The State must ensure the welfare of children at all cost
Kudos to the Hindustan Times for No country for children series (September 30) for highlighting instances of crimes like corporal punishment, sexual abuse and child labour across the country. The fact that there has been a 24% increase in crimes against children (as per the National Crime Record Bureau data) reflects that ours is an increasingly morally depraved society. Besides greater public awareness on the issue, there’s an urgent need for special fast-track courts to expeditiously dispose of such cases.  A special agency is also required to ensure that abandoned children at government-run residential care homes are not subjected to any kind of exploitation as has happened in the recent past.
P Kaur, via email

Address safety concerns first
This refers to the report Kudankulam plant can be shut: SC (September 28). The Supreme Court's assertion that it would not hesitate to stop the Kudankulam nuclear power plant if it was not safe enough to withstand a Fukushima-type disaster is welcome. This observation completely vindicates the valid safety and viability concerns of those people who are protesting against the plant. Instead of silencing dissent against the project, it's high time the government addressed their concerns in a proper manner and ensured that all mandatory safety steps recommended by the expert committee are implemented.
TS Fernando, Chennai