The chosen ones

APROPOS of N.S.’s article "They are the chosen ones" (July 17), it is really very agonising for parents of mentally retarded, disabled and handicapped children. The problem becomes acute when these children start growing up and reach adulthood. In some families, parents start blaming each other and in the words of the writer attribute it to each others ‘genes’. While reading a book on children, I came across a few was under the title "Heaven’s Very Special Child" which may perhaps give comfort and consolation to such parents:

A meeting was held quite far from earth. It’s time again for another birth, said the angles to the Lord above. This special child will need much love. His progress may seem very slow, accomplishments he may not show and he will require extra care from the folks he meets way down there. He may not run or laugh or play, his thoughts may seem quite far away, in many ways he won’t adapt, and he’ll be known as handicapped. So let’s be careful where he’s sent, we want his life to be content. Please Lord, find parents who will do a special job for you. They will not realise right away the leading role they are asked to play. But with this child sent from above comes a stranger faith and richer love. And soon they’ll know the privilege given in caring for this gift from Heaven. Their precious charge, so meek and mild is "Heaven’s Very Special Child".

O.P. SHARMA
Faridabad

Poetry of Iqbal

In his article: "A great eastern poet, philosopher" (July 10), Subhash Parihar has given brief but valuable knowledge about Mohd. Iqbal and his tomb at Lahore. Iqbal was great philosopher and poet. He wrote in Urdu and Persian. He compared eastern culture and western culture and finally rejected western values. In his poetry he lauded the sanctity of eastern values.

Although both Sialkot and Lahore are now in Pakistan but Iqbal was a poet of undivided India. So, being an Indian he deserves attention from Indian people as well as the government of India. However, both have ignored him. Even Urdu and Persian, in which Iqbal expressed himself, have not been treated in the way other Indian languages are.

If we want to familiarise the masses with the writings of Iqbal, we have to encourage these languages.

RASHID-RASHEED
Patiala

Come on, India

This refers to Aradhika Sekhon’s article "Come on, India" (July 10). Patriotic songs broadcast during Kargil crisis have mostly been from old films, with perhpas the exception of Yeh mera India. This shows we have lost our patriotic fervour. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. The wave of patriotism sweeping the entire nation at present must never subside. We can repay our debt to our valiant jawans by making sacrifices at our individual level and by doing our duty with honesty and dedication.

Secondly, we must avoid fanatical patriotism as typified in Bal Thackeray’s demand that Dilip Kumar return the Nishan-e-Pakistan. We have to make fresh initiatives for peace in the sub-continent, as no war can be won conclusively. Co-existence is the only alternative to a nuclear conflageration.

S.K.SHARMA
Lucknow

Love defies definition

Khushwant Singh in "This Above All" has analysed meaning of love in his write "Love Defies Definition", (July 17). Love cannot be defined. According to James Kavanaugh "Love is a complex experience which seems to follow no rules but its own. Romantic love can have the power of a hurricane or the tenderness of soft west wind..." For Coleridge "Love is a master passion". According to Ghalib, the celebrated Urdu poet, love is nothing but craziness. The writer agrees that there are many kinds of love which have nothing in common except an undercurrent of emotions towards a person or thing. Love has different meaning for different people. There is, however, a lot of difference between love and lust. Pandit Nehru in one of his writings brings home the same when he points out that lust is concerned with the body while love is concerned with the heart. "Affection (love) and loyalty are of the heart". Shakespeare idealises love in the following words.

"Love surfeits not, lust like a glutton dies
Love is all truth, lust full of forged lies".

VIJAY SHEEL JAIN
Ludhiana