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LTTE must be disarmed for lasting peaceThe LTTE has held Sri Lanka to ransom for a quarter of a century and the politicians in power must urgently heed the following facts to achieve a lasting solution: 1. There can never be peace in Sri Lanka until the LTTE is disarmed. 2. After 25 years of killings, massacres, assassinations and other terrorist activities, the LTTE will never lay down their arms voluntarily. 3. Their demands are unwarranted, unjustified and impractical for many reasons. They are not the elected representatives of Tamils 4. So, there is no option but to disarm the LTTE by use of force and the sooner this is done, the more lives will be saved eventually. In any armed confrontation harm to civilians is inevitable and war or no war, the LTTE will continue to kill. 5. The Norwegian 'peace markers' have only helped the LTTE to go from strength to strength and they should be asked to go home. 6. If India interferes, it should be reminded how the Indian Army attacked Sikh separatists even in their Temple and about the pulverizing assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE on Indian soil. 7. The Tiger problem has dragged on for quarter of a century only because the successive Governments of Sri Lanka up to now have been weak, short-sighted and overly concerned about the 'world opinion' on this purely internal matter for Sri Lanka. The 'world' is not going to save Sri Lanka from the Tigers. W. Y. RAMBUKWELLE, ---- Pavement hawkersI wish to add a few words to the letter which appeared in the 'Daily News' of July 10 by C. A. Dhambarage of Rajagiriya. It is not only the bus stand, the whole area has to be cleared specially Dharmapala junction which is impassable to pass due to pavement shops. There is a Belek Kade within the road premises. The Kotte Municipality should take a bold step like the Matara Municipality. In Matara, hawkers were removed with the help of the Police and with no malice to anybody, by the new Mayor of Matara. N. WIJEWEERA, ---- Lawyers and their libraryAs a practising lawyer of a few decades I am constrained to bring to the notice of members of the reputed law profession the pathetic and deplorable state of the Law Library in the premises of the Law Courts. In a civilized society, as everyone knows, a library is a place where silence reigns supreme. Even in environments such as schools and university campuses where discipline is a rare virtue, libraries are treated with awe and respect. In the Law Library today mobile phones keep on ringing in their annoying musical tones. Lawyers carry on their conversations through their mobile phones in loud tones as if to impress the library users that they have a very busy and large clientele instructing lawyers too keep on the loudest of voices caring little about the surroundings they are in and less about the library users who are engaged in reference or academic activities. It is very unfortunate that there are no persons in authority who can drive some sense to these desecrators of the sanctity of the library. Some of the colleagues that I spoke to commented that there is no 'Law' nor a 'Library' in the strictest sense in the so-called Law Library. There is complete lack of grace, dignity and decorum in the manner most lawyers use the library. Hence the really law abiding lawyers prefer to keep away from it or visit it only if absolutely necessary. At the rate the library is being abused by the law breakers, it will not be long before it will descend to the level of a common room or canteen. I trust that these observations will catch the eye of the Colombo Law Society or any other body that can exercise some authority over the running of this most prestigious and revered library. R. MOLLIGODA, --- Congratulations Police, CMC, UDA, RDAI fully Agree with the views of Tissa Jayaweera (DN Aug. 3). Now the vehicles can drive in the heart of the city, without any problems. Thanks to the Police, UDA, CMC and RDA. This is the most correct thing that the above authorities have done. Nilantha Lokupathirage, ---- 'Alcohol and smoking ban'I refer to a letter to editor by D. M. Balasuriya (DMB), Moratuwa. I fully agree with DMB that smoking and consumption of alcohol are bad for health. I have come across thousands of heart patients who have left this world in the prime of their lives leaving behind their young wives and children, as a result of cigarette smoking, during my 36 years experience as a cardiologist. I also have come across a large number of patients suffering from lung cancer, bronchitis and other complications of smoking both in Sri Lanka and the UK. I do not agree with DMB that fumes emitted from vehicles, garbage burning and other gas produced by industry are more toxic to health than tobacco smoke. There is a common misconception among some of the Sri Lankan laymen that vehicle fumes and other industrial fumes contain nicotine (which is the most poisonous chemicals in cigarette smoke). Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemical which include nicotine, carbon-monoxide and tar which are harmful to our health. Unlike vehicle fumes and other industrial fumes, we can completely stop smoking and avoid these highly unnecessary deaths, following heart attacks, bronchial cancer (and other cancers) bronchitis, emphysema and respiratory complications if we give up smoking. I fully agree with DMB that vehicle and other industrial fumes are harmful to health and affect especially those residing in urban areas and the Government must do its best to reduce air pollution. To date there is not a single case of bronchial cancer or heart attack reported in Sri Lankan medical literature due to vehicle fumes or industrial fumes according to a very senior physician who is an international authority on industrial medicine. As mentioned earlier, cigarette, beedi, pipe and cigar smoking can be completely given up by those who smoke, unlike vehicle fumes which can only be reduced. I know of a significant number of young wives who have developed heart attacks and angina following passive smoking (second hand smoke due to their husbands smoking). I always advise young females in their marriageable age to get married to a smoker, if they want to become young widows. I don't belong to any political party and my hats off to the present Government for passing the Anti-alcohol and Anti-tobacco Bill in Parliament. We are very very grateful to the JHU and to all other political parties for the full support given for above piece of legislation against alcohol and tobacco use. As regards the 'kassippu' trade, I fully agree with DMB that consumption of 'kasippu' (which is the poor man's whisky) is dangerous to health and there have been a considerable number of deaths due to drinking 'kasippu' as a result of certain toxic substances introduced into 'kasippu' during its manufacture. But most of the deaths (mortality) and morbidity due to consumptions of alcohol in Sri Lanka are due to consumption of the so-called 'civilised' type of alcohol such as arrack, whisky, brandy and beer and not due to 'kasippu' drinking. In my experience as a clinician during the last 44 years, I have not come across a single case of alcoholic cirrhosis, hypoglycaemic coma (i.e. coma, due to low blood sugar), alcoholic neuritis, hepatic coma, liver failure, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cardiomyopathy due to 'kasippu' drinking. I contacted several of my friends (who are very highly qualified physicians) attached to Colombo National Hospital, Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital, General Hospital Galle and General Hospital Kandy who agree with me that majority of patients with complications due to consumption of alcohol treated both in Government and private sector are due to consumption of the so-called 'civilised' drinking (arrack, beer, whisky, brandy, gin etc.) and not due to drinking 'kasippu'. Moreover alcoholic cirrhosis is quite common both among rich and poor in the more developed countries such as England, France and USA where illicit alcohol such as 'kasippu' is not heard of. Kasippu drinking which is dangerous to health, should be discouraged and if possible stopped, but most of the deaths due to alcohol consumption in Sri Lanka are due to 'civilised' drinking. We Sri Lankans should be very grateful to HJU and all other political parties and all authorities concerned for supporting the Anti-alcohol and Anti-tobacco Bill. Dr. D. P. ATUKORALE, ---- Israel and PalestineA recent BBC Hard Talk programme spoke to the Chief Palestinian Negotiator (CPN). With the BBC's staffer holding on to the view that the release of the Israeli soldier by Palestine would help the cause of peace, the CPN responded by listing all the many crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza strip. At the time of this Hard Talk, the Palestinian Authority did not have even the fuel to clean the sewage system. Thus leading to health hazards. The CPN was of the opinion that the current violence must be stopped and talks must begin. The BBC's staffer was of the view that the victory of Hamas and their work is of no help in the task of negotiating a peaceful solution. This tale of violence - is it not prevalent in all nations involved with conflict and violence? Can we in Sri Lanka learn any lessons? SYDNEY KNIGHT, |
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