A great honour to labourers
May 1 was celebrated as International Labour Day, to recognise the work of labourers around the world. This day helped create awareness about their issues and celebrated their success and achievements.
Without the hard work of labourers, no country would prosper. We never realise that, as many people work in comfortable surroundings. Can you imagine a world without labourers? It would mean living in an untidy city with overflowing garbage bins, unfinished construction sites and so on. Even the food we eat, comes from the hard work of farmers. The little things they do every day brings about a huge change in our everyday life. Our cities are so clean, neat and modern, but we often do not think to recognise the work it takes to keep our cities this way. It’s all because of the workers who clean, build roads and create massive structures every day. Yes, we see workers during our day, but do we understand their importance?
We should be very grateful to people who bring about small changes in our lives, as it makes a huge impact.
From Ms Buvaneswari Jayasankar
Dubai
Show your gratitude
Following the occasion of International Labour Day, I would like to salute the hard working labour force of the UAE, who tirelessly and with dedication, help build this vibrant nation. They work even in intense heat and challenging circumstances.
My school in Sharjah has a social responsibility program, and over the last few years, I’ve seen appreciation accorded to our drivers and ancillary staff. We appreciate them and show that we care. I am thankful to my institution for inculcating this habit in me and for supporting my cause. Apart from labourers working at job sites, we have approached and served hospital support staff as well, for the past three years.
The labour force deserves more and I encourage readers to dedicate a few moments of their busy schedule to approach a labourer working under the sun, and to hand over a chilled water bottle or juice to him. This type of gratitude being paid forward is what matters, and spreading love is contagious. Give love and take blessings. We need a lot of them every day. Three cheers for the labourers.
From Mr Rohan Kapur
Dubai
When will we care?
The situation with the angry workers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, setting buses on fire, is an alarming one (‘Buses set ablaze by angry workers in Makkah’, Gulf News, May 2). Labour Day was celebrated around the world at this same time. What message will the world understand? I am afraid it may get worse, considering the news that more than 50,000 workers will be terminated from their jobs by one of the biggest companies in Saudi Arabia.
From Mr Tanveer Ahmad
Dubai
Facebook comment
Arson won’t work
Workers should not be denied their salaries. There is no excuse for this. Looks like the workers got desperate and angry, but they need to understand that by rioting and committing arson, they will not get their money anyway. What’s the point?
From Mr Ajay Bhatia
Dubai
Facebook comment
Shouldn’t happen
Receiving their wages is their right, so why won’t their employers give them their hard-earned money? Authorities around the world need to make sure there is a proper monitoring system to protect expatriates. The Prophet [PBUH] is known to have said that a worker should be paid his wages before his sweat dries. So why is this happening?
From Mr Ahmad Salman
UAE
Facebook comment
Families suffer most
Everywhere, the poor are in trouble because they aren’t properly protected. It’s so sad for the workers who haven’t received their salaries for the past six months. How many families are suffering due to the lack of salaries?
From Mr Sohaib Mohammad
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
Won’t solve anything
Imagine not receiving a salary for four to six months. You would be desperate to shake awake the company’s management. However, this rioting cannot be tolerated, and it would only create more problems.
From Mr Ronilo Ceniza
UAE
Facebook comment
Inappropriate
The problem seems to be the management of the company. If they had only complied to the agreed contract, everything would have been fine. However, the workers’ behaviour was also inappropriate.
From Mr Lim Salim
UAE
Facebook comment
Condemn all riots
I sympathise with them not receiving their salaries for six months, but we have to condemn any riots or acts of violence. Burning buses won’t solve the problem. I hope soon the situation will calm down and all the workers receive their salaries.
From Mr Shady Haddad
UAE
Facebook comment
Bullets and bloodshed
The aerial bombing of civilians in Aleppo, Syria, is detestable and highly condemnable (‘Social media users express solidarity with Aleppo’, Gulf News, May 1). It is heart-wrenching to learn what man is capable of. The ongoing Syrian crisis exasperates most of us. Moreover, the recent airstrikes that gripped Syria out of the blue, destroyed a hospital that was the Syrians’ only hope, solace and reason to be optimistic. Bereft at the violence that scours Syria, what perturbed me most was the plight of the Syrian children, whose tender years of childhood have been marred with suffering. The wanton bloodshed that many have witnessed has prematurely matured them and will remain etched in their memory for many years to come.
Why are we bequeathing a world tainted by bullets, bloodshed and insensitivity to the coming generations? Somehow, our inherent streak of humanity seems to have receded or, even worse, faded away.
Let us bring peace to this world before this crisis transforms into something barbaric and ghastly beyond what one can fathom. I wish to wake up to a world with its inhabitants coexisting peacefully, but it seems far too utopian, with regards to recent events. My prayers are with the families of those who died. May God give them the strength to overcome their irreparable loss.
From Ms Syeda Amena
Dubai
A lasting impression
South Indian cartoonist V.T. Thomas has become endeared to many, with his well-known characters Boban and Molly (‘Popular Kerala cartoonist, Toms, dies’, Gulf News, April 29). His cartoons have appeared since 1957, and both Boban and Molly were real-life characters who lived near his home. Some of the other popular characters he created are still fresh in our minds. Even though Thomas was not a political cartoonist, the satire in his cartoons highlighted social realities, and during my childhood, I really enjoyed his work. His work will remain in our hearts forever.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
An unlawful bill
This scintillating article has rightly pointed out that Muslims are being penalised in India for not migrating to Pakistan, through the Enemy Property Bill 2016 amendment (‘New ‘enemies’ of the Indian state’, Gulf News, April 29). Indian Muslims who committed the harmless ‘crime’ of not migrating to Pakistan, as their ancestors did, and who chose to remain in their motherland as the lawful heirs and successors of the properties of their ancestors, are now being penalised through this bill. They are now being labelled as enemies of the state. This Bill richly deserves to be either withdrawn by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of India or to be challenged before the Supreme Court.
From Mr S. M. Pasha
UAE
Age limits must be changed
India’s Supreme Court has hauled up the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decision of appointing former President Jagmohan Dalmiya. Definitely, the BCCI needs surgery to cure itself. Ironically, not only in sports bodies, even in politics, the age limit should be a maximum of 70 years. India has so many political leaders who are above 70. Take the example of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief M. Karunanidhi, who, even though he didn’t attend a single day session the previous time, at the ripe age of 93 years old, still wants to contest. It is high time the Supreme Court comes out with a suitable law to fix not only the age limit, but also a clause that all the elected members should attend the sessions of Parliament without fail.
Kudos to the Supreme Court for instructing the BCCI to protect the interests of cricket fans watching the match on television. The Supreme Court is bang on target that advertisements between overs is absolutely irritating. I hope this, too, will be amended soon.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
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