In the US, it’s the District Attorney’s office which oversees prosecutions, and in most states, they’re elected rather than appointed, which is a good incentive to perform or else see yourself out of a job come the next elections. In India, lack of accountability breeds unprofessionalism, callousness and indifference (V for Victim, Apr 17). And with vile corruption a national virtue, everyone is for sale, even the judges. No one wants judicial reform, especially the netas, many of whom are criminals with cases against them. For them, the present lethargic non-performing criminal justice system is a boon.
B. Ramdeo, Springfield, US
It’s unfortunate to have seen Irfan die twice. Once, when he was brutally stabbed by his assailants, then when they were let off. Be it Irfan, or the Jessicas and Mattoos of this country, such acquittals are becoming fairly common. Is it because of poor preparation of cases by the police, inept presentation before the court by the public prosecutor or the whims of a judge? More, a lack of accountability. Perhaps respective state governments should constitute independent committees of eminent jurists to examine controversial judgements and fix blame on erring agencies.
P.K. Srivastava, Ghaziabad
I was 13 when I started heeding Irfan’s cartoons. His regular illustrations, especially those on the bjp government then, taught me a bit about politics and a wry way of looking at it. I was aghast when he was murdered and doubly so when I saw his murderers set free. Indian law is weird. Killing a chinkara attracts a five-year RI but having killed a man, you go scot-free. Is this because humans are not endangered? Or does an animal’s life cost more?
Prasoon Gupta, Gandhinagar
Ex-Doscos are ‘sniffy’ about Doon School’s profile since it is no longer the domain of the children of the Indian elite (read prime ministers, industrialists, bureaucrats, erstwhile aristocrats)! But I feel it is wonderful that children of parents who have worked hard to come up in the world are able to send their children to the school, if they qualify in the entrance (Class Up At Doon, Apr 17). The whole country is undergoing a change, Doon School is too. It’s a sign of progress.
Ranjana Manchanda, on e-mail
A valued third-year student of mine from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and I went to Doon in February this year to conduct two separate workshops—one on public speaking, in English, for 16 faculty members (where we were struck by the teachers’ articulateness and imaginativeness) and another for 10 student debaters in Hindi (where we noted a certain level of discomfort with formal spoken Hindi typical of a public school). We met headmaster Kanti Bajpai and felt reassured that Doon is on the right path and is adjusting to changing times, overcoming some inevitable roadblocks which mark any transition.
Vinod Chowdhry, Delhi
Reservations are again making headlines. While I am not against reservations per se, I do think they should be limited to primary and secondary education. Beyond that, all students, regardless of caste, should be given the means to compete fairly for higher education and jobs. The caste system has to be abolished at the very roots rather than be perpetuated through reservation.
Farzana Nigar, Nagpur
BHN was the first process platform designed by eil in 1978 (Bombay Nigh, Apr 17). I was its leader and member (offshore) from 1980-85. Due to delays in fabrication, contractors McDermott had to commission the largest derrick barge—the 2,000-tonne Narwahl—to instal it during the monsoon of 1980. It helped ongc double its oil production. In the early ’80s, ongc had drafted a plan for the defence of Bombay High for the government, which recognised that it was impossible to defend fixed offshore platforms from enemy attacks. So, an integrated system of additional pipelines, valves, etc had been installed to ensure that loss of even one platform could be handled by routing flow of oil through the system. Prima facie, the problem here was not of design but of poor operational management. ongc should a) blacklist all ships under a multi-support vehicle operator till a third-party inspection clears its staff and equipment and b) ongc fps should undergo a high-level safety review and c) it should review its overall integration system to ensure that the loss of a single platform does not affect production.
Anil K. Malhotra, Hanoi
It was appalling to read about the awful working conditions of poor Indian labourers in Dubai (Desolation Row, Apr 17). The Dubai government, in its frenetic rush to become the business hub of West Asia, is engaging in a systematic policy of exploitation of migrant workers. Perhaps our external affairs ministry should take up the issue with the labour ministry in Dubai and bring to their notice the unscrupulous methods adopted by construction firms in Dubai while recruiting these gullible men. Even dogs in developed countries have access to better lifestyles than these unfortunate souls!
Joseph K. Joseph, Kochi
Certainly Outlook’s outlook has been considerably enhanced after its redesign. But the fonts in some sections are just too small to read.
V. Pandy, Tuticorin
Every page of the new Outlook is a pain in the eye. The profusion of colours and bars border only on the senseless. Being garish is no design virtue in a newsmagazine. Please provoke us by the brilliance of the written word, not through mindless innovation in design.
V.B. Lal, New Delhi
Your new design seems to arrive from a situation where the reader is taken as an attention-challenged daft who can be pushed into reading by a busy splatter. The design has colourful chaos but no central point to lead one into a page. People don’t read stuff that’s hurried and abstracted, they read what’s interesting.
S. Bhattacharya, Ghaziabad
Who says inflation is in control? Outlook’s price increase to Rs 20 is a rise of 33 per cent.
Mahesh Kumar, New Delhi
Bollywood’s citing the release of Jessica’s murderers to demand the release of Salman Khan (A Dear Deer Chase, Apr 24). Can two wrongs make a right? Salman was well aware that what he was doing was wrong as per the law of the land. The same glitterati that is offended if their pets are called dogs is insensitive to the fact that the Bishnois treat chinkaras and black bucks as their children. Now, if only that wilful law-breaker Nawab Pataudi too could cool his heels likewise.
Udita Agrawal, New Delhi
I am a Chinkara. The smallest Asiatic antelope. We grow to a height of 55 cm and weigh only 25 kg. Found in open woodlands, you’ll see us in groups of three or four. We have dwindled so fast that we’re now "endangered species". The Bishnoi community regard us as religious and hold us in reverence. My mind goes back to that dark night of September 28, 1998. We were near the Ghoda farm, having just had our fill of lush grass and fresh fruit and gambolling thereafter. Suddenly we heard the screeching sound of a vehicle abruptly stopping to a halt. We froze. Then we heard a shot, noisy and smoky. Dad knew what it was and told us to run. We did. But the vehicle chased us and two shots hit my father. He slumped and fell. The man who shot him was a handsome young man, along with whom was a guard. The duo lifted my father, put him in their vehicle and proceeded to the forest lodge. There they skinned my dad, roasted his flesh and feasted on him. We could just watch in horror. The Bishnois came to our rescue and filed a complaint against this handsome man. Eight years after the event, he was sentenced to five years of jail. Astonishingly, there is a huge hue and cry about this. How come no one’s bothered that he killed my father.
P. P. Ramachandran, Mumbai
Outlook seems to hire some of the most prejudiced film reviewers who fancy themselves as some sort of Kurosawas. Each time they crucify a film or its maker, I make it a point to go see it and, sure enough, enjoy it thoroughly.
Sajit Nambudiripad, Wayanad
In our cover story Dalit Winners last week, the headline and caption for the story on Centre for Excellence suggested it was in Kochi. It is in Kozhikode. We regret the error.
