Santanu Mitra

Thanks for allowing rape victim find a voice

I would like to convey my thanks to STAR Ananda for providing a solid platform to the Park Street rape victim to air her torment and gather enough courage to defend her stand despite her efforts being repeatedly brushed off as a ?conspiracy to malign the government?.

The initiative of the channel may have woken the confused administration out of its slumber to launch a belated damage-control measure, allowing its police force a free hand to live up to its abilities and skills. The case has been cracked with speed under the aegis of a determined leadership, proving once again that politics has a lot to do with people?s gradual loss of faith in the police.

People of Bengal were truly in a dilemma in the absence of a suitable alternative to the Left Front, considering the air of unpredictability surrounding the prospective chief minister. Anti-establishment furore and disenchantment, coupled with her honest and persistent endeavour, however, have paved the way for one-person governance, replacing the party-centric model.

But, even after ascending the coveted throne, our chief minister has failed to shed her image of a street fighter, either crying conspiracy at the drop of a hat or drawing conclusions without taking the departments concerned into confidence, creating unnecessary confusion and igniting too many controversies ? to her own peril, though!

That her more illustrious and articulate predecessors were in the habit of undermining unsavoury incidents (such as rape) during their long tenure in their inimitable style (dubbing them ?isolated incidents?), at times casting aspersion upon the characters of the victims, hardly allows our new chief minister any liberty to be complacent and behave like a loose cannon amidst constant media vigil since her magic slogan of ?paribartan? has already portrayed the dreamy impression of a Golden Bengal!

I.N. Banerjee, Dunlop

The purpose of a bandh

After a long time, we are faced with a bandh call. But is there any difference between ?calling? a bandh and ?imposing? it? Why is it that whenever a political party calls a bandh, supporters of that particular party are found roaming the streets to ensure its success?

Why can?t a party (it doesn?t matter which party) have the guts to declare that it has called a bandh and then wait to see how people respond to it, without their members being present on the streets?

It has become routine for bandh-callers to declare that the bandh was successful, and for their opponents to say it was not. The public, however, are not that foolish. They do not need certification from any party to know whether a bandh was successful or not.

Moreover, there is also the pertinent question of what a bandh actually achieves. We have seen bandhs over price rise, but have prices come down?

The main effect of a ?forced? bandh is to rob daily wage-earners of a day?s earning. For a critical patient, a bandh can be potentially fatal.

It all amounts to criminal negligence. It?s time we deleted bandhs from our dictionary.

Santanu Mitra

It is really surprising to find that our chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, is going all out to make the general strike, called on February 28, unsuccessful.

Has she forgotten the days when she used to call bandhs at the drop of a hat? She has said that bandhs serve no purpose but is that a recent realisation? Or is it that different standards apply while one is in the opposition and while one is in power?

The general public is fed up with bandhs but they can do nothing, faced with the muscle power of politicians.

Sanjay Agarwal, Shambu Nath Pandit Street

 

Apropos Battle for bandh points, February 22, it is but natural that the CPM would go all out to make the strike successful, especially after their mighty show at the Brigade Parade Grounds.

Perhaps the February 28 general strike would also be successful, especially since people are worried about their safety, which the government cannot guarantee.

A.S.Mehta,New Alipore

 

Another strike, another day wasted by Bengal. The state administration might have taken steps to foil it but what steps has it taken to protect the common man from falling prey to street hooliganism in the name of politics on that day?

Vivek Singhal, Liluah, Howrah

 

Mamata Banerjee has finally realised that a day?s shutdown costs the state Rs 88 crore. She needs to face a few bandh calls herself to get a taste of what was once her hobby. Never do these politicians care when they are in the opposition.

Vineet Ruia

Park Street rape

I appreciate the daring spirit of the Park Street rape victim, who went public with her complaint, and salute the police, especially Damayanti Sen, the joint commissioner (crime), on their actions to uncover the truth.

But the comment of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, without getting to the bottom of the matter, was unfortunate and shameful.

Now that the truth is out, it is apparent that the case was not concocted to malign the government.

The comments of the chief minister, who is a woman herself, malign the dignity of all women. The comments of sports minister Madan Mitra, questioning what the rape victim was doing at the nightclub so late, were unparliamentary and uncalled for.

Even after the truth has come out, the chief minister has not thought it necessary to express regrets for her comments. She should publicly apologise and announce compensation for the victim.

