In a society where people hardly meet their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, how can the crime rate be reduced? The poor have been already deprived of pulses, vegetables, flour, rice etc due to inflation. Added worry for them are rising rents of housing and increasing cost of transportation. One has to pay a minimum of Rs. 10 or 15 while going from one stop to the next in public transport. That means some people have to pay Rs. 20-30, or way more, one way towards a destination in city. A further increase in the price of diesel is likely to push transport fares still further up. That would also result in another bout of price rise in food items. How will the poor survive another increase in fuel prices? They can't bear the sight of their children crying for food. No wonder some of them commit suicide and the rest take to snatching the morsels for their children from rich. Common theft, dacoity, snatching of mobile phones, kidnapping for ransom etc are all one side of the coin whose other side is selling of one's children for money. The crime will not ease off until the hunger does. -MARYAM ASAD, Karachi, via e-mail, September 17.