The shoddy treatment meted out to athlete Pinki Pramanik exposes the carelessness of the media and society in dealing with a sensitive issue. The initiative taken in this regard by the West Bengal Human Rights Commission is commendable. Whether or not the charge of rape levelled against Ms Pramanik can be considered depends on what her medical reports say about her gender. But nothing can justify the media’s act of invading her privacy. Besides humiliating the athlete, the disgraceful act shows that sex and gender are issues that beg the serious attention of the government, the law, the media and society.
Manzar Imam,
New Delhi
Ms Pramanik has been accused of rape and tests are under way to determine her gender. But that does not give the police the right to violate her rights. The law-enforcing agencies and the administration should be asked to explain why they ill-treated the athlete during the investigations. That the West Bengal Human Rights Commission has sought a report from the Home Secretary and the Director-General of Police is heartening.
K.R. Srinivasan,
Secunderabad
A person is innocent unless proved guilty. But the media has virtually delivered a verdict in Ms Pramanik’s case.
There is an urgent need to regulate information broadcasting. The way the nation has handled Pinki’s case has defied all human values we boast of.
Yogi Handral,
Faridabad
