Future leaders, rich and poor children
The United States sponsored programme titled ‘Future leaders’
conference continues to irk rustics like us because unlike most other
educational programmes, this one exclusively caters for a small,
privileged band of students, the vast majority of whom attend expensive
international schools and whose parents are affluent enough to afford
travel and other costs of a US visit.
Concerns raised by me and a couple of others through the columns of
the national press urging a change in the selection process - so long as
you call it ‘Future leaders’ or at least a change in the programme title
- so long as the present system remains unchanged - apparently go
unheeded perhaps with the underlying thinking that ‘poor children are
poor because they are poor, so who cares?’
No one would grumble USA (or any other country for that matter)
hosting a programme for our children with the aim of admitting them to
their universities and other tertiary educational institutions.
In fact, in the context of limited local opportunities in certain
fields of higher education, it is a welcome thing.
But our grouse is this. Why gift the tag of ‘Future leaders’ to a
small group of children, whose selection for participation in USA
programme is determined, foremost among other things, by their parents’
purchasing power, be it local private education, foreign education or
even air tickets and warm clothes?
Call them successful candidates or any such thing, nobody would
grumble as after all these are also our children.
But please refrain from calling them ‘Future leaders’. Other thing
being equal, if it is, the parents’ economic power that determines who
is to be called a future leader - pardon me my US friends - such usage
is totally unacceptable.
To those who feel with me on this issue I make a fervent call. Let’s
get together design and implement a programme to breed our own
home-grown future leaders, through a Sri Lanka future leaders
initiative.
In such an attempt, our stress should be on selected bright children
from poor families and under-privileged schools. Our aim should be
nurturing their qualities and skills to be patriotic leaders of the
future with undivided loyalty towards the Motherland. In this regard a
proposal is being drafted in consultation with a few concerned parties.
I do hope that the ever-smiling Mr. Blake, the US Ambassador will
take note of this shortcoming. He perhaps is well aware that the US
Democratic Presidential hopeful Barrak Obama was raised with food stamps
during part of his childhood.
Mr. Obama is lucky that he was not born a Sri Lankan to a ‘Samurdhi’
(our equivalent of US food stamps) family with no chance to all to be
called a future leader under a US-sponsored programme.
Y. W. GUNAWARDANE – Rajagiriya
******************
I will break your face - Diplomat?
Reference the above titled news item published in the Daily News
on March 22(Thursday) by Dushy Ranetunge, we have received the following
responses from our readers:
I
As a citizen of this country, I feel very sad and offended by the
hawkish behaviour of this diplomat. Whether he is a diplomat from Iraq,
UK or USA, if they do not respect the people of this country they should
be shown their door out. In this case, he has gone too far by
threatening a sale’s girl in her own shop.
The President should without delay order the diplomat to leave the
country and also take up this issue with the Government of Iraq and seek
compensation for the girl as she has suffered pain of mind and
humiliation.
The diplomat or the Iraqi embassy should immediately render an
apology to the people of Sri Lanka for belittling the country as a ‘sick
country’. Further the Sri Lankan who endorsed the view of the Iraqi
diplomat also should be taken to task for disrespecting his own country
unpatriotically by saying ‘yes’.
It is time for Sri Lanka to treat its own citizens with dignity and
respect. If this has happened in our neighbouring countries such as
Pakistan or India, the diplomat would have not gone out without a
bruised face.
SEYED ZAFARULLAH KHAN – Pakistan via email
********************
II
What next? Earlier it was something about a journalist (Mohan), now a
sadistic Iraqi is calling our country ‘sick Sri Lanka’! Why is he
allowed to stay in our country after this episode? May be he thinks that
we treat our Sri Lankan women the way they treat their own.
The Iraqi women have no freedom at all. What he tried to do (break a
female’s face) is happening all the time in his country Iraq.
The Iraqis are non compassionate, unruly and violent beings. If at
all they are issued with a visa to enter Sri Lanka, the first
requirement should be to attend a class to learn about the Sri Lankan
culture. Shame on those who sided the foreigner. Yes I agree, many Sri
Lankans bow their heads to foreigners. That is why Sri Lanka is going to
the dogs now.
DILHARA ABAYASEKARA - via email
*********************
III
I would really appreciate Dushy Ranetunge to bring this story to all
readers. I think it’s a shame on the people that they did not stand for
our mother country.
I am so glad still we have people like you doing the right thing.
DHAMMIKA AMARASEKERA - via email
****************
IV
The Iraqi diplomat’s insult and the SLC entourage for the Cricket
World Cup, permit me to take both the above subjects in one letter.
1. Sri Lankans in the Middle East is treated shabilly by most
Mid-Eastern people.
That is because we allow them to do this to us and we, as a nation
are divided along ethnic lines, so how can we stand against foreign
‘diplomats’ even Iraqis whose land is a pathetice place and whose
lifestyle is one of subservience to the US forces!
(2) There are several thousand Indian, Bangla deshi, Pakistani as
well as visitors from England, Scotland, Ireland etc. watching their
respective teams at play. But you can count the number of Sri Lankans
witnessing the on-going matches in the Carribean. And all these are
those living in Canada and the US. Why not the SLC and the well-healed
private sector not sponsor and charter an aircraft to fly a plane-load
of ordinary Sri Lankans who only need a good yelling voice for these
matches? Instead, they prefer to treat themselves!
This is the malady of our country, greed and selfishness.
KUMARA SOYSA - via email
|