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| Monday, 25 March 2002 |
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The dog pound - thirty years on I remember taking my dogs and cats to the Municipal Veterinary Surgeon at the Dog Pound way back in the late sixties/early seventies. I am sorry to say that 30 years later the office area is the same but the conditions for the poor dogs are worse than it ever was. The Municipality has done absolutely nothing to improve the buildings or facilities for the dogs. The buildings are dilapidated and an eye-sore. Gas them and kill them if you must but can't you make their last few days on this earth a little more comfortable by at least ensuring they have some water and not their own urine to quench their thirst. I believe they are jsut fed with morsels of raw meat for which there is an almighty fight and scramble. Can't some arrangements be made to feed these stray animals with the left-overs from the numerous food outlets/offices in the city. Somebody just has to be interested and humane to do it. I have always advocated that sterilization and Not Elimination of dogs, is the answer to the number of stray animals on our roads today. We have to educate our people of this especially those that find it more convenient to "dump" puppies/kittens at temples, fish markets etc. The Animal Welfare and Protection Association conducts a free sterilisation/neutering clinic monthly at their Transit Home for Animals at 107 A, Kadawatha Road, Dehiwela. Each clinic costs the Association, a tidy sum and they meet it with the donations and fund raising projects they organise. I think it is time Municipal and Government veterinary dispensaries also sterilised animals, free or at nominal cost, to help the public. We also have to teach our children to be kind to animals. I was really happy to hear that they have introduced a new subject in our schools on 'how to be a good human being'. This is more important than having all the qualifications in the world. IROMI SALGADO- Colombo 2
It is with interest that we read the article in the captioned Time opportune to develop ties with US firms for quota-free era in 2004 written by Sarath Rambukwella (D.N. Mar. 8). Mr. Rambukwella urges the textile manufacturer to develop direct,
individual, contacts with the US buyers instead of working through an
agent, which he claims, absorbs the better part of the profits rightly due
to the manufacturer. This is, suffice it to say, rather a na In fact a glaring inadequacy quite evident in most trade delegations
being sent out to canvass buyers overseas, is the lack of Buying Office
representatives on these teams. Most always, these delegations consist
only of manufacturers, who lack the know-how to market the Industry's full
potential.
Since commissions are what keep a Buying Office afloat, these Buying
Offices are placed in the unique, and desirable position of having both,
the manufactures and the buyers equal satisfaction at the top of its
agenda. Buying Offices can't be seen to merely milk commissions, instead
they must be given due recognition for the successful marketing of Sri
Lankan factory time. Commissions may be looked on as a reward for a job,
of order retention, very well executed.
Unlike individual manufacturers with limited potential, a Buying Office
presents itself to the Buyer as a single supplier, able to cater to all of
the Buyers needs by harnessing various manufactures in Sri Lanka, and is
therefore seen by the Factory too as a single, reliable, no-nonsense
source of orders.
The rapid development of Quality Assurance is another area Buying
Offices have been hugely responsible. It is the BOs that play the most
significant role in assuring the buyer of the quality standards insisted
on. Furthermore, Buying Offices are also responsible for initiating and
maintaining the long-term worker protection systems and standards now
evident in most factories. Almost all renowned buyers take for granted
that the choice of manufacturers offered to them by the Buying Offices
have these safety procedures and standards in place.
The Buying Offices are Sri Lanka's sales force. And over the years they
have more than proven beyond doubt that they have what it takes not only
to attract the buyers, but also to secure and hold them despite the many
spanners encountered in their works. In fact one can without any
hesitation say that the reason most branded buyers still carry on
operations in Sri Lanka, despite the recent trend of shifting orders
elsewhere, is the steadfast foundations laid by the Buying Offices right
from the onset when the Buyer was first canvassed.
As such, instead of advising the textile industry to ignore the Buying
Agents and approach Buyers directly, one would be well advised to
encourage the manufacturer to divert those funds toward sponsoring more
Buying Agents to this fair since that would not only be money more wisely
spent but, would ensure that the fair is well attended and the
Manufacturer ending up with a lot more than they paid for.
Manager,Sri Lanka Garment Buying Offices Association, Colombo 3.
I can remember an eminent food scientist once telling that 'we are a
nation of sick people and healthy animals' because the people use to eat
rice having removed its inner covering or the bran, the most nutritional
component of the rice grain.
Now many consumers have come to know its value and prefer to eat
unpolished rice - specially Red Raw Rice. Unfortunately what is available
in the market is rice with more than 75% of its bran removed.
GOONETILLEKE-Polgasowita
Several of my Sinhalese as well as Tamil friends expressed deep concern
about the recent show in Nuwara Eliya where large cardboard cut-outs were
mounted with the picture of Prabhakaran and alongside a Plantation leader,
and the crowd present were reported to have chanted 'Eelam'. I told them
that these are mere gimmicks and cardboard shows, exhibitionism by
politicians who are facing danger in their own ranks and powerful
opposition from other plantation leaders.
These politicians little realise that such actions are ample ammunition
to those groups which are trying their utmost to subvert the Peace
process. Thamil Chelvam was recently interviewed by the media and the
Rupavhini showed this live. Unfortunately the person who posed the
question did not know Thamil and Thamil Chelvam Sinhala and there was an
interpreter.
To the question whether they are prepared to drop Eelam, there was no
direct answer and Thamil Chelvam kept on repeating about the 'Abilashal'
(aspirations) of the Thamil people.
