Promises made need to be kept
I have been watching the Indian parliament and Indian politics for more than five decades. Whoever comes to power won’t fulfil their promises to the people. I do agree that it is not possible to fulfil all promises, but at least 50 per cent of them can help the country develop. All the political parties want to retain their power and do not bother with actual development of the country. Today, every political party is blaming the other party. All the members of parliament are responsible for running and using the taxpayer’s money for development. India is the largest democratic country in the world. The present National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is trying it’s best to develop but has been branded as a communal party by the opposition. According to me, neither is the present ruling party is communal, nor the opposition. I do not belong to any political party but I raise my voice for the lower income groups and the common man. The present NDA government has certain policies that make me unhappy. They have completely neglected the senior citizen bank deposit interest rate. Those senior citizens getting the pension depending only on their deposit interest, will find it difficult to make both ends meet because of inflation and meagre bank interest. I appeal to the present NDA Government to revise the bank interest rate for deposits for senior citizens.
From Mr K Ragavan
India
Inspiring friendships and togetherness
The story reinforces the value of the true and traditional bond the two countries are committed to embrace (“Pakistani friend helps Indian carpenter to release song”, Gulf News, December 24). The initiative is not just about music, but about the two individuals, who have built up their trust and partnership to make their dream a reality. Even though there were several such initiatives in the past, a true and genuine friendship always helps heal wounds and can spread a positive message across society. As both the countries have numerous talented individuals of their own, the little effort and understanding between the people can contribute a lot to calm the relationship. There are plenty of hidden talents in the labour accommodations. Let such adorable friendships continue to prosper and become an inspiration for many.
From Mr Ramachandran Nair
Oman
Language needs to be preserved
Soqotri is a South Semitic language spoken by the people on the island of Socotra and the two nearby islands, off the southern coast of Yemen (“UAE committed to preserving, promoting Arabic language”, Gulf News, December 19). It is an endangered language and is spoken by less than 50,000 people. Most children speak both Arabic and Soqotri, although the old men and women that live in the mountains do only speak Soqotri. There are many reasons as to why preserving a language like Soqotri is essential for the people of neighbouring nations. It is an enormous loss of accumulated knowledge. Imagine you wake up one day, and find out that there is no one left on Earth who can speak a certain language. If this were to happen, it would result in a huge loss of all information. Therefore, to keep information and knowledge, it is important to prevent the loss of languages. The loss of a language is like losing a culture. Language loss is symbolic of cultural loss as the language is an integral part of a culture. The culture of a country is expressed through its language. Learning a language requires the learner to get a feel for the culture from where it comes from.
From Mr Mohammad Muawiz
UAE
Plastic is a problem
Plastic has taken over our lives and has become a necessity. I agree that plastic is very important in our lives today. Reducing the use of plastic is not impossible but can be done with a little effort. We need to find environment friendly alternatives like thick paper or jute bags to carry the grocery rather than using plastic bags. We all use products like ice cream, yoghurt, milk, juice and many others which are sold in plastic containers. Companies should devise a scheme that the consumers return the empty containers in good condition back to the company. The company can in turn offer some incentive, possibly a discount to the person who returns it. The company can sterilise the container and resell their product in the same container. This can be done for non-edible items as well. We can minimise the use of plastic and decrease the burden on the environment. Let’s make children more aware of the ills of plastic by setting an example so that it becomes a habit and is easy for them to inculcate. Together, we can and we will make a difference!!
From Ms Fauzia Khan
UAE
Plastic is a valid problem
Human beings use a lot of plastic, and do so almost subconsciously. What they don’t take into account is the environmental impact such plastics have. There is so much awareness of this, yet so many shops and companies still use plastic in their stores. It is high time we learn something and change our practices. We live on this earth and are responsible for it.
Congratulations are in order
Congratulations to Indian cricketer Mannava Sri Kanth Prasad, who has finally put an end to the uncalled for controversy about the selection of former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in our One Day International team (ODI). As averred by him, Dhoni is the best wicket-keeper and batsman in the world at present. Above that, his wisdom on the field is more useful to our young captain Virat Kohli. Though time and again he has proved to be the best finisher, I feel like it is time that the selectors promote him to the position of number four in the batting order, from the next OD series. By chance, if he fails, we do have talented youngsters like Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Hardik Pandey who can give the finishing touches. Incidentally, I feel that instead of Axer Patel, Ravindra Jadeja should have been included in the ODI team to face South Africa, where his fielding and batting would be a real bonus.
From Ms Janaki Mahadevan
India
Parents need to be friends
I think most parents don’t seem to be have the ability to handle arguments with children at home. We force shut the conversation with them when on the dinner table and when it seems to be getting out of hand. But that’s not the solution. This reaction actually allows their resistance to return, sooner or later. To be getting on with children, we’ll have to motivate them to present their opinion and allow honest disagreements. On the other hand, we should use their negative feelings as building blocks. With little patience and humility, it’s quite possible that we can put the losing conversation back on track. I don’t think it will make them argumentative. It’d rather give them the feeling of being valued family members. Frankly speaking, I have realised that the advice my 16-year-old often gives me, pays dividends. Positive arguments lead to positive ideas and develops a rapport in both formal and informal situations. While on the contrary, what destroys relationships, especially with the grown-up kids, is presuming they are underqualified and thus not giving them chance to take part in a sensible conversation. I believe that it is one reason why kids stop interacting with their parents and trust friends more.
From Mr Shuja U Zubery
UAE
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