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In ancient times different forms of capital punishment were
implemented for various criminal activities.
They were by hanging, stoning, throwing into a pit containing of
ferocious lions for murders committed.
Dissenters were often burnt or torn into two pieces. Doomed prisoners
were sometimes tied to four horses which were driven apart, wrenching
the prisoner's body in the process. For treason, it was hanging and then
beheading the body and then there was the direct guillotine method too.
Those merciless punishments were inflicted for committing crimes,
involvement in insurgencies and acts of treason not only to agonise them
but also for others to realise their gravity.
We hear of criminal activities daily, sometimes the whole family
being killed simultaneously, murdering of females of whatever ages after
being raped and slaying of victims of abduction, if kidnappers are
unsuccessful in getting a ransom.
In some instances, the killers are unknown or abscond and the
suspects arrested spend a few years in prison protection. Among them
some live in comfortable buildings bastions for themselves with the
connivance of some prison officials.
While the family members and the near and dear ones of the victims
lead a sorrowful life, specially in a family where the breadwinner's
life was plundered or of a blooming flower's life that was crushed by a
rapist.
Therefore, the Government should implement the Capital punishment to
those who annihilate the lives of others without pardoning or showing
them no clemency at all.
Carnage and all sorts of bloodshed could be witnessed daily in our
land which had some sanctity in the past.
Hitherto, men of letters have expressed their opinion through the
columns of newspapers encouraging the Government to impose the death
sentence due to escalation of criminal activities.
Nazly Cassim,
Colombo 13
Recently I visited the Labour Commissioner's office in Narahenpitiya.
Most of the visitors to this place are people over 55 years to get their
EPF or the poor dependents of EPF contributors.
The entrance itself is so crowded and people have to handover their
mobiles to the security guard. I don't see the logic of not allowing
mobiles inside. You can request the people to keep the mobiles switched
off or in silent mode. But what harm if they take the phone in.
In more security alert places such as Bank of Ceylon Head Office
mobilies are allowed after checking. Sometimes some departmental heads
do things for the sake of doing.
The lifts are out of order most of the time and in my own eyes I saw
some old people climbing the stairs for six floors panting. Coming down
you rarely get the chance of coming in the lift and you have to climb
down. Very few chairs are there and most have to keep on standing for
hours.
Particularly, where the elderly have to come why can't our planners
think of buildings with lesser number of floors? Another area of concern
is the attitude of the officers working there. They care less for those
who come to meet them.
Their attitude is that of people coming to them begging for money.
They must be made to realise that most of the visitors come to collect
their hard earned money which has been deposited with them.
It will be nicer for the Commissioner himself to look into some of
these harassment the people undergo for himself and to do some training
for his staff to change their attitudes. Another weakness I noted was
that you have to handover the National Identity Card to the security and
carry a visitor's pass.
Easily any one can impersonate another person at an inquiry as the
Inquiring Officer does not have any way of verifying the identity of the
person who is appearing. Some method needs to be developed in this area.
Why can't they send the person with the NIC after verifying the
identity of the person who is entering?
I sincerely believe two days of personal involvement of the
Commissioner and his able deputies will make a world of a difference at
this place.
One example he could draw on is the Passport Department. What a
change it has been.
No wonder this department was declared the best public department.
KF, Moratuwa
We are a democratic country and human rights are highly valued. But
can anyone threaten the public openly, that he will use his gun provided
by the State to threaten anyone who crosses his path or can anyone
brandish a gun against a rival?
Can they use Parliamentary privileges outside the House and in
public? If a normal citizen enacts an identical episode will he/she go
scot free?
Sunil Thilakaratne,
Ratmalana
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