Contents Preface1. Is Modern Life Making Children Unhappy? ―LibbyBrooks 12. Keep Kids Off Computers ―KrishnaKumar 63. Growing Aggression in Children ―Dr.SamirParikh 104. Youth And Terrorism ―AnandPrakashAdlakha 175.YouthPowerWhyTheyRevolt ―K.D.Gangrade 196.Neo-RichYouthInclinedTowardsGunCulture ―P.Raman 247.AnActionPlan ―DhirendraSharma 328.MoralEducationNeedofHour ―NeelamLuthra 379.MoralDebate ―NitiPaulMehta 4210.EmpathyIsNaturalButNurturingitHelps ―JaneBrody 5211.KeepLearningToStayYoung ―RadhikaNagarth 5812.TrueEducationPromotesSpiritofInclusiveness ―SadhguruJaggiVasudev 6013.OurChildren…LetUsHandleWithCare ―B.O.Sebastain 6314.PingalwaraDiary 67

PREFACE “EveryChildcomeswithmessagethatGodisnotyetdiscouragedwithman”.TheseweretheviewsofRabindranathTagore. In the development of personality of childbesideparentsandteacherssocietyplayanimportantrole. Society is the web of social relationships andit isalwayschanging.Man is socialbeingandhe isdependentonsocietyforprotection,comfort,nature,education,contentofhisthoughts,hisdreamsandhisaspirations.ButintodaysocietythereisgreatinfluenceofmediawhetheritisT.V,Radio,ComputerorInternetonchildrenpsychologicalhealth. The imparting of the value education to thepresentdaychildrenandyouth is the last resort thatcansavesocietyfromdisaster. This booklet contain the articles selected byBhagat Puran Singh Ji (Founder of Pingalwara) and Bibi ji Dr. Inderjit Kaur [President, All India Pingalwara Charitable Society (Regd.)]. TheRole of Society in growth of children isexplainedinarticle“Is Modern Life Making Children Unhappy?”byLibbyBrooks.Childhood has always been a disputed territory, its true geography quicklyforgotten as we grow older, replaced by an adult

imagineduniverse.Butthereappearstobeagrowingconsensus that childhood today is in a peculiarlyparlous state. In a letter to the Daily Telegraph last week,apowerfulcollectionofexpertsarguedthatthefast-moving,hyper-competitivenatureofoursocietyisseriouslydamagingchildren’smentalandemotionalwell-being.Theysuggestedthatjunkfood,computergames and constant testing in schoolswere directlyresponsible for the well-documented escalation inchildhooddepression. So is childhood genuinely in such crisis?Certainly, children growing up today are subject toincreasingcontainment,surveillanceand the tyrannyofconsumerandmoralchoice. Neelam luthra in “Moral Education Need of Hour” suggestedthattheimpartingofvalueeducationtothepresentdayyouthisthelastresortthatcansavesociety from disaster. The parents and the teachersmust join hands to overcome this dilemma. Theparentsmust restrict their children from exposed tosuch a filthy and cheap literature as shown in somefilms and television programmes. It is possible onlyif theyare themselvesanexample to theirwards. Inthe educational institutions there is a cryingneed toteachbasicvalues likehonesty,obedience, integrity,

sincerity, punctuality, positive thinking and non-violence.Thisisonlypossibleifateacherhimselfisthe possessor of all these qualities before he acts asrole model for the students to follow. Niti Paul Mehta in Moral Debatetalkedabouttheroleofsocietyandsocialmedia inmouldingthepersonalityandcharacterformationofchild. Iamsurethat thisbookletwillbehelpfulfortheunderstandingtheroleofsocietyinBroomingupchildren. SuchbooksareprintedbyAllIndiaPingalwaraCharitableSociety(Regd.)anddistributedfreeofcost.Kindly donate generously for this work.

Ms. Ritu SharmaD/o Late Sh. N.K. Singh and Late Smt. Promila

C/o Dr. Inderjit Kaur (Mukh Sewadar) Pingalwara

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Is Modern Life Making Children Unhappy?

LibbyBrooks Childhoodhasalwaysbeenadisputedterritory,itstruegeographyquicklyforgottenaswegrowolder,replaced by an adult imagined universe. But thereappearstobeagrowingconsensusthatchildhoodtodayisinapeculiarlyparlousstate.InalettertotheDaily Telegraphlastweek,apowerfulcollectionofexpertsarguedthatthefast-moving,hyper-competitivenatureofoursocietyisseriouslydamagingchildren’smentaland emotionalwell-being.They suggested that junkfood,computergamesandconstanttestinginschoolswere directly responsible for the well-documentedescalationinchildhooddepression. So is childhood genuinely in such crisis?Certainly, children growing up today are subject toincreasingcontainment,surveillanceand the tyrannyofconsumerandmoralchoice. And yet our panic about childhood betrays a deep ambivalence, too. Our children are in danger,fattened on fast food, corrupted by commerce,traumatized by testing.And at the same time, otherchildren are dangerous, malevolent beneath hoodedtops,chaoticintheclassroom,bestialinthebedroom.

Beforewecanhavethepublicdebateonchild-rearingthat the letter writers call for, we need to unpickwhichofouranxieties truly reflect the realityof thesituation. Taketheelectronicmedia,oneofthecorruptinginfluencescited.Anditisworthrememberingthattheimaginativelifeofchildrenisfullofviolenceasanyonewhohasspentanytimeinaplaygroundcouldtellyou.But today’s concerns exist in the context of broaderadult unease about the proliferation of technology,particularly in the home and the challenge to adultauthority that it represents. Thereisnodoubtthatchildren’saccesstomediaand theprevalence and extremityof sexviolence insuchmediahasvastlyincreased.Andagrowingbodyof research links electronicmediawith amedley ofdevelopmentalhorrors.Butsomeinthefieldbelievethatmanyofthesestudiesareflawedbecausetheyviewviolenceasanobjectivecategoryandfailtoinvestigatewhataudiencesthemselvesdefineasviolent.Vexed Question Andthequestionofcorrectionversuscausalityremains vexed.A Lancet review found that violentimagery was more likely to increase aggressivebehaviour in children who come from violentfamilies.

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Aswithotheraspectsofchild-panic,concernsaboutmoderntechnologyreflectasetofassumptionsaboutwhat it is tobeachild: that theyarepureandcorruptible,thattheyareunabletodiscriminateortoassesswhattheyseewithanydegreeofsophistication.Regulation alone risks falling back on the standardof the incompetent child. We need to engage withchildrenandhelpthemtodeveloptheirownstrategiesforcopingwithtechnology. The Telegraph letter describes children asbeing“pushed by market forces to act and dress like mini-adults.” Of course, consumer culture offerschildrenaccesstoareasofadultlifefromwhichtheyhavetraditionallybeenexcludedButthedesiretogetolder younger is not a new one. Adulthood has always meantfreedomtothechildwhofeelsrestricted.Whatis new is that the template of adulthood presented to themisoneofconspicuousconsumption.Itissurely,adulthood that has been most grossly distorted byconsumer culture and reflected back to children asavenal, vapid, selfishplace.Perhaps it is adulthoodratherthanchildhoodthatisincrisis. Ourtangledagendaisagainseenintheletter-writers insistence that children should have “real play.”Butwhere?Under-investmentmeansthattherearefeweropenspacesforchildrentoinhabit.Andthose

thatareleftaredullandovertlysafety-conscious.Oursociety’sprofoundriskaversionkeepschildrenintheirbedroomswiththeirdangerouscomputergames. Thenormoftheindoorchildhaslednotonlytofearforchildrenwhodoventureout—usuallyfearof the vastly exaggerated stranger danger—but alsoto fearof them.Teenagerswhocongregateonstreetcornersareseenasanuisanceandathreat.Itisworthaskingwhether confinement is also serving an adultconvenience. If childrenno longer regard the streetsas their territory, their elders won’t be disturbed bygamesorgangs.Nordocardrivershavetothinkaboutlowering their speed. Increased surveillanceof childrenbyanxiousparentsor, in extremis, thepolicemeans that youngpeople are spending less and less time alone amusing themselves.InhisbookSolitude,psychiatristAnthonyStorrs made a compelling argument for why the capacity tobealone isessential tocreativedevelop-ment? When the childhood experience is one ofcontainment,whatbecomesofself-discoveryandself-realization? Whichleadstothecoreoftheletter’sthesis—thatmodern lifemakeschildrenunhappy.Children’smentalhealthhassteeplydeclinedinthepast25years.Anestimated0percentof5to15yearoldsintheU.K.

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useschildandadolescentmentalhealthservices.Itiscertainly thecase that, for adults andchildrenalike,increasedaffluencehasnotmadeushappier. Inrelationtochildren,expertshaveidentifiedavarietyofcontributingfactors:academicpressure,thedrawn-out transition to adulthood, drug and alcoholabuseandofcourse,parenting.Indeed,manyarguethatacrucialpolicyimprovementwouldbetheprovisionofparentingclassesinschool.Butmorefundamentally,wecanhelpchildrenandadolescentsdevelopamorecoherentsocialidentityonlybeallowingthemgenuineinvolvementintheworldtheyaregrowingupin. In an essay on fostering resilience, SebastianKraemeroftheTavistockClinicwrites:“Inaworldinwhichindividualityisacknowledged,evencelebrated,resilience is best understood as the experience ofagency: thatwhatyoudoorsaymakesadifference,that it isworthwhilemakingplansforyour life, thatyouarenotsimplyahelplessvictimofforcesbeyondyour control”. But children, he argues, are stillrelativelypowerless,“atthemercyofouradultterrorofhelplessness.” Aboveall,let’sstarttalkingtochildrenratherthan about them.Then perhaps they can provide uswithsomeofthesolutionsthemselves.

