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Of holiness & hollowness

Khushwant Singh did some frank writing in “The amusing godman” (Jan 16) whom Uma Bharti loves. Asa Ram Bapu treats you to a lot of nonsense and his “spiritual” ideal mingles and mutilates the human personality in a horrible manner. Such tragic-comic creatures are admired as “holy men”. Such “holiness” is really hollowness and nothing more.

Stunted, stupid and selfish specimens of humanity stalk up and down the world as revered “spiritual” leaders; they know nothing; they do nothing; they undermine their own health; they are as ignorant of economics and politics as an illiterate farm labourer; they are not interested in science and art; they strive to attain the absolute zero of life, where cold and death reign. Such ‘gurus’ have created a horde of earnest men and women condemned to slow suicide by “spiritual” metaphysics. Who has not seen the Hindu fakirs who make long pilgrimages by measuring their length along the ground?

JATINDER and SAVITA KHURANA, Shahbad Markanda

Baldev Duggal, Jalandhar

Marriage, the final test of integration In his piece, Khushwant Singh has raised an important question: Are we an integrated society? (Saturday Extra, Jan 16). He has correctly prescribed marriage as the final test of integration. The Indian of today, with his characteristic physical appearance, is the product of miscegenation between the Aryans, the Dravidians, the ‘Kanets’ and the ‘Karats’. We can easily recognise an Indian (including a Pakistani and Bangladeshi) in any part of the world and to that extent, we are one nation and one society. The first effective ban on this mixing of genes was imposed by the Muslim invaders who allow marriages among Muslims only. The objection to Hindu-Sikh marriages is a recent phenomenon and is taking shape for reasons that are more political than religious. The Gurus never objected to such alliances. If there is only one God, and all religions admit it, then the division of humans into Hindus, Christians etc is illogical. Our vote-seeking politicians, instead of speaking and acting against the unconstitutional diktats of the khaps and religious leaders, are actually encouraging the concept of ‘separate identity. The writer is right; we are no longer an integrated society. Nor are we on the way to becoming one. Dr L.R. Sharma, Jalandhar

Student suicide

Shoma A. Chatterji has rightly analysed the factors of suicide through the report, “Desperate Endgame” (Saturday Extra, Jan 30). Yes, today suicide has become a common thing for the teenagers.

There are many reasons for it. Children are pressurised by their parents for good marks and teachers, too, fail to understand the aptitude or qualities of a child.

All parents must give freedom to their children to choose their respective profession and the aptitude; talent or interest of every child must be appreciated and given great importance.

Rameshinder Singh Sandhu, Amritsar