Look into reasons

Refer to ‘Crime and punishment’ (December 10); though justice should not become revenge, the reasons for public jubilation over the Hyderabad encounter killings are not far to seek. We see lawyers taking the law into their own hands and going on flash strikes at the drop of a hat, without sparing a thought for litigants. The long vacation of about 200 days in a year, enjoyed by the courts, is another reason for the huge pendency of 3.3 crore cases. Judgments being pronounced after decades of legal proceedings are not uncommon, even in sensational crimes, such as the LN Mishra murder case. Despite the hue and cry raised over crime against women, it still takes unconscionably long for culprits to be punished, as in the Nirbhaya case in 2012. Public cynicism and celebration of instant justice are to be viewed against this backdrop. Unless legal delays and loopholes are plugged, and public confidence restored, demand and support for encounter killings will be inevitable — medieval and barbaric though they may be. 

V Jayaraman, Chennai

Judiciary must introspect 

While the CJI has objected to ‘instant justice’, large majority of public supports it. Judiciary has never introspected or carried out a case study to find out the causes, and remedy of slow justice delivery. In practice, it favours the accused over the complainant/victim. There is a need to amend certain laws and make drastic changes in procedures. No action is taken against inefficient judges. The killings may be illegal, but it is the only way to instil the fear of law. Look at the time taken by courts to punish Kasab. In the US, the killer of the Sikh police officer was given punishment in the very first hearing.

SS Mongia, Mohali

We just don’t learn 

The avoidable man-made fire, which devoured 43 lives, is attributable to a careless, callous and corrupt dysfunctional system. This tragic figure will also go into the annals of state archives as another statistics from which arrogant rulers never learn. Unfortunately, there was no sense of responsibility or accountability, or even repentance of inaction, as was evident from the rhetoric of political leaders of different hues on television. Only mudslinging was conspicuous. 

BAKHSHI GURPRIT SINGH, JALANDHAR 

No sign of ‘fear’ 

Rahul Bajaj’s remarks that there was an atmosphere of fear and people were afraid to speak out appear strange. We often read unparliamentary and abusive remarks against Modi and Shah. We have not forgotten what Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid, and also Rahul Gandhi, have said in the past about Modi. Recently in Parliament, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called Modi and Shah ‘ghuspaithiyas’. He also said about th FM, ‘we don’t know whether to call her Nirmala or Nirbala’. Is it a sign of fear? Bajaj should publish a list of people who are in jail for speaking up. 

SUKHWANT BHULLAR, Chandigarh

Election duty dept 

PM Modi should set up a new department at the national level for election duty and collection of statistical data. This new department may be called the election-cum-multi-data department. Minimum qualification for this service should be graduation in any subject, and employees need not be given much salary. This way, millions of unemployed youth shall get employment. Postgraduation degree-holders may be appointed on higher posts in this department. Teachers should not be assigned election duty because it hampers teaching in schools.

ASHWINi K LOATHTA, shimla 

Pak picture not so rosy 

Reference to the middle ‘Pakistan as we don’t know it’; there is no doubt that Pakistanis would have treated the writer very nicely since he was there for only a short period. But they can become brutes as soon as the ‘teachings’ of Islam are placed before them by mullahs and maulvis. The condition of Hindus and Sikhs living in Pakistan is miserable. No nationalist can agree with the piece, more so because Pakistan has been creating troubles for India since its creation in 1947.

ANAND PRAKASH MADAAN, panchkula

End of joint family 

After a split in our joint family system, the elderly feel alone, helpless and neglected. Family members, too, lead their life in a stressful manner. They centre their attention round their own requirements. They have no time to spend with aged family members. Our traditional customs and the joint family system had kept our social and economic system strong. 

CP SHARMA, Solan

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