Letters to the Editor
Caved in
Iwas sad to read of the recent incident where a football team of minors was stuck in a cave in Thailand (“Thailand cave rescue: How the ‘Mission Impossible’ was accomplished”, Gulf News July 11). After nine days the 13 members were located, and were found trapped in a cave. The military were confident that the children and their coach would survive, and they did.
Operation rescue a go!
IFrom Mr K. Ragavan
Denver
he Thai cave rescue was terrifying. I cannot imagine what those families were going through. I think we need to commend the efforts made by the rescuers and even the international community for tracking this story. For the children, I hope they recover from this incident. While no one can be blamed, children should be careful and if situations like these can be avoided, the better it would be.
From Ms Anaga Rajeev
Dubai
Loving almost everyone
t is heart-warming and inspiring to see the amount of effort that was spent toward rescuing the 12 boys stranded in the caves in Thailand. This shows that we still care about human life and are committed to helping those in distress, no matter who they are and where they come from. It is equally baffling and saddening to see the level of hypocrisy that is being played in our selective care to help those in need. It is as if we choose who is worth being saved and who aren’t. If we had demonstrated similar care and concern towards all human life irrespective of who they might be, there wouldn’t have been a child crying with hunger in Africa or an orphan in fear in Iraq or Syria. Had we mobilised even half of the amount of efforts seen in the face of the current situation in Thailand, our world would have been in a much better shape. It is ironic to see children in Palestine, and other countries where children are being killed mercilessly.
From Mr Abu Baker N. Kasim Toronto
Get people help
Unfortunately mental health is still a taboo but we need to speak openly about it (“The truth about mental health treatments in the UAE”, Gulf News, July 2). Doctors should be able to identify it in patients so that people can be given the help they need.
From Ms Shirien Al Hazmi
UAE
Make treatment affordable
Mental health is a serious issue, however, people don’t take it seriously. Just because the problem is difficult to identify, people find it easier to ignore
it. People who have depression or any other mental health problem find it difficult to go to people to seek help. Counselling sessions are very expensive and not many people can afford treatment. We have created an environment where instead of a person willingly seeking help, they now have to think about social stigma, as well as the cost. I hope in the future, getting help for mental disorders is easier.
IFrom Ms Ruhani Metha
Dubai
Tears of joy?
often wonder why so many players like Sergio Ramos and Neymar Jr cry when they lose a match or when they score a goal (“Belgium’s Hazard spells World Cup danger for France”, Gulf News, July 10). Football is a game, someone has to win and someone has to lose. Sure, the game arouses unprecedented and incredible levels of involvement and passion around the world. Players should however remember that millions of fans all around the world are watching these matches. They should have some dignity and maintain their self-respect in the face of victory or defeat, this would be becoming. One can always howl with joy or sorrow in the locker room, after the game is over. It should be done away from the public gaze.
From Mr Rajendra Aneja
India
The wonders of women
Watching the action-packed scenes of Elastigirl in the Disney movie, The Incredibles 2, makes me realise the true super powers every woman has. The idea of feminism is such a beautiful concept. No one else is gifted with the powers that a woman is gifted with. A woman is a daughter, friend, mother, wife, teacher and most importantly, a superhero. She puts up a brave front amidst ‘evil’. She is a source of inspiration whose voice makes a sparkling difference in the minds of so many budding individuals. She is someone who seeks to make a positive and everlasting difference in society, proving herself to be the best
amongst the crowd. She never gives up and she is the one who teaches us to desire for something beyond our abilities. A woman is someone who opens the windows of life.
From Ms Shezeen Mohammad UAE
Vulgarity is subjective
Beauty lies in the beholder’s eyes, so does obscenity, is a recent statement given by high court on behalf of a magazine which had posted a picture of a woman breastfeeding (“‘I hope one day before I die, I will make them proud of what I did’”, Gulf News, March 5).
The popularity of the magazine cover became popular and spread like a wildfire among those people who consider themselves protectors of their cultures. The high court refused to categorise the magazine cover with women breastfeeding her baby as obscene, because there was nothing shocking about it. Our morals are our own. One man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric, which is why the court refused the petitioner. He added that Indian art has long appreciated and celebrated the beauty of human body through paintings by artists and sculptures on temples standing till today.
Women are always portrayed as deities or are considered sacred. It’s our duty to view obscenity through a prism of reality and march towards civilisation, thus changing societal sensitivities. A woman on a cover page breastfeeding is not a violation of any constitutional right and should not affect any of the sentiments of the people. Your perception defines beauty — this statement has made a considerable change in the legal system.
From Ms Sumitra Nair
UAE
Portions and pressure
Students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), especially those in grade 12, are expected to learn extremely big portions, exactly as written in the textbooks, to score marks. This is highly unrealistic. While everyone advocates ‘consistency’, it is not feasible for a student to learn and retain that much information. Adding to that, students are expected to write a lot for just one to three marks’ questions, which is extremely unfair because that much context is not required.The strict grading policy for various subjects along with the absence of moderation makes students all the more stressed out. It takes a toll on us physically and mentally. While nothing in life is easy, this is too much for 16- and 17-year-olds to handle. I do not know if there is a possibility of any change but people should be aware of these difficulties before piling up their expectations on students and pressuring them in the process. I honestly do not know where to start, so I am voicing my concerns here. This might not have any effect on people, but everyone should be aware of what
we’re facing instead of looking down upon us when we are unable to do well.
From Ms S. Lakshmi
UAE
Washing away the worries
On July 6, I was with my family when I suddenly noticed the weather changing (“Busted! Don’t fall for fake UAE temperature alert, Gulf News, July 10).
There was a sandstorm outside with thick clouds. We were all excited that it was going to rain. First there was a sandstorm. Next, the sandstorm turned into rain and finally, the rain also brought hail in some parts of the UAE. Everyone was so excited that some people got out of their cars and were walking in the rain. Residents came out on their balconies, too.
There was so much rain that the roads started filling up with water and there was floding on the roads. All the cars were going slowly so the water did not splash on the pedestrians but there was one car driver who was so excited with the weather that he drove fast and water splashed on the people on the roads, drenching them. Despite getting wet, the people on the street laughed it off and enjoyed the rain. It is the beauty of this country and the people in it that that despite the rain and strong winds, people came to help those in need. We saw that due to strong winds, dustbins were blown away and managed to reach the centre of the roads.
However, people immediately came out to remove them and helped drivers avoid accidents. They were themselves getting wet and it was difficult for them due to strong wind. There were some vehicles that also broke down due to water getting into their cars. Within a few minutes, tow trucks came and removed these vehicles. We all were enjoying the weather and people on the streets were having fun.
The rain stopped eventually but water flooded the road and late in the night trucks came that pumped out all the water and in the morning all was clear.
From Ms Zaina Khwaja
UAE
Homework woes
Homework given to children in kindergarden is too much (“Emirati pupils prohibited from 47 schools”, Gulf News, July 11).It feels like we are home schooling our children and the credit for their education goes to the school. Many working parents after coming from work should spend quality time with their children, instead of pressuring them for homework. Also, details of the under-performing school should be published. Under-privileged kids should get free education, too. It should be a mandatory right for children everywhere.
From Ms Neeta Bright Colin UAE