A timely proposal

An All Party Defence Committee on public security has been mooted by Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) leader Wimal Weerawansa for a more effective, coordinated effort to tackle the threat to civilian life in the wake of the spate of terror bombings witnessed all over the country.

By this it is envisaged to effectively mobilise political parties, civil society organisations and the public to ensure civilian security.

The leaders of civil society groups, professionals and other stakeholders too are to be co-opted into the proposed Advisory Council on Public Security with the Presidential Secretary and Defence Secretary at the helm. This is certainly a novel idea that should have been thought of before.

What the JNP calls a national agenda to ward off terror attacks in the wake of the imminent defeat of the LTTE needs to be given serious thought to by the authorities.

There is a need to come up with a solution soon to pre-empt strikes that are now being carried out with monotonous regularity not just in the city but in the outstations as well. The tight security cordon in the city has prompted the LTTE to shift its focus to the periphery going by the recent pattern of attacks.

It is hell bent on creating anarchy in the South as the last throw of the dice. The authorities should be up to the challenge.

The inputs of such a diverse and representative grouping to the proposed Defence Committee no doubt would help in a big way to identify loopholes which had eluded the security apparatus and what is more help the country fight terrorism as a united front.

The presence of political parties of all shades would for once help in approaching the threat as a unified force banishing the present tendency to play politics over tragedies.

Unity by the general polity is called for if we are to see this war to a successful conclusion. The Security Forces alone cannot bear the brunt of war and public cooperation is vital in this regard.

A Defence Committee of the nature suggested with a more active public participation would also lessen the strain on the Security Forces and help them refocus on the battle to annihilate the LTTE.

The joining of forces by political parties for this common objective would also help temper the fractious and acrimonious political climate in the country which too has contributed in no small measure towards the prolongation of the conflict.

Besides it would benefit by the sharing of specialised knowledge, expertise not to mention the diverse views of all parties which pooled together could lead to an effective blueprint to counter the prevailing threat.

Priority for health

The apathy by local authorities towards the spread of contagious disease was once again highlighted in our front pages yesterday where the plight of the patients struck with Chikungunya was brought to the notice of the Horana Pradeshiya Sabha by irate members.

According to this report Public Health Inspectors are showing scant concern to the rapid spread of this viral disease which is sweeping large areas in the Kalutara District that is barely recovering from the flood havoc.

What is more, hospitals are without injection needles and the patients are asked to bring them from private pharmacies. There is also a scarcity of PHIs in the area.

This is certainly a sad state of affairs and certainly health authorities ought to have been forewarned to take precautionary measures particularly following the flood devastation in the district, which is bound to bring in its wake sickness and disease.

The health authorities should at least now move in to check the deteriorating situation and ensure patients receive the optimum care. They should ensure that hospitals are equipped with the necessary vaccines and that disease preventive measures are in place.

Measures should also be taken to eliminate all risk factors by clearing up the flood aftermath that presents a breeding ground for disease.

The PHIs should be given stern warnings to apply themselves to the task and respond to public appeals.

Today it is no secret that many PHIs are corrupt and need financial inducements to perform their duties. Such bad eggs should be removed if the provincial health service is to run efficiently.