(The Hindu, September 20, 2006)

Keep Kids Off ComputersKrishna kumar

Parentsand teachersdon’tbelieveyou ifyoutell them that computer, do little good to children.Aren’t American and European pre-schools alreadyfitted with computers? If they are then there mustbe something good about exposing children to theexcitingworldofcomputersatanearlyage.Andalso,ifcomputersaregoingtopervadeourlivesintheyearsto come, isn’t it a good idea toget childrenused tothemearly?Computersarenotjustmachines,youaretold; theyaresymbolsofhuman transformation.So,whyshouldn’tchildrengainmasteryoverthembeforestartingtheirjourneyoflife? Why not, indeed? Educational theoristsworldwidearenotyetconvincedaboutthegoodthatcomputersmightdoduringchildhood.DavidElkind,an American expert on children’s learning has thisto say about the argument that computers can assistin children’smental development: “With succeedinggenerationsofcomputerlanguage,evenyoungchildrenmaybeable to interactwithcomputers inways thatwould permit reflective abstraction. But we are notthere yet and for the present computers that present

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programmedlearningtoyoungchildrenareexamplesof mis-education.’’ Elkind is guarded because thecraze for computers is so strong that someone, evenanexpertwhosaysthatcomputersmayhavenegativeconsequencesforchildhoodcouldbeseenasbeingoutof his mind. Andyet, it is easy toappreciate thedilemmathat anyonewhoknows either childrenorpedagogywellwouldfaceifaskedaboutthemeritofintroducingcomputers in children’s education. Exciting thoughtheinteractivepotentialoflearningwiththehelpofacomputeris,suchlearningisnosubstituteforinteractingwiththeenvironmentandtheobjectsinit.Computershaveanaddictiveeffectbutevenifonemightprotectchildrenagainstsuchaneffectbymonitoringthehourstheyspendwithit(seehowsuccessfulwehavebeenin preventing similar addiction on T.V), we cannotcomparetheexperienceofunguidedplayorthepursuitofaninterestinnaturewiththeexperienceofsittingbeforeacomputer.Theworldofchildhooddoesshrinkwhen knowledge takes the shape of a monitor. Advocatesofcomputersandeducationalpolicy-makershoweveraredeterminedtotreatcomputersasisolatedsymbolsofprogressandmodernization.Thatiswhy,schoolswhichhavenocleantoiletsordrinking

waternordecent libraries and laboratoriesarebeingequippedwithcomputers.Adingy,crumblingstructurewithoneair-conditionedroomwherethecomputersitsissoongoingtobecomethenationalsymbolofschooleducationforthecomingcentury.Thereisnosignthatthegovernmenthasdecided toworkouteducationalprioritiesinarationalmanner.Symbolicgesturesareall we seem destined to get in the name of priorities. Saraswati Vandana and computers are examples ofsuch symbolic gestures. Neither is going to meanrestructuringandconsolidationofoursad,strugglingsystem. May be we will start rethinking about theillusorypromiseoftheinfotechindustrywhenWesterneducatorsbegintoquestionitopenly.Thefactisthatnot just questioning, even resistance has alreadybegun.Inhisforthcomingbook,The Digital Diploma MillsDavidNobleunveilsthesordidfaceofcorporateinterests who are promoting online education withthe collaboration of university administrations andgovernments. Their primary motive is to bring thefaculty under disciplinary control, then to de-skill itandfinallytodispensewithit.AsNoblesays,“Once the faculty convert their courses to courseware, their services are in the long run no longer needed.’’

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A common plea one hears these days is thatstudentslovehi-techinstruction.InatleasttwomajorAmerican universities, students have voted against hi-tech instruction and this kind of resistance isgrowing. A new movement, reasserting the role oftheuniversityasasourceoffreethoughtandenquirybasedon face-to-face relationshiphasbegun to takeshape.OurtrajectoryinIndiamaybealittledifferentbutwecanberestassuredthattheassertionofteacher’sautonomywillsooncomeinconflictwith theforcesof commercialization in education, both hi-tech andothers.

(The Hindustan Times, January 3, 1999)

Growing Aggression in ChildrenDr.SamirParikh

InFebruary2012,a15yearoldstudentstabbedhis teacher in classroom in a classroom in a privateschoolinChennai,TamilNadu. In December 2007, two teenagers brought aguntoschoolandshotafellow14yearoldstudentinGurgaon. InApril2007,astudentkilled32personsandwounded25othersbeforecommittingsuicide,onthecampus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversityVirginiaU.S.A. Wemayhave been caught off guard thefirsttimeround.Butwecannotaffordourselvestheluxurytobesurprisedasecondtime. These events, both in India and abroad, havecausedanuproarworldwideandhave ledsociety torevisitsomeofitsnorms,culturesandpolicies. When we speak of aggression, however, we can’t restrict ourselves to these ghastly, widelypublicizedactsofviolence. A regular menace Aggression comes in many different formsand it has now become a menace that every childhastodealwithonadailybasis.Smallargumentsinschoolhavenowgrowntoresemblegangwars,replete

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withhockeysticksandknives,with50membersper‘gang’. Reportofsexualharassmentandviolenceareincreasing.Children,thesedays,seemtohavelosttheabilitytocompleteasinglesentencewithouttheuseofabusiveorswearwords.Theactsandconsequencesofraggingandbullyinghavebeenobviousforallofustoseeandreadaboutinthenewspapers.Socialexclusionandotherformsofpassiveaggressioncandoagreatdealofpsychologicaldamageaswell.Cyberbullyingisthelatestintheevolvingandever-changingformsof aggression. Concernsoveraggressionamongchildrenhavebeenincreasing.Socialmediahas,perhaps,beenoneof the greatest factors responsible for the increasingaggressionamongchildrenandteenagers.Theculturalstereotypesthatsurroundchildrenthesedaysenforceexpectationsof‘macho’ behaviouramongboys. Childrenwhobullyare lookeduponasbeing‘cool’ andothers follow for the samekindof socialapproval—simply tofit inwithpeers.Childrenwithacademicaswellasemotionaldifficultieshavebeenfound to be more prone to aggressive behaviour.Even clinical conditions such as depression oftenmanifest as aggressive behaviour among teenagers.Children’s lives are becoming increasingly stressful.

Ourcitiesarebecomingmorecongestedandthesafeoutletsforchildrentodischargeoftheirenergiesaregraduallydecreasing. In fact, studieshavesuggestedthat environmental factors such as increased heat,crowding and even the accessibility toweapons can increasethelikelihoodofaggressivebehavour. Theconsequenceofaggressionaredevastatingforallbutmoresowhenthevictimisachild,stillatanascentstagewherepersonalitiesareonlyjustformingandwherecopingmechanismsarenotyetentirelyinplace. Acts of physical violence, bullying andsocialexclusionhavethepropensitytoleadtomanypsychologicaldisturbancessuchaslossofconfidencelowered self-esteem and difficulties in sleeping.Children,whothemselvesareatthereceivingendofaggressiveacts,whetherinhomesoramongtheirpeers,aremorelikelytoengageinaggressivebehaviour. In that case, the victim then becomes thevictimizer broadening the net of violence andaggression.Psychiatricconditionssuchasdepression,anxietyandeatingdisordersmayalsodevelop.Thefactsarecleartosee—childhoodandteenagedepressionisontherise.Adolescentsuicideisalsoontherise. Adult often tend to ignore childhood aggre- ssion; they treat it as apartofnormaldevelopment,

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hopethechildgrowsoutofitandbasicallyjustpushit under the carpet.Thebadnews is that aggressionamongchildrenisontherise.Thegoodnewsisthattherearethingswecandotocurtailit. Problem management Aggressionmanagementneedstocometotheforefront—enterthedomainoftheclassroomaswellas thatof thedinner table.Angerandaggressionareboththingsthatcanbecontrolledandchildrenneedtobetaughttheskillstobeabletodoso. *Educate children about different kinds ofaggression—thatit isnotrestrictedmerelytoactsofphysicalviolence. *Discussthepotentiallongtermconsequencesof aggression, both on the victim as well as theperpetrator.Focuson teachingchildreneffective lifeskillsandmovebeyondtheacademiccurriculum. *Teachermusttaketimeoutofregularclassesandteachchildreneffectiveconflictresolutionskillsaswellaseffectivecommunicationstyles.Parentsneedto do the same at home. * Explain to children the difference betweenaggressive and assertive behaviour and encouragethelatter.Screenforvulnerablestudentsandaddresssocialandemotionalneedsandconcernofchildren. * Schools must adhere to a zero-tolerance

policy towards bullying, ragging andother formsofaggression.Thecorrectivemeasures taken,however,shouldbereformativeratherthanpunitive. Hitting the child is a terrible idea—in fact,corporalpunishmenthasbeenfoundtoonlyincreasetheincidenceofaggressivebehaviour.Instead,aimtounderstand the child and later educate and sensitizethechild.Psychologicalcounselingforboththevictimandtheperpetratorofaggressionisalsoadvisable. What is most important to remember is thataggression is a learnt response. Children do what is being done around them. What the kids need arepositive, pro-social role models. And this socialresponsibilityofbeingeffectiverolemodels fallsoneachandeveryoneofus. Childhood aggression has become a greathazard to the society.What it nowneeds tobecomein thepriorityofparents, teacher andpolicy-makersalike. The Role of Social Media The Super Columbine Massacre RPG is a role-playingvideogame,whichwasreleasedin2005.The game recreated the infamous 1999 ColumbineHighSchoolShootings. Fivedecadesago,AlbertBandura,apioneeringsocial psychologist, proved that aggression is, to a

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largeextent,alearntresponse. Children learn aggression by watching andimitating the behaviour of others. With the risinginsidenceofaggressivebehaviouramongchildren,itishightimethesocialmediaisbroughtunderscrutiny.Themediadoesn’tjustrepresentourreality;itcreatesit among the way as well. It begins with childrenimitatingthechokeslamstheyseeonWWF,followedbyreproducingswearwordsthathavebecome‘cool’, thanks to our new age reality shows. RealityT.V isnot justgettingdumberby theday, it is also gettingmeaner.The cartoons childrenwhicharen’tfreeofaggressionanymoreandneitheristhenews.Whethertelevisionortheinternet,violenceis everywhere. The problem is that role models arechanging.Childrendon’t havemanypro-social rolemodelstolookuptoanymore.Itis,insteadaggressive,intimidating,rowdy,anti-socialbehaviourthatcatchestheeyeandevokesacclaim. Videogames are another major cause forconcern.BeitHitman.CallofDutyorthecountlessothers, the constant exposure to the violent imagerythat characterizes such games has led children tobecomedesensitizedtoviolence,leadingtoaculturethatnormalizesaggression.Itisasifviolencedoesn’t’botherthekidsasmuchanymore.

