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| Saturday, 15 September 2001 |
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Letters | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Sports Obituaries
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Time to wake up and stop terrorism September 11, 2001 will be marked in the US history as the Second Pearl Harbor and as I write this the US and the entire world waits in deep shock to be told of the number of deaths and destruction that has resulted by this barbaric attack of terrorism. Terrorism is nothing new to the world. It has existed in many forms throughout history and of late has gathered momentum with powerful countries of the world providing safe havens for such groups to carry out their nefarious activities while even selling arms to them. We are all quite aware that under public condemnation and even banning of such terrorist organizations countries have both silently allowing these movements to cause destruction and mayhem to countries around the globe. For both the US and UK this is a stark reminder and an eye-opener that a terrorist is a terrorist and does not care to respect even the person feeding them. Rajiv Gandhi's death at the very hands of the people whom he had provided a ground to train will justify this. What must be remembered here is that each time a group decides to show their prowess it is the innocent who suffer. The innocent are the ones who have to pay the supreme sacrifice of death at the hands of those who wish to show their powers to one another be they terrorists or otherwise. We will not know the exact numbers who have died but we can recall the many many numbers of innocent people who have died over the years as a result of terrorist activities. Sri Lanka alone has seen thousands of deaths of innocents in almost 18 years and the tolls rise by the day. the recent attack on the Katunayake Airforce and only International Airport saw countries such as the US and UK quick to react not by blaming the LTTE but by asking their tourists not to visit Sri Lanka. It is sadly these very countries that allow such organizations to operate funds, have offices and even provide citizenship to these terrorists. President Bush pledges to find those behind the US attacks, warning he will not distinguish between terrorists and those harbouring them. He may well find that he has to point the finger at himself and his administration and seriously review the hidden policies that the US have applied over the years to bring nations to their knees. That being the case we must seriously see that the world leaders be asked to put country-centred agendas aside and view the world as one large nation and decide and be committed to wiping out world terrorism from the face of this world. It is tragic and ironic that following the colossal deaths of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon will go down in history as the second largest loss of innocent lives. Many would view this as an act of retribution on the US for the numerous policies that they have adopted over the years. "Terrorism against this nation will not stand" - President George W Bush remarked no sooner he heard of the attack. The remark is just a reminder of US policies being centred around their own nation. Of course we do not know exactly who is responsible for this dastardly attack but whether it be of a "home-grown" nature of foreign, it is terrorism at its core and the time is ripe to put an end to it. No more innocent lives should be lost. Shenali Waduge Re-cycling of water back to the reservoir The CEB has been saying that all the hydro sources which could be economically exploited have been exhausted. I do not think this opinion of the CEB as conclusive, because the father of hydro power Mr. Wimalasurendra is known to have visited, inspected sites and found that there are not few but many more sites of water sources which could be economically developed, for power generation. Perhaps this may be so, because the CEB thinks only in terms of larger hydro power stations. There is a method of avoiding this perennial crisis due to the shortage of rainfall. This is the method of re-cycling used water after turning the turbines, that is to send the same back to the reservoir. By this method no water will be wasted and the hydro turbines in all power stations could operate 24 hours of the day, without the necessity for the rain to refill the reservoir, except for some rainfall to make up for the loss of the energy which takes place in the re-cycling process. This is an idea which should be put to trial before rejecting. I have made a working model of this idea and it will be ready for demonstration before long. If this method could be adopted no fuel such as oil, gas, coal, solar energy and biomass will be required to generate power in the future in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka the shortage of water occurs only during a few months of the year as the water is available in plenty during the monsoon period. Therefore the process of re-cycling will be required only during the dry months. In this process all hydro turbines could be run throughout the day, and there will be no necessity for coal power as today. The excess hydropower could be used for passenger transport during the day time. When I was working in the Electricity