Bijesh Singh, Jadunath Dey Road

The chief minister?s comments after the rape victim came out with her story smacks of arrogance. Instead of making such statements, she should have ordered the cops to investigate the case.

I am very happy that the victim has got justice, for it is not just her, but all women, who are victims of abuse. Boys feel free to pass vulgar comments and co-passengers on public transport get their kicks out of pawing us.

As such, the Park Street rape victim?s victory is a victory for all women of Calcutta.

Aparajita Paul

 

Back-to-back instances of rape in so-called ?safe-for-women? Calcutta and the rest of the state make me ashamed to be a resident of Bengal. It is time the government enacted a law awarding strict punishment to rapists. Since the chief minister of Bengal is a woman, she should take steps to see to it that the respect and dignity of a woman is never threatened.

Mukur Sarkar, Motilal Mollick Lane

Jeeja?s ordeal

The ordeal that Jeeja Ghosh was put through, thanks to the behaviour of the crew of SpiceJet, was certainly not a one-off incident (Do you think Jeeja?s experience was a one-off incident or a reflection of society?s mindset?, February 21). The experience of the spunky woman is an example of the general attitude of society, which treats ?differently abled? persons with a sort of pitying condescension.

The average person is handicapped by a lack of awareness, coupled with a sense of extreme discomfiture, when he or she is in the presence of someone who has disabilities. Translated into action, this awkwardness leads to the sort of callous, insensitive behaviour that Jeeja was made a victim of.

I feel the pilot and the crew on the flight should have been able to grasp the fact that the person was travelling alone meant she was capable of doing so independently. If reports are anything to go by, the pilot had acted merely on the basis of certain preconceived notions, without having bothered to make an independent, unbiased assessment of the situation. There are no reports of any erratic, deviant behaviour, which could warrant the offloading of any passenger prior to the commencement of a flight. Under the circumstances, one would assume that Jeeja was victimised because of society?s preconceived misconceptions.

I first saw Jeeja when she appeared on a TV game show that celebrated the achievements of a few extraordinary women. Just for the record, Jeeja was the winner on that day, having played on a par with all the other participants, people who would be considered ?normal?.

Kamalini Mazumder, New Alipore

 

Jeeja?s ordeal is an example of the typical mindset of society. I can very well understand the humiliation she had to suffer since I am a victim of cerebral palsy myself.

What most people take for granted, we have to fight for each day of our lives. I urge everyone to understand and respect this fact and give us the respect and dignity we deserve.

Mohit Mehta

 

Refusing to take a person with cerebral palsy on board was ?the unkindest cut? on the part of the captain of the SpiceJet flight (Pilot sees palsy, not spunk, February 20).

The passenger, Jeeja Ghosh, is a teacher by profession and an independent, widely travelled person. She told Metr she was a frequent flier. So, the pilot?s order to have her disembarked was irkme for her.

The airline personnel later issued her a ticket to Goa and gave her an assurance that she wouldn?t be insulted in future, but does it make up for the inhuman treatment meted out to her? Like Jeeja, everybody suffering from physical impairment is liable to be humiliated this way. It?s time steps were taken to stop misdemeanours by private airlines.

A.S. Mehta,

Chittaranjan Avenue

 

lJeeja Ghosh?s experience is a reflection of society?s mindset in general. We see this happening all around: disabled people have to ?request? people occupying seats reserved for them on a bus or the Metro, and at times they are even denied a bus ride because the conductors feel they would take more time to embark and disembark. What?s the use of reading about Sudha Chandran or lauding the achievements of Stephen Hawking? Why do we bother watching films like Black?

My salute to Jeeja, and a big boo to the crew of SpiceJet.

Samik

lAs a person whose son is severely affected by cerebral palsy, I can feel in my heart how cruelly humiliating an ordeal Jeeja Ghosh must have endured even though she regularly flies unescorted.

It is a matter of pride that Jeeja carries herself so elegantly and nicely; yet, society cannot accept her state gracefully. I salute her parents and her kin who helped her stand on her own feet.

The airline should not only apologise for treating her unfairly but also reward her adequately by offering her a lifetime free pass.

Jeeja is a beacon of hope to children with cerebral palsy and their relatives.

My heart goes out to her and her family.

Asit Kumar Bhattacharya,

Bidhan Sishu Sarani

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Originally posted here:
Santanu Mitra