Tough solution
Sir — Mathematics is often perceived as a perplexing subject. This discourages many students from pursuing higher studies in the subject. It is thus heartening that the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has tried to address this problem by pledging to reverse the ‘anti-math’ culture in Britain which normalises inefficiency in the subject. This could be a step towards increasing the country’s numeracy. However, can it also be argued that Sunak’s dictatorial approach echoes that of most Indian parents who are notorious for forcing their children to study math even if they do not have an aptitude for it?
Mrittika Shah,Calcutta
Justified rebuke
Sir — The Supreme Court has censured the Gujarat government for its decision to remit the life sentences of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case last year. It also chastised the Centre and the state government for dilly-dallying on submitting relevant files on the subject (“Withering SC glare on Bilkis convicts’ release”, April 19). This is welcome. It is evident that the state government was hasty in its decision and now finds itself on a sticky wicket.
If the standard norms for granting remission had indeed been followed, the government should have no qualms in submitting the requisite files. The delay, therefore, raises suspicion about the integrity of the government’s procedure.
Tharcius S. Fernando,Chennai
Sir — While castigating the Gujarat government for prematurely releasing Bilkis Bano’s rapists, the Supreme Court has rightly acknowledged the heinousness of the crime committed against her during the 2002 riots. The convicts were released by invoking a remission policy from 1992, ignoring a stricter policy in place since 2014.
More baffling is the fact that the convicts walked out of jail on the day India celebrated the 75th anniversary of its independence. This was antithetical to the empowerment of women advocated by the prime minister, Narendra Modi.
Ranganathan Sivakumar,Chennai
Sir — The Supreme Court’s recent observations not only come as a relief to Bilkis Bano but also send out a strong message against legal infirmities.
Roopsha Jha,Mumbai
Divided opinion
Sir — A disagreement has erupted between the Centre and the Supreme Court over the latter’s decision to examine petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriages in India (“Same-sex marriage? Ask states”, April 20). Same-sex marriages are still a debatable topic in India. It cannot be legalised without a thorough discussion and taking into consideration the points of view of all stakeholders.
The Centre is right to argue that Parliament is the best place to discuss the various facets of the matter. However, the court’s decision to inspect the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954 for the matter is significant.
Mihir Kanungo,Calcutta
Sir — In a landmark ruling in 2018, the Supreme Court had decriminalised homosexuality by striking down the draconian Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. But little progress seems to have been made since. The latest petitions to accord legal status to same-sex marriages have faced strong opposition from the Narendra Modi government. The Centre’s argument against the top court hearing such petitions hinges on traditional notions of gender. Instead of playing the moral police, the Centre should work on empowering gender minorities.
The Supreme Court declared last year that atypical families are as deserving of protection and benefits under the law as traditional families. It is hoped that this will have a bearing on the ongoing deliberations of the petitions.
S.S. Paul,Nadia
Found guilty
Sir — It is heartening that Fox News has agreed to pay $787.5 million to resolve a defamation suit filed by Dominion Voting Systems (“Caught in the act”, April 17). This comes on the heels of the news channel’s confession that it aired false stories claiming Dominion’s voting machines were rigged against Donald Trump, the former president of the United States of America, during the 2020 presidential elections. The verdict spells doom for Trump and the Republican Party who deliberately spread misinformation about the election, ultimately leading to the insurrection at Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.
Significantly, several governments across the world have been similarly accused of staying on in power by spreading lies and taming the media. This is worrying.
Jang Bahadur Singh,Jamshedpur
Distorting the past
Sir — G.N. Devy’s column, “Past forward” (April 19), was insightful. Like China, successive governments in India have been attempting to rewrite the country’s past in line with their ideologies. Unfortunately, the Bharatiya Janata Party is not the first and neither will it be the last political party to distort India’s history. The worst victims of such distortions are students.
H.N. Ramakrishna,Bengaluru
