MyVoice: Views of our readers 19th August 2023

De-stereotyping language of courts ideal

The Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes published by the Supreme Court is in tune with the times and wholly welcome. It is also food for thought. One thought-provoking sentence that occurs in the handbook is, ‘Marriage is not a remedy to the violence of rape’. It is sure to advance the causes of gender equality and gender justice. By replacing terms that are pejorative, derogatory and prejudiced against women with non-pejorative, non-judgmental and dignified terms, the apex court has underlined the notion of equality and respect for all. The progressive step of de-stereotyping women (and men too) will dissuade the judges from pronouncing ‘moral’ judgements and persuade them to pass only ‘legal’ judgements. It is nice that words with moral, or, more precisely, immoral overtones like ‘prostitute’, ‘concubine’, ‘seductress’, ‘fallen woman’, ‘adulteress’, ‘vamp’, ‘whore’, ‘slut’ and ‘harlot’ are banished from the legal lingo. Sexism is totally unacceptable. It cannot be countenanced in a civilized society.

G David Milton, Maruthancode, TN

A smearing campaign against NEET

NEET has been more politicised in Tamil Nadu. Recently, a NEET aspirant committed suicide for his failure to secure a medical seat. His friend claimed through a video that he got a medical seat in a private college by paying huge capitation which went viral and is making rounds in the social media despite getting low marks in the NEET examination. Will the state government ban collection of capitation fees by private professional colleges, mostly run by the politicians themselves? Secondly, students commit suicides after 10th and 12th results are announced. Does it mean that the school final examinations should be banned. Recently, a girl committed suicide by leaving a note that her father is a habitual drunkard and prohibition should be enforced. Will it be done? No since politicians own more alcohol factories. So, don’t mislead the student community. Equip them to face the challenges confronting them. Furthermore, education and health care have become a costly affair for the poor and the middle class right from the days it was thrown open to the private sector. Why not nationalise them so as to be beneficial to the masses.

N R Ramachandran, Chennai

India on Cloud 9 about lunar touchdown

The untiring efforts of ISRO team are giving expected results in every stage of Chandrayaan-3. After the separation of the two lander modules, ISRO happily posted a message “Thanks for the ride, mate!’. The LM is set to descend to a slightly lower orbit upon a de-boosting planned for tomorrow (19th) around 1600 Hrs., IST. And also said by ISRO that a series of complex braking manoeuvres will be executed to facilitate a safe landing. All India’s eyes are very eagerly looking for India’s pride to go a step further in space technology. As we have been talking from the day C-3 was launched, adequate human effort was put forth and it is for Him what he wished for finally.

NSK Prasad, Hyderabad

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In a move to assist judges and legal community to identify and understand stereotypes about women in legal discourses, certain commonly used terms like eve-teasing, housewives and others have been replaced by terms like street sexual harassment and homemaker respectively, in a handbook released by the Supreme Court, the other day. The nomenclature of crime against women isn’t important. What is more important is that these crimes must find their way out not just from legal lexicon, but from society itself.

Dr George Jacob, Kochi

Mohan Kanda’s illuminating recollections

Dr Mohan Kanda’s column (16th Aug) as his stint as Secretary to the then Vice Prasident Hidaytulla makes an interesting reading. His having been chosen by the VP on deputation from AP was an accolade to the earnest IAS officer and the way he was loved by the VP just like his own son is touching. His experience with VP’s delegation to Quebec Canada, SF USA, US SR etc., and his experience in Canada with then Ambassador GS Dhillon having remarked inadvertantly that VP’s Secretary was not compliant with the protpcol though the latter found no breach and as a subtle protest Dr Kanda and his team not attending the lunch hosted by Dhillon was a token of upholding self-respect by the upright Kanda. I wonder why GS Dhillon was not kind in remark to Kanda, but he was a great personality and was the Lok Sabha Speaker among other high offices he held and was commemdable. IAS officers like Kanda upheld and enjoyed the decency and decorum of the high offices held at all levels. His subtle sense of humour is explicit in the way he commented elsewhere on Yechury Seetharam, his nephew, who was with him for a while and he being an astute Communist he might brainwash and transform himself (Kanda).

Dr T Ramadas, Visakhapatnam