Inasocialenvironmentsuchasthis,childrenareatthereceivingendofthousandsofmediamessagesevery day. So, educating children about the socialmediaisessential.Conceptofmedialiteracyneedtobeintroducedinschools.Childrenneedtobeempoweredwiththeknowledgeandskilltofilterandmakesenseoftheinformationtheyarebombardedwith.Weneedto discuss themediamessages that children receiveandhelpthemanalyzethem.Childrenneedtobetoldwhatisrealandwhatistobebelieved.Consequencesofaggressiveactsneedtobelookedinto. Weneedtointroduceworkshopsandinteractivediscussions on the subject in schools and in thecommunity,at large.Students themselvesneedtobetransformedintoeffectiverole-modelsfortheirpeersandjuniors.Atthesametime,changecanonlycomeaboutitparentsandteacherscometogethertolobbyin,tryingtobringaboutchangesincurrentsocialmediapractices.Whatweneedisstrongercensorshipandalotmoreengagementwithchildrenandadolescentstotakeawaytheimpactthatthesocialmediacanhave.

(The Tribune, May 10, 2012)

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Youth And TerrorismAnandPrakashAdlakha

Sir,—Modern violence makes no distinctionbetweenaVIPandanordinaryperson,richandpoor,criminalandinnocent.Dailynewsbulletinsofdeathevoke impotent anger. Cries of relatives of wholefamilies slaughtered, corpses shown on televisiondo not help the killers to repent.We arewitnessingthe strange phenomenon of all-round helplessness,of unlimited political power failing to overcometinypocketsof so-called terrorismscatteredalloverthe world. The latter are highly motivated persons.They have a commitment to achieve or Perish, nogovernment agency can evermatch.They fight, notfor personal gain but for some cause dear to them.Their revolutionary spirit, though oftenmisdirected,is far more real and valuable than what politiciansandbureaucrats,whoputselfbeforethecountry,canmuster.Buttheywillneedtobeconvincedthattherearebiggerandmoreimportantcauseswaitingforthemto fight for.This is not an insurmountable problem.Becausequiteanumberofthemareeducatedyoungpeopleofexceptionallystrongwillpowerallnationscanputtouse. Modern man is rightly proud of his science

anditsrationality.Whatislackingandwhatmustbemusteredwithfullforceisfaithinreasonandreasoninfaith,whichtheBuddhapreached.Thisistheonlyhopeforhumancivilizationtocontinueandprogresswithoutfearofself-annihilation. Faith devoid of free inquiry and reason isfanaticism which gives rise to communalism andterrorism. Faith wedded to reason was the basis ofMahatma Gandhi’s approach to life, including thefreedomstruggle.Nowonderitsucceededinpushingamightycolonialpoweroutofthiscountryandothers.Faithplus reason isagreat forcewhichcanachieveanything.Itcanhelpustoseeanduseourrevolutionaryspirit in its true form. It is the children and youth who are to beaddressed. Simplicity of the child and idealism oftheyoutharegreatassets tomakeagoodbeginningtowards reform implementation. A series of higher causesshouldbeplacedbefore themeachprovidingpracticalopportunityforthemtoassumealeadershiprole and learn to bring about basic changes andimprovements in society. Give them the confidenceandknow-howandleavetheresttothem—thatwouldbeawisepolicy.

(The Hindustan Times, 31 March, 1990)

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Youth Power Why They RevoltK.D.Gangrade

Youth power has to be reckoned with andlistened to. The apprehensions and actual problemsof the youth have to be understood and resolved.The authorities must have continuous discussionand dialogue with the students to defuse the issue of reservation. The psychological distance between theyounger generation and the older generation has become a normal feature of the present society.Revolt and indiscipline are the natural outcome ofsuchasituation.Thepresentagehas rightfullybeencharacterizedbyyouthrebellionthelieofwhichhasneverbeenseeninthepast.Thestudentshavebeeninthevanguardofsucharevolt. AGGRESSIVEPATH Allovertheworld,fromSorbonnetoCaliforniaandfromTokyotoLondonandfromIndiatoChina,students are on an aggressive path and demand thattheirvoicebeheard.Manytheorieshavebeenofferedtoexplainthecontemporaryrevoltoftheyouth.Ithasbeen argued that their rebellion is an expression ofthe critical times inwhichwe live,when all values

arebeingquestionedandwhennoinstitutionreceivesautomatic allegiance from its members. The youthnaturallyrevoltsintheabsenceofanythingwhichcangivemeaninganddirectiontolife. Ontheotherhand,ithasbeenarguedthattherebellionisacharacteristicofanaffluentage.Theyouthhasceasedtobedependentontheoldergeneration;byitself itconstitutesaneconomicclasswithwealthofits own. The rebellion of the youth is basically areflectionofthegrowinggulfbetweentheyoungandthe old. The old are seen not merely as out of date butalsoashypocritical.Theyouthfindstheworldinamessandblamestheoldergenerationforit.Thelatterarenottheexactmodelswhodeservetobeemulatedby the young.This is true both in theWest and theEast. Inthe42yearsofIndependence,therehasbeenamarkedchangeinthecharacteroftheleadershipinbothsocialandpoliticalfields.Inthepre-independenceperiod the youthwas in the nationalmovement; theleaders were ‘accepted’. Todaywe find that leadersinalmosteverywalkofpubliclifehaveforfeitedtherespectoftheyoung. Serious differences, even conflicts, are

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inevitable in the process of transition from traditiontomodernity.Theneed tohavegreaterflowofeasycommunication, sympathyandunderstanding to tideoverthedifficultiesofthepresenttransitionalperiodthroughwhichthelargerIndiansocietyispassinginthe midst of many stresses and strains from within andpowerfulinfluencesfromoutsidehasbeenrightlystressed. Theprogressofsocialchangewouldbefasterandsmootherandourdevelopmentalgoalscouldberealized more speedily and effectively, if the activeinvolvement and enthusiasm of the youth can begenerated,guidedandchanneledthroughappropriatemodalitiesofaction.Thepresentunrestinthecountryand especially on university campuses and frequentchallengestoauthoritybystudentactivistscannotbetackledwithoutsufficientknowledgeandappreciationofstudentmotivationsandtheirorigins. ISOLATION Unfortunately, the isolation of students fromtheir elders grows with the growth of numbers ineducational institutions and the growing irrelevanceof the education process itself. Policy-makers,educational administrators and even teachers havelittlecontactwiththethoughts,feelingsandaspirations

oftheyoungpeople.Thebondsofunderstandingandsympathy have snapped and the youth is sullen andrudderless while they become needlessly depressedandembittered. Theignoranceofstudentmotivationsandyouthattitudes is the strongest among those who plan and executeour educationalpoliciesorwhatgoesunderthat description.The need of the presentmoment ismore authentic knowledge and greater patience andsympathy on the part of elders. To generate sucha climate of understanding and cooperation, theeducators and policy-makers must have dialoguesanddiscussionsatdifferentlevelswiththepeopleofdiversesectionsandregionsofourcountry. UNESCOSTUDY TheUNESCOstudyonthesubjectconcludesthat cooperation, rather than confrontation, is theemerging pattern of relationships between the twogenerations.Theattitudesandvaluesoftheyoutharethewinningforcewhichwilltransformthecharacterand values of the culture before long. The signspointing to the way of cooperation are strong anddependablebutthefuturecanalsotakeamoreviolentandunexpectedcourseofconflictandconfrontation. Alotdependsuponthewishandthecapacityof

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thedominantestablishmenttosatisfytheaspirationsoftheyoungandintheprocessofdoingso,transformingitselftoalarger,wiserandmorepurposefulsegmentof Indian society inorder toprovide adynamic andimaginative leadership. This can only be achievedby evolving an adequate youth policy and nationalprogrammesofaction. Thepotentialitiesofyouthfornation-buildingandalsothepossibilitiesofitssubversiveanddestruc-tiverolecannotbeignoredanylongerbutsofarlittlehasbeenattemptedandlessachievedfordevelopingadequate, relevant and viable youth policies. If therulingestablishmentbeginstoappreciatethesupremeimportance of the involvement and cooperation oftheyouthinnation-buildingandsocialdevelopment,appropriateyouthpolicieswillsurelyemerge.

(The Hindustan Times, 25 October 1990)

Neo-Rich Youth Inclined Towards Gun Culture

P.Raman IthasbeenafashionforustoridiculeKarlMarxforhis failedprophecy.His rigid characterizationofclass,basedonthesocialandeconomicbackgroundofapersonorgroup,maynotfullyfitinto21stcenturyparadigm.ButalookatthenocturnalpleasurehauntsofCapital’semergingclassofrichandpowerfulwillconvince one of the aptness of the good old man’sexactingdefinitionofclass. Theirlifestyle,showofwealthandpowerthatgowithitandtheutterunconcernfortherest—allthisconstitutes a statement of the typical class. Even inthismoderncrowdoftherich,thesocialclimbersfromthemiddleclasswithalltheirlackofself-confidence,stand out. Watch the pathetic adjustment problemsofalowlymodeljustintothecircuitoranambitiousmanagement trainee eager to join the club.A semi-literateprosperouspropertydealercanmoveinMBWsandeasilybuyasmany100 rupee coupons asotherfromMaliniRamani.ButhisroughbackgroundwillmakehimamisfitinsocialiteBinaRamani’sTamarindCourtofKutubColonnadeatMehrauli.Thatexplains

