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Forging a bond with the USA Hari Jaisingh’s "A majestic..." (Oct. 1) made interesting reading. The interest of the USAin India is not due to love or affection, but money. It’s money and money alone, that makes the (US) mare go! Whether it is Bill Gates or Bill Clinton, they need India’s rich resources to be billionaires. It’s resources, either natural or human, that attract others. Due to the glorious past and imminent future of India, Indians are welcome wholeheartedly everywhere. They have proved their worth everytime they are put to test. They have carved out their niche in each and every field. Rare characteristics like honesty, dedication, perfection, concentration and full exploration of their worth and talent are all that make them "required everywhere". But, alongwith, it is also high time we curb the brain drain, and utilise Indian intellect for our own prosperity and development. Then we will be far more sought-after! H.S. DIMPLE II Besides being packed with innumerable facts and sharp observations, the pictures accompanying it are also delighfully loquacious. How correct is the comment "One can really see the advantages of a pluralistic, multi-ethnic, multi-religious American society"! It was a real pleasure to see the reproduction of the menu card of the dinner given in the White House in honour of our Prime Minister. One can faintly gauge the extent of the formality and solemnity attached to the occasion, besides having a glimpse of its lavish scale. AMRIT PAL TIWANA |
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This refers to N.K. Oberoi’s write-up: "A writer forgotten" (September 3). It is regrettable that there was hardly any mention of Munshi Prem Chand’s birth anniversary — which fell on July 31, in the media. It is rather sad that we as a nation did not pay proper homage to the memory of the great writer Munshi Prem Chand. I fully share the anguish of the author. It has been rightly brought out that the empathy Prem Chand felt for the rural poor, their beliefs, hopes and fears concerning their destiny and human identity has now degenerated into a stance, a fetish, gesture at best. One is also shocked to learn about the dilapidated condition of Prem Chand’s house. It must be maintained as a national memorial. I would appeal to the heads of our Sahitya Akademis (both at national and state level), our educational and literary institutions, universities and colleges to organise function/seminars to pay homage to the memory of Munshi Prem Chand — our great writer who till date remains our literary inspiration and the source of our moral imagination as a people. ONKAR CHOPRA Tell me why In her write-up "Tell me why" (September 24), Taru Bahl raised a basic question — why do people follow a course which leads to self-destruction. Since children are not born with an innate sense of what is fair or just, it must be presumed that proper training and education instil the right values in a child. That is why the process of socialisation is so crucial. The role of both parents is important in this regard. Studies have shown that incidents juvenile delinquauency were highest among children who did not have adequate interaction with their fathers. In a home where parents are consistent, the child learns that his own behaviour determines how others respond to him and this is a crucial element in his believing that he can exercise some control over how others behave towards him. If on the other hand, parents are inconsistent, as happens in delinquent homes, the child learns to dissociate his own behaviour from rewards and punishments that come from others. He feels more powerless to influence his social environment. P.L. SETHI II T.V. serials and films are also responsible for encouraging smoking among teenagers. It is common knowledge that in most serials and films whenever there is a scene that requires the artist to look tense or worried, he/she is shown drinking and smoking. This tempts the young viewers to believe that smoking relieves tension stress, strain, worry and anxiety. This wrong impression is adversely affecting the psyche of many teenagers. The government should ask film and T.V. serial producers to desist from showing smoking scenes in films/serials. O.P. SHARMA |
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