Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

A proud moment

It is a matter of pride that India has a woman President in the 60th year of Independence. Let us hope Prathiba Patil’s elevation to the highest office will encourage and inspire women to take up a more active role in all spheres of life, signifying a new era in women’s empowerment.

R. Hariharan,
Auckland

In her first speech as President, Ms. Patil said empowerment of women would lead to the empowerment of the nation. But this can be achieved only if she interacts with the rural women to whom this oft-repeated term does not mean much. If Ms. Patil succeeds in changing the attitude of women themselves, it will go a long way in empowering at least the younger generation.

P.U. Krishnan,
Udhagamandalam

Ms. Patil’s maiden speech is good insofar as it goes but forgive me for pointing out a glaring omission. She made no reference to her illustrious predecessor A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s record in office. Read Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s hearty reference to C. Rajagopalachari as the first national head of the Indian state as his immediate predecessor and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan’s eloquent tribute to Dr. Rajendra Prasad in his swearing-in speech.

K. Vedamurthy,
Chennai

Ms. Patil’s election is indeed a proud moment for the country. It is unfair to draw comparisons between her and her predecessors. Each person is distinct and has his or her own strengths. Ms. Patil has emphatically stated that she will not be a rubber stamp President. Our first woman Prime Minister was not a rubber stamp by any means. We, the people, welcome Ms. Patil and hope that she will run the highest office with integrity.

Ashish Choudhury,
Salem

To compare our Presidents is not fair. Mr. Kalam was a scientist with no political experience, but he went on to become the people’s President. Considering Ms. Patil’s long innings in politics and her legal background, one can be sure she will bring with her vast experience to Rashtrapati Bhavan. While her election may not mean empowerment of women, it does send a powerful message that there is no restriction on a woman occupying the highest constitutional post in the world’s largest democracy.

D.B.N. Murthy,
Bangalore

Indeed it was great watching Ms. Patil being sworn in as the first woman President of India. At the same time, one cannot but recollect that her victory came at the end of a bitterly fought election. The BJP and a section of the media led the campaign against her. What is painful is that some sections of the electronic media continued to campaign against her even after she was elected. I request them to refrain from such practices.

Abid Pasha,
Warangal

I do not understand why some sections still have reservations about Ms. Patil becoming the President. We, as a nation, prefer status quo and often have apprehensions about trying lesser known people for top jobs, be it in cricket or politics. The media too project the person in the manner that suits them and the masses believe them. We must give some time to our newly elected President to prove her capabilities and then decide whether electing her to the highest post was right or wrong.

Chambath Gopalakrishnan,
Palakkad Ironical

July 25, 2007, will be written in golden letters as a woman assumed the topmost office of the nation for the first time. In a contrasting development, Kiran Bedi, India’s first woman IPS officer of the 1972 batch, and a Ramon Magsaysay award winner, who is credited with introducing a series of reforms at Delhi’s high security Tihar Jail, has been sidelined for the post of Delhi Police Commissioner with Y.S. Dadwal, an officer of the 1974 batch, being appointed. By not appointing a deserving woman officer to the post, the government has gone against its commitment to women’s empowerment.
B.S. Bibhuti,
New Delhi

Even as Ms. Patil became the first woman President, the country’s first woman IPS officer went on long leave in protest against her junior being elevated to the post of Police Commissioner. A strange irony indeed!

Rocky Ukken,
Thiruvananthapuram

It is an irony that on the historic day when a woman became the supreme commander of the armed forces, the post of the Delhi Police Commissioner has been denied to a woman in spite of her credentials and seniority.

S.Y. Ramakrishnan,
Bangalore Distress deaths

The increasing incidence of army men killing their superiors is disturbing. This is a sad reflection on the behaviour in all ranks of the army hierarchy. That discipline has become a casualty is unfortunate.

However, enforcement of discipline alone will not help matters. A grievance redress mechanism needs to be put in place and soldiers should be treated in a humane manner. Sustained counselling will prove beneficial.

P.K. Varadarajan,
Chennai

It is unfortunate that the number of distress deaths in the Army is on the increase. It is an indicator of the falling standards in the recruitment of officers and men. The low training standards churn out soldiers who are unable to cope with their tough assignments mentally and physically. It is time the policy makers introspected on what we were and what we have become. Otherwise, the armed forces will become just another uniformed organisation. And the men will continue to shoot one another rather then the enemy.

P.S. Rai,
New Delhi Dealing with aged

The article “China greying — and learning to live with it” (July 19) should serve as an eye-opener to India, where too there is little security for the aged unlike in the past when they were cared for by their family members. The government has no social security measures for those who are not covered by pensions. With the advent of western culture and breaking up of joint families, the fate of the old is increasingly becoming a question mark.

T.V. Narayana,
Nellore

China’s phenomenon 4-2-1 is better than that of India where in some cases it is 2-2-0, as the only male child migrates to the better world seeking better pay leaving the elders to fend for themselves. Social customs need to be strengthened to protect our elders.

Basala Babu Rao,
Guntur

Better access to health facilities and the overall improvement in the living conditions have considerably increased the longevity of people. But this has come at a price as is evident in China which is facing profound economic and social challenges because of an ageing population.

Avi Prasad,
New Delhi

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