There is widespread protest in various parts of the country demanding capital punishment in connection for the perpetrators of the rape and murder of the woman veterinarian in Hyderabad.
Some of our politicians too have voiced this opinion (“Rajya Sabha in rage over rape”, December 3). At this juncture, my heart goes to the young girl of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir who was abducted, raped for days and then murdered. At that time, the arrests of the accused saw some heartless and communal-minded elements oppose their arrest.
The gravest shock was the presence of persons with political affiliations take part in these protests. For long, I have been against capital punishment, but after reading about the Kathua case and now Hyderabad, I am doubly convinced that it is a must.
Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai
The suggestion from some of our lawmakers and the public to impose death penalty for rape is fraught with danger. This may motivate rapists to murder all their victims, since the punishment for both the crimes (rape as well as murder) is the same, and eliminating the victim gives them a better chance to avoid punishment, by removing the person who can testify against them. I feel that it may be better to introduce castration along with life imprisonment, since the social stigma of castration and the public humiliation thereof may act as a major deterrent. It may also leave the perpetrator suitably dampened and therefore less of a menace even if he is released after a sufficiently long sentence.
C. Ramesh,
Thiruvanathapuram
The Hyderabad rape and murder is a heinous crime no doubt but it is also disturbing that some of our parliamentarians got too emotional in Parliament on Monday and listed drastic options. One may appreciate their concern and their seriousness, but such statements would send out wrong signals as we are already witness to members of the public taking the law into their own hands and indulging in acts of revenge at the slightest provocation. The reactions in Parliament also expose the Central and State governments — they still do not have clear cut policies for ensuring the safety of women.
V. Subramanian,
Chennai
It has become customary for the government to talk about making more stringent provisions in the law for grave offences. There are already strict laws; enforcement is the question. Merely strengthening the laws to curb rape will have little effect if they are not enforced through fast track courts and the guilty punished immediately after the judgment. The slow pace of justice only emboldens the perpetrators.
D. Sethuraman,
Chennai
