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Sometimes I ask young boys and girls what they think of the conflict
situation in Sri Lanka and also what they think of the killing in Iraq.
Most of them are of the belief that whatever one’s religion is, there
is no answer to killing except killing.
In a country which awakens to a TV and radio call for maithree
bhavana and goes to sleep with the soothing melody of the karaniya metta
sutra and where nearly every junction is replete with Buddhist statues
and almost every child recites the five precepts at the commencement of
the school and temples are crowded with devotees offering incense, oil
lamps and flowers and where monks preach bana every day using
loudspeakers to cover the whole radius, why are we so irreligious?
This situation is the picture of man after thousands of years of
religious propaganda; and one is tempted to ask if the Buddha and Christ
were both kidding when one said may all living beings be well and happy
and the other said love thy neighbour as thyself turning the other
cheek! When I talk of kidding I must relate an anecdote I came across
the other day in a book. It goes something like this.
When TV was invented God was first to get a complimentary set with a
satellite dish.
God’s first choice was undoubtedly Rome and he saw the people working
so hard that he felt so sorry and asked St. Peter why they worked that
hard. St. Peter said that it was because God had asked them to earn
their bread with the sweat of their brow. God said, “I was just
kidding”.
Then God changed the channel to the Vatican and saw the Cardinals and
Bishops in expensive scarlet robes happily enjoying the best of wine and
food. God asked, “why are they not working?” St. Peter replied, “They
know you were kidding!”
JAYATISSA PERERA
Colombo 04
It’s high time that the citizens of Sri Lanka decide when casting
their valuable votes to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to capital punishment, because
the increasing number of horrible crimes taking place day by day while
the relevant authorities are still asleep and comfort the criminals in
jails.
Leave it to the people’s side to decide by casting their valuable
votes for ‘Yes’ to capital punishment and ‘No’ to release the criminals
back to perform their holy acts repeatedly.
In this unique people’s choice, no one will blame the Head of the
State and other relevant bodies, because the unique decision will have
to be chosen solely by the citizens of Sri Lanka by a voting system if
introduced.
In this unique decision there will be no election propaganda like
posters, banners, pocket meetings or grand meetings. The cost of the
election for capital punishment will be low, because the State will have
to print only the ballot papers.
I hope this is the only unique way to implement capital punishment to
leave to the people’s choice. No NGO or human rights activist or other
relevant bodies have the right to promote criminals free after
committing horrible crimes such as murder, rape and drug smuggling.
Those criminals just spend a few months in jail and are free to
commit the same act again.
Those who support the criminal’s right must be allowed to decide for
themselves after committing such a horrible act committed by the
criminals to their loved ones.
Then only they will know of the value of a loved one. After that only
those who support the criminals will open their eyes to cast their votes
for ‘Yes’ to capital punishment. And the horrible crime rate will reduce
to zero except may be some petty for crimes.
M. A. ISMATH
Beruwala
I am perplexed by the news item titled ‘Medical test mooted for
drivers’ (DN April 5) that says ‘the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry
will establish a special unit at the Colombo National Hospital shortly
to issue a Medical Certificate to all professional drivers in the State
and private sector.’
It makes me wonder whether the officials at the Ministry of
Healthcare and Nutrition are ignorant of the fact that there is already
an institute established by an act of Parliament - National Transport
Medical Institute Act of 1996 - known as National Transport Medical
Institute (NTMI) which comes under the Ministry of Transport.
One of the functions of this institute as stated in the act is to
examine drivers and operators of all categories of motor vehicles and
furnish certificates of physical and mental fitness to such drivers and
operators.
Due to various factors in the political arena at that time, the first
two Medical Institutes dedicated for services of the Ministry of
Transport were established only in June, 2000, at Nugegoda (Head Office)
and Kandy by expanding the services of then SLCTB Medical Centers at
Nugegoda and Kandy, under a Board of Directors and a Chairman, NTMI,
responsible to the Minister of Transport.
Before the establishment of NTMI, certificates of fitness were issued
by general practitioners approved by Ministry of Transport, popularly
known as ‘Panel Doctors’.
That arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory as there have been
many instances that displayed ‘divided loyalty’, of the general
practitioner to his client than his expected service to the state. With
time, these services of the general practitioners were taken over by
many branches of the NTMI.
Currently NTMI branches have been established in Nugegoda, Kandy,
Galle, Hambantota, Kurunegala Ratnapura, Badulla and Anuradhapura
covering almost all provinces other than the Northern and Eastern
provinces.
Services of franchised general practitioners have been taken over by
these Institutes and the Ministry of Transport could now expect a better
and dedicated service directed to bring down the rate of road accidents
due to driver related causes by ensuring not only the physical and
mental fitness of drivers, but also by promoting proper driving
attitudes, road discipline and courtesy and also drawing clients’
attention to their other health problems and directing them for
treatment, by a team of doctors dedicated for these services.
Furthermore, these medical institutes are not only financially
self-supporting, but also contributes millions of Rupees to Government
coffers.
Hence, I am at a loss to understand the rationale behind the Health
Ministry’s proposal to duplicate services to the Ministry of Transport
by establishing a special unit for ensuring fitness of drivers, when the
Department of Health is unable to provide an efficient health service at
the central and peripheral levels for treatment of the sick and provide
services to the mothers and children. It is anyone’s guess, whether this
proposal is a result of living in the bliss of ignorance or megalomania
with a gross superiority complex or other interests.
Deaths and debilitations caused by road accidents rank high in causes
of mortality and morbidity in Sri Lanka. According to statistics, an
average of eight deaths and 64 cases of injuries occur daily, and a road
accident is reported every eight minutes. This indeed is a reason for
concern at the highest national level.
Had it not been for the war against the LTTE terrorism, national
effort should be directed to fight ‘Road terrorism’.
A national programme to bring down the high rate of road accidents
should be a concerted effort, headed and co-ordinated by Ministry of
Transport, aided by NTMI, Department of Health, Police, Judiciary and
Department of Highways and other organisations directed to improve
quality of drivers.
In this dire situation, it is a pity that the Ministry of Health and
Nutrition has taken a one sided decision to duplicate an existing
service, adding confusion to the minds of the prospective clientele -
the driver population.
It will be of national interest if the Minister of Transport,
Minister of Health and Nutrition, officials of the Ministries and
representatives of NTMI and the Police Department formulate a national
programme directed to bring down the increasing rate of road accidents.
PINSIRI
Kandy
There are written and unwritten codes of conduct in diplomatic
representation. Trespass of these guidelines is never acceptable nor
etiquette. (Reference DN April 12).
As the quotation goes: “A diplomat is one who lies for his/her
country.” There is no licence anywhere to lie about the country to which
accepts their credentials.
Strict rules also apply to the rules of engagement in war. What has
happened in recent times is that there is aberration of rules, which is
tantamount to tolerance by default. The diplomatic immunity is no
exception to adherence to rules of honourable conduct.
VICTOR CHERUBIM
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