Hyderabad: Film writer and actor Tanikella Bharani expressed his deep concern over the incidents of students committing violent acts against their own parents at an age when they are supposed to focus on their studies. He participated along with Cyberabad DCP Shilpavalli, in the closing ceremony of the two-day Saraswati Literary Festival held at JNTU on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said it was extremely cruel that a boy recently killed his grandmother just because she did not give him a phone. He emphasised that children must be taught values from a young age and warned against spoiling them by giving them mobile phones. Students should recognise how hard their parents work for them, he said.

He questioned the justice in sending parents, who toil all their lives to raise their children into responsible adults, to old age homes later. He urged parents to always keep an eye on their children instead of giving them phones and immersing themselves in their own work, as running after technology in this way would lead to a painful future.

He suggested that instead of giving phones, parents should give their children good storybooks, narrate short stories to them, explain the morals within, and create an environment that fosters interest in reading books.

DCP Shilpavalli, speaking on the occasion, said that students should not only listen to the morals in stories but also understand them and plan their lives accordingly.