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Verdict instils confidence in women

Apropos the editorial “The gallows” (September 14), I endorse The Tribune's precise comment on Delhi's fast-track court orders to hang the December 16 rapists, ‘Death it is, death it had to be’. Those who dishonoured the 23-year-old girl last year and took away her precious life were not human beings but real animals. Such dangerous beasts do not deserve to live in human society.

Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna has very sensibly argued in this case, “The increasing trends of crimes against women can be arrested only once the society realises that there will be no tolerance to any form of deviation against women.” This rational and landmark verdict is going to instill confidence in the minds of women about our criminal judicial system.

I would like to appreciate the laudable role of the print media, TV channels, youths and students of Delhi who had come out on streets and roads in large numbers to express their solidarity with the rape victim's family demanding the death sentence for these dangerous social wolves. In fact, the whole nation was in rage over the shameless and satanic manner in which these soulless beasts had bruised a young woman. It was a great relief for the common people when Justice Khanna read out his verdict, “Accordingly, the convicts be hanged by neck till they are dead.”

DR RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

Right decisions

In the past few days, three important verdicts of three different cases have been delivered by Indian courts. Asking Om Prakash Chautaula, a convict in the teachers recruitment scam, to surrender, the death sentence for four men involved in the brutal Delhi gang-rape case and a life ban for Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan for their involvement in the IPL spot-fixing scandal by the Disciplinary Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India deserve special appreciation.

These cases have not only instilled confidence in the minds of common men, but have also given a lucid message to those perpetrators, who seem to have no fear of law. A common man continues to live under the fear of law, but a few influential persons manage to find loopholes in the system and remain above the law. Ineffectiveness, mistrust and no-confidence in governance, the police force and the judiciary encourages people to take the law in their own hands.

VIPIN SEHGAL, Kurukshetra

Students & politics

Almost all college students are eligible voters. They are not exposed to the political thought of the right-wing political parties. Even students of political science are not exposed to various political thoughts by way of interaction with leaders. Rather it is considered a crime to talk about the RSS-BJP with students. The ban on the students' unions in Haryana is another blow to the exposure of students to the fresh air of politics. It is hypocritical of the political class, the bureaucracy and academic faculty, who strike work at the expense of students, but do not allow student unions in colleges.

JAI PRAKASH GUPTA, Ambala Cantt

Shimla's woes

There has been a manifold increase in the Shimla traffic. The central area of the city is heavily congested. The major flow of light and heavy vehicles is from the Chandigarh-Solan side, which goes towards the Dhalli-Kufri. All traffic passes through the populated areas of Khalini, New Shimla, Vikasnagar and Panthaghati. To solve the problem, we have to avoid the use of central roads for giving passage to traffic, which is actually not coming to the city. This can be done by making wide bypass roads so that internal roads remain congestion-free. All central roads and heavily populated areas should be connected to these bypasses through link roads at suitable locations to avoid traffic snarls.

The timely construction of already identified bypasses, Panthaghati-Taradevi (8 km), Totu to Kufta Dhar-Naldehra (12 km) and Ghanahatti-Jubbarhatti-Shoghi (15 km) is the need of the hour. The outside city traffic is posing major problems as the work for maintenance, widening of internal roads cannot be carried out properly. Once the external traffic is bypassed, only then can internal problems be resolved to allow the city to breathe.

SANJEEV SHARMA, Shimla

Neglect of Shiva-Bari

I wish to draw the attention of the Himachal Pradesh government towards the historical spot in my village crying for development as a place of tourist interest.

Popularly known as Shiva-Bari, the place has, over the years, suffered acute neglect and cries for attention. The scenic beauty of the spot - a 100-acre thick forest with Lord Shiva's hoary temple standing in the midst and located on the western bank of the perennial Swan stream - is to be seen to be believed and appreciated. Pertinently, a big fair has been held at the Shiva-Bari since times immemorial in the third week of April every year. No doubt, a concrete project for proper development of the holy spot seems long overdue.

TARA CHAND, Ambota (Una)

Not enough roads

Sector 20 is one of the most thickly populated sectors of Panchkula. Sadly, there is only one way under the flyover to enter and exit, which causes chaotic conditions on the single road. As more and more societies are coming up in Sector 20 and nearby Peer Muchhalla (Punjab), things can go worse if timely action is not taken towards traffic regulation. To avoid jams and accidents, more new and wider roads are needed.

SUNIL MINOCHA, Panchkula