Kerala’s libel law
First of all, it is difficult to understand the compelling circumstances which forced the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, to seek the ordinance route for a libel law. The provisions of the ordinance seem to be more draconian than necessary if the purpose is to “protect women, children and families from slander” on social media. That some in the CPI(M) have lauded the decision of the Pinarayi Vijayan government to put on hold this ordinance is not a matter to be proud of or to be even complimented. The question is why was the ordinance issued at all in a progressive State? The country has witnessed several episodes of draconian laws operating at various times and the plight of those who are invariably innocent. Let there be no repeat.
A. Michael Dhanaraj,
Coimbatore
Eventually, the Kerala government had to blink. It begs the question: do the State police really need untrammelled power by way of legislation or ordinance in a country where the police has created the perception of being susceptible to pressures? It would be no exaggeration to say that there are States where extra-judicial killings have become a new normal. The urgent need before the country is to introduce police reforms.
Deepak Singhal,
Noida
Inter-faith marriages
The strange term ‘love jihad’ made its way into the public domain probably a decade ago, thanks to Kerala’s judiciary which believed inter-faith marriages in the State to be more a conspiracy than a decision made by two consenting adults. In 2009, the State DGP informed the High Court that the police had found no organisation that might have been ‘involved’ in such activity nor was there any compelling evidence to show cases of ‘love jihad’. Though the judge refused to accept the report and said that it was clear from police reports there was a “concerted effort” to convert women with “blessings of some outfits”, he granted bail to two of the young men who had been accused. In all, this is a prime example of a how conditioning of a community at large in a purely private matter, and a mere thought process, dictates one’s actions and determines and affects public policy in the long run. If the piece of legislation does come into existence, every inter-faith couple in India would be under scrutiny not only by society but the law itself OpEd, “A conspiracy against inter-faith love”, November 24).
Sneha K. Shaji,
New Delhi
Ayurveda and surgery
It is unfortunate that the revised curriculum of Ayurveda MS has included surgical procedures. The reason is that modern medicine has travelled a long distance in asepsis and treatment modalities. Therefore, the only way Ayurveda specialists can perform surgeries is through imbibing techniques of modern medicine. Moreover, it can also bring in a large number of quacks claiming to enable certain treatment at low cost. Certain dental procedures are also included in this curriculum. Root canal techniques are very sensitive, which only by a specialist can handle. Also, how anaesthesia will be performed in Ayurveda is unclear. Dentistry requires a large amount of equipment and armamentarium to perform even a basic check-up. Hence, the current decision by the Centre is not a well-thought-of one.
Dr. Jayasekharan V.P.,
Thayineri, Payyanur, Kerala
