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Hans India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 2nd Aug 2025
MLAs defections: SC directions praiseworthy The Supreme Court ordering the speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly to take decision on the ten MLAs who are facing charges of defection within three months is praiseworthy. The speaker has been taking time longer than it should be to decide the matter, subverting the spirit of the anti-defection law. Though there is no mention of time limit in rule books for speakers to take a call on defections, the inordinate delay makes a mockery of well laid down democratic norms. It's good that the apex court has set the record straight and hopefully the speaker will act per the court ruling. Dr DVG Sankara Rao, Vizianagaram Put a permanent stop to defections The speakers of Parliament and that of the State legislative bodies have often been found undermining democratic values when it comes to defections by elected people's representatives. Indian democracy has always been subverted by opportunistic politicians, who derive tacit support from speakers, who misuse their constitutional authority in taking decisions vis-à-vis the detectors. It is now for the Parliament to 'listen' to the sentiments expressed by the Supreme Court in this regard and set the record straight. But none of the political parties would want to close doors to their pursuit of power, by hook or crook. And for them 'defection' is the biggest weapon even if it means subverting democracy! The Supreme Court can't order the speakers to take decisions within a stipulated time frame. It is for the Parliament to reconcile and bring in legislation to permanently settle the issue, so that the menace of defections is stopped once and for all. Govardhana Myneedu, Vijayawada Historic ruling by the Supreme Court SC giving the Telangana Legislative Assembly speaker three months to decide on the defection of 10 BRS employees to Congress is a historical decision. However, it raises a crucial question: why not work out a robust constitutional provision to prevent defections altogether? In instances where MLAs switch loyalties after winning elections, a clear provision could mandate resignation from the incumbent party before joining another. This would uphold democratic values and prevent the erosion of public trust. Notably, many political leaders, including K Chandrasekhar Rao, K T Rama Rao, and N Chandrababu Naidu have encouraged such defections, undermining the integrity of the electoral process. In this context, the Supreme Court's role becomes pivotal in protecting democratic principles and ensuring accountability. A strong constitutional provision would help prevent future incidents and restore faith in the system. The judiciary's proactive stance is crucial in upholding the nation's democratic fabric. Dr. Venkat Yadav Avula, MASS Hyderabad Calling Trump's tariff bluff In an increasingly fractious world order, the U.S. fired another salvo in its trade war targeting India with a hefty tariff on exports effective from August 1, besides additional penalties for buying Russian oil and arms. This only goes to show that US President Donald Trump has been a vitriolic opportunity offender, who cannot be fully relied upon. However, India's response to Trump's provocations has been measured and non-combative by saying that India will protect the interests of its farmers and MSMEs. Apparently, Trump must understand that like earlier, India is not a soft state now with deep economic resilience, vast domestic absorption capacity, therefore, there can be no giving in to his pressure tactics. Despite Trump describing closeness of India and Russia as 'dead economies', it is imperative that India refrain from reacting in a knee-jerk manner by keeping calm while trying to explore fast-track deals with the EU and other destinations more or less on the deals signed with the UK. India must adopt a cautious approach while at the same time remaining firm in its dealings that sends a strong message to Trump to agree to even terms in trade policy because his likes and dislikes of BRICS and global South is not going to help America in any manner in the long term both in trade and foreign policy matters with India. K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad-3
Hans India
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 23rd June 2025
A point of no return in West Asia The Iran and Israel war has taken a dangerous turn with the US entering the war and straightaway destroying three nuclear facilities in Iran. This has pushed the war to a point of no return, especially for Tehran. In its desperation, Iran may contemplate blocking the strait of Hormuz as an effective measure to strangle vital fuel transports, apart from being engaged in a direct fight with Israel. The worsening situation in West Asia would cost the global economy dearly. Seemingly, India urging Iran for de-escalation may fall on deaf ears, given that America and Israel are responsible for the escalation. Dr DVG Sankara Rao,Former MP, Vizianagaram Trump has cheated his own people Hours after Pakistan decided to nominate US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Prize for Peace, the White House dropped a 'full payload of bombs' on three key nuclear sites in Iran. The irony could not have been starker. US involvement in the war is noticeably evident. By 'substituting' Israel with the US in the war against Iran, Trump has dishonoured his election pledge of staying away from unending overseas wars and thereby betrayed the American voters. As POTUS, Trump has the 'luxury' of being able to launch bomb attacks on a sovereign nation and then triumphantly describe them as a 'spectacular success' and get away with the naked aggression. The blitzkrieg with state-of-the-art bombs targeting the nuclear facilities was an act of 'deception' in that it was carried out within two days of Trump's announcement of a two-week window to try diplomacy. Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear sites were 'completely and totally obliterated' by the bombs needs to be corroborated by an on-the-ground assessment of the extent of the damage. It is some consolation that there were no signs of radioactive contamination. Meanwhile, Tehran's determination to develop its nuclear programme does not seem to have been dented by the US strikes. Its resoluteness to defend itself remains unshaken as evidenced by the retaliatory missile attacks - despite Trump's warning of 'use of far greater force' and 'far worse tragedy'. How safe the world is during Trump's presidency remains a worrisome question. G David Milton,Maruthancode (TN) Flashpoint in West Asia Although America has devastated Iran's nuclear installations, and thereby posing grave risk to Israel, Tehran apparently has not learnt any lessons as it belligerently continues to launch counter missile attacks. It is blocking Hormuz straits, which is the world's largest place for transporting crude oil. This step will result in a major shock to the global economy, vis-à-vis oil supply. The repercussions would be felt everywhere. B. Veerakumaran Act of bravery or cowardness? The USA has ultimately done what it has been saying, all along. Despite being the most powerful nation, both militarily and economically, Washington seems to be afraid of Iran. In fact, the US has failed to pressurise Israel. Today the fear of World War III haunts everyone, particularly after America's latest show of aggression. Will India react in a proper way and protest the onslaughts by Israel and the US, remains to be seen. Kant S Deodhar,Hyderabad On the brink of World War III The world is on the edge of World War III if one goes by the US strikes against three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In effect, Washington entered Israel's war with Iran in the early hours of Sunday. US President Donald Trump has termed it a 'historic moment' for the US, Israel and the world, even as he blabbers about it being the 'time for peace'. All US planes outside of Iran air space have returned. A full payload of bombs was dropped on the primary site. A top official has asserted that several 30,000-pound bunker bombs were dropped on the underground nuclear facility in Fordow and that initial damage assessments indicated that the facility had been 'taken off the table'. The three attacks come a few days after Israel launched its operation in Iran, carrying out a series of strikes on nuclear facilities, key military personnel and nuclear scientists. With Iran talking of 'death to Israel' and 'death to the US', World War III appears imminent. The entire world, including India, must be prepared for such a catastrophic eventuality. Bhagwan Thadani,Mumbai
Hans India
19-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 19th May 2025
Hyd fire-a chilling reminder of urban neglect The massive fire in Hyderabad that claimed 17 lives on Sunday is yet another reminder of our urban neglect. We build tall dreams on weak foundations—no fire exits, no alarms, no accountability. Safety norms go for a toss. The authorities conduct 'post-tragedy' inspections and in no time forget all about the tragedy that could have been avoided in the first place. People rent or buy properties without even finding out if safety measures are in place. Are we all not complicit? Fire safety in India remains a joke until it kills. We are virtually waiting for disaster to strike. Why are we still ignoring fire codes? Why are illegal structures still rising unchecked? India needs not just infrastructure but consciousness. Can we afford to sleep until flames awaken us? Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai Buildings in narrow lanes forever at risk It is quite shocking that 17 persons have lost their lives in a major fire mishap near Charminar in Hyderabad on Sunday. Buildings with narrow exits and entrances in an overcrowded area are vulnerable to disasters. It seems that the immediate deployment of fire brigade and rescue operations could not avert the great human loss caused by asphyxia. A very tragic incident. Dr DVG Sankara Rao, Former MP, Vizianagaram-535003 Despite ISRO setback, eyes still on the stars The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished on Sunday due to a technical glitch. Although it appears to be a failure, it serves as an opportunity to learn and move towards further improvement. ISRO's past successes are a testament to its capability, commitment and continuous development. Organisations should test the soundness of the technology that is in use more closely before each launch. Efforts should be made to promote international collaboration so that future missions are more sustainable. Temporary failures, if linked to research and improvement, become the basis for future successes. Mohammad Asad, Mumbai A blow to ISRO's calculations ISRO's 101st mission from Sriharikota, an earth observation satellite onboard the agency's trusted PSLV rocket, could not be accomplished on Sunday following a pressure issue in the third stage of the launch vehicle. Although, the PSLV had a textbook lift-off at the prefixed time of 5.59 am, the mission objectives, however, could not be achieved. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but developed a problem and the mission could not be accomplished, stated ISRO chairman V. Narayanan. It is a setback to calculations as this all-weather, round-the-clock imaging is vital for applications ranging from agriculture and forestry monitoring to disaster management, urban planning and national security. Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai Remembering the 'Father of water management and agriculture' Every May 18 is a reminder of the engineering genius Dr KL Rao, who passed away on this day in 1986. Under his visionary leadership many dams were constructed across rivers, including the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Srisailam Dam, Pulichintala Dam (also known as KL Rao Sagar). These projects generated electricity, helped channelise water for irrigation and helped us control floods. He was Union Minister for Irrigation and Power for ten years from 1963 to 1973. Andhra University honoured him with a Doctorate in 1960, while the Government of India honoured the distinguished personality with the Padma Bhushan. He is reverentially hailed as the 'Father of water management and agriculture'. Kantamsetti LakshmanRao, Visakhapatnam Heed SC plea for POCSO-centric courts The Supreme Court has asked the Union and State governments to create dedicated courts for handling POCSO cases on a priority basis. This direction shows that the apex court is quite concerned about protecting children from falling victims to sexual offences. It is a very regretful irony that children must live in fear of such barbaric acts. A country will never grow if its children feel insecure. The governments must create dedicated courts on a priority basis. This can help in speedy disposal of such cases, in punishing the perpetrators and shed the fear-psychosis that haunts innocent children. Abdullah Jameel, Mumbai
