Battling depression
I agree that, nowadays, we measure our happiness with financial gain and security (“The source of depression”, Gulf News, May 25). Depression existed in ancient times too. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, named it melancholia. The extreme features of depression are especially the failure to take pleasure in daily activities and a feeling of sadness. Pessimism becomes the only companion. I’ve been living as an expatriate for a long time and witnessing the constant flow of people who came here for better opportunities and safety. Even though most of them achieved their goals, they are still not happy. The desire for ‘more’ is never-ending and can become the root cause of depression. So, we have to find happiness by enjoying the simple moments of life. Sadhguru gave an example of a poor man’s happiness and an affluent man’s sadness. There is a massive difference as the poor man does not have anything to lose and earns for the next day, but the rich man gradually built his life by adding all the comfort. So he is always afraid to lose.
Things like world politics, war, hunger, climate change, human trafficking, gun violence and fake news are factors that unknowingly touch our heart and subconsciously sit in our brain and appear in flashes. These are enough to generate depressive thoughts. Therefore, he wrote “first fixed inside” because finding the thin line between happiness and depression is upon us. Now, it is up to you to choose your path, and this can only be achieved by three keywords: yoga, meditation and contentment.
From Ms Aisha Amjad
UAE
Bollywood singer KK’s demise
Yet another music maestro has bid farewell to the world ("Indian singer KK dies shortly after a live concert in Kolkata", Gulf News, May 31). It has been a year full of tragedies and turmoil for the music and entertainment industry. The news of the untimely demise of the iconic singer and most versatile Bollywood singer, KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath), who had mesmerised music lovers for over three decades, has saddened music lovers across spectrums. He gave Indian music lovers many hit songs. His silken voice struck a chord with the masses. He was one of the top Bollywood singers, whose songs reflected a wide range of emotions. His song ‘Yaaron’, released in 1999, made him famous, and later, he started concentrating on Bollywood. His concerts were brilliant, and he was known for his electric live shows. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while condoling his death, said we would remember KK through his songs. His death at this young age illustrates another reminder of how fragile life is.
From Mr Ramesh G Jethwani
India
IPL 2022: Congratulations to Gujarat Titans for winning this season’s India Premier League finals
It was a one-sided match won by the Gujarat Titans by seven wickets ("IPL 2022: The highs and lows of an incredible season, dominated by Gujarat Titans", Gulf News, June 1). Being a debut team, this is undoubtedly an outstanding achievement for them. Hardik Pandya’s captaincy led the team through a fantastic journey to finally get the cup this year. They have left their imprint on the history of IPLs.
From Mr Sreejit Kesavan
Chennai, India
World Parrot Day
Has anyone heard of World Parrot Day? Every year May 31 is celebrated as World Parrot day. The World Parrot Trust initially submitted a petition asking to ban importing of wild parrots into the European Union to save these endangered birds. When we think of parrots, we picture green parrots, but there are more than 350 species of parrots.
It reminds me of my childhood days, when I was in school. Once during my summer holidays, it was boring being indoors. My cousin decided to visit our home for a vacation. To my surprise, he brought his pet parrot along with him. It was a great time having a pet at home.
I was fascinated with the parrot and was constantly with it, playing with it and feeding it. Days passed and when it was time for the guests to leave, I was concerned about the parrot. Somehow, I convinced him that I would take good care of the parrot, and he was finally ready to leave the parrot with me.
I was on cloud nine when I got a pet. All my days would end, taking care of the parrot and playing with it. We would keep the cage open, and he would get in and out as he wished.
After the first day of school, my sister and I returned home, only to find out that the parrot had been caught by a cat. We felt so bad, but mum consoled us.
I still feel guilty that we should have been more cautious. Since then, I haven’t had any pets, fearing they may die someday, and I cannot handle that loss.
Human actions lead to the depletion of natural resources and result in endangerment of many species. Every living species on our planet contributes to the balance of the ecological system. But, we are breaking this system by being selfish. We get everything from nature but forget to give back.
From Ms Sana Fathima J
Dubai, UAE
