Guilty as charged

Sir ? The Delhi police showed exceptional alacrity in tracking down Ravi Raj, but what exactly has he been arrested for (?IIT boy cashes in on school sleaze?, Dec 15)? The law may be very clear that it is illegal to deal in pornography. But does the arrest address the moral issues involved in the school sex scandal? For if Raj is guilty, then so are the eight who bought the video clips on baazee.com. Will the police now turn to arrest them? And what about the hundreds, or thousands, to whom the MMS was forwarded, free of cost? Raj simply saw in this an opportunity to make some money. Perhaps it would be too facetious to suggest that the authorities fete him for his entrepreneurial spirit, but neither does Raj deserve to be tom-tommed about as a trophy of the authorities? bid to re-impose moral order. If anything, the spread of the videos point to our unending appetite for sleaze.

Yours faithfully,
G. Banerjee, Calcutta

Odd ones out

Sir ? Transcending barriers of caste and gender, Raju and Mala have exposed society?s double-standards when it comes to women (?Girl couple set free?, Dec 11). Look at how sex determination tests continue despite being banned by law. Material wealth has not made a difference since an affluent state like Punjab has a sex ratio of 786 females per 1,000 males, which is far below the national average. One argument of those who oppose same-sex marriages is that they might worsen the already skewed female population in Punjab.

But whatever the carpers may say, this new generation couple will not face any dowry-related violence nor will one partner treat the other as her chattel. And, most important, this marriage will not result in any unwanted girl child.

Yours faithfully,
Subhankar Mukherjee, Burdwan

Sir ? While sexual attraction between opposite sexes is natural, homosexuality should not be seen as bizarre either (?Women in love?, Dec 10). There are many things in nature beyond our limited understanding. But what is really strange is the way our entertainment industry deals with homosexual love in films like Girlfriend. For the industry, this phenomenon has lately turned out to be a hot subject that the masses will just lap up. The mindless treatment of homosexuality in such films violates the sanctity of what is, in the end, a very private matter.

Yours faithfully,
Salil Gewali, Shillong

Sir ? There is no provision in the Indian penal code that accommodates love stories like the one between Mala and Raju. But although homosexuality is reviled as ?unnatural? by much of society, the fact remains that it is quite widespread. Until recently, no one talked about it in India. But with the recent moves in the West to legalize same-sex marriages, the gay and lesbian communities in India have started to talk openly about their right to exercise choice in sexual matters.

If homosexuality is considered shameful, our society is no less accepting of more ?natural? love between the sexes. The report, ?Tale of grit fights fear of love? (Dec 11), about the torture and humiliation of two lovers from Ranchi who tied the knot without the approval of society, is an example of how our society tries to deny love and sex.

The choice of sexual partner is a private matter. If society cannot accept it then it should also not have the power to obstruct it.

Yours faithfully,
Jang Bahadur Singh, Jamshedpur

House rules

Sir ? Only 37 out of 544 (?Price rise debate in empty house?, Dec 10)! The fact that attendance in parliament is so thin is a pointer to our MPs? lack of responsibility. The latter forget that every minute of the house costs a huge amount of money ? the lion?s share of which is sucked out of the poorest of the poor.

Yours faithfully,
Bhaskarjyoti Sarma, Arangamow, Assam

Sir ? The people of India have only themselves to blame for being saddled with leaders who prefer streetfights to debates in the house. Whether left or right ? politicians think of the people as a herd of sheep, who believe in all the promises they make during elections and forget thereafter. Far from attaining independence on August 15, 1947, the majority of Indians sealed their fate when they conferred the power to rule them on a ruling elite. The people must find ways to change the system since the leaders, who have a stake in matters continuing the way they are, will never do so.

Yours faithfully,
Dines Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Midnapore

Sir ? Why is Somnath Chatterjee so insistent on direct telecast of zero-hour proceedings? It will amount to nothing but washing of dirty linen in public. Does Chatterjee intend the proceedings ? dominated by acts of hooliganism by our ?responsible? representatives ? to provide entertainment to viewers? The speaker should take recourse to his long experience and wide acceptability in politics to restore and uphold the dignity of the house by prevailing upon the errant members. Direct telecasting of the proceedings of ?a house in order? may only then seem a good idea.

Yours faithfully,
S.K. Raha, Calcutta