Member of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has tried using every weapon in her arsenal, from invoking neuroscience and psychology to making an emotional appeal, but for what (“ >A bill for juvenile injustice :, April 27)? Why call such children kids when they don’t act like one? Politicising every issue under the sun does not suit our politicians. Moving away from her textbook arguments, the respected MP needs to understand that neither economic nor physiological hormonal or emotional changes can justify heinous crimes. In supporting the perpetrators of crime, she seems to completely forget the victim. With the conviction rate in rape cases already abysmally low, this Bill provides a ray of hope. It has come after years of hard work on the part of the government as well as NGOs. Can we allow all the dharnas , the candlelight vigils, the protest marches to go in vain over petty politics?
Maanya Gupta,New Delhi
While Ms. Kanimozhi’s concerns may be valid, she seems to paint a rosy picture of juvenile centres across the country which is entirely untrue. An article, “Juvenile homes are hellholes, says report on child rape”, says that young inmates are subject to sexual violence and other forms of abuse in centres across the States. How can we expect young minds that emerge out of such institutions to be entirely reformed and not to indulge in further crime as a result of vengeance or any other extreme emotion?
Hema Abhimanyu,New Delhi
