Indian judiciary remains a man’s world
The Indian judiciary remains a man’s world till today. Women are vastly under-represented at the Bench at the SC and in various High Courts in the country.
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The composition of the Supreme Court collegium also sees a glaring lack of women. In fact, till today only 11 women have served as judges at the SC since its establishment in January 1950.
Complex reasons like gender bias and discrimination, work-life balance challenges, and lack of support and mentorship are some of the factors for the low representation of women in SC.
Comprehensive measures must be taken to address this discrimination like providing gender diversity in the legal profession and implementing affirmative action policies that prioritize qualified women getting appointed in SC to accelerate progress towards gender parity.
These steps must be taken to promote diversity and equal opportunities, which will strengthen the Indian judiciary system.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Trump, Harris jostle for supremacy
Belying mainstream media reports that Kamala Harris is enjoying a distinct edge in the US presidential elections, it has to be agreed that the political equation in the US is evenly poised what with the Senate and the House of Representatives now reflecting the political reality which sends a strong message that the Democrats and the Republicans are now enjoying slender majorities respectively in the two main political bodies. Considering that the Senators and the Representatives hold significant sway over their constituencies, it may be fair to argue that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are running neck and neck and thus that a razor’s edge seems to separate the two contenders.
Also since most of the polls conducted so far are still deadlocked at least by the fact that all of them are within the error margin of 3.5%, a titanic struggle is on the cards which could go either way especially since most political pundits in the US contend that the seven battleground states namely Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, South Carolina and Wisconsin will tilt the balance of power in favour of the candidates. Though Kamala Harris holds an advantage of 226 to 219 in the other battleground States, some of the closest polls in the battleground states even suggest that Donald Trump is ahead in the swing states giving him as much as 292 electoral college votes to 247 for Kamala Harris.
Also a split in votes because of the four other candidates in the fray could result in advantage to one of the main candidates. Since 50 million people in the US have already cast their ballots it will be up to the remaining about 115 million voters to determine an outcome which could be tantalisingly poised. The American people will decide the ultimate winner on November 5.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Priyanka a pragmatic choice
The upcoming Lok Sabha by-election for Kerala’s Wayanad seat has thrown open an intriguing prospect for the Congress party. However, by fielding Priyanka Gandhi as the candidate for the Wayanad bypoll, the Congress has made a pragmatic and prudent choice.
Her campaign would likely emphasise development, national issues relevant to the Congress party’s platform, and the legacy of the party in the region. Wayanad may not provide Priyanka with a smooth passage to the Lok Sabha in her electoral debut, considering she is locked in a keen triangular contest with parties like LDF and the BJP in the fray.
For many, the memory of late PM Indira Gandhi as a strong, decisive leader remains vivid, and her granddaughter’s image seems crafted to evoke this nostalgia.
If Priyanka can bridge the gap between nostalgia and actionable change, she may reignite support for the Congress in Kerala. Yet, for many voters, loyalty may no longer be enough. The path to success lies in addressing Wayanad’s unique needs with sincerity and a commitment that extends beyond the family name
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Infrastructure project on Colva beach
The structure that once existed was demolished to allow for a wide open beach front for relaxing, children playing and watching the boats come in.
I read in the Herald dated 31 October 2024 that Colva beach is likely to have a tourism post, health centre and a police outpost. Whilst all these facilities are welcome, could these be accommodated along the drive in/out area?
The palm lined beaches in their natural State, with a clean creek safe for children to play in, appeals to the locals as well as tourists. Loss of sand dunes due to erosion and setting of shacks has taken away the glamour of our beaches.
A clean beach void of litter, dogs and their poo, clean seas and well-lit for late evening walks following dinner would lure people to use the shacks. The children’s play area could be clean and should be hygienically maintained.
54,452 sqm is a large area and enormous brick and mortar infrastructures would hurt the eye. Development, whilst required, should be planned to maintain the natural features and aesthetic appeal of our land.
Urmilla Charlotte Barretto,
by email
Spiritual significance of All Souls Day
November 2 annually is observed as All Souls Day in Roman Catholicism and it is observed by eastern orthodoxy, lutheranism, Anglicanism, Methodism and other protestant denominations.
It is a day of commemoration of all the departed faithful, those baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory as they died with guilt of lesser sins on their souls, it is observed on November 2 as Roman Catholic doctrine holds that the prayers of the faithful living on earth will help cleanse the souls in order to enable them for vision of God in heaven and the day is dedicated to prayer and remembrance.
Requiem masses are held and many people visit and decorate graves of their loved ones. We celebrate All Souls Day because in the 10th century the Catholic priest St Odilio of Cluny instituted All Souls Day to pray for the souls of the deceased family members, ordinary men and women who lived good lives and were languishing in purgatory to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
