The article “The Inside man” by Dr. Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy was a brilliant analysis of behaviour and brain biology. There is a story about Vincent van Gogh. Once he found a dilapidated and discarded chair lying in a corner of a museum. He simply made a beautiful painting out of it and that painting was sold for millions of dollars later, whereas the chair itself was worthless! Such an ingenious artiste van Gogh was. Surely he could not have been an epileptic patient. Perhaps that was a rumour spread by his contemporary artistes, who were inimical towards him for his outstanding abilities!
B.R.Kumar I.B.P.S. [Retd.]
Former Deputy Director-General, AIR & DD, Prasar Bharati, South Zone
Chennai
Dr. Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy responds: Thank you for that little gem of information about van Gogh and the kind sentiments. May I reassure you that epilepsy does not rob one of creativity; indeed it may even enhance it!
Story of neglect
Kalpana Sharma's article, “Bhopal's night of terror” (November 29) evoked consternation at the continued apathy of the powers that be towards the victims of one of the worst industrial accidents in the country. It is shameful that even after the lapse of a quarter of a century, the authorities, instead of providing proper livelihood facilities to the families of the victims are hell bent upon stifling their legitimate voice for jobs, compensation and medical care. The compensation settled by the government was a pittance considering the enormity of the tragedy. The most regrettable aspect of the entire sequence of events since that fateful day has been the remarkable unity displayed by politicians of all hues at the Centre and State to act against the interests of the victims. The failure of the politicians to stand up against the company is all too glaring to be ignored. That these hapless women are continuing the fight still despite the odds stacked against them over the years is a standing testimony to their grit and determination.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan
Srirangam
Why the fuss?
The article “Great Indian marriage obsession” was interesting to read.The writer mirrors the feelings of the youth. It is true that today's youth consider marriage only secondary to several other things in life. It is always their last priority. With the increasing number of divorces they have actually lost faith in the institution. Marriage is certainly not the “be all and end all” of life. It should be considered a more private affair. Why make it a grand celebration, spending all the savings on it? Afterall it is not the ceremony that matters.What happens after the ceremony is more important.
Sandhya Suresh V.
It is true that times have changed and today people of marriageable age do not rush headlong into marriage just to please their parents and would prefer to postpone the decision as long as possible. A generation back if an eligible bachelor remained single beyond 22/23 years people would ask inconvenient questions about his character. It is no longer the case. While it is not a problem for young men with decent inome to exercise either of the options, the case of marriageable young women even if they are employed and financially self supporting. is different in our society which does not look upon unmarried single women with favour. Hence the anxiety of parents to get them married off early.
C.P. Srinivasan
Chennai
Pages from the past
Life in a Parsi household in the India of yore was beautifully described by Siloo Mehta (“Of an Edwardian India, November 29). It was a treat to read about the traditions in a noisy happy Parsi household in Bombay as it was so many years ago. Modern life is so fast-paced, that we tend to lose out on the simple joys that make life worth living; such as a nice invigorating massage by the neighbourhood champiwala, or perhaps a stroll past sandy dunes in the wee hours. It was also nice to read of Mr. Karim Khan who would faithfully send his pilau of gratitude to the writer's family every Id; reminding us that that the social fabric of Bombay has always been vibrantly secular.
Dr. Sanam Latif
Mangalore
