More tragic news
The report about the savage massacre in Tunisia has sent shock waves across the world (‘Tunisia says museum gunmen trained in Libya’, Gulf News, March 21). At least 19 foreigners and two Tunisians were killed when gunmen carried out a brazen day-time attack on a famed museum. Prime Minister Habib Al Sid is very upset on this tragic incident and it has been reported that three men dressed in military-style clothing may have taken hostages inside the museum. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The National Bardo Museum, built within a 15th century palace, is the largest museum in Tunisia with collections covering two floors, and it houses one of the world’s largest collections of Roman mosaics. These days I am afraid to leaf through the newspapers because everyday there seems to be horrible reports of genocides, brutalities, terrorist attacks and riots, leaving the life of people in a pool of agony.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Kerala, India
An international issue
The Gulf News story about 21 people killed in Tunisia at the museum was sad to read about. The recent attack of the museum in Tunisia killed a range of different nationalities. It is unacceptable. Terrorism should be tackled globally and I think that the international community should act quickly on this menace. However, the reason of this attack not known to the government and they have assured that this type of incident won’t happen again. Civilians and tourists should be safeguarded.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Admirable profession
Nancie Atwell being awarded the Global Teacher award at the Global Education and Skills Forum 2015, is an award not for an individual, but to the profession of teaching (‘Million-dollar teacher shares her secrets’, Gulf News, March 18). It emphasises and encourages us to think about how vital the role of teachers is in the lives of every student.
Today’s world of technology is taking the young minds away from their inspirational teachers around them. Not only that, but even the teachers are unable to invest in their students crucial years. I feel a strong inspiring voice inculcating the values of learning and life everyday in the classroom. Teachers simply cannot be compared to any Google search. The power and impact of a book is immeasurable as compared to internet searches to gain information.
The earlier we learn what positive changes teachers can bring to an individual and to the society, it would be better for us and more importantly for our children. This is a GEMS educational initiative of rewarding teachers and I find it highly appreciable. I have been a GEMS parent for 10 years and I can honestly say that their efforts in the field of education are increasing with every passing year. Such measures should be adopted by all governmental and private sectors – at high and small level companies.
From Ms Khaula Shahbaz Rao
Dubai
Acting in an emergency
In recent months, we have heard of vehicles catching fire in the middle of the road and drivers being forced to evacuate to save their lives. This is not uncommon in this part of the world, where temperatures can soar up to 50 degrees Celsius during the summer. Almost anyone driving in the UAE can be faced with such an emergency crisis, where a car can heat up to the extent that it catches fire, leaving barely any time for drivers and passengers to make it to safety. Being a woman who often drives unaccompanied and travels long distances, I dread thinking of being caught up in such a situation. Given the speed at which cars are being driven on the roads, it is sheer luck that a driver or the occupants of a burning car can reach safety alive.
Many cannot even control their vehicles in time and end up hitting another vehicle due to speeding and not keeping a safe distance. The authorities should launch campaigns to educate motorists on the safety laws and what is the best course of action in a situation where a car is at risk of catching fire, especially if this happens on a busy road or a major highway. I strongly feel that with proper guidelines in place, motorists can confidently handle such unforeseen events and act swiftly to save lives.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
A great performance
Kudos to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team for their clinical performance against the Bangladesh team during the quarter finals in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup (‘India are playing good cricket, Dhoni says’, Gulf News, March 20). Like in the case of Sachin Tendulkar and to some extent, Virendra Sehwag and Rohit Sharma, too, they have improved by leaps and bounds after their promotion to the opening slot. Though he himself was to be blamed for his ups and downs during the past years, I feel now he has come of age. Maybe it has taken Tendulkar a bit more time to get there, but better late than never. I hope he doesn’t repeat his earlier mistakes of scoring a fifty plus and drying out for another six to eight matches. We are sure he will use this confidence and maturity wisely in order to score heavily in the remaining matches. He needs to do this for the team India to retain the World Cup.
Incidentally, there have been many mistakes made by the umpires during this World Cup. It is time that the ICC and the match referee take note of this and take remedial measures right then and there. Although the ICC had promised to be tough with the players, we have to see what action they take against Australia’s Brad Haddin, who tarnished the image of the gentleman’s game. Thank God the field umpire stood his ground and the cameras have proved that Haddin was a cheat!
From Mr N. Viswanathan
Chennai, India
A health risk
Through the columns of Gulf News, I would like to raise awareness on the increasing dangers of obesity among the younger generation. Obesity is a preventable cause of various illnesses like heart diseases. Being obese can even increase a person’s risk of developing cancer. It is caused by a combination of excessive food intake and lack of physical activity. In the UAE, there are a shocking number of residents who are overweight or obese. A balanced diet and exercising are the main treatments for obesity. Some other preventive measures taken can be participating in sports events and joining health clubs. Consumption of foods can also be controlled.
As good health is a virtue of life, I request the residents of UAE to keep a track and schedule regular exercise and create a well rounded diet to be part of a healthier future.
From Ms Sreelakshmi Prakash
Dubai
The boomerang effect
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is certainly a born economist. On May 2014, when Modi had come into power, he inherited an economy that was brought to the edge of ruin by the former government. He soon launched many campaigns to fuel economic growth. Modi’s campaigns have been some of the most successful campaigns ever launched in India. He focused on bringing Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to the country’s industrial sector, which serves as the backbone of the Indian economy. This also brought in the needed foreign exchange. Modi’s US visit also played a prominent role in the liberalisation of the Indian economy. He held a meeting with the CEOs of the top-most companies in the United States. Most of these instances involve a critical role of the people. Modi believes that the economic situation of any country would only improve by its degree of public participation. He also made similar ties with Japan and China with a motive of bringing his youth back. Today’s youth, go abroad with a mindset of making money. His foreign investments not only aim to bring foreign inflows into the market, but to also create that economic atmosphere, which the youth desire in India.
Another encouraging fact is that as per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, India’s GDP growth is quite higher than the global average GDP growth for the coming years. They say that every thought, deed and action that one creates has a boomerang effect. Modi has created the vibrations among the youth that feel the need to go out and gain experience. He definitely has the boomerang effect.
From Mr Vellat Akshath
Sharjah
Contributing to society
While it may be true that social media is becoming the way forward, not all people presented during the awards, do justice for the way social media is supposed to function (‘Social media is an essential part of all our lives’, Gulf News, March 20). With the exception of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies amongst a very few others, I believe the summit gave an opportunity for self centred individuals to show that they mattered when in actual reality nothing they do even adds an ounce of positivity to society. Just because an individual is popular, this certainly does not mean that he has a legitimate claim to anything that matters to society, even though they may have made us think that they have actually accomplished this. Social media is saturated with individuals pretending to be what they may never be. In a world where people are waking up to a reality where wisdom and knowledge is quickly diminishing, I ask the person reviewing this input to consider what I have said. There should be a discussion on the individuals that were selected, those who were side lined and those who make a difference. Where were they?
From Mr Khalid Bin Hazred
UAE
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