Nitin Verma

Books are getting supplanted by electronic media at a very fast pace. Ebooks, and information available on the smartphone through internet access have become very common. They have exponentially increased the speed of access to information available to us. They are also environment-friendly ways of gathering the required information. Considering their widespread popularity, usefulness and applications, one can say we will not have to depend only on books in the future. So, we can completely do away with them because of the large scale usage of electronic media to meet our needs.

In what ways does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to the Martians? Can you think of any incidents where you misinterpreted a word or an action? How did you resolve the misunderstanding?

Think tank thought that humans have tamed animals and taught them music. He was terrified to see the picture of Humpty Dumpty, who resembled him, fall. He misinterpreted that the inhabitants of the earth are very powerful and gave up the idea of invading the earth.
When I was five years old, my teacher taught the concept of natural and man-made materials, and I misinterpreted the latter as a magnet when the teacher informed that to my father he showed me many objects and explained the difference between the two. This way, his live examples clarified the concept to me.

I believe that everyone irrespective of gender, caste and race should be given equal privileges. However, girls, especially those from lower social sections, should know and defend their rights with assertiveness because it is common to see that they are deprived of their right to education and be independent. There are many ways our society rooted in traditions treat boys and girls differently. Boys are given more liberty while there are many restrictions on the girl. She is not allowed to make an informed decision related to her career and higher education. The goal of the family is to get her married. And she doesn't get encouragement even from her parents. The situation is changing but in conservative settings discrimination on the basis of gender is definitely seen even today.

 

Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?

Youngsters can bring changes by challenging unjust and regressive customs and traditions that prevail in our Indian society. I would take the initiatives to educate people and spread awareness about the futility of such customs. I would also take steps to empower those who are from weak and marginalized sections of society. I would mobilize the support of others in attempts to build a community where everyone is equal. I know that this can not be achieved overnight, but small yet steady steps in this direction taken by youths can bring a change albeit slowly.

Do you think Horace Danby was unfairly punished, or that he deserved what he got?

The story beautifully illustrates irony in which another thief cheats a dishonest and crafty person. The punishment that Horace gets is just because his intentions to buy rare books might be right, but his action of stealing to buy them is unethical and can't be condoned. He could work hard and could save more money to achieve his goal but robbing someone is immoral.