Keep it alive

Keep it alive

This refers to 'Delhi gangrape-murder case: Hearing begins in fast-track court today' (IE, January 21). A month after the horrific gangrape, some of the initiatives that hold promise include: the Justice Verma committee, the establishment of fast-track courts and the police's assurance that good Samaritans will not be harassed when they help a victim. Some further steps that could be taken include media reportage of instances of rape in all parts of the country and a vigorous programme of gender sensitisation. This should not be limited to children but should include parents. The notion of stigma must be transformed into honour to give victims the courage to report cases of rape. Parents should encourage their daughters to come forward instead of hiding behind the fear of stigma. It is up to each of us to ensure that the movement for women's rights is kept alive.

— Shanti Varma

Dehradun

Out of place

HOME Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde seems to have crossed a line when he accused the RSS and the BJP of "running Hindu terror camps" in India ('BJP says sack Shinde, "has helped Pak cause"', IE, January 22).

Although he may have made such accusations in reference to the Hindu hardliners who were caught in the Samjhauta blast case, such generalised statements are inappropriate for a cabinet minister.

— R.K. Kapoor

Chandigarh

Hard to judge

THIS refers to 'Learning to teach' by S. Giridhar (IE, January 22). The ASER findings on the miserable state of education in India do not clearly assign responsibility to individuals or policies. The multiplication of schools to increase enrolment and meet targets does not seem to have been bolstered by improved techniques and better teachers. The RTE Act has replaced exams and tests with comprehensive continuous evaluation and made a rule that children cannot be held back until Class VIII, regardless of their performance. With poor student-teacher ratios and the low quality of teaching, this makes it more difficult to assess how much students are learning.

... contd.

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