Carrot, not stick

Sir — Most of us have had the misfortune of travelling with a wailing child — be it on a train or a plane. Recently, two Chinese passengers came under fire for locking a little girl in an aeroplane lavatory and threatening to leave her inside if she did not stop crying. While children creating a ruckus on public transport causes much annoyance to not only the co-passengers but also their guardians, who are often held responsible, harsh punishments can hardly calm a distressed child. If we can be sensitive towards adults having emotional meltdowns, surely children deserve compassion as well?

Stuti Ghosh,
Calcutta

Unsafe space

Sir — The findings of the Hema Committee report have ripped off the masks of many prominent figures in the Malayalam film industry ("Dirty picture", Aug 26). However, such misogyny might be present in other film industries too. Women, irrespective of class, face discrimination at their workplaces. It is important to reflect on the injustices inflicted on women by most religions and ask whether society allows them to have their own voices. Will this report weed out the people who harass artists in their workplaces? Instead of teaching children rituals and prayers, they must be made aware of gender-based violence.

U. Mangalasseri,
Malappuram, Kerala

Sir — The Hema Committee report has uncovered the grim reality of abuse in the Malayalam film industry. Various news reports have highlighted the predatory attitudes of male artists towards their female colleagues. The presence of undisclosed pages in the Committee's report raises further concerns. The secrecy surrounding these sections fuels distrust among the public as well as the industry stakeholders. Transparency is essential, particularly when dealing with issues as sensitive as workplace harassment. The withholding of information warrants questions about the integrity of the investigative process. The government must either disclose these pages or provide an explanation for their omission.

K.A. Solaman,
Alappuzah, Kerala

Sir — Many Mollywood bigwigs have faced allegations of abuse following the release of the Hema Committee report. Two prominent artists, Mohanlal and Ranjith, have resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists and the chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy, respectively, on moral grounds. While the global audience loves the realistic plotlines of Mollywood films, the industry seems to be unsafe for young artists. The government must take stringent actions to protect the dignity of artists in Mollywood.

A.P. Thiruvadi,
Chennai

Sir — The Malayalam film industry, which gave the world many exemplary movies, has now been marred by allegations of sexual abuse. Recently, the Bengali actress, Sreelekha Mitra, accused the popular director, Ranjith, of sexual harassment. This has further jeopardised the Malayalam film industry.

Romana Ahmed,
Calcutta

Sir — Mohanlal has stepped down as the president of the AMMA following backlash over mishandling sexual harassment allegations. The executive committee was dissolved as well after several members were accused of sexual misconduct. This is an embarrassing situation for Mollywood.

Dorai Ramani Suresh,
Ghaziabad

Sir — The 'casting couch' controversy in the Malayalam film industry, the assault of children in Badlapur and the rape and murder of a doctor in Calcutta all go on to show the pitiful condition of women in India. Law-enforcement agencies need to plug the gaps urgently.

Prasun Kumar Dutta,
Kharagpur