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theclass—inspiteofthecontemporarytrendofrapidupwardmobility. Suddenly, ex-model Jessica Lal’s midnightmurderinfullviewofacoupleofhundredcelebritiesas bared the ugly side of the partying setswateringhole.Scribescovering‘celebs’—theyhavetheirownslangs—inDelhi say the latterhave specificday foreachhaunt.DjinnsforWednesdayBina’sColonnadeforThursdayandHyattGymandRavePartiesforotherdays.Theyhavetomovewithquicklychangingtastesto maintain their “celebhood”. Theme parties, wearetold,isthenewcrazeofthesupercrat.WhentheyattendaBollywoodpartytheyhavetodressupasfilmstars; in “hair party,” womencomeinattractivelooksandthereisared,amberandgreenparty.”Everythinghastobeexclusiveandthewretchedclassshouldnotpollute theclub.That is theemergingphilosophyofthenewsocialite. Old clubs and five-star hotels have becomestale for India’s upcoming rich and neo-rich. Thesuddenmushroomingofthesprawlingprivatefarms,“courts” ofdifferenttastes,“exits”andfive-stardiscosis indicative of the preferences of“party animals”. Thenewtribeisdangerouslyaggressiveascomparedto their relatively dignified older generation. After

all,theyhavetocatchupwithglobalization.Oflate,there have been several cases of rowdy behaviour,brawls,scuffles,stabbingandshootoutsinvolvingthenewgenre.SomegounreportedastheglitteraticouldeasilysuppresstheincidentsasotherwiseabadnamewouldForcetheirclosure.Sometimeback,awaiterwas found drowned in a swimming pool of a haunt. It wasabruptlyshutdown. Inanothercase,thehusbandofawell-knowndesignerwasstabbed.Therewasanotherstabbinginafive-stardisco.Anartistwasdraggedoffthedancingfloor and stabled. Thus, the shooting of Jessica Lalwasamanifestationofthenewtrendofpartying-cum-gun culture. The fun-loving rich youth who are soconsciousof theprotection theirbirthcouldprovidethem,hardlybotherabouttheconsequences.Itisafastlifeandyouthhavetoactfasttomakethemark.Thearroganceofwealthmakesthemblind.Availabilityofeasymoneyandguns,parentalprotectionandabsenceofcharacterbuilding—tallclaimsofthoseresidentialschoolswheretheseguysgettheireducationapart—provideanidealgroundforthegroomingoftheneo-richyouth. Most of them are raised on “guilt money” amassedbytheprosperous.Forthosehavegrownup

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feedingonvideogameslike“kills and scores,”firingandmurderseempartofthenormalimpulses.Insuchgames,themoreyoukillonthescreen,themoreyouscore.Thetriggercouldbepulledjustforthefunofitorontheslightestprovocation.Itcanberefusaltopourmoreliquororanargument.Justthisweek,a13year oldRanchi boy took out his father’s gun fromhisschoolbagandshotanotherboyintheclass—liketheir video games. A similar incident was reportedfrom down below south. Delhi has 60,000 licensedguns, i.e. one for every 200.Webley Scots orColtshavebecomeafashionwithtoday’sneo-rich. Animpressionseemstohavebeencreatedthatpoliticiansandbureaucratsarethemainvillainsofthepiece.Theymayhaveafairshare.ButitistravestyoftruthtodepictDelhi’smidnightmodelmurderasthemisdemeanourofapolitician’ssonalone.Eveninthisparticularcase,twoseniorexecutivesofamultinationalcolddrinks’cartelhavebeenarresteddespitetheinitialmoves to save corporate honour. It simply reflectsanew twist inwhich awhole lot of playersmerrilyindulgeinbusinessmixedwithpleasure.Amongthemare bigwigs from business, wheeler-dealers, plainfixers andmedia imposter. Contacts are established,businessnegotiatedanddealsstruck.

BinaRamani’sColonnadewhere Jessicawasshotdeadhasbeena typical case.Likeother super-rich haunts of the national capital, it has violatedevery available rule. Serving liquor without licensehasbeenacommonfeaturecausinghugerevenuelossto the exchequer. The excise department has actedonlyafter thepress reported thekid-glove treatmentof the glitterati. They violate the deadline rule fornightparties,banonwomanservingliquor(theverystrengthofthesehavenshasbeenlissomecelebs)andcomplaintsofpublicnuisancebyneighbours. Inhercase,theArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiahad objected to her establishments in both places.A DDA official, who had served notice on her fordemolition,was suddenly shunted to theAndamans.Thesub-inspectorwhohadthetemeritytoremindherof certain violations found himself transferred to afarawaypolicestationtheverynextday.ShephonedthepolicechiefintheSI’spresence.Thatistheblatantdisplayof thepowerofmoneyand influence.Whenseniorpoliceofficersvisittheplace,willtheirjuniorsdaretoprosecutetheowners? Bina Ramani’s metamorphosis from a rampgirltothenation’ssocialitegururepresentsthegrowthofDelhi’ssuper-richandtheupwardlymobileupper

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middle classwith all their bar girls, celebs,models,theboldandbeautifulandthehighandmightyofthatgenre. It marks at transformation from the rather timid club-going genteel of yesteryear to a generation ofdaringgo-getters.ThephenomenonofRomeshsharmaandthedrunkenbravadooftheBMWboyshavebeenmanifestations of this kind of grand globalization.Incidentally,RomeshSharmahimselfisprettyclosetoBinaRamani,whohadaweddingathisfarmhouse. Change in lifestyle, fashions, behaviour andhabitshaveatendencytospreadoutatbreakneckspeedandintensitytothefarthestcorners.Afewyearsback,thefirst priority for thosewho visitDelhiwith kidswasavisittoAppuGhar.NowwehaveiteverywhereinIndia.Pornvideosaremorepopularinsmall-townparlours.Popularityofaparticulartrend,sayfashionitself’s is its enemy. If everyonebegins to go in foraparticularwear,itceasestobeafashionanddiesanaturaldeath.Bythetimeitpercolatestolowerlevels,inahorizontalexpansion,italsoundergoesdistortions,losesitsoriginaltraitsandbecomesshoddywithallitsconsequencesonphysicalandmentalhealth. Everyfancy-pricedcosmeticisavailableintheoriginalbrandnameordeceptiveimitationsatweeklybazaars and corner shops of slums and lower class

colonies.The slum girls’ aspiration to go in for thesamecosmeticmemsahebsuseonT.Visbeingtakenfulladvantagebythelocalproducersofshoddygoods.Such crude cosmeticsmade of cheap chemicals areharmfultohealthapartfromcausingirritationandskintroubles.Asimilarthingwillhappenwhenthe“fash frat” and “haute couture”cultureseepssmalltowns. Anaimlessgenerationsfastcomingup,thankstoaconspiracyofexcessiveconsumerism,misguidingmedia,misleading ad campaigns and infectiousT.Vprojections.Itbeginswiththemindlessglobalizationbased on ‘sell or perish’ philosophy. If there is no demand, you have to create or grab it. It knows novaluesorethics.Tosellyouneedmoreadstoreachthetarget.Topenetrateminds,youneedmoreappealingshowsevenifittendstosickenyourmind.MoreT.Vand glossies mean more ads and more sales. The whole campaign is based on the inherent humanweaknessformoreaccretionandbeinginanexclusiveclubofconsumers.Youcanbeacutekidorcharminggirlifyouuseaparticularbrand. The multi-billion cosmetic industry and thebeautybusinessthriveonsuchcultivatedfads.Inthemid90s,wefoundeverygirlwantingtobeaSushmitaSenorAishwaryaRai.Beautyclinicssprungupinevery

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street corner. Slimming fad the carefully engineeredconceptofbeautyhasitsownmassiveglobalbusiness.Out of this, emerged a newgenre of celebrities andsocialites.Theyhavetheirownhighlypricedglossieswhichrevealtheirattributestothelaity.Newspapersnow have their own colour pullouts to glorify thesupercelebslifestyle,tastes,favoureddressandfood.Curiously, assorted groups of middle class models,big-timedressdesignersandplainsocialitesareallputin the same paradigm. Thismediaportrayaloftheprivilegedasnewicons triggers off intense social strains due to itsaspirationaleffectonthemiddleandlowerclasses.Thegrowingcriminalizationoftheschooldropoutsandtheillusoryambitionsoftheyouthareitssymptoms.

(The Tribune, May 11, 1999)

An Action PlanDhirendraSharma

The Government announced a major pro-gramme to encourage generation of additional threemillionjobsfortheeducatedunemployedintheprivatesectorby1994-95.Atpresent,thereareabout20lakheducatedyouthunemployedinthecountrywhocannotwaitforanotherfiveyears.Evenwithhighgradestheycannotgetadmissionstohighereducationalinstitutions.Seatsavailableinmedicalandengineeringcollegesaretotallyinsufficientconsideringthesizeofthecountryand the high demands for these professionals. In the draft of the 8th Five Year Plan theGovernment has also promised to create jobopportunities particularly in hitherto neglectedsectors.This emphasis is awelcomedeparture fromthepolicyof thepreviousGovernmentwhichaimedatthe21stcenturywithoutmeetingthechallengesofthe predominantly agro-industrial society with lessthan30percent literacy.Butall theseeffortswouldremainineffectivesolongastheirexecutionwasnotcarriedoutatthegrassrootlevelsandthemasseswerenotmadeawareoftheirrightsandresponsibilities. SERIOUSPROBLEM Themostseriousproblemfacingthecountryis

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thethreattoourdemocraticsystembylackoftrustandrespectforpublicinstitutions.Eveninnormaltimes,almost 50 per cent educational institutions remainclosed due to students unrest. Educational standardshave been permitted to be lowered in order to helpunemployed youth. The Government, therefore, hasrecognizedurgencyforallocationofresourcestojob-orientedschemesinthe8thPlan.Buttheyshouldalsolaunchcrashprogrammestoopenmanymoremedicaland engineering colleges and job-oriented industrialoutletsinruraldistricts. However,bigindustrialprojectswithbigfundsarenottheonlywaytogeneratejobs.TheGovernmentplanshavereliedoncomputerindustrytocreateabout200,000 jobs in the next five years.There aremorepurposefulsocialserviceactivitieswhichcanprovidegood jobopportunitiesbutdonot requirebig funds.Providing children’s nurseries, medical and nursingfacilities in everyvillage andurban localitieswouldoffer almost more than five lakh jobs. In contrast,projects like computers and atomic energy wouldrequirebigfunds. PROPOSALS Intheexecutionoftheproposedplanswemustnot ignore the principle of rural social welfare and

environmentalsafety.Mobilisationoftheyouthforceisalsolongoverdue.TheGovernmentshouldconsiderintroduction of National Service Force for SocialReconstruction (NASFORCE) for all unemployedable-bodied citizens. Through such a scheme about20lakhyouthcanbeeasilyassuredminimumstipendunderNASFORCEduties.Itwillalsohelptostaggerthe huge influx of graduating manpower to the jobmarket. Manpower is our most superior resourceand it canbe effectively utilized through aNationalConscription Scheme. Under this, every graduateshouldberequiredtoservethenationforoneortwoyearsonaminimumstipend.Onthebasisofnationalandregionalneeds,individualsmaybegivenachoicefor national service befitting their age, health andeducationalbackgrounds. The National Service may be divided into five divisions: Education and Scientific Division:Thisdivisionshouldtakechargeofspreadingadultliteracyinallpartsofthecountry.Explorationandefficientutilizationofnaturalresources,innovationandapplicationofagro-industrial technology, development of renewableenergy resources, public and personal hygiene,

