II

The crime graph against women and children has been witnessing a sharp increase in our country. Every day several cases of purse, chain and mobile snatchings from women, reported and unreported, come to light in almost all our cities. Further, women in large numbers are subjected to sexual harassment in transit and in offices. Thousands of children are kidnapped and subjected to gruesome crimes. They are forced into begging, put to hard labour and often sexually exploited.

Labour laws prohibiting children from physical labour are being violated with impunity almost everywhere. Rape is undoubtedly an inhuman act and such crimes become doubly abhorrent when perpetrated on children. This ugly scenario shows that either our existing laws are inadequate or the law-enforcing agencies are incompetent or corrupt. Will the executive, judicial and legislative authorities look into the matter seriously so that each and every person can live safely in our country?

BRIJ BHUSHAN MITTAL, Chandigarh

Missing link

The middle ‘Laughing matters’ (December 28) discussed a very serious matter of laughter having become the biggest casualty in the age of consumerism and materialism. It is no laughing matter to laugh in these trying times even though laughter matters much as ‘A good laugh is sunshine in a house’. Martial advises, “Laugh if you are wise”.

Sadly, we have forgotten to laugh. The writer says rightly, ‘Life is so full of trials and tribulations that most of us do not remember how to laugh naturally’.

 Artificial, forced or laboured laughter through exercise is a pointer to the bitter truth that genuine laughter is missing from our lives.

The best laughter is when we laugh together. It is better to laugh at one’s own self than to laugh at others. Goethe says, ‘Nothing shows a man’s character more than what he laughs at himself’.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox famously said, ‘Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone’. An Urdu couplet says, ‘Tu ne kaha tha ke roney se na badlengey naseeb,Teri is baat ne hamein umar bhar roney na diya’.

JASWANT SINGH GANDAM, Phagwara

Lok Sabha debate

Due to lack of floor management by the Congress, the government suffered a major embarrassment as it could not get constitutional status to the Lokpal, the idea first proposed by Rahul Gandhi who had termed it as a ‘game-changer’. At least 15 Congress members and close to a dozen belonging to UPA allies were absent at the time of voting. This shows the irresponsible behaviour of Congress leaders. Lokayuktas should be made compulsory in all states. Putting the onus of the Bill’s defeat for denying constitutional status to the Lokpal on the BJP and other opposition parties is mere face saving by the Congress. 

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

II

To watch the day-long acrimonious debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday was much more interesting than any TV entertainment soap. All MPs were unanimous on the existence of rampant corruption in the country and the need for a strong anti-graft Bill, which had eluded us for so many years. But while legislating on anti-corruption measures, party politics as well as the ideal of sovereignty of Parliament took precedence. The leaders spoke differently on public platform but changed their stance in Parliament on legalities and to accommodate diverse requirements of different parties, representing different sections of society.

TEJINDER SINGH KALRA, Mohali

III

Passing too many bills in Parliament without debate is not good for the country. There is an urgent need to change absurd laws. Most of the laws are irrelevant today but are still being implemented. There are a number of Acts, rules and regulations which have not been updated for the past more than 50 years. In fact, the Constitution must be amended from time to time. With changed time and situation, the Acts must not be older than 10 years, may be.

MAHESH KAPASI, New Delhi