• Migrant workers' right to vote

• Men and Memoirs from Negombo - focus on books

• Driving licences for Buddhist Monks

Migrant workers' right to vote

Is there a possibility that the migrant worker, especially in the middle east, would be given the facilities of exercising his inalienable right to cast his vote at the upcoming Presidential or General Election? Looking back, it seems farcical to conclude that every citizen in our country has opted to do so, when over one million expatriate workers have been excluded from the election process.

Examining results of the previous elections, it would appear from statistics that only about nine and a half million voters cast their ballots from the vote bank, whilst over a million workers in middle-east countries had been left out. Their inclusion may have caused all the difference between winners and losers! These citizens have all along contributed billions of dollars in foreign exchange to bolster the economy.

They have tragically, been a forgotten lot and the legislature must take the rap for this woeful lapse.

R. J. N. Jordan, Kotte

Men and Memoirs from Negombo - focus on books

I refer to the article on page 45 of the Daily News of August 24 by Prof. Sunanda Mahendra, under the above title, relating to the book of biographies compiled by Bernard Srikantha.

I read this article with interest, since I am from Negombo, but was sad to note the omission of an important personality of Negombo, namely the late C. M. Fernando, JPUM, Notary Public, Crown Proctor Negombo.

There is a road named after him in Bolawalana, Negombo (off Colombo Road). It will also be interesting to note that C. M. Fernando is one of the founder members of the SLFP.

He was Chairman of the Urban Council in the 1940s and as Chairman it was he who hosted and welcomed their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Urban Council of Negombo on February 15, 1948.

He was responsible as Chairman, Urban Council, for the construction of the housing scheme for the poor, located at St. Joseph's Street, Negombo and named the scheme after S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who was his close friend and Minister of Local Government.

I write this letter for the information of the present day Negombians about this person who worked with Santiago Fernando and others, for the welfare of the Negombo town.

Savitri Fernando de Silva, Dehiwala
 

Driving licences for Buddhist Monks

Reference letter of P. S. A. Mutukumarana.(Daily News 01.09.05) This letter teems with mistakes and misunderstandings of the Vinaya. According to the Vinaya, monks are prohibited from travelling in any vehicle when they are not sick. "Na yanena gantabbam - you yayeyya dukkatapatti" says the Vinaya text. But now many monks travel by car, bus, train or aeroplane. Social, economic and political conditions have changed since the Buddha's time.

Vinaya rules stand unchanged due to the folly of the Sangha hierarchy. The Buddha gave permission to the Sangha to amend or change minor rules to suit the times and carrying the Dharma to mankind. So the above rule is now observed in the breach. It is nonsense to say Buddhist monks are forbidden to handle money. The relevant rules forbid monks to accept gold and silver. But currency notes and cheques are not gold and silver.

They may have a value in terms of gold and silver, but so are all things that monks use. So monks who accept salaries for teaching are not violating any Vinaya rule. From the time of Sinhalese Kings, monks accepted lands, paddy-fields, coconut-estates, income from tanks and salterns. Instead of stultifying themselves and bringing Buddhism into disrepute, a Buddhist Sangha Council should amend the Vinaya rules to suit modern conditions. This was called by Ven. Walpola Rahula Thera.

The call to disrobe monks for transgressing the minor rules is both ignorant and foolish. According to the Vinaya offenses, punishment for the other 8 categories of offenses should be as prescribed in the Vinaya. Sangha leaders from Therawada countries must hold a Council and devise the Vinaya. Then Vinaya violations can be tried under Sangha Tribunals and penalised under Vinaya law.

At present a furore is created about a monk who wants to obtain a driving licence. But nominations for monks to contest Parliamentary and Provincial Council Elections are approved without compunction.

D. AMARASIRI WEERARATNE, Wattala