Heroes and villains
“Beyond prisms of prejudice” documents the shift in the portrayal of Muslims in our film industry in the best possible manner. Our filmmakers command mass appeal, therefore the little steps taken by them to break the shackles of conventional ‘prejudices’ surrounding minorities have a major influence on the average Indian. Movies like “Rang De Basanti” touch not only the emotional but also the moral chord of the viewers. The baton taken up by the pioneers needs to be passed on successfully in order for the race towards a “Truly Secular India” to come to a winning end.
Akshay Mohunta
Email
“Beyond prisms of prejudice” made interesting reading. Prejudice is a subjective matter and depends on perception or understanding. Hence there is no need to blame the filmmakers for having projected a particular community as villians or fundamentalists. Movies reflect realities and above all the audiences are not pushovers to accept somebody blindly as villians or heroes.
Inamdar Ramchandra
Bangalore
Hope for the future
Kalpana Sharma in “Changing Men” (August 24) has clearly delineated the phenomenal transformation that is taking place in society on the rethinking of gender roles. With the contours of male and female domains getting redefined and reoriented, men are no longer the dominant patriarchal heads and females are no more the weaker personalities. The shackles of conservatism are getting broken as far as the life partners and their respective roles are concerned. With the conventional male and female stereotypes giving way to dynamic models, one can foresee a full-fledged “equal partnership” in families a reality at not too distant a future.
R. Sampath
Email
In a hurry
Harsh Mander’s “Warriors against the State” (August 24) is an eye-opener both to the police and people. In handling the cases of terror and treason, the investigative agencies are working overtime and overwhelmingly, and impatiently than patiently, barbarically rather than tactfully to achieve early results and rewards. Both the electronic and print media have exposed several cases of innocents being arrested. Kamal Sani
Hyderabad
Friend of India
Kishwar Naheed’s open letter to Ahmed Faraz (August 24) was immensely moving. A literary giant, Faraz is a household name in India. He was also a great friend of India. What a pity that just after the publication of this letter he passed away and with his demise the last bastion of Indo-Pak friendship appears to have crumbled.
Prof. Anil K. Joshi,
Ranikhet
True test
With regard to “Embracing love” (August 24), please count me as an ahimsa person — it is there in my mind, I wish to follow it 100 per cent but I know I have a long way to go. Often, we think of ahimsa only in terms of our relationships. We hardly talk about the himsa that we do to ourselves. When we wallow in self-pity, when we hold grudges, blame or guilt, when we resent the circumstances that present themselves before us, when we do not take care of our physical and emotional health, we are the perpetrators of the greatest himsa. As Gandhiji said, it is easy to be an ahimsa person in an atmosphere of ahimsa; but to follow ahimsa when confronted and surrounded by himsa….that is the true test!
Vasanthi Murali
Email
Informative and helpful
As a senior citizen, I have immensely been benefited from your articles on health and fitness. The one on “Corporate Wellness"”, by Dr. Sheela Nambiar (August 24) is one such. The writer has clearly spelt out the important aspects governing fitness with the call that corporates should encourage their employees to follow a healthy lifestyle. The dictum that good health doesn’t denote mere absence of disease is to be taken note of.
T.V. Ramamurthy,
Chennai
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