Archives

by Prasad Abu Bakr

Airfares, specially to Chennai: which has been skyrocketing over the years under the monopoly of 2 airlines has given a nosedive in recent times with two new carriers scaling the skies in that sector.

The issue grew out into controversial proportions during recent times where newspapers were filled with protest letters claiming that airfares to India, specially to Chennai was at an un-reasonable high, and that officials concerned should do something to rectify the matter.

Letters of protest were in fact published in some of the `Letters to the Editor' columns in some newspapers.

As time went by the entire matter changed its face into a fully fledged campaign but none of the authorities `concerned' or airlines responsible for flying and handling a huge traffic of passengers in that sector replied these letters in an official capacity or did anything to bring the fares down.

Passengers who flew into Chennai in the early '80's [which was then known as Madras] and were regularly flying in and out of the South Indian capital for various reasons found the tide rising high.

By the time the era of the 90's dawned the fare hike was more than double. It went up by 6,800 Sri Lanka Rupees totalling to 9,800 and in 2000 passengers were compelled to pay up to 21,000 Rupees to secure themselves a seat to Chennai.

Most passengers, especially the commercially bent ones travelled notwithstanding the hike as they found ways and means of converting up for the extra mints they spent.

But the badly effected passengers were the ones that flew in to visit their families, passengers flying in for medical care [which has been more or less subdued owing to the appearance of the Apollo Hospital within our shores] and special mention has to be made of the many aspiring students that had to give-up any plans that they nurtured to go over to India for further studies. All because they could not afford such exorbitant fares.

But there were very un-tally answers to un-official questions hurled at authorities at times. Airlines concerned and `certain' travel agents [who also had a better end of the bargain] if questioned by passengers, explained that it was only natural that prices rose in relation to the rising cost of living in the country, while some matched it to the instability of the dollar.

But it was a visible fact that the drastic victims of this gradual price hike in fares were the passengers to Chennai. While an overall increase did take place of airline ticket fares based on numerous reasons including fuel prices etc; What the Chennai sector passenger could not believe is that while globally prices rose in smaller stakes the price of a ticket to Chennai rose almost by three fold in ten years.

Protests were made but changes were far from sight. A regular writer to most newspapers A. Kandappah on this issue, claims through a recent letter to the media that `the Director of Civil Aviation - whose department not only remained unseen and silent when I was leading the campaign but whose comments went on to benefit the airlines concerned, now comes out to take credit to what the public accomplished with able press support'.

The September 11th syndrome drastically reduced air travel almost by half as an immediate response to the incident especially in the United States and its neighbouring countries.

In Asia a similar response was visible owing to the fear of the SARS virus that was spreading throughout Far East Asia and airfares to destinations affected were offered at 'next to nothing' rates in comparison to what earlier cost a traveller to get to a similar destination.

Amidst all this the `South Indian' controversy remained unchanged until it was decided to let some private Indian airline companies fly into Colombo from some of the newer destinations that were opened up for passengers to fly direct into Colombo as well.

With the recent addition of these private airlines to the list of flights to and from India and the widening of the network many things have changed in favour of the passenger. Airlines that were once charging exorbitant rates to Chennai and serving only a dry bread roll with a glass of over-diluted soft drink has changed the stance to keep up with their recent competitors who are supposed to be pampering their passengers with numerous hospitality traits that are only normal in airline etiquette.

Price-wise things have changed leaving passengers with more options than in the past. The clamouring for seats have stopped and there is less congestion at arrival and departure counters in airports at both ends.

`It has also improved tourism in the sector in a big way' said a travel agent adding that the new prices have worked as a tremendous boon to Indians, encouraging some of them to visit their little neighbour for the first time.

The need for more airlines with cheaper rate offers became inevitable as interest in many areas grew between the two countries as trade and cultural bonding strengthened at a fast pace recently, opening up to many individuals seeking business and educational opportunities within their two countries compelling them to travel more often.

With the many battles fought by those such as writer A. Kandappah on this matter now treading a winning path it is also interesting to state a few more observations made in his recent letter to the press with this regard.

`In most countries "airfare wars" are resulting in fluctuation of present prices to lower end of the scale, it is also a result of airlines which had captive markets, sent up their costs by paying exorbitantly high salaries to their management who lived luxuriously at the expense of the travelling public. Airlines in this part of the world are not free from these charges either'.

The major hindrance at present, which is becoming very evident is that Sri Lankan Airlines have not grown with the times and designed its fleet to cater to meet the needs of a larger part of its own countrymen. It is unconventional thinking that passengers will opt to fly a national airline even at the risk of paying high prices when compared with other airlines, just for patriotic reasons.

