Undue importance being given to Modi
Dear Sir,
I really cannot understand the extraordinary importance given to Narendra Modi in Gulf Times: every day it is coming out with news articles and colour pictures of Modi, supplied by largely-communalised Indian press agencies. It is evident that the Indian media is trying to project Modi as the future prime minister, ignoring all the atrocities committed by him and the possibility of his involvement in the recent Patna blasts for political gains.
As usual the investigating agencies in India have been quick to conclude the Patna serial blasts were the work of a hardline Islamic organisation. A handful of Muslim youths have been arrested. One of them died in the hospital allegedly due to injuries suffered in the same blast, according to security agencies.
There is a new twist in the investigation which is largely ignored by the mainstream Indian media and the press agencies. According to police, one Mehar Alam was the “mastermind” of the blasts and he had escaped from the custody and was recaptured later. The whole story changed now towards Mehar Alam being an “informer” of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA). But, Alam’s father, while rubbishing NIA’s claims, revealed that his son was picked up by police on October 23 publicly. Based on the claims by eye witnesses, Alam’s father tried to lodge a complaint for kidnapping but police refused to register the FIR.
On the same evening Alam’s family received a call from NIA officers who asked them to receive Mehar at the same spot they were picked up earlier. The father also rejected NIA claim that his son was an “informer”.
I have seen a lot of fabricated news in the recent past on terrorist attacks in India. Immediately after all those incidents, the investigating authorities blame such attacks on Muslim groups. The true intentions of some of the attacks, such as Samjhauta Express, Malegaon, Makka Masjid, etc, have lately surfaced. They seem to have been actually orchestrated by Hindu hardline organisations. More truth will be revealed only if the authorities make proper investigations without eyeing Muslim youths as scapegoats.
My request to Gulf Times is that please refrain from blindly publishing Modi promotional paid news articles and photographs provided by the Indian news agencies as they are not committed to the ethics of reporting. I don’t see any reason for Gulf Times to follow the same path.
Dhulkifle A K, (e-mail supplied)
The need for dialogue
Dear Sir,
In response to the report about parenting, which came in the Gulf Times Community supplement (November 3), I fully agree with the scholar Dr Sheikh Ayedal al-Qarni’s views on the importance of dialogue - one of the key aspects of bringing up children.
Parents these days often struggle with their teenage children’s disinterest in spending time with the family in general. Parents can understandably feel rejected, powerless and shut-out when their teen children seem to want to spend most of their time with their peers.
Parents should take some efforts in communicating with their children. Children crave quality time with their parents whose attention and recognition they value. When children don’t get them, they stray.
As children experience their parents’ full attention, they draw from them whatever they need to learn, to strengthen, to grow and to develop their full potential.
Sitting together for food, going for an outing, watching a film together and having family prayers, etc will cultivate the ground for dialogue and better communication between children and parents.
Jency George, Parent counsellor, Doha
(Address supplied)
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