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Demystifying HIV
This is in reference to the article “Hope after HIV” (November 30) which threw light on the prevailing status of HIV inflicted patients and the healthcare facilities available for them. It is quite ignominious that a HIV positive person is seen as a socially outcast and is left alone to suffer the pain and suffering.
The work of various HIV community care centres that take care of health and nutritional intake of the HIV infected persons is commendable. These centres must be promoted and given due resources by the government. Also, there is a need to enlighten people about the disease and the necessary methods to prevent it.
Tarun Girdhar
Chandigarh
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Indians first
Latika Gupta’s article “I am Hindu, you are Muslim (November 30) makes me concerned about the future generation. That innocent children develop an exclusionary awareness of religious differences even at an early age is a matter of great concern.
Let me quote an incident from Dr. Kalam’s life as it is narrated in his auto-biography Wings of Fire. Kalam, during his school days, used to sit near his Brahmin friend in class. A new teacher, unable to digest this, asked Kalam to go and sit on the back bench. When Lakshmana Sastry, his friend’s father came to know this, he summoned the teacher and told him that he should not spread the poison of social inequality and communal intolerance in the minds of innocent children. So it is the moral responsibility of all leaders, academicians and parents to mould the character of the future pillars of the nation and make them realise that they are Indians first, not Muslims, Hindus or Christians.
M.A. Mohamed Sahul Hameed
Senior Lecturer in English
VIT University, Vellore
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Early socialisation creates prejudice among the children of both Hindus and Muslims. As the article points out, muslim children are more aware of Hindu gods, goddesses and rituals.
But, Besides the family socialisation, the electronic media also plays a dominant role in the awareness of Muslim child, as they see serials like “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata” everyday on TV channels but the Hindu child is not fortunate to see similar serials on Islam.
Shubhneet Kaushik
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi
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The enigma lies in parenting. No Hindu, Muslim, or Christian parents are willing to teach young children other religions than their own at home. The impact of Hinduism is more on other minority children obviously only from the schools where they study. The more unfortunate thing is that even Hindu children learn Hinduism at their homes rather than at their schools. This again depends upon what knowledge the parents have about the religion.
Many of the Hindu children in the early formative age group are devoid of adequate knowledge of epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Muslim children lack an understanding of the real meaning of oneness.
Ko. Shafee Ahmed,
Chennai
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Touch of humanity
Kudos to the Sunday Magazine for offering us issues and articles exemplifying an imaginative balance in exercises in intellect and creativity. Mini Krishnan’s “Groceries and courtesy" (November 30) was a charming essay in nostalgia, elevated by that unmistakable touch of humanity.
Manoj Das
Email
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Unnecessary intrusion
The article “Selling One’s Child” by Harsh Mander is an appeal to each and every man in this world. Unnecessary intrusion by others had cost the life of a baby and the peace of a family. Nowadays, when man tries to bring justice, he more often ends up bringing injustice. Which mother in this world will not yearn for the wellbeing of her children? The officials are responsible for Hema’s death. When they should be taking action against the reported bribery, they were eager to curse a mother for loving her children.
Lisna Sherin M.,
Malappuram, Kerala
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