The ‘deterrence’ effect

With reference to ‘Cabinet approves Ordinance to allow death penalty for child rape’, (April 23) that the punitive system of the society often succumbs to popular sentiment to satisfy the collective conscience is manifest in the promulgation of the ordinance to introduce death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12. While the spirit of the law is welcome, whether this will bring down instances of crime by resting solely on the deterrent effect remains unresolved. Instead of enhancing funding for forensic investigations, upgrading training of police to deal with sexual crimes, and making expert post-trauma support available to victims, the government seems to have gone overboard by justifying capital punishment as a compensation to the victims of sexual assault.

Capital punishment is, undoubtedly, a step backward in a society’s progress. While advocating the abolition of “death sentence altogether”, Dr BR Ambedkar admitted in the Constituent Assembly that people may not follow non-violence in practice but “they certainly adhere to the principle of non-violence as a moral mandate which they ought to observe as far as they possibly can”.Instead of satiating the lynch mob mentality of the society, the lawmakers should engage all stakeholders in a meaningful debate to arrive at sustainable long-term solutions for the wheels of justice to start turning.

Delhi

The ordinance to increase sentences including death penalty for those convicted for the rape of girls below the age of 12 cannot be qualified as a well-reasoned and rational response to the seething public anger over the increasing instances of rape of young girls in recent times. Since perpetrators of sexual crimes are mostly known to victims and often includes family members, child sexual abuse seldom get reported. With the death penalty, reporting will not only become harder and will also prove more traumatic for child and her family. Arguments by the activists that death penalty will endanger the life of the victims cannot be shrugged off. Both boys and girls are subjected to sexual violence. In this context, diluting the spirit of POSCO which recognises the fact both boys and girls could be sexually assaulted is totally unwarranted.

Sholavandan, TN

With reference your editorial ‘Reckless move’ (April 23) you have aptly described the Opposition parties’ move to impeach CJI as a reckless move. In the last two years there has been a lot of acrimony in Indian polity and there is an atmosphere of constant enemity between the ruling BJP and all the other opposition parties. All decisions and statements made by government representatives become controversial.

The government is also seemingly enjoying and even encouraging this. Be it rape of minors, appointment of judges, militancy in Kashmir, actions of army, demonetisation or GST every single issue is politicised.

The latest seems to be the impeachment of CJI, with the Opposition feeling that the courts are being soft on the ruling party. The judiciary is the only institution that is independent and free from corruption. If the judiciary also is politicised then India would have a tough time ahead.

Kolkata

During the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping , the foremost thing on their minds must be the welfare of the vast populations of the two neighbouring giants.

A decision to strictly deploy scarce resources of both the countries for improvement of standards of living of billions in both countries and not for nerve wracking skirmishes at the border must be taken by both the statesmen. China must also prevail upon its ally Pakistan to maintain strict peace on its borders with India in general and Kashmir in particular.

Going beyond mere photo ops, both leaders must put in place long-term strategic plans of mutual cooperation to eradicate poverty in both countries.

Belagavi

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send your letters by email to bleditor@thehindu.co.in or by post to ‘Letters to the Editor’, The Hindu Business Line, Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.

COMMENT NOW