Letters to the editor

Killing machines8226; Encounter killings are again in the news with the Gujarat case grabbing headlines in both the print and visual media....

Killing machines

8226; Encounter killings are again in the news with the Gujarat case grabbing headlines in both the print and visual media. We have seen such killings in the past 8212; in West Bengal, in Kerala, in Punjab, in Mumbai. We need to understand that this kind of thing happens when police organisations get politicised. Such summary executions also make things easy for the police since it is a short-cut to the tedious process of bringing the guilty to justice through the courts. There are also other reasons like some over-zealous police officers taking the law into their hands to seek promotions and recognition. In all these instances of police excesses, the tendency is to subvert the due process of law and to undermine the humane principles that any civilised society should have. The police should feel that apart from being responsible to their political bosses, they have a parallel responsibility to the society they are a part of.

8212; S. Kamat, Alto Betim

Gujarat gameplan

8226; With reference to Pamela Philipose8217;s 8216;Rock stars in uniform8217; IE, May 1, I would like to add that most people killed in Gujarat encounters have been alleged to have two things in common: one, they were all supposed to be associated with some terrorist outfit; and two, they all seemed to have had one intention 8212; that of killing Chief Minister Narendra Modi. This way, the Modi government almost totally absolved itself, each time, from offering any explanation to the people of

Gujarat. The Gujarat government has banked heavily on the short memories of its citizens. This time, though, it does not mind dragging the issue a bit, as it is all set to derive political mileage from the 8216;victimisation8217; of its officers.

8212; Ishtyaque Ansari, Bharuch

Office arrest

8226; I read 8216;Bonded to Labour8217; The Sunday Express, April 29 with shock rather than pleasure. The writing on the wall is clear 8212; people don8217;t mind getting converted into money minting machines even at the cost of their health and family. The no-time syndrome has robbed us badly at a social level. I am not anti-IT, but our techno-slavery is certainly uncalled for. The no-holiday schedules highlighted in the article will soon rob many families of the joys of togetherness. Our youngsters must reconsider their materialistic ways and try to strike a balance between work and and the home.

8212;Praveen Malik, Chandigarh