I appreciate your views expressed in the editorial “A Gift of Mankind”(Radiance 27 Dec. 2009 – 2 Jan. 2010). Do not kill your children for fear of want. It is noteworthy that the poor are less indulged in female foeticide than the well-off, despite the ever lurking problem of dowry. It is a crime committed more frequently by the wealthy. They can afford the test fee of amniocentesis test and sonography well. The people who are educated are materialistic and ignori...

The Union Government should carefully study the welcome suggestion from Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan for setting up an exclusive TV channel to cover court-proceedings on important matters as separate channels are now set up to cover Parliamentary proceedings. Cases to be covered by such a proposed channel can be decided by court-functionaries in consultation with Bar Council of India. At the same time the Supreme Court should follow Delhi High Court in introducing e-courts at th...

Demand for the creation of new states has been a chronic feature of the Indian polity since the inception of the republic. Such agitations are typically based on claims of neglect or discrimination meted out to certain sections by the Central or State governments. Since long the issue of separate Vidarbha had been publicly debated, with invariably with every political party voicing for the same, the demand has reached its zenith. However, the question is whether smaller states are better go...

In the course of four days, eight Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces. This, in comparison to last year’s death toll of over 1,400 during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, seems to be a miniscule number. But each death is its own event, at least it should be. Sadly, however, when the death is that of a Palestinian one, the event barely bleeps across the radar. But when an Israeli dies as a result of a suicide bombing or Qassam rocket, everyone knows. Th...