With a vast experience behind it and spreading itself to the global network of aviation the airline it appears has not even able to come up with competitive prices or a specific plan to curb the competition that is being staged by other regional airlines, most of whom are comparatively new; flying in and out of its home territory and cutting its throat within its own home grounds.

#########

Image of Europe:

Beloved Dutch queen mother dies

Ravisara Kariyawasam reports from Germany

The former Dutch queen, Juliana, has died at the age of 94 after a prolonged period of illness. Juliana, the mother of the reigning Queen Beatrix, ruled for 32 years until her abdication in 1980. She oversaw a period of dramatic social change, taking in the end of empire and the evolution of her country into a leading voice for global liberalism.

She had been unwell for some time and had not participated in public life for a number of years. She died in her sleep at 0550 local time in the Soestdijk palace where she had lived most of her life. Known as the 'bicycling monarch', she shopped at the local supermarket and sent her children to state school.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende made a televised address after the death was announced and said the nation had lost a mother. Princess Juliana gave up the title of queen when she abdicated in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980. But the Dutch continue to celebrate their national holiday on Juliana's birthday, April 30 which remains known as Queen's Day.

Seven countries are new to NATO

Seven East European allies joined NATO on 29.03.2004, shifting the 55-year-old trans-Atlantic alliance to Russia's borders. The entry of Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia increased the members in the U.S. dominated alliance to 26.

In an immediate reflection of the shift eastward of an alliance forced to fight the Cold War, NATO fighter jets headed to the Baltics, Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said. "Welcome to the greatest and most successful alliance in history", Secretary of State Colin Powerll told the prime ministers.

Sea dead zones threaten fish

Sea areas starved of oxygen will soon damage fish stocks even more than unsustainable catches, the United Nations believes. The UN Environment Programme says excessive nutrients, mainly nitrogen from human activities, are causing these 'dead zones' by stimulating huge growths of algae.

Since the 1960s the number of oxygen-starved areas has doubled every decade, as human nitrogen production has outstripped natural sources.

About 75 per cent of the world's fish stocks are already being overexploited, but Unep says the dead zones, which now number nearly 150 worldwide, will probably prove a greater menace. Ironically, Unep says, nitrogen is desperately needed in parts of the world, including much of Africa, where the lack of it is reducing farmers' yields.

The amount of nitrogen used as fertiliser globally is 120 million tonnes a year, more than the 90 million tonnes produced naturally. Yet only 20 million tonnes of that is retained in the food we eat, with the rest washed away into rivers and out to sea.

The burning of fossil fuels in vehicles and power plants, and of forests and grasslands, and the draining of wetlands all contribute more nitrogen to the cycle. This leads to the explosive blooms of alage, tiny marine plants, which sink to the seabed and decompose, using up all the oxygen, and suffocating other marine life.

One of the best-known of the dead zones is in the Gulf of Mexico, affected by nutrients washed down the Mississippi river.

Not all of the zones are permanent: some appear annually or only intermittently. Unep says reducing nitrogen discharges can restore the seas to health: an agreement by states along the River Rhine has cut the amount of nitrogen entering the North Sea by 37 per cent. Other remedies include wasting less fertilizer, cleaning vehicle exhausts, and using forests to soak up excess nitrogen.

Diet high in vitamin E reduces risk of cancer

Vitamin E protects against at least two common forms of cancer - prostrate and bladder - but popping supplements is probably not the best way to get the vital nutrient, according to new research. Researchers said it was the alpha todopherol form of vitamin E that was associated with lower risk, and that its best sources were foods such as sunflower seeds spinach, almonds and sweet peppers.

Dutch prepare to bury their Queen

The Dutch are preparing to bid a final farewell to their former queen Juliana, who died aged 94 on March 20. The popular ex-monarch will be buried on 30.03 in a mausoleum in Delft town, near the remains of her 16th century ancestor, William of Orange.

Scions of Europe's remaining royal families will attend the ceremony, as will hundreds of ordinary people. Princess Juliana, who was queen for 32 years until 1980, won public affection with her informal manner. Her death came after a period of prolonged illness.

Her body has lain in state in the Dutch capital, The Hague, for over a week, as mourners and messages of condolence have poured in. In preparation for her funeral, advertisement hoardings and road-sings in Delft have been draped in black covers. Princess Juliana presided over Holland's emergence from post-World War II gloom into an era of liberal social policy and economic growth.

Her popularity prompted the Labour Party to drop its demand to turn the country into a republic, our correspondent says. Queen Juliana abdicated the title in favour of her daughter, Queen Beatrix, in 1980.

