MAILBOX

The Science of Life
Ancient books of medicine written in the west during the middle ages follow the same rules as Ayurveda. It means there was a linkage between Mediterranean and eastern traditional cures. Thus, if a western doctor gets in touch with Ayurveda he gets in touch with his own roots. Unfortunately, regulatory restrictions and cultural prejudices inhibit its integration within mainstream health care provision in the US and Europe. Neuroscientist Dr Antonio Morandi of Italy is an exception.  After working with neurodegenerative diseases in the US for two decades, he changed tracks, citing the need for a more inclusive and comprehensive way of looking at the nature of treatment for his patients. He started exploring the field of traditional medicine and found himself involved with Ayurveda. He returned to Italy and is now the chairman and director of Ayurvedic Point - a school of ayurveda in Milan offering Ayurvedic education and OPD facility. I hope more doctors will take Morandi's example and start looking at Ayurveda more seriously.
Mizanur Rahaman
Hamburg, Germany
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While studying engineering in Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh, India, I once had the opportunity to seek treatment from a Hakim who practices Unani medicine. I was suffering from insomnia and was losing a lot of weight fast. As a lifelong student of science, I was a bit skeptical about his skills as a physician. The elderly Hakim was affectionate and appeared to be most concerned about my well being. After thoroughly examining me, he prepared a 'tonic' for me and gave me some herbal pills. He advised me to take them both for two weeks and, if my problems persisted, see him again. Much to my surprise, I started sleeping well   only after the first week of taking his medicines. It worked! Since then, Unani has been my choice of treatment when I need it.
Shibli Chowdhury Tushar
Dhanmondi, Dhaka

Religion with Red Cirlces
I was very much intrigued by the artworks and life story of Mukaddas Shadi Ahmad published on December 10, 2013. His childhood experiences growing up in Islamic and Christian tradition have given him a platform from which he gets alternative perspectives toward life. This is what any artist aspires to do-offer the audience with an alternative viewpoint. The article was written in fluid and short sentences that were fun to read.
Zahid Bin Sattar
Adabor, Dhaka

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A Pearl in the Indian Ocean
Last week's article on the success of Mauritian economy  offers valuable lessons for many countries. It teaches us that a country can only prosper when true democracy has taken root in the country, its institutions give voices to the less advantaged groups of the society and most importantly, there is rule of law. I visited this beautiful Island in 2012 and was very impressed by its people and culture. Although modern and cosmopolitan in nature, the Mauritian people have not forgotten their roots. They still practice customs and traditions that are centuries old. In my humble opinion, Mauritius is an example of what a country without any oil or natural resources can become if they choose to take the right path of democracy, transparency and rule of law.
Sara Tulip Khan
Gulshan, Dhaka

Best New Year Gifts
Last week's photo feature gave me a lot of hope for a new year. I looked at the happy faces of the children and thought about how little it takes to put a smile on their faces. The recent burning of schools will make sure that many of these children will no longer have the only place that offers solace for them in an increasingly violent country. Those who are destroying schools in the name of opposing the power-hungry ruling party are actually trying to take the country back to the stone ages. While the government deserves credit for distributing free books to crores of school children, their failure to save many schools from these mad men is equally disturbing.
Raisuddin Sarkar
Tongi, Dhaka

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How to Appear Smarter Than You Really Are
This hilarious but poignant article [published on January 10, 2014] made for a very interesting reading. Our society is full of people who are busy looking smart than actually becoming smart. Think about all the energy and time they spend on appearing smart. If they gave so much effort to actually becoming smart, we all would benefit greatly. We must remember that we can fool someone once but not all the time. A person's true worth becomes evident over time. The writer of this article is a keen observer of the human comedy. This is one of the first columns I read after getting the Star every Friday.
Kuheli Sharmin
Banani, Dhaka

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The Visionary
I am deeply impressed by this article and special thanks to Dr Diba Hossain, the professor who has dedicated her life for such a noble work. In our country, a significant number of people are visually impaired and facing various kinds of obstacles including difficulties to receive proper education. As a former student of University of Dhaka I met some of these students and it is really true that they have the potential and talent to do even better than any sighted student. University authorities should introduce more technology based education and the Government should assist the people who are working for them.
 N Akter
Dhaka City College, Dhaka