A reader lives a thousand lives

A reader lives a thousand lives

As an avid reader, I’d say that I’ve experienced more in life than most other 14 year olds. I did this by reading. For me, reading is like switching into another dimension. Books are a world where I can shed my usual normalities and gain superpowers. It’s like living multiple lives, one in each book. Books are a tool to increase imagination. Books are almost magical. Every character may spring to life any moment and all the fictional places might just appear from nowhere.

If you are a reader, maybe you have noticed that a book always looks thicker after you read it than when it was newly bought. Cornelia Funke, a children’s book author, explained in her book Inkheart that every time you read a book, you leave a little life on every page. Readers don’t just read a book, they live it.

Reading helps you to live life to the fullest. George R. R. Martin was right in the book, A Dance With Dragons, when he wrote: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. A man who never reads lives only one.”

From Ms Noora Jabir

Dubai

Transforming lives

It is a brilliant proposal for the rehabilitation of prisoners in Sharjah to get them reading (‘Reading initiative for Sharjah prisoners’, Gulf News, June 1). It will impact them immensely. They will have more emancipated thoughts, looking at life in a different perspective and renewed vigour to be more productive. This will pave the way for the future for them to be more responsible and play a crucial role in society. Good books have often transformed the lives of many in the world. It’s truly a great feeling to hold a book and enjoy reading.

From Ms Bhuvana Ramani

Dubai

Doctors deserve rest!

We should not forget that doctors are also human beings and they, too, require rest and sleep (‘Social media trend report: Images of exhausted doctors shake up social media’, Gulf News, June 3). These kinds of people will create a negative image among people, which is totally unfair. They save our lives and they deserve rest like everyone else.

From Mr Binn Thaloocha

Dubai

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Less doctors today

Let’s be honest - we have a shortage of doctors and nurses these days as the cost of education and the time it takes to get a degree has put off many young people. Articles like these aren’t helping encourage anyone to go into this field, as long hours and little pay is not an attractive package.

From Ms Aziza Al Busaidy

Dubai

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Not realistic

While I’m not a smoker myself, I find it unrealistic to advocate banning smoking areas in a country where the temperatures soar in the summer (‘Poll analysis: How can we curb smoking?’, Gulf News, June 3). That would offer smokers no respite from the heat in order to indulge in a cigarette. So, all in all, I do not find it a realistic proposal.

From Ms Lara

UAE

Slaves in this century

What a shame on humanity for tolerating slavery in this 21st century (‘Online offer: ‘This slave is yours for $8,000’, Gulf News, June 4). Enough of this barbarism. The world needs to act quickly. Stop this human catastrophe.

From Mr Ajay Bhatia

Dubai

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No one rests in election season

The bell has sounded for the Uttar Pradesh (UP) state elections in India with the despicable Dadri lynching resurfacing (‘UP CM questions authenticity of Dadri report’, Gulf News, June 2). Even the dead shall not be allowed to rest in peace when it is about winning an election.

A forensic report from some laboratory in Mathura, India has declared that it was beef that was found in the dustbin outside the unfortunate Dadri’s home. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Mahanth Yogi Adityanath is now baying for all sorts of action against the Dadri family. The first step of many that shall be seen towards polarising and creating terrible communal upheaval in the run up to the UP elections.

This strategy seemed to have worked for the BJP in the Indian state of Assam recently. The strategy of inflaming anti-immigration and the communal passions worked. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has always been enamoured with the treatment of the Myanmar government towards its Rohingya minority and a similar exodus maybe in the cards for all those that now stand to be declared “illegal” in Assam.

I hope that better sense prevails. India is not Myanmar and the people of this great democracy are hardly going to pander to any such ideology.

From Ms Sehba Masood Khan

Dubai

The day that shook India

A special court in Ahmedabad, India sentenced 24 people and acquitted 36 others and dropped conspiracy charges against all the accused in one of the worst riots in the Indian state of Gujarat. Of the 24 accused, 11 were convicted of murder. The Gulberg Society massacre on February 28, 2002 when the current Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was Gujarat’s chief minister shook the nation when a mob of 400 people set about attacking the community in the heart of Ahmedabad and killed the residents. It shook the secular status of the country.

From Mr Sunny Joseph

Mala, India

Joking or bullying?

There has been a huge cry over the video of Tanmay Bhat mocking two great legends (‘John Abraham wants to take on “faceless people on social media”, Gulf News, June 3). The stand-up comedian clan itself has come out to support him saying this is absurd and it’s a question of freedom of expression. If you say so, then how do we differentiate between bullies? Would you really sit down and take anything said and done in the name of humour? Do we really have to accept everything these people say because they it was meant as a joke? Are they really so low on material that they would actually pick on how someone would look when they age?

If so many were really offended then it’s about time these comedians showed their creativity by not actually bullying. I am glad some organisers are asking some of these entertainers to tone down their material because not everyone is buying the bullying done in the name of a good old joke. The joke was so poor that it misfired so badly. Don’t even try next time, Mr Bhat.

From Ms Shwetha Sasrik

UAE

Tennis in Rio

Since Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna has qualified for the Rio Olympics in doubles matches and since he was graded above Leander Paes, he should definitely be paired with Sania Mirza as the mixed doubles partner for the Olympics. However, the career slam victory for Paes may tilt the scale in favour of him, even though he himself had argued that the grade should be the criteria! But, as in the case of the London Olympics, Paes will have the last laugh!

From Mr N. Viswanathan

Virugambakkam, India

Quick to pass blame

If it was your child that fell into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo in the US, all of you would have had a different point of view on who was to blame (‘Criminal charges possible in killing of Cincinnati gorilla’, Gulf News, June 2). Since it was someone else’s child, let’s blame the mother, the zoo staff and the rest of the world!

From Ms Aine Noor

UAE

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Could have been prevented

If it was my child, it wouldn’t have been in the cage with the gorilla in the first place. Yes, blame the mother. She was negligent in watching and protecting her child. Blame the zoo for not having adequate protection. Yes, let’s blame the ones to blame here. It all could have been prevented.

From Ms Dorothy Shader

UAE

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The right decision

People are quick to judge. Ms Aine Noor, I completely agree with your sentiment. I don’t believe for one second that the mother thought: “Let me idly look the other way whilst my child climbs into the enclosure.”

When all is said and done, we are not the mother and we do not know what happened at that exact second. We do know that humans are not robots and sometimes mistakes happen. The gorilla could have done nothing or it could have killed the child. Someone needed to make an instant decision and that was to ensure that the child was safe. I will mourn for the gorilla, and I am sad for the loss, but I also think that this was the right decision.

From Mr Paul Shaw

UAE

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