Lessons not learnt

Sir — Anyone who believes in democracy will decry China’s decision to sentence Liu Xiaobo to 11 years in jail for his campaigns on political freedom (“China rebel jailed for 11 years”, Dec 26). Xiaobo had organized the Charter 08 petition, which called for radical political reforms. The demands of the petition were related to securing basic human rights. China’s verdict in Xiaobo’s case displays the country’s intolerant attitude. It seems that China has not learnt any lessons from the failure of communism in Russia.

Yours faithfully,
Asoke C. Banerjee, Calcutta

Hopeful note

Sir — As the editorial, “Year of gloom” (Dec 31), rightly says, the entire stretch of 2009 was immersed in gloom. The worldwide financial crisis has been slow-poisoning the global economy with more and more countries being affected by job cuts. This phenomenon touched India too, resulting in the growth of unemployment. The revival of the Indian economy was also hampered by a late monsoon, which jeopardized agricultural production. Shortage of food caused great pain to the aam admi and the government. The government is still struggling to fight the spiralling prices of food. But one still hopes for recovery and prosperity in the new year, and for the fulfilment of every other aspiration of the common man.

Yours faithfully,
R.K. Chanda, Chinsurah, Hooghly

Old debate

Sir — The Supreme Court has suggested that the government should legalize prostitution if it cannot curb it (“SC spurs sex workers to appeal”, Dec 14). If this suggestion is to be accepted, then by the same argument, other crimes such as theft and burglary should also be legalized, as the government has failed to curb these menaces too. One fears that legalizing prostitution would bring moral anarchy to the country and disturb its social fabric.

Yours faithfully,
M. Hashim Kidwai, New Delhi

Sir — The well-reasoned editorial, “Just working” (Dec 12), rightly argues that legalizing sex work would help rid the profession of the “aura of crime and illegality”. Prostitution is one of the oldest trades, and it has not been eradicated anywhere in the world despite stringent laws. India is no exception. Laws to curb sex trade have never been fully effective in this country. So, it might be wise to legalize the profession, as suggested by the Supreme Court. This will check the illegal trafficking of women, and will also have a positive impact on the identification and treatment of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Yours faithfully,
A.S. Mehta, Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir — India is passing through a tough time, given the recent terrorist attack on Mumbai, the financial crisis and tension across the borders. Under these circumstances, I wonder if it would be appropriate for us to have the annual Republic Day parade.

The rehearsals and the celebrations are likely to divert valuable resources in directions that are of least importance right now. They will distract us from the imminent crises that the nation is facing. This year, the parade should be cancelled and the celebrations be kept to the minimum.

Yours faithfully,
Rupnarayan Bose, Calcutta