Department years ago the then General Manager Mr. E. C. Fernando requested me to make a working model of the Luxapana Power Project with Mr. Illukkumbura and this model was exhibited at the Colombo Plan Exhibition held at the Vihara Maha Devi Park. And the then Power Minister of the PWD Sir John Kote lawala visited our stall and I demonstrated the working model to the Minister. He was so pleased and he commended me and Mr. Illukkumbura for the excellent work done in producing that Laxapana working model. Now as the President has wanted assistance from the public to suggest ways and means in solving the present power crises. I am prepared to come forward and demonstrate the working model of the re-cycling process before the feasibility report called for. It is heartening to learn that the proposal to install the coal power plant at Norachcholai has now been abandoned, even though all detrimental effects in the usage of coal has not been fully answered. Apart from the above, the Norachcholai power project required the construction of the long jetty 3 km away from the land for unloading and handling of the imported coal. This jetty is likely to provide smuggled goods by unlawful methods and the jetty could be used by the LTTE for their easy access to the ships bringing coal as well as others plying in the Indian ocean, and make this jetty an unofficial free trade area for the smugglers and our enemies. As an alternate one may think of shifting the coal power to Hambantota as the next best site. If this project is implemented the possibility of coal acid dust particles settling on the salt beds cannot be prevented, particularly because strong winds are prevalent in the Hambantota district. The installation of windmills is testimony to this. Then the black coal acid dusted salt in the south is not suitable for consumption. In this invention of mine that is the water re-cycling process if implemented the additional revenue could be considerable curtailment of the imported oil and generators and resulting, due to this saving of money could be transferred to the Treasury for the benefit of the country. The revenue of the CEB is only sufficient to run our country my many ways, pilfering of electric current from the CEB is stopped. The principle of re-cycling used water from hydro turbines could be adopted in all existing hydro power stations in Sri Lanka. And I intend visiting all the hydro power stations to see if the Pelton Wheels could run at the same RPM with reduced water pressure and also the impellers. I hope all heads of departments and politicians will not miss this golden opportunity in the re-cycling process. BABARANDE PIYASENA I read Nan People and Events. A woman from the South her words on Lorna Wright and her work. My father was Sunderalingam MP for Vavuniya - so let me tell you of a few things I know of her life in the north. In the recent past I very happily visited the vast complex she had created for the training of women - mothers - youth. I would demonstrate to the Tamil women trainees from Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee the traditional dressing of a Tamil bride and matters associated with the wedding. I had a video that further demonstrated and explained details. There was time to relax in this beautiful property she had rescued from squatters for the De La Salle Brothers. She landscaped and found the funds - trained thousands of youth in hands-on basic skills Athuduawa under a contractor. For women the home and family support - daily for those of the area - one month with board and lodging for others. She had done this for the last 20 years working on a voluntary basis. This complex she would say was for workshops, seminars, conferences and for participants who could not be taken to the Hilton and Oberoi. However, in their simple house-coats-sarongs and banians they lived with beauty, orderliness and cleanliness in ethnic religious, harmony, appreciating each others cultures. It was the year 1957. When the devastating floods had tank bunds bursting, collapsing - in Vavuniya women and children to be rescued. The story goes there were buses - no drivers - find a driver no keys. Finally bus, keys and driver and then the bus did not start. Lorna, the GA's wife was seen, her shoes off, soaking wet pushing the bus. Rudra Rajasingham SP came on the scene and got her a policeman's cloak! Maithripala Senanayeke and C. P. de Silva SLFP wanted to encourage and assist Lorna to help the women in the border villages colonisation programs. It was something my father though futile because the Sinhalese coming from the green, green south could not take the dry, hot North that was arid, sandy with marauding elephants. Chena, 'slash and burn', one crop with the rains was the normal practice with the Sinhalese moving up the North road seasonally. The public farewell in Vavuniya late 1957 to the GA and wife Raine and Lorna Wright, my father said to the vast gathering on the esplanade - "There is only one person who could to-day beat me at the polls in Vavuniya and that is Lorna Wright". Borne out in Hansard is a speech my father made in Parliament praising the two of them. 