1) Curtail PM’s extraordinary security expenses
Union Home Ministry has rightly taken added strong steps for ensuring perfect security to the Prime Minister after it was revealed that there is some serious security-threat to his life. But security to all other persons including those related to Nehru-Gandhi family should be reviewed in a manner they may be kept adequately secured but by reducing expenses. For example, Priyanka Gandhi having a big government bungalow only for security reasons can be shifted either by making some extra premises for her within the huge complex of 10 Janpath (New Delhi) which is already a highly secured premise because of her mother Sonia Gandhi staying there. Or else, she should move to her own private residence where security can be provided at government expenses.
– Madhu Agrawal
2) Why political heavyweights silent on Emergency Day?
Ruling BJP and the central government on June 26, 2018, celebrated the 43rd anniversary of imposing internal Emergency in the country on June 26, 1975, by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. Evidently, Congress strongly countered such celebration by putting counter-allegations alleging some undeclared Emergency under the present regime of BJP government at the centre.
But it is noteworthy that political heavyweights like Lalu Prasad Yadav having emerged as leaders due to emergency but now supporting Congress are curiously silent. Media should have interviewed such leaders on the occasion. However, since Lalu Prasad Yadav is presently in jail, his son and political heirs Tejashwi Yadav could be interviewed.
– Subhash Chandra Agrawal
3) Earth has no space for junk
This year’s theme is “End Plastic Pollution”. According to the World Economic Forum, by the year 2050, our oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish. Essentially, this really shows how much plastic we will be consuming. Plastic, a fossil fuel product, does not biodegrade, instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces that the fish eat, and then we eat the fish. Another common destination for plastic is the landfill, which contains toxic chemicals, and this, in turn, contaminates groundwater. I suggest we really try to make small efforts in ending plastic pollution every single day. It’s not hard, and it saves everyone’s money. Just like our trash cans, our garages and our homes, the earth has limited space to store junk.
– Jubel D’Cruz
4) Lepto taking toll
The first victim of Leptospirosis case in Kurla raised the fear of the disease in the metro during this monsoon season. Leptospirosis problem in Mumbai is manifold. The issues on hand range from prevention and testing to diagnosis and treatment. Before the onset of monsoon, BMC took some interest to set up to prevent people getting Leptospirosis in the city. But later on there is slackness and that is the reason for the spread of the disease through rainwater. BMC is not taking adequate measures and precautions to prevent the influx of rats during monsoon season in Mumbai. Again, housing societies in and around Mumbai failed to address the problem in a proper way. The droppings of rats play spoilsport and the disease spread from the toe and cause discomfiture to the patient suffering from such problem. It is better late than never.
– Jayanthy S. Maniam
5) Emergency matters
Whatever said and done, emergency imposed during the Indira Gandhi rule was the darkest days of Indian politics. Congress can take cover now by saying it does not matter much as the stringent rule was imposed during the Congress rule at the centre. Forty-three years after emergency we find the trace even now. Congress was criticising demonetisation and GST for political gains, but the history will not forget the imposition of emergency as the lust for power saw the country converted into a jail. No one will excuse the then government. The tension of emergency was felt in the offices during the emergency and number of people misused that for family gains. The mentality of the people of the country has changed totally and Congress paid for its own mistake. But the miseries are still in our memories and nobody can erase that. To err is human but erring always is just favouritism. PM has reminded us of all misdoings in the name of saving democracy and insisting on the word secularism.
The Prime Minister’s speech on Emergency of 1975 may seem little jaded but thousands of people who were kept in jail for no crime, thousands of Satyagrahis were in the jail and those who were against the tyrannical attitude of that government were tortured by the government to no end. Unfortunately, many of them are no more to tell how they were tortured, but it is essential that youngsters should know this side of Congress. It is very unfortunate that Congress kept this period hidden from everyone and it took 43 years to talk openly about the black spot on country’s democracy.
It is obvious from most of the comments that many were either not born or were young to understand the real impact of emergency or are simply anti-Modi. If such anti-Indira comments were made during the emergency, they probably would have been jailed! You simply cannot brush away the atrocities of Congress because of your hatred for Modi. Be it the emergency or the anti-Sikh riots or the ham-handed handling of the Kashmir and Naxal/Maoist issues, Modi has simply inherited the spoils of what Congress left and they are beyond redemption. In fact, it was Indira and Sanjay who promoted Bhindranwale to counter Akalis and, the rest, as they say, is history with the Khalistan Movement and terrorism entering India. Shilayanas, Babri Masjid demolition, Bhiwandi riots, atrocities against Dalits in Khairlanji — one can go on and on —all happened under Congress watch. Hate Modi by all means. But, do not brush aside the atrocities of the ‘secular’ Congress.
To talk openly about the black spot on country’s democracy is to propagate a thorough falsity and, worse, to portray many who witnessed or experienced it as cowards who lacked the courage to speak or write about it until now. The emergency was the most discussed matter by the university students and adults after it was revoked and much has been written about it. In a democratic country like ours, the government in power suffer if they happen to take undue advantage. History will repeat but the emergency should not repeat at any cost.
– Anandambal Subbu
