M A I L B A G

Remembering the trauma of Partition

The Train of History by Prabhjot Parmar (Spectrum, August 5) depicts the communal holocaust of 1947 as seen through films.

I was studying in Class VI at that time and remember those few days of killings by fundamentalists in Pakistan and India. Our village, near Ahmedgarh (i.e. Kalahar), was the first in Punjab where around 10 Muslims were killed on the night of August 15.

The next day, killings started in the whole of Punjab and Muslims started fleeing Malerkotla state.

Sikhs did not indulge in killing in the territory of Malerkotla state. This was because the late Nawab Sher Mohammed had raised a voice against the killing of two young sons of Guru Gobind Singh.

While passing the Doraha-Bhatinda-Sirhind canal, dead bodies were seen floating and students watched them while standing on the bridge or the banks of the canal.

Who was responsible for Partition? It was the Congress and Muslim League leaders, who were interested in ruling a divided India. Jawaharlal Nehru ruled for 17 years and Jinnah became Qaid-e-Azam.

SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

Sex education

The article “Who’s afraid of sex education? by Vibha Sharma (Saturday Extra, August 11)

raises many issues. Sex education should not be taught either as Kamasutra or as pornography. Adolescents should be taught biological and psychological phenomena.

Moreover, its nomenclature should be such that it becomes self-explanatory.

All instincts need not be taught, they can be self-taught.

 Adolescents need to learn about the biological and psychological, development of their bodies. While teaching, we should not hurt the sentiments of the children, parents and teachers. Society as a whole, should be the gainer and not the loser. In the name of free expression, information from films, Internet, magazines and pornographic materials is in abundance. By arousing latent sexual desires, the so-called liberals, protagonists of free sex are damaging young minds. On the contrary, the conservatives do not like even genuine questions related to sex to be answered.

While deciding the course to be followed, the interest of younger generation should be a priority. Healthy trends need to be set in motion. Teaching of biological and psychological development should not be projected only as an AIDS-control programme. Free sex among the younger generation should be discouraged.

We must educate our children regarding their biological and psychological needs and urge to channel them. Sex-related education programme should not be conceived, taught and projected as merely a programme with focus on AIDS and reproduction.

Boys and girls should be taught separately in a healthy way. Its nomenclature should be the biology of matehood or parenthood, instead of sex education.

RAGHBIR SHUKLA, Amloh

Food for thought

“Past perfect, present tense” by Khushwant Singh (Saturday Extra, August 4) was thought-provoking. Khushwant Singh, with a view to promoting a potboiler, has once again stooped low enough to fabricate lies.

The events of barbarity he has tried to deny are still existant and are growing. Singh may be a good raconteur but he has no respect for facts and mostly spins a yarn.n

GEETANJALI KORPAL, Amritsar

 

Crime and punishment The observations made by Khushwant Singh in “Crime and punishment” (Saturday Extra, August 11), with regard to the punishment awarded to Sanjay Dutt are apt. Had the criminals responsible for the destruction of Babri Masjid been promptly tried and given exemplary punishment, there would have been no blasts in Mumbai. It is true that action induces reaction. The politics of hatred promoted by some Hindus against the Muslims was responsible for the destruction of the Babri Masjid. Unless this tendency is checked, peace will remain elusive. The author is right that the judge should have granted parole to Sanjay Dutt to work on the condition that his earnings would be given to the relatives of the victims of the Mumbai blasts. It would make both the parties happier. If the red book is found wanting in such a provision, it can be introduced by making an amendment. GURSHARAN SINGH NARULA, Ludhiana