Letters to the Editor: Dec. 29

A contentious move

While the triple talaq Bill may or may not prove to be a tool for gender equality, it certainly appears to have been drafted without adequate thought (“Lok Sabha passes triple talaq Bill”, Dec. 29). It is not clear if a woman who wishes to stay in a marriage would want the man to be sent to jail. Indeed, whether it be the various government schemes intending to financially help families get their daughters married upon turning 18 or bringing in laws to keep women in obviously loveless marital bonds, the idea behind these moves seems to be to portray marriage as the be-all and end-all of a woman’s life. Moreover, a relationship which one is intent on leaving is as doomed as that in which criminal charges are brought by one against the other. The law should have more serious things to do than of trying to save irreparable marital bonds. Instead, we need laws which allow for both marriages as well as their dissolution to take place in a less complicated and quick manner.

Firoz Ahmad,

Delhi

This marks a watershed moment for Muslim women. This is, no doubt, a step in the right direction to empower women. The dignity of women prevails over religious considerations. So, it is strange that the Opposition parties have mounted an orchestrated protest against this Bill, which is clearly misplaced. Perhaps their protest is directed more against the Bharatiya Janata Party than against the move to criminalise this outlawed practice.

P.K. Varadarajan,

Chennai

The passage of the Bill has received mixed responses. The Centre’s justification is commendable. However, divorce, despite being a family affair, has now been pushed into the criminal sphere for Muslims in India. There needs to be a more sensible and inclusive approach to deal with the issue.

Prathab K.,

Chennai

There are no two opinions that the practice of triple talaq is against all canons of justice. However, it needs to be recalled that the Supreme Court judges were themselves not unanimous on certain aspects of the issue. This is a tricky subject and needs to be tackled cautiously. There is a need for wider consultations; hasty moves will only evoke suspicion that this is a precursor to bring in a uniform civil code. Criminalising triple talaq seems to be a case of overreach. It is perhaps self-defeating too, as the husband who is to provide alimony will be in prison.

S.V. Venkatakrishnan,

Bengaluru

Leave them kids alone

That teachers scold students for not doing homework is not something new. What is new is that a student ends her life so easily if scolded these days (“Listen to these four girls”, December 29). Harsher punishments were meted out to students by teachers in earlier times in order to instil good behaviour. Today’s children seem very sensitive to any negative remark. Teachers, therefore, should consider the sensitivity of these children. Teachers must also realise that every student is different. It is not important to make diamonds sparkle but also polish the pebbles with patience.

A. Panneeselvam,

Puducherry

What is the purpose of education? It is to enable us to think, be creative, innovative, and understand the world and ourselves in a better manner. Unfortunately, around the world and especially in India, people study only to secure jobs with hefty salaries and nothing more. The moment a student passes her Class XII exam, her future is already decided, with some subjects like medicine and engineering being given priority by the parents. Those who choose the humanities are perceived as being academically weak. How can we call our education system successful when even some elite professionals are not aware of their fundamental rights? The focus is on cramming; there’s no place for analytical and critical thinking. We must ask ourselves: what kind of citizens are we producing? In India, many suffer from stress and anxiety for which our education system is undoubtedly one of the biggest contributors.

Karan Choudhary,

Pathankot

Education has turned into a commercial business thanks to parents’ obsession with their children’s academic performance. This has led to the mushrooming of coaching and tuition centres everywhere. In this race, gaining knowledge has taken a backseat. Neither schools nor teachers care about creativity and innovation. The entire system needs a complete overhaul. The fear of Board examinations should go — students should understand that the Board exam is like any other annual exam. We should do away with the practice of pushing students with higher marks into the science stream and lower marks into the humanities. Subjects must be chosen by students, not their parents.

Nishant Choudhary,

Ajmer