Are we guiding our children in the right path?
Posted 20th February 2008 at 02:03 PM by krishnaamma
While we were children we listened to various stories of Hinduism and about our Gods during festivals or seasonal kathakalakshebams by great people like Anantha Rama Dikshidar, Mukkur Sri. Lakshmi Narashima Chariyar, Thooppul Sri. Lakshmi Narashima Chariyar, Sri. Balakrishna sasthrigal, Sri Jaya Rama Sharma, Sri. Keran and more recently Our Velukudi Krishnan. The stories were depicted as laid down in our mythology and even when they expressed their views on certain incidents etc., it is only to sharpen our understanding on the subject story or the greatness of a particular character.
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Whereas nowadays, I see that the children are fed with lots of cds marketed by commercial minded people who depict Hindu Gods like Hanuman or Vinayaga through their graphical talents and make children feel very lightly about the mighty Gods. The stories and incidents shown there are not the true ones but made by their talents in line with the present days’ trend. For example depicting Hanuman as school boy in a cd.
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We always have Bhakthi on our Gods which is a mixture of certain level of fear. It is like the fear we have while we behave in front of elders or big people.The present children will not have such a bhakthi with our Gods but will presume them as their school friend. More over certain depictions shown in these cds show certain unrealistic scenes to lure children towards doing things which are not possible at all in normal life. By seeing these things some children who have tough characters or a bit violent or courageous will get into troubles and put others also into trouble.
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I can tell an example of a true incident wherein one boy tried to jump from his flat telling that he wanted to fly like Hanuman. These cds or stories will make children to feel that they are not Gods and when they go to temples they may not have pious feeling. There is no censorship for these cds and so only the parents should decide to discourage children from seeing and having different conclusions on our Gods.
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In our busy life parents who both go to offices find easy ways to give diversions to their children by procuring these cds, instead they should try to get cds of the above great people’s thereby we will make our children to listen to good words in our mother tongue and true stories. This listening and seeing will give them the real bhakthi and our culture instead of considering God equal to their neighbour or a playmate. When children grow higher than our shoulders we can become their friends but we should not give the same treatment to God.
Anyway this is my feeling. I invite comments on this.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Whereas nowadays, I see that the children are fed with lots of cds marketed by commercial minded people who depict Hindu Gods like Hanuman or Vinayaga through their graphical talents and make children feel very lightly about the mighty Gods. The stories and incidents shown there are not the true ones but made by their talents in line with the present days’ trend. For example depicting Hanuman as school boy in a cd.
<o:p></o:p>
We always have Bhakthi on our Gods which is a mixture of certain level of fear. It is like the fear we have while we behave in front of elders or big people.The present children will not have such a bhakthi with our Gods but will presume them as their school friend. More over certain depictions shown in these cds show certain unrealistic scenes to lure children towards doing things which are not possible at all in normal life. By seeing these things some children who have tough characters or a bit violent or courageous will get into troubles and put others also into trouble.
<o:p></o:p>
I can tell an example of a true incident wherein one boy tried to jump from his flat telling that he wanted to fly like Hanuman. These cds or stories will make children to feel that they are not Gods and when they go to temples they may not have pious feeling. There is no censorship for these cds and so only the parents should decide to discourage children from seeing and having different conclusions on our Gods.
<o:p></o:p>
In our busy life parents who both go to offices find easy ways to give diversions to their children by procuring these cds, instead they should try to get cds of the above great people’s thereby we will make our children to listen to good words in our mother tongue and true stories. This listening and seeing will give them the real bhakthi and our culture instead of considering God equal to their neighbour or a playmate. When children grow higher than our shoulders we can become their friends but we should not give the same treatment to God.
Anyway this is my feeling. I invite comments on this.
Total Comments 10
Comments
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Amar Chitra Katha had the Indian myhtological stories in form of comics. That was trend in the 90s. Me and my brother were big fans of Panchatantra and and Amarchitra katha.
I have't seen the new CD versions, but if I think of it, some of it is to lure children to watch it, most of the depiction is to make money. A senior level movie will be Jodha Akbar. Misinterprettaion of facts as Rajputs are protesting. Commercial intentions play a major role while making movies. As for children, their mind is like wet cement. So a correct depiction is so important. I hope we are heard Ms. Krishnamma.Posted 20th February 2008 at 04:40 PM by MeenLoch
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Krishanamma,
Quite true. I felt bad when i saw the sequel to hanuman.
My DS love mythological stories. so we try to get him the books, that are correct and will help him learn.
Moreover we also tell them the stories as were told to us by our GP's and parents .
I am not completely against the cd's but worried about the authencity and correctness.
Take the stories of ganesha, the north indian version cd's show a different story and south shows different and the children do get confused....
There should be thorough research and then atmost details taken into considerations before you release a cd.Posted 20th February 2008 at 11:02 PM by Shanvy 
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Dear Krishnaamma and friends
Very important topic.....and read all ur replies carefully and noted the points.....but what to do practically.....hlep me with that.......if the kids ar ready to read books then it is well and good...and some kids may refuse to read but love to see visuals only like my son....si i have no other go than to get CD whatever available in the market......to give him some knowledge abt our ethics, GOD.........iam helpless.........Posted 21st February 2008 at 10:13 AM by latamurali -
Hi Meenloch,
I am also one big fan of 'ambulimama' in tamil. and we used to read '3 mandira vadigal' 'karupu muthu' in Kalki weekly. But they are just like Phanthom or bat man stories. Just they are comics. In that more we use our imagination.
But when we talk about cds they will affect more because they are visual. Generally the children used to see cds many times a day and as you say they are raw clay. Once they started believing such unwanted or untruth it is very hard to change them. More over the parents don’t know about their situation. So these people could not help children. Now a days parents are thinking that their duty ends with buying cds. But it is not like that; that is our responsibility to check whether it is correct or not. Then only we can allow our children to watch.
Another thing we Indians will fight for nothing and as you said they are protesting for Jodha Akbar and some cinema like that. But there is no one to fight against this. That is why I am worried and wrote this. We parents must stop buying these kind of cds or we have to explain our children that they are not real stories and they are also like fairy tails.
Even though they show the charters of our Gods. Thanks for your comments.Posted 21st February 2008 at 11:43 AM by krishnaamma - Hi Shanti,
Your are correct. Already in one of my blogs I wrote about this reason for celeberatind 'deepavali'. For North India and South India there is one 'yug' difference. Even though somebody says that both are on the same day. But we are not tought like that. So already we are having many confusions and these people are increasing them by their visual graphic talente.Posted 21st February 2008 at 11:49 AM by krishnaamma
