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| Monday, 14 January 2002 |
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Letters | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Sports Obituaries
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Lakshman Kadirgamar has done Mother Lanka proud One of the few Ministers of the last Government who has served Sri Lanka faithfully and has done his best to fulfill the trust entrusted to him by the nation is Lakshman Kadirgamar. As Minister of Foreign Affairs he has done much to ban the LTTE from countries such as Britain, USA, Canada and India. It was he who did all the spade work to bring the LTTE as a terrorist organisation and so branded by the global community. He showed that the funds raised in those countries were used to destabilize Sri Lanka economically and to brand Sri Lanka as the aggressor against Tamils. He was the prime mover who fought against terrorism. He did much work with the UNO in this regard. It could be said without any hesitation that he has served Mother Lanka well and truly, fulfilling the task entrusted to him by exposing the LTTE as a terrorist organisation and to ban same. Therefore it would be good for the country to make the services of Mr. K. in solving the terrorist problem and in peace negotiations. He would no doubt be an asset. He must in the meantime, be offered the same VIPP protection for his life is in danger from the LTTE. He must be offered a position of importance to serve the cause of Sri Lanka. He may be ideally suitable to represent Sri Lanka in the UNO. V. K. B. RAMANAYAKE , Maharagama Newly opened bus route through Galle Face The recently re-opened bus route connecting Kollupitiya junction to Galle Face, passing by the then Sacred Temple Trees is indeed a most welcome move that had been initiated with the new Government coming into power. This has facilitated many in various ways with the striking feature being the easing of traffic flow that mounts its way both through Galle Road and Kompannaweedhiya. However, it is regrettable to note that the travelling public whose destination centres around Galle Face are severely inconvenienced since no bus with a definite route number plies through this newly re-opened route. Route numbers 100, 101, 102 buses operating from Panadura, Moratuwa, Mount-Lavinia and Dehiwala with "Pettah" destination boards but with no other indication ply through both ways via Galle Face and Kompannaweedhiya and it is a mere luck by chance, if you get connected to the correct route. Being a daily bus traveller from Wellawatte with Galle Face Terrace as destination, I had the misfortune of boarding the wrong bus thrice, although the route had come into operation hardly a few weeks back. The realization that you are in the wrong bus comes only after five or ten minutes of boarding the bus when you tender your fare and mention your destination, by which time the bus would have pulled up four further halts. You are liable to be told then, rather harshly that the bus goes through Kompannaweedhiya which would now leave you with an option of either to forego the fare already paid and jump out at the next halt risking your life and limb or proceed with the journey unperturbed and get down as you are used to, being late as well, opposite Nippon halt and walk pass the church, the railway crossing, the barriers and barricades and curve off fighting shy of the Army Headquarters towards Galle Face Terrace, a distant of a mile or more which you have been treading along right along! I earnestly request the C.T.B. and the Private Bus Owners on behalf of the white collar and saree clad workers around Galle Face to decide in consultation with the authorities responsible for the demarcation of routes as a to which bus routes should operate through Galle Face and which through Kompannaweedhiya. Further the number of buses operating should be on an equal proportion as it is alleged that only a mere handful of buses that are in operation through Galle Face route and passengers are found stranded for hours in the few halts available around Galle Face when getting back home. S. MAHALINGAM , Wellawatte
Is Sri Lankan a British citizen? It's rather a perplexing question and I have circumstantial evidence and circumstances of proof that a Sri Lankan can be termed a British citizen prior to any person born during the British occupation and colonial rule as a colony of Ceylon (As then known). A person thereafter born after Sri Lanka gained independence from the British rule on 4th February 1948 may claim that a he or she as a Sri Lankan born by birth. We wish to be enlightened on this query and subject that various people have different views on this vexed question of birth-rights. Moreover, some people in Sri Lanka have written and provable evidence of the true fact they were "British subjects by Birth" endorsed in their passports and other official documents issued to them prior to Sri Lanka attained independence on February 4, 1948. So what we would like to know whether we are entitled to our birth right prior to those who were born before February 4, 1948 and still whether they can claim as a British citizen by birth and even be entitled for a British passport for any Sri Lankan who desires to obtain one. Perhaps, any of your readers or may be the British High Commission in Sri Lanka answer this perplexed question and straighten the matter. V.J. HARISCHANDRA,Dehiwela
