Archives

Voice of the Sinhala and Tamil media

Dinamina: Free Media

The Free Media - "Galle Face Green out of bounds to the public. Hundreds of gram sellers lose jobs. Galle Face Green turns brown".

These are some of the headlines certain socalled free media carried when Galle Face recently reopened to the public, was temporarily closed for re-construction. These headlines were actually meant to incite the public against Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The socalled free media carried out this vehement propaganda campaign targeting the Minister with the ultimate motive of destroying him politically. This was a naked demonstration of their peculiar sense of impartiality, freedom, truthfulness and public spiritedness usually followed in reporting. They followed the same devious and destructive method of reporting when unlawfully erected buildings around the Punchi Borella Bo tree were removed. Such is the highly acclaimed policy of neutral reporting followed by these self-proclaimed free media. This is quite relevant at a time when much is being talked the Free and Independent Media Commissions.

Lankadeepa: New Hope

An Australian company has reportedly come forward to construct a 300 megawatt coal power plant in Sri Lanka very soon. The fate of the Government's previous attempt to construct a coal power plant is now well known. It was first meant to be in Trincomalee, then at Mahavila in Tangalle and finally in Norochcholai. But environmentalists and other public organisations protested against all such sites.

The end result was the total blackout all were deemed to suffer. The newly proposed plant is to be constructed within three years in Horana area with the promise of contributing one kilowatt of electricity at Rs. 3.60 to the national grid. We hope this proposal will receive the proper evaluation of environmentalists. Meanwhile, corruption and malpractices of the CEB should not go uninvestigated. And we hope the new Australian project will not be a non-event just like many other loudly declared attempts made to bring the public out of darkness.

Divaina: Be honest

Prabhakaran had rightly declared after the Pettah bus stand bomb blast that we are unique as a nation for forgetting history. We quoted this public enemy No. 1 not to give him any recognition but to underscore the tragic consequence of our national trait of forgetfulness. Yesterday, we reported the Governments decision to restore all perks and privileges to former Ministers and Deputies. Does this mean that both the Government and the JVP have so early in the day forgotten the conditions in their MoU?

The JVP condition to slash the Cabinet to 20 was undoubtedly meant to reduce costs of maintaining an extra large Cabinet. But now this purpose seems to have been completely defeated. The JVP has sacrificed immensely to make this idea of the probationary government a success with no gains for itself. This bank of young politicians propped up the losing government to create some form of political stability. Now it is the Government's turn to be honest and genuine by the JVP.

Lakbima: Nominal slashing of Cabinet

The Government is reported to have decided to restore the old perks and privileges to former Ministers and Deputy Ministers. Accordingly, they have only lost their portfolios only nominally. The intention of the JVP condition to restrict the Cabinet to 20 was no doubt meant to drastically reduce the colossal waste of public funds spent to maintain the extra large Cabinet.

But, now the entire purpose of slashing the Cabinet is defeated. Minus only their Cabinet name banks these former Ministers and Deputies continue to enjoy the same privileges and facilities. If this is how the MoU is going to be implemented, the public will be greatly disappointed. The continuation of this practice in implementing the rest of the conditions of the MoU will definitely endanger the real spirit of the conditions laid down by it.

Virakesari: Efforts of the Batticaloa Citizens' Committee

A delegation of Baticaloa Citizens Committee which was accompanied by the Bishop of Batticloa and Trincomale, Rt. Rev. Kingsley Swamipillai met Tiger leaders and appealed against conscripting their children. The security forces had granted permission for this delegation to proceed to the uncleared areas of Batticaloa to meet LTTE leaders.

These citizens have appealed to the Tiger leaders not to take their children and explained to them the fear that has enveloped the people of Batticaloa, due to the intensified recruitment of youths in the region. The reply given by Karikalan, leader of the LTTE in Amparai District that they were not forcibly taking children and that they are joining the movement voluntarily, does not however, appear to have assailed the fear in the minds of the people, for the safety of their children.

We hope that the cause for the fear of parents of Batticaloa District will be eased and they are given the assurance that their children were safe.

Thinakaran: Separate Ministry for minorities

A separate Ministry has been created for Muslims Religious Affairs by the President. Mr. A. H. M. Fowzie is the Minister in charge of the Ministry. The PA had always been for appointing separate Ministries for minority religious affairs when it assumed duties in 1994 which had a separate Minister. This tradition is still being continued.

The Waqf Board which is in charge of the mosques, islandwide, falls under the purview of this Ministry. Problems arising in mosques referred to this Board for settlement have not been found solutions speedily. There are the several of these problems that are pending for several years. The reason for this delay is attributed to shortcomings in the law governing Waqf.

Another activity that should receive the urgent attention of this Ministry is the irregularities perpetrated by agents who undertake to transport Hadj pilgrims. They swindle money from thee pilgrims and do not provide them with the best of service.

Thinakkural: Search for a political solution deralied 

Political traditions have become the subject of discussion all of a sudden. Everyone seems to have remembered them suddenly. The UNP that was ruling this country for 17 years with a phenomenal majority has suddenly realised that this country needs an independent administration, free from the interference of politicians. This action of the UNP has caused surprise to many.

On the other hand, the PA that claims to be always for a peaceful solution to the ethnic issue, had got bogged down in the mire of bluff of its own creations. Today, it has been rescued from its imminent down fall, by the JVP, which has no clear policy towards the ethnic issue and a political solution. The political parties in the south, in general, indulge in their various political activities, forgetting the minorities and the Tamil parties have become non-entities.

The Tamil parties are unable to achieve anything. They were forced to walk out from Parliament in protest against not giving priority to a political solution. The Norwegian peace efforts are more or less, dormant. All this has made the Tamil people mere observers in the political scene, than being a participating force. In short, the search for a political solution has been derailed. 

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager