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What a timely thought! The Sri Lankans are prudent enough to wisely
launch such a prospective scheme not only within Sri Lanka but also
outside of it. (Reference DN June 04)
Why I say this is because we the expatriates living in Australia or
any other country will buy Sri Lankan makes or manufactured items
whether it is apparels or food items or whatever it is, we will keep on
buying them so that the exports from Sri Lanka will bring in more
foreign exchange.
Most of the westerners too love hot food from Sri Lanka. You must
visit our Sri Lankan restaurants in Melbourne to see how they (Aussies)
love their hot curries.
Let us get together and make a concerted effort, sacrifice our
comforts for a better future of Sri Lanka.
Francis Kurukulasuriya
via email
Britain has more than 4 million closed-circuit security cameras, more
than any other Western democracy (Reference DN June 01). Police say the
average Briton is on as many as 300 cameras every day, usually unaware.
Why? to observe and protect citizens against terrorist attacks.
Britain used SAS assassination squads to eliminate suspected IRA
terrorists. Britain has rounded up many suspects and held them without
trial for long periods even before the London bus bombs by Muslim
rebels.
Many of their citizens in the Irish areas simply ‘disappeared’ and
were also abducted and tortured when they fought the IRA: a relatively
harmless group of rebels in comparison to the effective, deadly,
ruthless, single minded terrorists.
I wonder if Keith Vaz will like to explain the egregious and
duplicitous conduct of her Majesty’s Government during their long war
with IRA rebels and their post-London bus bombing policies of rounding
up people.
MANO RATWATTE
USA via email
In expressing personal views on late President R. Premadasa in the
Daily News of May 1, P. L. N. De Silva the poet, journalist and diplomat
is found caught desperately trying to walk on tight ropes.
Observance of Sil and meditation do not glimpse evidence of piety or
sincerity of purpose on a politician in the typical brand of Premadasa.
His ‘Gam Udawa’ was essentially a colossal wastage of funds, time and
energy which he never cared but for his own personal glory and ego.
Every year his birth day was vibrant ‘Gam Udawa’ was sure to pageant!
Readers may not misquote me as hurling rebuff on the deceased, when his
true past is portrayed in replying to Mr. De Silva. I venture to
identify Premadasa as a dictator in design and a politician, sinister
and vindictive in vision. His ‘one man show’ prevailed throughout.
How ruthlessly he got rid of reputed journalists, army cadre and
leading personalities is atrocity of the first order. His political
opponents within own ranks and without shivered during his region of
terror.
There were true politicians both in ruling and Opposition parties,
who did render a yeoman service to the poor and the down trodden, some
such leaders have risked their lives and served jail terms for the cause
of workers’ and peasants of this country unlike Premadasa who pivoted on
publicity and propaganda.
Premadasa no doubt took steps to relieve the poor, but in most
ventures he was penny wise and pound foolish. I challenge P. L. N. De
Silva to quote any President or such a world figure who has had procured
vast sums of treasury funds, large quantities of ammunition, weaponry
and such other positive facilities to the enemy ranks of one’s own
country.
Premadasa was the only solitary world dignitary who resorted to such
ignoble and treacherous acts and betrayed the Armed Forces and
Sovereignty of this country without the knowledge of the Parliament.
He nursed, nurtured and unrolled the red carpet for the LTTE, our
national enemy at the expense of the poor tax payer. Yet he is an
honourable man! He sent back IPKF which could have broken the backbone
of the LTTE. This was positive advantage to the LTTE.
However, the majority sympathises on his unprecedented fatal exit at
a massive May Day rally. Some argue that it is his own seeking while
some others attribute this tragedy to retribution. We one and all record
his untimely passing away, in our hearts with intense grief and shock
even today.
Our Executive President succumbed to at the hands of the deadly LTTE.
However, some still strive to lull them in the cradle of care and caress
for parochial political issues. We all Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims,
Burghers and other ethnic groups were driven to the slaughter house by
the LTTE for the last twenty years. Premadasa and Rajive Gandhi were no
exceptions.
SUSANTHA S. EDIRIMUNI
Balapitiya
Congratulations and every good wish to the Minister of Higher
Education, Dr. Wiswa Warnapala for his well reasoned speech on higher
education and the role of the universities, published in the Daily News
June 2, 2007.
The Minster asks the pertinent question as to what the role of the
21st Century university should be and emphasizes the need for
universities to produce employable graduates.
He is absolutely spot on. As a university teacher myself, I could
fully support the Minister’s views and confirm that employers are
increasingly seeking employable graduates from universities.
Recently, as a member of a graduate faculty of a Montreal University,
I attended a seminar on Assurance of Learning (AoL) conducted by two
American professors. The objective of the workshop was for the
participants to recognize the importance of assurance of learning and
its application in demonstrating student learning.
There is a growing trend in the university educational process in
North America which shifts the focus, from evaluating the pedagogic
skills of teachers to the degree of learning acquired by the graduate.
In other words, the level of assurance a university has that the student
has learnt what was expected before he graduates and seeks employment.
At its very core, the basic philosophy of AoL is that employers now
look for certain qualities in young graduates in addition to the diploma
they carry with credentials of knowledge in a specialized area of
education.
Some of these are leadership, communication, empathy, teamwork,
reflective ability and multiculturalism. It is very encouraging that Sri
Lanka has such a forward thinking Minister in charge of higher education
DR. RUWANTISSA ABEYRATNE
Canada via email
I fully agree with the above letter by Ms. Sita. Actually spitting on
roads should be prohibited. Spitting on roads and public places easily
spread diseases if someone tramples it.
On each and every road there is full of spit, phlegm, betel spit.
This is done in the middle and every nook and corner on all roads. It is
very apish and vomitish to see this in the morning.
In Colombo city there are many small food outlets. all the foods are
left open, flies sit on the dirt and then on the food thus causing many
diseases and polluting the whole environment. Therefore this should be
taken as a very serious matter. This should be taken as a first step
where cleanliness is concerned and put a stop to spitting in public
places.
Then our roads will be at least a little cleaner. Authorities
concerned, please take steps to prohibit spitting in public places as
done for shopping bags and smoking.
ROSSANA SARAM
Kandana
Many of us do not realize the wonderful healing qualities of honey.
It is an excellent wound healer - not only large ones, as I wrote some
time back, but even small abrasions. Instead of running to the doctors
for small wounds and abrasions try some honey.
Specially the diabetics, who develop pruritus and have frequent
scratching of the skin which takes a long time to heal will find honey
doing the miracle of healing them in less than a day.
My cats often claw at each other that they have flesh wounds. I used
to apply antibiotic cream etc., and it used to take a long time to heal.
Now I just use a dab of honey and the next day they are as good as if
there has never been a wound!
Similarly, for stomachaches, nausea and diarrhea (loose motion) honey
is the first aid. Most of the time the stomach settles with one dose.
This is a medicine prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (Sal) and even the
Muslims have forgotten this wonderful remedy. In spite of being an MBBS
doctor, I use honey as the first choice in these situations in my
household and I am yet to find it failing.
No wonder it is so, for Allah says in the Quran: “There comes from
their (the bees) bellies a drink of many colours in which there is
healing for mankind” Sura 16: verse 69. Try it and you will be
pleasantly surprised!
DR. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI
Dehiwela |
