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Need for practical measures
Meena Menon’s “When fear stalks the night” (October 19) has highlighted the issue of the safety of women in the present context of BPO boom and globalisation. The current laws haven’t done much to enhance the safety of women employees working night shifts in metropolitan cities. The recent incidents involving Soumya Vishwanathan and others has meant boom time for television channels and the press for a week or so but we need to watch closely what practical measures are taken.
Sonam Sidiq
Kochi
The article was really relevant and of concern to working women regarding their safety and security in their professional lives. We as a society talk much about women’s empowerment and women’s reservation in legislative bodies but we have failed to provide a basic, secure working environment to women. The number of cases in crimes related to women at their workplaces is increasing day by day. Companies, the government and women’s associations have to work together to combat this problem.
Kirit Rajput,
New Delhi
Women doctors and nurses have been working night shifts in India for several decades and nothing unfortunate happened. While hospitals can end their night shifts about 6 a.m., I do not understand why shifts at BPO offices alone should end at 3 a.m.Moreover, when telecommunications technology has advanced so much that calls are being re-routed all over the globe, BPO workers should be able to simply work from home obviating the whole security issue. Nevertheless, we should do all that is necessary to make life safe even at 3 a.m.
C.G. Senthilkumar
Sunnyvale,
United States
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Unanswered questions
Apropos of Harsh Mander’s column The real travesty (October 19), the demands for initiating either a CBI or judicial inquiry into the Batla House “encounter” are not unfounded. The role played by the police and the media in glorifying this avoidable killing of two Muslim youth is shameless and highly unfortunate. Equally ironical is the statement of NSA M.K. Narayanan that it was a travesty to suggest that the “encounter” was fake. The Delhi police had, immediately after the “encounter” in a self-congratulatory tone, said that it had “worked out” the case after “painstaking” investigation. But later, faced with criticism over the manner in which the “encounter” was executed, it did a complete turnaround saying that it was basically a “recee” (reconnaissance)! Questions remain unanswered over this so-called “encounter”. I appreciate the author’s endeavour in unravelling this serious violation of human rights.
Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui
Bengaluru
Harsh Mander’s article is perplexing. While calling for a judicial inquiry based on the reasoning that we have only the word of police, he conveniently forgets that his own thesis is full of presumptions, emotional pleas and subjective judgments. Why does he not apply the same reasoning that he applies to the injuries of police, to those of the so-called innocent boys? How are words of the locals more reliable than those of the police? It is naive to think that terrorists go around spraying evidence of their activities. None denies the right to seek justice in this country as is demonstrated by the number of cases involving proven cold-blooded terrorists that are moving at a snail’s pace. But to blindly jump to the conclusion that every anti-terrorist encounter is a conspiracy is downright cynical.
Ranjeeth Dasineni
Bengaluru
I was glad to read this column. It presented a fearless picture of whatever had happened in the recent past. Being a Muslim, and one living in India is a bane nowadays. But ... due to people like Harsh Mander, I think I can still live in India with my head high.
Syed Zegham Taj
Aligarh
Combating terrorism has been the prime intention of the powers that be and it is justifiable. But the way the Government of India and the political parties are going about it shows their utter lack of understanding of the ground situation and the law of the land. The killing of two young boys, almost children, only on suspicion of them being the master minds behind terror attacks, smacks of illogical attitude on the part of the police. The encounter killings in Batla house Delhi should be probed by an independent agency to bring out the truth. It is time Indian government improves its human rights record.
Divakar N.
Mysore
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Laudable effort
With reference to “Breaking the silence” (October 19), the laudable efforts made by the hapless woman to bring to court her tale of sexual harassment by her superior deserve praise and it is gratifying to note that court has given a favourable verdict and ordered her reinstatement. It is hoped that court has given deterrent punishment to the errant officer.
N.C. Sreedharan
Kannur
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