Thursday, 10 October 2002  
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
Letters
News

Business

Features

Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

Government - Gazette

Sunday Observer

Budusarana On-line Edition




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.


 

Bring back History

I read, with shock, about the disappearance of the subject of History from syllabus. Whoever who planned this, is leading the future generations to utter disaster.

History of recent past has shown that tempering or deletion of history is the sure way to disaster. Hitler and Mussolini along with all those leaders of USSR and east block have amply demonstrated this.

History is the basic foundation of a society. Religion is based on history and laws too. Thus a decent society abiding law and order will cease to exist when the students who are deprived of history in their lesson, become adults.

V. ANANDSIVAM, USA.

 

Night club brawls

Reports on five-star hotel night club brawls have begun to flow regularly. It has drawn the attemption of the Prime Minister as well. These vulgar incidents involving high-class people keep on increasing with the management failing to report fearing loss of their name and business.

Our people have no culture of drinking.

Empty ego of some people, bloated with drinks and dollars knows nothing about decency, humility and simplicity.

At a time when all morals and modesty are laid to rest at the feet of Lakshmi's pot of gold, the best option for the decent, devoted, disciplined people is to keep away from such places of vice and be with their families while earning a good rest or a sleep. We should correct ourselves before we correct others.

E.M.G. EDIRISINGHE, Dehiwala

 

The easy hazard

There is an excessive use of light plastic products, especially shopping bags at present day market. It is a common practice among most sellers to sell the wares in shopping bags. As a result shopping bags have become an unparalleled substitution for paper wrappers and paper bags in the market today for the convenience of the customer and the seller as well.

Quite strangely some people use grocery bags to take away certain liquid items like coconut oil, cooked curries, plain tea and even medicine.

These customers think only about the comfort and are unaware of the health hazard caused by its plastic dust.

As this material does not decompose it is obviously a threat to the environment; while lying crushed and torn in every nooks and coroners these used bags (dump) not only make the environment unpleasant but also they could contribute to unexpected floods by blocking gutters during the rains. It is also reported that some animals in the zoo have died after swallowing these bags along with food.

The only solution available on the part of the customer is to control the excessive use of these poly-ethelene products.

GALAGAMAGE DAYANANDA, Wathugedara

 

Enforce law and order on the roads

The driver who killed two young girls, using his vehicle as the weapon, had been nominated from the Ja-ela bus depot as the best driver for a competition to mark Transport Day. If this be so it clearly highlights the absence of skills and care of drivers today.

The Minister of Transport is reported recently in the DN as having said that he "will not continue with the amendments proposed by the previous government to the Act with the intention of ensuring road discipline, as the problem was not with the present law but its enforcement."

Let us enforce discipline, law and order on the roads by:-

a. every public transport vehicle should have a Police hot line which will be called to notify reckless driving. To minimise misuse the telephone should be one which can record on the panel the number dialled from.

b. every driving licence of public transport vehicles be checked for authencity.

c. negligent driving which results in death must be made non-bailable.

d. such a driver should be debarred for life from driving.

e. prosecute the culprit for culpable homicide not tantamounting to murder.

f. award substantial compensation of not less than Rs. 1m.

Everybody is somebody's somebody: a father, mother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece. Irresponsible driving should not make them weep.

SHARM DE ALWIS, Kiribathgoda

 

In memory of Leuke Disawa

The Daily News of 9th September carried an article titled "In memory of Adigar Leuke". According to the article the Journalists Guild of Sitawaka are to set up a monument in memory of "Adigar" Leuke. In this context it is interesting to see what Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, a renowned historian had to say in his "Ceylon under Britsih Occupation" and James Cordiner an early British writer had to say on Leuke Ralahamy and the incidents at Hanwella.

According to Dr. Colvin R. de Silva the King had appointed Leuke as Disawa of Uva in 1800, and in 1802 he had been appointed to Sathara Korale while Uva was transferred to Migasteene the Second Adigar.

