The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Campus violence

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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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Campus violence

This refers to the editorial “Dealing with campus violence” (Nov. 15) on the group clash in the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai. That the shocking incident took place in a college named after Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is ironical. It was surprising to see students of law engaged in such a shameful act of lawlessness. Equally shameful was the police inaction. The college principal who failed to act in time was also to blame. The students who indulged in the horrendous act should be dealt with strictly.

K.S. Wilma,

Thiruvananthapuram

It was shocking to read that the violence was the result of the distribution of handbills on the occasion of Thevar Jayanti in which Dr. Ambedkar’s name was omitted while referring to the name of the college. Dr. Ambedkar was an eminent lawyer and the father of the Indian Constitution. Students must understand that he was a national leader, not a caste leader. Only such broad thinking can eradicate casteism in the institutions of higher learning.

G. Purushothaman,

Tirunelveli

The tendency of students to resort to violence at the slightest provocation calls for a socio-psychological probe. Increasing caste consciousness and rivalry among the youth are perhaps the result of the state’s policy of differential treatment. It needs to be reviewed. The police inaction, admittedly indefensible, may have something to do with political control. The police are apparently reluctant to take chances. Finally, the editorial observation that the law course is seen as a stepping stone to a political career raises considerable anxiety over the future of politics in India.

T.P. Subramonian,

Cupertino, California

I am appalled at the attitude of the student community which resorts to violence at the drop of a hat. No leniency should be shown to the students arrested in connection with the violence. Their punishment should act as a deterrent to fellow students.

S. Sivakumar,

Mumbai

The incident was the outcome of casteism and communalism that have slowly but steadily poisoned the minds of youngsters. They seem to have completely lost their tolerance levels. Seeing them wield sticks and rods was indeed shocking. Politicians, who have created divisions among the people, are the real culprits.

P. Krishna,

Chennai

Thanks to vote-bank politics, reduction of the voting age to 18, and dynastic politics combined with sycophancy, the atmosphere in all educational institutions has been spoilt. Students owing allegiance to different political parties are virtually at war with one another. For flimsy reasons, misguided students led by unscrupulous leaders come to the streets. Finally, it is they who suffer at the hands of the police and the college administration. Let us address the basic problem. Ban student and teacher unions in colleges and raise the voting age to 21, nay, 25 years.

M.M. Kale,

Kakinada

The principal of the Chennai law college and a few police officials have become the casualty of a faulty system. In most government colleges, students are supported by one political party or the other. Student union leaders find it necessary to organise at least one strike a year to prove their ability to mobilise students, which they consider the first step to enter politics. A wider curriculum, strict enforcement of discipline, and non-interference by political leaders will go a long way in creating a peaceful campus atmosphere.

M. Bhuvaneswari,

Chennai

There was a time when the mere mention of the police evoked fear in wrongdoers. But Wednesday’s incident proved that law-breakers no longer fear the law or those who enforce it. The students responsible for the violence should be barred from joining any educational institution. India is not looking for a court where lawyers carry weapons to win a case.

Immanuel Alphonse,

Chennai

While the police have come under severe criticism for their inaction, I feel they are not to blame. They are expected to act only on instructions. What happened on the law college campus was not just a group clash, it was a caste war. Had the police acted and injured some students in the process, they would have come under the scanner for their harsh behaviour.

A. Saranya,

Chennai

The police are a mirror image of the society they live in. Have we ever questioned the pitfalls in the methodology of their selection? Do we know on what considerations they are transferred? How can we expect professionalism from those who have been reduced over the years to being subservient to their political bosses?

Kumaran Appuchami,

Salem

While one appreciates the enterprise of the mediapersons who recorded the incident in detail, one wonders whether at some point they could not have rushed to the victim’s help. Joining issue over the death of David Sharp, a British mountaineer who died near the summit of Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary flayed Sharp’s fellow climbers who continued to the summit without offering assistance. He said it was horrifying that they could have left a dying man to his fate, adding that he would have abandoned his 1953 climb to save a life.

B. Sasisekhar,

Kottayam

I do not agree that mediapersons were wrong in continuing to shoot the brutal incident. The job of the media is to report, not assume the role of the police. Had it not been for the media’s efforts, many of us might not have even come to know of the gory incident.

Shadab Husain,

Lucknow

The media should tread cautiously and stop giving undue publicity to the incident. Sensationalising it will only add fuel to the raging fire. Instead, the media can educate the students and drive home the futility of indulging in senseless violence.

Syed Khaja,

New Delhi

Dealing with diabetes

The Hindu deserves to be congratulated on publishing articles on diabetes by Dr. V. Mohan (“Diabetes prevention as a health priority,” Nov. 14) and Dr. I. Sathyamurthy (“A tale of two ‘cousins’,” Nov. 15). India faces an epidemic in diabetes. Prevention of the disease and dealing with it call for important measures, as recommended in the two articles. Regular health check-ups and monitoring will save many from developing serious complications.

Prathipati Devavaram,

Guntur

Diabetes has become a serious health challenge. If the rising incidence of diabetes goes unchecked, its long-term implications will undermine our progress. It needs to be tackled by a multi-pronged strategy that includes awareness campaigns.

Mahfooz Alam,

Varanasi

Juvenile obesity, a major cause of juvenile diabetes, is a rising phenomenon in India. This is because of the change in lifestyle and, most importantly, lack of physical activity. If left unattended, diabetes will assume formidable proportions.

Raghu Seshadri,

Chennai

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