THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- September 23, 2016- Topic 2
The alleged suicide of murder suspect P. Ramkumar in the high-security Puzhal Central Prison in Chennai
has given rise to many questions and doubts. The claim that Ramkumar, the
alleged lone assailant who stalked and killed young Swathi, took his own life
by biting a live wire pulled out from a switchboard inside the prison is
unusual. His lawyer alleges he was murdered. Even without questioning the
suicide theory, it is clear that the prison administration has much to answer
for. Ramkumar had suicidal
tendencies, going by the police claim that he tried to slash his own throat
when he was about to be arrested. Prison authorities say he was indeed under
continuous watch by warders, and that he had been given psychological
counselling. More ought to have been done to prevent the incident, as the case
had become unusually sensitive, with the public debate assuming strong caste
and communal overtones. It is surprising that the closely watched suspect had
easy access, at a moment when he was conveniently alone, to a switchboard near
the prison dispensary. It also so happened that the CCTV cameras installed in
the modern prison did not cover that particular area where he chose to end his
life. If he did commit suicide, there has been undoubted lapse in monitoring
his movements.
Prison suicides set off questions about
the conditions of incarceration in our jails, often seen as overcrowded and
understaffed. Suicide by electrocution is rare, as it is not difficult to deny
prisoners any form of access to live electrical cables. There is truth in the
theory that it is difficult to prevent a person determined to commit suicide,
even if some correctional psychologists disagree. There ought to be an initial
evaluation of incoming prisoners to identify those with a high risk of suicide.
Thereafter, periodic assessments of their state of mind should be made. While
continuous watch is inescapable, designing ‘suicide-resistant cells’ and
auditing jails to identify and remove possible anchoring points for attempts to
die by hanging are other necessary measures. When Ramkumar was arrested there
was a sense of reassurance among the public, even though a few demanded a CBI
investigation based on a few purported lacunae in the police version. The
police were expected to put an end to all speculation about whether he was the
‘real culprit’ by bringing him to trial. It is a pity this did not happen. The
Tamil Nadu government should order a judicial probe in order to credibly allay
any impression, false though it may well be, that the case was sought to be
closed extra-judicially.
Vocabulary
Assailant: a person who physically attacks another.
Example: The assailants fled after the attack, for which no militant group has
claimed responsibility.
Synonyms: attacker, mugger, assaulter, attack dog
Stalked: pursue or approach stealthily.
Example: A cat stalking a bird
Synonyms: creep up on, trail, follow, shadow, track down, go
after
Slash: cut something with a violent sweeping movement, typically using a knife or
sword.
Example: A tire was slashed on my car
Synonyms: cut (open), gash, slit, split open, lacerate, knife, make
an incision in
Overtones: a subtle or subsidiary quality, implication, or connotation.
Example: The decision may have political overtones
Synonyms: connotation, hidden meaning, implication, association, undercurrent
Dispensary: a room where medicines are prepared and provided.
Example: From obstetrics, she went to the dispensary and the emergency room
Incarceration: the state of being confined in prison; imprisonment.
Example: The public would not be served by her incarceration
Synonyms: imprisonment, internment, confinement, detention, custody
Electrocution: on fire.
Example: A burning building
Synonyms: blazing, flaming, fiery, ignited, glowing, smoldering, igneous
Reassurance: the action of removing someone's doubts or fears.
Example: Children need reassurance and praise
Lacunae: an unfilled space or interval; a gap.
Example: The journal has filled a lacuna in Middle Eastern studies
Allay: diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).
Example: The report attempted to educate the public and allay fears
Synonyms: reduce, diminish, decrease, lessen, assuage, alleviate, ease