M A I L B A G

TV serials show women in a poor light

The projection of women in the various television serials as schemers, plotters and vamps will affect the younger generation. While imitation is one of the methods of learning, especially among the childre, learning theorists believe that the most pervasive influence on children's personality is the behaviour of other people — the social models to whom they are exposed.

The new generation always struggles with an identity crisis. Freud described the identification process to be the primary mechanism of young age by which children acquire masculine or feminine identities and a strong internalised conscience and super ego. Hence, the negative stereotypes (men or women) portrayed on television may be internalised by the younger generation.

Consequently, the schemers and the stories portrayed in the serials would be the role model of children’s lives. The issue in question is: does our society really wish to motivate or inculcate the values of Kamolika in “Kausati” and Anu and Akash in “Des Mein Nikala Hoga Chand”, Mom in “Kahi Kisi Roz” and “Kabhi Aye Naa Judaai”? With the projection of the role confusion in the programme, the overall image of the devoted, affectionate and sincere woman as a mother, wife and daughter is reflected in a disturbing way. Moreover, inconsistent stories like “Shagun” do not have concepts based on some cognition or realities. I am afraid, incidents like eve-teasing, sexual harassment, family disputes and divorce rate would increase as a fall-out of these lopsided serials.

GEETA MAGOO, Hindu Girls’ College, Sonepat

Resume the serial

Doordarshan has peremptorily stopped the serial “Maharathi Karan” for the last two weeks or so. It has become the habit of Doordarshan to stop the telecast of one serial or the other midway. Earlier, it stopped the telecast of “Dishayain”. On behalf of my small children who had become quite fond of watching “Maharathi Karan”, I appeal to Doordarshan authorities to resume its telecast of “Maharathi Karan”.

RAVINDER KUMAR JAIN, Ludhiana

This old town cries for attention Samana is a very old town. It is much older than even Patiala and other important cities. The Arabs recognised it as a town as far back as 1000 AD. However, since the dawn of Independence, it has been facing the brunt of government apathy. During Partition about 80 per cent people of this town had migrated to Pakistan. Subsequently, the so-called refugees of Bahawalpur state migrated to the town. Since then the town has been neglected by the authorities. Samana has not been connected by rail despite vociferous promises by all the members of Parliament who contested elections from this region over the years. To add to the miseries of the residents, the Samana-Patiala route has been monopolised by the PRTC. People have been facing hardship because of the inadequate transport services. An educationally backward town as it is, most of the students of Samana are forced to go to Patiala for higher education. They commute by jampacked buses to and from Patiala. Girl students are the worst sufferers. No long-route bus passes through Samana. Those visiting Patiala are forced to make night halt as there is no bus from Patiala to Samana after 8 pm. I do not know why successive state governments have been reluctant to improve the amenities in Samana. We hope and pray that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh would give his personal attention to our problems and develop Samana on a par with Patiala. O.P. GOYAL, President, Senior Citizens’ Council, Samana (Patiala)

Review syllabus

I would like to bring to the attention of the HP Board of School Education to the shortcomings in the syllabi of different classes. The HPBSE has opted for NCERT syllabus. Though the NCERT has revised the syllabus for CBSE examinations, the HPBSE is still sticking to the old syllabus. This has many practical problems. First, students face problems when their parents are transferred. Secondly, the students taking competitive examinations don’t know how to cape with the enhanced level of syllabus being allotted to them.

The HPBSE authorities should review the syllabus of (at least) Matric and Plus Two, according to the latest changes suggested by the NCERT at the earliest.

ANKUSH AGGARWAL, Nahan

Teachers’ burden

The suggestions offered by Mr Rajiv Barnala, in his letter "Schools sans teachers" (Aug. 20), are impracticable. In some of the middle, high and senior secondary schools, even if the number of students is less, it does not lessen the workload of the teachers. The strength of students in Plus One and Plus Two classes, in the subjects of Arts faculty is quite large. In addition to the primary school teachers in Himachal Pradesh, the teachers of middle and high schools have been engaged in the Adult Education and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan programmes for years together.

To carry out non-educational programmes such as Pulse Polio, distribution of wheat and midday meals, enumeration of voters, incorporation of new entries, correction of electoral rolls, photo identity cards of voters, election work, population survey etc., it would be better if the employees of revenue or health departments such as patwaris, kanungos and health workers are deployed.

Scores of duties of non-educational nature almost every year have adversely affected education in schools. It would be unwise to hand over Classes IX and X to the lecturers who are already overburdened in teaching Plus One and Plus Two classes.

For want of adequate infrastructure, most of the senior secondary schools are ill-equipped to run classes in science subjects. The problem will be solved to a large extent if these clases are introduced, as before, in colleges as well. It tells upon the education scenario when overburdened teachers are unable to accomplish their teaching work.

IQBAL SINGH, Bijhari

Sound control sensors

The debate on the no-confidence motion in Parliament was quite lively and informative. But the noises during the arguments reached an inaudible level. Noise pollution control sensors should be fitted in Parliament to the sound system so that at a particular level mikes and speakers go off automatically. This will save a lot of time and lung power of our leaders being wasted.

Dr RANBIR SINGH PANNU, Amritsar

II

It is a matter of shame that we are being led by the parliamentarians of the kind we all saw during the 22-hour debate. A handful of these so-called leaders should not be allowed to waste the taxpayers' money. I fail to understand why the people should not ask the party bringing forward such motions be asked to pay for the time that they have wasted.

It is beyond one’s comprehension as to why this motion was tabled. The Opposition was fully aware of its strength in the Lok Sabha vis-a-vis the ruling NDA combine. Then why were the parties allowed to use Parliament as a platform for canvassing?

I feel the telecast of the proceedings should be discontinued forthwith because our children learn all the wrong manners, dirty language and how not to behave in a manner befitting gentlemen, watching our leaders on the screen.

Capt RANBIR SINGH, Rajpura