Selective justice
On the early morning of October 25, Sunday, in Kochi (Keralam), a Mercedes-Benz car driven by a 17-year-old boy allegedly rammed into a scooterist and killed a 55-year-old man. The boy, son of an additional and district sessions judge, claimed that the scooterist suddenly swerved to avoid waterlogging due to heavy rain and that the car could not be stopped in time to avoid a collision. The police interrogated the judge for four hours and sent a notice to appear again. Based on an anticipatory bail petition, the High Court restrained the police from arresting the judge, as he was cooperating in the investigation. Contrast the above with the news wherein a district court in Durg (Chhattisgarh) recently sentenced a 19-year-old teenager to five years in jail for a fatal accident that occurred on August 4, 2025, when his motorcycle hit and killed a scooterist. The boy’s father is sentenced to three-month jail term for permitting his son to ride the motorcycle without a driving licence (NT November 2). In recent years, parents are held accountable, questioned and detained/ arrested if their underage child drives/rides, with or without licence and causes an accident whether fatal or otherwise. Justice seems to have different yardsticks for similar incidents and in different states.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Resourceful vision
I think scientist Dr Sharad Kale has put it in the right perspective by calling waste a resource. “The moment you call it a resource, it becomes important and worth recycling”, words of wisdom, truly! It is time we all looked at this issue with all the seriousness it deserves. Everything cannot be treated as waste. As the saying goes, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. But we need not look at all waste as poison. Waste items can be put to so many different purposes like creating something new from items that we discard as waste. I, on my part, have been doing this for the past several years. Let us understand that the Earth is not a dumping ground.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Fatal oversight
Two foreign nationals died on Friday while swimming in a pool at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru, allegedly due to electrocution. Another foreigner and a swimming pool attendant sustained severe injuries while attempting to rescue the guests. A leading theory suggests that electrical leakage from pool and underwater lights electrocuted the guests. Failure in the water recycling pump was to blame, says a source. The government water department stated that the earthing may have been faulty. Whether or not the automatic power switch-off devices – the Residual Current Device (RCD) or the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) – were in place is crucial to the investigation. Additionally, modern pool lights nowadays come with maximum protection. Therefore, tragedies like the one that occurred in the national capital are unacceptable and shameful.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Right move
The Goa government’s reported decision to establish pre-marriage counselling centres across all talukas is a welcome and timely initiative. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has reportedly expressed concern over the rising number of divorces affecting both, love and arranged marriages. The proposed centres aim to prepare couples for the responsibilities and challenges of married life. However, marriage counselling should not end with the exchange of vows. It needs to be a continuous process. Marriage is not merely a union of two individuals but a coming together of two different personalities, backgrounds, expectations and family cultures. While pre-marriage counselling can help couples understand each other better, the real challenges often emerge after marriage. Financial pressures, differences in temperament, career priorities, parenting responsibilities, lack of communication and unrealistic expectations can gradually strain relationships. Therefore, counselling facilities should remain accessible to married couples at different stages of their relationship. Early intervention can help partners identify misunderstandings, communicate openly and resolve differences before they develop into irreconcilable conflicts. Equally important is counselling for couples contemplating divorce. Taking the decision to end a marriage is often emotionally exhausting and can have far-reaching consequences, particularly when children are involved. Before proceeding towards separation, couples should be encouraged to seek professional counselling. An impartial counsellor can help them understand the underlying causes of conflict, facilitate meaningful dialogue and explore the possibility of reconciliation. Counselling should go beyond premarital guidance and evolve into a comprehensive marriage support programme. After all, preparing couples for marriage is important, but helping them sustain a healthy relationship is equally essential.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
