The decision of New Jersey legislature to abolish death penalty is bad. The Senate voted 21-16 and the Assembly voted 44-36 for abolition. A commission had given three reasons for abolition: 1) Death penalty was a more expensive sentence than life in prison. 2) Death penalty hasn’t deterred murder. 3) Death penalty could kill innocent…
Positive discrimination is wrong
The constitution of India declares equality of all people. Some women want special treatment for women claiming women are unequal. They say there has to be positive discrimination in favour of women. When women lawyers talk like that it sets a dangerous trend. This needs to be nipped in the bud. The demand of women…
CBFC and film ban
CBFC is the authority to certify films for public exhibition. Once CBFC certifies a film nobody else should have the authority to ban the film. That includes state governments, Animal Welfare Board etc. Somebody or the other gets offended due to something or the other. CBFC has guidelines. It certifies films according to them. It…
Rising rupee is good
Rising rupee is good for India. Vested interests are opposing the rise of the rupee. Exporters want a week rupee. Exporters have benefited over the years. The cost of dollar went up from 3.36 to 4.76 to 7.50 to 49.09 rupees. At the time importers suffered losses. No attention was paid to them. Now dollar…
Death penalty prevents murders
I received two comments for my article “UN General Assembly and death penalty”. The Writers questioned the source for my statement “Every death penalty for murder prevents three to eighteen murders.” The source is an Associated Press report dt. 11 June 2007 that can be accessed on www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19160965. The report points to a series of…
UN General Assembly and death penalty
It is bad that a committee of UN General Assembly voted in favour of a resolution for suspension of death penalty worldwide: 99 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 52 against and 33 abstained. European countries, mainly Italy, led the charge against death penalty. Murders take place all over Europe. Mafia is active in…
Thoughts on 10/11/2007
It is for the couples to decide when to have their first child. Couples generally prefer to have their first child within first year of marriage. Satara Zilla Parishad’s scheme asking couples to delay their first child for two to three years and offering Rs.5,000/- and Rs.7,500/- for staying childless for two and three years…
Pratibha Patil and death penalty
Pratibha Patil became the President of India on 25/7/2007. Since then three months have passed. There is no news of mercy petitions of murderers sentenced to death. K. R. Narayanan did not reject any mercy petition. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam rejected one mercy petition. In spite of Home Ministry’s decision to reject mercy petitions…
Elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh
On 10/10/2007 Election Commission announced the schedules for elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. In both states elections are in two phases. In Gujarat, first phase is for 87 constituencies with notification on 15/11/2007, nominations on 23/11/2007, withdrawals on 26/11/2007 and voting on 11/12/2007 and second phase is for 95 constituencies with notification on 21/11/2007,…
Vincent Van Gogh and I
Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings are sold for millions of dollars today. During his lifetime his paintings did not get him much money. One painting was sold for a small amount. He died at the age of 37. There are some similarities between me and Vincent Van Gogh. He was not successful during his lifetime. So…