Today (20/8/2005) is Parsi New Year. Some years ago Indian Express had almanac section. In that it used to give dates according to three Parsi calendars. I suppose today is New Year according to the calendar followed by largest number of Parsis. I wish Parsis a Happy New Year.
Judge Laxmi Rao who allowed rapists to go free is transferred. That is not enough. She should be dismissed and made to undergo the punishment she did not impose on the rapists. On August 6 & 8 sentenced two men for seven years RI each and let them on probation. On August 12 only till the rising of the court. Maximum punishment is life imprisonment. So the punishment to her should be seven years + seven years + life imprisonment. Life imprisonment shall mean for life. The sentences shall run consecutively.
Laxmi Rao, perhaps for the first time in Indian history, convicted a woman of 35 years for five years RI for kidnapping a boy of 16 years and having sex with him. Indian Penal Code does not provide for women to be convicted for rape or illicit sex.
Government of India should not go for World Bank loans. We have 142 billion dollar foreign exchange reserves. Use them.
Speakers have been partial in deciding anti-defection cases. Shivraj Patil, Madhukar Chowdhury and many others have acted partially to suit their parties. Recently in Goa Speaker Francisco Sardinha disqualified Cortalim MLA Mathany Saldanha on a petition by Philip Neri Rodrigues who did not belong to the same party and who was disqualified by former Speaker Vishwas Satarkar. Mathany Saldanha was disqualified on 9/8/2005 and election for his seat was declared on 18/8/2005. Philip Neri Rodrigues was disqualified earlier but no election was declared for his Velim constituency. Election Commission has been unfair several times. In 1991 T. N. Seshan postponed Punjab Elections for 12 Punjab Lok Sabha by three months and three days as Congress was in a minority and it had not put up candidates for these seats. This allowed Congress to frame a new law that allowed cancellation of elections. T. N. Seshan and M. S. Gill later joined Congress. Speakers should not decide on anti-defections and there should be fixed dates for elections.
In KBC 2 on 19/8/2005 Amitabh Bachchan while introducing Preity Zinta’s cousin said “cousin brother” which is wrong. “Cousin” is correct. Similarly “cousin sister” is wrong.