Date:15/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/15/stories/2008111555951001.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

A curse

Communalism and casteism are a curse on the police and the democratic state, which uses the former as its chief instrument of oppression or alleviation depending on the ruling dispensation’s ideology, class interest, and vote bank politics. Heads roll in the police whenever there are ugly incidents. Policemen are either blamed and suspended for inaction or prosecuted if they use decisive force against the law-breakers. In the present instance, a group of boys was waiting with logs for the others to emerge from the examination halls to thrash them. Any officer worth his uniform would have defied any order and disarmed the rowdies.

To keep communal peace, the students responsible for the violence should be dismissed. Another practical measure would be to shift the college to the periphery of Chennai.

V.S. Karuppannan,

Namakkal

* * *

The lawlessness in the Chennai law college is a reflection of the caste-based social strife outside the campus — the symptom of a deep malady. Politics, caste and religion play an invidious role in shaping students’ conduct. Exploited by external forces and abandoned by all concerned, they are nobody’s concern.

A powerful leader, a committed, caring and universal teaching community, an unbiased state apparatus, well-meaning political parties and, above all, watchful parents can go a long way in putting students on the right track.

R. Arockiasamy,

Thanjavur

* * *

I appeal to all people — politicians, administrators, teachers, parents, lawyers — to help weed out the dangerous trend of growing casteism among students. We should impress upon the youth the need to be broad-minded.

R. Kalidasan,

Madurai