Letters: September 6, 2010

Expensive uniforms
I am a father of three and want to know why there is a monopoly when it comes to selling school uniforms (“School bell sounds for value shopping lessons”, Gulf News, August 28). There is a company who is charging parents a high price and the quality of the uniform does not even meet international standards. This is not in favour of consumer rights. Parents don’t have any other option. We have been talking and complaining to the school authorities regarding this issue. They say they don’t have any business relationship with the vendor. My question to them is then why doesn’t anybody else sell better quality uniforms at a lower price if the school has no interest in this business? We could not make the school reduce their tuition fees, but we have a right to fix this. If I go to a shopping mall, I have a choice to buy things that I need instead of being forced to buy from high-end luxury stores or a hypermarket that sells goods at lowest possible prices.
From Mr Saeed Mohammad
Dubai

Cultural etiquette
I fully stand by the views of Ms Fatima Kazim when she talks about respecting local customs (“Respect local customs”, Gulf News, August 31). It is not just about being in the UAE but anywhere in the world. I recently witnessed an incident in Goa, India. Since Goa is a tourist resort, some tourists show indecent gestures. In a few cases, these tourists were dealt with by a few locals themselves. Hence, it is the duty of every visitor to any destination to know about the place before making the trip. We should try to respect the [country’s] customs and traditions. Cultural etiquette can only be carried out by humans, not animals.
From Ms Agniyah Shaikh
Sharjah

Free from misery
It is a real pity that workers live in such bad conditions (“Workers live in filth after employer absconds”, Gulf News, August 31). Proper care should be given when issuing licences to companies, especially in the construction sector. The authorities should personally visit the labour accommodations and ask the labourers whether they are being paid or not. There should not be any tolerance in such matters. The property needs to be confiscated. The authorities should intervene and free these workers from their miseries — after all it is the holy month of Ramadan.
From Ms Jessica
Dubai

Personal visit
This report made us really sad. It was heart wrenching to read about these workers living in such poor conditions. They have no facilities like water or electricity and they haven’t even been paid in six months! I think the authorities need to visit each accommodation personally in order to make sure the living conditions are acceptable. Additionally, in this case, the employer should be punished for what he has done.
From Mr Raja S.
Sharjah

Pending cases
Given the statistics of over 30 million court cases pending across India, it is commendable to see action by J. V. V. Satyanarayana Murthy, a junior civil judge who is delivering justice at a professional speed especially in an over populated nation that pride themselves on democracy (“Lawyers protest after judge clears 111 cases in one day”, Gulf News, August 30). Thousands of Indians, both poor and rich, wait to be heard by a court on matters that affect their livelihood and right to justice. The legal fraternity should learn from Judge Murthy and not oppose the speed of his work. There are enough people in need of help. Stop the delay tactics and get the job done!
From Ms Devyani Raman
Dubai