Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

What Punishment for Rapists?

What will be the befitting and exemplary punishment for the rapists of Batadraba that has shaken the whole of Assam? For the first time the whole of the Assamese society   vociferously came forward seeking justice for a rape victim. It has been alleged that the rapists were of Bangladeshi origin. What has surprised me is that the same Assamese community never came forward so vociferously when several other Assamese women were raped and murdered by people suspected to be Bangladeshis. But that is another issue.

I only want to express my view about a befitting punishment for a rapist. It just happened that the rapists in the instant case were allegedly of Bangladeshi origin. My view for a befitting and exemplary punishment is the same for a rapist, irrespective of his religious belief, language, caste or creed. For, a rapist is always a rapist and he has no other identity. But why don't such rapists have any fear? How do they get the courage enough to repeat such heinous crime again and again? The simple answer to this is that they don't get any befitting punishment. But what will be the befitting punishment for them? Certainly not a jail term of three months or three years or even life imprisonment. Not even capital punishment perhaps if it is performed inside jail campus. Our neighbouring country Pakistan, or if we go slightly west, the Arab countries have laws to elimite such crimils publicly. Such punishment was given to some rapists in some of our neighbouring States too, as reported in the media. These rapists don't read newspapers, nor do they watch news on TV.  So they are not aware of the total social outcry against the crime they commit. 

Time has come to think of a different kind of punishment for rapists, not the kind they now face in the aftermath of such heinous crime. The punishment should be so befitting that none in the future will ever even think of commiting such savagery.

Bipul Bhatta,  

Six Mile, Guwahati.

Influx to Assam

The article published in your daily titled "Assam influx and climate change" (March 20, 2018) was very interesting. The author of the article vividly described the environmental impact and correlation with the  indigenous people of Assam. Climate change is one of the major challenges at present. Climate change or global warming has a direct impact on indigenous people. There are many effects of global warming. Cumulative effects of food and water insecurity etc are already in Bangladesh due to the same reason. These emerging threats would create a social community med "climate refugee". There are about 6.5 million people in Bangladesh who are climate refugees as on 2011, which will increase further. These climate refugees are tending to come to border areas and then would intrude into Assam and the rest of Northeast India. This is a serious problem. So, time has come for social scientists, political leaders, government planners and social workers to ponder over how to tackle and solve the problem.

Putul Sarma,

Bamgaon, Biswath Chariali.

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