As far as western influences being held responsible for repercussions on the Indian marriages, the allegations may or may not sound fair. I believe that an individual performs with the intention to better and improvise upon their life and standard of living. More so, the issue of western society influencing ours has been hyped. It is important to realize that many people today, who emulate the act of others, would probably have been influenced directly, indirectly or not at all.

It is also noteworthy that most of today's generation seems to be good in making the right choices. There are many women today who are not blindly falling into the arms of men who try and sweep them of their feet. I strongly feel that this gesture is commendable. There are those other women, of course, who want to lead the lives of being a homemaker while there are others who juggle with chores at home and work, and use one as a relief to the other. This works well as long as both are content. Whatever the outcome of the discussion may seem to be, there have always been women, who have been sent abroad to earn their merits and have returned with a positive note. These are the women who contribute to making a better and lucid future for many other women today.

It is known that there are many women amongst us who were not allowed to follow their dreams and aspirations, reason being the stereotypical mindset of Indian families. A large number of these women settled into their roles being housewives, whilst many others felt themselves being tortured.

A significant number of women belonging to the latter have been part of a forceful marriage or broken out of one, but have successfully raised their children, especially daughters into bright and confident human beings asking them to pave their own way in life. Most importantly though, asking them to make their own decisions, regardless of the outcome.

I am sure many such influences can disrupt a societal pattern and rupture quite a few of our futile practices, but eventually though, I support, and many others I am sure agree, "A women is able and should be responsible for her own life!"

In fact, I cannot imagine myself performing duties, chores or practices, which are not in my league and unlike me. I look forward to studying well, accomplishing my goals, and building myself a better future. Like I mentioned in my previous discussion that growing up in UAE has been affirmative towards my upbringing, and this too despite being a traditional Muslim country. I am glad that I have seen both sides of the coin, in a balanced fashion. This is true because, I have learned the sanctity in conserving and observing my rituals and duties but also seen the positive result by following some of my own. I am certain these positive ideas, alike in the minds of many young women will not prove to be detrimental but otherwise. --Deepthi Khemani, USA

Thalassemia Again!

Wouldn't this disease be less common if people married from a broader array of candidates? The farther apart in genes parents are, the stronger the childrens' immune systems and bodies. In the name of tradition and family name, are we willing to have children who often suffer from illnesses that could have been avoided? People need to rethink fatal traditions. --Ammanni, USA

Is Western influence affecting the institution of marriage in India? From Our Opinion Board

I would say to some extent 'yes'. On the positive side, Western education has made the Asian woman more liberated as far as age of marriage is concerned. Today, we do not find many young girls wanting to marry just after school. They want to study further, and perhaps even get a job before they marry. Parents also are becoming more enlightened about the ill effects of getting a girl marrried at a young age. Health wise also this is more beneficial for the girl as she is emotionally and physically more mature when she marries say at 23 rather than at 17. A happy and healthy mother raises a healthy family.

However, Western influences have also proved detremental to Asian marriages. Women are brought up in a more conservative fashion in Asia. There is a delicate balance between the sexes, as far as work allotment and looking after children is concerned. But with education and, to a large extent, Western influence, there is a high incidence of divorce rates in Asia. The reasons leading to this extreme step are varied -- women want to work as well as look after their home. They are not dependent financially on the man, so the man finds his role in the family somewhat diminished.

Instead, he is asked to help out with the housework. Women are earning more than men and hence this can cause maritial discord. They are moving out of the confines of their homes and this can lead to new friendships with males.

Western influences have their positive as well as negative influences on marriages in Asia. What is more important is to realize that we cannot avoid or run from these influences, as the world is becoming a smaller place. What we should do rather is strike a balance between our Asian and Western cultures. Every culture has something good to offer. We have to learn to draw out the good rather than blame the West for any overwhelming cultural influence.-- Caroline Saldanha, Bahrain

Parent-Child Relationships

In today's modern and time consuming world, parents often tend to ignore their kids, when they most need them. It may not happen on purpose, but with this fast paced life, where both the parents are working, the children are often ignored or left with baby sitters or maids to be taken care of. This is the time when they feel neglected by their parents and need someone to talk to or hear them out.

This temporary separation from their parents, results in a lack of communication between the two, and leads to further loneliness and dependence on outsiders for the child. The parent may however not realise that the child is in a great need of them at this time. So they tend to ignore such feelings. And during the weekends, the parents get busy with their household chores, they don't have the time to spend with their little ones. So if parents can take some time out from their work schedule and where the father is earning well, maybe the mother can opt to spend more time with their little ones. -A. Paul, Dubai