Sunday, October 13, 2002		Feedback

Salman needs counselling

THIS refers to the film news item, "The new man in Ash’s life" in the October 6 issue. It is true that of late, actor Salman Khan has been behaving more like a bad guy than a hero. He has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. earlier it was the black buck case and his alleged underworld connections. Now it’s his unruly behaviour on Aishwarya Rai’s shooting sets, her seeking police protection and the latest episode of running over and killing a pavement dweller.

His wild behaviour has brought criticism not only from people in tinsel town but has also earned the flak of ardent fans.

Whatever may be the reasons for his misconducts, it is evident that he is in need of serious counselling. which brings us to the question: Where is his sister-in-law Malaika Arora Khan, who plays agony aunt to the generation next and is a phone call away to countless youth in despair? Is she too busy to make her services available to brother-in-law Salman? Surely, ‘aunt’ Malaika should remember that charity begins at home!

Parul Khullar, Chandigarh

Army wives

This refers to Pinki Takkar’s response to my article, "The making of an Army wife" (July 7). She has failed to comprehend the scope of my piece and has drawn illogical comparisons with wives of other professionals. In endeavouring to be complete, women army wives do not hinder other women from becoming the same.

Taking up Takkar’s comment these wives have their own identity", let me give the example of our own battalion. We have among the officers’ wives, six qualified teachers, a doctor, an MBA, and a lawyer. It would be easy for these well-educated women to centre lives around ‘my home’, ‘my kids’, ‘my job’, but this is not where their identity ends. These wives rise above a self-centred existence and work for ‘our family’ i.e. the regiment consisting of dependents of hundreds of soldiers.

Do not forget, the current military situation has meant yet more separation for lakhs of families for almost a year now, besides routine field separation. During this time, Army wives have braved countless births, deaths, illnesses, marriages, in the family, examinations and admissions of their children etc.

Thankfully, by and large, fellow country-men acknowledge and respect the work of our armed forces. This encourages Army wives to ungrudgingly take on more responsibilities which facilitates Army men to perform duties with single-minded devotion.

GURINDER SOHI, C/O 56 APO