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Monica’s dare symbolises urge for equality
The editorial “A whiff of fresh air”(May 5) was sensibly argued. I fully endorse the observation, “The loser and the winner are conditioned psychologically in following their well-charted out path. In all the patriarchal societies, women are conditioned through a complex network of traditions and customs to be that loser, so that their male counterpart could remain a winner.”
Monica, a 22- year-old girl from Kuparwas village in Bhiwani district must be applauded for having invaded the male bastion by performing ‘ghurchari” at the time of her marriage with an engineer. She is reported to have been a secondary school dropout yet she has tried to use her limited acquired knowledge to change the ground realities in favour of the girl-child.
Monica has proved beyond any doubt that determined women are second to none and the sky is the limit for those wanting to be catalysts for
change. In some cases in the recent past, the girls have boldly refused to marry greedy grooms and shown the door to marriage parties. No doubt, such unconventional decisions of the educated modern women do not conform to the traditional beliefs yet they should be welcomed because they are introducing freshness and a rational element in our
old cultural patterns. We must inspire, motivate and support the girls and women to stand up and speak against injustice, exploitation and discrimination of all hues being heaped upon them in their day-to-day life. Monica has come to symbolise the growing urge among women for equality with men in the rural Haryana. Dr RAJ BAHADUR
YADAV,
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II The news report “Bride and unbridled courage”(May 5) conveyed a positive message. I think that there will be a real change in tradition if Monica’s husband starts living at her house. It is time girls came forward and took care of their old parents. Likewise people will not prefer sons only. Thus the problem of skewed sex ratio will be checked. K K CHAWLA, Kurukshetra III It is heartening to note that the people; men and women alike, were reportedly cheering the daring bride-to-be in the lanes of her village Kaparwas in Bhiwani District of Haryana during her ‘’ghurcharhi’’ mission; a first in a state known for its conspicuous contrasts. Talking of these contrasts, one finds it unbelievable that great social reformers like Sir Chhotu Ram once lived in this land where the medieval khaps still abound with impunity, punishing the inter-gotra and inter-caste marriages. While some girls like Kalpana Chawla reach out to space, some others are killed in mothers’ wombs. Here in Haryana the Aya Ram-Gaya Ram originated and spread in the national politics like a virus. Still some staunch party loyalists made themselves indispensable titans in the national politics. Haryana sure is a land of strange contrasts. NEENA SHARMA, Sundernagar MLA’s conviction The editorial “Punjab MLA’s conviction: One swallow does not make a summer” (May 5) has vividly brought out the practical hurdles in the process of conviction of a politician or a bureaucrat. No government has paid much attention to this menace. Frankly speaking, we are not living in democracy but in the age of “kleptocracy”. Politicians are in the habit of making flippant statements. No one seems to be serious about uprooting graft. Only remedy lies in passing a strict law to confiscate the property of anyone in the government, convicted for corruption as is being done in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Capt. SK DATTA, Abohar II The editorial “Corruption in Punjab” (May 7) depicts the scourge of corruption that has easily assimilated into our polity. It is a case of not only the BJP. The same holds true for other political parties at the national and regional level. The Akali Dal too is no different. GURMIT SINGH SAINI, SAS Nagar Tackling Pakistan The editorial “Pakistan unmasked: India must step up diplomatic offensive” (May 6) has rightly highlighted the double standards of Pakistan to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. However, the Abbottabad operation by the US has finally brought the cat out of the bag and Pakistan now stands exposed before the world community. There is no denying the fact that Pakistan is an epicentre of terrorist activities and their Army is promoting, training and providing the terrorists the latest weapons. Likewise it is well known that dreaded criminals like Dawood Ibrahim, notorious for their involvement in several terrorist attacks in India, are now hiding in Pakistan. But to bring them to book through acts of aggression by violating the sovereignty of the neighbour is likely to recoil on India’s policy of non-violence and non-interference. It is also not wise to presume that what the US can do, India can also do. India’s strategic location with hostile and treacherous neighbours like Pakistan and China has its own implications. Undoubtedly, India has to fight its own battle without depending on fair weather friends like the US which too always adopts double standards in its dealing with India. US President Barack Obama has won the war on Osama and may win his next battle of ballots for him. On the contrary, India has to win the hearts and minds of the people in Pakistan despite the fact that the corrupt Pakistan Army is hell bent not to allow it to happen. Bilateral talks and diplomacy to turn the world opinion in our favour are the only options to keep the rogue neighbour at bay. RM RAMAUL, Paonta sahib Punjabis in Canada Parliamentary elections in Canada are no less important (editorial, “Punjabi power”, May 5). Majority of segments in Canada are dominated by Punjabis. It is really commendable that eight Punjabis have been elected to Canadian Parliament. HARPREET SANDHU, Ludhiana
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