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| Friday, 24 December 2004 |
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Creating the background to the deed The attack on the mega Indian musical show was the grand climax of the agitational campaign carried out by the JHU monks. Ven. Athureliya Rathana Thera cannot absolve himself because the agitational campaign the JHU conducted created the necessary background of hate to the deed. President Kennedy was advised not to go to Dallas because of the hate that had been generated against him there. Nevertheless, he went and was assassinated. The background of hate results in some people becoming mentally unbalanced. Anybody who creates this background contributes to the final result. It is beneath a bhikku to take part in street protests. Ven. Pungnananda Thera has said that the JHU should not have acted as fundamentalists. But it has been apparent for some time that that is just what they are. It is clear that they cannot see both sides of a problem. Sometimes there are weddings and funerals on the same day, at the same time, and on the same street but the wedding guests do not object to the funeral rites; nor do the mourners at the funeral object to the wedding celebrations. That is the nature of life and must be accepted. Live and let live should be our motto. Since we are all agreed that there was no deliberate attempt to denigrate the religious activities connected with the anniversary of Ven. Soma's death, the confrontation ought not to have taken place. Mega stars find it difficult to give dates and once a concert is arranged it has to go through come rain or shine. Having roused the populace the JHU cannot deny responsibility. They, like Mark Anthony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar might well have said at a point in time 'Mischief thou art afoot, take what course thou wilt' and washed their hands off the matter just as Mark Anthony did. After Mark Anthony's incitement the mischief created by him resulted inter alia in the killing of Ginna the poet. Mark Anthony was nowhere at the scene but he is responsible for all the events that followed his speech. Here the mischief created by the JHU ended in the grenade attack. To consider another as your opponent and confront him is wrong. The JHU has committed this wrong in Parliament, in courts of law and in the making of allegations and counter-allegations, the one against the other. An interesting short story by Martin Wickremasinghe relates the tale of a servant who refused to boil an egg on a Poya day. This led to an exchange of words between master and servant and ended with the servant stabbing the master to death. Soma Hamuduruwo repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping the five precepts and it is ironic that the very first precept should have been broken on the eve of his death anniversary. Even if we were to consider the holding of the show as a sign of disrespect, a greater disrespect was shown by the attack which killed and injured many people. Mahatma Gandhi did not tolerate violence in his campaigns. If the JHU monks cannot follow in the footsteps of the Buddha they should at least follow the example of Mahatma Gandhi. An interesting aspect is that the attack took place as the curtain was about to fall on the last number. This is precisely what happens in Hindi films. The villain and his henchmen wait for the song and dance number to end before disrupting the proceedings. the attacker appears to have followed the Hindi film script as regards the timing. BHIKKHU C. MAHINDA, I refer to the letter by H.T. of Ratmalana 2.12.04 about ways and means of roping in more tax dodgers. Let me add a few more categories of persons who should have Tax files opened for them. 1. Some three wheel drivers earn more than Rs. 1000 per day after allowing for hire of the three wheeler which is Rs. 200 per day and cost of fuel. 2. Teachers in International schools some of whom get over Rs. 50,000 per month. 3. a)Tuition Masters - I know of a lady teacher who teaches in a Colombo school who charges Rs. 675 per child for a 1 1/2 hours class where there are at least 10 students. The students have to pay Rs. 5000 each at the beginning of the month. She has at least three such classes - her minimum monthly income from tuition is Rs. 5000 x 10 students x 3 batches = Rs. 150,000 per month. She pays no income tax. b) InBambalapitiya there are several tutories where there are over 200 students in each class and each student pay Rs. 600 per month. Monthly income Rs. 120,000 no tax paid. 4. There are surgeons and anaesthetics who charge sometimes over Rs. 300,000 per operation. And the money is sometimes is given in an envelope to the doctor and is not indicated in the hospital bill. 5. Attorneys-at-Law also avoid the payment of income tax. Sometimes for appeal cases they charge nearly half a million rupees. Do they declare this? 6. The food outlets are another area. In Bambalapitiya an outlet which sells biriyani packets among other things sells approximately 200 lunch packets @ Rs. 120 per pack. They make Rs. 