MyVoice: Views of our readers 6th May 2025

Breathe free – A call for asthma justice

Breathing, the most fundamental act of life, remains a daily challenge for millions living with asthma—a condition that claimed over 455,000 lives in 2019 alone. Despite the availability of proven, inhaled medications, a staggering 96% of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, where access to treatment remains limited or unaffordable. On World Asthma Day 2025, observed on May 6, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) calls for action with the theme: “Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for ALL.

"This isn’t just about medicine—it’s about equity, awareness, and dignity for those silently suffering. In India, where asthma continues to burden countless families, there is an urgent need to expand both access and understanding. Many still go undiagnosed, misuse inhalers, or bear the stigma of chronic illness. We must move beyond token gestures and ensure early diagnosis, better education for caregivers, and policies that prioritise affordable care. No one—child or elder—should be left gasping for air in a world where solutions exist. This World Asthma Day, let our commitment to health be as clear and vital as the air we all deserve to breathe.

Dr. Krishna Kumar Vepakomma, Rajeev Nagar, Hyderabad-45

Caste census is useful to politicians not people

Caste has been playing its role indirectly in every election from the last three to four decades. Public have been casting their votes to their caste candidate only not all but to most extent. Castes has always been one of the Indian realities that people say is very bad but nevertheless embrace it. It is hard to say who exhibits this duality the most-politicians, socialogists, social reformers or the general population. No doubt this caste census is mostly useful to all politicians irrespective of party. The politicians would utilise this for their election propaganda. Once the caste census data is ready I suspect more problems generate from different angles from different types of people and finally goes to the Supreme Court. Ever since the reservations are being implemented not even once the genuity of certificates issued is verified.

There are so many fake certificates which should be weeded out. And then comes the creamy layer problem among the reserved castes SC, ST and OBCs which has not been implemented even though the Supreme Court favoured this. Next comes the sub-category among the castes. It is an established fact that the people who are enjoying the reservations since its inception have already crossed the margin of poverty and still enjoying the fruits of reservation. Another problem that may arise after the caste census is about the unreserved castes like Brahmins, Kshatrias, Vysyas, among whom also there are very poor people who are economically backward which is always neglected decades together. So many people who strongly advise reservation to economically backward people irrespective of caste the government did not heed to it as they fear that their vote bank loses.

TSN Rao, Hyderabad

Caste census has potential to damage Brand Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party has dug itself into a hole with the caste census announcement. Or, let’s say, it was so frustrated with Rahul Gandhi’s inability to put up a decent fight that it has decided to create a real Opposition against itself. Caste census has the potential to grievously damage Brand Modi and disqualify some of his putative successors from the race considering the reasons cited by the Narendra Modi-led government’s spin masters to justify the U-turn on caste census.

The government told the Parliament and the Supreme Court in 2021 about its decision not to hold a caste census. What they say on the record today is, therefore, plain sophistry. They might be committed to social justice, but they were not a votary of this census. It’s not in keeping with Prime Minister Modi’s four-caste postulation the poor, youth, women and farmers. He has also previously described the census as a reflection of ‘urban naxal mindset’ and ‘paap’ or sin. That the BJP decided to go slow with its expansive politico-social engineering agenda was evident from the way it was trying to wriggle out of its promised sub-categorisation of the other backward classes (OBCs).

The government gave 13 extensions to the Rohini Commission, which was originally supposed to submit its report in 12 weeks. It ended up taking almost six years, finally submitting its report to the President in August 2023. It has been gathering dust in the Rashtrapati Bhawan since then, with no word coming from the government. The opposition parties’ stance is that the caste census is a ‘diversionary’ tactic. Seen together with their jibes at the government for its ‘inaction’ after the Pahalgam terror attack, opposition leaders seem to be drooling at the prospect of the Modi government not avenging the killing of Hindu tourists. They are jumping the gun way too soon. There is no way that PM Modi won’t respond. He knows better than anyone else that inaction would mean the liquidation of Brand Modi. He is in no hurry. The Bihar election is six months away. This gambit can potentially have complex and unpredictable consequences that the ruling party might not have accounted for.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai