The problem of illegal immigration has once again found space in the media and public discourse as a result of an unfortunate incident (“ >Lynch victim’s family awaits his Naga wife ,” March 11). Lack of political will is what is holding back a solution. The issue needs to be tackled with a lot of pragmatism, especially keeping in mind the ground realities and the concerns of the indigenous people. Else, more lives will be lost in this terrible manner.
Nupur Das,New Delhi
The incident at Dimapur has got nothing to do with the inefficiencies of our criminal judicial system. The accused was not powerful or rich. He was arrested the very next day after the incident and was not released on bail. So the argument that the lynch mob was motivated by some distorted sense of justice and that it was reacting to the slow pace of the system is flawed. This was a hate crime, motivated by communal and ethnic issues. The mob was not there to protect women or their rights but was out to vent its anger against a man who hurt their “pride”.
Bipin Thaivalappil,Payyanur, Kerala
To be honest, the Dimapur incident has not come as a surprise. Public confidence in our justice delivery system is low and one needs to ask why things have sunk so low, post-Independence (“Anarchy without a mask,” March 11). In the past, there were monthly meetings when the number of criminal cases were brought to trial and the convictions discussed. I remember one such meeting where the District Magistrate sharply advised magistrates not to think of themselves as Supreme Court judges but remain responsible for maintaining law and order in their ilaqas .
Is there any logic in retaining the label ‘district magistrate’ when his team has powers only under Chapter 8 (preventive) of the CrPC?
N. Khosla,Panchkula, Haryana
