Archives

Facts Are Stubborn by Anton Gunasekera

Student unrest in our chain of universities and among the ones in leading schools who are vying for a university placement, will continue from time to time, unless and until the two ministers who are answerable to the nation on education and tertiary education, put their brains together to identify the route cause of this calamity.

With the Esmond Wickremesinghe Annual Award for 'Excellence in Investigative Journalism' - 1964, still dangling around our neck, we moved furtively within the Sri Jayewardenepura University complex, to 'investigate' the root cause of the very recent calamitous student unrest, when the entire highly-politicised university administration was manipulating the vicious goings-on.

Police investigators have yet to reveal the 'Truth and Nothing but the Truth' - which will never, ever come as an impartial true account for fear of Government reprisals. Let us, therefore, reveal what we witnessed through discreet journalistic investigation.

From one faculty to another, from one teaching hall to another, the two sinister arms of the more superior vice-chanting cellar, with an army of stooge 'lackeyturers', ably assisted by a group of prodigious, yet politicised student sergeants, caused the September 27 campus havoc, along with the arms and weapons of underworld hands, dressed in the masquerading garb of the innocent yellow-robed Buddhist monk.

We compiled our investigative findings by interviewing a ready and willing cross-section of independent academics, non-academics, male and female students whom we traced, hiding in their closets, but more importantly, knowledgeable elder citizens living outside the campus walls and who helplessly watch with dismay, the 'horrific scene within the campus; on which we can only shed a lone tear on the pathetic plight of our university sons and daughters who have turned belligerent, when their parents - rich or poor - were bent on making them part and parcel of our nation's responsible citizenry." Our 'independent, impartial, unbiased, balanced and truly objective' scoop investigative coverage on Sri Jayewardenapura Campus horrible brawl, is somewhere in hiding.

But, since first things must come first, and the case of the campus is yet 'sub-judice' with the final findings of a near 100-squad of police investigators roaming around the university precincts to determine the 'Root Cause', the Editorial of Lake House will decide how to, and when to, publish our single-handed investigative scoop for the reader to decide; "Who really did the dirty on that day".

When we phoned 'Outside the Garden' Plant for a few clarifications, were had the rude response; "Pacha aththakarana boru paththara vaartha liyana umbalath ekka... mang (moong) katha netha".

We responded in moderate tone that we have bitterly experienced the hassles of University life, from the campuses of Peradeniya, through Columbia in New York City, and thence to Carlton in Canada, ending up at the 'Atomic Bomb Manufacturer', University of Chicago. We know how to trace the root cause... what was your sinister role in this ugly 'Saman Padanama'-led student unrest? "Go to hell. Satan is eagerly waiting for dirty journalists like you, who falsify truth". And, he cut the line. But the Bandaranaike political policy of "Wait and see", readers are assured that the

Daily News, as was of yesteryear, will pour forth the truth; just in that way when renowned space scientist writer, Sir Arthur C. Clarke (still alive and kicking) wrote a personal handwritten message just five years ago; 'Fear not, favour not any man or woman on Mother Earth. Put your pen to paper in the name of responsible journalism.

And write what is right. If you are a true son of media journalism, "You will know the truth... and the truth will set you free". thank you, friend Arthur. I will put my best foot forward to reveal the Satan behind student unrest!

Faith, hope and charity - three springboards of our life

It takes a newspaper columnist like our Daily News weekly contributor, Lionel Wijesiri whose Right Handed 'Moving finger' moves with Fourth Estate eloquence to sit side by side with our own lesser impressive Left Handed 'Facts are Stubborn' DN Tuesday column to inform and educate our readers on topical subjects which both of us surmise, are new news to them.

Who knows? Perhaps, the reader knows better than we do - in our journalistic spirit of sharing knowledge on the trials and tribulations that were, are and will be constant wayward happenings in our island's national scenario, which calls for a quick cure common consensus - in a bid to restore a long-lost Peace, tranquillity and ethnic unity.

That was the lodestone which attracted one community to another, living together - peacefully COHABITING - from North to East... West to South and spreading word of mouth information that national unity and religious tolerance were at stake, because British colonialism was spreading it subjugating policy of 'Divide and Rule' to reap our harvest for their benefit, through the sweat and toil of sons and daughters of our soil.

Of Lake House founding father, Don Richard Wijewardene's soulful pledge through his pre-Independence national newspapers, Daily News, Dinamina and Silumina, to pursue the cause of 'Peaceful Religious Tolerance' will be dealt with in a forthcoming feature.

But, for now.. have read and re-read line by line and in between lines, of Lionel's analysis last Tuesday, of how a new wave of anti-Jesus Non Governmental Organizations, fruitfully funded by their heathen sponsors in the New World are roaming around the length and breadth of our tiny island, prostituting the Biblical Word to boost international big business.

Lionel, dauntlessly contends that the age-old Roman Catholic Church, along with its ecumenical sister Christian Churches of that age and time, have successfully survived, up until today, the criticisms of other religious faiths and philosophies, because neither the powerful Papal Vatican nor the subsequently-formed British-based Anglican Church authorities, never, ever ordered proselytization or indoctrination.

Over the centuries, in times of war and peace, their priests and priestesses, dressed in holy garb, sailed across the oceans, with food and shelter never in their minds, to abide by the New Testament request; "I gave you Life.. but the wages of sin is Death'. Go, preach to wrongdoers the Ultimate Word that there is a long line of distinction between Human Truth and human falsities. If they do not want to listen, do not force them. Some day, let them realize that they are fooling the world."

You can take a horse to water... but twenty men cannot make it drink.

As Lionel rightly substantiates his last week's copy content; New so-called sects or side kicks in the name of Christianity-pimps and prostitutes who are searching for thirty pieces of Great Pretender, Greatest Betrayer, Judas, in gullible foreign soil, have laboured out professional 'spiritual means of performing instant miraculous cures on the near-dying to bring them back to Life Eternal.

At a Colombo Church, a near and dear friend and SLBC Media colleague sprays his 'Sacred Word' among a pindrop silent congregation of a near 300 sick Christian devotees. "Come here, you sick child of God. The one who went to physicians and surgeons... but got no cure".

An American 'God's preacher' by side, a frail limping aged woman takes the stage. He raises his hands to Divinity, touches the woman's forehead in supposed prayer, then thunders; "Cure her now. Perform the miracle. Now or Never".

The gullible woman screams; Thank You. I am now a cured new woman."

I hold my tickling ribs in place. The congregation cries in unison. "Oh, what a miracle?"

As Lionel rightly argues, honest to God Christians of this and that sect, do not and have not resorted to the 'unethical conversion' of Hollywood's art and science modernized in near reticulation, to chant in harmony, 'Let's Sing a Song to Jesus -so the Miraculous Cure is at Hand". Go from North to East, West to South, the daily news is that the temple and the church, the Kovil and the Mosque have been peacefully Cohabiting in a spirit of Religious Tolerance.

www.crescat.com

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

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager