Going by the rule

Sir — Marriages in politics are terribly short, honeymoons even shorter. Having once unanimously agreed on their dislike for the white skin of a woman who could be queen, Sharad Pawar and P.A. Sangma suddenly cannot decide whether they should hate the colour saffron more (“Pawar clocks symbol win”, March 9). Reconciled now to a more limited national role, Sangma has decided it is opportune to continue with his previous feelings about the Italian dame whose party is his chief enemy in his own turf — the North-east. A similar logic of regional politicking has driven Pawar back into the arms of a party president he once loved to hate. In Maharashtra, it is the Hindu right that threatens his position. Hence it is only expected that he would go for a revision. And obviously we can blame neither. The same political expediency forces the left to declare the Congress its enemy in Bengal and embrace it at the Central level against the parivar. All’s fair in hate and politics.

Yours faithfully,
C. Mukherjee, Calcutta

Tragic turn

Sir — One finds it difficult to believe that the Bapi Sen incident could be repeated and so soon (“Holi hooligans crush protestor to death”, March 8). The gruesome death of Shankar Pal ought to be the last call for city-dwellers to come together and press for the tightening of law and administration in the city. In the United States of America, a single call to 911 from anywhere and at any time connects the caller to the nearest police station. In West Bengal, although it is possible to contact the nearest police station via Lalbazar control room, the process is cumbersome and often prompt action is not taken.

There can be no excuse for Shankar Pal’s murderers not to be put on the death row. This might look like an extreme measure but is a perfectly justified one because the crime qualifies as first degree murder and manslaughter. Drunken revelry, especially in public places, needs to be legally categorized as misdemeanour and appropriate fines should be imposed on those indulging in it. Besides, sexual harassment, whether verbal or physical, needs to be branded as sexual offence. More important, women need to stand up and fight for their cause together.

Yours faithfully,
Debjani Chakrabarti, Mississippi, US

Sir — Advertisements on Women’s Day focused on women’s achievements and talked about their dignity, poise, grace, strength and courage. The last two words perhaps should have been left out. The words seem to have lost their relevance today, especially after the killing of Bapi Sen and Shankar Pal. Today’s women are so dignified that they choose not to involve themselves with the police. They are such pictures of courage that they cannot ensure that those who died for them get their due honour. They are such pillars of strength that they do not stand by men who fight for them. Women here are known to make sacrifices silently. They have actually silently sacrificed their self-respect.

The manner in which the police are insisting that Pal’s murder was a result of a tenancy tiff makes it clear that his sacrifice will go in vain, just like that of Sen. “Eve-teasing” will persist without fear. Despite being a woman, I will now think twice before asking a man to stand up for me if I need his help on the road. And men will think twice before they do. If women had their conscience in place, Sen and Pal would not have received posthumous awards or donations. They would have been given what they deserve — justice.

Yours faithfully,
Antara Ghosh, Calcutta

Sir — The murder of Shankar Pal has revealed a few damning facts about left rule in West Bengal. First, given the time the Communist Party of India (Marxist) took to claim Pal as one of its own, it is obvious that his heroism does not count much. Bapi Sen’s sacrifice mattered probably because he belonged to the police. Two, the incident once again proves how subservient the Calcutta police are to their political bosses. Little wonder therefore that any possible political controversy is being played down by hinting that Pal’s death is the fallout of a tiff over his tenancy and not one from his protest against some hooligans in his neighbourhood. If truth continues to be suppressed, Bihar will soon become a better place to live in than Bengal.

Yours faithfully,
Subir Sil, Serampore, Hooghly

Sir — We get to hear of people like Satyendra Dubey, Bapi Sen and Shankar Pal only after their tragic death. These brave men could have been saved had we stopped being such cowards. It is unlikely that the society learns anything from the sacrifices of these men.We do not have the right to glorify them if we do nothing to set right the wrongs they fought against.

Yours faithfully,
T.K. Dutta, Calcutta

Sir — Shankar Pal’s brutal murder made it to the headlines only after reporters carried out their own investigation into the murder. It is a pity that the police tried to pass off the killing as a motorcycle accident (“State opens one eye on murder”, March 9). Why are the police trying to shield the culprits?

The similarities in the murders of both Bapi Sen and Shankar Pal are striking. Both showed exemplary courage to defend women’s honour and lost their lives in the process. Their murders show that hooligans here have not the slightest fear of the law or law-enforcing machinery of the state. More than punishment for these criminals, what we should strive for is bringing out in the open the people who patronize such anti-social elements.

Yours faithfully,
Govind Das Dujari, Calcutta

Sir — Edmund Burke once said that “All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing”. Shankar Pal’s death and his locality’s efforts to keep silent on the crime and the criminals exemplify Burke’s observations perfectly.

Yours faithfully,
Subrata Bagchi, via email

Sir — It is strange why the ruling party is refusing to capitalize on Shankar Pal’s murder. By bringing the culprits to book, the party could have enhanced its public image, gained women’s support and also avenged the killing of a left sympathizer. Why is the party trying to hush up the episode? Is it because the killers are part of the left mafia?

Yours faithfully,
M. Sikdar, Calcutta