Money shouldn’t be involved
If the Indian government is right and there is a demand for such sterilisation procedures and women willingly want to go under the knife, then cash incentives should not be offered (‘India defends sterilisations after deaths spark outcry,’ Gulf News, November 15). It seems as though these women who come from poor backgrounds and rural areas opt for sterilisation for the sake of the money being offered to them. These incentives are mere bribes to discourage women from having more children. The fact that a single doctor operated on 83 women in just five hours goes to show the lack of concern and care for these patients. It is a shame that now the blame game is on between the government and the medical representatives, while these women had to pay with their lives.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
Facebook comment
The value of life
The tragedy of 13 women losing their lives raises concerns with the safety of government sponsored medical camps in rural India. The unhygienic practices, the use of rusted surgical tools and expired medicines might be the reason for these deaths. One can’t understand how a doctor can perform 83 surgeries within five hours time. There should definitely be a set procedure for post-surgery and a follow up appointment, but this was not followed. Even a veterinary doctor wouldn’t do this to animals! Here, the doctor and medical team had not given value to the lives of these poor women.
As usual, an enquiry will be conducted, some compensation will be given to the family of the deceased and the case will be closed. At least for the future, they should set safety standards to be followed, there should be adequate doctors and medical staff, and there should be proper medicines provided in camps while doing mass sterilisations in rural areas. People who have money will go to private hospitals, and it’s always the poor who suffer, especially women in these cases.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
It’s your identity
It is obvious that everyone is moving away from their cultural traditions for greeting others. but I think we should stick to our traditions among our own people and not act naive in front of them and fake another culture (Facebook debate: Etiquette of greeting,’ Gulf News, November 16). Tradition and culture is part of one’s identity and this is a must for any individual to be recognised.
From Ms Priti Mackinnon
UAE
Not to be forgotten
Traditions are very important and a person loses a big part of their culture and customs if they do not stick with their traditions. Traditions and customs should be passed down to future generations. It is a part of everyone’s heritage, and it should not be forgotten!
From Ms Susie Marx
UAE
Facebook comment
Much to complain about
I am amused to read Rahul Gandhi’s statement that angry people rule the country (‘India ruled by an angry people: Rahul,’ Gulf News, November 14). It seems he has forgotten his unprofessional reaction and angry outburst in a media press conference when he called the ordinance bill passed by his own government rubbish and that it should be trashed. He has also forgotten all the photo opportunities that he never missed during his election campaign. It is good that people of the country became angry with Gandhi and his mother with the way they were controlling former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government and showed them the door during the elections. Had they not gotten angry, the change would not have happened.
Gandhi and his party have not learnt any lessons from the worst and unprecedented defeat on the hustings and they continue to raise the issue of secularism and accuse the current government of dividing the country. While people know neither of these things are true, it shows the mindset of the Congress party, which is still coming to terms with being out of power, hence all these utterances out of frustration. Instead of doing a serious introspection and fixing the problems within the party, this party that seems to have no leaders to raise a voice against the Gandhi clan continues to mislead and divide. They do this while accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of dividing the country! What irony this is.
India is a secular country and will remain one forever. Let Gandhi and his party come up with something else to oppose and remain in the reckoning. They have another four years to go for another chance at grabbing power and if they don’t change, the oldest party in India won’t be there in the future.
From Mr Ganeshan Srinivasan
Dubai
Obnoxious chatting
This experience is based on my last Metro trip with my friend, who had a stopover here after visiting the UK and the US. To enjoy the Metro ride, we started our trip from Rigga Metro Station and it was amazing until we reached the Mall of the Emirates when a man stormed in and started a business conversation over the phone with his client very loudly. It was in an arguing tone like he was trying to convince whoever he was speaking with, and it lasted for more than 10 minutes! It was so irritating and everyone felt that. I am not writing in the favour of a ban on mobile phones on the Metro, but there should be some limits and voice control for keeping in mind that this is a public place, it may spoil others’ enjoyment. Conversations should be limited up to passing or receiving messages and remaining business matters and personal issues can be solved after the ride. I would request that the Roads and Transport Authority to spread awareness on this issue through different channels to minimise this practice.
From Mr Ahmad Eftekhar
Sharjah
Rewards and sanctions
Campaigns like the Porsche Road Star safe driving campaign are very good initiatives to encourage safe driving practices and to reward people who abide by the traffic rules. But, how many true road stars can be recognised in a five-day period? And what about the road stars in emirates other than Dubai and Sharjah? We are liable to clear our traffic fines during the car registration every year. I feel that this could be the right time to reward drivers who have a clean record. If not a cash prize, a certificate by the concerned authority would also be a great achievement for safe drivers. We always highlight the wrong behaviour and the good behaviour goes unnoticed. The policy of reward and sanctions is better than a policy of sanctions only.
From Ms Shikha Dixit
Sharjah
Inter-emirate traffic
It’s a rather unfortunate thing that most of the Sharjah residents have nothing else to talk about other than the worsening traffic and parking problems. We really pity the poor children who commute to schools in Dubai. They leave at such early hours - between 5.45 and 6.00am.
My husband needs to cover a mere 6.2km to his office in Al Qusais, but it takes him an hour and a half if he leaves at 6am. If he leaves a little bit later, he is sure to reach the office only by 8.00am.
It is so ironical that in a country that has such excellent roads, bridges and tunnels, the authorities are unable to do anything about the traffic flow from Sharjah to Dubai. All it takes for the authorities is to make a 2-km bridge from Al Khan to Al Mulla to ease the jams in the mornings and vice versa in the evenings. The residents would be eternally grateful for easing their stress and strain of the daily grind.
We hope the UAE authorities will do something about this for the two emirates.
From Ms M. P.
Dubai
Full name withheld on request
At the expense of civilians
Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that recent tensions between Russia and the West is very similar to Cold War days (‘‘Cold War’ fears over Ukraine overblown, say experts,’ Gulf News, November 16). According to the news, the US and its Western allies claim that new columns of tanks and heavy weaponry have entered into border towns of Ukraine. In the most recent G8 summit, the US and its allies were trying hard to further enhance sanctions against Russia. Now eight countries have developed alliances against Russia to tackle the Russian threat in the region.
Even with recent Ukrainian policies and economic sanctions, Moscow still seems determined to help pro-Russian militants in several areas in Ukraine. Things are going from bad to worse after the crash of the Malaysian flight in Ukrainian airspace. The West has accused Russians of shooting down the flight using missiles. Unfortunately, Ukraine’s Western backed government has also failed to unite the country, leaving it to become divided into pro- and anti-Russian groups. The United Nations also warns that new waves of violence between the Ukrainian Western-backed government and pro-Russian rebels can affect and displace thousands of more people. It is true that the reality is that Ukraine is paying a high price for a tussle between Russia and the US - both sides want to save their own interests in Ukraine and the Ukrainian people find nothing except death, destruction and displacement.
From Mr Khawaja Omar Farooq
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Editors’ note: Is there a news report that you feel strongly about? Something that has to be addressed in the community and requires resolution? Email us on readers@ gulfnews.com. You can also post a comment on our Facebook page or tweet us @GNReaders.