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propagation of scientific attitudes and principles ofcivicresponsibilitythroughadultandmasseducationalactivitiescanbetakenupbytheE.SD. Engineering and Construction Division: Maintaining and repairs of canals, dams and publicutilitybuildingslikeschools,hospitals,diggingtube-wells, construction of solar and bio-gas plants andmaintenance of public utilities and civic centres forcommunityactivitiesinvillagesandsmallertownships.Thisdivisioncanalsoberesponsibleforfightingsoilerosionandassistingineffortsoflandreclamationandreforestryinthearidzonesofthecountry. Civil Administration Division: This divisionshallprovideauxiliary force topoliceour roadsandhighways,tosupervisecitytrafficandtokeepasocialcheck upon anti-social elements. Such a volunteerforcecanalsooverseethepoliceservicesattheStateand Central levels and help to provide additionalmanpowertoincreasetheeffectivenessofthecivillawand order authorities. HEALTH,FITNESS Health and General Fitness:Millionsofman-hoursarewastedeveryyearduetolackoffitnessofourworkingpeople.Thedivisionshallprovidethenationwith a kind of “doctor on bicycle”—(Chinesebarefoot

doctor) type programme under which immunizationand first-aid services can be provided at grassrootslevelstothemasses.Rulesofpublichealthandhygienecanbespreadtothevillagesbytheopeningupofnewrural health centres and their propermaintenance inruralsectors. Cultural Division: Youth with artistic andcreativetalentsinperformingartsshouldbeorganizedunder this scheme. Regular visits of 6-12 monthsduration may be organized shifting them to thecountryside from one region to another, creating anew cultural awakening among the young.Throughtheir art performances they can assist in generatingenthusiasmabouteconomicplans,infusesenseofunityanddisciplineandotherissuesofsocialadvancementand family planning.

(The Hindustan Times, October 25, 1990)

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Moral Education Need of HourNeelamLuthra

Theadvancingenvironmentalpollutionofthe present times is coupled with the pollution of themoralenvironment.Atnoothertimeinworldhistoryhasmanfacedthisdilemmaastoday.Modernscienceandtechnologyhasastonishinglyenhancedthenaturalpotentialofmanandthereisagapbetweentheexternalcapabilities of man and his internal moral strength.Sincemanhasapotentialofbothevilandvirtue,themodern allurements have dragged man to differentpredicamentsandmaladieswhicharebeingconfrontedbyhumanracetoday.Weexperienceatotaldeclineinthehumanvaluesinthepresentdaysociety. Thepoliticallifeofourleadershasbeenexposedin the Jain Hawala Scam recently. These so-calledguidesofthemasseshaveacceptedmoneyinlakhsinthenamesoftheirpartiestofightandwintheelectionsandthushaveshell-shockedtheentirenation.Whenthelawmakersaresodishonest, immoralandvalueless,howcanweexpecthonestexecutionoflawsbythem?Andprobablythisisthereasonthatrightfromtheirsecretaries down to their office clerks immorality isprevailing.Andtheirvictims,beinginnocentcitizens

are running helter-skelter on riot-ridden streets.Murders, lawlessness, rapes, fraudulent practices inbanking,tradeandbusiness,thecommercializationofT.Vandmovies,sexdiscriminationetc.haverenderedourcountryweak,shakenandratherungovernable. The modern youth is the outcome of thisvaluelessset-upofsocietywhoissenttotheschools,colleges,universitiesandprofessionalinstituteswithanobjectivetobecomeeducatedandlearngoodmannersandetiquette.Theeducationofachildactuallystartsfromthecradleandthemother’slap.Sincethismodernyouth is an imported stuffof thatvalueless strataofsociety, he cannot behave in amanner inwhich theeducationistsexpecthim tobehave.Whenwe throwa glance at the presentworld scenariowe find splitpersonalitieseverywhere. Currently, the knowledge which is beingimpartedisdisintegratedandgivenpiece-meal,henceresulting in disintegrated personalities and society.Sotheteacherisencounteredwitharebelliouspupilinsteadofahumbleandobedientseekerofknowledge.The relationship between the teacher and the pupilhas deteriorated to such an extent that the studentshave almost stopped respecting and recognizing theteachers.

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The teachers are themselves responsible forbringing an ugly situation for them. The deliberatedisinterestedness in them to teach their studentsin classrooms has brought the students to a state ofchaos.And taking advantage of this situation, someteachers have started compelling students to takeprivate tuitions. Thus classroom teaching has nowbeenreplacedby“drawing room coaching”whichhasadversely affected the fate of students coming frompoorfamilies.Someofthemareforcedtoadoptunfairmeanstopasstheexaminations.Thewholeeducationalset-upseemstobelikeasinkingshipwhichmustberescuedifwewanttobringaboutsocialrenaissance.Thereisnoothersilverliningintheskythantoimpartvalueeducationtotheyounggeneration. Tomymind, the presentfilms and televisionprogrammes are mainly responsible for fuellingviolence, sexual lust, drinking and kidnapping etc.ThepityisthatthisobscenematerialinfilmsandT.V programmesisapprovedbytheCentralBoardofFilmCertification ignoring the destruction it is going tocause.Andthus,lackofvaluesinearlyperiodoflife,mayresult inproliferationofcharacterlessnessinallprofessions,allsegmentsofsocietyandallspheresofhumanexistence.

There is a lot of intellectual propaganda infavourofvalueeducation insocietyby thereligiousreformers, philosophers and intellectuals. Instead ofsittingontheHimalayastomeditate,theyhavecomedown to general masses for their awakening and to advocate thevaluesof life,viewing thesinkingshipofmoralvaluesinthedeepsea.Atthesametimetherulersshouldalsonotkeeptheireyesclosedonsuchan issue. Theimpartingofvalueeducationtothepresentdayyouthisthelastresortthatcansavesocietyfromdisaster.Theparentsandtheteachersmustjoinhandstoovercome thisdilemma.Theparentsmust restricttheirchildrenfrombeingexposedtosuchafilthyandcheap literatureas shown in thefilmsand televisionprogrammes.Itispossibleonlyiftheyarethemselvesan example to their wards. The mother enjoys themostrespectablepositioninsocietyasateacher.Shecan inject moral values in her child from the verybeginning. Intheeducationalinstitutionsthereisacryingneed to teach basic values like honesty, obedience,integrity, sincerity,punctuality,positive thinkingandnon-violence.Thisisonlypossibleifateacherhimselfisthepossessorofallthesequalitiesbeforeheactsas

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role model for the students to follow. The most significant issues are to feel thedire necessity of value education for society whichforms the basis of life. Education accompanied bymoralvaluesiswisdomandablessingandeducationwithoutmoralvaluesisatoolofexploitation,ameanstoachievematerialgainsandawaytofalse‘pride and prejudice’. Society must realize the vital importance ofthesevaluesinhumanlife.Otherwise,thetimeisnotfaroffwhenwewillcomeacross“moral bankrupts” and “first class devils” in every sphere of life. Byimparting of value education, i do not advocateinflictinganyadditionalburdenofsyllabusandcoursesonthestudentsbutifeelthatitshouldbeinterwoveninthetextureofeducationinsuchawaythatthechildshouldhaveplentyofopportunitytomouldhimselftothevaluesheisbeingtaught.

(The Tribune, June 10, 1996)

Moral DebateNitiPaulMehta

TheMMSscandalhasbrought intofocus thedepths of depravity and perversion into which rawinstinct and unbridled passion can lead even ourotherwiseeducatedyouth.Itwillbeunrealistictoviewitasastray,isolatedcase.Itpointstoadiseasewhichhas grown and spread its tentacles rather too fast ina promiscuous society.Unless our societywakes uptothis loomingmenaceandparentsandteachersgettogethertodealwithit,itmayswallowouryouth. Blamingthechildwillnotdo.Thechilddoesnotgrowupbyhimself. Thefamily,theschoolandthesocietyatlargeplay a decisive role in shaping the personality andcharacter of the child. The tragedy of our times isthatallthesethreeagencieshavelosttheirtraditionalcommitmenttothechild.Thefamilyhaslostitsholdonthechild. Vitiated atmosphere Acompletelyvitiatedenvironmentoutsidethefamilyhasacquiredadominantroleinmouldinghispersonalityandcharacter.He imbibes little from thefamily. The relationship between the child and the

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parentsisnolongerascompleteasitoncewas.Infact,today’sparentsarespendinglessandlesstimewiththechild.Evenwhentheyaretogethertheyhardlyevertrytotransmitorinstillanypositivevaluesinthechild. The relationship lacks the needed warmth.Thecommunicationisformalandcasual.Thefeelingof togetherness is missing. There is no proper moral education. As a result today’s youth has become avictim of inadequate conscience development. Themedia, both print and electronic, has thrown socialcommitment and responsibility to the winds andprojectsmostlywhat is dirty, vulgar andobscene inlife. Whatneedstoberememberedisthatfreedomofexpressioncannotbelimitless.Anyfreedomwithoutresponsibility,restraintandself-controlismeaningless,theverynegationof the spirit andethicsbehind thewholeconceptoffreedom.T.Vchannelsmostlydishoutviolence,crime,sexandsleaze.Musicvideosaretheworstoffendersinthisrespect.Allthisleavesanunhealthyandnegativeeffectontheviewers,especiallyontheimpressionablemindsofthechildren. The worst part is that it tunes their minds of thinkinaparticulardirectionandinaparticularpattern.Thenetdolesoutpornographyindiverseformsandthe

cybercafesthreatentobecomethenewagebrothels.The adolescentmind is being assailed by images ofunhealthy,casualsex.Today’schildisgrowingupinanenvironmentheavilyloadedwithimagesofviolence,murder,kidnappingsandcorruption. Itwouldbewrongtopresumethatthesethingsdo not have any effect on the mind and fantasy ofthechild.Infact,muchofwhatachildsees,hearsorexperiencesbecomesapartofhim.Agoodpartofitsticks to him all his life.To a very large extent thechildisaproductoftheenvironment. Tomorrow’s men As anAmerican poet,WaltWhitman, wrote:“Therewasachildwentfortheveryday,andthefirstobjecthelookedupon,thatobjecthebecameandthatobjectbecameapartofhimforthedayoracertain,partofthedayorformanyyearsorstretchingcyclesofyears.Theearlylilacsbecamepartofthechild…Andthe old drunkard staggering home from the outhouse ofthetavernwhencehehadlatelyrisen.” That child never leaves and even when hegrowsupandbecomesaman,thatchildisstillthere.Whatkindofchildrenarewemouldingtoday?Whatkindoftomorrow’smen? Sexisapowerfulinstinct.Itisnotwisetoincite

