The entire nation should feel proud of the unique achievement of
young Thusara Edirisinghe for his successful experiment in running a
motor car on plain water that is easily found everywhere.
It is encouraging to learn that he has travelled to Anuradhapura and
back using three litres of water. It has been reported that the Prime
Minister who met this talented youth at Temple Trees has extended the
fullest support of the Government to this venture.
The Government certainly has a duty to act fast as it has been
reported that several foreign companies have approached the inventor to
buy the technology. In the past, there have been several reports of
various talented inventors of Sri Lanka coming up with new discoveries
in various fields.
It is however unfortunate that most of them have ultimately gone into
oblivion. Neither the relevant Government authorities nor the private
institutions in the related fields have come forward to assist and
promote such ventures.
They simply have died a natural death. Numerous such flowers have
bloomed and withered away in the wild uncared for.
Let not the same sad fate befall this wonderful invention of Thusara
who is destined to become a national treasure especially in the present
context when the entire world is reeling under the fuel crisis.
It is also important to provide him adequate personal security as
there can be threats to his life from numerous vested interests, both
foreign and local.
D. ATTANAYAKE
- Dehiwala
The articles on the beginnings of the Sinhala race are very
insightful and interesting (DN July 11 and 28).
These are very balanced, legitimate and rational views, together with
acceptable historical facts and legendary beliefs which give the origins
of the glorious heritage of the Sinhala race.
It is a relief that these articles can bequeath a better perspective
on reality to the newer generation of Sinhalese.
However, it is embarrassing to see that the few preceding generations
would rather dwell in the fairy tale and folklore of legendary beliefs
to substantiate their existence.
With each race in our land disgracefully using ancient disputable
documents of mythical sagas, one wonders if this is not the ultimate
origin of racial conflict in our nation.
It all goes to show the level of malevolence passed around by Nazi
ideologies, which even today has a drastic and adverse effect on
sensibilities - each race and caste, especially in our land, scrambling
to prove a superiority over each other.
It is also obvious that ever since the advent of the British in our
land, the psychology of their divide and rule policies were well
employed to create divisions between our races - much to their amused
contempt.
Every race has its own folklore of supernatural (cum technical)
flying structures either across land masses or directly to the moon and
stars.
Each race has its legends about a great and powerful beast which gave
life to its own humankind. Consider the tales of the ancient American
Indian, Ancient Chinese and Ancient African.
The difference is that there is a greater and absolute realisation
that these tales are merely creations of the ancient mind, or if there
is some doubt that these stories might indeed be authentic, they are
totally unnecessary to the progression of the life as it is known now,
and for its future generations.
DNA studies to establish the origins of races and eventual racial
amalgamation cannot, and will never be an exact science. It can be
equated to the study of astrology, but at more menacing levels.
Its readings can only suggest possibilities and speculations, but
rather like the study of finding proof of a universal creator, will keep
going eternally backwards in progeny.
DNA studies will never take into account effects of historical
ramifications of mankind due to the use of the gun to control and
destroy, among all its other depravities.
Furthermore it can be misused and manipulated by controlling forces
intent on only protecting its own niche of social inhabitants.
It seems that higher intelligence and IQ quotas belong to those who
precisely used their intelligence for the greatest of human warfare.
These very high intellect beings on the other hand have shown a very
little evidence into producing the great philosophies of religious and
cultural beliefs, but only used copied structures to contort and use as
an excuse for killing and massacring.
In the chronicles of history, it has been seen that when the better
of mankind realised the enormity of their thoughts and actions, these
enhanced beings decided to live in peace and bonding, leaving aside the
over stimulation and the over-stress of their senses to produce
societies of equanimity.
The Sinhala race with its philosophies and religion should thus feel
proud of its generations of yore, of which its heritage was somehow
destroyed and mutilated by the uninsightful and unimaginative forces of
foreign rule. It’s not too late to turn back the clock.
RAMONA THERESE FERNANDO
- U.S.A.
Recently my daughter went with a friend of mine to get her identity
card. Since she was born in England, the procedure included visiting
many more officials than otherwise.
When she returned, rather dejected, she had one question: why are all
these officials so morose? Why do they have to be so lackadaisical and
so unhelpful?
They could not be bothered to help the people. It was not only to
her, but to everyone who comes there. Aren’t these officials supposed to
spend their time on people all day? Then should they not be well
experienced when it comes to people’s relations?
The lack of eye contact, the complete apparent apathy to the people’s
cases, the disgruntled almost condescending behaviour and grumpiness was
evident in all the ‘important’ officials, from the Grama Sevaka upto the
Assistant Commissioner of Immigration.
The peons ironically were much nicer and offered smiles and words of
sympathy over the longevity of the process of getting an ID, while their
higher-ups remained with faces drawn with dissatisfied frowns and
responded quite rudely, accompanied with grunts and waves of hands.
