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Movie mothersThis refers to
“Mother of stereotypes” by M.L. Dhawan (Aug 19, Spectrum). Besides the actresses mentioned there have been few others who left a mark in mother’s role. Leela Chitnis acted as Dilip Kumar’s mother in his magnum opus Ganga-Jamuna as well as Naya Daur. She was also mother to Sunil Dutt in B.R. Chopra’s Sadhana and so also to Dev Anand in Kala Bazaar. Who can forget the great portrayal of a foster mother ‘Madam Deesa’ to Raj Kapoor by Lalita Pawar in Anari? Her performance was the hallmark of the movie. So also her role as greedy and scheming mother to Madhubala in Mr. & Mrs. 55 leaves an impact. Another Leela i.e. Leela Mishra, the heavy- weight mausi of Sholay, essayed many memorable roles in old movies including Daag where she was stepmother to the heroine Nimmi. This movie also had Lalita Pawar as mother of Dilip Kumar and her performance was again very impressive. H.S. SANDHU, Panchkula
Forest, their abode In “The Tale of Tiger (Saturday Extra, Aug 18), Usha Rai deplored the decreasing tiger population 40,000 in early part of the 20th century, to just 1300. The human population is crossing one billion. Millions of kids, and even adults, go to sleep with half-filled bellies. As government officers and ministers enjoy the democratic set-up, wild animals should flourish at the cost of the exchequer. The tigers and leopards are born in forests. Let the nature take care of them. We should differentiate between birds, animals, wild animals nd humanity. The abode of wild animals is forests and they should not come to the places which are inhabited by people. SHER SINGH, Ludhiana
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Apathy to heritage
Varinder Walia deserves appreciation for his write-up “Reviving Ram Bagh” (Spectrum, Aug 12). It should open the eyes of the government as also the authorities of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation to the rapid deterioration of the heritage buildings in and around Amritsar City. It is, indeed, a matter of grave concern that under the guise of renovation, the state government has been destroying the historical and heritage buildings and institutions. The shifting of the century-old government senior secondary school situated near the city kotwali was ill-advised and was a politically motivated action.
Unfortunately, whether it is the Akali or the Congress that is in power, their only thrust is to appease one segment of the people. This approach runs counter to secular traditions. Look at the area around Durgiana temple as also other historical temples in and around Amritsar. Ram Tirath, a heritage temple hardly 20 or 25 km from Amritsar presents an ugly spectacle of apathy of the administration. Before Partition, evenings in the Ram Bagh during summer were a treat. Hundreds of people, young and old, would be there for relaxation and to ward off heat. Thandi Khui was another attraction where one could quench one’s thirst. I was a regular visitor to Ram Bagh in those days and it had became a habit that after playing hockey in the Alexandra grounds near the Ram Bagh, a glass of cold water from the Thandi Khui was a must. In pre-partition days, Tar Wala Pul on the upper Bari Doab Canal, Amritsar-Jalandhar road was a picnic spot. From there to Sultan Wind, different groups of people of the city would visit it on Sundays to enjoy the salubrious surroundings. The apathy of the state government is visible in the poor maintenance of the heritage structures. The century-old Sultan Wind canal bridge connecting Sultan Wind village with the city is in a deplorable state and can collapse any time. It is time for the state government to ponder and act quickly. SOM DUTT VASUDEVA, Addl. Advocate General (HP), Camp: Amritsar
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