Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Anachronistic law

This is with reference to the editorial “Anachronistic law” (October 1). Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is only one among the many regressive and archaic laws which continue to dot the pages of our statute books. India is perhaps the only nation in the world which has retained centuries’-old legislation without any serious public debate on their relevance or appropriateness. For instance, we are still governed by laws such as the Indian Police Act, 1861. The inability of our legal system to project a humane and progressive face can be attributed to the indifference of the political class. After all, social reforms do not guarantee electoral victories. But for judicial intervention we would never have had far reaching changes in areas such as child labour, safe blood transfusion, gender discrimination, humane treatment of animals, protection of environment, etc.

It is a travesty of justice if a nation’s outdated and poorly drafted laws end up as instruments of discrimination, persecution and exploitation of its own citizens.

V.N. Mukundarajan,

Thiruvananthapuram

Your editorial has pointed out that the practice of treating homosexuals as criminals should have no place in a modern, liberal society. But in a poor country like India where children are largely abused there is need for protection. So the Act has to be amended taking this into account.

Jacob Sahayam,

Thiruvananthapuram

Ammel Sharon,

Mumbai

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