Tribute to war heroes

The move by the Defence authorities to streamline compensation payments to the next of kin of fallen War Heros is a commendable move which, while serving as a great morale booster to the men doing battle is also bound to act as a catalyst in the Government’s current recruitment drive to swell the ranks of Security Forces ahead of decisive battles planned for the near future.

According to our front page story yesterday Cabinet approval has been sought for categorising the nature of deaths\disabilities that soldiers on the battle field so as to ensure all deserving cases are included in the compensation scheme.

Hitherto there had been long delays in the payment of compensation on behalf of dead or disabled soldiers due to ambiguity vis-a-vis the nature of such deaths.

Rectifying such anomalies the Defence Ministry has at the outset decided on the restotion of 25 per cent of the salary hitherto deducted when paying compensation to families of dead servicemen. This no doubt would be a great solace to them especially to those with many offspring.

Forces’ families would now receive compensation in instances of death/disability sustained in operational areas, brought about by sudden illnesses, fatigue, road accidents, death/disability caused by collapse of bunkers, drowning, lightning, snake bite and death\disability resulting from friendly fire. Suicide is the only exception.

Prior to this the range was restricted leading to much heartburn among solider families whist also entertaining misgivings among prospective recruits.

This expansion of the net to determine eligibility for compensation would certainly inject fresh vigour among the Forces march towards accomplishing their noble mission in the defence of the Motherland, secure in the knowledge that their efforts would not be in vain.

This coupled with the overwhelming response from the country’s corporate sector to the appeal for contributions by President Mahinda Rajapaksa towards the 50,000 Housing project for servicemen in Ipalogama is but an indication of the growing appreciation of the role of the Security Forces to rid the nation of the scourge of terrorism and an endorsement of the political leadership given to the current war effort.

Cinematic icons

Two longstanding veterans in the cinema circuit on Wednesday were accorded a special felicitation by the Tele Artistes Guild for their unique contribution to the development of cinematic art.

One of them was outstanding cinematic photographer Andrew Jayamanne and the other Iranganee Serasinghe. The spotlight of course was on Iranganee who could be rightly described as the grand dame of the Sinhala cinema.

A large gathering of film personalities of the present and past graced the event which in a way mirrored the generation gap and the changing face of the Sinhala cinema. That Iranganee’s cinematic career had spanned over half a decade and is still a lively presence in the industry indeed is a tribute to the endurance and adaptability of this outstanding personality to suit the changing landscape of the local film scene.

Steeped in English literature and drama Iranganee certainly brought with her a breath of fresh air into the nascent Sinhala cinema that was heavily influenced by the South Indian film genre. Although playing largely supporting roles there was always an aura, poise and a quiet dignity about her which set her apart from her contemporaries.

This was also an invaluable aid to her ‘character’ portrayals on the silver screen which she was famous for. Her rich diction of dialogue and the grasp of nuances of her characters was an enriching experience to the perceptive audiences.

Her characters stood out to such an extent that they often even overshadowed the portrayals of the chief protagonists of the film and made her a household name among the viewing fraternity.

It is indeed gratifying that film personalities of this calibre are being feted and brought to the limelight at a time when the Sinhala cinema has lost its moorings.

It is hoped at least these rare glimpses of our unique stars of yesterday such as Iranganee would open the eyes of panjandrums of the local cinema to strive for quality and perfection if their productions are to be accepted by discerning fans.