It is now a well-known fact that this beautiful island of pearls has a lustre of love that quickly charms anyone who visits it. Many expats working here will admit they came here for a one-year employment contract and, even if they changed jobs, ended up making it their home for over 20 years. It…
ബഹ്റൈനിലെ ആദ്യ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പത്രത്തിലെ ആദ്യ ഇന്ത്യൻ മാധ്യമ പ്രവർത്തകൻ 40 വർഷത്തെ തൻറെ പവിഴതുരുത്തിലെ അനുഭവങ്ങൾ ബഹ്റൈൻ വാർത്തയോട് പങ്കുവെക്കുന്നു. ഇന്ത്യ- ബഹ്റൈൻ നയതന്ത്ര ബന്ധങ്ങളിലെ സുപ്രധാന സാന്നിധ്യവും പ്രവാസി ഭാരതീയ സമ്മാൻ പുരസ്കാരമടക്കം ഒട്ടനവധി പുരസ്കാരങ്ങളുടെ ജേതാവുമായ സോമൻ ബേബിയുടെ ജീവിതത്തിലെ ചില അപൂർവ നിമിഷങ്ങളിലേക്ക്..
“Women account for 39 percent of (Bahrain’s) overall national workforce. And women represent more than 50pc in the public sector”. When Bahrain’s Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel Humaidan said these words and stressed about the major strides this country has made in increasing the rate of women’s participation in the labour market, I am sure,…
For some time now, we have been hearing the drums of war, from the tweets of Trump. And, angered at the April 7 chemical attack on the civilians of the Syrian town of Douma, US President Trump had ordered air-strikes on Syria. On Saturday, 14 April, with its allies UK and France, US targeted sites near…
“Ignorance is the enemy of peace”. These are the words of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, in an opinion piece he had written in “The Washington Times” dated 10 October 2017. He said this during the launching of Bahrain’s declaration which shows the country’s commitment to religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence. And now,…
At the PIO-Parliamentary conference, held this morning in New Delhi, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government’s guiding principle is: ‘reform to transform’. While addressing 100 parliamentarians in this First PIO Parliamentarian Conference in New Delhi, on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he appropriately stressed on the role of Indians abroad, and how they are…
Once again, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a tour abroad. And once again, he became the flag bearer of Indian pride, as it keeps rising up, on the global platform. He reciprocated the warm receptions he has received in all the places he visited this week – Jordan, Palestine, UAE and Oman,…
Friday’s massacre of 305 innocent worshippers, with 27 children among them, is horrific news that has devastated the hearts of Egyptians across their country. And with them, the hearts of all of us – in the region and in the world – are also shaken. I cannot imagine how heartless and ruthless those 25 to 30…
Two incidents which happened in the last few days prompt this piece of writing. Firstly, the ballistic missile fired on Saturday 4 November, from Yemen towards the international airport of the Saudi capital Riyadh. It was thankfully intercepted and destroyed. But the missile is an open act of aggression. And Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has…
This country is unique in many ways. And one of them is the respect and appreciation it shows towards people of other religions and cultures. We can see it clearly from the way His Royal Highness the Crown Prince always makes it a point, every year, to meet and greet Indian families for Diwali –…
Saudi Arabia’s “Princess Nourah University is preparing to set up a driving school in cooperation with the relevant authorities,” according to the university’s statement given on Saturday, 30 September 2017. This is a welcome announcement, and the first of its kind, for the ultra-conservative country after the ban on women driving was lifted. When King…
On Saturday, 1 July 2017, India introduced a ground-breaking tax reform law, through a constitutional amendment. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) introduced through the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act 2016 has finally come through. And it is the ‘biggest tax overhaul’, since India’s independence in 1947, passed after months of debate in…
INDIANS in Bahrain must share the good times and the bad with their hosts, each supporting the other, says their new ambassador.”Millions of Indians have come here in the Gulf and gone and many have improved their living conditions and knowledge,” said Ambassador Dr George Joseph.”We have to be conscious that we are part of…
“Drive them out”! “Drive them out”! Seemingly, that is the key phrase in US President Trump’s speech at Riyadh yesterday. The fight against extremism is not “a battle between different faiths” but “a battle between good and evil”, he said as he emboldened the leaders of Muslim nations to drive out the terrorists. This passionate…
What does Saturday’s (15 April) attempted missile launch by North Korea – which failed when it exploded immediately after lift-off – tell us? What does Saturday’s huge parade of North Korean military might – to international media – during the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, its “eternal president”, and grandfather of Kim Jong-un, tell us? What does Friday’s statement…
The United States on Monday (21 March), and the United Kingdom on Tuesday (22 March), banned most electronic devices, like laptops and tablets, on all flights from several Middle East countries. The confusion and frustration that this new ban has unleashed on passengers, and on airport-officials, is just too complicated to be put into words. The US ban, for…
