Women-reservation necessary in legislature
The new Lok Sabha will have highest number of women-members with a tally of 78 with ruling BJP having 40 out of them. BJD being amongst very few regional parties getting success in recently held Lok Sabha polls to and state Legislative-Assembly deserves all compliments for having five out of twelve (42-per cent) women amongst its newly elected members of new Lok Sabha. Even TMC sent nine women amongst 22 of its newly elected Lok Sabha members. It is noteworthy that out of 54 women having contested on BJP ticket, 40 were elected to Lok Sabha thus having a strike-rate of 74.1 per cent as compared to male contestants with lower strike-rate of 68.8 per cent.
Now with parties like SP and RJD opposing Women Reservation Bill almost finished in new Lok Sabha, bill to provide 33-per cent reservation to women in legislature should now be dream-come-true. Parties opposing Women reservation Bill cry for reservation on man-made aspects like religion and caste evidently for vote-bank politics, but oppose reservation to women which still remain dominated section of society created by nature in our male-dominated system. Even Islamic world including Pakistan and many other democratic countries have adopted Women-Reservation in legislature.
To prevent wives or other relations being misused as proxy of male politicians, there should be a system whereby name or photo of husband or any other relation may not be permitted in election-campaigns of women candidates. At a time when women-quota in panchayats and local bodies is being increased to 50-per cent from earlier 33-per cent, it is meaningless to resist 33-per cent reservation to women in legislature. Rather there should be uniform 33-per cent reservation for women at all stages from civic bodies to Parliament.
Madhu Agrawal
Gross violation of human rights
It refers to a Jammu court holding accused Vishal Jangotra innocent in the verdict of unfortunate rape-cum-murder case of Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir) on basis of solid evidence of a TV news-channel that Vishal Jangotra was in Muzaffarnagar (UP) on the day of incidence. It is a matter of gross violation of human rights of Vishal Jangotra whose precious one year of study was lost because of torturing in police-custody.
Concerned police-persons of crime branch of Jammu-Kashmir police need to be punished for unlawfully fabricating story of Vishal Jangotra being involved in the incident, and torturing and beating Vishal Jangotra to accept a crime which he never did as now even been established by the Jammu court.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Police and reporter getting beaten up!
An incident in which, a reporter who had gone to compile news about derailment of a goods train at Shamali (U.P.) was brutally beaten by GRP police, has been exposed through a video. Police are seen hitting that reporter with blows under his ears and in stomach. It is most disgraceful incident that has happened with a reporter. The reporter could have been seriously injured; leading to some untoward incident. Police machinery is stressed during emergency situations; senior police officers, elected representatives have to answer questions raised. There is chaos at the place of incidence. Police face problem due to inadequate manpower. Even then, is it right to assault a reporter as if he is a thief or criminal? Police machinery has to strive hard for nabbing thief or a criminal while reporters are neither armed nor interested in retaliating.
Police and reporters always come in contact with each other; therefore, attention should be paid to publish information on any incident by helping each other. Area of work is extensive and busy for both the fields. Very few people can maintain restrain in difficult situations but when control is lost, its harmful outcome is spread speedily through videos. Police do carry on their duty at the place of mishap; but everyone sees only incidents like reporter getting beaten up; though police take lot of efforts in managing disaster. They then face inquiry, suspension in service etc i.e. their job could be at risk.
Jayesh Rane
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
