The CFA collapsed many years ago when the LTTE violated this sacred
Agreement more than 10,000 times.
Bus loads of innocent people including women and children were
murdered by blasting bombs.
Paddy farmers were deprived of water by locking sluice gates and the
people's elected Government was subjected to misery and ridicule by the
LTTE terrorists.
The limits of endurance and tolerance could not be stretched any
more.
The Government officially withdrew from the CFA. That was the will of
the masses.
The battle field is re-opened now in the Mannar, Killinochchi,
Mullativu districts in the North and Prabhakaran should come out of his
hiding burrow without further delay and courageously face the onslaught
of the real liberating armies of the democratic Government in the battle
field, as a bold leader instead of acting cowardly blasting defenceless
men, women, babies and schoolchildren in buses, trains, shops etc. in
areas far remote from the battle grounds.
The people are hopeful of a lightning end to this war against
terrorism and a dawn of islandwide peace very soon.
D.M.N. DISSANAYAKE,
Gampaha
The seventies always brings happy and memorable memories of the
Silver screen, and the man who sang his heart out to millions was Jothi.
Jothi during his hay days was not much appreciated, as usual in Sri
Lanka most of the good things done by a human is only appreciated when
he or she dies.
The inborn talents of Jothi are evidently seen at any musical
concert, be it Super-star or Ridi Reyek. I would openly say Jothi haunts
any musical event held in Sri Lanka, and even upto today, we have not
found a good substitute for him.
There were three nightingales who partnered Jothi during this era and
they are the evergreen Angeline Goonetileke, Latha Walpola and Sujatha
Attanayake, as they too sang their hearts out to all music lovers of Sri
Lanka.
I would suggest that these three singers should be honoured and given
due credit especially when they are living. The singers of yesteryear
were born singers who had inborn talents and music in their blood, as
they all came up the ladder in the hard way.
I humbly request the Minister in charge in collaboration with the
head of the Film Corporation to honour and give due credit to where it
should be given, even at this late stage.
LI KUANG SHU,
Kandy
When patients who had taken treatment from private consultation or
who had been operated on at the private hospitals go to the Government
hospital, some doctors and nurses scold them severely. Most patients do
not know their rights and they return with heavy hearts.
A patient has a right to go to any institution, Government or
private, he prefers to. He also has a right to change the institution as
they see fit.
It is ethically wrong to refuse treatment to a patient just because
he has been treated previously in a private hospital.
Similarly, some doctors treat patients like dirt just because they
took treatment from another doctor. Because of this, often patients hide
the treatment they took earlier or the investigations done previously
leading to unnecessary expenditure.
A doctor who finds fault with the patient for having seen another
doctor is suffering from inferiority complex.
Some other doctors get offended when the patient seeks a second
opinion from another doctor. This is just the expression of their
inferiority complex. On one hand, a doctor should realise that if he/she
is good at her field, second opinions will only enhance his/her
reputation.
On the other hand, every human being is likely to err now and then,
and it is only fair that we give the best chance for the patient as
treating them, unlike any other profession; it can be a matter of life
and death or at the least it may mean health or disability.
As much as the doctors must change the attitude, the patients too
must realise their rights.
They have a right to demand the doctors to treat them in Government
hospitals irrespective of their past history and no doctor has a right
to bark at or insult the patient.
Though it is true it can happen in any other field, the medical field
requires that much extra compassion and kindness.
DR. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI,
Dehiwela
Judging by the members in the present interim committee for cricket,
I am sure we are on our way to win the next World Cup. Arjuna, you can
do it.
People make the difference.
Good luck and best wishes!
NADESON
I wish to reply to couple of issues Kumara Soysa (DN Jan. 19) had
raised - one regarding the Bible being 100 per cent God's words and the
other calling Jesus Christ as 'one and only begotten Son of God.'
Many people experience great difficulty in believing that the Bible
is actually the 100 per cent Words of God. Some individuals entertain
sincere doubts concerning its divine authenticity, accuracy and
reliability. This is a common dilemma which not only affects Christians
but others as well. Many reject the Christian argument that the Bible is
the inspired Word of God on the grounds that this claim is simplistic,
shallow and intellectually unconvincing.
Here is one good example. If one compares the Genealogy of Jesus
according to Mathew 1:6-16 with Luke 3:23-31, there are very serious
discrepancies. The genealogy from David to Jesus have 27 generations
according to Mathew. But, according to Luke, there are 42 generations
with only four names that are common to both the lists.
Certainly, these words cannot be inspirations of God as it is not the
true nature of God to inspire contradictions. We can agree that the
Bible contains the Words of God but it is probably less than 5 per cent
and it is obvious that the genealogy is not one of them. I would
strongly encourage people to read the Bible and make their own minds up
as I have done.
The Bible uses 'son of God' very often but they are used as a term of
endearment, not to be taken literally. To back my assertion, in Psalm
2:7 David was called as the begotten son of God:
I will declare the decree: "the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my
son; this day have I begotten thee."
Here is a verse from the Holy Qur'an where Almighty God addresses the
issue of divinity of Jesus. He said: O People of the Book (Christians
and the Jews)! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah
aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a
messenger from Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a
spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say
not "Three": desist: It will be better for you: For Allah is One God:
Glory be to Him: (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong
all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a
Disposer of affairs. (Qur'an 4:171).
TUAN RIZA RASSOOL,
USA
All outdated advertisements, billboards, buntings and hoardings
should be removed immediately from important highways and roundabout
junctions as it is misleading the public.
The organisers of all such advertisements should remove such
misleading news items immediately. Failing which, a penalty be imposed
to the parties concerned.
M.I.M. MUDASSIR,
Colombo 10
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