Opinions | Letters
Letters To The Editor - November 25, 2001
The UAE has taken major steps towards making life comfortable and fair for all its residents. However there is one area that is still found wanting.
- Published: 00:00 November 25, 2001
Sponsorship
From Ms D. Vaz, Dubai.
The UAE has taken major steps towards making life comfortable and fair for all its residents. However there is one area that is still found wanting. It is that expatriate women are not allowed to sponsor their family unless the woman is a doctor, nurse or teacher.
In a society where women are crossing frontiers (woman butchers, woman pilots, women in top management positions) this comes as a surprise. If a woman can work and support her family, why is she not allowed to sponsor her family? Is there a logical reason for this?
Short order
From Ms J. Alami, Sharjah.
When I read the complaints in your Letters column about Etisalat services I thought it would never be necessary for me to do likewise. But unfortunately it has occurred.
On November 22, suddenly Etisalat disconnected my telephone line because my subscription has expired. No prior warning, no reminder. When I purchased the Sim card last year it was during a promotion which stated they would be valid for 15 months. So I was relying on the subscription ending next year. Yet, after disconnection, when I checked with Etisalat I was told the card is only valid for a year. And to think I found it out on Friday when its office is closed!
Can't Etisalat be more sensitive on this? What about any important calls that I may be waiting for? I rely on my mobile telephone, being the only contact number for my job applications. What's more, I have to pay Dh125 instead of Dh100 because my subscription was cancelled.
Speed breakers
From A Reader, Dubai.
With the prospective new flyover at Al Wahda Street in Sharjah (Gulf News, November 21) another change is needed at a crucial point on the Sharjah-Dubai highway which might help prevent serious accidents.
The road from Al Taawun to the main highway (immediately after Al Nahda bridge). It is a gradient and needs speed breakers there as most cars come down at great speed and are in danger of losing control, causing accidents. The authorities should do something towards making it safer.
* Name withheld by request.
Slow down
From Mrs. D. Williams, Abu Dhabi.
What was that! On the road! It's a rocket! It's a bullet! It's a sports saloon! Is there not a speed limit in the UAE? There must be because I see speed signs posted! Where are the Traffic Police to enforce this law? The laws are strict in this country so why not for those who speed!
There are those who come up behind you going 240 kph flashing their lights or dangerously using the shoulder to go around you if you do not move over fast enough! If a driver wants to see how fast their car goes, why not build a racetrack in the Middle East? Then people can test the performance of their cars and not endanger the lives of others who want to make it to their destination in one piece.
I hope careless, dangerous, fast drivers realise how easy it is to lose control travelling at speed. They have a greater chance of ending their life and lives of those around them. Is it really worth it? I love my family and want to be safe while living in this beautiful country.
Open house
From Mr. C.K. Srinivasan, Dubai.
Public toilets in the UAE do not serve the people effectively. Many parents go out with their children in the evening. Some elderly folk can resist the call of nature until getting home, but many parents run around looking for a public toilet for their children to use. They will be disappointed to see that toilets are closed after 8 p.m. It is imperative that toilets remain open until 11:00 p.m.
Revenge
From Mr. D.A. Raguwanshi, Dubai.
It was shocking to read that Sachin Tendulkar was suspended for ball tampering and other Indian players of excessive appealing. It is unfair because even Shaun Pollock was appealing excessively against Laxman. It can only be concluded that the South Africans are in a mood for revenge because it was the Indian police who accused Hansie Cronje of match fixing which ruined his career.
Futile
From Mr. S. Tanveeruddin, Mysore, India.
If Indian cricketers have any self-respect, they should walk out of the South African tour. Board of Cricket Control in India, BCCI, president Jagmohan Dalmiya should not make the players scapegoats in his effort to globalise cricket.
The BCCI is a toothless body. The Indian Sports Minister Uma Bharathi has little knowledge of sport. It is futile to expect any support from the BCCI or the Indian government.
Inconsistent
From Mr. R. Chandan, Sharjah.
I refer to Mr. H's letter titled "By the rule" (Gulf News, November 23). What Pollock did to get the wicket of Laxman was fair and so was Nel's verbal abuse to Ganguly. Rules differ, as people do. Any cricket follower will certify that Tendulkar was only cleaning the seam, not picking at it. Technically he was wrong but it did not call for such a heavy punishment.
The Indian team (and board) is fired up to try and level the match even though it cannot win the series. To win the third Test will mean a drawn series. India does not want a referee it considers inconsistent and incompetent. Indians are not worried by suspensions, but inconsistency.
Fair play
From Mr. A. Roy, Dubai.
Regrettably, Mr. H seems have missed out the core issue of the current controversy surrounding the Indian cricket team. It is more than an icon being fined for ball tampering. It is unprecedented for a referee to take decisions without consideration for the rule book.
For starters, Mike Denness did not have a right to take any decision unless the umpires on the field informed him of a problem. They did not report anything against the Indian team, be it excessive appealing or ball tampering or misbehaving or the skipper failing to control his teammates.
While one would question stand of the Board of Cricket Control in India, it is a fallacy to say the referee did the right thing to ensure fair play. Thus it is unwise to make comments without being aware of the rules of the game.
Lucky ones
From Ms Susy, Dubai.
Mr. Abraham's description of Indian women fits like a glove - were, are, always will be beautiful, intelligent, caring and ambitious - ("Pretty woman" Gulf News, November 22). Now, isn't that some combination?
Examples galore exist to prove how perfectly right he is. Yes, it is certainly not the winning that matters and the critics can say what they want, it is their job. To all the men who have forgotten - give the Indian woman in your life a second look.
* Full name withheld by request.
Everlasting
From Mr. M. Johnston, Dubai.
I was astounded to read the news item that the forthcoming performances of Shakespeare's plays Twelfth Night and Hamlet will feature many of the original cast (Gulf News, November 23). I look forward to watching these 400-year-old actors performing on stage.
Share this article
Popular in Opinions
-
Speak your mind
Company culture
How can you change a company culture if necessary?
Opinion Editor's choice
-
Tel Aviv's hydra-headed monster
It's outrageous that in all probability Israel will once again be allowed to get away
-
Beating the drums of war
Tension is escalating between Hezbollah and Israel hinting at a new battle
-
Making a pitch for talks with Taliban
Karzai needs to win Pakistan's confidence before dialogue with the militants
