Sir — This refers to the article, “Physical labour is no longer dignified” (May 16) by Meeta W Sengupta.
It is the Indian mindset, or snobbery — call it what you will — that ‘working with hands/dirtying our hands is below our dignity’, which prevents us from tapping into the education we may have acquired while doing physical labour.
And this is what sets developing nations apart from the developed economies where mowing the lawn or working at a supermarket are not just accepted but also considered normal jobs for youngsters looking for some extra pocket money.
Unfortunately, a physical activity like this does not gel with the Indian youth, especially where many parents may feel embarrassed to see their wards working in a burger joint or a mall. They would much rather fork out loads of money for a management degree from a prestigious institution than let their wards acquire basic life-skills and consumer insights that such a hands-on experience would provide. This is not the right approach.