Opinion Youth for tackling corruption

Fight against corruption should begin early with our youth who have not become cynical and who retain some semblance of idealism. The Central Board of Secondary Education has set up a task-force which is developing ‘a module on values’. The module will focus on developing a strong value system in the students. The immaculate premise is that value inculcation begins at home and in schools. There is need to reach children when they are young and to make them understand the importance of resolutely saying no to wrong things and corrupt practices. The CBSE’s effort to develop school syllabi to address these objectives in collaboration with the Central Vigilance Commission is commendable.

Pakistan imbroglio

The Pakistan Supreme Court had earlier struck down the law which purported to grant immunity from prosecution to persons accused of corruption. The judgment was a welcome step in the battle against corruption which is also rampant in Pakistan and includes high placed public functionaries. Consequent upon the judgment the Supreme Court issued a direction to the Pakistan government and to Prime Minister Gilani for addressing necessary communication to the Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases involving President Zardari. PM Gilani did not obey the order on the ground that President Zardari enjoyed constitutional immunity. His defence was not accepted and PM Gilani was charged with contempt of court for disobedience of the Court’s order. He was found guilty and convicted of contempt of Court. However the sentence imposed was “imprisonment till the rising of the court today”. Within seconds of pronouncing its short order,the Bench rose and the sentence of imprisonment worked itself out.

According to some,the majesty of the law and the authority of the Supreme Court were thus maintained and the country was spared the unseemly spectacle of the Prime Minister being driven to prison. Other commentators argue that the Chief Justice of Pakistan has displayed excessive zeal in proceeding against Gilani and Zardari. Be that as it may,there is no end to Gilani’s woes. There are demands for his resignation because he is technically a convict. Gilani has refused to resign on the ground that it is for the Parliament or the Speaker to decide his disqualification in Parliament. There are interesting political and forensic battles in the offing in Pakistan.

Condom and mental cruelty

Mental cruelty is an accepted ground for divorce in matrimonial laws. The concept of mental cruelty vastly varies depending on contemporary standards. In the US,asking your spouse to shut up in a loud voice is considered cruelty. Persistent refusal to have sexual intercourse is almost universally regarded as infliction of cruelty on the ready and willing spouse by the obstinate non-obliging partner. After all,what is the purpose of marriage without sex.

In a recent case in the Bombay High Court,the husband sued his wife for divorce on the ground of marital cruelty because the wife refused to engage in sex unless the husband used a condom. The wife’s defence was that the couple were not financially stable and the entry of a child would make their life difficult and especially in giving the child a better life. The High Court accepted the wife’s plea and ruled there was no mental cruelty. A sound common sense judgment. The moral: no husband has an unconditional fundamental right to have sex with his wife.