No excuse or justification
Whatever the reason behind it, shootings in schools can never be justified (“US: Students head to Florida capital to press for gun law change”, Gulf News, February 21). Teenagers becoming shooters is a grave issue and it should be tackled immediately. Every shoot-out gets the world’s attention, but it fizzles out until the next one takes place. The deepest wounds remain in the hearts of only those who have lost their dear ones. Each day, parents have to fervently pray when they send their children to schools. This year alone, 18 shooting incidents took place in schools in the US. For Nikolas Cruz, the teen who shot down his schoolmates, almost all the faces he saw must have been familiar, as he was a student of that school till the previous year. He was able to go on firing at people without any hesitation!
From Ms Annie Rathi Samuel
USA
Time for restrictions
It’s high time the US government restricts the use of guns to save innocent lives (“Horrified students beg adults to do something about guns”, Gulf News, February 18). It is very sad that 17 students lost their lives in Florida. In the year 2012, 26 students were massacred in Connecticut, US. American law makes it very easy to buy a gun, and unless there is a restriction placed on the purchase of guns, unfortunate incidents are bound to happen. These merciless killing should be stopped. The US government upholds the protection and safety of human rights, but when it comes to gun laws, it is silent. In the past, almost every year, there has been a shooting in a school in America. Students should be able to go to school fearlessly. Let’s hope the US government will change its policies and restrict the usage of guns.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Proper justice needed
It is likely that charges against the accused Indian actor Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai, best known by his stage name Dileep, will become weak in coming days, not because of his innocence but because of the complications in the existing criminal justice system in India (“A year later, Dileep’s trial yet to begin”, Gulf News, February 19). Producing evidence is a formidable task, especially when it comes to crimes related to conspiracy. Even though the authorities could produce evidence against the accused, it is very difficult to establish a case in the court of law. Apart from that, according to information available in the public domain, the victim never mentioned the involvement of Dileep in the crime directly. If this victim — an influential actress — is not getting due justice, imagine what could happen to an underprivileged person in a similar situation? This case will not act as a morale booster for investigating officers any more. At the very least, the police should keep the accused actor in jail for 85 days, after producing convincing evidence. It would send a clear message to the film fraternity that they are not above the law. However, the judiciary has a duty to keep the public trust, with the criminal justice system. The public is expecting a fair prosecution, judgment and punishment, by taking into account the severity of crime, public anger and also the pain and humiliation suffered by the young actress. We are fed up with hearing judgments that the prosecution failed miserably to prove the involvement of the accused.
From Mr Girish R. Edathitta
UAE
Remarkable comeback
After a few blunders, especially in the second Test, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and his team have bounced back to win the final Test, to restore some of their lost pride (“Record-breaker Kohli leads India to another easy win over South Africa”, Gulf News, February 17). The first two Test defeats brought out their best, not only during the final Test, but in the first three One Day International’s (ODI) as well. Though they failed to win the fourth ODI, Kohli and his team proved to be the best, especially with their bowling unit, as they won the fifth tie, and achieved a series triumph. With this series win, India has recaptured its world ranking too. At the same time, there are some grey areas, like running between wickets, catching and giving ‘no balls’, which need to be ironed out before the World Cup in 2019. Incidentally, India’s Under 19 (U-19) World Cup team has some youngsters who could definitely get into the shoes of their seniors. Congratulations to Mithali Raj, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team for winning the One Day series in South Africa and also for continuing to shine in the Twenty 20 series. We wish both Kohli and Raj the best in their remaining matches.
From Mr N. Mahadevan
India
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