An eyesore
The Abu Dhabi municipality’s campaign to remove satellite dishes from rooftops and balconies is a welcome move to improve the aesthetics of the city (‘Crackdown on satellite dishes installed on rooftops,’ Gulf News, January 31). At the same time, I would like to urge the municipality to ask the owners of buildings in the city to clean the facades of the buildings at least once a year if not more. I have been staying in the same building for the past 16 years and only once has the glass been cleaned. This is the case with almost all buildings, and it’s really an eyesore.
From Mr Ashok
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Guidelines
I do appreciate the Abu Dhabi municipality’s view on having limited satellite dishes on roofs. What is confusing is how this dish needs to be installed. They have stated it cannot be placed on the ground of the roof or terrace because it will lead to leakages in the ceilings, but you also cannot fix them on the walls, so what are the guidelines of installation? I hope the authorities could be clear to avoid any misunderstandings.
From Mr M. Rodrigues
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Looking for solutions
I think this will be a never ending problem unless the authorities come up with a policy of central dishes in a building. The authorities should make it mandatory to have a central dish that will cater to all tenants. This will stop tenants from using personal satellite dishes. The other choice is to stress service providers to come up with more channel bundles at a reasonable price. The current package is not complete and they do not have a good channel selection option, which indirectly pushes residents to go for alternative options. In my personal opinion, to successfully implement the law, these problems need to be solved to improve the current scenario.
From Mr Haneef Puttur
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
What is an emergency?
The statistics revealed by the Dubai Police evidently states that common people are unable to differentiate between emergency and non-emergency situations (‘Letters to the editor: Raising awareness’, Gulf News, January 31). This is really a worry, as precious time of the Dubai Police is being wasted, meanwhile an important call could be missed.
It is a fact that during emergencies, 999 is the first number we think of. But, do we know what an emergency is? Has anyone trained us to differentiate between emergency and non-emergency situations? Whom to contact in different emergency situations? For example, if someone is lost in a shopping mall, security is the right person to contact, not the police. We assume it is commonsense, but I think introducing mandatory workshops based on these topics in schools would definitely help children to be more aware and it will be a habit when they grow up. If people are conscientious, it will definitely help police to concentrate better in serious emergency situations.
From Ms Shikha Dixit
Sharjah
Our inhumanity towards each other
The world is at war as a new year begins. War crimes are being committed in Mexico, Ukraine, Somalia, around the Middle East and across Asia. Africa is immersed in civil wars and very dangerous rebel gangs.
We are witnessing genocide across the globe. The international legal definition of the crime of genocide is found in articles 11 and 111 of the 1948 Geneva Convention on the prevention of genocide. It is often and truthfully said that war exposes the worst side of human nature, but even when outright military warfare comes to an end, man’s inhumanity to man continues. Humanity’s war on itself goes on and it’s never ending.
Many governments are conducting a scorched-earth policy. All they care about are their own selfish desires, oblivious to the human wreckage they leave behind. The misery of their victims met with deaf ears, blind eyes and lying tongues. The violence continues: the brutality, the cruelty, the suffering. Pain has been given a voice. Retribution has been given a body. Vengeance and death walk as one. War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward rectifying wrongs and it instead multiplies losses.
From Mr Farouk Araie
Johannesburg, South Africa
Appropriate punishment
Having a strong sense of discipline is extremely essential for a child to grow up and be a successful individual (‘Why school discipline is a double-edged sword,’ Gulf News, January 30). It is paramount for both the school and parents to contribute towards the development of discipline in children. Discipline is not just about following rules and regulations, but also to understand the importance of following them and taking responsibility of actions committed. I feel that counselling is one of the best tools to help a child experiencing discipline issues. The counsellor and teacher must be kind and understanding, but also firm. Warnings should be followed by actions; otherwise students do not take the rules and regulations seriously.
Sometimes students have valid reasons for not being able to follow particular rules. Students’ explanation must be heard first and they must be given a chance to explain themselves. But of course, repeat offences must not be ignored. For serious misbehaviour, the counsellor must sit with the students and make them understand the detrimental effects of their behaviour on themselves and others. Educators must aim to alter students’ negative attitudes and make them understand the significance of discipline.
Punishments must be fair and suit the offence. A punishment that is harsher than what the student deserves does not create positive changes in students; it creates resentment in their minds and might also make them stubborn and unwilling to change for the better.
From Ms Shaniya Siddiqui
Sharjah
What next?
The former Indian union minister Jayanthi Natarajan’s resignation was the latest dramatic development in Indian politics (‘Congress no longer the Congress I joined’, Gulf News, January 31). Having associated with the Congress party for more than three decades and always praising Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, and now making strong allegations against them was really a shock to Congress loyalists. Her allegations against Rahul Gandhi, her mental agony that forced her to quit the party and, above all, she was completely ignored by the ministry were real issues she has been facing. She apparently has proof. Will the Congress vice president come out and prove his innocence on this issue? We will have to wait and see.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Lock up Ferrari dad
The report of the businessman who has been arrested for assaulting watchman in Kerala has sent shock waves across the state (‘‘Ferrari dad’ arrested for assaulting watchman in Kerala’, Gulf News, January 31). The non-resident Indian (NRI) businessman, Mohammad Nisham, has already earned the nickname ‘Ferrari Dad’ after he was booked for letting his son drive a Ferrari owned by him. He is a habitual offender who has been involved in apparently 11 cases registered in various police stations in Kerala. Out of these, one was for manhandling and misbehaving with a woman on duty during a vehicle check, but he has yet to be convicted in a single case. It is a shame for Kerala Police that he is allowed to do at will without having any respect forthe Indian Penal Code.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Kerala, India
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