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| Wednesday, 7 April 2004 |
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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.
Towards a new political culture To the politicians Please remember you are the servants of the people and not their lords. Seek to attend to their needs and wants first. Don't wait till they come to you. The present PR system only helps to draw you close to the Party and not to the people. This needs change. Also please cut down your style of living. We have an enormous debt to clear. So set the example by trimming your salaries and your perks. Then the country will learn you are really trying to clear the debt and not to increase it and may even follow your examples. Remember that deeds are better than words. Let's not borrow to boast that we are the greatest at borrowing. To the media Don't play up the politicians. If you must, give them priority. For a change why not highlight the people who are really working hard for the country like our farmers who deserve every help, the workers some of whom are really working hard and our budding industrialists and innovators some of whose genius our bureaucrats are dragging their feet to acknowledge. And also don't give preference to what the government is going to do. Publicise only what the government has done or is really doing.The government's intentions and plans can be relegated to less importance sections. And don't be partisan in your criticisms. Remember there are many points of view. Yours is one among them. Let the readers or viewers judge. To the people You too can help run this country. Adjust yourself to a new style of life. By now you should know that no government can deliver the promises it makes. Take the promises with a pinch of salt. Remember the country is in debt. It's our style of living that will help us relieve the country of its huge debts. It may be uncomfortable for a time but it may help us remember the Buddha's words, 'Don't multiply your wants, try to make them less.' This will enrich us all. A. C., Discrimination by the Elections Department I am an officer, working in a Govt. Department within the Colombo Municipal area. My application for the postal vote was accepted by the Assistant Commissioner of Elections for the CMC area and I cast my postal vote on 24.3.2004. But my application for election duty as SPO was overlooked and I was not given an opportunity to serve in the General Election, 2004. There was no valid reason to reject my application as I had served for more than 25 years with responsibility and with the stipulated salary scale eligible for the post of SPO. But there was a news item in the dailies that most of the Muslim and Tamil officers in the Kurunegala district were not posted for election duties in the recent election. I too belong to the so-called third minority community of Sri Lanka. I was compelled to attend my office on 1st inst., which was completely deserted. It was a humiliating experience as I am the only officer left out from the election duty in my office. This is the third instance that my application for election duty was overlooked by this Elections Office. Hence I feel that I was discriminated and denied the equal opportunity which tantamount to the violation of my human right. This situation could be eliminated to a certain extent if the posting of election staff is computerised in the future and the functions of the Elections Department too, be observed and verified by the NGOO during the election time for transparency and fairplay. A. L. M. MOHAMED, 'Ginseng, nature's best tonic' Apropos the above letter (DN March 15) which certainly enlightened everybody on the potency of this amazing herbal product GINSENG I regret that the writer had erroneously said that 'persons with high blood pressure should not use Ginseng and that it is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women'. This is indeed a fallacy and is furthest from the truth. In point of fact according to the authoritative booklet published by one of the leading Ginseng producers in Korea IL HWA Co., Ltd. Ginseng can be used for all kinds of diseases among women who are pregnant or give birth to a child. It is also good for patients suffering from loss of blood because it vitalizes stamina, supplements blood and stops bleeding. The booklet goes on to state that the effects of Korean Ginseng (pharmarcoligical and clinical effects of Panax Ginseng) research has proved that Ginseng normalises blood pressure. Ginseng is no doubt a boon to mankind and panacea for all ills. D. J. O. PERERA, Major negligence like defective signal lights, street lights, huge potholes, fallen lamp posts, crashed tree trunks etc. in the Colombo city would be repaired or removed only if such shortcomings are exposed on television channels. Having attended, of course after the people have been inconvenienced, one of the highest authorities would thank TV station concerned for bringing the matter to their notice. Still there are so many things which are hazardous to the public which are yet to be shown on the TV channels. As far as Colombo is concerned, the Colombo Municipal Council has six District Offices which are manned by a chief engineer, an engineer for roads and an engineer for solid waste for each office. These engineers would have been provided with official vehicles and it may be one of their duties to go round the areas allocated to them to find out any shortcomings. Then why do not they instruct their workmen to attend to such necessities? Sometimes traffic lights do not work for three to four weeks and does it mean the engineers relevant to the areas have not seen it for so many days? Why should not they inform it to the unit concerned and repair it instead of waiting till TV channels show it. Generally, the reason why the Mayor, his deputy and other seniors are blamed for the bad state of Colombo is that the engineers do not carry out their duties, and in some cases, are scared of the minor staff to get things done. There is a special unit at T. B. Jayah Mawatha to handle street lights. But we see 75 per cent of the main roads being lit and 35 per cent of the other roads. The balance roads are always in the dark. Some are not repaired for years. Every mayor's words have been beautifying Colombo to make it the best in Asia. Finally to see that they lead 'the best of life'. In regard to Fifth Cross Street, the most crowded area with Colombo bound buses reaching various points, has been badly neglected. A real eye-sore! One side of the main road, where unauthorised buildings were pulled down, is not macadamised at all thus bathing the people with dust, while the other side is failed with temporary structures and planks. The other road, where vegetables are sold, is full of potholes inconveniencing so much after a rain. And only a couple of street lights burning without enough brightness to the area. In brief, a total dim area - the Fifth Cross Street when approaching from Main Street. Has not the District Office Engineer of the CMC passed these areas? Has he not seen the sad situation of these roads? He should have seen yet why should he care? He gets his salary, vehicle and other perks, while Councillor enjoy their part from the Council itself. Let the Mayor just take note of this letter and do the needful to this part of Pettah and the Gas Works Junction too. Let him make his District Engineers active. From recently dustbin fitted iron bars were seen planted on the pavements in such a way that pedestrians in some places cannot freely move about. Who is in-charge of this useless project? A matter that makes people hate the CMC is that when a letter is sent informing of a shortcomings neither it is attended nor acknowledged. NAZLY CASSIM, |
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