Seemingly, the humiliating allegations against our security personnel
who are serving in the UN Peace Keeping Force, is merely another news
report to the majority amidst us. But remaining passive in the face of
such a murderous blow to our birthdom (motherland) is in the real sense
of the world, a sorry sight.
Undoubtedly, as allegations are levelled, if our contingent in the UN
Pace Keeping Force contaminated the name and fame of motherland, those
who are responsible should be punished to the letter and should be
condemned publicly as traitors camouflaged in the noble attire of our
living gods-security personnel.
Significantly, this matter deserves profound analysis and sharp focus
in the light of the interpretation given, at hindsight, by JVP
Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa.
According to him, these allegations are not validated and yet remain
as allegations themselves.
Admittedly, here, in Sri Lanka there are scores of evidence to prop
up Weerawansa's claim. It is the ground reality that certain sections of
our media are levelling allegations against security and marring the
image of the country to consolidate the propaganda war of the extremist
Tiger terrorists.
It is the common knowledge that these media prostitutes are INGO
poodles and they who sell their souls in pursuit of dollars appease the
appetite of those NGOs by being mollycoddled at their hands.
Precisely, it is crystal clear that the majority of NGOs are wedded
to the course of the LTTE's ultimate dreamlike aspiration.
So in such a backdrop, Weerawansa's claim contains an eye opening
validity. If this conjecture is the bitter reality, as a country we
should offer a due diplomatic reciprocation against the venomous
animosity.
Really, unless proportionate counteractions at diplomatic level are
not taken immediately, the repercussions will be bitter.
CHAMARA NANAYAKKARA,
Baddegama
Retiring after 39 years service in the Sri Lanka Railways, as a Rail
Track Inspector, I now spend my days as a pensioner and ponder at
various episodes that occurred to me in my line of duty.
One such incident that came to my mind was an encounter with a wild
elephant between the Poonani and Welikanda railway stations when that
area was not developed.
I was the Rail Track Inspector stationed at Manampitiya and my area
was from the Gallalla Railway Station to Wakaneri which was a few miles
from the Poonani Railway Station towards Batticaloa.
During emergency situations, Track Inspectors were instructed to
patrol the rail track at night for safety of night trains and also to
inspect and check on foot patrolmen as they were bound to neglect their
duties. On this particular night, I started from Poonani Railway Station
by inspection trolley with about eight trolleymen who pumped the trolley
with myself seated in front.
These trollies worked by a leaver which is pumped manually by workmen
in turn and gathers a speed of about 25 mph or even higher when
travelling down gradient.
It was about 10 p.m. and there was a slight drizzle and the only
lights we had in the trolley was a carbide lamp which had a flare lit by
gas immersing calcium carbide in water.
We had just passed a village called Kadawatmadu and approaching
Pullearuadi which was a place where lorries and other vehicles
proceeding to Batticaloa stop to worship goddess Pullaru and break
coconuts etc. The rail track and main road runs parallel on this stretch
and track is on a embankment very much higher than the road.
After reaching the peak and travelling down gradient the trolleymen
relaxed releasing the trolley to free wheel down. Just at this time I
heard blaring of a horn by a road vehicle twice or thrice and we took no
notice of it, as it was not unusual. The trolley was now gathering speed
travelling down gradient and then I spotted a large shadow approaching
the rail track from the roadside climbing the embankment.
It did not take us many seconds to notice that the shadow was a lone
elephant excited by the horn of the road vehicle fleeing into the jungle
crossing the rail track. Due to the slight drizzle, the elephant was
finding it difficult to climb the embankment and the brakes in the
trolley was also not effective due to wet rails.
Although we in the trolley could not communicate with each other, we
knew that the trolley and the elephant was on collision course and we
could not do anything to stop the same happening. The only thing that we
all could do at that time was to shout. We did as loud as we can.
The shouting made the elephant climb the embankment and bolt through
to the jungle crossing the rail track not even glancing at the trolley
or the occupants.
The trolley speeding down the gradient half an hour later reached
Welikanda railway station and to our astonishment the Tamil gentleman
who was the Station Master was there to greet us with a cup of coffee.
