Gujarat verdict

I fully endorse the core argument that: “It is a tribute to the country’s justice system (the editorial, “Exemplary verdict: Law catches up with Gujarat riots guilty”, November 11). It is a very positive development that 31 persons whom the Principal District and Sessions Judge has found guilty of burning 33 poor Muslim residents of Sardarpura village in Mehsana district of Gujarat have been awarded life imprisonment. This historic judgement amply proves that there is no place for rabid communal hatred in our democratic and secular society. We cannot allow some people to justify murders and killings in the name of religion.

In the Godhra train burning incident, as The Tribune informs us, 11 accused have been sentenced to death and 20 persons have got life imprisonment. It may be a Hindu or a Muslim, every human has only red blood in his veins. It is sheer absurdity to divide the common people into Hindus and Muslims and then shed their blood in a mindless manner.

I share The Tribune’s rational apprehension that had the Supreme Court not intervened in time in the matter, “the verdict may have been different”. In a democratic society, mobs cannot be and should not be allowed to take law into their hands.

Dr RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

II

The Sardarpura riot verdict is significant in more ways than one. It is the first of as many as nine cases of the post-Godhra carnage. In a politically vitiated atmosphere that polarised communities, justice has been seen to be done. It is commendable that the verdict has been delivered in one go, treating it as mob crime, which indeed it was. That a large number of persons were convicted within a single umbrella underlies the message that perpetrators forming a mob cannot hope to get away under the cover of anonymity that a group crime can so conveniently provide. That the landlords killed their own labourers working under their protection makes the crime heinous and unpardonable.

R NARAYANAN, Ghaziabad

Rising suicides

It is a matter of grave concern that in the past two years Bengaluru has emerged as the country’s “suicide capital” (editorial, “Fatal choice”, November 7). Those who have ever live in metropolitan cities know how difficult life can be in these cities. Managing meticulously every aspect of one’s life becomes very important if one wishes to be able to live in these cities. But planning alone cannot ensure that everything will go according to one’s plans. One becomes a victim of stress when one faces the uncertainties of daily life in metros. It is like a never-ending struggle. Some people, however, have just the right kind of attitude to do well in these cities. Others find it more and more difficult. Therefore, there are people who prefer to end their lives. In the end, what it all boils down to is attitude. With the right attitude, one can handle the pressure of life in big cities.

I agree with the editorial that “society needs to reorient its paradigm of evaluation and change the yardsticks of success vs. failure”. Communication between parents and their children should not break down. This is perhaps the bane of modern society. Parents do not find time for their children. As time progresses, children do not feel the need to share their feelings and thoughts with their parents. This is a dangerous trend and can lead to disaster in a family. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions need to do more than just teach the students their subjects. Teachers can help students who seem to be suffering from recurring bouts of anxiety or depression. Similarly, companies should stop thinking of employees as human resource only. They should be considered as human beings first. The editorial rightly says that psychological counselling should be mandatory in all companies.