Some astrologers, who are not expert in the field, act according to the people that they like and not act according to the astrology. As respect to the profession, time has come to give up expressing the astrological opinions on the instructions of the people who are not in the field. Astrologers should not bias to any party or any colour. And also their opinion must be in accordance to the astrology and the experience in the same field. If they are not in a position to express a clear opinion according to the astrology, they should prevent from possible subsequent events. One example could be downward trend of income sources. Future incidents according to the astrology may or may not happen. But expressing the biased astrological opinion as astrologers may lead to devaluing the profession and existing goodwill. YASAPALA PONNAMPERUMA , Panadura
Kiribath and Kavum to the North Mr. Nanayakkara of the SOLO-U and ARASMA fames has said that in the new year he with some others is going to the North taking kavum and kiribath in order to "rebuild broken ties between the two communities". Nobody will mind Nanayakkara or anyone else taking kiribath to anybody he likes but he should not try to find wrong reasons to achieve his ends. How can he talk about "broken ties between the two communities" when, sharing their kiribath and kavum is not uncommon in the day to day lives of these two communities. There is no question that Nanayakkara has a genuine reason to try out all sorts of tactics. Everybody except the LTTE want those Missing in Action to get out of the clutches of the LTTE and join their families. But at the same time their families nor others have a right to betray and insult them or the other countrymen. DESHAPRIYA RAJAPAKSHA , Colombo 6
How irresponsible is PMG's office? I have been regularly remitting a sum of Rs. 1000/- to my sister living in Bandarawela. Every month I send an ordinary money order for this amount through GPO Colombo. As usual on October 10, 2001 the money order sent by me through ordinary post has not been delivered to the recipient. I informed this position to the postmaster, money orders at GPO Colombo on November 01, 2001 in writing. He promised to investigate the matter and to trace, the culprits involved. Since I did not receive a reply to my letter even after a period of one month, I sent a letter under registered cover to the Postmaster General himself drawing his attention to this matter. It is really pathetic to mention here up to now I have neither received a reply nor even an acknowledgement from the Postmaster General himself for my registered letter which was sent on December 12, 2001. This is how the Govt. Departments respond to the general public on important issues of this nature! I would have been happy, if I had received an acknowledgement at least to my registered letter. D. E. ABEYWEERA ,Kelaniya.
Technology for the development of society Reference article (DN Dec 15) under the above caption. I fully endorse the facts stated in the article by H. B. Jeyaratna the role of Incorporated Engineer maintain high efficiency and the know how of Engineering skill is an asset for the development of the country particularly in Sri Lanka. The Incorporated Engineers in Britain have received due recognition in the field of development. I appeal to the Ministry of Public Administration and Ministry of Education to consider the Engineers Services Board entry qualification for Incorporated Engineers. G. SUGUMARAN, Trincomalee.
Sigiriya is one of the msot treasured cultural heritage sites and is also a very attractive tourist site. Imagine what a magnificent sight it would be if Sigiriya is illuminated at night. If Sigiriya is lit up and made a night time tourist attraction that would enhance its potential to attract a large number of local and foreign tourists. For this purpose, Sigiriya will have to be illuminated in a similar manner to those of Pyramids illuminated at night in Egypt. The illumination has to be carried out in a professional manner without harming the natural features of Sigiriya. It will also be much more pleasant to climb Sigiriya at night in cooler temperature. K.G.E., Nugegoda
The feature article by Professor J. Jinadasa (DN Dec. 11) and regular letters appearing in the papers show that the power crisis is by no means over yet. The recent power cuts which were initially blamed on the climate (failure of the monsoon rains) continues to be imposed even when the rains arrived. To allay people's suspicion and annoyance the authorities (the CEB) switched from rainfall figures to statistics on reservoir capacities, power generation and supply etc. When this too did not hold water for long the real reason (greater demand than could be met even by full capacity) was meekly admitted. In addition those who were closely associated with the CEB in the past spilled the beans as well. Rivalry, corruption and mismanagement at the highest levels were freely cited as causes of the present chaos. Whatever they may be we are now firmly warned (almost promised) of regular power cuts in the future too. It is a tragedy indeed that in a country blessed with so many perennial rivers we are unable to benefit from them sensibly. Also at times like this we seem never short of 'experts'. Learned articles filled the papers since the power cut started. The possibilities of power generation from numerous sources were discussed. Wind, waves, solar and even nuclear power generation were ponderously treated; so were their economics and effect on the environment and ecology. All to no useful purpose it appears. Yet another aspect of this shortcoming is that it has been politicised to the extent of being treated as a joke. When this occurred earlier in 1996 the then government, although two years in office by then, blamed it all on the previous UNP regime. This time too when the power cut