• Acquisition of land for road improvement

• A challenge to Buddha Jayanthi stamps selection board

• Minimum wages

• Deport the terrorist
  
  
  Acquisition of land for road improvement

THERE appears to be a lot of problems in acquiring land for road improvement. Here, a Government authority will decide that a particular land is required for a public purpose and start proceedings to get possession.

In this process, a man who has developed his business enterprise over the years with possibly life long effort will be impoverished, with his business wiped out completely.

Also the man behind will have the advantage of ready access road, and he will be enriched. This impoverishment and enrichment are both unjustifiable.

The law in its wisdom has seen this inequity and has made provisions for the aggrieved party to make application to the Authority concerned to acquire the property behind the affected property as if it were required for the public purpose, and give it to the affected party as a form of settlement.

Many of the present day problems could be settled or mitigated if this provision in law is invoked.

M. D. C. Gunatilake - Colombo 5.
 

A challenge to Buddha Jayanthi stamps selection board

A few days back, mass media (Daily News 06-05-2006 and 13-05-2006) carried news that a set of 50 stamps depicting Buddhist historical and cultural events and shrines was issued on May 5, 2006, in celebration of the 2550 great Vesak festival falling this year.

In Francis Gunasekera's article published in the Daily News on May 13, 2006, along with the pictures of the 50 stamps, he refers that 24th stamp depicts, Writing Dhamma on Ola leafs and the Aluviharaya at Matale.

There is no problem of selecting places like Mahiyangana, Nagadeepa, Deeghavapiya, Thuparamaya, Ruwanweliseya, Mihintale and so on except Aluvihare near Matale.

Recent research has revealed that writing down Dhamma on ola leaves during the reign of King Vattagamini Abaya took place not at Aluvihare near Matale but at ancient Alulena cave temple at Kegalle in Dakkhinadesa.

Since the publication of introduction to Sidath Sangarawa by James de Alwis (a Christian) in 1852, there had been a tradition and wrong belief that Tripitaka was committed down to writing at Aluvihare. This mythical tradition was spread throughout the world for about 1 1/2 century, that is up to 2000 A.D.

In 1880 Lawrie in his Gazzeteer referred that western scholars like Turnour, Olderberg too showed that this traditional Aluvihare belief was not true and had been rejected as a myth (Lawrie's Gazzeteer - Vol II- Page 32)

Prof. S. Paranavitane, the ever born greatest historian and archaeologist of Sri Lanka has explicitly and categorically shown that Aluvihare has no connection to the event of writing down the Tripitake.

It is pertinent to cull out his own words from the University of Ceylon, History of Ceylon (Vol I-Part I-Page 172).

"Later tradition asserts that this was done at Aluvihare in the Matale District, but the earlier historical writings do not connect Aluvihare with this event (University History Ceylon - Vol 1-Part-1 Page 172). So are we to believe in the study and teaching of history, the earlier sources or later tradition?

Why do these so called learned scholars (Advisory board to the Minister of Post and Telecommunication) reject Prof. Senarath Paranavithana's view?

The present living historians and archaeologists like Prof. Nandasena Mudiyanse, Prof. Malini Eandagama, Prof. M.U. de Silva, Prof. R.H.R. Gunawardana, Ven. Puravidya Chakkravarhi Ellawale Medhananda Thera too accept that Tripitaka was committed to writing at Alulena in Matule (Attanagoda) settlement near Kegalle. Matule and Matale are two different areas.

Matale is located in Uttara Malayadesa. Pali sources like Manorathapurani, Sarasangaha and Jinakalamali confirm that Mandalarama (present-Wattarama) and Alokalena (present-Alulena at Attanagoda) were in Dakkhina Malayadesa and they are connected to writing Dhamma on Ola leaves.

Prof. Malani Eanadagama of History and Archaeology department Sri Jayawardanapura University has explicitly clarified in Sabaragamuwa Vamsakatha that Alulena at Kegalle is the acceptable place where Tripitaka was written down.

Ven. Valamitiyawe Kusaladhamma Nayaka Thera, Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, Ven. Prof. Dewalegama Medhananda Thera of the same University had confirmed that Alulena view is true and correct (Source of Literature, Historic Alulena at Kegalle by G.R. Gunawardana Banda) Therefore true place connected with this event is Alulena.

As facts are such why didn't the members of the advisory board to the Ministry of Post select Alulena shrine and why did they want to give a priority to Aluvihare at Matale?

Is stamps selection advisory board not aware of the latest researches in History?

On what reason did they select Aluvihare? And why did they reject Alulena cave temple at Kegalle? Did they attempt to undermine or subdue the heritage of ancient Four Korales in Kegalle district?

G. R. GUNAWARDHANA - Ussapitiya

Minimum wages

While ministers and his officials accept that present foreign exchange amount is mainly sent by expatriates who work abroad especially from Middle East they are not taking any action to implement Mahinda Chintana promises in his maiden budget. he mentioned that present duty free allowance of 1,800 dollars will be increased upto 5,700 US dollars.

I would like to ask from the concerned ministers and their ministry officials, do they have issued a gazette notification to implement this new allowance system, or if not, why are they delaying to implement it, or is this only a false promise given during the post-election time to get some votes from innocent civilians. I am looking forward to see these things happening in real life as a genuine promise.

Rohan Dalpadadu - via email

Deport the terrorist

Anton Balasingham who is presently domiciled in the U.K. is a Tiger terrorist, spy and spokesman for the LTTE.

The United Kingdom has banned this Tiger organisation and it is not wise to keep him in the British soil. He is a fund-raiser for the LTTE and he is living on the funds of the Tigers.

Moreover, he is passing news to the Tiger leadership Velupillai Prabakaran who is living in the Wanni jungle for over twenty years.

Anton Balasingham using the prefix 'Dr' before his name and only God knows from where he obtained his Doctorate. For all I know, he was a journalist attached to a Tamil newspaper in Sri Lanka and subsequently worked in the British Embassy in Sri Lanka as a Tamil Translator.

A. M. R. - Kandy