Swami Agnivesh has justified a wrong act. He has misused the right to freedom of expression, a cornerstone of democracy, by his unwarranted defence of the Viswa Bharati hostel warden, Uma Poddar, who allegedly forced a student of class V to lick her own urine as punishment for bed wetting. Morarji Desai or the Swami himself might have a penchant for ‘Swamootra Chikitsa’ but can the “therapy” be extended to all, especially a girl of class V? Sometimes, I wonder whether such people do any good by showing such outrageous support for the wrongdoers.
Ripon Sarker,
Howrah
The warden’s act has transcended all limits of civilised methods of punishment. The university authorities’ claim that the child was not asked to drink her urine but lick the wet mattress of her bed is shameful. A renowned institution like Santiniketan should ensure that its staff are qualified to handle children and their problems.
S.K. Vijayan,
Alappuzha
The Viswa Bharati incident is a wake-up call for policymakers to introduce a strong law that protects children from all kinds of violence. The horrible and disgusting incident has stressed the need to treat corporal punishment, a brutal method of enforcing discipline, as a criminal offence. It comes in the way of children’s development.
It is a shame that children of our nation, which propagates non-violence, are often disciplined with the rod.
T. Marx,
Puducherry
Bedwetting is an involuntary act and a fairly prevalent one. The punishment imposed on the child was harsh and senseless. It deserves to be condemned in the harshest possible terms.
K.D. Viswanaathan,
Coimbatore
