The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : The culture debate

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Thursday, Oct 06, 2005

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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

The culture debate

A lot of hype has been generated in the media, and explicit photographs splashed, on a private party at a Chennai hotel. While it has generated a debate on privacy, it has also thrown up the question whether journalists are not bound by a code of ethics. Are not some sections of the media crossing the line?

Shreela Satish,
Chennai

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Of late, any step to inculcate discipline is being misconstrued as obscurantism — Anna University's guideline on dress and cell phones being the latest. Every one has personal freedom but the same must be approved by society. The vast majority of Indians do not kiss in the open or dress indecently, which means such acts are not widely acceptable. Similarly, cell phones have already demonstrated their nuisance value, which is why within a few years of their being widely used we see notices prohibiting them in many places.

B.N. Kapali,
Chennai

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Volumes of white have been blackened on whether the dress code infringes on the rights of students. Half-a-century ago, the number of schools that prescribed a uniform was very limited — a fact to which those who went to school between the early 1940s and 1950s will vouch — and most of them were convents. The uniform mania caught on later. If uniforms are acceptable in one stage of learning, why should they be given the go-by as soon as students step into college? Uniforms usher in a sense of equality and camaraderie. If introduced in colleges, they will bring immense relief to the not-so-well-off parents.

K.N. Ramachander,
Bangalore

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All colleges should introduce uniforms at the earliest. Parents can save a lot of money and students can concentrate on studies without worrying about what to wear the next day. Freedom to dress has led the West nowhere.

Abdul Rahim,
Chennai

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Mahatma Gandhi was half-naked. Sage Shuka was naked while he narrated the Bhagavatham to king Parikshit. Digambar Jain monks remain naked after diksha. The huge statue of Bahubali at Sravanabelagola is naked. Are all these violations of Indian culture?

Koti Sreekrishna,
Mason, Ohio

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