Dear Sir,

In 2013, Prema Jayakumar, the daughter of a Mumbai-based autorickshaw driver, fighting against all odds, secured the first rank in the  tough chartered accountant (CA) exam conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Prema, originally from India’s Tamil Nadu state and hailing from a poor family, had converted all her handicaps to success by sheer hard work and dedication to her studies.
Gulf Times, which had adequately covered this at that time, published my letter on the girl’s remarkable feat. This, I understand, inspired several Indian students then, including my own children, one a lawyer and the other a doctor now.
Last year, John Brito from Chennai secured the first rank in the CA exam and this year in succession, S Sriram, from Salem, Tamil Nadu, has emerged as the topper. Not complacent with CA, Sriram is also a qualified company secretary (CS),  passing out the test for that with flying colours.
It is often claimed the CA course is extremely difficult, with some people saying that the initials CA actually stand for “Come Again”. In such a scenario, these toppers deserve appreciation and accolades.

V Kalyanaraman
[email protected]

Politically correct,
but logically wrong

Dear Sir,

The British decision to leave the European Union (EU) is politically correct, I feel. The UK voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%.  The referendum results show that the margin between the two sides was not that high. But the peoples’ mandate has to be respected in letter and spirit in a country where decisions are always taken on the basis of majority opinion and freedom of expression is considered to be a fundamental right. This mandate has divided not only the structure of the EU but the very foundation of the United Kingdom.
In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it is “highly likely” Scotland will hold a second independence referendum because of Brexit.
In Northern Ireland, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein called for a vote to leave the UK and unite with Ireland, an EU member.
The days ahead for Britain are uncertain. The EU wants Britain to set the departure process in motion immediately whereas London is not in a mood to start the process quickly.
Britain cannot postpone the exit process indefinitely. But before that people in Britain have to fix many issues and tie up loose ends at home. On the whole, it would have been better for the UK to stay in the EU than finding solutions to multiple problems originating from the Brexit vote. The decision to leave was logically incorrect. But politically, it was the right move.

Girish R Edathitta
(e-mail address supplied)