Character building

This refers to the article, ‘Living differently’ (Feb 27), by Zeb Khan. The writer says: “Parenting stops at the provision of physical needs – food, healthcare, and clothing. The moral sphere remains unnoticed and neglected until its spillover effects become visible in society. More often than not, parents are unaware of how their actions profoundly affect the personality development of their kids.” This is true. Parents may not know, but their actions are copied by their children. If the father dodges Wapda and steals electricity, the son will also follow his footsteps. Two decades ago, I had a friend who was honest and had an impeccable character. It would be impossible to find a person like him in today’s materialistic world. When his son completed his education, he was employed in a government department. After a year or two, my friend noticed that his son had started living beyond his means. He called his son and asked him to justify his high standard of living given his meagre salary. When the son failed to give satisfactory answers, my friend severed the relationship with his son till his death.

The writer has correctly stated: “The drift into a moral abyss starts at home when parents pay scant attention to the way a child grows up and the environment”. Once I found a one-rupee note lying on the roadside while coming from my school. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. When I reached home, I told my father about this ‘achievement’. My father ordered me to go back and put the note at that very place from where I had picked it up. I went back in the scorching heat and did as my father had asked me to do. In the same way, I cannot forget the scene where a young mother living in my locality was asking her daughter – a two-year old – to pick up a candy wrapper that she had thrown on there and to drop it in the litter bin placed nearby. The child did as the mother had asked. No doubt, character-building starts at home.

Air Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan

Karachi