M A I L B A G

Restoring the sanctity of marriage

Aruti Nayar’s article “Where love has gone”? (Spectrum, August 1) is not realistic. The writer’s observation excludes the common people and focuses on the elite and urban rich. She is making sweeping generalisations about Indian women in our villages and towns.

No doubt, mobiles have come and the winds of “mindless consumerism” are blowing throughout the country but it is wrong to assume that every woman is ready to change her husband at the drop of a hat. As many as 80 per cent of the marriages are still “arranged” and most of the men and women come to know each other closely only after their marriage has taken place.

There is little love between modern husbands and wives. As human beings we have become callous, cold and intolerant towards one another. Marriage ties are also affected by the same trend. Love must be brought back if want to enjoy our lives on this beautiful planet.

Dr R.B. YADAV DEHATI, Fatehabad

II

Most couples these days are not giving enough time to adjustment in their marriage. Undeniably, the charm of marriage, whether an arranged or a loved one, soon wears off. The late I.S. Johar has aptly commented, “Marriage is like a chewing gum. In the beginning it is sweet, later you just chew the gum.” But ultimately marriage is how you make it.

It is the defiance of woman’s traditional role, exposure to western culture and influence of media that causes clashes in the family. Young women should wisely combine traditional and modern roles for a harmonious relationship at home.

ROSHNI JOHAR, Shimla

III

I share the writer’s concern over the erosion of sanctity of marriages. Young boys and girls, under the influence of modernism, often enter into marital ties even without the consent of their parents but soon they find the marriage rocked with all expectations belied.

Failed marital relationships are a matter of grave concern as they result in emotional crisis, social tensions and breakdown of values. Without a happy, permanent family system, we can’t visualise a civilised society. To make marriage meaningful and successful, there is a need for mutual understanding, dedication and commitment. Marriage should not be considered a temporary arrangement to satisfy sexual urge but be recognised as a sacred bond.

NEELAM BATRA, Yamunanagar

A poet’s passion

Apropos of Rana Nayar’s “Pablo Neruda: Yug Purusha” (Spectrum, July 25), the 20th century is indebted to Pablo Neruda for his stirring, emotive, impassioned and inspiring poetry. At the tender age of 16, Neruda was an established poet. That itself speaks volumes for his gifted talent. His verse gushed from his heart.

Neruda’s greatness lies not in his poems alone. He was a multi-faceted person — a poet, romantic, diplomat and socialist to the core. He voiced the sufferings of the depressed in Latin America. His revolutionary magic has exhorted them to rise against despotism. The Spanish poet, Lorca, believed that Neruda wrote, not in ink, but in his own blood.

DEEPAK TANDON, Panchkula

Book wise

This refers to B.N. Goswamy’s “The making of beautiful books” (Spectrum, July 25) describing the history of printing with particular reference to the contribution of Johanne Gutenberg (1400-1468). Gutenberg’s 42-line Bible (1455) is the first printed book in the world. William Caxton (1422-1491) earns the honour of being the first English printer, with his book Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye (1474).

In India, the first printing press was set up in Goa in 1556 by Portuguese Jesuit priests. They printed the translated version of the Portuguese book Doctrina Christa in 1560 followed by its Tamil version in 1564. The Jesuit priests sought audience with Jahangir and showed him the printed copy but the king expressed no inclination to adopt it.

Reproduced (in analogous vein) is the epitaph of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1701), US scientist, politician and printer :

“The body of Benjamin Franklin Printer, like the cover of an old book, its contents torn and stripped of its lettering and gilding lies here; food for worms; but the word shall not be lost, for it will appear once more in a new and more elegant edition revised and corrected by the author.”

V.K. RANGRA, New Delhi

Paucity amidst plenty Reviewing Binoo K. John’s book “Under a cloud” (Spectrum, Aug 8), Rajnish Wattas rightly asserts that “every school child knows that Cherrapunji is the wettest place on earth”. Indeed, it was customary to measure rainfall there in inches rather than in mm because of the immense volume deposited daily. The unbelievable tragedy of Cherrapunji today is that it reels under permanent paucity of drinking water; it is often carried to Cherrapunji in water tankers from as far as Guwahati. The situation was so acute in 1991 that the tankers of the Army had to be pressed into service. Large-scale felling of trees and destruction of vegetative cover have turned hill sides into barren rock faces. The Rock of Gibraltor pales into insignificance when you see rock-faces all around Cherrapunji. The fresh-water springs and subterranean aquifers have all dried up as the rainwater runs off no sooner it touches rocks. This man-made tragedy does not end just there. Hills around Cherrapunji have been mercilessly mined for coal (never mind even if the coal mined is of the lowest in fuel grade). Coal is hygroscopic and, in the natural way, it acts as a “sponge” to retain and store rain water. That too is largely gone. So Cherrapunji today symbolises the prophetic stanza from Samuel Coleridge’s poem “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner”: “Water, water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink”. It is scarry to think that this might well become the curse of India in the 21st century. Lt-Gen BALJIT SINGH (retd), Chandigarh