Child abuse

Child abuse
The news story ‘Dad locked up for slapping son’s bottom’ (DNA, November19) reminded me of an unusual incident during my visit to the US. I  happened to see the unruly behaviour of my friend’s seven year old son and asked why he did not control the toddler when he misbehaved.

My friend shivered on hearing this. When prodded,  he recounted a previous incident when he scolded his son for breaking expensive crystal ware, and how the boy, in retaliation, telephoned to the local police as his class teacher had told students that they should seek help from the police if their parents ill-treated them.

The police arrested my friend and it was with great difficulty that he was able to escape a long incarceration. Till today, the local kids call him a ‘child abuser’. Now, he is afraid of his son.
—V Venkatasubramanian, Mumbai

Too little, too late!
With reference to the news report ‘1984 riots were wrong, says Rahul’, (DNA, November 19), reported regrets by Rahul Gandhi over the Sikh massacre in 1984 have come  too late. When it mattered his father, the late Rajiv Gandhi justified the pogrom with  his senseless remark, “When a big tree falls,  the ground shakes”. Those who were alleged  to be involved in this inhuman crime were given the Congress tickets to contest the Lok Sabha elections!
—Shreeram Paranjpe, via email

Reduce taxes 
Finance minister P Chidambaram wants to show the people that he is interested in their welfare by asking for that the prices of  homes and cars be reduced (‘FM says cut prices, industry says no thanks’, DNA, November 19). However, builders and carmakers aren’t obliging.

The latter are right when they say that they are unable to reduce the costs because raw material costs have gone up. Why doesn’t Chidambaram do anything to reduce the sky-rocketing prices of the essential commodities that have adversely affected the aam aadmi?

In fact, as per the most common principles of economics, direct and indirect increase in taxes is the root causes of the all-round price rise. Why doesn’t the finance minister reduce salaries, perks and the other unlimited ‘cost-free’ facilities of all the MPs and MLAs? On the other hand, my equation goes as follows: Higher taxes = More black money. More black money = More ‘donations’ for election funds hence no reduction in taxes.
—Hansraj Bhat, via email

A ‘real’ty chance
The slump in realty markets has affected  several projects with the big developers looking for outright buyers (‘Real estate projects stuck in limbo’, DNA, November 19). This is the time for the state government to come up with innovative packages. The government should consider buying the land, piece meal, and releasing it to genuine developers. But they should keep in mind that the city needs better parking, pavements and public amenities. The crisis in the realty market gives the government a chance to show clearly on whose side it is.
—Gavin Fernandes, via e-mail

Wrong support 
I strongly feel that the news report ‘Gay couples feel no birth pangs in India’ and the photo of the Israeli couple with the child born through a surrogate mother (DNA, November 19) gives the issue undue publicity and as a result of this, your paper appears to support this flourishing business in the medical field.
—Mangesh Nabar, Mumbai