'One could not restrict praise for the GA of Vavuniya and his wife who, right throughout, maintained a cyclo-styled news sheet warning people as to what precautions they had to take against disease - also. "He was surprised the Government had not got the full facts and the damage of the floods. As for his constituency, thanks to the GA and his wife, they had a comprehensive knowledge of the situation." There are many amusing stories Lorna has to relate too. K. B. Ratnayake and Maitripala frequent visitors had always been seen in safari tunic and trouser western clothes. When the nationalist wave put them into national clothes, Dr. Kuruppu DMS little daughter came running 'Aunty Maithripala uncle "meeniek wella" (has become a man) wearing the white tunic and sarong!! Nan's opening words gratitude bring me to another story. Lorna's youngest son was found partially deaf. Abeysekara 1st Sec. London was returning. All things equal her husband could replace him. The British Medical Service would be available to them. In gratitude of the massive work they had done when SWRD was visiting my father told him so at their residency - "they deserve it, see that it happens and they go". Packed and ready to go, it was stopped. Ultra nationalists around SWRD. Maithripala called at their home to give shamefacedly - the reason - there was objection to an English name 'Wright' in a Sinhala Embassy!! Today Mrs. Wright now an Australian is back working for the people and the country she loves - despite obstacles unbelievable, loaded with ingratitude by those who obstruct. When will be learn to love each other, appreciate the talents of others and acknowledge it with a simple "thank you" and live in peace. VATAH CHELVADURAI (nee Sundaralingam) Nedra vittachi who makes interesting comments on the usage of English every now and then in the Daily News has come down hard on the use of the word surrendee. She emphatically rules it out as incorrect in place of the word surrenderer - Horrendous blunders of our vocabulary. (DN Aug. 25). The - ee suffix which has a French origin is used to denote a person affected by the verbal action - derived from the verb, eg. payee, employee. Secondly the suffix tags on to describe the person concerned with or described, eg. refugee, absentee, escapee. Here the action is not transferred to another. Accordingly the word surrendee to describe one who surrenders, though a coined word, cannot be dismissed as incorrect. The word surrenderer, apart from the fact that it sounds clumsy as Ms. Vittachi puts it, has the ring of one who surrenders another, like say liberator being one who liberates others. Interestingly, the word 'normalcy' which has become standard English was coined by an American President, Harding I believe. It has virtually supplanted the standard word 'normality'. It is difficult to say whether a word is correctly or incorrectly formed because there are no specific rules laid down for guidance. Local newspaper journalists, as evident in news stories, are in the habit of saying 'comprised of' instead of 'comprised'. 'Composed of is correct but not 'comprised of'. Again we read of jewellery, cars, money etc. being robbed, one can only rob a person or place and not the things mentioned. 'Centred around' is another mistake. One can 'centre on' but not 'centre around'. We are in the habit of reading about 'reputed' persons. Reputed means 'supposed to be', the correct usage should be 'reputable' or 'of repute'. An organisation calling itself 'People's Power' was in the news recently. A motor car engine for example is rated at so many 'horse power' and not as 'horses' power'. The expression therefore should read 'People power'. What I have said above at the beginning is in no way meant to imply that the word 'surrenderer' suggested by Ms. Vittachi is wrong but when even a word like 'sendee' has been coined 'surrendee' like every dog, should have its day. Newspaper headlines sometimes are wickedly or should I say outrageously funny. A local newspaper carried the following headline: 'Professor to diffuse youth unrest' (diffuse in place of de-fuse). In advertisement for a movie - local again; 'Second mouse-full week' for house-ful... Going on to name boards, I saw a woman lawyer's name painted on a board at Kadawatha, and her profession was given as 'Attorney-at-Low', implying she was at a very low ebb. More interesting was the notice stuck on the backs of guestroom doors in a Japanese hotel: 'Guests are invited to make full use of the room maids'. Closer to home, in Thailand, the following notice was posted outside a laundry: 'Ladies, drop your pants here, go to town, enjoy and come back". L.K. DE ALWIS The Sri Lanka Vegetarian Society is in the process of updating its website which appears in the Global Directory section of the International Vegetarian Union's main website (http://www.ivu.org). One of the items that we want to include in our webpages is a listing of dining facilities available in Sri Lanka for vegetarian tourists. We have been several times contacted by vegetarian tourists about such facilities. Knowledgeable vegetarian/vegan tourists usually search for this information on the websites of the various vegetarian societies of the world which are all linked to the main IVU websites. We will be grateful to hoteliers in Sri Lanka if they supply us with details of the facilities they have to cater to vegetarian and vegan tourists. There are many kinds of vegetarians. Ovo-lacto- vegetarians avoid fish and meat but take eggs and dairy products. Lacto-vegetarians refrain from taking eggs and