Humanity needs a wake-up call
What a day it turned out to be for the world (“UAE strongly condemns terror attack on mosque in Egypt”, Gulf News, November 25). Innocent people who were praying were killed in the name of religion or power. What a sad day for humanity. As a 14-year-old in grade eight, it is obvious that this event needs to be condemned in the strongest way possible. Do we live in the twenty first century, or do we live in the ages where only the strongest survive? Are the moral values that have been taught to us for years through religion, philosophers and saints, been wasted? We can come together and bring those responsible to justice and make this world a peaceful and humane place to live in. If this is where we live, we need to stand, we need to fight, we need to be tolerant and more importantly, we need to have moral values. In the strongest of terms, I condemn this cowardly act. Let us all join together and make this a reality. Violence needs to be condemned, and violence against society has no place. All the governments need to take collective action. Producers of weapons, be it countries, organizations or individuals, need to take responsibility. If not, people from my generation will not know what a just society looks like. We need to have a humane world where survival for all is guaranteed without discrimination. I am sure today’s world leaders are capable of that.
From Mr Aryan Trivedi
Dubai
Deadly massacre of the innocent
The deadly attack by the masked gunmen on the mosque, killing more than 300 people including children, has created great anxiety among the people of the Muslim world. Killing or the genocide of worshippers is not only a cowardly act, but it is also a violation of human rights. The shameful act, which reflects the inhumanity of its perpetrators, should not go waste without a revenge and exemplary punishment. There is a great need to investigate about the supporters and sponsors who motivated the terrorists to kill the innocent worshippers. The heinous crime has exposed the ugly face of terrorism. They do not respect the human soul and the sanctity of places of worship. People should condemn the terror act vehemently.
From Mr Mumtaz Hussain
UAE
When will this end?
Lately, the news keeps getting worse, not better. Humanity is dead and it is high time we wake up. These terrorists have caused so much havoc, and continue to do so because no country is using force to put an end to them, once and for all. Everyday we hear of a shooting or a bomb blast, and the world is getting more unsafe. What are we leaving behind for our children? I feel so sorry for those who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. When will this chaos end? When will we leave our homes without the fear that we will not come back? I really hope governments come together and put pressure on these terrorists. I hope we have a world to leave our children with, not ruins.
From Ms Anya Sharma India
Think before you act
The release of the film ‘Padmavati’ is still on hold due to the controversy surrounding the movie, and states in India have banned its release in their theatres (“Complaint lodged against ‘Padmavati’ team”, Gulf News, November 25). Indians have got freedom of speech and expression but that doesn’t mean that people can do whatever they like. If anything is objectionable to the society and nation, then it should not be allowed. If allowed, certainly it will badly affect the sentiments of people and of course the image of the country. Not only that you should not twist the nation’s history in any way. History is history and should not be changed at any cost. It should be kept intact. A group of people protested the film’s release as they might have found something objectionable to the nation. Let the censor board go through the controversial film and make necessary changes and pass it for release with the permission of the Supreme Court. The censor board and the court should ensure the film will not hurt anyone. It should be a lesson to the cinema directors, actors and producers that before sending it to the censor board, they should check the film and ensure it will not create any problems to the people. If the producers think they can make money if their film gets caught in a controversy, they are completely wrong. Remember India is a very vast country with different types of thinkers.
From Mr Thottikamath Balaraman
Dubai
New, fresh leadership needed
Without a doubt, the late Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had nurtured the foundation of democracy in our country (“Congress finally seals deal with Hardik Patel”, Gulf News, November 23). Her tenure was the best. However, like in the past, there seems to be no magic wand for the century old party to regain power, not only at the centre, but also at the state level. The Congress Party definitely needs to be revamped, right from the grassroots level. It is time for the party’s President in waiting to weed out any deadweight and induct a young, talented and energetic lot.
From Mr N Mahadevan
India
The right candidate?
It is difficult to say if there is democracy within the Congress Party (“Rahul set to emerge from the shadows”, Gulf News, November 23). If there was, there would have been more than one presidential candidate. It is also hard to believe that politician Rahul Gandhi is gaining popularity as a leader. He is not in the shadows, but is always in the limelight for the wrong reasons. During his tenure as a vice president, the condition of the party deteriorated considerably. People do not equate this modern Congress party with the old popular party, which actively fought for India’s freedom. I wish him good luck as he will undoubtedly be considered for the candidate for prime minister in 2019.
From Mr Ganesh J. H
UAE
Not responsible
I think what actor Varun Dhavan did was a little irresponsible (“Varun Dhawan’s selfie draws the ire of Mumbai police”, Gulf News, November 25). I understand that his intentions were harmless but it could have caused an accident or something worse. Celebrities don’t understand that being in the limelight has some responsibility with it. They are constantly watched and people tend to copy what they do. As an actor he has a responsibility not to encourage such behaviour. He could have stopped on the side of the road and then taken a picture with the fan. I applaud the police for the action they have taken. Being a celebrity does not excuse you from fines. Everyone should be punished for bad behaviour and misconduct. Since the actor issued an apology for his action I feel like he has learnt his mistake. Hopefully celebrities will refrain from doing things like these in public.
From Ms Alia Mathur
Dubai
A second chance
While everyone was expecting Indian cricketer Kannur Lokesh Rahul to score a fifty at the Eden Gardens, to set a world record of eight consecutive fifties in test cricket, he chose to get the record of those batsmen who get out after facing their first ball (“Lively wicket beckons both teams in Nagpur Test”, Gulf News, November 24). I hope he gets another chance to redeem himself. Hats off to the Sri Lankan team, especially Suranga Lakmal, who hurt India’s batting pride. Of course there could be some debate about the pitch prepared by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CBA), especially Sourav Ganguly. Incidentally, it is a real surprise as to why our most dependable opener, Murli Vijay, despite his recent century in Ranji Trophy, was sidelined.
From Ms Kavitha Srikanth
India
Partiality at its best
It is really shocking to know that Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, instead of playing in the Ranji Trophy matches for his state, preferred to attend the National Cricket Academy (NCA) training in Bangalore. He is keen to improve his fitness to pass the test and get back into the National Team. It is surprising as to how the cricket associations are silent and have allowed him to skip four Ranji matches, performances of which are weighed for the selection of players. We are quite sure that if it had been any other state player, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would have lost no time in penalising the player.
From Mr N. Viswanathan
India
Anti medication
Doctors should prescribe antibiotics only if it is necessary(“Is the golden age of antibiotics over? Gulf News November 26) Even when I have a cold or fever, I voluntarily ask my physician to prescribe antibiotics, but doctors have always advised me to come after three days to see if the illness still persists. I always had the misconception that if I take antibiotics for three days, I will recover faster. We should take the right antibiotics, in the right dose in the right duration and frequency. If we can develop our own immunity, following a balanced diet and exercise, we can have good health and avoid medication. Antibiotics would be required after surgeries for quick healing and recovery.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
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