The myth of national pride

THIS refers to Aradhika Sekhon’s article: "The (Indian) Empire Strikes Back" (September 19). This article is a true example of how modern media can build up a myth that Indian culture, artists and intellectuals are dominating the world. Astray examples of Indians being in news in various fields have always been there. We are of course proud of their achievements — but a word of praise from foreigners now and then and sporadic instances of fame are not enough to raise our national image while half our population is illiterate and lives below the poverty line. We are the most corrupt nation of the world. This is the harsh reality and the bitter truth. BBC’s polls may applaud Amitabh Bachhan but how many contracts has he signed with Hollywood or British film producers since then?

ONKAR CHOPRA
Ludhiana

Reducing stress

This refers to Sanjay Khurana’s write-up, "How to control stress" (September 19). Stress, anger and frustration are associated with the secretion of hormones that can increase your cholesterol and also raise your blood pressure. You may be wasting time by getting upset over trivial matters. Create a joyful environment around yourself. Find new hobbies and interests. A dull lifestyle increases stress. Develop the habit of smiling and laughing. The philosophy of Art Linkletter will help you greatly in reducing stress:

"Do a little more than you are paid to,
Give a little more than you have to,
Try a little harder than you want to,
Aim a little higher than you think possible,
And give a lot of thanks to God for health, family, and friends".

VIVEK SINH MAR GIRAN
Kurukshetra

II

Stress affects one’s health, heart, glands, and the whole nervous system. Stress causes many diseases and makes one miserable. We can overcome stress if we control our thoughts. An occasional bout of stress is normal. However, we must be careful when this emotion upsets us frequently, shakes us severely and fails to wear-off after a while. Someone has said: "We should look on stress as a manifestation of nervous intensity and therefore a potential source of good. Only when this latent force exhausts itself fruitlessly on unreal problems, does it harm us." The remedy is to accept ‘stresses’ as part of our life and learn to handle them by re-directing the energy we are misusing into productive channels.

O.P. SHARMA
Faridabad

III

. Technically, stress is caused by an individual’s physical and emotional reaction to pressures from his environment or from within himself. Broadly speaking, stress can be caused by any number of factors, including changes, personal problems, or illness.

The writer is right in his assertion that meditation can alleviate stress. In addition to meditation, a brisk walk in the morning will boost one’s capacity to fight against stress to a great extent. In America, a recent study has found that "walking rapidly for 45 minutes three days a week, benefits the region of the brain, where the additional oxygen taken during walking triggers faster reactions and heightens the ability to concentrate".

The best things you can do to cope with stress in your daily life are perhaps obvious, but nevertheless important: Eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, exercise everyday and take time to do things you enjoy.

P.L. SETHI
Patiala

Tea tales

The article on tea ‘Tasteful tea tales’ by I.M. Soni (September 19) was not interesting but also informative.

The writer has given all the benefits of drinking tea. These days ‘everytime is tea time’. This culture has emerged only recently. During summer it is said that drinking tea counters the heat. During winter people drink tea all the time.

Tea has been proved to be harmless. Nowadays even doctors prescribe ‘only tea’ when the patient is suffering from fever. I know a doctor who said that when one has fever one should take only tea and that too light tea. This will help one recover from fever.

UJAGAR SINGH
Chandigarh

Kurukshetra University

This is with reference to the article by Raghuvendra Tanwar, ‘Kurukshetra — the birth of a University’ (August 29).

I agree with the writer that the name of the Guru should not be made a subject of controversy. It is, however, not proper to change the name which was given to the University after careful deliberations. Moreover, Kurukshetra has historical importance.

If the Chief Minister of Haryana sincerely wants to honour Guru Gobind Singh he is advised to set up a new university in the name of the revered Guru at Yamunanagar.

Yamunanagar is a big educational centre and Sant Nishchal Singh Education Trust is running several institutions there. Mukand Lal National Trust and DAV Society are also running many educational institutions, including the B.D.S. College. All these local institutions as well those functioning at Radaur, Sadhura, Mustafabad, Chhachhrauli can be affiliated to the new university. This will be a befitting tribute to the memory of the tenth Guru.

H.B. GANDHI
Faridabad

Waris Shah

In his write-up "Legendary poet of Punjab" (August 22), Narinder S. Kapoor has observed that Waris Shah had a rich vocabulary and his ability to coin new words and a penchant for colourful similes, metaphors, etc distinguished his style.

Apparently, the poet was not very familiar with Arabic and Persian, although quite a large number of his verses are studded with words of these languages.

There are many language, grammatical and factual mistakes in his works. The poet has mentioned Chaghatais as Chaghataasiyaan, jolaahas (weavers) as jolaasiyaan, and mullas (priests) as mullvaasiyaan so that they rhyme with the qaafiyah of sanyaasiyaan (ascetics). Is this coining new terms or distorting actual expressions?

A contemporary poet, Ahmad Yaar had rightly said: Waris Shah sukhan da waaris na hatkya valya/Par mand-raahia chakki vaangoon us mota thulla dalya (Waris Shah is the lord of the realm of poetry. But his verses are coarse like the half-ground cereal produced by the badly roughened stones of quern).

Yet the fact remains that Waris Shah was a great bard with "encyclopaedic knowledge of contemporary social scene".

Some of his verses have become proverbial, such as Waris Shah na aadataan jaandyaan ney phaavein kattiyey poryaan poryaan jee (One does not give up one’s habits, even if one is cut into pieces) and Waris Shah chhupaayey khalq kolon bhaavein apna hee gur khaayey jee (Even if we eat our own gur (dried molasses), we should do it away from public view — to avoid the influence of an evil eye).

There is no doubt that the story of Heer-Ranjha is one of the favourite subject of ballad poetry. A 19th century Urdu poet of Lucknow, Sayyad Insha, said: Sunaaya raat ko qissa jo Heer Raanjhey ka/To aihl-e-dard ko Punjaabiyoon ney loot liya.

BHAGWAN SINGH
Qadian

Seeking happiness

"What’s the happiness pill?" by Mohinder Singh (September 12) was a thought-provoking article.

We run after happiness, seeking it in wealth, name, fame, knowledge etc. But happiness is not a commodity which can be purchased or acquired. Even keeping oneself busy in order to be happy is an escapist idea.

Ironically happiness lies within ourselves though we look for it elsewhere. Happiness is not a state of becoming, it is essentially a state of being. The cure of our mental trouble must come from within ourselves and not from without.

Our happiness or unhappiness depends upon the way we face the events in our life —whether we accept life or are always rebelling against it.

In spite of materialism, strangely, happiness lies in self denial and not in self indulgence — in simple, right living and right attitudes of the mind. Above all, the wonderful magic of happiness lies in contentment.

ROSHNI JOHAR
Shimla