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it.Theresultsofpromiscuityand“sexual liberation” are before us to see.What happened at some cybercafes in Agra was reported in this paper. AnothercasewasreportedfromGhaziabadschoolwheretwostudentsofclassesVIandVIIIwereallegedlycaughtwhileforcingaclassIIstudenttohaveoralsexwiththem. ManydecadesbackWillDuranthadwarned,“Our civilizations has unwisely stimulated this seximpulse.Ourancestorsplayeditdown,knowingthatit was strong enough without producing. We haveblown it upwith a thousand forms of incitation’s—advertisement, emphasis and display—and armed itwiththedoctrinethatinhibitionisamistake,whereasinhibition, the control of the impulse, is the firstprincipleofcivilization.” Self-controlandrestraintinspeech,behaviourand in interpersonal relationships are necessaryattributesofacivilizedandculturedperson.Nomoraleducationcanbecompleteunlessitlaysproperstresson healthy, human sex norms.Animals are instinctcontrolled creatures. Humans, through education,trainingandupbringinglearntocontrolandregulatedtheirinstincts. Parentsneednotbeauthoritativebuttheymust

maintainacertaindegreeof control and supervisionover the child. They should know where the childgoes,whatcompanyhekeepsandwhathedoesinhissparetime.Itistheirresponsibilitytoguidethechildabouthowtospendhistimeinameaningfulmanner.Childrenshouldhave freedombutnot the license todisgress into deviant behaviour. They must not beallowed toabuse their freedom.Parentsmustnotbeharshbuttheyshouldbefirmandconsistentindealingwith them. Parent’s responsibility Parentshavetheresponsibilitytoinstillmoralvaluesinthechild.Thechildshouldgrowupwiththeability to understand the difference betweenwhat isrightandwhatiswrong.Therewillbesituationsandtherewillbemomentswhenhewillhave tomakeachoice. Moralityisnotanabstraction.Itissomethingyou can see and experience in your day to day life.It shows in our speech, in our behaviour and aboveall, in our relationships with others. It is all aboutbeing decent, polite, honest, truthful, dutiful andstraightforwardinourdealings.Itisabouthavingself-esteemandacceptingthatothershaveittoo.Moralitymeansbeingdignifiedandrespectable.Thatiswhatwe

describeingeneraltermsasone’s“moral character”. Itconsistsofsmallthingsbutitisnosmallthingwhenall is added up. Thechildoftodayisdeprived,atleastpartially,inanothersense.Heisshortofproperrolemodels.Ifparentswantthechildtogrowupintoagoodhumanbeing,theymustsetanexamplebeforehimbybeinggoodsothathecanemulatethem.Theymustbecomehis immediate role models. The school also has adefiniteroletoplaybutthelargestroleinthegrowthand development of the child is always that of theparents.MahatmaGandhidescribedthefamilyasthefirst university for the child.Qualities of caring andsharing,ofmakingsmallsacrifices,ofmutualtrust,ofadjustmenttoeachother’sneeds,ofbeinghonestandtruthfularebestlearntathome.Thefoundationislaidthere.Theschoollaterbuildsonthat. Whenboththeparentsgotowork,theycannotspare time for the child beyond a certain limit.Thenumberofsuchfamiliesisgrowingatafastpace.Insuchhomes,parents should rationordistribute theirtime in a manner that the maximum of the time they spend at home is spent together in the company ofthe child. Theymust listen to the child and answerhisquestionswithpatience.The family shouldhave

theirsuppertogether.Thechildshouldbemadetofeelimportantandwanted.Ifhehasaproblem,itshouldbediscussedwithhimandsolved. Emphasis on quality Oftenitissaidthatqualityratherthanquantityofthetimespentwiththechildismoreimportant.Inmy view both are important. But the term “quality time”isoftenleftunexplained.Whatisthis “quality time”?I thinkitisthetimewhichtheparentsspendmostlywithandforthechild,thetimeinwhichtheydon’tquarrelorclashovertheirownproblems. Itisthetimeinwhichtheysatisfythephysical,emotionalandsocialneedsofthechild.Itisimportantforthepsychologicaldevelopmentofthechild.Ifthechild enjoys it, feels happy and satisfied and looksforward to it each day, then it can be truly termedqualitytime.Itprovidesemotionalsecuritytothechildand he feels assured that his parents are there for him wheneverheneedsthem. After the recent unsavoury happenings, bothparentsandschoolsinDelhihavewokenupwithajolttotheneedofdiscipliningandguidingtheyoungster’sbetter.Itisnowbeingwidelyrealizedintheeducationalandsocialcirclesofthecapitalthatthingshavegoneterriblyamiss.Newgadgetsandnewtechnologyhave

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given birth to new problems.To dealwith this newmenace, we will have to evolve new ethics and awholenewworkculture.Aseducationistswefailedtoanticipatethesocial,moral,ethicalandlegalproblemswecouldfacewiththeadvancementoftechnology. Cyber-crime is a reality. Students need to beinformedaboutitsimplicationsandpitfalls.Itshouldbe explained to the students that the computer isamachine of great possibilities but it should not bemisused.Wemusthaveacomputerethics. Sex Education In theprevailingpromiscuoussocialenviron-ment, ignorance about sex can prove more harmfulthanenlightenment.Itisimportantthatchildrenreceiveinformation about sex from parents, teachers andcounselorsratherthanpickingupwrongnotionsaboutit frommusic videos and the pornographic sites onthenet.Thechildneedstobewellinformedaboutthephysical, social, cultural, psychological andmedicalaspects of sex. Imparting biological knowledge isnecessarybutmore important is theneed toeducatethechildabouttherightsexattitudes. If aboy feels attracted towardsagirlorviceversa, it is natural and a healthy sign. They can begoodfriendsbuttheirrelationshipmustremainwithin

theconfinesofsocialacceptance.Neithershouldtakeadvantageoftheother,exploithisorherpositionandindulgeinphysicalabuse.Insuchrelationshipstherealwayscomesamomentwhen itbecomesnecessarytoknowwheretodrawtheline.Limitsmustbekept.Nottoallowoneselftobecomethevictimofphysicalabuseisasignofmaturityandgoodupbringing. Casual sex can sometimes prove tragic. Italways has consequences and in certain cases theconsequences can leave a person shattered and thememory might haunt him/her all his/her life. The relationshipshouldbebuiltonmutualunderstanding,trustandrespect.Sexshouldnotbecomeanobsession.Whenitbecomesanobsession,itbecomesadisease. Co-curricular activities, especially sportsactivities, in schools need to be broad based so asto ensure participation of the maximum number ofstudents. Their value cannot be undermined. Theseactivitieshavealwaysprovedusefulinthedevelopmentofthechild’scharacterandpersonality. Disciplining force Besidesensuringphysicalfitness,theyprovideopportunities to imbibe literacy,cultural,artisticandaesthetic values. These activities develop the fineraspects of the child’s personality. They are a great

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disciplining force. They inculcate a healthy teamspiritamongthestudents.Theydeveloptheabilitytotackle unanticipated problems both individually andcollectively. They bring poise and help the child toattaintemperamentalandemotionalstability.Theoldbelief thata rich,healthyanddiverseschool routinecandevelophealthysocial,cultural,moralandsexualattitudes in the students still holds true. Letusgiveknowledgeofmoderntechnologyto our youth but let us temper it with some of ourtraditional concepts and values of morality. Let usbe modern-day parents but let us be friends to ourchildren.Letusliveforwhatever;wewanttoliveforbutletusalsoliveforourchildren!

(The Statesman, 8-9 February, 2005)

Empathy Is Natural, But Nurturing It Helps

JANE BRODY Empathy,theabilitytoputyourselfinsomeoneelse’s shoes and recognize and respond towhat thatpersonisfeeling,isanessentialingredientofacivilizedsociety. Lackingempathy,peopleactonlyoutofself-interest,withoutregardforthewell-beingorfeelingsofothers.The absenceof empathy fosters antisocialbehaviour,cold-bloodedmurder,genocide. The capacity for empathy seems tobe innateandisevidenteveninotherspecies–theadultelephantwhotorescueababyrhinostuckinthemuddespitebeingchargedbyitsmother,asrecountedbyJeffreyMoussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy in When Elephants weep. Manifestations of empathy often show up early in life, as when a toddler brings a favourite toy orblankettoanotherchildwhoisinjuredonindistress.Some expert maintain that infants display empathywhentheywhimperorcryuponhearinganotherbabycry.

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Children may enter the world with different capacitiesforempathy,aresultofneuralconnectionsin the brain. The capacity for empathy may bepartlyorwhollylackingindisorderslikeautismandschizophrenia, in which the minds focused inward.But in otherwise normal children, the environmentinwhichtheyarerearedcanmakeabigdifferenceinwhether empathy is fostered or suppressed.Healthyself-esteem is essential to empathy, so anything thathelps children feel good about themselves will alsohelp them recognize and respond effectively to thefeelings of others. STARTEARLY If children are to relate positively to others,theymustfeelsecurethemselvesand“have a secure attachment to another person,” said Carolyn Zahn-Waxler,apsychologistattheUniversityoWisconsin.Infants and young children whose own distress isignored, scorned, worse yet, punished, can quicklybecome distrustful of their environment and feelunsafe. Nancy Eisenberg, a psychologist at ArizonaState University, agreed. “Children need a positivecaring relationshipwith their parents or caretakers,”

shesaid,“Iftheyaretobeabletogobeyondthemselvestocareaboutothers”. “Empathy comes from being empathized with,” Dr. Stanley I Greenspan, a clinical professorof psychiatry and pediatrics at George WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine, wrote in his bookGreat kids. Children should also be helped to recognizetheir own feelings and express them, he wrote. Bylearning to identifyand label their feelings,childrenarebetterabletorecognizethefeelingsofothers.Forexample,whenachildbecomesfrustratedwithatoycarandthrowsitacrosstheroomhiscaretakercouldsaysomethinglike:“You’refeelingupsetbecausethecarisn’tworkingthewayitshould.Youdon’tlikeitwhentoysdon’twork.” Zahn-Waxlersaysthekindofdisciplineachildreceives should “help the child regulate emotion, tocalm down rather than becomemore agitated”. Sheadvisesparentstostaycalm:“Themoreemotionallyarousedyouare,themorearousedthechildislikelytobecome.Hittingorscreamingatachildresults inangerandfearandinterfereswiththechild’sabilitytocareforothers.”