What is the reason for this grand reception, befitting a Head of State, for a Chief Minister from just one state of India? Many people in Bahrain had this question on their minds last week. But, the answer is simple. “It is because 20 per cent of Bahrain’s population comprises people from this one state…
“The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.” These lines from Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘The Coming of Arthur’ from his series called ‘Idylls of the King’, effectively sums up the importance of embracing change. When a brave knight laments, at the disintegration of…
With a look back at the recent past, and with a thought forward into the near future, we can confidently affirm that Bahrain continues to be at the forefront, of this region’s development. When it comes to progress in the Arab world, whether economic or political, whether social or cultural, Bahrain continues to stand out…
“I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating… because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition.” Thus said a man who embraced communism, led a revolution, and overthrew the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959 (Batista was then being supported by USA). And since 1959, Fidel Castro ruled Cuba for…
A new Secretary-General of United Nations will assume office from 1 January 2017, for the next five years. And the huge operations of this global organisation will slowly be handed over to him. As Secretary-General designate António Guterres takes over from the incumbent Ban Ki-moon, we know, the state of the world is not exactly what…
For me, one of the high points of the past week was Thursday evening. It should be recorded as a momentous occasion not only for me, but in fact, for all residents of Bahrain from India’s Kerala state. On Thursday 29 September, Shaikh Khalifa bin Daij Al Khalifa, President of HRH the Crown Prince Court, was the…
Yet another horrifying video has been released by ISIS on Friday. And this time it shows the beheading of a British aid worker Alan Henning. Despite earlier pleas by his family to release him, this brutal execution was apparently done by ISIS after Alan has read out a message blaming his country UK for joining…
While attending the Government Forum 2016, held in Bahrain yesterday , many in the audience, like me, experienced a renewed sense of elation at, and a fresh surge of confidence in, the governance of this wonderful nation. The cause for our elation is the understanding that the strategic initiatives of Bahrain’s government are slowly but…
On Tuesday, a deadly attack at Istanbul airport – in Tukey – killed 44 people, and injured over two hundred. On Friday, an attack on a Café in Dhaka- in Bangladesh – took away 20 innocent lives. Closer home, on the same Friday, flying shrapnel from a bomb, in East Eker – in Bahrain – took…
It is three days since the EU Referendum was held in UK. And there have been diverse comments, criticisms, predictions , cartoons and jokes, on the outcome of the poll, which had been dubbed as ‘Brexit’ or “British exit”. It is unlikely, I can see, that this commentary and criticism will subside any time soon.…
What has the government achieved? In the last couple of days, this raging question rattled the Indian television screens, as various opposing panellists – on television news channels – were either trying to prove, or disprove, one-another. It is two years since Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of the world’s largest…
Two days ago, a colleague of mine was on a flight from Cochin in India, to Colombo in Sri Lanka. And he related to me an experience that must have been horrible and harrowing for all passengers. He was actually on the way to Bahrain from Cochin, via Colombo, after a short vacation. And according…
“I am deeply humbled by the hope and trust that Londoners have placed in me. “Some of you may not know this, but I grew up on a council estate, just a few miles from here. Back then, I never dreamt that I could be standing here as the Mayor of London. “And my burning…
The US Secretary of State John Kerry was holding his two-year old granddaughter in his arms, as he signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on Earth Day. It was on Friday, 22 April 2016. And, to me, that scene on TV was pleasantly uplifting and profoundly inspiring . It is stuck in my head,…
“Of the 99 names of Allah, none stands for force and violence…. the first two names denote compassionate and merciful. Allah is Rahman and Raheem”. These words were a part of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s momentous speech, given on Thursday, during the inauguration of a four-day World Sufi Forum in New Delhi. “Terrorism divides…
NRI Commission setup
“What happened to this party?” That’s the line on the cover page, and the title of the lead article, of the latest soon-to-be-released issue of TIME magazine. The terrible and tragic times of the Republican Party, in the United States, is quite obviously a subject bothering many people, making them wonder ‘what happened to this…
Two news reports, which we published one week apart, give us some interesting, and somewhat amusing, food for thought. On 21 Feb, we reported that “Bahrain’s Shura Council is indefinitely suspending its sessions on the grounds that it has nothing to discuss”. Now, is that not strange? That for the first time since it was…
