Wrong outlook
Dear Sir,
The letter “Wrongful practice” about government expatriate employees buying cheap airline tickets (Gulf Times, April 1) contains various false claims and a hint of bitter envy.
First, the claim that this practice is “illegal” is not true; otherwise s/he should be asking the government to arrest these expatriates. Also, the claim that “all government offices in Qatar give cash to their expatriate employees” is another false claim.
A large number of government expatriate employees are either on “local” contracts that don’t provide air tickets or they are in lower grades that don’t have air ticket benefits.
But the main issue here is not these false claims, rather the outlook that a few people have on life.
Instead of counting the blessing of life in Qatar, thanking God, and optimistically looking for various opportunities available in this country and outside, these few choose to look over the shoulders of others and count the benefits they have and wish for them to go away; not only wish but rally the government to take them away.
We live in an open-market economy which thrives on competition and the win-win outlook is the best attitude in such environment. Cheap airfare and airline promotions are available to low-paid people as well as others; first come first served. This is true about other opportunities and promotions in life, housing, food, education, clothing, etc.
Those who have more opportunities will enjoy more, and those with less should not despair, rather should work hard to find better opportunities, but above all should always feel content and happy with whatever God has bestowed on them.
At the same time, we need to understand that the Qatari government, during these extraordinary times, needs people with special skills to build the infrastructure needed to meet the 2022 and 2030 goals.
Therefore it would have to compete to find such workforce by providing incentives, flexibility and sometimes higher pay to hire them. Such decisions are not made on racial basis nor on class basis, but rather on “labour market” basis. It is unfortunate but it is a fact that Western countries have better higher education, a more efficient workforce and more skilled professionals, while Asian countries are either developing or under developed.
Also, the cost of living in the West is sometime double or even 10 times the cost of living in some parts of Asia. This creates two different “labour markets” and sometimes you might have to pay 20-30% more to some individual from one market (Western) than that of the other to convince them to move to Qatar.
You also might have to offer them flexibility (airfare cash instead of tickets), etc. Just like when you choose to buy a BMW versus another comparatively new brand, they both might have the same doors, horsepower, speed, and accessories, but you will pay more for one than the other for other qualities, like cost of manufacturing, efficiencies, reliability, etc.
Benevolence and altruism spur those with better opportunities to share or sacrifice for those who have less but envy, on the other hand, promotes misery for both.
AW, (Full name and address supplied)
A political move
Dear Sir,
Beef ban is a burning issue in India nowadays. This seems to be a political move with specific targets. In fact, consuming cow meat is sanctioned even in some Hindu religious texts. For instance, the Hindu Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) Chapter 5 / Verse 30 says: “It is not sinful to eat meat of eatable animals....”
Maharishi Yagyavalkya says in Shatpath Brahmin (3/1/2/21) that, “I eat beef because it is very soft and delicious.”
One of the greatest scholars and propagators of Hinduism, Swami Vivekanand, says: “You will be surprised to know that according to ancient Hindu rites and rituals, a man cannot be a good Hindu who does not eat beef”. (The Complete Works of Swami Vivekanand, volume 3, page 536).
Rigveda (10/85/13) declares: “On the occasion of a girl’s marriage oxen and cows are slaughtered.”
There are many more references like these but very few are aware about them in India. The nation should invest its energy and efforts to make it economically and politically powerful instead of frittering them away on issues like people’s eating habits.
MR, (Full name and address supplied)
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