Changing perceptions

Sir — The veteran communist leader, Jyoti Basu, has declared that socialism cannot be realized in West Bengal at this point of time and pitched for investment, both foreign and domestic, in the state (“Buddha gets Basu backing”, Jan 6). Basu, obviously, has had second thoughts about his views on socialism after three decades of communist rule in Bengal. His contention that private investment is the only way out for West Bengal’s fledgling development story is difficult to accept. Communism still has tremendous relevance in India, a country in which there is a wide gap between income and work input. Moreover, the exploitation of the poor continues unabated here. The problem today is not with the communist philosophy as such, but with those who claim to be the torch-bearers of this philosophy in the country. Most of them, it seems, have adopted the capitalist way of thinking.

The communist philosophy essentially calls for breaking the chain of oppression and protecting the proletariat from exploitation by the affluent and the powerful. Any difficulty in putting communist theories into practice cannot be an adequate reason for giving up on the philosophy itself. Communism can certainly do with a bit of reworking. But, instead of working on such changes, Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee seem to be more keen on following the path of capitalism. The emphasis on mindless privatization at the level of State policy is already causing a rift in the country’s socio-economic structure by widening the gulf between the rich and poor. But even diehard communists such as Basu seem to have stopped caring about such discrepancies.

Yours faithfully,
N.S. Venkataraman, Chennai

Sir — If socialism implies social welfare, then, contrary to the views aired by Jyoti Basu, it is still possible to govern Bengal on socialist lines. Many social welfare schemes — provident fund, employees’ insurance, the Shops and Establishments Act, subsidized ration to the poor — are in operation to cater to the needs of Indian citizens. The existing system, therefore, does not act as a hindrance to social welfare.

If socialism, according to Basu, refers to a system wherein the means of production are solely State-owned, then he needs to broaden his vision and consider the various instances in which the State failed to improve the standard of living of the people across the world. Take Europe for instance. Even socialists in European countries no longer advocate State-ownership as a means to create wealth.

Basu’s other argument that the government of West Bengal has been forced to toe the capitalist line because it does not have enough capital to set up a steel plant is unacceptable. B.C. Roy, during his tenure as chief minister of Bengal, had started at least a dozen State enterprises. These included the dairy at Haringhata, the Calcutta State Transport Corporation and several projects in Durgapur. It is unfortunate but the present chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, is yet to show the same drive.

Yours faithfully,
Asoke C. Banerjee,Cambridge, US

Easy prey

Sir —The news that rape tops the crime chart in India came as a shock (“Rising: India and curse of rape”, Jan 4). Probably the only silver lining in this otherwise disturbing bit of information is the fact that an increasing number of rape cases are being registered. This is a sure sign that a greater number of victims are coming out in the open to seek justice. It is heartening to see women victims taking legal recourse instead of letting the stigma of rape weaken their resolve. On the other hand, it is deplorable that sex crimes are on the rise in the land of the Kamasutra, a book that describes sexual union as a sacred and aesthetic act. Perhaps the remedy lies not merely in rigorous punishment for the culprits, but also in proper grooming that teaches men to be respectful to women.

Yours faithfully,
G.C. Biswas, Barasat

Sir — It is undeniable that the brash lifestyle of modern Indian women has led to a rise in crimes such as rape. At the same time, one cannot discount the failure of our law enforcers in ensuring the safety of women. Women need to come to terms with the fact that in a male-dominated society the idea of gender equality can never be fully realized. The aggressive attitude of today’s women increases the insecurity of men who, in turn, retaliate by indulging in physical abuse. Perhaps, women need to change their ‘modern’ mindsets, if only to make their lives safe.

Yours faithfully,
Moumita Sengupta, Calcutta

Sir — While the figures showing the steep rise in rape cases is a matter of concern, the phenomenon has to be viewed from a wider perspective. With women’s emancipation, and the fact that they do better than men in spheres such as education and, often, in industry, the reason for men’s insecurity concerning women is not too difficult to fathom. But the fact remains that the male superiority syndrome — now so much under threat — is inculcated in the family since childhood.

Therefore it is not surprising to find female foeticide and dowry deaths taking place in India or money being saved for the son's education and the daughter's marriage (never the other way round) and so on. What needs to be established is the rule of law. If a woman in spaghetti straps could be assaulted because “she was asking for it”, then, by the same logic, one would condone the robbery of a rich man carrying cash. If men have a license to molest or rape a woman dressed unconventionally, then every thief has a ‘right’ to steal from those above the poverty line.

The Indian Penal Code needs to be redefined as well. There is the archaic wording — ‘outraging a woman’s modesty’ — in Section 354 of the IPC, a rather quaint phrase, reflecting a patriarchal mindset. The law presumes that a woman has to be “modest” — there is no mention of men requiring to be the same. The penal code needs to be reworded and more stringent punishment given to rapists.

Yours faithfully,
Amit Banerjee, Calcutta