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Rape shame: Tough action needed

The brutal rape of a five-year-old girl is a clear indicator of increasing moral degradation in our society. A society is often known by how it treats its women and the current continued diminishing order towards respectability of women has put us to great shame. We have made no progress when it comes to respecting womanhood. A girl child is killed in the womb and if she is lucky to escape death, she has to bear a biased treatment throughout her life. The present situation, however, is most scary. Women are being kidnapped and sexually assaulted at will.  The moot question is what's preventing our courts from hanging the culprits in cases such as the December 16 Delhi gang rape where the accused have already been identified.

The recent east Delhi case is even more horrific, as the victim is just a five-year-old child and the accused a married adult. This heinous crime calls for strictest punishment. If our government cannot make any tougher new laws to tackle crime against women, then they should revert to older times when rape accused were castrated or killed by stoning.

MPS CHADHA, Mohali

II

Delhi has been shamed, yet again. The rape of a five-year-old girl is most shocking. Such occurrences, if not promptly checked and controlled, could result in a social catastrophe and revolt against the governance. The women are already a deprived lot in our society. Apart from social evils like female foeticide, dowry and unequal treatment, women today face an increasing threat to their safety and security. In such a scenario, one can imagine the plight of parents, who have to send their beloved daughters to metros for higher studies and education.

It should be the prime duty of the government to dispel such a fear from minds of its citizens. It’s high time that those in power must take effective measures to safeguard women. The elite and VIPs have no fear as they are adequately protected by the system. It is the only the middle and the lower class, which have to bear the brunt.

PRAMILA DHIMAN, Nadaun

Shock for industry The Punjab Government has increased the electricity tariff by 12 per cent. The state government has also hiked minimum wages by 40 per cent in the past nine months. The industry is reeling under downturn and in such a scenario it would be difficult for various units to sustain themselves. The government should think twice before levying extra burden on the industry, which is on the verge of collapse. If industrial units close down or shift base to nearby states, it would result in more trouble for the government as widespread unemployment would be created. It is agreed that there is inflation in every sphere but the industrial sector is witnessing a negative growth. Already, increased VAT, property tax and higher interest rates are hitting the sector hard. Any hike in power rates should be in a phased manner. The government must give some incentives to industrial units and save these from closure. DEEPAK SARAF, Bathinda