Reader's Thoughts

Readers’ Thoughts

June 2021

Possible Union?

This is related to last month’s cover story about the recent thawing of relations between India and Pakistan. The story is titled ‘Yet Again!’ highlighting the number of times both the countries have talked about peace.

While notable people from India and Pakistan are hoping for bilateral relations, the Indian diplomat, politician and government official, Mani Shankar Aiyar, has a different outlook. He is of the view that there is not much to expect from the current Indian leadership. But he also proposes that an uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue between the nations can mend ways, provided no third party mediation is involved as all third parties prioritize their own interests above the state interests of India and Pakistan.

Javed Jabbar, the former senator and federal minister of Pakistan, also viewed the situation differently highlighting the Kashmir issue and the importance both nations hold as nuclear powers, along with considering the catastrophes this dimension could bring.

Adnan Hamid,
Karachi, Pakistan

Palestinian Lives Also Matter

Since 1948, people in Palestine have been treated inhumanely. One unfortunate death of a black man named George Floyd led to the global movement ‘Black Lives Matter’ but what about thousands of Palestinian lives?

Where are human rights and peace keeping missions? Have they also turned a blind eye to Israel’s atrocities just as Joe Biden and the US have?

It is time the Muslim countries joined hands to force Israel to stop its brutal violence against the Palestinians. We must be one in this.

Eden Taylor,
Ontario, Canada

Moon Sighting Row

Like previous years, confusion was thick in the air on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr about moon-sighting. Traditionally, the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee used to announce the sighting, but a few years ago, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched a website for the purpose and the controversy has only intensified since then.

Creating such confusion on religious occasions is totally uncalled for. The moon-sighting authorities and any other authority interested in the matter should cooperate with each other in the interest of the people.

Laiba Khan,
Lahore, Pakistan

Dowry Phenomenon

In the past, giving dowry was common among the aristocrats. They used to gift their daughters and sisters cash, lands and jewellery along with other precious items. The practice was soon adopted by the middle class and the poor strata too.

Dowry does not only burden families financially but also has an impact on the relationship of a married couple.

While the government has introduced many laws to stop the dowry system, the mentality of the people has not changed.

Sawera Anwer,
Maharashtra, India

Violation of SOPs

The second wave of Covid-19 has turned out to be far deadlier in India. The number of people falling sick from the virus daily is increasing, apart from the number of daily deaths which has exceeded 4000+. Surprisingly, the public is not taking the situation seriously. They are not following safety precautions.

An overwhelming majority of people care a damn about avoiding the rush, like in shopping centres and public transport. Even those who are supposed to act as role models like the country’s leaders and public office holders are themselves involved in violating the SOPs. There are many instances where government officials attended gatherings in sheer neglect of the Covid SOPs.

While the vaccination process in India is proceeding pretty slowly, the authorities must focus on getting the public to comply with the SOPs. It’s time for the public to cooperate or else many more casualties will occur in the near future.

Barkha Singh,
Dhaka, Bangladesh