He is dead and gone now and on a later date I asked him as to why he
was up that night when we arrived at Welikanda railway station on night
patrol inspection. The reply he gave me was that when he was about to go
to bed (his quarters were above the railway station) something spurred
him and he walked into the operating office of the railway station.
The young assistant railway station master on duty at that time had
then told him that the track inspector was coming from Poonani on
inspection and that my arrival is delayed for some reason.
The Station Master had then decided to stay till I arrived. This
particular Station Master was like a relation to me always advising me
on my work, family matters etc.
I am writing this to show no matter what race, caste, religion one
may be, there is always the human factor inside us which was
demonstrated by this Tamil gentleman. He is gone and his children are
there and I am sure that the qualities of the father must be there in
the children too.
NIMAL DUDLEY ABEYWARDANE,
Pita-Kotte
'Incident at Moratuwa Police Station':
My attention was drawn to your columns in the Daily News of the 27th
instant regarding the above. This is in response to the article written
by Ananda Jayasena Retd SSP.
I was just behind Eardley Perera PC when this incident occurred on
Christmas day far back in 1975.
At the very outset I must categorically state that there was no slap
aimed by the eminent lawyer. This is a fabricated version which Jaysena
says has been in the IB reports and if so, for whose benefit may I ask?
Your guess is good as mine.
More than being a famous criminal lawyer he was a perfect gentleman.
He is immensely prudent and is intelligent enough to act in various
situations. What really happened was, at the Moratuwa Police Station
when Eardley Perera requested to speak to the HQI (whom we all had an
acquaintance with), he was roughly told by the reserve Police
officer(telephone operator) that he was not in the station. Perera then
requested to speak to the OIC or a higher person present in the station.
In actual fact it transpired that there was no superior officer in
charge present in the station at that time. If there was a superior
officer on duty on that day this episode would have not taken place.
It was when he requested to speak to a superior officer was denied
that Perera requested the HQI be contacted on the telephone immediately.
The barked response he received was 'Who are you?' Then Perera
introduced himself. At the mere mention of Eardley Perera's name the
mood of the contingent of Police officers changed. Somebody re-echoed
the name of Perera to the other room and the assault in the inside room
stopped.
The cat was out of the bag. Perera then requested that he use the
telephone and took the receiver into his hand.
It was roughly snatched away by the Police Officer and replaced in
the cradle. But, Perera took the receiver back again and was dialling a
number.
At that moment the enraged Police Officer at the telephone desk
grabbed the baton hanging on the wall by his side and aimed a blow at
Eardley Perera's head.
The intention may have been to concuss him and place him with the
others who were receiving the treatment.
My reflexes were so fast and in that instant I almost automatically
jumped into the scene evading the blow and then got the treatment myself
while I was guarding my best friend as best as I possibly could from
receiving any blows.
What took place thereafter is history. Finally, due to the
magnanimity of this great personality we forgave the defendants and
decided to call it a day.
After all Jayasena in his appreciation article published in the Daily
News January 15, 2005 mentions that five of these Police Officers were
present at the funeral service of the demised Eardley Perera.
Facts are stubborn and remain so! The truth of the circumstances
should prevail.
Tony Jesudason,
Dehiwela
As per the latest reports available, around 75,000 coconut palms have
been affected by the above disease, destroying several plantations,
which is a very serious situation needing immediate attention.
This alarming situation confirms that the above position has not been
properly identified, thereby nipping it in the bud, allowing close upon
1,500 acres of coconut destroyed, involving many cultivators as well.
Unless immediate action is taken to control same further losses should
be anticipated in the ensuing months, thereby allowing same to spread
far and wide.
The above being a killer disease, there is no time to waste trying
experiments similar to the mite attack which kills only the crop and not
the plantation.
Accordingly, I suggest that foreign assistance is obtained to
identify and to combat same without further delay, thereafter officials
of the CRI and CCB are deployed to advise and assist the cultivators to
identify the initial symptoms of this deadly disease, also giving wide
publicity through print and electronic media educating all concerned,
thereby minimizing the damage caused as far as possible.
Unless immediate action is taken as above, this popular commodity is
bound to go beyond the reach of the common man, due to the scarcity of
same, effecting the cultivators and the economy of the country as well.
TOMMY WANIGESINGHE,
Kurunegala
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