Need for value based education

This is in response to the news report titled “Molestation of teen sparks national outrage; four held”(14 July).

The glamorisation  of philistine Bollywood, providing social sanction to dirty pictures bordering on pornography in the name of “art”, nudity in night clubs, scantily-clad pictures and shots of women in print and visual media have absolutely devastated the moral fabric of the society. Thanks to this crass commercialisation of female bodies, the upcoming generation is treating the women merely as “sex objects”; leading to increasing incidents of eve-teasing, molestation and rapes. Unless the Censors and the authorities act tough and terminate the shower of obscenities in films, reality shows in TV, print media, advertising billboards exploiting skimpily-clad female bodies; no power in the world can prevent the moral corruptness in the society.

Moreover, instead of pursuing career-based education, stress needs to be given to value-based learning which would inculcate the adolescent minds with the sense of equality of sexes. Perhaps with the upcoming of truly educated children who would be enlightened enough to accord due dignity to women, can the fairer sex realise their dream of dwelling in a violence-free society.

Lastly, while rapists should be awarded life-term sentence, brutes who dare to play with modesty of fairer sex need to be handed rigorous imprisonment of many years. Light sentence, if at all nabbed, is not enough to deter the monsters from repeating such dastardly acts.

Kajal Chatterjee

D-2/403 Peerless Nagar,

Kolkata-114.

Blackmail alliance politics

Now it is the turn of Sharad Pawar led NCP to misuse its alliance-power to blackmail the Congress party and Prime Minister to get their terms accepted. Earlier Mamta Banerjee as TMC Chief had misused such tactics even by compromising vital economic issues like successfully resisting increase in rail-fares in the Union Railway Budget. DMK Chief Karunanidhi had played the blackmail role just at time of the formation of the Union Cabinet in the year 2009 when he was successful in getting out-of-proportion cabinet-berths mainly to overcome his personal family-problems. Blackmail alliance-politics is the root cause of corruption and misdeeds. It can and should be tackled effectively by electing a Prime Minister by secret and compulsory votes of all members of the lower House through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and nominations signed by at least 34-percent members. Such an elected leader may only be removed by a no-confidence motion passed in the same manner but with compulsion to name alternate leader in the same motion.A leader so elected will be the most acceptable leader of the complete House rather than of faction-ridden parties or alliances.

Madhu Agrawal,

1775 Kucha LattushahDariba

Delhi- 110006 (India)

Rules are made by politicians

Last week, I was watching a TV talk termed SAKTISEL in the local TV news channel NEWS LIVE. During the talk, the appointment of one Jacky Jakir, second husand of Smt. Rumi Nath, MLA, Borkhola constituency also featured.  

The participant, a Cabinet Minister of Assam Shri Gautam Roy openly said that he had appointed  Jacky in the Social Welfare Department like many others when he was the Social Welfare Minister. The  absence of Jacky from his duty for the last several months also came up for discussion. When it was put to him that since the employee is his protege and has his blessings, no action can be taken against him, the Minister’s reply was that Jacky might be on leave and if not, action would follow.

Now,the  two quesitons that arise for consideration.are- Firstly, how a can a minister make appointments de honouring the recruitment rules? Secondly, how can a Goverment employee remain absent for months together, while featuring in TV channels regularly along with his politician wife? Should both the questions not attract the attention of the Department authorities for appropriate action or they simply do not have the courage to do so as the employee has the blessings of the politicians? Will the Chief Minister of the state instead of smiling away the matter take appropriate action taking note of te relevant facts.

Bikalpa Kashyap

Panbazar, Guwahati