While I welcome Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s tough proposals to curb crimes against women, I am afraid they are not enough. The root cause of most crimes has not been addressed. If the Chief Minister wants to make Tamil Nadu a safe State, she should enforce prohibition. It is well known that most crimes, such as the gang rape in Delhi, take place under the influence of alcohol.
Nandini Balasubramaniam,
Chennai
The aam aurat (common woman) will continue to lose her honour, limb, and life unless the general public reins in and reforms the political class, bureaucrats and policemen. As long as we turn a blind eye to their nefarious activities, their brazen ways will encourage criminals to loot, murder and rape without fear.
S.R. Gopalaswamy,
Chennai
Expecting stringent action from political leaders, who have no qualms about giving ticket to candidates against whom criminal cases are pending, is nothing but a cruel joke. The Delhi gang rape issue got the attention it deserved because of outraged students, women welfare organisations and the media. Otherwise, it would have been ignored.
Ippili Santhosh Kumar,
Hyderabad
The best memorial for the valiant young woman who died following the Delhi gang rape would be active policing, enlightening people, and building a safety valve. Along with NGOs, groups of concerned citizens should think about how people’s mindset can be changed. It is said “war starts in the minds of men.” Similarly, crimes against women originate in men’s minds.
Premnath T. Murkoth,
Coimbatore
