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| Friday, 21 March 2003 |
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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. Ban animal sacrifice and home slaughter in Sri Lanka In Jaffna animal sacrifice has recommenced. Fully grown goats are 'sacrificed ' at Temple rituals. On Muslim festival days such as the Eid el Kabir, animal sacrifice is conducted in Mosques, private homes and on the premises of some Embassies of Middle Eastern countries. A few years ago a group of neighbours of a particular Embassy from a Muslim country, and concerned citizens demonstrated in front of this Embassy in Colombo 7, carrying placards protesting against the slaughter of cattle within the Embassy premises, which is surrounded by private residences. They complained that the agonising cries of the cattle being slaughtered had forced some of the neighbours to move out of their homes for a couple of days in order to get over their trauma. Though there is widespread opposition to this obnoxious practice in Sri Lanka, no Government has had the moral courage to take any steps to prohibit animal sacrifice in places of religious worship and private residences (i.e. Home Slaughter). Britain has banned religious home slaughter with effect from March 16, 1999. A number of Indian States and territories such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Pondicherry, Gujarat, and Karnataka have enacted legislation prohibiting animal sacrifice for the purpose of any religious worship or adoration. In pre-colonial Sri Lanka, animal sacrifice was strictly prohibited. Buddhist rulers were inspired by the Asokan Edicts in India which appealed to the public to cease killing animals and instead show compassion to living creatures. This sentiment has now been enshrined in the Indian Constitution as a public duty expected of each and every Indian Citizen. The Buddhist Position on Animal Sacrifice. The Buddha whose gentle disposition was offended by the unnecessary cruelty performed on the altars of the Brahamin Gods, visited the priests officiating in the Temples, and made the following remarks: "Ignorance only can make these men prepare festivals and hold vast meetings for sacrifices.Far better to revere the truth than try to appease the gods by shedding blood." "What love can a man possess who believes that the destruction of life alone will atone for evil deeds? Can a new wrong expiate old wrongs? And can the slaughter of an innocent victim blot out the evil deeds of mankind? This is practising religion by the neglect of moral conduct". "Purify your hearts and cease to kill; that is true religion." "Rituals have no efficacy; prayers are vain repetitions; and incantations have no saving power. But to abandon covetousness and lust, to become free from evil passions, and to give up hatred and ill will, that is the right sacrifice and the true worship ". See 'The Gospel of Buddha' compiled from ancient records by Paul Carus Senate, London, 1997 reprint, page 33). The expression ' Animal Sacrifice' is conceptually flawed. The true meaning of 'Sacrifice' connotes consent on the part of the being undergoing pain or death. No animal goes willingly to its death. If there is a heavenly reward for ' sacrifice' then it is the innocent animal who should be morally entitled to it as it is the one who is bearing the pain of death. The real sacrifice is made by the harmless animal and not the one who takes away its life. But so absurd are some age old beliefs that despite a moral inversion here some people continue to indulge in this morally indefensible practice uncritically and without any sober reflection. The Nobel Prize Winner for Literature Elie Wiesel once said: "Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented". Those who subscribe to the ethic of reverence for all forms of life and acknowledge the fundamental interest all animals have in survival, just like human beings, until the end of their natural span of life, should not hesitate to take sides on this issue. Animal sacrifice should be banned in Sri Lanka. Sheena Samsudeen, We have a variety of crime in our country but a closer look shows that cash and vehicle robberies take 'pride' of place in most cases. Police have done a wonderful job in Crime Busting and in most cases the culprits have been caught but still this particular crime wave continues with impunity as seen from the recent bank robbery near Parliament where high security was in place at the time. It was a smooth silent operation and well-timed leaving everyone in the path gaping. The Police would do well to see the other side of the coin in this particular crime spree. a. Vehicles are stolen and cannibalised and parts sold or necessary identifying marks are tampered with and the vehicle's repainted and sold. Where is all this money? b. Human smuggling - cash involvement per person has to be looked into. As much as Rs. 4 - 5 lakhs is charged per person. The question is from where does this money come. Those arrested are between the age group of 20 - 40 years. How are they able to provide these high funds. Most of them are jobless. c. Are financial institutions providing surreptitious loans? d. Are forged deeds lodged with financial institutions. e. Are such institution officials