It is the height of stupidity for the Estate community to try to
equalise themselves with the aspirations of those in the North and East.
First of all they have to have release themselves from the bonds of
servility to which they are now subject to at the hands of some of their
own leaders.
The youth of the plantations should group themselves and chant,
'Education is the key to the empowerment of the Planation community'.
That should be their aspiration. They should prevail on their parents
and elders to divert a major promotion of the thirty five rupees (Rs. 35)
'Sanda' (membership) per month which is now paid to Trade Unions, to an
education fund, to be used for the promotion of higher and professional
education.
It is tragic that the upcountry Tamil community, which was subject to
much humilation, danger of arrest and detention and living in fear and
insecurity because of the North East war, should once again be exposed to
danger because of the folly of their own politicians.
There is no purpose in beating about the bush.
It can be emphatically and boldly stated that the success or failure of
the peace process will ultimately depend on a United Sri Lanka, where
there can be no Eelam. How far can the Government go and how compromising
will the LTTE be! Therein lies the answer.
S. THAMBYRAJAH- Colombo 3.
Law enforcement
authorities: Where art thou
The UNF promise of restoring law and order and heralding a civil
society - is it only a slogan?
This is what one is made to ask, when you come to know what befell
M.R.M. Rizvi, the PA candidate for Akurana PS on March 3 instant at
Kurugoda, Akurana. Mr. Rizvi who is a member of Akurana PS while returning
after a stint of canvassing in his village, Kurugoda was stopped in front
of the residence of the sitting member of Parliament M.H.A. Haleem and
mercilessly and brutally beaten, causing injuries to his ears, eyes, head
and was left with broken arms.
The brutality that befell Mr. Rizvi is beyond imagination, for the
assailants not only beat him and stripped him, but also lit crackers to
celebrate their victory in a wild and sadistic manner. Mind you this whole
episode was being enacted in front of hundreds of the supporters of the
UNP Parliamentarian, who happens to be the nephew of A.C.S. Hameed, nick
named the prince of peace nowadays.
A.C.S. Hameed must have been surely turning in his grave, buried only a
stone throw away, seeing this despicable event perpetrated by his heir
apparent.
The manner in which this was handled by the law enforcement authorities
were no better than the handling of the Talawinna massacres, by the
previous regime. One wonders, whether any semblance of humanity is left in
these brutal monsters, who mascarade as humans, in the society.
Until to this no assailants have been taken into custody, but on the
contrary the villagers see all of these suspects moving about freely in
the Kurugoda village intimidating witnesses and relatives of Mr. Rizvi to
refrain from taking any action against them and warning that they too will
suffer the same fate as if they persist.
So much for the vigilance of the law enforcement authorities, and the
much talked civil society.
Can you hold free and fair elections with this rule of the jungle
atmosphere? Law enforcement authorities where art thou?
M. SHAFI SULAIMAN- Akurana
Coal power quicker and
cheaper
The C.E.B. engineers keep on convincing the people saying that the
modern coal power plants are very clear and they do not pose any threat to
the environment.
Hence the coal power plants need not essentially be built along the
coastal belt. River banks are o.k, for coal power plants.
It takes minimum 06 years to build up a pier and a jetty in the sea.
(It took nearly 2 years to build up the Japanese friendship bridge
which was only 1/2 km.) Continons desalination of sea water is a very
costly job. Running repairs of such machinery is very costly.
Maintenance cost of the conveyor belt which carries coal from the end
of the pier up to the power plant too is very costly.
The buildings which are built along the sea coast and the machinery and
the official equipment housed in such building get rusted within a very
short period. Hence their maintenance and replacement cost will be very
high.
Using barges to transport coal from the deep sea is a messy job.
Loss of current when transmitted from a very long distance is high.
Coal when they come in containers are very cheap.
Only Colombo Port has the facility to handle container ships.
If the power plants are located within 50 kms from the Colombo harbour
the cost of transport will be very low. Though building up a pier/jetty
takes 6 to 7 years to build up a coal power plant takes only 3 years.
In view of the above the coal power plants may be located along Kelany
ganga, Kalu ganga Attanagalu Oya (Dandu Ganga).
Benefits
Ability to generate power within 3 years.
Ability to resolve the nations burning issues in one stroke.
Ability to generate a unit of power at a very low cost.
ALLEN C. S. PERIS-Kochchikade.
Killing in any form,
inhuman and disgraceful...
The revelation made by Dr. D.P. Atukorale (DN. Feb. 6) Daily News under
caption 'modern slaughter house in Colombo' has already hurt the feelings
of devout Buddhists.
Killing in any form whether by modern methods or otherwise, of
innocent, dumb, harmless animals who do no harm to us, is a barbaric
action. Animals are sentient beings and they lack only human speech and
when they cannot voice their protests or resist they are mercilessly
tortured and dragged to the slaughter house for the gratification of the
appetite of man.
It is a disgrace and insult to Buddhists Buddhism, Hindus and Hinduism
that the Colombo Municipal Council has decided to instal modern machinery
at a cost of Rs. 200 million for the slaughtering of about 500 heads of
cattle and other animals per day.
It is political power or arrogance that prompted the mayor to disregard
and ignore the opinion of Buddhists, Buddhist Clergy, Buddhist
Associations and Hindus before signing an agreement with the Dutch
Government?
S.D. WEERATUNGA- Peradeniya.
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