A wake-up call
Akhila Sivdas' "Give them back their childhood" (April 22) was an eye-opener. It clearly illustrated the dangers like physical excesses and sexual abuse. Parents, teachers and thinkers should take it as a collective wake-up call and join hands in eliminating such evils. Not only should the legal and judicial system be geared to handle the issue, at a more practical level, but efforts also need to be made to sensitise the police.
Ramesh Kumar Raja,
Delhi
* * *
The account of child abuse and the statistics from the National Survey on Child Abuse are appalling. The Centre should act swiftly to safeguard and protect the children. Parents, teachers and employers should be taught about the rights and obligations of the children. Those who abuse them should be punished severely. Child labour should be eliminated totally. Such measures will ensure a better futurefor our children.
R.M. Manoharan,
Chennai
* * *
Despite legal provisions, child abuse in India is rampant and children are subjected to physical, mental, sexual and emotional torture. The proposed bill to prohibit offences against children may not yield the desired results unless the provisions are given wide publicity. The major drawback is the denial of a child's self-expression and it is a big impediment while prosecuting the offenders. As long as children continue to be under their parents' shackles, their freedom of expression and choice are curtailed making them a non-entity in society's eyes.
K. Murlidar,
Chennai
* * *
The article was a vivid portrayal of the status of children in this country. The Government should speed up the process of the bill to prohibit offences against children and ensure zero-tolerance for acts committed against the children. NGOs should be encouraged to organise child rights workshops for all those concerned with the protective rights of children besides enactment of law.
R. Murali Kumar,
Srirangam
* * *
The data has forced us to think over the issue and do something to save the future of our children. Since children are the future of the country, we need to come out with the proper plans to protect them. No law or rule can stop this kind of abuse. For that there should be proper understanding among ourselves only. We have to make the people realise how important our children are. What we need are awareness campaigns like those being conducted for problems like HIV/AIDS and global warming.
Shailesh Kumar,
Bangalore
Witty and relevant
Bill Kirkman's witty article ("Living in a throwaway society", April 22) is a must read for all householders. While he has useful tips on dealing with pesky salespeople on the phone, his main focus centres on the perils of making capital investments on the phone. While he describes the resultant throw-out culture as a fall out of the Western Society, we seem to have acquired it too. What with our economy flourishing, and "keeping up with the Jones" syndrome at play, it has become the in-thing in our society too.
Venkatesh G. Iyer,
Chennai
Stunning and magnificent
Kudos to Manohar Devadoss (Magazine, April 22) for his stunningly accurate drawings of Madurai city. There is a touch of genius in every drawing and the magnificence of Madurai was brought out clearly and perceptively.
Swarna Kumari,
By E-mail
Pioneering effort
Swahilya's "Wealth out of waste" (April 22) about Sundaram Clayton's integrated industrial waste management sounded like a fantasy come true. I wish other industries would take a cue from this Die Casting unit. It is time that such entrepreneurs get wider publicity and rewards. Industries that pollute the environment should be heavily penalised. We have always taken from Nature and never returned anything. The company deserves accolades for its pioneering effort.
V.K. Joshi,
Lucknow
Give them support
Apropos of K. Pradeep's "Beyond Duty" (April 22), I wish many Nanmas would spring up in the country as also many more Vijayans. People, especially politicians, should encourage those like Vijayan. Support for such productive causes will work wonders.
V.S. Ganeshan,
Bangalore
* * *
We have heard of NGOs involved in social service. But a police officer extending assistance to society beyond his official duties is unheard of. Nanma deserves appreciation. It is heartening that the officer has transformed a colony noted for its criminal records and brought the residents to the mainstream.
S. Nallasivan,
Tirunelveli
E-mail responses to sundaypost@thehindu.co.in
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
