This refers to the report , ‘’Parents wary of amusement park rides’’ by Sarah Abdullah (June 14). Amusement parks and game spots are places of attraction not only for children but also for adults. These amusement spots are the only fun-providing places especially for kids because they play a very relaxing and refreshing role during their weekends which re- energize them mentally as well as physically and enable them to focus on their studies during the weekdays. So, if these leisure activities become risky and make parents reluctant to allow their children to visit these places, what else will be left for children to relax and enjoy during the weekends?
Rather than focusing on the parents and their carelessness we should pay more attention toward ride operators and park owners because they are the only ones who really know the handling techniques of the rides and how to take safety measures during an emergency. They must ensure a child’s safety before starting a ride and keep watch on each and every kid carefully while the rides are on so that if unfortunately any alarming situation arises, emergency measures are swiftly taken. Also the authorities must re-check the rides monthly by placing emergency alarms in the operating systems and the repairs must be done in order to prevent accidents. (Dr. Areej Rana , Jeddah)
India: Battleground 2014
This refers to the column “Battleground Delhi: Modi versus Rahul in 2014?” I am reminded once again of these lines from ‘The Second Coming’ by Yeats: “The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned…” Narendra Modi almost fits the image of the 'rough beast,' which is moving toward Bethlehem (Delhi) to be 're-born.' I can well understand the frustration that is building up where a party, which reflects the sentiments of a majority of Indians, is almost in a state of hibernation. Rahul is not refusing to grow up; he seems to be deprived of mentors.
There was some hope in the figure of Arjun Singh and even Manmohan Singh, the Harvard-educated prime minister. But Arjun Singh has passed away and the current prime minister is proving to be the wrong person for the job. Rahul's mother, Sonia Gandhi, has tried very hard to establish her own image after her more charismatic husband's death, but try as she might she has not been able to revive the magic of her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi.
Rahul, at 43, is still politically raw and has a long way to go. Like his mother and even his father, Rajiv Gandhi, he too is a victim of chance. Although well intentioned, he has yet to be taken seriously. Indeed, the power of the Congress is larger than life and Rahul seems to be having a hard time reconciling his political career with the demands of a party, which has ruled over the people for so long that it has come to define them. Despite repeated failures of the Congress, their agenda is still in sync with the majority of people, who are looking for a secularist ideal. The other alternative, the BJP, scares the masses with its right-winged policies. The Babri Masjid demolition and the 2002 Gujarat riots are two embarrassing blots on the BJP, but Narendra Modi, the chief protagonist of the latter has suddenly become a hero, living with impunity and shamelessly aspiring to become the next prime minister. He has seen to it that all evidence of the riots is destroyed systematically. If Modi makes it to Delhi, will he change after coming to power, to a more leftist view or will he uphold the BJP agenda? “A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun...” Like the writer of the column, I'd rather not think about it. (Ozma Siddiqui, Jeddah)
Situation in Syria
In his column “Syria caught between two ministers,” Tariq Alhomayed argues that the international community “must” intervene in Syria. Presumably, he is referring to the Western soldiers. Now, consider the region’s relentless criticism of the West’s efforts to remove murderous lunatics from Iraq and Afghanistan. Why would any Western leader want to try a third time? The Syrian situation was largely created by the Syrians and their neighbors, the very people that “must” solve this problem. (A Reader, By e-mail)
Letters — Amusement park rides
