M A I L B A G

Pitfalls of  BPO, IT positions

According to an English poet, “With money comes moral decay”. This is the moral of “Price of Success” by Jangveer Singh (Spectrum, Oct 14).

The BPO and IT industries are helping youth to earn sufficient money but their lives are under stress. The price they are paying is really big. It has led the youth to resort to alcohol and late-night parties to ease the stress. Lengthy, odd and late work hours and work style is ruining their health and their family life is being affected.

If life is not smooth, money has no utility. Money is important in life. But money is not life. This is due to ambitious targets given to the individuals at a cost.

The task before the industry is to save the youth. Some code of conduct needs to be prescribed and observed strictly. Also, there should be some authority to monitor this code of conduct and deal with the violations.

PURAN SINGH, Chandigarh

In father’s name

“In the name of the father,” by M.L. Dhawan (Spectrum, Oct 14) was interesting. In the film industry, films produced on the father-son conflict are endless — whether it’s Awaara, Sharabi, Apne, Bhagbaan, Mughal-e-Azam, Kala Pani or Shahenshah. The reasons for the conflict are egoism, money, emotions, failure to achieve a goal, duty towards law and order, a better standard of living, etc.

In Sharabi (1984), the reason behind the conflict between the duo was of undue importance to money by the father (Pran). Similarly, in Avatar (1983), the conflict between the father and the sons was the low standard of living of the father.

In Dev Anand’s Kala Pani (1958), the hero throughout the film was in search of a father. In Maine Pyar Kiya, the reason behind the conflict was the love of Salman Khan for the heroine Bhagyashree. Despite portrayal of love-hate, there was a song Papa Kehte Hain Bada Naam Karega from Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) dedicated to the father as a token of respect.

RAVI CHANDER GARG, Ludhiana

Our forgotten heroes who fought for freedom This refers to “Sher Jung: Forgotten hero” by Shakti Singh Chandel (Spectrum, Sept 30). The writer threw ample light on this great hero. There are still many more heroes as well as heroines who fought for the independence of India and whose sacrifices could not be recognised by the people because of heaps of historical dust over them. Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Begum Hazrat Mehal, (wife of Nawab Wajid Ali), Feroze Shah (grandson of Shah Alam II), Ahmadullah Shah, Moulvi Liaquat Ali Allahabadi, Moulana Mohammad Qasim Nanotvi, Moulana Fazal Haque Khairabadi, Khan Bahadur Khan, General Bakht Khan, Azeezan of Kanpur (daughter of Husn Bano Gauhar), Jhalkar Bai, are some of the names to mention. Maulana Mohammad Baquir, who started an Urdu weekly Dehli Urdu Akhbaar in 1838, was the first Urdu journalist to be martyred by the British. Many Urdu poets contributed their part to the freedom struggle. Among Urdu poets who waged a literary war against the British were Naasikh, Aatish, Musahfi, Jurrat, Mir Anees, Mohsin, Nawab Mohammad Raza Khan Aashiq, Hakeem Aagha Jaan Aish, Bismil Azeemabadi, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and many more. The list is endless. Religions discrimination was not to be found in the early days of the freedom struggle. There was only one goal — Azaadi. The British succeeded in making a breach in this unity. So the poets urged for Hindu-Muslim unity. BILAL AHMAD SHAMIM, Qadian

Divine language

This refers to the review “All is nothing but God” by Kuldip Dhiman (Spectrum, Oct 14). It is not only the Upanishads but all the treatises penned by our ancestors that have lyricism and seminal ideas.

Unfortunately, most of us have a scanty knowledge of the divine language, Sanskrit. We have to read English renderings and because of this, the lyrical feel of the texts is greatly reduced. Teaching of Sanskrit needs to be intensified to enable the people to get acquainted with the sublime minds of ancestors.

CHAMAN LAL KORPAL, Amritsar

Call of the past

“In touch with the past” by C.D. Verma (Spectrum, Sept 30) glorifies the effort of the pandas at Hardwar in maintaining the records of the families of the pilgirms. The job being done by these people is worth its meat as tracing one’s roots is definitely a sacred experience.

This sacred journey is marred by exhibition of greed and extortion as these pandas exploit the pilgrims’ emotions. This is in conflict with the solemnity of the occasion. Many a time, this final journey leaves you feeling robbed both of your money and emotions.

ANKUR GUPTA, Amritsar