III ICBM) in 1970. At that time, this missile was capable of carrying 3 warheads at a time. The very next year, in 1971, America deployed the Poseidon Missile with MIRV technology in a submarine. It was the first submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) equipped with MIRV technology. The Poseidon missile was capable of carrying 10 warheads at a time. After the USA, the former Soviet Union also developed indigenous MIRV technology in the 1970s. Now, Russia is said to be developing a missile equipped with MIRV that will be capable of carrying 16 warheads simultaneously. India's MIRV system is equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high-accuracy sensor packages, which ensure that the re-entry vehicle hits the target point with complete accuracy. This capability is a symbol of India's growing technological power. Agni series missiles are the backbone of India's nuclear weapon delivery system and Agni V is the longest-range missile in India's arsenal. This means it can reach most parts of China, especially with a small warhead.
