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PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.
FACELIFT Police stations now look smarter. But is the enough?
Whose side is
the law on?
This is in response to former Police Commissioner S. Mariswamy's article, The new face of law (MetroPlus, January 17). The author sings glories of the Police Department's initiative to spruce up dilapidated police stations in the city, with sponsorships from big corporate houses. He argues that this gives the police force a more approachable and friendly air.
Granted, the police stations are now a better sight to behold. But surely, this initiative also raises much larger questions about law and whose side it takes in what contexts. Let's consider a hypothetical situation: the employees of a corporate house, which has pumped in good money to re-model the neighbourhood police station, are on strike. When the police force arrives on the scene, will they really have the moral right to be completely impartial arbitrators of justice? It is quite difficult to imagine any corporate house doling out big sums of money and expect nothing in return — not even a slightly softer approach towards them. What then happens to the so-called "user-friendly" arm of the law? The big questions is: to which user is it going to be friendlier?
What the police force really needs today is not a friendlier face, but a more humane heart.
S. Sadanandan
On e-mail
Pure passion
There's no stopping passion. And Dev Sukumar's book Touch Play is proof. What made the article, The Champion at play (MetroPlus, January 19), all the more heart-warming is the fact that Dev went ahead and published the book on his own. To a first-time writer, the publishing industry can appear monstrous, with all its fangs sharpened to intimidate and demoralise. Often, a first-time writer not only has to promote oneself, but also settle for a paltry signing amount. Dev has saved himself all this humiliation and emerged winner.
The young writer surely is a role model to go on and seek things one aspires for. One wishes all such endeavours loads of luck!
SARABHI BEML LAYOUT
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