People are asking this question after last week’s news-reports on the launch of Ra’ad Al Shamal – Northern Thunder – the largest military exercise to be coordinated in the region, by Saudi Arabia.This exercise involves ground, air, and naval forces. Thousands of troops from 20 countries – Arab, Islamic and allied nations including Pakistan –…
“Eighteen months ago, I said if you want to bet on one country, it is India — as the country is in sync with the speed of innovation in the current digital age.” These were the words of Cisco executive chairman John Chambers during the CNN Asia Business Forum 2016, organised as part of the…
“If authorities stop planting trees, flowers and roses along roads and at roundabouts, BD1 million can be saved,” say some councillors in this country. This, I immediately realised, was a matter to think about, and write about. “Spending BD1m (USD 2.65 m) on such beautification,” according to Northern Municipal Council chairman Mohammed Buhamood, “is ridiculous,…
“Relations between Iran and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) now enter a new phase. It is an important day for the international community. I congratulate all those who helped make it a reality,” said Yukiyo Amano, the Director General of the IAEA, on Saturday. His words tell us that Iran has completed the steps…
In August 2014, Huffington Post carried an article “Indians: The Most Connected Diaspora”[1]. The author Pawan Khera a Political Analyst, says: “Today, the world over, Indians and communities of Indian origin consider themselves as one large civilization — a polycentric, transnational population”. With about 25 million people of Indian origin now scattered across the globe — including more…
Bedecked in colour and light, and in song and dance, the streets near the Hindu Temple of Bab Al Bahrain in Manama, wore a grand and festive look on Saturday. It was the launch of the ‘Little India’ project. A superb effort by the Government of Bahrain to give its residents and its tourists – especially, those visiting…
On Saturday night, 196 countries approved a landmark climate accord. It would commit nearly every country to lowering planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions – to help reduce the drastic effects of climate change. Adopted after 13 days of intense bargaining in a Paris suburb, I am sure, this accord is a path-breaking moment in the history…
Will Bahrain’s expatriate drivers be made to pay annual fees for using public roads ?. A proposal to make them pay is being submitted by two MPs, to Bahrain’s Parliament, suggesting “imposing fees on expat vehicle owners and doubling the fees of their vehicles’ registrations, driving learning licences and driving licences.” And this proposal, I…
There was a huge furore last week, with almost everyone asking why terror attacks in Paris were highlighted by media; when there were similar attacks in Beirut, in Baghdad, and in many cities in Syria. And now, these latest terror attacks in Bamako of Mali, and earlier ones, in Yola and Kano of Nigeria, show…
When, for the first time after 66 years, the leaders of China and Taiwan met with one another , we in the media have announced it as a momentous and memorable occasion. And rightly so. But did this significant Saturday summit – between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou – really help in achieving…
The success of the 11th IISS Manama Dialogue is definitely a crowning achievement for the Kingdom of Bahrain, yet again, especially for Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, under whose patronage the security summit was held. But one can judge the efficacy…
The foreign media took immediate notice when, three weeks ago, Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, and presented a formal complaint against Iran. The complaint was against Iran “for its blatant violations and…
On Friday, I had the opportunity of listening to the 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking during his workshop for the Toastmasters Clubs, here in Bahrain. I was amazed not only at the enthusiasm and clarity with which he shared his thoughts with public speaking aspirants here, but also at the attention and response he…
We have seen a huge outpouring of support to Ahmed, the 14 year old boy from US who was arrested when the police thought that the clock he put together, for his school-project, was a bomb. Soon after the false alarm subsided, the truth was being blown out of proportion, according to some. Yes, there…
Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to UAE, which started yesterday, is special not only because it is the first ever Indian Prime Minister’s visit, in over 34 years, but also because it boosts the morale of 2.6 million Indians residing in UAE. It is unfortunate that India’s top leadership had largely neglected visiting the Arabian Gulf…
Undoubtedly, as the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said last week at its inauguration, the new Suez Canal will “change the map of the Egyptian economy for the better, and bolster Egypt’s international standing”. Like how it did when the first Suez Canal opened over 150 years ago, in 1869, after 10 long and painful years of construction. …