Young and nameless

Sir — Kanaklata Rani and her siblings, who were assaulted by their landlord for keeping their Dalit identity secret, should have firmly held on to their filial name (“A Dalit student in Delhi? Hide your surname”, May 6). Rather than being a source of shame, reservationist politics has turned such names into magic keys that unlock the doors to premier educational institutions. Perhaps the assault on the Ranis was motivated not so much by anger at their Dalit roots, than by the disappointment of being let down by people who had been trusted and loved.

Yours faithfully,
Chameli Pal, Batanagar

Woman question

Sir — Recently the conduct of 32 unruly members of parliament during session provoked the Lok Sabha speaker to take action against them. Subsequently, the sound and fury came to nought, and the appalling behaviour soon resumed, as evident from the fracas over the presentation of the women’s reservation bill (“Women thwart bill bullies”, May 7). It must be a sad day for the world’s largest democracy that the dissenting MPs decided to counter such an important bill with violence instead of reasoned argument.

Yours faithfully,
M.M. Kale, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

Sir — It is undeniable that the women’s reservation bill intends to promote gender justice. But this noble intention could be easily turned on its head by power-hungry politicians inclined to misuse the bill. Yet another form of reservation could prove beneficial to many. While holding on to the general seats, the men might induce the women in their family to contest for the reserved seats. As for women already in politics, their life will become easier with the opportunity to contest from safer seats.

Yours faithfully,
Raj Bagri, Calcutta

Sir — The women’s reservation bill, though drafted long back, has been rejected many times. Two of its most vocal opponents are Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav. Ironically, these men are votaries of caste politics in the name of social justice. One wonders why their humanitarian concerns vanish when the ‘woman question’ is raised.

Yours faithfully,
Farzana Nigar, Ranchi

Sir — The idea of reserving parliamentary seats for women is absurd. If a woman is capable of making it to the assembly or parliament, she should be able to do so on her own. Men who support women’s reservation do so because of their own guilty consciences. The notion of reservation is discriminatory and unfair at the core. Would any successful firm ever think of reserving seats for women on its board of directors on any criterion other than merit? Can caste considerations at the cost of efficiency play a part in the running of private businesses? If inefficient women are given political responsibilities on grounds of gender justice, the consequences would be disastrous.

Yours faithfully,
Mahesh Kumar, New Delhi

Sir — Manmohan Singh deserves praise for his strategic move of presenting the women’s reservation bill in its original form in the Rajya Sabha. Since the bill has been placed in the Upper House, it will not lapse even after the dissolution of the present Lok Sabha. The bill is unlikely to become a law before the next elections, so the Election Commission’s decision to make it compulsory for every political party to give at least 33 per cent tickets to women could be enforced as an interim measure. But such an allocation should be made state-wise rather than along political lines. Also, MPs should be penalized for crossing the limits of civilized behaviour in tearing up copies of the bill.

Yours faithfully,
Madhu Agrawal, Dariba, Delhi