foods that contain egg but take milk and other dairy products. A vegan is a strict vegetarian who does not consume fish, meat, eggs and dairy product including milk, yogurt, cheese, butter and ghee. Nor do they take other foods obtained from animal sources such as bees honey. Many vegetarians want to see that the food they get does not contain even traces of animal matter, e.g. by inclusion of maldive fish, shrimps, sprats etc., or by being fried in oils derived from animal sources or by use of the same utensils as are used in making non-veg foods. A few hotels in Sri Lanka have separate kitchens for making veg and non-veg foods. Committed vegetarians will always appreciate a hotel that has such facilities. We will include in our webpages relevant information on the above lines sent in by hotels and restaurants in our country that cater to international tourists. Other information such as location, telephone/fax numbers, email address and further amenities available should also be included. The information may be sent by post to the Sri Lanka Vegetarian Society, 310, High Level Road, Colombo 6 or emailed to [email protected]. PROF. MAHINDA PALIHAWADANA Every catastrophe an opportunity Like most of the world, I watched with horror and disbelief the unfolding events of Black Tuesday: local networks gave BBC and CNN coverage for hours. I and all my associates would like to send our deepest sympathy to those directly or indirectly involved - which by now must mean almost everybody. And we appreciate the email messages we have received from many friends in the areas affected, reassuring us of their safety. It has been said that every catastrophe is an opportunity and one can only hope that this atrocity will unite the whole world in an effort to stamp out those responsible. Meanwhile, life must go on. To quote the words of the greatest Anglo-American of the last century, Winston Churchill: "Never give up - never give up - never Ever give up!" ARTHUR CLARKE We are aware that at present Sri Lanka is facing an economic crisis - trade depression and contraction of money supply. Due to this, the business community is faced with a severe liquidity problem which has resulted in the following. (1) Collection of debts has slackened. Customers are demanding extended credit period to avoid their cheques being returned by their banks. (2) Cash sales are reduced as Customers prefer credit terms. (3) Enhanced/extended credit cannot be granted to our Customers as we may be burdened with bad debts due to possible bankruptcy/overtrading. (4) Penalty rate charged by bankers in respect of over borrowing beyond the authorized limit is 30%. With an addition of 8.5% on account of BTT & D/L this rate totals to 32.55% p.a. (5) Stock turnover has reduced drastically. However, inflow of stocks ordered under irrevocable Letters of Credit cannot be stopped and these have to be cleared on payment of Customs Duties etc. (6) D/A bills cannot be settled on time resulting in penalty rates charged by the Banks. (7) Creditors are demanding for payment on time and the curtailment of credit is inevitable. (8) Statutory payments such as: EPF, ETF, GST, NSL, PAYE, Etc. cannot be delayed without prior approval from the Dept. of Inland Revenue. It could be observed that the even GST charged on Customers which cannot be collected from them within one month has to be paid to the Department of Inland Revenue before the end of the next month. It would be interesting to also note that we have to even make a payment of 1% to the Provincial Council on the free service rendered by us in collecting the GST on behalf of the Dept. of Inland Revenue. It may be true that the business enterprises could have earned a taxable profit for the year ended 31st March 2001, but unfortunately, this profit is blocked with their stocks and debtors. In such circumstances, it is the duty of the Government to grant possible concessions to the business community to overcome the problems faced by them. There are major income Tax payments are to be made by most business enterprises in September and November, which are quoted below: On or before 30.09.2001 - Final tax payment for 2000/2001. On or before 15.11.2001 - 2nd quarterly tax payment for 2001/2002. On or before 15.11.2001 - 2nd instalment of surcharge payable for 2001/2002. We understand the paramount responsibility placed on the Dept. of Inland Revenue in collecting revenue and assist in the financing of the Government's budgeted expenditure. At the same time the business community also requires your support for economic survival. In the circumstances the Dept. of Inland Revenue could grant extension of time to make the following payments: (1) Final Tax payment for 2000/2001 - On 31.10.2001 (2) 2nd Quarterly tax payment for 2001/2002 - On 30.11.2001. (3) 2nd Installment of Surcharge for 2001/2002 - On 30.11.2001 We are aware that in the past, the Dept. of Inland Revenue has assisted business enterprises in 1983, 1984 & 1989 by permitting extension of payment dates, the concession of not imposing penalty for payments made on the approved new dates was granted by the Department. This concession could be granted by the Dept. of Inland Revenue, on a case by case basis after assessing the credibility of the Institutions on individual applications made by them. A T P |
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