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A law to promote peace at home

It is said that when the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta, the universally revered "Saint of the poor and the homeless," was asked by journalists many years ago, how in her view, world peace could be advanced, this icon of charity had reportedly answered: Love your families and your homes. In other words, domestic peace and love among members of each family, are the stepping stones to world peace.

The family is, of course, an age old institution and has been traditionally regarded as "the basic unit of society", but not all families are exemplars of love and peace. It is love and respect which should cement close family ties but it is debatable whether this is usually the case even in Third World societies such as ours, where the nuclear family is still being seen as intact in contrast to the West where the nuclear family is considered an endangered institution. As a general rule, domestic peace couldn't be considered an assured given in societies which are rigidly patriarchal or are male dominated.

We do not wish to make facile generalizations, but in societies characterized by a marked degree of patriarchalism, the propensity for domestic violence is comparatively high on account of the dominant role males are expected to play in such societies. Correspondingly, women in such social situations, tend to be at the receiving end of violence and other humiliating forms of treatment on account of their secondary status within families and in the larger society. Sri Lanka remains a very much patriarchal society and is no stranger to domestic violence - particularly to the species of violence directed at women.

The religiously sanctioned norm for good family living is that husbands love their wives and the wives, in turn, honour their husbands. There are plenty of exemplary families in Sri Lanka where mutual love between husband and wife wax strong. These are the seed beds of peace and harmony. However, any local police station would testify to the savage violence, some female spouses are subjected to by bullying and overbearing husbands. Such conduct on the part of some husbands is facilitated by the patriarchal family structure we are heirs to and needs to be contained in the name of humanity and for the sake of upholding the dignity and honour of women.

From this point of view, the proposed "Domestic Violence Bill", which is expected to be presented in Parliament soon, could be considered a stitch in time. Some of the essential features of this proposed legislation were outlined in one of our front page news stories yesterday. For instance, a person affected by domestic violence could obtain a "protection order" from a court, which would direct the perpetrator of the violence on what he should refrain from doing or should do. All in all, the legislation aims at protecting the victim of domestic violence and offers her relief and security.

We understand that the Bill has sparked a healthy round of discussion among women's organisations in particular, on its merits and limitations. Such debate is essential if the Bill is to be fine-honed to meet our needs. Hopefully, the authorities would be open to inputs and suggestions from these feminist groups. The Bill needs to generate as wide a debate as possible because the issue in focus is of national significance.

Pachyderm problem

In the past two days our newspaper has carried news items that relate to that beloved symbol of our culture, the elephant. In the first, the seriousness of the conflict between humans and elephants was highlighted. In the second, it was reported that there is such an acute shortage of captive elephants that we may have to stage our cultural festivals sans the pachyderms.

Horrors! How can we have a Perehera without an elephant? Already in our processions we have little boys carrying wooden swords to remind us of the magnificent warriors of the King's cavalry who marched before the others in these Pereheras. Are we going to be reduced to carrying cardboard cutouts of caparisoned elephants in the not-too-distant future?

That this subject is being discussed at all is a credit to the Environment Minister Rukman Senanayake, whose family has spent a considerable portion of its private wealth to help save the wildlife of this country. No doubt he would try his best to devise a stratagem to ensure the elephants are not lost forever.

But in the meantime planners and public officials must remain vigilant about the issue. Lets find a way for the elephants that are captured to be handed over to the families and institutions such as important temples, which can afford to keep them.

Otherwise the boys with the cutouts will be in business.

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