The women were not any more sympathetic. Possibly these officials
were having bad days, (all of them? not likely) as all of us do many a
time at work, but does that give them the right to take it out on the
people who come for their aid, the people for whom they are paid to
serve?
One official, made a mistake concerning a document, and thus caused
my friend and my daughter to return to his office again, so that he may
amend it, he did not so much as offer an apology; simply nodded vaguely
without even looking at them, no eye contact made, and even went so far
as to yell saying they should get back in line, despite his own error.
I must say the offices of most of them could be maintained better.
When I happened to go to a Grama Sevaka, I found him sitting in a small
part of a room without a fan, where the rest of the room was filled with
boxes and what not, and the people have to queue up in the narrow
doorway.
He kept shouting and scolding as if he was doing them a favour. The
hall outside was huge and empty.
Why not sit comfortably in the hall, give the people numbers, make
them sit and see them pleasantly? If one does not like his job he should
give it up without making himself and others miserable. The public has
no option but to bear up all the ignominies as there was no way the
matters could be got done through any other means.
In a land where the people on the road are so friendly, the Sri
Lankan smiles what brought us back from England, and where brochures to
the tourists boast of excellent hospitality and wonderful service and
bright smiling faces, it is quite a paradox to see such putrid and
disorganised conditions in Government offices.
It is quite an ordeal to go through an entire day with all the people
around you behaving quite rudely and to be treated as though you are the
dirt under people’s shoes.
Why don’t these officials learn the art of the simple smile? By
simply smiling, they will make a world of difference; the system will be
tolerable, if not moving faster- the customers will be happy and the
officials will make it pleasanter for themselves as well. It is a far
better solution, than to cause frustrations and ruin people’s days with
such incredibly non-hospitable service.
Please smile - it does not cost you a cent but it brightens up
other’s life.
DR. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI
- Dehiwela
The people in Ihala Manaveriya in the Puttalam District are badly
inconvenienced for want of drinking water and the Rantharu Samurdhi
Society in the area has made a number of representations to the
Divisional Secretary without success.
The people in the area appeal to the Divisional Secretary to repair
the only tube well which has been defunct for the past two months. They
also request the authorities to send them a water bowser to the area at
least once a week.
THILAK GANGANATHA
Mahinda Chintana in the aspect of highway reconstruction and
carpeting along with the side drain construction deserves a great
commendation from all road users and transport commuters.
As a consequent of the latest system of road repair and drain
construction, there is a great advantage from preservation of the main
roads. The rains and floods will rarely damage the roads because of the
new system of road making. The roads will be protected from the overflow
of the water.
Let Mahinda Chintana benefit all the new projects in the country.
M.Y.M. MEEADHU
- Kandy
To reduce weeding cost on coconut and rubber plantations, both mature
and immature establish pureria covers. This cover is very easy to
establish, and once introduced, spreads very fast smothering all weeds,
thereby giving a fresh and pleasant appearance to the plantations.
However, once fully established, requires to be kept under control to
prevent same from being a hinderance to routine works on these
plantations, mainly those connected with the harvesting of crops.
Accordingly, to keep the above covers under control at all times, I
recommend rearing sheep at a ratio of ten to fifteen animals for a
twenty-five acre estate.
With the introduction of animals for the above purpose there would be
an additional income while shrinking expenditure on weeding achieving a
duel advantage for the owner, thereby eliminating the engagement of
labour and machinery for controlling same which is very costly.
T. WANIGESINGHE
- Kurunegala
This is my reply to someone whose heart is said to have sunk when
Ajantha Mendis called for a Sinhala interpreter. In 1979 I watched the
Wimbledon Women’s Tennis final between US star, Chris Evert and the
Czechoslovakian, Martina Navratilova. Martina won the match.
At that time she could not speak a word of English. She only spoke
Czech and through an interpreter answered the questions asked by the BBC
Sports Editor.
She did not feel ashamed for not being able to converse in English
language and no Czech expatriate in the UK moaned that his heart sank in
disgrace.
Also in 1985, I witnessed the Wimbledon Men’s final between German
teenager Boris Becker (17) and the South African, Kevin Curren.
Becker won the men’s title and spoke in German through an
interpreter. In that case, too, no German heart sank in disgrace for not
being able to master the English language.
Even now, there are many foreign footballers playing for UK Clubs
earning millions of Sterling Pounds but speak only their mother tongue,
not English. No one laughs at them nor recommend crash courses for the
players to learn English.
Only in Sri Lanka, does the Sinhala man think that it is a disgrace
if one could not speak in English. That is sheer ‘heena manaya’
(inferiority complex).
This pathetic servility to the white master’s language is the bane
befallen our Sinhala race.
DAYA ANANDA RANASINGHE
- London
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