Shameful incident

Recently, in a shocking incident, an NCC cadet who was preparing for army recruitment alleged that a TTE attempted to rape her in the Ahmedabad-Gorakhpur Express. Due to the heavy rush at the station, she could not buy a ticket and was travelling without one. When the TTE realised that, he tried to take undue advantage of the situation. Thankfully, the girl raised an alarm and dialled 112 to alert the RPF. We men seriously need to hang our heads in shame that women around us are not safe anywhere. 

Bal Govind, Noida

Equality for all

Apropos the editorial ‘Sabarimala: Equality vs faith’ (Feb 18), the fundamental principle at the heart of Sabarimala and other matters is how long shall we deny equality to women? The Supreme Court has declared innumerable times that the Constitution is supreme and all the religious scriptures are subordinate to it. It is the male hegemony in almost all religions that is treating women as second-class citizens. The Supreme Court must decide once and for all in favour of the principle of equality of human beings, which is enshrined in our Constitution.

Martand Pawar, Kalyan 

Pending cases

According to statistics given by Minister of State for Consumer Affairs BL Sharma, there are more than 574,000 cases pending in the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions across the country. Moreover, it is noteworthy that a total of 641 posts are vacant in the state and district consumer courts. Justice should be delivered on time at all costs. One way to ensure this is to form a committee, which can formulate measures to see that justice is served on time. All it needs is political will.

Shantaram Wagh, Pune

Double delight

The development of “Bio World Telangana” and “Hyderabad as Global Life Sciences Hub” is a double delight for the state. These developments ensure both profit generation and social service to humanity through medical service. Every 3rd child in the world getting vaccination medicine from India (including Hyderabad, Telangana) is an extraordinary achievement. The last 2 days of the event attracted $73,000 crore for “Bio World Telangana”, which is excellent. This will greatly boost employment opportunities in the state. Hope medicines and vaccines produced will be affordable to the poor and the middle class.

PVP Madhu Nivriti, Secunderabad

Great analysis

The editorial ‘A new vision for our cities’ is a great analysis of the conditions prevailing in metro cities from urban decadal neglect. The govt’s approval of the Rs 1 lakh cr urban challenge fund to finance city development over five years is a welcome step. The view of urbanisation experts to encompass the metros by greenfield satellite cities is the need of the hour to achieve quality of life in a metro city. The challenge is to be well-visioned first and, thereafter, finance that vision. 

S.K. Sangam, Chinchwad

Khan’s supporters

Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and a few other former cricket captains have demanded better prison treatment for Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan. Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau on charges of corruption. In India, political prisoners are treated with kid gloves. That doesn’t mean that other countries should follow suit. Khan had committed the offence as a politician. When the late Jayalalithaa was arrested, did anyone from the film world sympathise with her?

P.G. Menon, Chennai

Hospital hostels

The pitiable condition of the Nair Dental College hostel does not come as a surprise, as public institutions across the country in general and Mumbai in particular are in a similar mess. Asking prospective doctors to live in cramped living spaces has an adverse effect on not just their health but also their studies. Public hospitals and attached residential facilities must favourably compare with those of private institutes, as is being done abroad. Doctors and students of public colleges deserve better amenities, as the healthcare sector is key to a nation’s development and progress!

S.N. Kabra, Mumbai

Dhoni’s legal stumping 

The Madras High Court has ordered cricketer MS Dhoni to pay Rs 10 lakh toward the cost of translating material in the defamation suit he filed against retired IPS officer G. Sampathkumar. Dhoni’s suit seeks Rs 100 crore in damages, alleging that Sampathkumar linked him to the 2013 IPL betting scam. In addition, the court must determine whether the defendant, if he loses the case, has the financial capacity to pay the compensation claimed. Allegations made by a senior police officer carry serious weight, and if they cannot be substantiated, it could potentially expose the complainant to criminal liability.

A.P. Thiruvadi, Chennai