Salary according to performance

Several German states opted for a new regulation in salary payment. In future, employees should be paid according to their performances, they argue. Especially in the public service area, a monthly salary will be paid taking into account the performance of the employee.

Last week, the "Lander" demanded returning to the 42-hour-labour week. Leading representatives of the tariff union say that holiday money and Christmas bonuses should be cut if certain regions cannot afford to pay these extras any longer.

##########

Newspapers and Journals in early Lanka

by Andrew Scott

A newspaper stand in the City.

Today Sri Lanka is flooded with all sorts of newspapers and journals and specially the Sri Lankan Newspapers continue to influence the life and activities of all of us.

This has been so even during the very early period of the development of journalism in this country and it is quite interesting to delve into the history of early newspapers and journals in this country.

The first Sri Lankan newspaper which, in addition to commercial and administrative news, catered to the literary tastes as well was the Ceylon Examiner which appeared in 1846. Though it did not publish anything of literary value the Government Gazette which was started in 1802 is much older. As much as today even in those days the Government Gazette was exclusively for the publication of notices and advertisements.

In 1834 the Observer and Commercial Advertiser was started by a group of planters and later this paper took a political leaning opposed to the administration of Governor Horton. Three years later a group of civil servants started the Ceylon Chronicle, especially as an opposing factor to the Observer and Commercial Advertiser. Subsequently this paper gave way to the Ceylon Herald.

A unique feature in papers and journals during the British rule was that most of the news and features that were published were about the political climate of London and its social atmosphere. Only a very little space was allotted to local news, however important it was.

The Examiner published a literary supplement twice a month and this supplement introduced English poets and writers to the English educated people in Sri Lanka.

Until about 1840 literary periodicals in Sri Lanka were in missionary hands and this had a tremendous impact on the development of English literature in Sri Lanka. During those days the missionaries published many newspaper and journals to spread their gospel.

The Church Mission Magazine, the Colombo Religious and Theological Magazine and the Colombo Religious Trust Society Magazine were some of the more important periodicals that dealt entirely on religion and doctrinal matters.

The Friend was dedicated to the moral reform and intellectual improvement of the colonial society.

Articles on many themes of local interest were published in it. The Friend was very popular and many Sri Lankans made their first acquaintance with English literature through The Friend which became a famous journal even in India.

The Friend was succeeded by the Ceylon Magazine which catered to a variety of subjects. Even local citizens were given an opportunity to contribute articles to this magazine.

In the first issue of the Ceylon Magazine an article by simon Casie Chitty entitled "A Brief Notice of the Philosophers, Poets etc. Ancient and Modern, among the Tamils of South India and Ceylon" was published. One of the earliest writers to the Ceylon Magazine was James Alwis whose articles were renowned for the intellectual stimulation they gave their readers.

It was only after 1842 that Sri Lankan writers began to publish much of their work, of course imitating the style of English writers. It seems that to people such as James Alwis and Ambrose Lorenz writing in English was an absorbing pastime.

It is interesting to note that in the early years of journalism in Sri Lanka criticism of the official conduct of public servants was punished by deportation or even by the seizure of the printing presses which published such criticisms. The first literary periodical conducted entirely and independently by Sri Lankans was Young Ceylon published in 1850.

However, Young Ceylon lasted for only two years when its editors went to England. One of the earliest periodicals published in Sri Lanka was the Ceylon Medical Miscellany which provided a forum for the exchange of legal and medical opinions.

In 1869 appeared Muniandi whose intention was the chastisement of society. In its first editorial itself it said: "Muniandi, looking down from his lofty perch, greets his cousins. Ages have elapsed since the last held intercourse with mankind, as recorded in the pages of many poets.

The world has since then been deprived of his wise counsel and pungent wit. No wonder that mankind have since then degenerated. Muniandi returns and finds folly and vanity, ignorance and wickedness, rampant. There is work to do. Folly and vanity must be put down: ignorance must be annihilated and wickedness must be punished."

This magazine lasted for about two years and during its lifetime it analyzed the wickedness and the vanity of the colonial society.

Subsequently the Ceylon Quarterly Magazine, Once a Month and a commercial newspaper called Punch or the Ceylon Fire-Fly were published. The last of the comic magazines was Appuhamy, published in 1890. This was a magazine which directed its attacks on the Sri Lankan (then Ceylonese) society.

All these early newspapers and periodicals contributed very much for the development of English literature in this country and they provided a good base for the development of journalism in Sri Lanka which has come a long way since then.

www.crescat.com

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.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