The Hindu : New Delhi News : A nuisance?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 29, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

A nuisance?

A nuisance?

Reading "A nuisance for motorists" by Sandeep Joshi ("Inside Delhi", May 16), I could not help wondering who the real menace is or what actually poses a threat to peace in society. The motorists who form part of the privileged sections of society aren't the real victims. The real victims are, in fact, those who are seen as a menace by Mr. Joshi -- those poor, famished souls begging and selling little things at the traffic signals, eunuchs and others who are conveniently sought to be swept under the carpet.

Beggars and sellers at traffic signals might be a hindrance to traffic discipline, but dismissing them as insects to be destroyed by insecticides in the form of police action is ignoring a deeper malaise. Unless we are sensitive to this malaise, we cannot as true citizens demand our right to be rid of the "nuisance" caused by them.

If people from the privileged sections of society continue to join the bandwagon of slighting, ridiculing and being callously indifferent to the underprivileged, we will never be able to create a just and egalitarian society.

Shivani Shah-Sheth,

Lecturer, Ahmedabad Arts and Commerce College,

Nr. Sandesh Press,

Gheekanta,

Ahmedabad - 380 001.

Redefining rape

As reported in a section of the print media, there is a move to drop the exception in respect of marital relationship from the definition of "rape". Possibly an inappropriate imitation sought to be imported from some other countries, such an amendment to the Indian Penal Code would make the institution of marriage, held so high in this country's ethos, not only meaningless but also highly acrimonious.

It could open the floodgates of immoral and illicit sexual relationships, divorces and other disputes. Male strangers, legally placed on par with duly-wed husbands, might feel encouraged to accelerate their vicious designs of spoiling the chastity of virtuous women. The "consent-plea", which often tends to be so nebulous, may save many such vicious men, while the worst sufferers may be the women themselves -- for whose benefit this amendment is being proposed -- and their children.

So in their own interest, as also for the overall good of Indian society, the really effective legal strategy would be to define "rape" as "any sexual relationship beyond the boundary of legally-recognised wedlock".

Prof. Om Prakash,

1/245, SFS, Mansarovar,

Jaipur - 302 020.

A new wave

It was encouraging to read Mandira Nayar's "New measures for students at Delhi University" (May 25).

In the first admission process he will be presiding over since he took over as Vice-Chancellor late last year, Professor Deepak Pental and his team have put in place a more student-friendly Centralised Admission Form, planning many more Open House sessions for students and their parents, and are now planning career counselling, gender counselling and stress management.

The Delhi University Students' Union has pitched in with Open House session at Hindu College on the North Campus while Gargi College has, as usual, planned a detailed presentation on June 3. It is high time the Delhi University Teachers' Association also pitched in with its inputs.

At the end of the day, however, thousands of aspirants will be unable to make it to Delhi University. Working out viable alternatives for them is imperative. Delhi University, too, can begin immediately the process of gradual increase in the number of seats in its colleges.

Incidentally, DU is taking the initiative to bring out a booklet on off-campus accommodation, which should prove very useful to those many outstation students who do not get hostel accommodation.

Vinod Chowdhury,

Senior Reader in Economics,

St. Stephen's College, Delhi University,

Delhi - 110 007.

Eating up a road

In spite of our drawing the attention of the Vice-Chairman of DDA, the MCD authorities and the Police Commissioner of Delhi to encroachment of about five feet of road inside Pocket A of DDA Flats in Sukhdeo Vihar, no action has been taken by the authorities concerned. Starting from 14A, 15A and 17A and right up to 113A, the occupants of these flats have encroached upon the public road by steel fencing. Some of them have even got pucca boundary walls constructed. This is causing immense difficulty to passers-by. No space is left for parking of vehicles. All this has been done with active connivance of the local police -- the area falls under the New Friends Colony police station -- and MCD staff.

Senior police officers and MCD authorities must act urgently to relieve the residents of this hardship.

R. C. Agrawal,

DDA Flats, Sukhdeo Vihar-A,

New Delhi - 110 025.

Taxing time

Payment of property tax in the Capital has become an ordeal with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi insisting on filing of an assessment form every year and payment to be made at its zonal offices only. This causes a great deal of avoidable inconvenience to a large number of house owners, many of whom are elderly and have to travel long distances in scorching heat.

It is suggested that MCD ask only those house owners to file returns the status of whose properties has changed. Arrangements should be made to collect the payment from senior citizens' homes, at designated branches of banks and online.

J. M. Manchanda,

C/95, New Rajinder Nagar,

New Delhi - 110 060.

Pitampura waiting

Indraprastha Gas Limited opened bookings for supply of piped natural gas in the Capital's Pitampura area in early March this year. Its staff informed the would-be customers that digging, etc, would start in April and the company would be able to supply piped gas by May or June. But the promise has proved to be an empty one as no work has started so far.

Can any official of the company now tell the customers -- who have paid Rs. 500 each as initial deposit -- when the work will start and the gas supply materialise?

Sailen Basu,

NU-99 A, Pitampura,

New Delhi - 110 034.

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)

Lecturer, Ahmedabad Arts and Commerce College,

Nr. Sandesh Press,

Gheekanta,

Ahmedabad - 380 001.

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