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THE article HIV: The positive approach by Aradhika Sekhon (May 21) was quite educative. It is a pity to note that our public health departments lack the resources to treat and control the epidemic through education and awareness campaigns. We all will do well to remember that apart from medicines, each one of us needs to get involved — even if it means being aware of creating awareness. It is time that Indian society woke up to the threat of AIDS. ONKAR CHOPRA Ludhiana Shaheed Udham Singh Apropos of Amber Sodhi’s "A fine tribute" (May 21), there is hardly any sense in linking the Tercentenary of the Khalsa and Shaheed Udham Singh. Iqbal Dhillon, a commercial film producer, shot the film on Shaheed Udham Singh only because it did not strike him to cash in on the name of the legendary martyr earlier. |
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It amounts to demeaning the sacrifice of Shaheed Udham Singh if one were to link him to the birth of the Khalsa or even to Punjab only. He, like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Khudi Ram Bose, Birendra Ghosh, embraced martyrdom to liberate India from the shackles of foreign rule, and not for the sake of Punjab alone. DURGA BHARDWAJ Solan Sharing This refers to Taru Bahl’s article "Sharing — a spontaneous act of love" (May 21). Sharing is a golden quality which implies recognising the other person’s needs and interests. This virtue does not merely denote helping others. Sharing means transparency, honesty and faith. If we share facts objectively, sharing will result in proper understanding, thereby stengthening mutual relationships. We should be spontaneous while loving others, without expecting any rewards in return. By sharing we can make others happy which ultimately gives us immense happiness and long-lasting pleasure. Sharing with others encourages cooperation which ultimately leads to compassion and kindness. AVINISH BHASKAR Yamunanagar Real love Apropos of Taru Bahl’s article "Romantic vs real love" (May 14), someone has expressed his view on love in the following words: "One cannot give what he does not possess. To give love you must possess love. One cannot teach what he does not understand. To teach love you must comprehend love. One cannot know what he does not study. To study love you must live in love. One cannot appreciate what he does not recognise. To recognise love, you must be receptive of love. One cannot doubt what he wishes to trust. To trust love you must be convinced of love. One cannot admit what he does not yield to. To yield to love you must be vulnerable to love. One cannot live what he does not dedicate himself to. To dedicate yourself to love you must be forever growing in love". ANUP KUMAR New Delhi Loving ourselves This is with reference to Taru Bahl’s write-up "Learning to love ourselves" (April 23). When we love being who we are, the rest of the world becomes beautiful too. A healthy self-image allows up to assimilate within us the compliments paid to us and the successes we have achieved. On the other hand, a person with a low self- esteem keeps pushing himself into the background, never mentioning his own needs, martyring himself for his family and friends, taking all the unfairness meted out to him. If we love ourselves it is easier to accept our shortcomings while striving to improve ourselves. CHARNJIT CHANNI JOHAL Manawali (Kapurthala) Believe in yourself Apropos of Taru Bahl’s article "Believe in yourself (May 28), someone has beautifully said—" Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve." If the thing you wish to do is right and you believe in it, go ahead and do it. Put your dreams across and never mind what people say if you meet with temporary defeat. They perhaps, do not know that every failure brings with it the seeds of success. O.P. SHARMA Faridabad II Life is not a bed of roses. It is full of shattering experiences that so frequently break us. It is certainly not easy to re-assemble the broken parts of our whole self. But still some people do it and do it so wonderfully well that onlookers behold their remarkable second birth with awed admiration and want to emulate them. And the one unique quality that makes this triumphant survival possible is their unwavering belief in themselves and their values. AMRIT PAL TIWANA Kalka III History is full of stories about men and women who faced fearful odds but reached their goals by sheer will. Take the case of Francis Parkman, the eminent historian and author of The Oregon Trial. Parkman fought against many physical obstacles which would certainly have discouraged any but the most determined and persistent. Dr Karl Menninger said "Attitude is more important than facts" A confident and optimistic outlook can overcome any difficulty facing us. "They conquer who believe they can". VIJAY SHEEL JAIN Ludhiana |
