Comments on: Kumbhakarna awakes

By: BELA

BELA — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 18:34:14 +0000

I am gonna agree with my friend. I don't think low incarceration rate means India has fewer criminals.

here is what he sent me in reply to me mailing this post to his:

Yes, it reminded me of that too...[Veer and Zara] Perhaps that is one of India's problems: all the criminals outside jails. I am not saying that people should be put in jail, but I am just a bit sceptical that the low incarceration rate means nobody guilty enough to be put to jail. Just remember gang rapes, looting, etc. after the tsunami... A natural disaster can summon a lot of animalistic emotions in humans, but still it is no reason to kill and rape unprotected women and children...

By: sv

sv — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 22:44:15 +0000

golf clubs

By: sv

sv — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 22:42:52 +0000

India has one of the lowest incarceration rates and the USA, of course, has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Link below: href=”http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/y/world.htm”

It’s 29 per 100000 for india and 715 per 100000 for usa.
It’s clear from the statistics that both the countries have abominable criminal justice systems.

India: you are innocent even after you are proven guilty. so criminals roam free.

USA: You are guilty even after proving you are innocent as is the case with many africian american and increasingly hispanic defendents. or get locked up for 80 years for some flimsy criminal acts like stealing turkey or gold clubs.

Which one is more abominable?

I believe that it’s better for 100 criminals to roam free than locking up 100 innocents.

Molly Ivins wrote an excellent column: http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0620-26.htm

By: Saheli

Saheli — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 04:39:12 +0000

Look, I'm not defending the Indian system in this case--that's just terrible no matter how you slice it. But it's had an immense amount of socio-political and bureacratic upheavel to deal with during the relevant times and places, and a lack of resources. We've had similar problems (fixed faster) with no such excuses. I've heard of several similar cases.

We should recognize these things for what they are, neither more nor less.

By: Bong Breaker

Bong Breaker — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 04:27:47 +0000

incidents like this can happen only in india

Err...what are you basing that on? Ever heard of China? Thousands of people go 'missing' each year. At least this guy was alive. Hell, what about half of Asia, most of Africa and parts of South America? I hardly think India is alone in this.

BUT what I will criticise is what I assume happened here - how Indian families completely disown someone with a mental health problem. That is one thing that sadly hasn't changed in the last 54 years.

Poor guy.

By: prakruti

prakruti — Tue, 26 Jul 2005 04:09:34 +0000

sad story…incidents like this can happen only in india..missing 50 yrs of precious life for no fault of his and yet not questioning for fighting for what he lost..thats a common poor uneducated man in india..Iam glad his silent voice was heard by local human rights organisations.. I always wondered how people can live for 50 yrs in prison amidst four walls with no freedom.. I admired Nelson mandela when I was very young , he was in prison for decades fighting for a national cause and productively spending his time in prison reading and mobilising people despite being powerless in prison… On a lighter vein, reading ur article I remembered the story I read when I was a kid, Rip van winkle sleeping for 20yrs and waking up one day to find everything change around him….