began in June, they repeated this calumny forgetting that they had been around a good seven years; people had to just grin and bear. Let us hope that the present Government will do something to solve this problem once and for all and not wait till the next power cut to tell us why it is occurring. Whenever governments catalogue their achievements they never fail to list rural electrification and other connected projects. Also they tell us what they propose to do in the future by way of continued progress. Sometimes these reach lunatic proportions. In the early sixties during a budget debate the minister in charge spelled out his program to produce enough electricity for export to South India as well. During the discussion it was even planned to plant imported pine trees for extracting the requirement of posts for the project. Mercifully nothing came of it. But let us hope that desisting from such ill-planned schemes is not held out as achievement. M. Z. ABDEEN , Kandy
Do not let go of this 'one' opportunity My first 'proper awareness' of the Tamil National Question was in early '70s, probably with the emergence of the idea of Media-wise Standardization for University Entrance. At St. Anthony's College we were fortunate enough to have had an environment in which all communities of Sri Lanka, of every race, religion, caste and, what more, even a few foreigners could mingle harmoniously as nothing but pure human kids under the love and care of an equally cosmopolitan team of teachers led by exceptionally refined Catholic Priests. And we never felt langauge as a discriminating factor at anytime in school. Therefore this Media-wise Standardization was indeed a weird phenomenon that hit our human union like USAWTC911. And being a left leaning kid, to see such an idea being put into practice by the United Left Government hurt me deep within. Few years later I realized that all left leaning Tamils and Muslims felt the same. Well, soon after this bolt of lightening, I tried to learn more about developments in Jaffna. Of special help was one of my uncles, resident in my village Madawala but a teacher in the Maha Vidyalaya in neighboding Udathalawinna. incidentally, I remember in talking about an Anton Balasingham who was a science teacher in the same school. He gave me Tamil ephemera and literature arising from the Tamils in Jaffna, Madras and even Malaysia. Well-informed by these, I was not surprised to hear of the murder of Alfred Duraiappah, then SLFP organizer of Jaffna. But with this there was in immediate upsurge of collective spirit, neither simply radical nor terrorist, but true revolutionary sentiment in the North and East. Still have very vivid recall of that PSU Symposium at the Peradeniya Arts Theatre in 1976, where there was an enthusiastic participation of Tamil leaders from the North and almost the entire Tamil population in the University. Probably, it was at this symposium that I grasped the ida of The Right of Self-Determination of Nations, so well-expressed by Bahu, as the basis upon which we may diffuse the emerging conflict. To me it meant achieving true harmony with equal reciprocity in mutual dignity and respect. Also it showed me the depth of the Leninist understanding of the national question. But, I felt that it was indeed a new concept for many leaders from the discussions that took place on the way, after the symposium. This subtle scientific basis of genuine permanent unity could not be easily grasped without being illustrated by that perfect example given by Lenin - the mutual right of marriage and divorce in a civilized 'equitable' marriage. By this time the infamous 'Armed Insurgency' model given by Rohana Wijewera in 1971 had already taken hold of the young Tamil mind, especially because the Libreal Left they trusted was not only proving to be impotent but also reactionary. And the capitalist dynamics of socioeconomic conditions in mid-70s quickly overtook the 'wisdom' of he degenerate Left, and propelled the entire Tamil youth into armed rebellion as the only way to achieve equity with dignity and honour. Many of my beloved brilliant Tamil friends enrolled into EROS - the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students, at that time. Well, the rest is 'our' well-known history of two decades that posterity will certainly stamp as the most gruesome of their spiritually lofty ancestors. And now, today, we have come a full cycle in history, No, not to the starting point, but to the next limb of the spiral of socioeconomic transformation with no solution yet, but with faith, hope and trust after our common experience of blood and mayhem, scream of suffering upon the willing wall at the dead end of a glorious nation. No sane human, Tamil Sinhalese or Muslim, will let go of this 'one' opportunity that could probably pull down the 'blind wall' and open the way to the greatest of synergistic glory for a unique nation in the whole world. No education is needed to drive this into even the most naive of 'gumps', as my beloved parents were in Madawala. But certainly they should be actively protected from the crafty chauvinist power mongers of every race and religion, who have been stealing their innocence into their fuel for power. And, in my searching opinion, we can protect them only through collective mass action, like that which had been mastered by the revolutionary left of the early 50s. And this is my humble beseech to every 'progressive' to fulfil the most nobel task of one's human life, though we may have meandered into marsh and muck many times in our lifetime in the past. Madawala Sekara Abdul Nizam |
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