1) Dangerous dengue deaths increasing
Dengue deaths are increasing day by day and it is causing concern. Both Kolhapur and Mumbai head the list of most dengue deaths and that is not encouraging news. Dengue is dangerous and if people show the symptoms then adequate care must be taken. As the number of patients soars high, BMC should act immediately. Dengue has turned into an epidemic and it is high time we treat the patients in the best way possible. The crux of the problem is contamination of water and it is high time the Municipal Authorities take up the responsibility and see that both hospitals and Government machinery act in the best way and to tackle the situation. Need based action is the need of the hour rather than precipitating the matter still further.
– C.K. Ramani
2) The attack on CM Kejriwal should not be politicised
The statement of BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari alleging that the attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was scripted by the party itself, does not sound good. It is extremely possible that there might have been a BJP leader instead of CM Kejriwal who would have been attacked, so he should not politicise the matter. Rather his responsibility is to condemn the attack irrespective of all political differences and disputes. It was the matter of great concern that a CM was attacked with chilli powder in his Secretariat, but the BJP is politicising the matter rather than to condemn it. It is also interesting to note that the accused was clearly a BJP worker and openly threatened to attack CM Arvind Kejriwal. However, I condemn Manoj Tiwari’s statement in this regard.
– F.R.Murad
3) Why there is so much fuss about bullet trains
When a new project is taking shape there would be number of hiccups to face in the initial stages but once the project is complete and starts yielding good service then people forget all the discomfiture. Bullet trains introduction is also like that for that matter. To complete the bullet train project land is required as in the case of an airport project. When all the other developing countries are having fast trains, India is lagging behind by at least 20 years and it is high time we give importance to bullet trains. For the acquiring of land, compensation is going to paid then why make so much fuss? Anyway environmental clearance will be obtained before completing the project. I do not know why there is so much fuss about the introduction of bullet trains in India.
– Nickhil Krishnan
4) Unmanned level crossing accident
The incident of the local train ramming into a bus at Juhi level crossing resulting in three injured again raised the question of providing a guarded gate in future. Four years back a 502 Best Bus suffered the same fate and this time it was a 18 number NMMT bus which got hit by empty train. People are really looking for safety in public carriers in general and railways in particular. Despite commencing Railway services in the year 1853 we are still lagging behind. There are number of unmanned level crossing in cities and there are number of accidents involving vehicles and trains in this corridor. The Indian Railway has been in the recent past plagued by accidents and the priority of the Railway Minister should be safety first rather than increasing the speed of the trains. More thrust should be given for safety on the road- approaching unmanned level crossing by appointing more staff to cope up with the requirements. Railway Minster should make it a point to cover all unmanned level crossings with a proper gate and security staff. The fracture caused to the school children must be a matter of concern. Railways should be vigilant in this pocket and see to it that such accidents do not occur in future.
– Anandambal Subbu
5) Politics at its lowest in poll-campaigns
Politics in India has reached its lowest with the opposition leaders dragging the parents of the Prime Minister in their political speeches, and now the Prime Minister in turn is overstepping by dragging the Supreme Court judges into his political speech by accusing the opposition of frightening the judges with threats of impeachment. As a ruling party having comfortable majority in Lok Sabha even at its own, such threats as pointed out by Prime Minister to Supreme Court judges are in no way practical.
Election Commission should tighten rules for poll-campaigns to effectively check targeting of relations of rival politicians in speeches by politicians. Election Commission should also caution against bringing judges of higher courts in political controversy through speeches.
– Madhu Agrawal
6) Kudos to United States
It was heartening to learn that on the 10th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attack, U.S President Donald Trump has said that the United States stands with the people of India in their quest for justice. None can forget the massive attack of 26/11 which caused to kill 166 innocents, including six Americans. It is an absolute affront to the victims of Mumbai and to their families who grieve them to this day, that after 10 years, those who planned these despicable acts have still not been convicted for their crimes as it also has been pointed out by Mike Pompeo, United States Secretary of State. Every individual must join the friends and families in remembering the 166 victims, including the six American citizens killed during the attack, and shall stand in solidarity with the people of India who have demonstrated their resilience in the face of such violence.
– MF Qasmi
7) Why wasn’t Modi arrested in 2002?
Why wasn’t Narendra Modi arrested when he caused the Gujarat riots in the year, 2002, in which hundreds of people were killed and houses burnt? Did he give some money to the judges to give him a clean chit? These questions remain unanswered. Now that he has become the Prime Minister, nobody will have the guts to arrest him.
– Jubel D’Cruz
8) 10 yrs but no lessons learnt from the 26/11 attacks!
26/11 is not just the Blackest Day in the history of Mumbai but the country too as hundreds of citizens were butchered by a handful of terrorists from across the border. However, it is 10 yrs since the event happened and we have not learnt any lessons as Mumbai remains a sitting duck for similar attacks taking place in future. Mumbai’s population has doubled since then but police force have not increased much. The city lacks intelligence inputs as citizens are at the mercy of Almighty to protect them.
The priorities of the country in general and Mumbai in particular are ill-defined. The country spends thousands of crores on Rafael deals-on aircrafts that would never be used & spends pennies on intelligence that if overhauled to the latest technologies can save thousands of lives that are killed each year. Political parties and leaders are more bothered about “Mandirs & Masjids” than fighting unemployment, corruption, illiteracy, hunger and inflation that affect people in their day to day lives. It’s high time the priorities of the country are set right and all things would follow in the right direction if the path undertaken to achieve the goals is correct!
– S.N.Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
