Letters to the editor
Letter on: Pupils allowed to smoke in school – Gulf News Dt. 08 March 2014
Thank God!, It is in UK and not in UAE. I wish it is not followed here. Having said that, I can say, even now I do get to see regularly children of a reputed school, smoking hiding behind buildings in front of their school and before they enter their school gate daily. Talking to the groceries nearby and reprimanding them to not give any cigarettes to students, I feel, these are easily available at sources who do not care. Parents have a big role as well as teachers at schools too to check whether children are indulging in this. If parents or teachers are in the smoking category, no luck for who speak against smoking. According to me, smoking and specially, smoking in public is strictly injurious to others health and mind, not if to those who do it.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
To read the related article and this letter in original, please visit GULF NEWS online.
Shining example – Gulf Today – Short Take – 08 March 2014
Shining example
Passion for photography has taught me a lot of things. From keen observation to contributions for the welfare of the society, there are no limits for a lensman.
Last week, with a view to unwind, I thought I should go out and play some sports. Cricket was an option. I went ahead and as usual carried my camera too.
I met a man, about 25 years old, and he was there with me to click along. I started a conversation with him. He is a student of Architectural Engineering in Dubai. His parents were here, but they had to leave when he finished school. In order to continue his education and support his parents, he stayed back, and took several part-time activities, including RJ jobs, computer graphics and photography.
Over a period of time, he became an established photographer doing independent events. With his pooled income from all these activities, he now continues his studies.
Talking to him, and rather allowing him to talk, I learnt quite a lot about photography, from his perspective and about his worldly experience, the experience of a 25-year-old trying best of his efforts to come up in his life.
This person, who introduced himself as Akbar, has proved to be an inspiring youth. With such ambition and determination, youngsters can sure shine.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today – Short Take – Dt. 08 March 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online.
Letter on: I don’t blame my son, it is not his fault, grieving father says – Gulf News Dt 05th March 2014
The comment by a student here make a deeper insight to several things happening among the children including their thinking pattern. It also bring to our attention several questions. Why we see an increased suicidal tendency happening in children in the UAE. Is it due to parental negligence, lack of time or any other financial issues related to parents which are indirectly affecting children. Or is it due to some kind of unwarranted treatment or bullying happening at the school either by teachers or other students? Or rather is it due to an increased influence of tv or cinema showing suicides. Children are much knowledgeable these days as they have easy access to electronic media and are aware of everything happening in this world. Parents and schools have equally important role in grooming them to be a socially involved person, who does not get affected easily by minor or major situations affecting them in their day to day life. In the past, we grew up in an school system where a child from a very small age get proper attention from his teacher, who in all probability see him grow till he finishes his higher classes. The teacher also by his experience and close interactions with the parents, know what kind of upbringing the child gets from home. The frequent changes of teaching staff that may be happening within schools and shortage of experienced hands to impart value added education apart from the prescribed curriculum is a bigger threat to the future of our young generation. Since both the recent case of suicides involved Indian students and related to some unknown reasons connected with examinations, I humbly suggest the Community Affairs and Cultural Wing of Embassy of India to initiate necessary guidance programmes, talk shows to children at schools and at various community centres by eminent counsellors available within UAE and from India.
To read it in original, please visit Gulf News online.
Letter on: Special needs employees add life to work place
It is indeed a great humanitarian gesture to promote employment of those with special challenges in life. Having associated with such children and adults for many years, I know their feelings when someone appreciates their little efforts to be one among us in the normal daily activities. Opportunities should be considered for them in the field of ticketing at bus stations, registration desks, etc. Look forward to more support to this special group from all individuals and organisations. It should be included as one of their Social Responsibility objective. God Bless.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
To read the related article and this reply, please visit GULF NEWS online.
Letter on : Children rescued after Fujairah school bus blaze – Gulf News Dt. 03 March 2014
I sincerely congratulate the bus staff and teachers who managed the situation well to avoid any danger to the children present at the time of the incident. It is not an easy task to evacuate 30 plus kids with one exit door. As regards to the comment supporting villa schools, our children are already deprived of many sports and recreational activities if they continue to remain in the cramped villa facilities. More space to move around, play and breath fresh air is the need of the hour for our children. Indeed, traffic safety is a matter of concern when the schools does not follow proper regulation to transport children to and from school to home. However, it is not an impediment to their education. Think of our days, where we had to walk, change buses and study, and the new age kids, who get into the bus from the door step to the school door. I am sure, any child who is in a villa school will display the difference in overall attitude and educational progress, when he or she gets a move to a school with better space and infrastructure than the age old villas. Toilet facilities, danger of fire (there are several examples, which do not get reported) and other medical and psychological hazards of being in a tiny environment add more damage to the child’s growth. Safety does not remain alone, and it is a combined element along with Health and Environment, and definitely need greater awareness for it.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
To read the related article and this letter in original, please visit GULF NEWS online.
Abu Dhabi window cleaners without safety harness spark concerns – The National Dt. 28 February 2014
Abu Dhabi window cleaners without safety harness spark concerns
Anwar Ahmad
ABU DHABI //
ABU DHABI // It was enough to send shivers up the spines of witnesses – two window cleaners disconnecting their safety cables and walking along the thin ledge of a tower on the 13th floor of Abu Dhabi Mall.
It was also enough for the mall’s management to cancel its contract with the cleaning company.
“The process had been going on for more than half an hour,” said Ramesh Menon, who watched from a nearby building on Monday.
“Despite our alerting the mall management, these cleaning staff continued to work in the same way. They walked on the small edges to clean.
“These floors are the empty blocks in the tower, and hot and rainy weather could have weakened the exterior tiles. So the tiles could break and they might slip and fall.
