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HomeOpinionLettersLetters to the Editor: 17 June, 2019

Letters to the Editor: 17 June, 2019

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FEATURE LETTER DIARY 679x400 e1553672678487Proving cases of sexual harassment a mammoth task

Proving a sexual harassment case in our country is a mammoth task and more so if it is against a powerful popular personality. Tanushree Dutta’s sexual harassment case against Nana Patekar was in any case going to fall as it was filed after a decades since the alleged event happened. Without going into the merits of the case, women should file cases at the time of the alleged crime and not wait for an ‘agitation like MeToo to report their crime.

Rapes, molestations and other sexual crime against women in our country is on the rise. Many serious cases don’t even get registered at police stations due to social stigma involved. Fair sex should be encouraged to file cases of sexual harassment and society should be humble towards them. Sexual harassment cases should be tried in special courts for speedier judgement.

S.N. Kabra

 

Imposing tax on cash-withdrawal a right step

It refers to media-reports that central government is considering tax on cash-withdrawal above rupees 10 lakh from banks by an individual to encourage digital-payments to curb cash-transactions at a time when currency-circulation has bounced 19-percent above than it was at time of demonetisation of old currency done on November 8, 2016 thus killing the very objective of bold step of note ban. Any such step will be a step in right direction to effectively check parallel economy of black money and generation of unaccounted money.

It would be a right step to restore monthly cash-withdrawal limit of rupees 96000 by an individual from banks which was done at time of demonetisation to tackle currency-crunch at that time, which may be gradually reduced to rupees 48000 per month. Any cash-withdrawal limit from banks should be fixed on monthly basis rather than annually. Logic of allowing cash-withdrawal of tune of rupees ten lakhs though once a year is beyond understanding.

The central government should go ahead with massive and consolidated package to curb currency-circulation and generation of black money rather than in parts. Curbing cash-withdrawal should be coupled with introduction of permanent Voluntary Disclosure Scheme in form of proposed Elephant Bonds and compulsory deposit of all rupees-2000 notes in banks apart from imposing a limit for agricultural income and abolishing often-misused tax-exemptions on charity and contribution made and received by political parties.

Madhu Agrawal

 

By-elections criminal waste of money

It refers to unnecessary and costly by-elections caused because of 49 sitting MLAs and four Rajya Sabha members having been elected for the new Lok Sabha. By-elections also become necessary in case a candidate wins from two constituencies of both for Lok Sabha and state-assembly. Such by-elections are criminal waste of public-money because of faulty poll-laws not refined even after seven decades.

At least basic poll-reforms should be immediately done whereby any sitting MP or MLA must resign from earlier seat within say three days of election-notification so that by-election for the vacated seat may be simultaneously held with general elections. Since a person cannot represent two constituencies at a time or can be member of both Parliament and state-legislature simultaneously, a person must not be allowed to contest from more than one constituency or for both Lok Sabha and state-assembly. Also a sitting MP on being appointed minister in state-assembly (and vice-versa) must automatically lose membership of the earlier House.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

 

Rain returns

Mumbai monsoon is giving jitters to the people from the beginning this year. As the rain arrives, the woes continue to take toll and two boys from Kandivali got electrocuted. More so disaster struck as panels collapse at Churchgate station and Bandra skywalk causing one death and five persons were injured in the separate mishaps. Tree fall, electrocution are major problem this monsoon season. The BMC failed to understand the crux of the problem and initial rains caused so many accidents.  People risked their own life to come on the streets. It is time for BMC to have more stringent measures and work round the clock with an emergency team during the monsoon rains.

C.K. Ramanath

 

Ban on mannequins must be strictly implemented

It is quite laudable of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take a decision of imposing ban on display of mannequins outside shops or on roads by dressing them in underclothes. This decision should be promptly and strictly implemented. There is huge increase in such display of mannequins outside shops since last few years. One lady municipal councilor had raised objection to it in the year 2013 when manufacturers and sellers of underclothes had tried to suppress her voice; saying that there was nothing objectionable in the same; however, MMC has decided, though late, to impose such ban; giving relief to all women. Parents find it quite awkward to keep their small children away from such mannequins kept outside shops when they go for shopping. Women feel embarrassed while some men, with lewd tastes, look at such mannequins with different angle. Till few years back, sale of underclothes was taking place in shops, though such mannequins were hardly seen even inside shops. Was there need for such hideous display? Municipalities of other cities in the country should also follow the example of BMC and take similar decision!

Jagan Ghanekar


(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
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