No hope for peace
From the time of the unjust and unwarranted Balfour Declaration a hundred years ago, the Palestinians have suffered a series of hammer blows to their aspirations and dignity (“Trump’s shocking Jerusalem decision receives brickbats”, Gulf News, December 12). Decades of expropriation of their land, forced eviction from their properties and forced exile to neighbouring and distant places, not to mention the illegal occupation of much of the territory they still possess, has left this proud, ancient nation dispirited and forlorn. In a dispute such as the Palestine-Israel conflict, it is imperative that the chief peace broker is impartial and aims to facilitate agreements and treaties that are fair to both sides. The single-most important issue in this dispute is the position of Jerusalem. In order to have a meaningful and functional two-state solution, the utterly dispossessed Palestinians have, as their central demand, the provision of East Jerusalem as their capital, and previous US administrations have inched towards making this justifiable compromise a reality. However, in a single drastic move, the current US president, by officially recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, has destroyed any chance of a peaceful negotiated settlement to this long-raging dispute. In so doing, US President Donald Trump has again betrayed evidence of his complete lack of understanding for foreign affairs, and his personal prejudice against certain ethnic and religious groups. Peace mediation is not safe in his hands, and while his administration is in power, the US cannot be the chief peace broker in the Middle East. Instead, this role must be undertaken by a special committee under the direct auspices of the United Nations Secretary General.
From Mr Naseem Ansari
Bahrain
A plastic problem
I was really astonished to see the amount of plastic we use in everyday life (“Is it possible to live without plastic?”, Gulf News, December 6). Having grown up in a household where every waste material was either reused or recycled, and the usage of plastic and other such materials were reduced to near-zero, I was really saddened to learn of such non-biodegradable waste in landfills. Though I don’t use plastic water bottles or cutlery, we don’t have any other option when we buy dairy products, which come in plastic containers. For that matter, the same goes for anything else we buy from supermarkets. Plastic is ubiquitous. But when I am in India, on holiday, I live a very green lifestyle. My parents make it a point to purchase from small neighbourhood stores, instead of large supermarkets, where the storekeepers measure or weigh whatever we need and put them directly into our bags, instead of wrapping it in plastic. Anything that has to be wrapped is done with old newspapers and tied with coconut fibres. Even oil is bought directly from oil mills into containers that we take from home. We still put glass bottles out for the milkman and fishermen directly deliver fish to our homes. All organic waste gets processed as compost and the rest of the waste is clearly sorted and goes for recycling. I sincerely don’t know how I can practice such a lifestyle anywhere else.
From Ms Sajida Kamal
Abu Dhabi
Giving a helping hand
Volunteering is the best way of giving without expecting in return, and this initiative in Dubai is a step in the right direction (“Volunteering in Dubai made easy through ‘Day For Dubai’ app”, Gulf News, December 8). When I was studying at the University of Southampton, in the UK, I discovered my passion for teaching while volunteering at the school there. I was amazed by the effective teaching practices there and even though I went to study in UK with the goal of settling there, it was during my volunteering days that I decided that I wanted to make a difference in my home country, India, which led me to start my own non-governmental organisation (NGO). Now, I am working with children who have dyslexia.
From Ms Remediana Dias
UAE
Inappropriate
This is not the first time top leaders in India’s Congress Party have used such filthy language, neither is it going to be the last time (“Is the BJP nervous about Gujarat?”, Gulf News, December 9). The suspension of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar is misleading. After the Gujarat elections, he too will return to taunting Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leaders. If the Congress President has to continue with sincere and strict action against foul-mouthed leaders, we are confident that by 2019, there will be no leader like Aiyar, Kapil Sibal, and others, to taunt the BJP during the next general elections.
From Mr N. Viswanathan
India
Working for the people
Till recently, the governor’s post was considered to be an ornamental one, and no one missed a chance to criticise his inaction. Hence, it is surprising to see the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M. K. Stalin’s comment that he is going to protest the governor’s review meetings. If I am not mistaken, the governor is doing a yeoman’s service to the people of Tamil Nadu, where both the ruling party and leaders of the opposition have failed to take care of the needs of the common man. While the chief ministers of New Delhi and Pondicherry were up against their governors, ironically, it is the opposition leader in Tamil Nadu who was feeling the heat. As a common man, I am happy that our governor is taking active steps to hear the grievances of the people of the state. Let their tribe increase!
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
Scandal and gossip
The Christine Keeler and John Profumo affair was introduced to me when I was in college and I recently heard about her book ‘Secret and Lies’ (“Everyone in the Profumo scandal got redemption — except Christine Keeler”, Gulf News, December 8). She was known for her affair with the then British minister of war, John Profumo, and also with the Soviet naval attaché, Yevgeny Ivanov. A brief peek into her life shows that she was used as a ‘honey trap’ during the days of the Cold War and her affair brought down the British government then. She was the subject of scandal and gossip and was tried for perjury and was jailed. It would be interesting to read her book as it would bring out her version of the story and what made her life take such a path.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Wedding bells
I am so happy Indian cricketer Virat Kohli married his long-time girlfriend, actress Anushka Sharma (“Confirmed: Anushka-Virat tie the knot”, Gulf News, December 12). The two of them have always complemented and supported each other. They were never one of those celebrities who kept their relationship too public. They had been serious from the start and I think it’s great that they finally tied the knot. Often, celebrities take a long time to commit and end up getting married late or not at all. It is refreshing to see Sharma and Kohli make a commitment towards each other. They have faced so much criticism from the public, Sharma always being the centre of every joke when India would lose a cricket match or when Kohli wouldn’t make a century.
From Ms Alia Mathur
Dubai
Hard work and potential
The recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka has been a happy one for our players in India, especially the captain, Virat Kohli. He created records galore and climbed up to second position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) ratings. Of course, it was a fruitful comeback for Murli Vijay, who is going to be our main reliable opener against South Africa. The success of our bowlers means there is every chance for our maiden series win in South Africa. Of course, for that, our fielders, coach and the head coach have to put in extra effort to hone the talent of the players. At the same time, since there could be a place for only one spinner in the team, we feel it would be Ravindra Jadeja, who will be the first choice.
From Ms Kavitha Srikanth
India
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