MyVoice: Views of our readers 2nd September 2025

A landmark step towards social justice

The Telangana Assembly’s unanimous passage of the Bills to remove the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for local body elections is a watershed moment in the long struggle for social justice and equitable representation for Backward Classes. For too long, the arbitrary 50 per cent cap has been a significant impediment to ensuring that BC communities, who constitute a substantial portion of our state’s population, receive political representation commensurate with their numbers. The previous government’s decision to codify this limit, as rightly pointed out by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, acted as a barrier to BC empowerment rather than being a facilitator.

This move by the state government is commendable as it is based on the comprehensive socio-economic and caste survey, aiming to implement a more scientifically determined 42 per cent quota. It is a decision that prioritizes substantive equality over procedural technicalities. However, the real test lies ahead. Social justice should transcend political rivalry. It is imperative that all parties, including the BRS and the BJP, unite to support this crucial legislation in New Delhi.

Yashasvi M, Hyderabad

Beyond the 50% Cap: A welcome decision

I commend the recent unanimous passing of the Telangana Panchayat Raj (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Telangana Municipalities (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025, effectively lifting the 50 per cent cap on reservations and enabling comprehensive implementation of 42 per cent reservation for Backward Classes in local bodies. This bold move is not merely a legislative milestone but an affirmation of Telangana’s commitment to inclusive governance. Grassroots democracy thrives when representation mirrors societal diversity.

By ensuring BCs can finally occupy their constitutionally valid share in local institutions, the state has taken a vital step toward empowering communities that have long been marginalized. I urge that this legislative intent is reflected in a transparent implementation. While awaiting presidential assent, it’s essential for civic bodies and political parties to collaborate, not politicize, the change. Focus should remain on building inclusive governance, not partisan advantage. This is the moment to transform legislative promise into visible grassroots impact.

Aditi Rao, Hyderabad

Transition in Parliament

Further to your article, ‘New generation politicos taking center stage in Parliament; (THI Sept 1), one must remember that there were three democratic successions of one dynasty, and every transition was seamless. Every decade saw such a transition of generations in Parliament, particularly in the Lok Sabha. A member had to earn his existence in the House by understanding of subject matter, better logic and articulation of speech.

Blaming the Gandhi family dynastic rule is no longer valid as we have many MPs on either side coming from the same families. The new generation parliamentarians are tech-savvy, well-informed, have better oratory skills and are endowed with thorough knowledge of parliamentary processes. Today’s young Turks are capable of leading the nation to greater glory.

Buddha Jagdish Rao, Visakhapatnam

SCO summit is a game changer

The bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin seems to have made some headway towards a rapprochement between India and China. Good neighbourly relations between the two countries that together make up 2.8 billion people can serve as an anchor of international stability. It is in their own and the world’s interest that the ‘elephant and the dragon’ come together. The relationship must be built on shared interest and values more than on the necessity to cope with the consequences of US President Donald Trump’s global tariff war. Both New Delhi and Beijing must move forward on an equal footing without either being “aggressive” or “spineless”.

A fair and mutually acceptable resolution of the border issue will be a giant step towards normalizing relations. The loud and clear message from Tianjin is that the US may be the most powerful nation in the world, but it cannot bulldoze its way to global economic dominance. By sharing whatever benefits accruing from the import of Russian oil with the country’s impoverished multitudes, New Delhi can take the sting out of Washington’s allegation that India’s upper castes alone benefit from the purchase of Russian oil. Meanwhile, the pro-BJP media outlets would do well not to -make much of Modi’s bonhomie with Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially after what happened to the bonhomie between Modi and Trump.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode (TN)