The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Priyanka’s jail visit

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Thursday, Apr 17, 2008
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Priyanka’s jail visit

Priyanka Vadra’s decision to meet Nalini, one of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, at the Vellore Central prison reflects positively on her personality. Rather than harbouring hatred and anger against her father’s assassin, she decided to communicate directly with her. I am sure her meeting with Nalini must have given her peace of mind. One hopes Priyanka’s initiative will have a positive effect on Nalini.

Colonel R.D. Singh,

Leh

* * *

Ms Vadra’s meeting with Nalini speaks volumes about her maturity, tolerance, and the ability to forgive. It will not only set an example to all those who believe in a tit-for-tat policy but will also go down as an incident that embodied an unusual display of grace, love and affection towards all.

J. Eden Alexander,

Thanjavur

* * *

Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins will surely regret their action at least for a moment. India should be proud of young leaders like Priyanka who believe in non-violence and humanity. The media should not sensationalise the matter. The security forces deserve a special word of praise for maintaining secrecy over the visit.

R. Ponnarassi,

Vellore

* * *

The prison authorities’ attempt to cover up Priyanka’s visit should not distract from the sentiment associated with her meeting. Priyanka has displayed a rare sense of courage by saying that her visit was with the avowed intention of “coming to peace with the violence and loss” she experienced.

Krishna Vattam,

Mysore

* * *

From a humanitarian point of view, Ms Vadra’s visit is perfectly understandable. Few will disagree that her privacy and grief need to be respected and that her visit to the Vellore jail should not become a matter of political debate and speculation. But then, as a member of India’s leading political family, Ms Vadra is a public figure and her actions are bound to create interest and curiosity. What made her undertake a visit to the Vellore prison? Why was it kept under wraps for so long?

K.S. Jayatheertha,

Bangalore

* * *

The report of Priyanka’s visit to the Vellore jail to meet one of the women conspirators of her father’s assassination was no doubt poignant. However, the timing of the meet after so many years and the leak of the story to the press a month after the visit smack of a PR exercise intended to generate sympathy for the Gandhi family and the Congress.

Vijay Mohan,

Chennai

* * *

Meeting Nalini was no doubt a good gesture on the part of Priyanka. However the law of the land should be respected by all, irrespective of their social, political and economic status.

Lukose Thomas,

Erode

* * *

The confirmation by Ms Vadra of her meeting with Nalini and the statement by the prison authorities that there is no entry of the meeting in their records are a sad commentary on the reliability of official records and statements.

P.E. Muthu,

Mumbai

* * *

If indeed the meeting took place without the Jail Superintendent’s permission, it has set a bad precedent. According to the Prison Manual, no convicted prisoner can be allowed an interview with an inmate except with the permission of the Superintendent, which should be recorded in writing. Interviews can be granted only to relatives, friends and legal advisers of prisoners. If the permission in Nalini’s case was obtained in some other name, it was definitely not a healthy thing to do. Worse, no entry has been made in the visitor’s register. However noble the cause and however genuine the security concern regarding Ms Vadra, her visit flouted the prison rules.

P. Guru Prasad,

Chennai

* * *

The media’s handling of the issue has been atrocious. Given the media’s habit of hounding people, the fact that Priyanka’s visit was kept secret for almost a month speaks highly of the security personnel’s handling of her visit. Dissecting every aspect of her visit, and analysing the reasons behind the same may make for a great news story but at what cost? Journalism needs to be responsible too.

Abhinesh Vijayaraj,

Udhagamandalam

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