24,000 during lunch time alone. The daily rental is Rs. 5000. But they do not pay income tax. The inland revenue officer should collect income tax from these people. Then the authorities can withdraw totally the taxes imposed on essential food items. CHANDRA ATUKORALA, Re-introduction of the death penalty Re-introduction of the death penalty is a crying need in Sri Lanka. If clemency is recommended along with the verdict or at an appeal, this may be considered appropriately. The death penalty needs to be enforced otherwise. The death penalty is accepted to be a deterrent. It drives one to think before taking another's life. Deadly crimes planned well ahead and efficiently executed demonstrate that life sentences are no threats to reprehensible criminals. Views and ideas of Human Rights organisations based abroad, indicate unawareness of gangster killings, rapes followed by repulsive murders, contract extermination and drug trafficking that accompany homicides that awful crimes have grown rampant in a one time relatively calm country. Monstrous deeds like kidnapping the young to be sent to the middle-east and forced into slavery and camel riding satisfy only the lust of the unscrupulous money seekers. The death penalty alone can stifle horrendous crimes which merit no other condign penalty. I am not intolerant of other views. Idealists no doubt shout down the re-imposition of the death penalty. Those like the Amnesty International remain from the repulsive reality in current Sri Lanka. Ordinary people who comprise the core and mass of this island use the public transport, especially sordid private buses. They recognize how disgraceful is the total lack of discipline and the prevalence of utter disregard and disrespect for human life. Most of these Human Right Organisations are insulated from the actual depressing and miserable state of law and order in our island. Considering ever spiralling crime and overwhelming incidence of dastardly murders the gallows are and imperative need. They should be used and not be in disuse. Ninety-nine per cent of the people may yearn for peace and harmony and condemn violence and premeditated heinous crime. They expect Government to protect their children and them and their hard-earned property from various menacing murderers and homicidal maniacs. LAKSHMAN SIRIWARDHANA, Sri Lanka Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Sahib Ansar would be leaving the Kingdom soon, after successfully completing his tenure of office in Riyadh. During his tenure of office, Riyadh and Colombo has developed very cordial and bilateral relations, subsequently there are several high level delegations visited the Kingdom, seventeen members Parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker Joseph Michael Perera, eight member Parliamentary Select Committee on Labour and Employment led by the Deputy Chairman of Committees, Minister of Mass Communication, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister of Western Development, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Eastern development and Deputy Minister Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Dr. Nizar Madani visited Colombo and signed an agreement with Colombo for General Agreement for Trade and Economic Co-operation and Investment Promotion. Subsequently Saudi Government has assisted the Sri Lanka Government in various projects such as Neuro Trauma Ward at the General Hospital, Batticaloa-Trincomalee highway and Kinniya Bridge and private investment in the development of amusement park, hotel and estate development. And several humanitarian assistance from the Kingdom. P. T. A. Hassan, Attention of all Sri Lankans should be paid to the words of wisdom expressed by a mature President. It is a pleasure to note that our President has realized that communal amity could only be effectively achieved by giving up narrow political thinking and behaviour. At a recent gathering she referred to the lapses in the field of education wherein schools were classified as Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and so on. During the pre-independence era, we studied with children belonging to various communities and religions, bound and strengthened by ties of mutual friendship and brotherhood. we even addressed one another as 'Machan' meaning brother-in-law. As envisaged by the President let all concerned co-operate to revert to that exemplary position by gradual appropriate administrative reform in a democratic way. To achieve the implementation of such lofty ideals, unity among political parties is an absolute necessity. Hey, blundering politicians of different political parties, wake up from your day dreams. Due to your indecent hurry, you appear to be groping in the dark having got disturbed like a swarm of annoying and stinging bees found around the Sigiriya rock. Remind yourselves of the story of the bundle of sticks which you and I were taught in Grade 2. "Haste makes waste, waste makes worry, so don't be in a hurry," so said Sri Sathya Sai Baba to me in 1991. BANDHU GUNASEKERA, |
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