|
With the break-up of the ceasefire and the war claiming lives again,
I am trying hard to grope at the ropes of ‘Hope’. However, hope we
must have, if we want peace in the future for us, our children and
their children.
Today I watched two programmes on TV that gave me great hope for
mankind that love, tolerance, outreach and care is still around us.
I want so desperately to pass this on to Sri Lanka and hope my dream
of a united and peace-loving Sri Lanka will become a reality.
For the Government and politicians who do not want to share power
and wealth, for the terrorists who do not want to share God’s land
that belongs to all, for all those of different religions, languages
and cultures who only look out for their personal gains, I hope they
will look at the larger picture and welcome all Sri Lankans as their
equals and thereby become compassionate and peace-loving people. May
we put Sri Lanka first.
The first programme I watched was on Andre Rieu as he performed at
Radio City Theatre in New York. His orchestra comprised people from
all over the world.
He made special mention of this and also stated that he enjoyed
performing in New York because he felt New York was the world’s most
multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-language spoken city. Yet
people seem to understand each other and there is the love for
people. He said that music is the common denominator of all people
and those that love music, love people and a peaceful world. I
thought of Sri Lanka and have hope.
The second programme I watched was Nelson Mandela on World Aids Day.
There were over 50,000 people at the big music festival that he
organised. People from all walks of life, all colours and ages were
there. He said that music brings people together. I thought of Sri
Lanka and have hope.
If Nelson Mandela could have abolished apartheid when he became the
leader of his country by treating those that abused and jailed him
as people that could be loved, I am positive that Sri Lanka can
overcome her own apartheid by being willing to learn the two ethnic
languages and having tolerance for those different from us in
language, religion and culture. Mandala did not take revenge.
Instead he rose up to become a man that is loved by the white
community. He was sincere and brought the country together. I hope
that with sincerity and honesty, those in power and those terrorists
will put their weapons and words aside and rise up to give us, the
innocent civilians who want a decent lifestyle of peace and harmony,
a country that we all will be proud of.
We all must have hope and try to do our small part in a united Sri
Lanka.
RANI THEEPARAJAH
Canada
The transportation of containers during the daytime by container
carriers is a common sight in Colombo and other major crowded
cities.
This is a practice that should be abolished as early as possible.
Readers would remember how a container carrying cases of beer and a
passenger bus collided near Bentota and a large number of passengers
in the bus were killed in the fire that ensued. Container carriers
are too large to be allowed to travel on roads which have only four
lanes and full of speeding vehicles like private buses. Besides
given the present security situation in the country, terrorists
could use containers strategically to launch attacks in crowded
areas in cities.
The only solution to the problem is to enforce regulations that
allow container carriers to travel only between 9.00 pm and 6.00 am.
I do not know, if there are any traffic laws already in place
limiting the times of travel for container carriers, but if there
are any, these are not adhered to presently either by operators or
police.
Container carriers normally carry commercial good in bulk and cannot
be considered as carrying goods for emergency situations except on
rare occasions. Therefore, these should be made to travel only
during night when there is less traffic and more space on the roads.
Police and officers from local authorities could be empowered to
check on the movements of containers during daytime.
JEEVANANDA DE SILVA
Ratmalana
I have just read your account of the plans to send a young elephant
to solitary life in a zoo in Armenia, and I urge you to abandon this
plan.
Here in the United States, after years of effort that spread
nationwide, the Anchorage (Alaska) zoo has finally released its
elephant to a sanctuary in California. Because of freezing winters
in Alaska, she had spent five months every year alone in a concrete
cell. Summers were not much better, in a small dirt enclosure.
Though well cared-for, she was lonely and depressed, suffering loss
of muscle tone and Vitamin D deficiency. Now she has 600 acres and
the company of other elephants. You may see her joy on the webcam at
http://www.pawsweb.org/web_cams.html.
Please protect your elephants and other wildlife from export to
climates and conditions that are unnatural for them. They have
hearts and minds like ours and deserve their freedom. In the U.S. we
continue our efforts to release elephants from the distress of
captivity in zoos and circuses.
PHYLLIS ELLIOTT
Reference ‘Stop tinkering education’ by Dr. Tara de Mel published in
a weekend newspaper.
Although Lalith Athulathmudali was keen in promoting tri-lingual
proficiency in schools and making it compulsory for Sinhala medium
students to learn Tamil and vice versa, we are still short of
teachers to teach languages in schools as per the University of
Colombo study funded by the GTZ. What action did Tara taking during
her tenure as Secretary Education, promoting Lalith’s mission.
Sixteen years have gone since Lalith left education, but we are yet
to see the fruits. At least let’s hope the new Secretary of
Education Nimal Bandara would fulfil Lalith’s dream by having S/T/E
streams with Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim students together in our
schools, paving the way to communal harmony, ending the war.
At the present rate, Universities/National Colleges of Education
train teachers competent in Sinhala/Tamil, this country will never
be able to achieve its mission in language education. Teachers, work
books, syllabi, training material to teach a second language must be
provided by the State, allocating a fraction of the war budget. All
INGOO can come forward to help the Education Ministry to make our
schools tri-lingual, if they have a genuine wish/will to end ethnic
conflicts.
KANCHANA PERERA
I wish to highlight the noble service rendered by the staff of the
Intensive Care Unit attached to the Cardiac Thoracic Unit of the
Lady Ridgeway Hospital, in upholding the virtues of that noble
profession to give life and solace to the tiny-tots who are brought
to this unit for surgery and treatment.
All those parents who have gone through this ordeal of subjecting
their infants to surgery for correcting the congenital heart
defects, will not fail to appreciate with gratitude, the commitment
and dedication of the surgeons and the nursing staff of the
Intensive Care Unit.
I, as a witness once, of this ordeal, wondered whether they were
angles sent from heavens to attend on these innocent babes.
On each bed was a child all covered with wires and tapes and
life-giving machines all around the bed caringly looked after by a
doctor and a nurse, round the clock, monitoring the patient’s
heart-beat, pulse, pressure and what not, for days, weeks and
mouths, until the little patient is free of all fetters, wires and
machines. In this modern age, where everything is commercialised and
politicised we can be satisfied, that there are some people in some
corner of this earth, who are silently working for the benefit of
humans, with a human touch.
Finally I would like to pay a special tribute to the chief surgeons
and anaesthetists for their patience, concern and dedication.
LAKSHMIE OBEYSEKERA
Dehiwala |
