Family and emotions

  THIS refers to Ms Kiran Bedi’s “Counter-violence at home” (March 10). It is rather surprising that Ms Bedi, who championed the cause of Indian culture by persuading the inmates of Tihar Jail to practice meditation and yoga, should advocate the “policing” of domestic atmosphere of a common Indian family.Whatever be the experience of the government of Mauritius regarding the Protection from Domestic Violence Act, 1997, we in India have our own particular socio-cultural set-up. That a practice is successful in a particular country does not ensure its automatic acceptability in our country.Ms Bedi needs to differentiate between domestic violence and an effective retributive and reformatory act of the head of a family. Domestic violence should not be equated with crimes like robbery, murder or assault. Sometimes the seeming harassment, maltreatment and assault or intimidation may be termed as domestic violence, while the real aim of such a treatment may be corrective and in the larger interest of society and the nation. An adolescent developing anti-social tendencies cannot straight away be handed over to the police. Some internal social check, even the so-called domestic violence, has to be applied.The differences within a family are the result of dynamic interaction among the members and need to be resolved there itself. The need of the law and the police arises only when a law is explicitly violated or social peace endangered. Family life is based on emotions. Let us not convert it into a legal contract.Ms Bedi’s article reminds me of a small but significant incident. An NRI returned home after many years abroad. The moment he came out of Delhi airport, he slapped his 10-year-old son and said, “Now go and call the police for my infringement of our human rights.” Perhaps Ms Bedi realises that the institution of family is founded on emotions, mutual trust and cooperation and not on legal rights.

VED GULIANI
Hisar

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Helping the farmers

In the editorial “Grow and suffer” (The Tribune, March 5) the plight of farmers has been rightly analysed, which in my view is due to the indifferent attitude of the governments at the Centre and in the states. A few months back, tonnes of paddy was damaged in the mandis in Punjab due to unseasonal rain, resulting in huge losses to the farmers. News of distress sales of their produce and destruction of crops in the fields due to low prices and subsequent losses suffered by the farmers make one sad. The farmer, who is the backbone of the country’s economy, deserves all guidance and help. I have the following suggestions to make in this regard:

1. In all the states, the areas which grow a particular variety of vegetables or crops in abundance should be identified, and the farmers should be encouraged to grow those varieties by providing them the necessary help and guidance, and a justified minimum support price for their produce.

2. The produce of the farmers should be procured by an integrated agency created for this specific purpose, eliminating the system of middlemen. This agency should also be entrusted with the task of further marketing of the agricultural produce procured by it. This step will ensure reasonable returns to the farmers, saving them from the harassment at the hands of middlemen and traders. The consumer, too, would get vegetables and foodgrains at reasonable rates. The existing agencies like the FCI can be reinforced for this purpose. They should be made fully accountable for any lapse in this regard.

3. Adequate storage facilities should be created in the various zones, keeping in view the quantum of production, thus saving the foodgrains from damage. For this purpose, cooperative societies of farmers should be encouraged and the necessary financial and technical assistance be provided to them. These societies should also be encouraged to set up small-scale processing units for vegetables, etc, and the necessary marketing avenues be provided to them.

CHANDRA SHEKHAR NAG
Shahpur (Kangra)

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Mixed bag of IT proposals

The proposals to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961, through the Finance Bill, 1999, constitute a mixed bag. The Finance Minister deserves kudos for exempting the entire income in respect of units received from the UTI and Mutual Funds for granting a 10-year tax holiday to the industries in North- East region for taking away the power of the assessing officer to make adjustments while accepting an income tax return and for certain other tax concessions.

However, the proposed 10 per cent surcharge on income tax on companies, firms, cooperative societies and most of the individuals, etc. will be an anti-tax reform measure which will give a fillip to tax evasion and black money, having a cancerous growth in the country. It should be withdrawn.

Though the sops for the housing sector are welcome, they are half-hearted. The condition for the completion of construction before 1.4. 2001 for getting the deduction of Rs 75,000 on interest on the loan is highly impracticable and must be removed. For a real and most effective impact on the housing activity, a deduction of, say, Rs. 20,000 per dwelling unit from its annual value, as in the past, should be proposed. In the alternative, the entire investment in the housing sector for years should be excluded from the purview of Section 69, for an unprecedented growth of housing.

The Finance Minister should grant the benefit of 10 per cent income tax on long-term capital gains of unquoted shares also.

R. N. LAKHOTIA
New Delhi

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Govt staff & corruption

Mr R.K. Singh’s letter (March 6) seems to suggest that even though there is widespread corruption in India, government employees remain away from it. This is clear from his observations like “these people have no concealed income” and “he (a middle-level government servant) will be tempted to look for dishonest avenues to boost his income (in case tax relief is denied to him).”

Well the writer is entitled to have his own views. But the people who have to visit government offices off and on will vouch that the employees, too, have worked very hard to help India earn a berth in the list of 10 most corrupt countries of the world.

SURENDRA MIGLANI
Kaithal