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| Saturday, 29 September 2001 |
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Only insanity, blatant corruption or utter incompetence on the part of those responsible to protect the beautiful and all important eco system of Horton Plains can knowingly allow such sinful destruction of such magnitude expressed so well in the article under the heading "Horton Plains - Mine Threat at Horton Plains." by Chanaka de Silva in the Sunday Observer of August 9. The fact that no one of authority has stepped in to stop this mining is sufficient proof that the familiar story of unscrupulous businessmen who are rotten to the core together with the evil blessings of some corrupt and power depraved politicians are at it again. With limited brains that do not see anything beyond their personal gain they go about ruining our heritage and in this case a sacred place of our country's resources of our life giving water. The authorities also just tow this line of slime either bribed or intimidated by these business/politico set up. Due to this destruction, very soon poor villages somewhere will encounter untold suffering due to the lack of water in the rivers similar to what our helpless villagers in the south are going through presently. They face starvation and disease. What have the leaders of this country, the relevant Ministers, Members of Parliament, the Environmental Authority, the Department of Wildlife and the Forest Department and the Police have to say about this sinful destruction? Don't pass the buck by saying that "this is not within our jurisdiction". Horton Plains belongs to 20 million people in this country and you have been chosen to look after this valuable eco system. If you are part of any one of these institutions, directly or indirectly you are responsible to get together to stop this completely. Stop this mining and punish all who are responsible for committing this grave crimes of ravaging, plundering and destroying a place that will be utterly vital for our children's well-being in the future. I appeal to all descent citizens to protest in their own way and ensure that this mining of Horton Plains is stopped very fast. Our lobby should continue even after we succeed to make sure it does not start again elsewhere. Lets hope someone has the decency to publish an article within the next couple of weeks in the newspapers telling us what action they have taken about the mining in Horton Plains in response to Mr. Chanaka de Silva's article. RATNA GUNADASA About four or five years ago some eminent personalities who were authorities on the subject predicted a major power crisis in the foreseeable future. As the most practical and cost effective method of overcoming this major power crisis; they suggested the construction of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant Project. But all these pleas fell on deaf ears. All Sri Lankans who opposed the construction of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant Project should take the full responsibility for the present power crisis. Even at this late stage, at least the JVP should persuade to implement the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant Project for the survival of our future generations. Piyasiri Gunasekera In his article (DN Sept 18) Dayan Jayatilleke has hailed the global bloc against terrorism launched by President Bush as "the broadest united front the world has seen since the grand alliance against Fascism in World War 2. D.J. also couldn't resist flinging a gratuitous gibe at the Samasamajists fro their "myopic sectarianism.... who unlike the Communists were unable to distinguish between Fascism and democratic (sic) imperialism" during WW2. By the same token the vast mass of Indian freedom fighters who inflicted blows on British imperialism during the war also "myopic sectarians" according to D.J. To set the record straight the Communists during this period went through a succession of bizarre policy shifts - from a position of opposition to support of the war in accordance with the People's War line of the Stalinist Popular Front. In August 1939 when Stalin signed a non aggression pact with Hitler the local Communists and the CP in India abruptly abandoned their anti-fascist agitation. In 1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union and the Communists following Moscow took another turn then urging workers to support the war effort. The Samasamajists who had characterised the war as an imperialist war took the leadership of the anti-colonial struggle. In India the fugitive Samasamajists along with their Trotskyist comrades actively participated in the anti-British Quit India movement. J. SILVA |
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