Parents, Leave the kids alone

The last two weeks have been so hectic that while I had a million thoughts that I just had to pen down I was unable to do much about it. Luckily I have a breather today and here goes..
While we were watching Madagascar 2 the other day (hilarious movie, I must add) we caught the trailer of two upcoming Indian animated movies. Since my husband and I have dabbled in animation earlier, we have a keen interest on the subject. We were floored by the quality of animation that is currently in vogue but I had a view that funnily was also shared by the TOI review of one of the movies. Not that I need coraboration of an idea, but it seemed uncanny that I should have given a verdict that was mirrored by a supposed expert on the subject.
Well both of us thought that the movie lacked immensely on the fun quotient. The laughs were just not there. The whole movie revolved around morals, issues, mythology etc. but no riotous moments that tickle your funny bone, no witty dialogues, no crazy escapades - nothing to woo the kiddy audience that the movie is really trying to attract.
Which brings me to the real crux of the issue. Are we too preachy with our kids. Are we all too bothered about them learning all the right things through every medium possible. If it is a game - what kind of cognitive skills is the child learning, if it is a story - what is the moral, everything has become a teaching tool. A jigsaw puzzle doubles up as a mathematics teacher, a board game trys to teach you how to match and count - the list is endless.
Why dont we let our children have more FUN
I remember when we were kids we werent always hounded with information. We were let alone to just potter around, read what we wanted and generally fool around. But now my mother never leaves my daughter alone. She is always trying to teach her something. Even painting becomes a lesson on primary and secondary colours. I cant say I am entirely blameless either. I do tend to play word forming games, guess the spelling, who much does it add upto etc.. whenever I get a chance.
Mind you I am not saying that this is not required. I am just wondering whether there is an overdose at a far younger age than needed.
Why is there this drive amongst us to create prodigies or over smart kids - the smug look on the parent/grandparent's face is unmistakable when their ward has proven him/herself innaturally intelligent. No harm I must say as long as it is not overdone.
Maybe we need to let our kids laugh more often and romp about while they still have the time. Maybe every movie does not need to have a message. Maybe every game does not need to teach them something. Good fun should also be part of the agenda. Else we will have geniuses who cannot see the lighter side of life. And what a pity that would be!

Dont judge a movie by the review

My husband and I follow movies with a passion that sometimes serves as a lowest common denominator for our relationship - translated that means that even when we are at loggerheads on all other subjects movies and books are the two things that can keep the fabric of our marriage intact. Even when we are in he middle of a fight, the discussion about a book or a movie immediately serves to thaw the ice and bring back the comraderie.

We have our own parameters to gauge a movie to decide whether it merits watchng. This many times is in direct conflict with the popular opinion of most cinemagoers - but we are kind of used to it by now. We are wedded to certain directors and actors and creative teams and no one, definitely not some two pennies worth critic can keep us out of the cinema hall. Which brings me to the topic of critiquing a movie.

Have ypou ever wondered who decides that a person is worthy of critiquing a work of art - be it cinema, music or art. What gives them the credibility or moral authority to comment on some body else's work. Have they any masterpiece to their credit? Have they accomplished anything noteworthy in that field that they have presumed the right to comment on some body else's work. Every work of art has untold effort, innumerable tortuous hours of toil that have been sunk into it - it embodies a million aspirations and countless dreams. No one ever goes half measures while creating something. Of course not all of us are maestros. So some efforts become masterpieces while others stay mediocre.

However while one can make an informed opinion on a movie, I do not think one has the right or authority to pan something and decry somebody's efforts. Not unless that person has personally proven hinslef in that same field. They say that begruntled people turn into critics. I am inclined to agree. When one does not have it in him to perform he derives joy in deriding the guy who dares to try.

And what is even more pathetic is that the common man ascribes undue importance to one person's opinions, one person's taste without giving the craetor a fair chance. How many times have I heard people writing off a movie just because the review is not good. I have been pleasantly suprised scores of times when I have chosen to disregard somebody else's opinion.

Ayn Rand had classified people as first person and second person individuals on this same trait. Those who only rely on their opinions belong to teh first class. Needless to say they are the ones who blaze their own trail while the others merely follow other's footsteps.

Tackle terrorism at the grass roots

The recent Mumbai blasts shocked us all. We followed the action minute by minute live on television - perhaps the only time when the TV was on at our house all day. What was most disconcerting were the perpetrators of terror - no longer were they fanatic looking Muslims, bearded with turband in dish-dash. Now they were well-educated, urban looking youth - around 23 years old speaking fluent English. These could be guys whom we meet at super stores, who could befriend us and invade our homes. How do we then identify them in a crowd?

A nameless fear crept into our hearts as this could be a story that could be retold anywhere and anytime and we could all fall prey to this nameless fear that could strike at our backyard. People started pointing fingers at each other and ways were discussed to somehow eliminate these weeds from society. But since there is no foolproof way of identifying these weeds from the blossoms, any blanket method will definitely be kneejerk and far from effective.

Which brings me to the crux of the issue. Where are these weeds spawned. Where do regular Muslim guys become fanatic jehadis. Not at the local school or the playground or the hobby classe. Here they are merely taught to explore their talents and meet with other youth from different backgrounds.

However Madarsas are a different story alltogether. It is here that they are taught to differentiate themselves from the others around them. Here they are taught the tenets of their religion and taught to think of themselves as Muslims. It is here that the lessons of hatred are taught to them and their hearts are festered with the wish for revenge. What are they trying to avenge they know not - only that they have been indoctrinated to fight and die in the process. They have been brainwashed that true happiness awaits them in heaven and they shall be blessed by Allah if they kill all those who are opposed to their kaum.

Their state is much like the addict who percieves everyone as a threat to his existence and is willing to obliterate everything in his path.

What I want to know is why these schools of hatred and religios bigotry are being allowed to flourish when definite evidence has been found to their being hotbeds of terrorists. Why cannot the law be rewriiten to make them illegal. If the RSS and the VHP can be banned as organizations that spawn killers, why cannot Madarsas be banned as well.

If we snuff out the roots of these weeds we can at least try and contain the menace that will otherwise blot out our very existence.