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| Tuesday, 12 February 2002 |
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Letters | |
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I wrote to the CDN immediately after the Presidential Elections using the same alteration suggesting to the authorities to ban the use of polythene for election work and for general decorations. Sadly, there was no response at that time. It is heartening to hear now that the new Minister for Environment is planning to implement this very suggestion. PALITA P.S.-Kelaniya.
Ceylon Shipping Corporation Chairman, A. J. M. Muzammil's initiative to revive the passenger ferry from the Port of Colombo to the closest South Indian Port of Tuticorin is laudable and commendable. In the good old days there was three sailines per week to India operated by Cargo Boat Despatch Company the local agents of India Steam Navigation Company whose office was at Queens Street. The fare was less than two hundred rupees and was a nights sailing. From Tuticorn one could get to Madurai, Trivandrum, Trichy and Chennai in a few hours using the intercity rail and bus services. It would certainly be the cheapest mode of travel to India, with the shortest travel time. NEVIS FERNANDO-Nattandiya
The article by Prof. Mahinda Palihawadana (DN Readers' Mail Jan 21) under the above caption describes in detail how animals are inhumanely slaughtered for meat. Anybody who reads and understands it will not eat this type of meat that is imported from the West or for that matter any meat even if slaughtered here. I would urge that this article be translated into Sinhala / Tamil and be published in the press. Prof. Palihawadana of the Sri Lanka Vegetarian Society has been campaigning for vegetarianism for a couple of years. About 2600 years back the Buddha was trying to reform the Vedic Religion where animals were sacrificed to appease "gods". Even now we hear in some nook and corner of India, cases of children being sacrificed to appease deities. Here in Sri Lanka in the seventees several leading Saivaites campaigned to stop animal sacrifices in temples and this was in fact stopped. However, recently we heard stray cases of animal sacrifices in some temples of the North. Why are the learned people of the North keeping silent and allowing this practice to return. The Saivaites should indeed be grateful to the Professor for his exposures on the "advanced technology" and the spate of advertisements in the TV and print media promoting meat sausages and other meat based food. The children and the innocent are made to believe (brainwashed) that meat is the only form of protein available to the humans. The Professor has been writing a series of articles amongst others to blast the myth of these campaigns. In many Western countries many people refrain from eating meat. But in Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist and Hindu country meat is freely sold and people are made to belive that meat is an essential item of food. The way meat is sold in the open with carcasses hanging from the roof makes one to close his eyes at that ugly sight. A leading heart specialist Dr. D.P. Auakorala has stated (this appeared in the DN) that he is a vegetarian. I would therefore appeal to all Sri Lankans especially Saivaites to give a helping hand to the learned Professor to progressively reduce the consumption of meat. For those who cannot stop eating meat let them reduce by at least having one or two non-meat days (Thursdays and Fridays) a week. Both Buddhists and Hindus believe that karma affects our lives. The sin we commit by aiding and abetting killing animals for food will not only affect us but also our children. When we think of the suffering of the people one is reminded of the inhuman treatment we humans inflict on animals and other living beings. Every living being has a right to live and the world cannot be the sole property of humans. V. REGUNATHAN-Trincomalee
Some newspapers reported recently that Shell Gas cylinders have been reduced in price and offered at Rs. 1650, three hundred below the price of its competitor. This is the price paid as deposit when buying a new one. But there are hundreds of thousands of people like me who had paid Rs. 2950 as the deposit for Shell cylinders. Are we to forego this surcharge of Rs. 1300 or would they reimburse? At least, would they have the courtesy to set off that sum against any subsequent purchase of gas. It is only decent to be fair in serving the long standing customers of Shell at least now. Otherwise they are marooning us to beget a feeling of discrimination, a shelling on our family budgets. PRINS JAYASINGHE-Piliyandala
There is a very important issue which should be taken up by the new Government very seriously and very early. This is PAYE. PAYE is a strange phenomenon. In Sri Lanka the salaries of the politicians and public servants are tax free. Only the private sector employees must pay tax. This is outright discrimination. To my knowledge this happens only in this country in the world. This is a violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. As all are equal before the law, it is unlawful for the Government to tax salaries of only one sector leaving the other sectors out. Though public servants complain of poor salaries, they forget that they will draw pensions after they retire until their death. The private sector employees are not pensionable. Further, public sector employees are entitled to free or nearly free housing facilities, duty free car imports, scholarships and tours abroad funded by the government, which are not available to the private sector. They can easily put their children to good and non-fee levying government schools. These facts have been now forgotten. Most of the employees in the private sector, from whom the PAYE is levied are from the middle-class or lower-middle-class who are most affected by the ever increasing cost of living. They mostly live in urban areas where the cost of living is very high. They may have to send their children to private schools and may be paying housing loans or living in rented houses. Present tax exemption limit of Rs. 144,000/- works out to Rs. 394/- per day, a salary considered sufficient (by the government servants) for the private sector employees! Today the daily wage of a mason is Rs. 500/-. His salary is Rs. 15,000/- per month (or Rs. 180,000/- per annum) which is much higher than the tax exempted income. The mason does not pay any tax. A tuition master for Advanced Level classes may charge Rs. 350/- per hour. If he gives on the average 04 hours tuition per day, his fee income alone will be Rs. 42,500/- per month. His income is also tax free. But mercantile sector must pay tax. Where is the equity which is a basic principle in taxation? As we all know, the private sector has been recognised as the engine of growth by the consecutive governments. Employees in this sector work longer hours, take minimum number of holidays and contribute much more towards the national economic development unlike their counterparts in the public sector. Private sector does not resort to trade union action for their rights unlike public servants. Now that the country is almost bankrupt that sector has to pull the country out of the economic problems. Hence PAYE is definitely a disincentive for the private sector. In fact Government should give private sector employees more and more incentives rather than punish them by imposing PAYE. RAJA DE SILVA-Dehiwala
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