Wrong entry

One wrong entry made at the time of filling the UPSC form at the initial stage has landed Army Chief Gen VK Singh in trouble. The entry of 10.05.1950 as date of birth whether made by school teacher or as informed by school clerk cannot be out of ignorance but certainly with purpose.

My case being quite similar to his, I can understand the paradoxical situation he is in. My actual date of birth is 24.08.1942 but in the matriculation certificate (1957) it is 24.08.1941. I had sought a correction in 1977-78 but it was not allowed by Panjab University, which took more than three years to decide. My sponsorship papers were rejected by the Canadian authorities due to this anomaly. Similarly, at the fag end of my service (58-60 yrs), on the suggestion of my juniors I did try to get right my actual date of birth in the records but it was politely refused by the management (a Government of India undertaking).

In the horoscope my date of birth is 24.08.1942, but in service/pension/identification documents it remains as 24.08.1941. The reason for going back by one year is for getting admission in King George Middle School, Kasauli. In March, 1947 (admission time), I was not five years of age and that made 1942 as 1941. One wrong entry made in the records made me suffer.

Similarly, in the case of Gen VK Singh, may be, 10.05.1950 was entered in the UPSC form with the intention of getting more than one chance for appearing in the NDA exam as no one is 100 per cent sure to clear it in the first attempt.

JAGDISH SINGH JASSAL, via e-mail

Marital wisdom

Among today’s youth, marital relations are found to be constrained in most of the cases which is hindering family peace. Sometimes, the elders of the family are either ignorant or intentionally ignore the strained relations between their son and daughter-in-law in the hope of an improvement with the passage of time.

But if there is no bonhomie between the two, it does not remain a secret for long. If the female partner with her ingenuity works to normalise the relations, it is wonderful. Otherwise, there is no solution.

In educated employed couples, particularly, the supremacy of the wife over her husband is the main hindrance in family life. No doubt, both are equal partners, but there should be one leader. In arranged marriages, caution should be taken while selecting a match.

It would also pay rich dividends if the girl’s parents mentally reconcile to a no-interference policy in the decisions of the couple or the in-laws. In actual practice, most of the dowry cases are fabricated by over-ambitious girls, which serve as an exit route for them having legal force. Severing marital ties is not the solution, at least in India. Let us learn to respect each other’s feelings, consider one as the leader and the other partner should walk along without pointing out the weaknesses. Let all decisions be discussed as it happens in a Cabinet meeting. Senior citizens of the family should also be involved in taking decisions. Let the day start with a warm ‘namaskar’ to them.