The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Disgraceful act

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Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Disgraceful act

Sir, — The act of three army jawans who pushed five passengers, including a woman, to their death from the Farakka Express is disgraceful. The incident is a blow to the prestige of the Indian Army.

John Deepak,
Thrissur, Kerala

* * *

Sir, — The shocking behaviour of the jawans raises a disturbing question. Is the temperament of some soldiers so unstable that even during peacetime, they feel compelled to resort to force and treat their own people as enemies?

Soldiers should be made to undergo psychological profiling and counselling on how to behave during peacetime. It may be argued that instances such as Sunday's are few and far between. But this kind of behaviour cannot be condoned even once. We have an almost blind admiration for the armed forces, as we consider them the last bastion of values such as discipline, honesty and integrity.

Ajay R. Kamath,
Mangalore

* * *

Sir, — Rude behaviour of armymen with co-passengers is common on trains. Most of the time, their behaviour goes unreported. The jawans involved in the Farakka Express incident should get the maximum punishment for the heinous act.

Danish Anwar,
Aligarh, U.P.

* * *

Sir, — It is unfortunate that men who are conditioned to sacrifice their lives for the country took the lives of five innocent persons.

Annu Mathew,
Kottayam, Kerala

* * *

Sir, — If army personnel have no respect for and tolerance towards their fellow countrymen, how can they be expected to remain committed towards their nation?

There should be refresher courses for men in uniform during peacetime on interaction with civilians.

C.S. Baskar,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — Highhandedness of army personnel is certainly a familiar sight on trains. But there is another side to it. There seems to be no compartment or even seats earmarked for them. Under the circumstances, they are forced to `capture' a compartment or a few seats.

The lower cadres among them are often found complaining to their fellow passengers that they are not treated well by the railway staff. They also seem to be low on self-esteem (because their minds are conditioned to obey all the time) that results in such behaviour when challenged by civilians.

Aishwarya Mohan Gahrana,

Aligarh, U.P.

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