• This is with reference to the report, ‘‘Beg your pardon, Mr President?’’ Thanks to President A P J Abdul Kalam, the question of whether or not to abolish death penalty has been revived again, paving the way for expert opinions and public debate. I think we should refrain from awarding the death penalty to those who commit the crime in a fit of anger. Such criminals are sure to reform during their jail term. Only cold-blooded and pre-meditated criminals should be given the death sentence, as they are likely to again commit the crime. Since the death penalty is awarded in the ‘‘rarest cases’’ in India, it should not be abolished. Many say it is better to reform than to kill the killer. But what of the victims? What about the trauma that the victim and his/her family had to undergo? Capital punishment should remain even for the purpose of deterring potential criminals.S Krishna Kumar, Mumbai• When murder and rape have become the order of the day, what is the need to debate on the retention of capital punishment. If the system wants to let off hardcore criminals under the vague logic of infringing on their human rights, what about the human rights of the victims? In fact, more stringent forms of punishment are necessary to bring down the crime rate.V P Damodar, Pune• Instead of using his prerogative and granting clemency to those on death row who, he felt, deserved such mercy, President Kalam referred the matter to the Home Ministry. This itself indicates that he is not sure of the advisability of showing such mercy. In a country like India where innocents are brutally killed, politicians are assassinated, and mass genocide by terrorists has become common, the law has failed to keep pace with the spate of crimes. Even the few who are handed capital punishment languish for years in prison. This is both inhuman and unwise. Kishore Karnad• Though murderers and rapists do not deserve any mercy, they should not be hanged either. The pro-capital punishment lobby argue that death sentences will act as a deterrent, but there is no proofof this. Dhananjay Chatterjee was hanged last year, but that hasn’t stopped rapists. In fact, there have been more reports of rapes in the last one year than ever. The best punishment for murderers and rapists would be to sentence them to rigorous life imprisonment, keeping them behind bars till they die. They should be kept in solitary confinement with no access to family, friends or jail inmates, provided only the basic food and water. This would be a far harsher punishment than death, and more likely to deter future criminals.Amjad K Maruf, Mumbai• With reference to Sudheendra Kulkarni’s column, ‘‘Individualism, redefined, as a powerful change agent’’, Indians are tolerant and have qualities required for success in their respective fields. And if they only work for the nation instead of themselves, nothing can stop India from emerging as a superpower.Mahesh Kapasi, Delhi• Over the years, all great thinkers have set ideals for behaviour and public conduct. While many admire them for their guidance, man, as a rule, is born selfish. Although he tempers, trims and covers his selfishness to suit the prevailing laws and circumstances, he acts selfishly whenever he has the opportunity. Anand Bhagwat, Pune• I agree with Tavleen Singh, ‘‘Another disaster, same old story’’, that despite frequent disasters, there is no proper disaster management system in place. We have not learnt our lessons even after the devastating tsunami. The government should chalk out a reliable disaster management system and ensure its implementation. Besides, related NGOs should also take up a proactive approach.Bal Govind, Bareilly • While man has no control over natural disasters, some lives could surely have been saved had the safety norms for construction of buildings been followed. Unauthorised constructions lead to greater damages in such cases. While we have to live with earthquakes, certain precautions and safety measures can minimise the impact.Mahesh Kumar, DelhiWrite to yourvoice@expressindia.com