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Dr. Eisenberg emphasized that in addition toavoidingphysicalpunishment,“children should never be threatened with a loss of love” formisbehaviour.Caretakers can help young children understand howother people feel, say,when a child cries because atoy breaks or is snatched by another child.When achildactskindlytowardsomeone,MarjorieTaylor,apsychologistattheUniversityofOregon,suggeststhatsaying something like “You’re very kind for doing this” or “You’re the kind of person who does nice things like that”canhelpmakeempathyapartofayoungchild’sidentity. Evenveryyoungchildrenneed toknowhowtheirbehaviouraffectsothers,expertssay.Theyneedtohaveitexplainedwhycertainbehavioursarehurtfulorhelpfulandhowtomakeupforbadbehaviour.“Be really explicit, because children can’t draw conclusions as easily as an older person,” Taylor said. Also helpful, she said, is reading books andtalkingabouthowpeople(oranimals)inastoryfeeland why they feel that way.

Onesuchbook,PJthe Spoiled Bunny,byMarilynSadler,canhelpchildrenappreciatetheeffectsofbeingselfishandstubbornandalwaysdemandingone’sway.

The storyhelps children seehow someone’s actionsaffect the and responses of others. PJ learns in thestorythatbybehavingdifferently,hecouldhavemorefun with his friends. For older children, GreenspansuggestedbookslikeToKill a Mocking-bird and The of Anne Frank.

Even televisedeventsofnaturaldisasterscanhelp,byencouragingachildtoimaginewhatitmustbe like for peoplewhose lives are devastated by anearthquakeortsunami.

Althoughanearlystartisideal,expertssayitispossibletoinstillempathylater-even,forexamplein childrenwhose emotional securitywas neglectedin an orpanage. Undoing the damage may requireextraeffortonthepartofadoptiveparents,aswellasunconditionallove. MODELINGEMPATHY Parentsandteacherscansetagoodexampleofempatheticbehaviourbyhowtheybehavethemselves.The old saying “do as I do”hasparticularrelevanceforfosteringempathyinchildren.“Parentsneedtobemodels of altruism, compassion and caring,” Zahn-Waxler said. “It’s not enough to talk the talk. You

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needtobeseendoingitandyouneedtoshowcaringbehaviourtowardyourchild.” Parents who are sympathetic to the feelingsofothersandrisetoaneedforhelp,especiallywhenitisnotintheirownbestinterest,canteachchildrenhowtoidentifyfeelings,thinkbeyondthemselvesandrespondempatheticallytoothers. In school, teachers who inspire empathy arethosewhorecognizeandaddressthefeelingsbehinda child’s behaviour. Themost effective teachers arewarmandaffectionateandwhentryingtocorrectbadbehaviourtheyremaincalm,notpunitive. The New York Times (The Indian Express, 20 February, 2010)

Keep Learning To Stay YoungRadhikaNagarth

This Incident happened in the late 1950s atthe Indian InstituteofScience,Banglore.A researchscholar inPharmacologyheardaknockonherdoorwhenshewasworkinginheroffice. Onbeingaskedtocomein,anelderlygentlemanin his sixties entered and startled the scholar byasking,“Would you mind teaching me something of microbiology?’’ The young scholar agreed and thusstartedhislessonsonthesubject,whichwentonforaboutamonth.Latertheknowledgegatheredbythisold gentleman was applied to the study of physiology ofvisionandavaluablebookwaswrittenonthetopic.TheoldscholarwasnotanordinarymanbutaNobelPrizewinner,SirC.V.Raman. What is it that motivated a person like himtodecide to learnanentirelynewsubjectatsuchanadvancedage?Hehadalreadydonehisbestresearchwork by that time and had won the world’s mostcovetedprize.Buttherewasthaturgeinhimtolearn,an urge which was not too particular about whereor from whom he could get something new: a trueexamplethatageisnobarforagenuineknowledge-seeker.

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Learningisindeedalifelongprocess,throughour experiences in life, both good and bad. To beable to observe ordinary events and draw profoundconclusionsfromthemisthehallmarkofageniusandweallcanlearntillwemeettheendofourlives,notnecessarilyfromschooleducationonly.Tolearn,onejusthastokeepone’seyesandearsopen.Nature,too,isconstantlyteachingus,ifonlyweareperceptive. The SRIMAD BHAGVATAM talks of SageDattatreya who acquired 24 Gurus from nature. Helearntfromthefiveelementsandfromcreatureslikethevulture,elephantandhoneybee.For instance,heobservedavulturewithapieceofmeatinitsmouthbeingchasedbymanycrows,whereveritwent.Onlywhen it dropped the meat did the crows stop theirpursuitandgiveitpeace. Dattatreyaderived from this incident that themorewe run after thematerial things, themoreweinvite problems. In the mad race, we get hurt anddisturbed.Our innerbeingneverwants togrowold.Thebodymaytakeitsnormalcourseofageing,butifthespiritoflearningisaliveintheheart,oneremainsyoungfor long.And thisyouthfulness is reflected inour personalities as well.

(The Hindustan Times, November 12, 2005)

True Education Promotes Spirit of Inclusiveness

SadhguruJaggiVasudev What is the role of school in education? Educating yourself fundamentally means tobroaden your horizons. From being in limitedness,youwant to enlarge yourself.Unfortunately, thougheducation today is broadening your informationcapabilities,youarebecomingverynarrow in termsofyourperceptionandincludinglifearoundyou. In theAshram, if you have to live with 500people, you need an enormous sense of inclusion.Withoutthat,youcannotlivewithpeopleharmoniously.We dropped all those uncles and aunts and grand-mothers.Thenwesaidfamilymeansme,mywifeandmychildren.MyparentsareOKbutwife’sparents?‘No’.Thenwethoughtparentsaretoooldandareintheway.Nowfamilymeansme,mywife,mychildren. Increasingly,inlargecitiesworldwide―inIndiaaswell―even twopeople isunable to live together.Theyhaveseparatehomesandmeetduringweekends.Iftheyaretogetherformorethanaweekend,finished:therewillbeawar.Wearebecomingsoexclusivethatlonelinesshasbecomeabigproblem.

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Gypsies live a completely different kind oflife.Theyhaveadifferentattitudewhichisconsideredromantic and in someways, very beautiful. Once agypsywas scolding his son: “You good for nothingfellow,ifyoudon’tlearnsomemagicandjugglerytomakealiving,Iwillputyouinschoolandmakeyouaneducatedmanandthenyouwillsufferfromendlesswant’’.Unfortunately,thisiswhateducationhasdone topeople.Endlesswant.Themoreeducatedsocietiesarebecoming,theirwantsarebecomingunbelievable.Soon an individual will want a separate planet forhimself todigupresources.Allofuscannot liveononeplanet.Notbecausethereissomethingwrongwiththecontentofeducationbutthereissomethingwrongwiththewayitisdelivered.Itisnotinformationwhichdamages people, it is theway you gather it and thewayitisgivenandwithwhatcontext. India’s family planning department coined aslogan:“WeareTwo,OursTwo’’.Thentheychangedit to: “We are Two, Ours One’’. Soon they mightchange it to: “we are Two,WhyAdd oneMore?’’.Asmorepeoplegeteducated,nogovernmentpolicyisneededbecauseyourabilitytoincludeandshareisgoing away. Whetheritisyourownchild,mother,wife,your

ownwhatever,yourabilitytoshareandgiveisgonewith education. People don’t want to have childrenanymore.Inclusivenessisdisappearingfromhumanbeings. The whole dimension of spirituality means‘all-inclusiveness’,notexclusiveness.Inclusivenessislife.Exclusivenessisdeath. Today, Education is just about survival. Itshouldbeaboutbroadeningyourhorizons.Obsessedwith economic status all the time, we have twistedthewholeeducationjustasawayofmilkingmoneyfromtheworld.Thishastochange.Ifyoukeepyourintelligence uncluttered, wherever you are placed,youwillsurvive.Wewanttoproducenotjustlovingwonderful adults;wewant to produce very resilientadults.Ifyouputhiminhell,hewillslowlyconvertitintoheaven.

(The Times of India, 7, 2005)

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Our Children...Let Us Handle With Care

B.O.Sebastain You are not interested in me; you are not botheredaboutmystudiesandfuture. Dearfriends,wouldyoubeable todigest theabovewords if theywere addressed to you by yoursonordaughter?Eachoneofuswillproudlysay:“my child will not and cannot say like that.’’ Let us pat ourselvesonourbacksandbeproudofourchildren. ItwasonDecember5,1987thatagentlemanstepped into my house and in the course of ourconversationmentionedthattheabovestatementhadbeenmadebyhisson.Youcanimaginethefeelingsofthatparent.Asimilarincidenttookplaceafewmonthslaterwhenaboysaidtohisparentinmypresence:“You need not advise me. I know what type of people you are. I can prove it. First correct yourself.’’ The parent was dumbfounded. Though I am not exaggerating. Idoagreewithyouthatthesearestrayincidentsandwecannotandshouldnotgeneralize. Idon’tblamethechildrenfortheirstatements. I feel that theseare themessages that thesechildrenhad carried for 10 or 12 years. Both of them were

studyinginStandardX. A powerful sensitive tape Thechildisapowerfulsensitivetapethatcanregisterand recordorpickup the feeblestvibration.Heorsheisalivingcomputerthatprojectsinfuturealltherecordedprogrammesthatwefeedin. Whatdoourchildrenregister?Isitfear,shameorhatred?Ifso,wearefailinginourduty.AsDorothylawHoltzsaid,“Letourchildrenliveandgrowwithtolerance, encouragement, praise, fairness, security,approval,acceptanceandfriendshipsothattheywilllearntobepatient,confident,appreciating,justtohavefaithinandhavelikingforthemselvesandfindloveintheworld.Ontheotherhand,ifthechildliveswithcriticism,hostility, ridicule and shame, they learn tocondemn,tofightandtofeelguilty.’’ Ifwe all do agree that children are themostpreciousassetsofthenation,theyshouldbehandledwithcare.Don’tyouthinkthattheirfuturedependonus and ours in turn on them? If we accept that life is the greatest gift ofGod, the gift of children is second to none. So it isourboundendutytoworkandlivefortheirwelfare.Letourchildrengrowinloveandconcernsothattheymaycultivateasenseofbelongingtotheirfamily,to

