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| Wednesday, 8 May 2002 |
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Letters | |
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Re-introduce Sri Lankan history Lorna Devaraja's thought provoking and timely article, 'Debunking Sri Lanka's History' (DN, Apr. 17) should draw the immediate attention of all those who are aware of the many academic and cultural benefits of studying history as an individual subject. The writer has rightly pointed out that even in countries such as the United States, which has only about 200 years of history, the study of American history both in the schools and in other higher seats of learning has been given an important place. As the Indian Prime Minister has clearly pointed out: "The present and the future invariably grow out of the past and bears its stamp and to forget this is to cut off the roots of national growth." Today in Sri Lanka particularly the younger generation is thoroughly unaware of the history of their motherland, leave alone the history of the world. This is mainly because for many years in the recent past history was not taught as a separate subject in our schools. If one is unaware of the history of one's motherland he will cease to be a patriotic citizen and will attach no value at all to his country's culture, traditions and heritage. As Lorna Devaraja has pointed out, in the United Kingdom and the United States today history has regained its importance in the society and in the United States even medical students have to study American history. This is due to the fact that the knowledge of the history of one's motherland forms the base of the culture of that land. Thus it is time that Sri Lankan history be re-introduced as an individual subject to all school students at least till the G.C.E. (O/L) examination. ANDREW SCOTT - Kandy. Ward No. 46, National Hospital, Colombo My wife Pushpa Ranjani was recently admitted to Ward No. 46 of the Colombo National Hospital, under critical condition following a diabetic coma. My wife's life was saved only by the able staff that who were all concerned about the patient with tender care and attention, in addition to the cleanliness of the ward. I deeply appreciate that in spite of deteriorating conditions of service in general today, we yet have people among us in health care such as those dedicated public servants that I found in Ward No. 46 of the Colombo National Hospital. W.A. Seneviratne- Heiyanthuduwa. I am glad that Amaradeva is being felicitated in a manner that he deserves. I am equally sorry that we did not honour his great predecessor and mentor the incomparable Sunil Santha who laid a solid foundation for the modern artistic music. Had Sunil stuck to his training in North Indian Classical Music and the norms of the day he would not have been banished from the Radio Ceylon and to wilderness and to that well-documented tortured life he lived until his death. The "crime" Sunil committed was to attempt to create a musical idiom of our own and attempting to liberate our music from plagiarism South Indian influence and meaningless mediocre lyrics. Sunil never lost his gift of composition. This is illustrated by the compositions Sunil created when he was away from music, Rekava (1956) Sandesaya (1960), his brief return to broadcasting in 1967 and the Seegiri Kurutu Gee (1978) are examples. If Sunil was allowed to continue his career without being banned at his prime in 1952, today we would be happily enjoying a legacy of more than a thousand of his songs. Anyway we are still grateful to Sunil for giving us at least 200 songs of timeless enduring quality in that short period prior to 1952.Well. I almost forgot to mention about his voice, that unique captivating voice and his unfailing capacity to bring tears to one's eyes. One has to listen to Sunil's rendering of Attanagalu velapilla and Thaniwu Mala to experience that sweet melancholic artistic trance the ultimate indescribable musical experience. To me these are comparable only with the most subtle and gentlest of violin sonatas of Beethoven. Can we not honour Sunil at least posthumously? Let this short note be a tribute to the great man. JAYANTHA ANANDAPPA -Australia.
It is pretty (sorry, wrong qualifying word) obvious that the basic aim of the Opposition is to oppose: whatever proposals the Government makes for the benefit of the countrymen have to be opposed! The JVP is totally committed to this cause purely because their Movement thrives on chaos and they go about in gay abandon sowing the seeds of discontent, now on the Peace process. SHARM DE ALWIS - Kiribathgoda I refer to the front-page news item captioned Negombo Lagoon 'dead' which appeared in your esteemed edition of 24 April 2002. It is indeed timely that you drew attention to the sad fate that would befall Negombo Lagoon, its fishery productivity and the 3,000 some fisher families that depend on it for livelihood and income if concerted action is not taken immediately. The purpose of this letter is to draw attention to the manner in which the Central Environmental Authority has been facilitating the integrated management of Negombo Lagoon and Muthurajwela Marsh as the interacting parts of a single coastal wetland system. In this letter I shall briefly indicate the various activities undertaken in this regard. In 1989-1991 the CEA participated with the Board of Investment (then Greater Colombo Economic Commission) in the preparation of the Master Plan for Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon. In the same year it was approved for implementation by the Cabinet of Ministers. From 1993-1994, the Wetland Conservation Project of the CEA prepared a detailed Conservation Management Plan for conservation zone of Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon in close consultation with the communities that depend upon the natural resources of this ecological system. Its implementation started during the same year. In 1995 the plans were again approved by Cabinet and implementation continued. The entire planning process was supported by grants from the Netherlands Government. In 1998, the CEA acquired further financial support from the Netherlands Government for implementation of the Integrated Resources Management Programme (IRMP), a five-year program that terminates this year. The purpose of IRMP was to test and implement diverse activities that would reduce the stresses on the natural system. The principal focus of the IRMP process has been the resource user, particularly the fisher folk. The process also includes the management and monitoring of industrial pollution in the Dandugam Oya catchment which eventually reaches Negombo Lagoon. The catchment approach is based upon the participation of communities affected by water pollution, the revelent industries and government agencies. The CEA is using its regulatory powers where necessary. Lasting results would become possible only if the regulatory methods are supported by an adequate institutional arrangement. The District Secretary, Gamapaha District and the Divisional Secretaries of Wattala, Ja-Ela, Katana and Negombo are now providing the foundation of the required institutional arrangement. In turn the political authorities are kept informed of the various activities making up the process of integrated resources management for Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon. The problems facing Negombo Lagoon, did not arise yesterday. They have been caused by natural changes as well as by people. Some of the problems, such as sediment trapping can be traced back hundreds of years. However, other more recent problems have been caused by, among other, a combination of inadequately planned development activity, poverty, political expediency, absence of bureaucratic accountability and ignorance about how a natural system such as Negombo Lagoon functions. The CEA is addressing these issues in collaboration with the relevant government agencies and in partnership with the community members. LIONEL JAYASINGHE - Director General , Central Environmental Authority Yes, they do. When a young boy in 1964, I learnt that a scientist had attached wires to plants and found that they flinched with feeling (pain) when damaged. They were even responsive to voice and thought - if one attempted to break a plant,it would respond as if attacked by moving a needle. The potato or coconut does not scream with pain - but then does a fish scream, does a crab, does a prawn; and why not, they too are living things. If only trees could scream, they would yell "Onna maranawo-o-o-o" when they were cut down. And no one would dare cut one down for fear. It's just that they cannot express their feelings. And also the fact that they can regenerate lost parts unlike animals. As for plants not having sensory organs,etc. I have to point out that the nidikumba most certainly has many, the way it responds to touch, and it is a plant. And has anyone noted that, come evening, small leaved plants turn up their leaves in sleep? Yes, they actually sleep at night. All trees and plants do. And in the blazing sun, have you seen that their leaves and branches droop with fatigue? Wet them and they leap back to life, grateful for the watering. Now that's living life! Does not this all prove that plant life is most certainly alive and full of feeling? In fact,if anyone has been reading books and magazines, they would have found out that plant owners are advised to talk affectionately to their plants and trees in order to make them grow better - this is a sign of having feelings and senses. Am I wrong? JOSEPH DENIPITIYA-Moratuwa. Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe almost single-handedly has taken on the important issue of restoration of lasting Peace and bring about law and order in the country upon himself. He, like, a true national leader, is indeed leading from the front. We do not intend wasting time, effort and space by going back to all that had so far happened since the new UNF Government was returned to power by a massive and popular vote of the people of this country who in no uncertain terms placed their trust and confidence in Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe's, then Leader of the Opposition election pledge that he will bring back Peace and unite the 'Thun-Sinhalaya'. With hitherto unprecedented world support and the international opinion very strong that the LTTE give up their armed struggle for a separate State and to resolve the issue peacefully through negotiation within the concept of a single, unitary and sovereign state concept, chances for lasting peace is very bright. The whole world had expressed in no uncertain terms that they are against any division of this small island country. As stressed by the Prime Minister when he participated in the "Sama Dharma Yatra" at Kirivehera in Kataragama on April 21st the quest for the most coveted Peace is a gigantic task, no easy path in any means and a path filled with thorns, bushes and other obstacles. But, he stressed, that the path to peace should be pursued with care, thought and firmly. It is all apparent that after a near two decades of a bloody war that ravaged this beautiful country, resulting in hundreds of thousands from both sides making the supreme sacrifice, tens of thousands maimed and disabled for life, tens of thousands rendered destitute and refugees in their own Motherland, the light of Peace is now visible in the distant dawn. From December 24th, 2001 up to now no guns have triggered, no bombs have been blasted and people - both in the North and South are breathing a sigh of relief. The fervent, sincere wish of one and all is that this trend will continue and Peace would be restored as soon as possible. It needs to be stressed that the Prime Minister is no fool! He is fully aware of what he is doing. He is strongly and firmly committed for lasting and sustainable peace fully backed by the world leadership. This is not the time to play politics, go on boisterously campaigning against the UNF Government's peace efforts, rousing the emotions of the ordinary people who are vulnerable to political maneuverability. Instead, it is the ardent duty of all, all peace loving people to support the Government's peace effort or at least keep quiet without jumping the gun and making the things difficult for the on-going peace process. RANJIT C. DISSANAYAKE - Eksath Sinhala Maha Sabhawa The English writer who did the copy announcing the SLTnet E-Faxing (Email Fax) as a free service is either atrocious in his or her spelling or a lewd punster. Readers can log on to www.sltnet.lk/Free Services.htm and have a good laugh or flush red in the face. NALIN FERNANDO- Wariyapola.
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