A lazy Sunday… at last. Nothing to do, nowhere to go… just idling time away. Thinking of doing so many things, but failing to make a start. That is always the issue. The start.

So I succumb to the moment and lie back and allow time to go by. I am concerned about the concern of others on my condition, but let me assure them that it is nothing alarming and that I am under supervision of my doctor, who shall be the first one to take any action that maybe necessary, immediately.

On relationships and culture in our part of the world there were some that agreed and a few that had strong opinions on it. I was expecting that. Particularly from those that did not belong to our part of the world or culture or history. It is not, I believe in any way regressive or anti modern. It is just that that is our life and the way we exist in this part of the world. It is not to denigrate another culture or social belief. It is merely to tell them that we are ‘like this only’ ! Western civilizations have perhaps not propagated or paid homage to some of our Eastern customs. That is quite normal and acceptable. Humans the world over do not necessarily behave in similar manner. In the West the young man on reaching maturity, decides to stop being a burden to his family and sets off on his own. To live to learn to be independent and to manage his life independently and in doing so at times leaving his aging parents to fend for themselves. There may be merit in this in the eyes of the West. Here in the East the young man seeks independence but wants to share it with a simultaneous care of his elders. No where is it written that their individuality both before marriage or after will not be respected. When I say that for the woman or the wife the home she builds with her husband becomes her personal nest, it is not to take anything away from her individuality. Indeed it is the strength of her independent belief that forms the bedrock of her new environment. In our culture the daughter is known as ‘paraya dhan’. It is metaphorical and translates into ‘paraya’ - belonging not of mine and ‘dhan’ - wealth. Yes of course the daughter is the most precious gem in the family she is born into. She is always the incarnation of the Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, or the ‘devi’ or the ‘mata’, revered and loved. But after her marriage she becomes the ‘bahu’ of the house she goes to and in turn their honor and grace. Our belief is that the new home now becomes her home for good, to live in to nurture and to prosper in. That is not to take away from her her rights as a woman or as an individual. Progressive India does not believe in any other. Yes in every society and culture their will always be the traditional which could seem aloof and distant from the contemporary. But I believe that with greater awareness and education, in the distinct practices of a liberal democracy we may edge ourselves closer to accepting the traditional with the contemporary, for, surely there must be qualities in both that are valuable and impressive.

Today a Sunday. The day when ‘they’ come to either house to meet to greet. The day when I am in the house to go out and meet them. It is a most enduring and affectionate moment for me. For years they do so and overwhelm me. I never have sufficient effective words to acknowledge them, to thank them.

One or perhaps more of the respondents wondered why it was that I found the report of Mumbai Mirror to be incorrect. Well, let me just bring up one of the points, the incongruity of which should be sufficient for all to judge that I need not go any further in my justification. The foreign Embassy or in the case of Commonwealth countries the High Commission, is stationed in the capital of particular country. For a journalist, the educator, the conscience, the opinion maker of the country, to state that the UK Embassy exists in Mumbai is atrocious. Mumbai will have a Consulate !! Mumbai is not the capital of India, New Delhi is. Unless said journalist wants us to believe that he is responsible for changing international diktat, or for us to believe that our geography is poor. Yes it is disgusting that the institution of information, correct and truthful information, does not possess even this basic knowledge. How, ever can one believe and trust the rest of the bilge that they write. They not only degrade and bring themselves to disrepute, they bring their publication, their entire fraternity to disgrace.

Here’s the challenge Mr/Mrs/Ms Journalist ! Bring me one proof of your misguided information that you print in the above mentioned article. If you are correct I shall close my profession, if not, will you close your paper ?

Amitabh Bachchan