{"id":1148,"date":"2011-07-29T07:08:56","date_gmt":"2011-07-29T07:08:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/2011\/07\/29\/letters-36\/"},"modified":"2020-01-05T18:45:47","modified_gmt":"2020-01-05T14:45:47","slug":"letters-36","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/letters-36\/","title":{"rendered":"Readers\u2019 Response\/Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Right to Live in Our Homes<\/span><\/h4>\n

Thank you for \u2018Clock is ticking for the UK over Charges<\/em>\u201d by Dr Sean Carey (22 July 11) \u2013 another superb instalment in that unfolding saga.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet those who have watched, and enjoyed, the \u2018Yes, Minister\u2019 and \u2018Yes, Prime Minster\u2019 series \u2013 British or Indian \u2013 must be permitted to wonder whether \u2018undoubtedly clever civil servants\u2019 are the ones who should be deemed to be mainly at fault, allowing bamboozled \u2018often inexperienced ministers\u2019 to claim \u2018pas moi sa, li sa!\u2019. Come on: Jack Straw? David Miliband? And\u2026?<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor J. Manrakhan<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

* * * <\/span><\/p>\n

Environment and Religion: ‘Prayer
\nardent opens heaven’<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The environment has been created by God for the well-being of the people. So, we are living in a divine environment. Simply speaking, the environment is our surroundings. It comprises the land, mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, air, forests, etc, and it includes humans. Man has been allowed to make use of all materials pertaining to the environment to satisfy his needs.<\/span>
\nSince the beginning of time, in the performance of religious services, man has made use of materials drawn from the environment. For example, during services in temples and elsewhere, the officiating priests make use of flowers, leaves, fruits, water and other natural ingredients. Some ceremonies are performed near rivers, lakes and the sea. During the Maha Shivaratree festival, pilgrims from every nook and corner of the island walk up to the sacred lake at Ganga Talao to perform religious rites and collect the sacred water to be poured on the Siva Lingum.<\/span>
\nDuring the Cavadee festival, the devotees attend the banks of rivers, lakes, and the sea to take the sacred bath and perform their religious rites. The Cavadee that they carry on their shoulders is a structure that represents nature. It is constructed using wood, flowers, fruits, leaves, etc,.<\/span>
\nMountains occupy a very important place in religions. Lord Shiva’s main abode is the peak of Mount Kailash where He dwells and supervises all our actions and showers on us His blessings. Lord Jesus Christ has delivered one of His sermons on the mountain where He declares: “The humble men are very fortunate for the kingdom of heaven is given to them.” One of the abodes of Lord Muruga is the mountain at Palani where thousands of devotees throng to receive His blessings. The great temple of gold dedicated to Lord Mahavishnu is situated on top of the seven hills at Tirumala, India.<\/span>
\nAll the above examples are an illustration of the spiritual nature of the environment. That is why we have a sacred duty to protect and preserve our environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Actually we note with much concern that our environment is in a desperate situation. Our land, water, and atmosphere\u00a0have become\u00a0heavily polluted as a result of industrial and other developments. Climate change is giving rise to catastrophic situations across the globe. In some countries there is widespread flooding and in others there is severe drought.<\/span>
\nMauritius is actually facing its worst severe drought ever. Environmental experts in the developed countries, inspite of their tremendous efforts, are unable to redress the situation. Many international conferences and workshops are being held to address these environmental issues, but there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.<\/span>
\nThe situation is worsening because people across the globe are not willing to change their mode of living and their attitude towards the environment. They are becoming more and more materialistic and greedy. So, in order to save our environment from utter destruction, we have to adopt a new attitude — a spiritual one. We have to lead a less\u00a0 materialistic way of life. We have to stop plundering our natural resources to satisfy our greed. Our environment is sacred and it deserves our respect and protection. We should start praying and ask for God’s mercy.\u00a0Prayers should be at the centre of all our actions aiming at preventing an environmental disaster. As it has been said: ‘Prayer ardent opens heaven.\u2019 God is an ocean of mercy. So, He will never leave our prayers unanswered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meghanaden Naghen
\n<\/strong>Associate Member, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, London<\/span><\/p>\n

* * * <\/span>
\nH\u00e9t\u00e9ro-, Homo-sexualit\u00e9<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