Some time after August 1803 the King of Kandy along with Leuke and the Kandyan troops had attacked British territory in the maritime provinces. Colombo district was invaded and Hanwella twenty miles from Colombo occupied.

The situation had become so serious that the British even proclaimed Martial Law on 29th August 1803.

By September the position changed drastically, Hanwella & Tangala were re taken and the Kandyans were subdued and expelled from British territory. "A second attack on Hanwella led by the King in person, had been precipitately routed in early September, and the unreasonable but incensed monarch had in his head long flight beheaded Leuke and his Mahmohottala" (CRdeS Pgs 85, 91 & 116). To quote James Cordiner on the same incident "The disappointed monarch of Candy was overtaken in his flight by Leuke Ralahamy, Dessauwa of the Four Korales, who led the attack of Hangwell, and the Maha Mohottiar, or Chief Secretary of State, both of whose heads, in the violence of his indignation he ordered to be immediately struck off; and left their dead bodies unburied in a ravine" (Cordiner P420).

From both these versions it appears Leuke was only Disawa of Sathara Korale. He was never an Adigar of the Kandyan court as the Journalists Guild try to make out. Pilimatalawuwe & Migastenne being First & Second Adigars at the time. Leuke is however immortalized and remembered in folk song as he was unfairly beheaded and left in the open fields of Hanwella.

It is not clear what the Journalists guild is trying to commemorate, but a statue at the point they visualize would perhaps do no harm!

ANANDA PILIMATALAWUWE, Pilimatalawa.

 

Peace talks - whatever will be, will be!

The words of Prof. G.L. Peiris at the first round of talks in Bangkok would remind one of the "Sea change" referred to in Shakespeare's "The Tempest". He said that there should be a sea change, now that the tempests have abated. One who has not given thought to the interpretation of that expression is likely to wonder what actually is meant by a sea change. In my humble opinion, it is a change similar to the calm after a storm - it could, on the other hand, be a calm before a storm too. However, let us all live in hope that the best will happen.

Whatever said and done, nothing can happen outside what is preordained for us; "What man proposes, God disposes"! So, in the unseeming event of the peace talks failing to produce the desired end, let us not be disappointed, because that may be what is preordained for us all. In that respect, we cannot ignore the words of the Bible too: In I Thessalonians 5:3 it says: "When they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction commeth upon them ... and they shall not escape", and if these are the end-times forestalled, it may very well be that the day of judgment is at hand; we have only to be prepared for it, in order that we may not be caught napping. Indications, not only in Sri Lanka, but also in the rest of the world are no different right now. So, "Whatever will be, will be"!

Moreover, it is most unlikely that a conflict that has gone on for over two decades could reach a permanent settlement even in two years. For example, even the demining process, for the resettlement of the ousted population in the North will be time-consuming. The main thing for both sides, for the moment, would seem to be to burn their bridges behind, to avoid a come-back in the march forward.

A.F., Moratuwa

 

Noise pollution

As far back as the year 1941, Kandy Municipal Council gazetted a By-Law which prohibits the use of instruments producing Loud sounds in public places as well as in private places, if that noise affects the environment. Under this By Law, the Municipal Commissioner has the power to take suitable action if three householders in the neighbourhood object to the noise.

The Local Authorities have a big task in the control and management of the environment in their areas. Trade licences for dangerous and offensive trades such as garages, workshops and trades using machinery should go through strict scrutiny whether the sites and locations are suitable without harming the neighbourhood households.

Public Health Inspectors and Medical officers should have routine and regular supervision, Health Education officers specially the drawn from the Public Health Inspectorate should visits schools and conduct talks and seminars with their participation.

CECIL JAYASINGHE, Kandy

 

HEMAS MARKETING (PTE) LTD

HNB-Pathum Udanaya2002

Crescat Development Ltd.

www.priu.gov.lk

www.helpheroes.lk


News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |


Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager


Hosted by Lanka Com Services