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theirsocietyandtotheircountry. Theparents,teachersandallthewell-wishersofachildhaverolestoplayforthegrowth,developmentand the blossoming of the character of a child. Iftheparent is thefirst teacheranda teacherasecondparent,allofusarefriends,guides,philosophersandcounselorstoourchildrenandtoallchildrenentrustedtoourcare. Then,shallwenotsayawordofencouragementwhichinstillsconfidenceinthem?Aharshwordskill’sinitiative.Shallwenotcongratulate themwhen theydothingswell,getgoodmarks,act,sing,dance,speakandplaywell?Asmile, akindwordoragestureofapprovalwillgoalongwayintheirgrowth. Shallwenotmakethemfeel thatwecareforthem and that they are important? Defenceless Don’tyouthinkthatourchildrenarethemostdefencelessathomeandintheschool?Theyareeasilysuspected.Arenotweprejudicedthattheyaretellinglies? Don’t you feel that they are most hurt whenlet down, when misunderstood, mistrusted, whentheir honesty is questioned, when punished withoutsufficientreason? A hurt feeling can surely become a lasting

feelingwhichmayhavesomethingtotellupontheircharacter.Theyarethemostdelicatelivingbeingswhoneedalotofsupport.Onecanmakeorbreakthem. Weareinthemidstofcontradictions.Thoughwedonotwantourchildren tobe tied toourapronstrings, wewant them to confide in us without anyreservation and rise up to our expectations.Thoughweareverymuchinterestedinthewelfareandbrightfuture of our children, all of us are not quite awareoftheirlikesanddislikes,inborntalentsanddormantabilities. Although we are overjoyed in their achieve-mentswhentheywinlaurels,wedosometimesmakederogatory,offensive,humiliatingremarkswhicharedetrimental to their personal growth. Our nation’s slogan is“Happy child-nation’s pride.’’ Andthisisthemessageourchildrenwanttoshare with us…

(The Hindu, 19 February 2006)

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PINGALWARA DIARY(UPTOOCTOBER,2016)

Services rendered by Pingalwara Institution for theserviceofthesufferinghumanityare:-1. Homes for the Homeless There are 1764 patients in different branches of Pingalwaranowadays:—(a) HeadOffice,MataMehtabKaurWard,BhaiPiaraSinghWard 374Patients(e)ManawalaComplex 854Patients(b)PandoriWarraichBranch,Amritsar82Patients(c)JalandharBranch 39Patients(d)SangrurBranch 228Patients(f)Chandigarh(Palsora)Branch94Patients (g)GoindwalBranch 93Patients Total1764Patients 2. Treatment facilities (a) Dispensary & Laboratory:- Pingalwara has a dispensary and a laboratory for the treatment of patients. It has an annual expenditure of about Rs.90 lakhs.Medicines are also distributed free ofcosttothepoorandneedypeople. (b) Medical Care Staff:-Experiencedmedicalstaff like Nurses, Pharmacists and Laboratory

Technicians are available for the care of the Pingalwararesidents. (c) Blood-Donation Camps:-ABloodDonationCamp isorganizedonBhagatJi’sDeathAnniversaryevery year. The blood is used for Pingalwara residents androadaccidentvictims.(d)Ambulances:-AmbulanceswithbasicMedicalaid areavailableforvictimsofroadaccidentsonG.T. Road, round the clock and provide facilities for takingPingalwarapatientstothehospital.(e)Artificial Limb Centre:-ThereisanArtificialLimb Centre at Manawala Complex, dedicated to the memoryofBhagatJiwhichprovides freeofcost Artificial Limbs to Polio-ffected and amputee cases. 8137 needy people have benefitted till October2016. (f) Physiotherapy Centre:- APhysiotherapyCentre equipped with State-of-to-art equipment is functioning in theManawalaComplexsinceJune 2005. On an average 80 patients are treated everyday. (g) Operation Theatres:- There is awell equipped Operation Theatre in Bhai Piara Singh Ward AmritsarforgeneralsurgeryandAMicroSurgery Operation Theatre in Manawala Complex where Cochlear Implants and major operations are carriedout.

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(h) Dental, Eye, Ear & Ultrasound Centres:- These Centreshavebeensetuptoprovidetheseservices to Pingalwara residents, sewadars and their families. 3. Education Pingalwara Society is running five Educational Institutionsforthepoorandneedychildren.(a)Bhagat Puran Singh Adarsh School, Manawala Complex:-Thisschoolprovidesfreeeducationto 728studentsfromthepooranddeprivedsections of thesociety.Theyareprovidedwithfreebooks and uniforms. Children being brought up by Pingalwara Society are also studying in this school. (b) Bhagat Puran Singh Adarsh School, Buttar Kalan (Qadian):-Thisschoolisdedicatedtothe sweetmemoryofBhagatji.452studentsaregetting free education under the able guidance of well qualified teachers. The school also provides financialhelpto studentswho havefinished their schoolstudiesandareaspiringforhigherstudies.(c)Bhagat Puran Singh School for Special Edcation, Manawala Complex:- This school is providing SpecialEducationto217Specialchildren.(d)Bhagat Puran Singh School for the Deaf:-Bhagat PuranSinghSchoolforDeafChildrenisfunctional at theManawala Complex sinceMay 2005. The

schoolisequippedwithstate-of-the-arttrainingaid andhas152childrenonitsrolls. (e) Bhagat Puran Singh School for Special Education, Chandigarh (Palsora):- his school caterstotheneedsofSpecialadultsofthebranch.(f)Vocational Centre:-ThisCentreisprovidingfree training in embroidery, stitching, craft work, making washingpowder,candlemaking,ainting, etc.Younggirlsfromthevillagesofsurroundings areasarethemainbeneficiaries.(g)Computer Training:-Computersareavailableinall theschoolsforacademicandvocationaltraining.(h)Hostel facilities:-Thereareseparatehostelsforboys and girls in Manawala Complex. Many girls are pursuinghigherstudiesindifferentcolleges.4. Rehabilitation

(a)Marriages:-Afterbeingeducated,boysandgirlsat Pingalwara are married to suitable partners. 40 girlsand4boyshavebeenmarriedofftilldate.5. Environment Related Activities(a)Tree Plantation:-BhagatPuranSinghJiwasdeeply concerned about the degradation of the environ- ment.A vigorous campaign of tree plantation is startedeveryyearonBhagatJi’sDeathAnniver-

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sary.Eachyear15,000 to22,000 treesareplanted invariousschools, colleges, hospitals, cremation grounds and other public places. These include Amaltas, Kachnar, Behra, Champa, Arjun, Sukhchain,Chandni,Zetropa, Kari-patta were distributedtodifferentinstitutions.(b)Nursery:-PingalwarahasitsownNurserywhere saplingsofvariousplants and trees areprepared. Everyyear,theaimofnurseryistogrowmorethan 54differentkindsofsaplingseveryyear.6.Social Improvement Related Activities(a)Awareness:-Pingalwarahasplayedanimportant roleinspreadingawarenessabouttheevilsinthe society.Thishasbeendonebyprinting literature on religious, social and environmental issues at the uran Printing PressAmritsar and is being distributedfreeofcost.Ithasanannualexpenditure of printingand publicity is about 1 crores 50 lakhs rupees.(b)Puran Printing Press:-ThePrintingPresshasbeen updatedwithanOffsetPress.(c)Museum and Documentaries:-AMuseum,anda number of documentaries have been prepared on Pingalwara activities as well as on zero budget natural farming. The C.D.s are freely available fromPingalwara.

A featurefilmproducedbyPingalwaraSociety Amritsar EH JANAM TUMHARE LEKHE (Punjabi) onRev.BhagatPuranSinghJi,founderPingalwaraandhis struggle not only for selfless services of wounded humanitybutforEnvironmentCrisisalso,willproveabeaconforthegenerationsyettocomeafterus.7.Help to the victims of Natural Calamities: Pinglwara makes an effort to provide succour to the victims ofnaturalcalamitieslikefloods,earthquakesandfamines.Aid was sent for the earth-quake victims in Iran, Tsunami disaster victims, Leh landslide and floodaffectedareas.8. Cremation of unclaimed dead-bodies: Pingalwara crematesunclaimeddeadbodieswithfullhonour.9.Dairy Farm 120 cows and buffalos at Manawala Complex providefreshmilktothePingalwararesidents.10.Old Age Homes Old agehomes atSangrur andManawalaComplexofPingalwaracaterstotheneedsofelderlypeople.11. Projects Completed and Under Construction Since1997ambitiousprojectsofSangrur,Palsora at Chandigarh and Manawala Complex have beencompleted. In the year 2009 new buildings—AdministrativeBlock,PuranPrintingPress,DeafSchool,T.B.WardatManawalaComplexandatHeadOfficeand

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aNewAdministrativeBlockhavealsobeencompleted. In the year 2013, a newmodernBhagat Puran Singh School for Special Education in Manawala ComplexofPingalwaraandanewBlockforPingalwarapatientsinPandoriWarraichBranchisunderconstructionandisfastcomingup.Other Details:a)AllIndiaPingalwaraCharitableSocietyisaRegistered

Society, registered by Registar of Companies videletter No. 130 of 1956-1957 as amended vide No.A-28/4540dated07-07-1998.

b) All donations to Pingalwara are exempted underSection 80 G of Income Tax-IIAmritsar letter No.CIT-II/ASR/ITO (Tech.)/2011-12/4730 dated 11/12January,2012.

c)PANNumberoftheAllIndiaPingalwaraCharitableSocietyisAAATA2237R

d) FCRA (Foreign Contribution RegulationAct) 1976RegistrationNo.ofPingalwarais115210002

WaheGuruJiKaKhalsaWaheGuruJiKiFateh

Dr. Inderjit Kaur, President,

AllIndiaPingalwaraCharitableSociety(Regd.),Tehsilpura,G.T.Road,Amritsar.(Punjab).

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