Sunday, March 9, 2003		Feedback

Parents should guide, not push

I read with interest Taru Bahl’s "Parents should guide, not push" (February 2). As parents one should arrange facilities for their children, which they themselves, as children, had been deprived of. But often in their enthusiasm to remove hurdles and arrange facilities, parents even overlook their interests and talents and force them to take up those goals in life which they themselves consider desirable. Rarely does one realise that children are neither robotic machines nor should they be considered slaves to fulfil parental desires and unrealised goals. They are tender and sensitive growing human beings who need a role model to emulate and a friendly guide to patiently understand their difficulties and aspirations and guide them accordingly.

A child should be treated as an independent entity that may be guided and advised but not coerced and forced on a particular path of life. Let him set his own goals and take his own decisions. We as parents should be there to pick him up if he falls and put him on the path again but should never attempt to lead him by the finger, howsoever desirable and great the goal may be.

VED GULIANI, Hisar

"Hats off to breaking the mould" by Manohar Malgaonkar (February 2) was quite interesting.

It is believed that the use of headgear in India of yore was based on scientific logic. The turbans in India used to have elegant, even flamboyant turra jutting out from the middle of the crown, and a long tail that hung loose over the middle of the upper back and covering the region of the spine, keeping the vertebral column cool. Besides bestowing cocky elegance and helping the wearer make a fashion statement, these extensions served the purpose of offering inexpensive yet very effective protection from heat stroke to those who had to walk long distances in the summers. In winters, it is needless to say that the headgear of more than ample protection against the cold.

VIVEK KHANNA, Panchkula

I refer to the letter "The woman of all seasons" (February 2), by Suresh Dogra of Batala. I would like to congratulate his wife, for she has been appreciated by her better half. Very few hubbies go to the extent of applauding their wives publicly. Of course, very few wives deserve to be admired.

I also felicitate the couple (the writer and his wife) for sharing such a beautiful relationship. Marriage is something you have to give your whole mind to. As per Dogra’s letter, his wife has dedicated herself to her marriage.

VANDANA ARORA, Sonepat

I agree with Chetna Banerjee’s article "Cricket’s gain will be wives pain" (February 9). Indeed, this is the story of every household. Husbands start watching cricket from the moment they come home from office. If the wives try to talk during the match, then they are ignored. I wonder why dotting husbands turn into inattentive partners during the cricket season.

Nirmal Gautam, Nangal

This refers to V. Gangadhar's write-up "Ekta: Primetime Princess" (February 2). Undoubtedly, Ekta is ruling the small screen. It seems she has got a winning formula. But she needs to do a lot more if she wants to entertain the masses for years to come. It is time she realised that in a country like ours there are many problems, including population, poverty, unemployment etc, on which serials can be made. Youngsters today belong to a rootless generation, cut off from the past and facing an uncertain future. Serials can be made which give them a direction in life.

Parneet Randhawa, Amritsar

This feature was published on March 2, 2003