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Magazine
Path-breaking
This refers to the article “NREGA: Breaking new ground” by Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey (Magazine, June 21). It is true that the programme is the most ambitious piece of legislation in post-independent India that assures a minimum 100 days of work on an enormous outlay and it is certainly making a revolution in the life of the rural poor. The Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women have participated and benefited in large numbers in the employment guarantee scheme. These people and the NGOs using the RTI Act must directly involve themselves in the implementation of various works, expenditure etc., and should function as watchdogs.
The example of Vijayapura Gram Panchayat in Rajsamand District which uses the Janata Information System (JIS) on the line of Management Information System (MIS) may be followed by other implementing agencies also so that people can know about the ongoing works, the payments made to the workers etc., so that corruption can be eliminated.
S. Nallasivan
Tirunelveli
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The NREGA not only guaranteed 100 days employment with fair wages to the rural poor but has also to a large extent transformed the rural set-up with motorable roads, sanitation facilities and other basics lacking earlier. Further, despite corruption and red-tapism acting as a stumbling block in certain areas, on the whole, the rural population were relieved of the mental agony of migration to the nearby cities and towns in search of livelihood. By and large, NREGA has not only compensated for the cumulative neglect of the rural segment of the population in the past six decades but also gave a new hope to the rural poor by providing guaranteed livelihood.
K.R.Srinivasan
Secunderabad
Forgotten undertrials
With regard to the article, “Forgotten behind prison walls” (Magazine June 21), it pains to note the suppressed and pathetic condition of the poverty stricken unfortunate ones! The strong clutches of poverty do not slacken their hold off the poor prisoners even within the high walls of prison. Here too money proves its power, as lacking it, neither can they muster the resources to afford bail and lawyers nor do the courts find time to try them. Like other fields, the doors of law too can only be knocked by the affluent ones! This deprived and dispensable lot remains exiled from freedom and hope forever. How democratic are we?
Mitali Palit
Ranchi
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It was a shocking experience to go through the article by Harsh Mander. It is a sorry state of affairs in the jails despite our boasting that we are a great independent and republican country. How much manpower is wasted by detaining under-trials for so many years without justice and how much is the Government spending on them in jails? Will the Union Law minister care to go through this eye-opening article and take steps at least now?
Chirutapudi Subramaniam
Hyderabad
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The article was heartrending. Cannot the judicial system introduce a mandatory periodical scrutiny and appraisal — say at least biennially — of the list of languishing under-trials and suo motto order the release, if they are arraigned under flimsy charges or on frivolous grounds? An ideal method would be to classify the under-trials under two categories — simple and complex — and automatically release or grant bail to those falling under the former classification. Perhaps all such innovative moves require judicial sanction and are time-consuming under the prevailing system. The existing brutal procedure of labelling an alleged offender as an under-trial and thrown into a jail euphemistically called the penitentiary will result in breeding hard-boiled criminals who, when they come out, view the system with disdain and are forced to follow the harsh steps of the hardened criminal who is treated on par with them.
R. Ramachandra Rao
Email
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That almost two thirds of ‘under-trials’ are languishing in our prisons without any specific charges against them, all because our courts are over-burdened with other cases should stir up the conscience of our law enforcing authorities and human rights activists. It is likely that a great percentage of them may have landed there on mere suspicion and due to police high handedness and their offences, if any, may be so petty that an indefinite stay behind the bars is totally unwarranted, violating their fundamental right to liberty. The inadequacies and inequity of our legal system are no excuse for keeping these unfortunate people in long detention.. To end this inhuman system it must be made mandatory for prison authorities to file a periodical return of all the ‘under-trial’ inmates with the respective high courts who should on their own discretion free those who have spent a specified number of years in prison regardless of the nature of their offences, except those of a serious nature warranting prosecution.
C.P.Srinivasan
Apex, North Carolina
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The biography of K.F. Rustamji is under publication. As his biographer, I am grateful to Harsh Mander for bringing to light Rustamji’s contribution to civil liberties. In December 1978, after a visit to the prisons in Karnataka and Bihar, Rustamji “dipped his pen in venom and sketched out the stories of some of the worst cases”. His two articles, published in a national daily in January 1979, formed the basis on which the first Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed. Unfortunately, Rustamji’s name was not mentioned in the judgement that decreed the release of 40,000 under-trials all over India. Consequently few are aware that it was this police icon who was responsible for the process which ultimately led to the phenomenon of judicial activism in the country.
P.V. Rajgopal
Bangalore
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Harsh Mander brings out the plight of aam admi in every sphere of their lives to the fore so that the powers that be may notice and do the needful. In this article he highlighted condition of poor under-trials who languish in jails for years together without even charge-sheeted which was heart-rending. Will the new Law Minister’s attention be drawn to their plight?
K. Nehru Patnaik
Visakhapatnam
Green message
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The article “Tread lightly” by Seema Sanghi (Magazine June 21) was thought-provoking and carried a genuine and important message to all of us. Specially the tourist travelling throughout the globe should learn how to keep the destinations safe, clean and eco-friendly, and on the other hand help the local people by giving them an employment opportunity.
Ravish Mathew
Puducherry
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