Plight of women in India

  APROPOS of the editorial “Satan never rests” (Jan 12) the moral authority of the State must be at its lowest ebb if the Chief Minister dismisses as “political conspiracy” the well-planned and barbarian gangrape of a woman, who was supposed to be under police and CBI protection.

The persistent harassment and abuse of Ms Anjana Mishra proves that you can’t raise an accusing finger at the people who wield power, since we have a different set of laws of the rich and the powerful than what it is for the poor and the hapless.

Atrocities on women, in the general state of lawlessness, are neither new nor rare. But what is traumatic, more so for the victim, is the government’s biased approach and effort to politicise a simple case of horrendous crime. But you can’t fight a corrupt system and expect justice particularly when the guilty enjoy official and political patronage.

Our tragedy is that for crime and injustice against women, we look to the official administrative initiative. We have failed to realise that women’s liberty in our country is no more than a myth. Notwithstanding the efforts of social reformers and the so-called progressive attitude towards women of a small section of society, women in India, by and large, remain neglected, suppressed and exploited. Making new laws to protect their interests or reservation for them in the legislative bodies will not do.

We need to educate the girl child in right earnest and change our male-dominance attitude through education and awakening of the masses.

VED GULIANI
Hisar

* * * *

Germ parlours

Women go to beauty parlours to look better, but pick up germs in the bargain. These parlours do not have any idea about disinfection and sterilisation. Unclean bowls, dirty combs, used towels, old hairbrushes aid in the spread of bacteria and fungi from one person to another. Powder puffs, face brushes, blackhead removers and nail cuticle cutters are often reused.

A procedure like waxing is safe only if done hygienically, when the cloth used is clean and preferably sterile. The risk of introducing infection is present in a treatment like facials which also includes the removal of blackheads. To remove a blackhead a good sterilised extractor should be used to apply vertically downward pressure, otherwise instead of coming out, the blackhead is pushed to unwanted areas resulting in cystic acne (pimples).

Fungal infection is a possibility in pedicures. Instead of steel bowls, beauticians used plastic bowls, which are difficult to clean and can’t be autoclaved. These bowls spread fungal infection of feet from one person to another. During manicure and pedicure, pushing the nail cuticle behind is likely to damage the seal at nail fold. Once the seal is broken, water gets in and makes the nail prone to fungal infection. Dandruff, now considered a fungal infection, is contagious and spreads when common combs and hairbrushes are used.

Beauticians should make it sure that their instruments are cleaned and sterilised in-between customers. Operators with open cuts and sores on their hands should not work until these get healed up. Face masks should be used while doing procedures like eyebrow threading. which involves close work.

Customers should take along their own combs, hairbrushes and cuticle cuters. They should ask for disposable tissues and insist on the use of cotton balls in place of powder puffs. While the possibility of picking up something like AIDS in a parlour is remote, diabetics should be especially choosy and careful about beauty parlours.

GURINDERJIT SINGH
Ludhiana

* * * *

MBBS admissions

One of the eligibility conditions prescribed for admission to the MBBS course of AFMC is that the candidate should have secured not less than 50 per cent marks in English in the XII standard. This condition prevents a large number of otherwise eligible and meritorious candidates from appearing in the written test, and appears unreasonable as the written (entrance) test contains questions to test the English language and comprehension also.

There is no such condition for the NDA exam. The authorities concerned are, therefore, requested to review urgently and modify this to a simple pass in English so that the affected candidates can apply in time.

S.K. DOGRA
Chandigarh

* * * *

No respect for time

The recent dislocation of air flights all over India as a result of fog in Delhi is illustrative of the failure of our political and bureaucratic rulers to realise the value of time as a critical resource in economic development.

Reportedly, if only an instrument landing system costing around Rs 30 crore had been installed at Delhi airport, the IAC would not have had to incur a daily loss of Rs 1 crore for several days running, to which should be added losses of private operators and business travellers, which would have exceeded Rs 30 crore!

This is not the only area where the importance of time as a critical input in economic growth has been ignored.

The late running of trains and other public transport has been accepted as a routine — timetables being a mere printing ritual for record purposes. A former Railway Minister, Mr Kengal Hanumanthaiya, had proved that by giving proper mandate and “hands of railway administration” by politicians, the Railway Board could run trains in time all over India. Any mainline train running about 20 minutes behind schedule required the General Manager of the railways to submit a personal explanation to the Railway Board.

Another area of disrespect to the time parameter is appointments to key posts of chairman of public sector enterprises and banks which should be made at least six months before the date of incumbents’ retirement.

With such scant attention to the importance of time, and 196 holidays in government offices, and a large number of public holidays, dislocating citizens’ economic activities, all talk of economic development and poverty removal is an exercise in futility.

M.R. PAI
Mumbai

* * * *

Re-appointing a VC

After going through the news item, “Uncertainty dogs HP varsities” (Jan 7), which mainly hints in regard to the re-appointment of a Vice-Chancellor of HP University, I would like to submit that there should not be any uncertainty in the light of the provisions of the UGC in regard to appointing/re-appointing Vice-Chancellors in India.

No doubt, as per the UGC, the Chancellor’s office should have initiated the process and procedure for the preparation of a panel for Vice-Chancellorship at least six months before the expiry of the term of office of the present Vice-Chancellor. But as per the provision/provisions of UGC Committee on appointment of Vice-Chancellors in Indian universities which are mentioned as under, uncertainty on the university campus can be shunted out:

i) The Vice-Chancellor “will be eligible for re-appointment for a second term.......”

ii) The term of three years is much too short for a Vice-Chancellor to make any impact, either academically or in administration. In the case of second term in the same university, the exercise of the Search Committee may not be gone through and the appointment for the second term be through administrative order of the Chancellor.

Therefore, in my view the Chancellor’s office should get an administrative order approved from the Chancellor for re-appointing the present HP University Vice-Chancellor Dr (Prof C.L. Kundu) for a full second term or part thereof and complete the selection process of appointing the Vice-Chancellor in accordance with the recommendations of the UGC Committee on appointment of Vice-Chancellors.

OM PARKASH WADHWA
Gohana