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Magazine
Encouraging creativity
This is with reference to “Contradictory impulses?” (March 22) by Anuradha Khati Rajivan. The article has established beyond doubt that true education can be imparted only in an atmosphere that fosters creativity. The education system should not act as a deterrent to the inquisitiveness of children. Instead, it should act as a facilitator for “out of the box” thinking, which if inculcated early in childhood, can go a long way in shaping our society for the future. Educationists should take stock of the current scenario and come out with a novel idea which sees creativity and education as indistinguishable impulses. The article is timely and extremely thought provoking.
V. Varun,
Madurai
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It is rightly said by Anuradha Khati Rajivan that our education system doesn’t have a place for creativity in children. We encourage them to memorise information and to reproduce the same in their exams. We want our children to score more marks and we fail to nurture creativity in them. We consider education as a tool to get a good job and to get settled in life. As a result, our children are being forced to opt for jobs which have no relevance to what they study. Engineering graduates and graduates in agricultural sciences opting for banking jobs are the result of our present education system. We should have an education system which helps creativity in our children and in turn they can contribute more to this society.
A. Pitchaiah
Kochi
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The two articles “Creativity and education: Contradictory impulses?” and “Blinding rage” complement each other. In a way these articles should be read together to get to the root of the problem. Blind rage is not really so blind. It is an instantaneous expression of pent up frustrations for seemingly no reason at all. The intensity of expression is disproportionate to the magnitude of the provocation, sometimes with little or no provocation. This frustration starts building up right from childhood, when children are denied each and every opportunity for self expression and creativity leading to frustration. This frustration builds up as the child grows and based on the psychology of the particular individual, manifests in the form of seemingly unreasonable anger.
Kasturi Murali Krishna
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Against unjust laws
Kalpana Sharma in “Disturbed in Manipur” (Magazine, March 22) has reminded the rest of India about the relentless fight of the women of Manipur against State terror. The UPA government when it came to power in 2004 promised to repeal the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Justice B.P .Jeevan Reddy committee constituted by the government has also recommended the immediate withdrawal of the act. But, like any other committee report, this is also kept in cold storage. It is strange and shocking that thousands of armed personnel are let loose in a small State like Manipur with total impunity. How can we boast that our country is a democracy when such black acts are in force in a part of our land however small it may be? The writer rightly points out that we can not remain passive spectators when the women of Manipur are putting up a brave fight against an unjust law.
P. Vijayakumar,
Madurai
Sad neglect
With reference to the article “Lost reel treasures” (March 22) by Ranjan Das Gupta, it’s unfortunate and as well as a matter of shame that three films of the eminent filmmaker Mrinal Sen, “Interview”, “Calcutta-71” and “Padatik”, are not going to be screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival owing to the extremely bad condition of the prints. Several other landmark Bengali films are in a precarious state and their prints will be destroyed unless they are immediately archived. The ace filmmaker’s two other classics from the 1960s — “Punashcha” and “Pratinidhi” — have been lost forever. Many Bengali films of the black and white era like Tapan Sinha’s “Khudita Pashan”, Utpal Dutta’s “Jhor”, Premendra Mitra’s “Kaalochhaya” and “Moyla Kaagaj” also met with a similar fate. There is no trace of Suchitra Sen Starrer “Baloygras”, Bhanu Bandopadhyay’s “Nirdharito Shilpir Anupasthitite” or the films of our childhood days. I think the next generation will never get to see those. This is a crime against history and a great loss for Indian cinema. The West Bengal government should take the initiative for the restoration of such masterpieces.
Subhayu Saha,
Murshidabad
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It is indeed regrettable that Mrinal Sen’s films could not be screened at Cannes because of laxity and dereliction in preserving them. His grievance is understandable. Archives are our legacies to posterity which will enable them to emulate the values and virtues of the past. The film fraternity and West Bengal Government should initiate steps to see that Sen’s other films are preserved.
Raju Raghavan
Chennai
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