“These cleaners had not connected their cleaning equipment, such as a brush or bucket, so if these tools slipped from their hands they could fall down and harm others.”
Pradeep Kumar, a window cleaner with MBM Caring for Environment, said workers continued to defy rules stating that safety equipment must be used at all times.
“Window cleaners on high-rise buildings still risk their lives,” said Mr Kumar, whose company was not involved in the mall incident.
“In fact, they are trained to take the job and asked to wear all safety gear but they still take risks. We are trained for three to four months and assigned jobs in smaller buildings first.
“During my two years as a window cleaner I knew a few people who fell from the top and died due to a lack of safety measures.”
Abu Dhabi Municipality regulations state window cleaners must use either a cradle, or two ropes attached to their safety harnesses and the roof of the building.
“In comparison to cradles, ropes are very safe and comfortable where one can sit and clean,” Mr Kumar said.
“Ropes are tied on top very tightly and you can slide down smoothly, whereas cradles are controlled by machines and sometimes they stop working, get jammed, or fail and suddenly fall.
“We call them a single rope but there are two ropes that support the person. Both are hooked with a person’s safety gear.”
The cleaners also use a device called a window keeper, which can be attached to a window like a suction cup.
Mr Menon said he alerted the mall management when he saw the cleaners on the ledge.
“I called the senior manager of the mall who alerted security of Abu Dhabi Mall, who intervened and immediately stopped them,” he said.
“But within half an hour they had cleaned the windows on three levels. Think how fast they work and how dangerous that is.”
Abu Dhabi Mall said it enforced tough rules on cleaning companies and had cancelled the contract of the company for which the two cleaners worked.
“On receiving the complaints we immediately stopped them and terminated their contracts with the mall as they were not following safety rules,” said Shri Kumar, security site manager at Abu Dhabi Mall.
“They had a safety rope but detached it while cleaning, which is against safety rules. Now we will hire another company for the job.”
Abu Dhabi Municipality said it had taken a number of strict measures to enforce building safety.
Companies who break the rules face fines of between Dh10,000 and Dh20,000.
“Scaffolds, cradles, rope access, cranes and platforms used must conform to the local and international safety standards,” the municipality said.
anwar@thenational.ae
Please click on the link at The National online to see a video of this activity.
To read this news in original, please visit The National online
Seeding can make the most of clouds – Letters to the editor – The National Dt. 28 February 2014
Seeding can make the most of clouds Cloud-seeding is an interesting topic for those who value our water resources (Meet the UAE cloud-seeding captain who flies into the eye of the storm, February 26). Every time I arrive at the Abu Dhabi or Dubai airport, I get the opportunity to see that this part of the world is blessed with a great quantity and quality of water-filled clouds. By judicious use of the cloud-seeding method, the meteorology department should be able to harvest more rain. Having more water will benefit both farmers and the general community. If it is done properly, this scientific intervention should not affect the blessings given to this country by its desert climate. Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/india-should-chase-down-all-its-criminals#ixzz2ubXkUzXo Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
When will people learn about safety? – Letters to the editor – The National Dt. 26 February 2014
Pictures speak a thousand words, they say.
If you look at the photo I took, you will know how some companies jeopardise the lives of their employees.
It was shocking.
Can we care less about human lives?
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/feedback/when-will-people-learn-about-safety#ixzz2uQiprmQt Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook
Youth power – Gulf Today – Short Take Dt. 22 February 2014
Youth power
I had an opportunity to attend a forum “Big Achievements. Early Starts” conducted by the Salama Bint Al Nahyan Foundation. The five youth achievers, Abdul Muqeet Abdul Mannan, Adeeb Al Blooshi, Cameron Oliver, Dubai Abulhoul and Hamda Al Bana were honoured.
They made individual presentations to the audience and followed it up with a one-to-one conversation. They talked about the rationale behind their ideas, how they accomplished them and the difficulties they faced.
All of them were crystal clear about their chosen path and had definite vision for their life ahead.
It also highlighted that these children are definitely an asset to the society and inspire many others as they progressed ahead.
No wonder, the forum opened up the hidden wealth of the nation – that is the “youth.” All those who attended left with confidence that the leaders of the country are rightly investing in local talents with a vision far ahead to make the UAE stand tall and proud among the nations of the world.
Ramesh Menon
Gulf Today, Short Take Dt. 22nd February 2014
To read it in original, please visit Gulf Today online.
Disciplined life – Gulf Today – Short Take – Dt. 15 February 2014
Disciplined life
During my recent visit to Bangalore, I was lucky to be with a close family friend and her mother. She had just lost her father.
After the rituals got over, she had brought her mother to stay with her at Bangalore rather than be at their village house in a faraway place. Just to bring her back to normal life, we decided to take her for a short drive one evening.
On our way, the talk revolved around her late father.
I realised from her and her mother a lot of things that one should emulate in life. Although in good health till he met with an accident, he was farsighted and had maintained a systematic life.
He was keeping a diary and had written even minute details of all things, including his financial dealings in it. He had also listed down in detail all the investments he had made for the family. Surprisingly, a few weeks before he had also made a will and had correctly nominated his wife and children to their respective rights and reserves.
Unfortunately, fate had its own way and it proved handy for his family when he passed away in short time.
Although they lost him, they never felt struck for any important matters related to the day-to-day running of the family because of his systematic way of life. It was visible from the full gratitude and expression of that elderly lady during her reminiscences of her ex-husband and life with him.
To live and leave this world peacefully without causing any trouble to anyone is really a blessing.
Ramesh Menon
Short Take – Gulf Today – Dt. 15 February 2014
To read it in original, please visit GULF TODAY online.
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