Women superior to men

Apropos of ‘Smashing the fear-shame barricades’ (The Great Game); people do talk of equality for women in every sphere of life, but the men in power seldom mean what they say. Today’s women, in any case, are surpassing their male counterparts in every bastion. So, if any woman finds herself stuck in a chauvinist setup, she should assert herself and break any unjust barricade blocking her pursuit of success, rather than resort to self-destruction. Nobel laureate William Golding’s words are worth recalling: “I think women are foolish to pretend they are equal to men. They are far superior and always have been.”

KL Noatay, Kangra

Mockery of democracy

Campaigns like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and schemes like ‘Aapki Beti, Hamaari Beti’ ring hollow amid the rising tide of crimes against women. The offenders are not even scared of stringent laws because the law hinges on evidence. The sad state of affairs is that in our country, the laws for politicians are different from those for the public. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act does not apply to registered political parties. This rule brazenly undermines the democratic powers enshrined in the Constitution. BJP MP Subhash Barala’s son Vikas Barala, an accused in a stalking case, was appointed Assistant Advocate General, ignoring deserving candidates. This is a miscarriage of democracy, but who will bell the cat?

Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar

Criminals emboldened

Refer to ‘Smashing the fear-shame barricades’; girls and women are not safe in their homes, educational institutions and workplaces. A patriarchal mindset and political patronage bolster the offenders. Aggrieved women have upped the ante against their predators, but till the perpetrators of such heinous crimes continue to get protection from politicians in power, the victims of sexual assault can’t see a silver lining in a dark cloud. The need of the hour is to amend the POSH Act so that legislators fall under its purview.

MD Sharma, Shimla

Hold elected leaders accountable

Apropos of ‘School tragedy’; the dilapidated school building that collapsed during rains in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, killed seven children and injured 21. Dushyant Singh is a five-time MP from the Jhalawar-Baran constituency. His mother, Vasundhara Raje, is a five-time MLA from Jhalrapatan. The mishap site falls in their area. Villagers had been protesting against poor infrastructure for four long years and they collected Rs 200 each to get the leaking roof repaired. Teachers were forcing students to contribute Rs 200 each, which the poor were finding difficult to pay. Why shouldn’t the elected representatives of the area be hauled up for this criminal negligence which led to this tragedy?

Ramesh Gupta, Narwana

Apathy towards Gaza’s agony

Refer to ‘Macron’s bold move’; the editorial rightly hails France’s courageous historic decision to recognise Palestine, marking a bold departure from G7’s diplomatic inertia. Macron’s move is a clarion call against global apathy towards Gaza’s agony where even food supplies are being cruelly blocked. However, Israel continues to act with impunity, ignoring mounting humanitarian concerns. It is hoped that other nations will now follow France’s principled lead.

Chanchal S Mann, Una

Matrimonial advice via court

Apropos of ‘Forgive each other & move on: SC to IAF pilot, his wife’; the apex court has rightly advised a decorated officer (who took part in the 2019 Balakot strikes) and his estranged wife, an IIM alumna, not to lead a life of revenge. It is a worrying situation that a well-educated couple had to knock at the doors of the highest court for a matter which could be sorted out amicably at home. Forgiving each other and creating pleasant memories are important for any couple to lead a happy life.

Vijaya Sharma, by mail

Letters to the Editor