Saturday, 25 September 2004  
The widest coverage in Sri Lanka.
Editorial
News

Business

Features

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Government - Gazette

Silumina  on-line Edition

Sunday Observer

Budusarana On-line Edition





Please forward your comments to the Editor, Daily News.
Email : [email protected]
Snail mail : Daily News, 35, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Telephone : 94 11 2429429 / 94 11 2421181
Fax : 94 11 2429210

Exploding the aid myth

International confidence in Sri Lanka continues to soar with the Government announcing that more than 70 percent of the aid which was pledged to this country at the Tokyo donor conference is now coming Sri Lanka's way through a series of agreements which the State has entered into with the donor community.

This development torpedoes the myth the UNF attempted to foist on the country that the relevant foreign assistance was on hold on account of the Government's alleged inability to get the peace process back on track.

The UNF's proud boast was that it and it alone could spur the donor community into coming to Sri Lanka's assistance in its time of need because it successfully launched the peace process and won international succour and support as a result of this initiative.

This chimerical bubble has now burst. Our front page lead story yesterday quotes Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Mangala Samaraweera on this question who effectively refuted opposition claims on its sole ability to sustain aid inflows.

The Minister has, in fact, gone into considerable detail on the development projects which the Lankan Government would be launching with the majority of the funds pledged in Tokyo. Accordingly, the opposition's case crumbles.

That the Government commands the confidence of the international donor community is further proved by the fact that even Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar's recent visit to Japan had managed to raise considerable development assistance.

It was also pointed out by Minister Samaraweera that the e-governance program initiated by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse would be sustained with the development assistance pledged in Tokyo.

The international community, then, is solidly behind the UPFA Government. It seems to be firmly convinced that the Government could take the country into the future - the exaggerated claims of the opposition notwithstanding.

There is no doubt that President Kumaratunga's recent address to the 59th UN General Assembly session and connected pronouncements would have only strengthened international confidence in Sri Lanka. The President's strong commitment to peace by peaceful means is likely to prove a clinching point in the donor community's deliberations to sustain Sri Lanka.

The country's development drive, therefore, wouldn't run aground, whatever the UNF may have to say. The opposition's effort to whip-up public opinion against the Government on the cost-of-living issue only exposes the desperation which has seized it.

The public couldn't be fooled on this question because it very well knows that the cost of living burden has been with us over the past three years.

We now need to put our shoulders to the problem of bringing peace.

##########

Sealed with a kiss

Love can do strange things to a man. It would make him ecstatic, miserable, moody, and even drive him crazy. It is perhaps this latter tendency which took hold of a youth in Gokarella last week.

According to a newspaper account it was the end of a school day and a sweet teenage girl in uniform was walking to the bus stand. Suddenly there is bedlam all round and the scene that followed resembled a scene from a movie.

A youth rushes out of nowhere and plants a kiss on the girl before she could recover her bearings. Our Romeo had obviously lain in wait on the familiar stretch of road taken by this lass daily after school. The public watched nonplussed as the youth planted a heavy kiss on the cheek of the astounded girl.

The drama did not end there. Unfortunately for our Romeo, his deed was watched by three burly women police constables. They lost no time in moving in. Our Romeo was no match for the combined strength of the matrons in khaki who restrained him in a trademark police "lock".

Blinded by love he was blind to the presence of the law. He tried to seal his love with a kiss but his fate was sealed instead. He was dealt a double blow - lost love and a blow to his pride.

Spurned repeatedly in his advances he would have conjured visions of one last ditch attempt at savouring the unattainable even for a fleeting moment.He would never have bargained for the intrusion of three hefty khakied mamas into the scene.

There was no love lost here. Never mind if one of the WPCs was named Mercy - mercy was the last thing showed to our pal who was unceremoniously produced before a judge and remanded.

We are not aware what prompted the youth to act in this way. The fact that he was under the influence of liquor suggests a weak will. Maybe he was a novice to courtship and needed the help of Bacchus to muster sufficient courage.

Social constraints have forced many lovers and love-seekers to opt for unconventional, even illegal means of savouring a romance. We live in the 21st century and society must shed archaic ideas on love. After all, love makes the world go round. There is nothing wrong in letting a little love into our stressful lives.

One recalls sometime back a firebrand politician exhorting the Government to construct lovers' parks so that couples are afforded more leisure to rid themselves of present day tensions. Make love not war appeared to be his theme.

www.directree.lk

Kapruka

www.ceylincoproperties.com

www.singersl.com

www.imarketspace.com

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


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


Hosted by Lanka Com Services