A \u00ab\u00a0ceux qui sont pour la Justice\u00a0\u00bb<\/em> (Mauritius Times, No 3116), je dois dire que j\u2019avais fait ressortir que j\u2019allais consid\u00e9rer le c\u00f4t\u00e9 biologique, m\u00e9dical et social de l\u2019homosexualit\u00e9. Je laisse la consid\u00e9ration de l\u2019aspect religieux \u00e0 d\u2019autres. En passant, il me para\u00eet que l\u2019Eglise catholique avec le Vatican soit un bon \u00ab\u00a0punching bag\u00a0\u00bb.<\/span><\/p>\n

L\u2019h\u00e9t\u00e9rosexualit\u00e9 de l\u2019esp\u00e8ce humaine fait partie de la Nature, de l\u2019ordre des choses et sa pratique normale doit \u00eatre respect\u00e9e. Les d\u00e9sordres dans sa pratique\u00a0comme les viols et les crimes sexuels sont, je suis totalement d\u2019accord, \u00e0 proscrire et \u00e0 punir, de m\u00eame que la p\u00e9dophilie, la sodomie et la zoophilie.<\/span><\/p>\n

La procr\u00e9ation m\u00e9dicalement assist\u00e9e n\u2019est pas sans probl\u00e8mes, la discussion \u00e0 ce propos prendrait plusieurs colonnes et abuserait probablement de l\u2019hospitalit\u00e9 du journal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vous dites\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0Les v\u00e9hicules causent beaucoup de morts, de bless\u00e9s et d\u2019accidents sur la route\u00a0\u00bb. Avec tout le respect que je vous dois, je voudrais faire ressortir que vous faites fausse route et que les responsables de ces accidents sont des humains, et non pas des machines. Ce sont, entre autres, ces humains non-disciplin\u00e9s qui n\u2019observent pas le code de la route, ces motocyclistes qui ne respectent pas les passages pour pi\u00e9tons, m\u00eame s\u2019il est \u00e9vident que d\u2019autres automobilistes s\u2019arr\u00eatent pour eux, ces humains qui ne maintiennent pas leur v\u00e9hicules en bon \u00e9tat, les autorit\u00e9s qui n\u2019assurent pas le bon \u00e9tat des routes et des panneaux de signalisation, qui placent des arr\u00eats d\u2019autobus trop pr\u00e8s d\u2019un tournant, ceux qui ne contr\u00f4lent pas suffisamment l\u2019alcoolisme ou le t\u00e9l\u00e9phone mobile au volant, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vous dites aussi\u00a0: \u00ab\u00a0Donc il faut interdire ces aliments-l\u00e0\u00a0\u00bb, en vous r\u00e9f\u00e9rant \u00e0 \u00ab\u00a0certains aliments et \u2018fast food\u00a0\u00bb. L\u00e0 aussi, je dois dire que c\u2019est leur mauvaise habitude alimentaire qui est \u00e0 bl\u00e2mer, pas ces aliments eux-m\u00eames.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Les \u00e9pices peuvent \u00eatre une source de maladies comme l\u2019ulc\u00e8re de l\u2019estomac\u00a0\u00bb. Voil\u00e0 une affirmation qui fait partie de la croyance d\u2019une bonne partie du corps m\u00e9dical du si\u00e8cle pass\u00e9. Tous les m\u00e9decins savent maintenant que l\u2019ulc\u00e8re de l\u2019estomac est d\u00fb \u00e0 ce microbe, Helicobacter pylori\u00a0<\/em>; cette d\u00e9couverte ayant \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9compens\u00e9e par un Prix Nobel r\u00e9cemment. Vous faites bien de condamner la gourmandise. Cependant, est-ce la quantit\u00e9 de nourriture consomm\u00e9e qui est \u00e0 bl\u00e2mer\u00a0?<\/span><\/p>\n

Je suis tout \u00e0 fait d\u2019accord pour l\u2019interdiction totale du tabac et le contr\u00f4le plus strict, plus assidu de l\u2019alcool, mais qui ira \u2018bell\u00a0the cat\u00a0\u00bb, ce \u00ab\u00a0fat cat\u00a0\u00bb qui collecte tant en termes de taxes\u00a0?<\/span><\/p>\n

Pour conclure, ce qui est en question, c\u2019est le mauvais usage des instruments, des facilit\u00e9s etde nos organes, sexuels inclus, qui est en question.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Fran\u00e7ois Saw Lan Ip
\n<\/strong>Port Louis<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

* Published in print edition on 29 July 2011<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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