Shut out

Sir — The principal of Multipurpose Government Girls’ School, Jayanti Roy, took the right decision in denying admission to Sampurna Lahiri for her interest in modelling (“Bad Influence”, July 15). The Telegraph rather unfairly branded the school principal’s sensible decision as “puritanism” and a “mix of ignorance and prejudice”. The reason for such harsh criticism may be that Lahiri had participated in a beauty pageant that was organized by a sister publication. These days, the media often promote beauty contests. This results in our children aping the worst that the West has to offer. It is time youngsters were protected from falling victims to the lure of fame and money.

Yours faithfully,
A. Roy Mukherjee, Calcutta

Sir — The principal of the school in Alipore has justifiably rejected Sampurna Lahiri’s application for a higher secondary seat in her institution. The students of this state sponsored school mainly hail from middle-class families. The glamour of the modelling industry, its lucrative prospects, and glitzy clothes can easily mislead middle-class children and hamper their studies.

The problem with people holding glamourous jobs is that they are often removed from reality. A grand-uncle-in-law of mine had once acted in a tiny role in a film that starred Uttam Kumar. He could never come out of that experience. He lost interest in his family business, and preferred to be known as an artist. He wore red, knee-long kurtas for the rest of his life, and even modulated his voice while talking to his pet dog.

The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education’s eagerness to stay politically correct is equally frustrating. There may not be unanimous support for the principal’s claims, but it is true that students from such schools differ from those studying in elite institutions such as South Point School, Loreto College, Ballygunge Science College and so on. Council officials seem to be unaware of the fact that their decision to support Lahiri will set a dangerous precedent. The demands of commerce and an all-pervasive permissiveness may soon result in industries like escort service or adult films flourishing in India. Should such professionals be allowed a place in our schools or residential areas? The council must stop interfering with the functioning of educational institutions and think of ways to protect institutional heads instead.

Yours faithfully,
Chameli Pal, Calcutta

Little adults

Sir — In her delightful article, Sreyashi Dastidar quite aptly describes the dresses worn by the young participants of talent contests as “miniature versions of item-girl costume” (“Where have all the pretty frocks gone?” July 10). Today’s parents are to blame for the disappearance of the kind of children’s dresses that we saw in our time. One would have expected modern parents to guard their wards against the foul influences of the glamour industry. In reality, they themselves are guilty of pushing their kids into events such as talent hunts. The example of sixteen-year-old Shinjini Sengupta shows how unrealistic parental ambitions can be. It is often the case that having failed themselves, parents look at achieving their dreams through their children. A generation ago, families imposed severe restrictions on their daughters’ style of dressing. Many among today’s mothers surely have borne such burdens. It is a pity that they themselves are now encouraging their daughters to wear revealing dresses in front of the whole world.

Yours faithfully,
Tapan Pal, Calcutta

Sir — These days, one often gets to see skimpily clad children dancing to popular Hindi film music on television. Every television channel is flooded with such programmes that are supposed to be entertaining. The popularity of these programmes, reportedly, helps boost their TRPs. Unfortunately, in this melee, many people tend to ignore the fact that children can develop psychological problems as a result of participating in these shows. Having to wear such clothes to perform and the pressure to succeed can affect their impressionable minds adversely.

It is undeniable that children have become an important clientele in today’s market, which is flooded with clothes, toys and other gizmos that have been designed specifically to suit their changing tastes. Unfortunately, the market has already resulted in changing the meaning of childhood. When we look at how children behave and dress up these days, it is clear that what we have in front of us is an entirely new type of kids. The market and the television industry have seemingly corrupted their natural innocence. Worse, the burden of expectations imposed on these children by their parents may lead to stress-related ailments, even suicide. This also raises another serious question. How different are these flashily dressed children from child labourers? After all, the boys and girls who sing and dance on our screens are also having to earn a living under difficult conditions. The media should launch a campaign to prevent this sophisticated form of child labour.

Yours faithfully,
Farzana Nigar, Ranchi

Time for a raise

Sir — A comparison of the fare structures between the metro railway and public buses in Calcutta leaves one astounded. The bus fare for a ride from Girish Park to the Birla Planetarium is Rs 6 while the corresponding metro fare (Girish Park to Maidan) is Rs 4. The picture appears ridiculous when one considers the fact that the metro railway’s losses are mounting. Bus owners, however, continue reaping rich dividends plying their old, polluting vehicles. At the risk of angering a sizeable section of our citizens, I’d like to state that a revision in the fare structure of the metro railway should be ordered without further delay.

Yours faithfully,
Debottam Dutta, Calcutta