At the same time, Mumbai has plenty of high-rise buildings, with wealthy crime lords taking advantage of innocent boys and girls.

The Indian government should take a break from focusing on economic development and pay more attention to the terrible conditions millions of people are living in.

Two child actors from the movie live in slums in real life. Their charming performances prove that there are talented people quietly waiting for an opportunity.

Indians should not criticise the film for showing the ugly side of their country.

They should be grateful that its popularity can raise public awareness of the poverty issue and give those 'slumdogs' hope for a better life.

Chris Tsui, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School

Lactose intolerance causes concern

If you feel sick every time after drinking milk, you may be lactose intolerant.

If someone is lactose intolerant, their bodies don't make sufficient amounts of an enzyme to break down sugar. And lactose is a kind of sugar found in milk and other dairy products.

If lactose cannot be digested, bacteria will remain in the colon. This could lead to severe stomach pain. If you are lactose intolerant, do not eat any food that contains dairy products like milk and cheese.

One of my cousins is lactose intolerant. Every time he drinks milk, he gets stomach pain.

We should be aware of this problem and try to control it.

Nelvin Ng, Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Tong Secondary School

Take long-term view on HSBC

HSBC is facing tough times amid the financial crisis.

Many people used to buy shares in the bank because of its reputation for stability.

But this banking giant has slimmed down considerably over the past few months.

With the stock markets plunging, many people are wondering whether they should continue to buy HSBC shares.

But several local tycoons are not worried about the bank's share price which hit record lows recently. They said they would continue to buy HSBC stocks because it is still a good company.

I think they are right. Instead of focusing on the present, we should take a long-term view.

It is time to turn a crisis into an opportunity.

Kevin Lam, Hang Seng School of Commerce

New singers need time to improve

I am writing in response to the letter 'Back to the days of quality music' by Tannyson Mok (Young Post, February 25).

I think it's wrong to say the quality of local songs is deteriorating. We cannot compare today's music with those of the 1990s.

People's tastes are changing all the time. Many teenagers don't like old songs.

Also, the definition of a good song varies from person to person.

For me, a good song is one that touches your heart, and you want to listen to it over and over again.

New singers need time to improve. Limiting the number of people signing up to be singers is not practical.

Betsy Chang, Yuen Long Merchants Association Secondary School