Reading time in schools to develop the habit
First of all, I thank Gulf News for all your efforts to help the community by promoting community services. I also need to thank the authorities for the reading program. Encouraging children’s reading habits and giving rewards to them for those who read a lot of books. I have one small request to schools. They have to start compulsory reading time – a minimum half an hour every day for reading in schools. Otherwise, children will never read because we have the internet and so many technological developments, which doesn’t develop any form of long form reading habits in children.
From Ms Habeeba Salim
UAE
Time to take women seriously
With reference to the poll results and the article on the first female bond, I feel that the world is ready for the first female Bond (‘Poll analysis: Who do you think should be the next Bond?’, Gulf News, May 27). Never in the history of mankind have women been subjected to so much physical and mental abuse. All the glib talks about women’s empowerment, equality and equal pay remain party circuit discussions.
It is payback time for women and an opportunity for men to take a backseat and allow women’s progress in all fields. All hail the new Bond, it could be a Jane Bond or Sita Bond.
Time for men to take seriously the idea of not only a female Bond, but also women.
From Mr Gopal Sriniwasan
Dubai
We are so disappointing
What a disappointing thing to read about - we will keep making errors and due to our mistakes, animals will always pay the final price (‘Facebook Debate: Killing animals for human error’, Gulf News, May 29). If animals also have brains and the ability to think, then why do we think that their lives are any less? We really are the worst and due to us, every living creature is suffering.
From Mr Ahmad Ra
Dubai
Facebook comment
This world is for all of us
Killing animals for some man who entered their territory out of curiosity or because he wanted to die, is totally not justified. When thieves enter your home, it is not the residents who are to be punished. This world was for all of us. Not only humans. We have completely destroyed it. Shame on us!
From Mr Mehzabin Siddiqui
UAE
Facebook comment
Playing with instincts
It’s not the animals’ fault when they are going on their natural instincts to defend themselves or their territory. Just because an animal is in a zoo, it does not mean they are tamed and used to humans. People need to respect the animals and remember that they are still wild animals and that they are dangerous.
From Ms Susie Marx
UAE
Facebook comment
Animals made to suffer
This reminds me of the infuriating cases we have back home in Banff, Canada. We get many tourists because it’s a very beautiful area with lots of wildlife at our doorstep, but then we get inconsiderate people who intentionally feed the grizzly bears with the hopes of getting a closer look. When later that day or the next day, when the bear comes back, literally knocking on the door, the police get called and the animal gets killed.
The signs are everywhere: Don’t feed the wildlife! Does it stop people even though the community and the wildlife will suffer? No.
From Ms Jessica Woods
Dubai
High stakes for Brazil
The stakes are high in the Rio Olympics. Any last minute changes in the venue would turn out to be an economic disaster for Brazil (‘WHO rejects calls to move Olympics over Zika fears’, Gulf News, May 29). As far as I reckon, travel bodies were on the brink of placing a ban to the Zika-infected Brazil months ago. I hope the World Health Organisation (WHO) will not gamble with a risky pandemic.
From Mr Abijith Manayil
UAE
Facebook comment
Sufficient stocks
It is a good initiative of the UAE authorities to ensure sufficient stocks of essential food and consumable items to cope with the Ramadan demands (‘Discounts on 5,000 items during Ramadan’, Gulf News, May 26). The right decision will help curb the shortage of essential and useful items during Ramadan.
From Mr M. A. Mannan
Abu Dhabi
Hard to put out the fire
An outrage has been triggered among African envoys in retaliation to the killing of a Congolese national in New Delhi, India (‘Congolese national killed in Delhi, one held’, Gulf News, May 22). Several shops and establishments of Indian nationals were attacked and gunshots were fired, injuring at least two Indians. Meanwhile, the Indian Mission in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken up the issues with the DRC’s Foreign Ministry. The attack on Indian establishments in Kinshasa came days after Congolese national Masonda Ketada Olivier was killed in New Delhi. Olivier was beaten to death last week in the Vasant Kunji area following a brawl over the hiring of an autorickshaw. Envoys of African countries had expressed shock over Olivier’s death following which India assured them of the safety of African nationals residing in the country. Both the countries should remember one thing - it is easy to kindle a fire, but difficult to extinguish it.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Mala, India
A better tomorrow underway
Kudos to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for the successful running of the government during the first two years of his tenure. It is heartening to know that the government has taken to social media to hasten postal services in our country. I hope this method is adopted by all government departments, not only at the centre, but even by the state governments, to serve the people. I hope to see a better tomorrow by 2020!
From Mr N. Viswanathan
Virugambakkam, India
Helping families in need
There are so many families who are in need, very well done to the Pakistan Association of Dubai (PAD) (‘Needy families to receive Ramadan food coupons’, Gulf News, May 29).
From Ms Sophy Aqeel
UAE
Facebook comment
Circus act inside school buses
Instead of removing the front seats of buses, add seat belts and warn the children of the consequences if it’s removed or if the child continues to move around, acting like a monkey swinging by the bars while the overstressed bus monitor does his/her best to maintain order (‘Remove front seat in buses, says traffic council’, Gulf News, May 29).
Whether you’re in a car or a bus, seatbelts are important. On buses I’ve seen it hundreds of times where children don’t listen to what is being asked of them for their own safety. It seems like a circus inside the bus.
God only knows how the driver manages to block it out. Children are so disrespectful these days. They pay no mind to the bus monitor or driver. Keep in mind parents: Your children are a reflection of you. If I was the driver, I wouldn’t move the bus if they moved one finger.
So you can move, deconstruct the bus and set up rules, but they won’t work because unless you fix the core issue, which is the attitude of the children, nothing will change.
From Ms Cecilia Zapata
UAE
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