stop hooliganism
No words are enough to condemn the heinous killing of a cattle van driver in Karnataka on Saturday (Page 1, April 3). The growing pattern of premeditated and planned attacks by anti-social elements in the guise of moral and cultural vigilance is disturbing. What is prevalent in North India has started finding its roots in the South, which has to be stopped. What makes the issue more serious is the audacity with which the criminals committed the crime, which shows their low regard for the law of the land and their intention to disturb social harmony. Like hate speeches, the apex court should also intervene and send out a strong message. Punitive measures as well as well-coordinated efforts between the central and state governments are a must.
B. Suresh Kumar,
Coimbatore
stand of faith leaders
Religious leaders sadly distance themselves from the truth about marriage, saying it is “for procreation, not for fun” (p. 1, April 4). There are many people today who marry for companionship, and have no desire to have children. Unless one views LGBTQIA+ Indians as second-class citizens, there is no argument for treating gay couples any differently from heterosexual couples (who may also have fertility issues).
Ashutosh Shankar,
Mumbai
Every religion recognizes marriage as a sacred institution and is a subject of specific religious rites and ceremonies and legal procedures to consummate the marriage. The universally accepted basic feature of the concept of marriage is the union of people of the opposite sex. It is no wonder that faith leaders have joined hands to file a petition in the Supreme Court of India. Hopefully, the Court will realize that marriage is not a matter of tampering.
Ravi Mathur,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
train for migrant laborers
Several media channels have reported how North Indian migrant workers, especially those traveling to Northeast India, are often seen sitting in reserved train coaches, causing great inconvenience to passengers with reserved seats. Migrant laborers travel like cattle. I have seen this while traveling on the Coimbatore-Chennai sector, in trains going north-east. This can also be seen in such trains running from Bangalore. Unfortunately, the Indian Railways did not bother to find a solution. Most of the long distance trains bound for the northeastern states originate in Kerala and Bengaluru. With a sizeable population of migrant laborers and their families seeking permanent employment in Tiruppur, Coimbatore and Bengaluru, the Railways should introduce special trains to ease travel for these labourers. All they need is normal sleeper trains, not Vande Bharat and bullet trains.
CT Jagadeesan,
Chennai