conniving with crooks and armed service deserters? f. Are there any connections with finance institutions going bankrupt overnight. The recent bankruptcy of a bank is a case in point. g. Are there misdeeds in the Land Registry, R.M.V., Printing Department? h. Purchase of fishing trawlers, their terms and conditions. These questions come to mind because being a Mercantile Executive with 25 years service I have a tough time with the bank to get a housing loan of Rs. 6 lakhs considering the rigid requirements and guarantors asked for and the exorbitant interest rate for a period of 15 years in addition to EPF offered as security and also land. There is no smoke without fire and it would be wise to close the stable door now than wait for the horse to bolt perhaps to Italy! N.B. MELVILLE PERERA This refers to letter written by Manel Abeysekera of Colombo (DN, Mar.5) Human rights must be enforced on those who are really human and not on those who behave like blood-thirsty hounds, sans any sense of proportion between man and brute. Murder is a criminal act, in whatever form it is committed, directly, indirectly or through assassins. People whose family members, including their kith and kin, have been murdered, undoubtedly, will feel the loss most unbearable, and curse those murderers calling for retributive justice. How can we speak of human rights favourable to murderers, when innocent people are killed for various reasons, very often for political reasons? Are those who are responsible for killing others, not guilty of violating human rights? Anyone who has returned from the Middle East will vouch to the fact that there is less crime in those countries because of the severity of punishment. So, why is the human rights declaration not given its due place? I suppose that Manel Abeysekera is aware of what is happening in Sri Lanka, and there is no need to reiterate the fact that the suspension of capital punishment is responsible for all such crimes. I think, in the interest of all peace loving citizens, murderers should be hanged, to deter others from following suit. There is news that a Bill is to be placed in Parliament to enforce
death penalty, and it seems to be the prudent way to prevent merciless
killing of people, under the slightest provocation or due to political
pressure. The Deputy Director Meteorology in a lecture to the Association Franco Ceylonese Technologists on 6th March disclosed that teaestates and paddy fields are more prone to be struck by lightning. The victims are the poor farmers or tea pluckers. They cannot run to shelter of their homes when a thunderstorm breaks as their daily wage is at stake. The speaker also said Sri Lanka has no standards as far as protection from lightning hazards are concerned but that it was being compiled. This is welcome. In this context the electronic media disclosed that the tea industry had invented an Aluminium basket to reduce the dead load of the cane basket used by tea pluckers since the advent of tea to Loolkandura estate in 1867. The aluminium basket conical in shape was shown on the TV and declared an innovative idea to carry more tea leaves in a lighter receptacle. Since the aluminium cone will be an attracting device like an antenna,
the tea pluckers will be more vulnerable to lightning strikes than with
the cane basket. I hope the authorities concerned will consult the
professionals in the Meteorology Department before calling for tenders for
mass supply of the cone which will also induce new magnetic fields. Lankan workers assured of safety? This refers to an article (DN, Mar. 12).I work and live in Bahrain, just across the causeway from Saudi Arabia. Yet, while my compatriots in Saudi Arabia have been assured of their safety, in the event of a war, not a soul has contacted us in Bahrain with similar assurances! In fact, we do not even have a government representative here to look into our consular affairs and general well-being. Once in about 2 to 3 months a couple of officials come over from Kuwait
for 2 days to attend to consular work.When we leave the country, we are
fleeced of a lot of money by the Foreign Employment Bureau, but when
something like this comes up, nobody bothers to check on us! Is this how
we are looked after by our Government and its officials? We do send a bulk
of our money back home, keeping the economy running. I have a good case
for not paying the Foreign Employment Bureau fees next time around, given
the interest taken in our safety! I read about the UNICEF programme to teach English in Kurunegala. Most welcome news indeed. I have seen the damages inflicted to the society by the youths and students whose right to broad vision stunted by the swabasha education. While swabasha has no doubt enriched their knowledge about their mother-tongue, their advancement in the world has been badly hampered by the lack of good knowledge of English and ensuing reading. The result had been a totally perverted view of their place in the society and resulting violence. I suggest that the Govt without considering money engage itself in
giving English and Information Technology on a fast track to unemployed
graduates and provide a sound education in English to other students.
Where there is will there is a way. |
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