Editor
I write in appreciation of Akhil Dwivedi’s, Letter to the Editor, “Mental Illness is not Madness” (TST, Sep 26, 2025). Old religious civilizations, like India, can be tone-deaf to genuine mental illness. This is one extreme. But here in America, we have the other extreme — a world where the psychologist and therapist have replaced the confessor. Iniquities are interpreted as ailments of the mind (not soul) and treated with medication. A saccharine-sweet undiscerning sympathy pervades a culture of ubiquitous therapy that helps nobody — least of all the patient. Besides the medical industry, nobody really profits from this intrusion of medicine into the purview of religion. The same with the bodily appetites. An obese person once told me she was considering stomach-shrinking surgery to lessen her food intake. It never occurred to her to try self-control. A direct result of runaway materialism, this commodification of one’s own body comes with a lethal loss of inwardness. On the mental front, we are witnessing a gargantuan loss of the old stoicism, dignity, and inwardness that derive from faith in a higher power.
I remember the stoicism of my parents’ generation — a resilience so great that I used to think (as a child), adults did not possess tear glands. The first time I saw an adult weep was when she lost her infant son tragically, under painful, avoidable circumstances and a cruel medical establishment. Back then, the culture of therapy was non-existent. Before the traumas and vicissitudes of life, you practiced resilience, self-surrender, and calmness — not medication or therapy.
This is not to deny the painful realities Mr Dwivedi speaks of, but to draw a line between genuine mental illness and a lethal culture of therapy that robs us of dignity and confidence. Mental illness is a stark reality of modern culture and deserves the fullest attention of the scientific community. An inappropriate luxury in this context, religion cannot help those who are in the throes of mental illness. Conversely, science cannot help those who have succumbed to a culture of therapy — relinquishing accountability, introspection, and faith. They need wisdom, ethics, and the highest aspects of religion.
Yours etc.,
Deepa Majumdar
Via email
Lack of discipline in modern parenting
Editor,
This letter is not intended to shame or judge individual parents, but rather highlight concerning trends in modern parenting. Not all parents fit these descriptions; there are many dedicated and responsible parents out there. Some of the examples mentioned may not directly imply parental fault, but rather serve as illustrations of broader societal trends and challenges.
There’s need to bring back old school parenting, old school discipline in schools. The kids are having it easy and are without respect depicting parentless behaviour. We used to live in a city where we had to keep the children safe, but now the tables have turned. Now we livein a city where minors are capable of creating chaos within the state, sending ripples only to find out that they fabricated the story. Now who should be held accountable? The government? The society? The school system? The parents?
Well, they say, “A good education begins at home.” It always starts from home. If you can’t discipline your child, how else do you expect society and the system to turn out? Parents nowadays turn their kids into spoiled brats and pinpoint others for the child’s mistakes, always assuming their children are angels. But in reality, even Satan wouldn’t want to deem them his children. They always try to cover up the mistakes instead of disciplining them.
Moreover, when schools try to handle their children, instead of examining their kids behaviour first they’d rather blame the institution for being ineffective and say they are too harsh. Are they though? Or are you just irresponsible adults who don’t want to take responsibility for your own child and blame the institution for their behaviour?
Why else do you think the school system disciplines your child? It’s not about having fun or expressing anger but teaching your child responsible behaviour and self-control, which it seems you don’t teach them at home and neither do you give them a reality check on how life in the real world works. This finger pointing only perpetuates the problem, rather than addressing the root cause.
Furthermore, the way school systems disciplined students back in the days was a lifetime lesson that we remember to this day. Look at the difference between back then and now. In today’s generation, you discipline them now, and 10 minutes later they have forgotten it.. “But writer, how can you compare that? Back then and now it’s totally different?” some will quip. Discipline is discipline; it doesn’t exceed or diminish just because of the time gap. Likewise the mathematical truths!
In addition to this, back then, kids were kids. Now, a 13-year-old is capable of murder; minor students can spin a yarn about being drugged and held at knifepoint. Then you have teenaged girls engaging in physical fights and online beefs, using slangs and informal language in public without hesitation. You say kids are the “future.” Future?
Future what? Pathological liars? Murderers? Drug dealers? Vandals? Rapists? You want your kids to be the future leaders, the next APJ Abdul Kalam, Kiran Bedi, yet they don’t even have basic manners, decency, discipline, or self-control. You’ve set them to be nothing but failures and a disgrace to the state. Yes, parents and children should have a good relationship, but not to such an extent that you condone your child’s misdeeds. Spoiling children can lead to negative consequences, such as the sense of entitlement, lack of self-discipline, and poor behaviour. Hence, the phrase, “teach them while they’re young.” Everything starts at the initial stage. Shape and mould them to become persons with good morals and values instead of making excuses for their mistakes by saying they are still just “kids,” because this is when they take advantage of you, knowing you’ll always be lenient with their bad behaviour.
Finally, disciplining your children doesn’t mean resorting to physical abuse, which can lead to pent-up frustration in your children and turning them into potential rebels. Effective discipline requires consistency- not too harsh, not too lenient, and certainly no knee- jerk reactions. Rather than dwelling on their mistakes, focus on teaching them the right behaviour. Punishment should be balanced with guidance and counselling, helping them to learn from their mistakes rather than repeating them.
Parents ought to know the difference between letting them enjoy their youth and destroying their future. ‘Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent in disciplining him.’
Yours etc.,
Ms Nengnong,
Via email
Abuse of religious platforms
Editor,
In the wake of Zubeen Garg’s passing, tributes poured in from every corner of Assam and beyond. Zubeen Garg openly identified himself as an atheist, rejecting religions. Yet, in Shillong many Durga Puja pandals exclusively built for Hindu religious worship, were adorned with images and dedications to the late singer. This act, however well-meaning, reflects a troubling thoughtlessness. It blurs the line between cultural admiration and religious observance. In doing so, it undermines the very faith it seeks to celebrate. There is no shortage of avenues to honour Zubeen Garg’s legacy. By choosing a religious platform to pay homage to the departed singer, a section of the Hindu community has not only openly disrespected Garg’s beliefs but also encroached upon the spiritual boundaries of Hindu worship. Such gestures, though emotionally driven, deserve critical reflection and where necessary, condemnation.
Yours etc.,
NK Kehar
Shillong-3
