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The latest one from Mr. Blake is that the LTTE would not have
attacked the group of envoys if they knew that he was among the group.
(Reference DN March 10). Such a statement would indicate that there is
an understanding between the USA and the LTTE.
We are not suggesting for one moment that Mr. Blake is linked to the
LTTE or that the Government of the US is linked to the LTTE but we wish
to point out to Mr. Blake that this is the sort of position he can get
into when he makes statements with hidden motives and then try to cover
up any blunders.
Mr. Blake also claims that the LTTE cannot be beaten the same as what
Ranil Wickremesinghe has said all his life but Mr. Blake’s predecessor
has warned the LTTE categorically that unless they change their ways and
come to the negotiating table, the much more powerful Government Forces
will annihilate them or something to that effect.
Now both these ambassadors are under the same President Mr. Bush.
Surely, it is Mr. Bush who determines American policy and not his
ambassadors unless Mr. Bush now regards the LTTE that has links to the
Al Queda as the allies of the USA.
After clearing the Eastern Province, it has now been proved
conclusively that the Tamils and the Muslims who lived under the terror
of the LTTE do not consider the LTTE to represent them. All the Tamil
political parties do not consider the LTTE to represent them.
The most powerful Tamil political party which is led by Karuna says
that he is faithful to the President and his Government and he does not
want a separate state. Mr. Blake should know that the TNA are the
proxies for the LTTE who got into Parliament when Mr. Kushnahan from the
EU ordered our Elections Commissioner Mr. Dayananda to hold elections in
areas under the jackboot of the LTTE.
Who is Kushnahan to give orders to our Elections Commissioner and why
was Mr. Dayananda so meek to comply instead of asking him to mind his
own business?
The next time Mr. Blake wishes to visit the areas cleared by the
Government troops, he could announce his visit in advance and travel
without any security to question the liberated Tamils whether they want
power sharing with the LTTE.
Will Mr. Blake have the courage to face the liberated Tamils who will
tell him to his face what they think of power sharing with the LTTE?
Much light has been shed on this matter in the statement issued by
the leader of the JHU in the Daily News of March 10, 2007.
L. JAYASOORIYA
via email
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Pensioners of the Government Service and State Banks are extremely
lucky as they get a pension every month irrespective of whether they
receive a monthly pension receipt or not. Recently, it was announced
that even the cricketers have formed an association, so that they too
will receive a pension in their old age.
It was reported that the Government will shortly implement a pension
scheme for journalists too. Apart from the MPs now even the members of
Local Bodies, Municipal Councils and Provincial Councils are also
entitled to a pension.
The President too should be praised for taking the initiative to make
all the new entrants to the Government Service pensionable from year
2001.
It is interesting to mention that the so-called great economic
wizard, Marxist and former Finance Minister Dr. N. M. Perera was apart
from sacking hundreds of State Bank employees who took part in a strike,
scrapped the pension rights of all new entrants to the public service,
even without introducing a contributory pension scheme.
Luckily the late Felix Dias Bandaranaike who became the Finance
Minister in 1975 immediately restored the pension rights of all the
public servants once again.
I am a Government pensioner too, and so is my wife who is a retired
Government teacher. I retired early after 25 years of service with a
pension and thereafter worked in the private sector for several years as
a senior executive. I really value my pension more than the EPF and ETF
contributions and the gratuity I received recently for working in the
private sector.
I like to mention that in the mid 1980s two of my uncles, one was an
attorney-at-law and former Urban Council Chairman and the other a
director of a prestigious private sector company died almost as paupers
in their mid sixties as they did not receive a monthly pension. Whereas
my parents led a comfortable life in their old age because my father was
a Government pensioner.
As such I feel sorry for the employees in the private sector
companies and private banks who are not entitled to a monthly pension
after their retirement, but only receive their EPF and ETF
contributions.
Even to get a reasonable monthly interest, a retired employee of the
private sector had to deposit more than a million rupees of his EPF
money in a bank, but with family obligations like education of his
children, weddings, dowries, etc. it may not be possible for him to save
money for his future.
Now I wish to come to the point on behalf of all the private sector
and private bank employees. To be precise ETF contributions which is
made by the employer only is absolutely of no use to the employee
because on retirement or leaving the service early, an employee receives
only a few thousand rupees.
Therefore I suggest that ETF contributions should be converted to a
pension scheme for the benefit of the private sector and private bank
employees.
As present ETF contributions are made only by the employer which is 3
per cent of the employees’ salary and if it is converted to a pension
scheme the employee too can be requested to contribute a further one or
two per cent of his salary.
So that when he retires he will receive apart from the EPF
contributions a reasonable monthly pension for the rest of his life.
It should be mentioned that the President when he was the Minister of
Labour formulated a medical scheme for employees of the private sector
from the Employees Trust Fund.
Another category of employees who are not covered by a pension scheme
or even without EPF benefits are building construction workers, road
construction workers (under contractors) and poor rural farmers in the
dry zone.
These category of employees work under very difficult and harsh
conditions. Therefore something should be done to alleviate the
suffering of this people in their old age.
RANJAN GUNATILAKE
Panadura
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This is a good initiative. (Reference DN March 08) I live in New
Zealand and they call Warranty of Fitness (WOF) for each vehicle before
they get the registration. Each vehicle must undergo a thorough check to
make sure vehicle is safe for the roads (breaks, tyre threads limits,
seat belts, emission levels, corrosion, break lights etc).
If the vehicle is older than 5 years - Every 6 months
If the vehicle is less than 5 years - Every year
WOF improves not only the pollution, road safety as well.
Dr. NAMAL DE SILVA
New Zealand
via email
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I refer to the letter by Dr. Ajith Tissera, UK on the above subject
(Reference DN March 12). His suggestion to ban consumption of meat is
not acceptable and not practical in a county like Sri Lanka with a
multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism and Islam do not prevent individuals from eating meat.
In Hindu dominated India, where religion has a strong vegetarian
association, no one is able to stop the meat eaters. More and more
people are shifting to eat meat such as broiler meat. The Indian broiler
market is huge as 1.2 million Kgs per year. One should be practical in
our thinking and doing.
Hundreds and thousands believe in eating meat. Eating meat is one’s
own discretion. There is no necessity to condemn meat eaters in the name
of vegetarianism. Most meat eaters in our country depend on meat and
meat products only for protein supplement and energy. We do not eat meat
unlike the Europeans whose main menu is meat.
‘To preach and not to practice’ is a common phenomenon. Last year
during the Poson Poya, the Speaker of the House released a book ‘epa epa
mas kannata epa, kiri ammagae’ (Do not eat the meat of milching cows).
Is it really practical to do so? It has been a practice in our country,
for the Buddhist clergy to save animals only during Poya days and
release them with much publicity, and not otherwise.
In a country where there is no value for human life, is it possible
to stop animal slaughter and implement strict animal welfare standards?
DR. A. NANDAKUMAR
Hatton
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My letter titled ‘Kandy one way’ (DN Feb. 17) has brought good
results. The authorities concerned have now decided to revert back to
the previous traffic scheme taking into consideration the difficulties
and the risk faced by schoolchildren, the sick and infirm as stated by
me.
In my letter I deliberately left out the loss incurred by the
business community as it would have appeared that I was canvassing for
them leaving out the other more important factors that prevailed. My
plaudits also go out to the authorities for listening to positive
criticism and taking meaningful steps to avoid a major disaster.
C. M. DE VAS GUNASEKERA
Kandy |
