Bell tolls for Tiger leader

The writing is on the wall for Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as the Security Forces began tightening the noose around an already sinking LTTE with troops entering the last remaining Tiger bastion by capturing the Mulaithivu town on Sunday.

It is only a matter of time before the beleaguered LTTE cadres now bottled in to a tiny 360 square kilometre area in the Mulaithivu jungles will be smoked out by the Forces heralding the liberation of all territory held by the outfit.

It is certainly no mean feat to shrink a 15,000 square kilometre land mass area hitherto occupied by the LTTE to such a minuscule patch in a matter of 18 months since the Mavil Aru campaign and our Forces have achieved what was once deemed impossible which feat had even received world acclaim.

Military experts are astounded as to how such a victory against the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world was possible with the minimal collateral damage.

Our Forces carried out the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the letter by exercising great restraint in sparing the innocent civilians any harm. Victories would have been achieved much earlier if the Forces too undertook a Gaza type operation with the attendant carnage.

That the military went so far while being handicapped by the civilian factor is a tribute to the discipline and the tenacity of our valiant soldiers which even prompted the Indian Defence Adviser to describe Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka as the best commander of the world.

The role of the Air Force, Navy too should be equally commended. The precision bombardment of enemy targets by the Air Force greatly helped the foot soldier to move into enemy territory.

The indictment of floating arms vessels by the Navy coupled with engagements in mid sea thwarted LTTE sea operations and weapons smuggling. The STF too played a not inconsiderable role in paralysing LTTE strength together with the Police who manned checkpoints and helped in other ways for the success of the offensives.

The nation now waits in eager anticipation for the final bell to toll for the Tiger outfit which had caused untold destruction to life and property in over three decades of bloodletting.

More than anyone else though it will the people of the North who will feel the breath of freedom and redemption by the liberation of their blood soaked landscape from the grip of the most barbaric terror ever imagined.

It is the duty of all sections of the national polity, to put aside all parochial considerations and unite to effect a smooth transition of this war ravaged country to an oasis of peace and tranquillity where all citizens will be equal joined in a bond of unity, brotherhood, amity and concord, rising from the long horrifying nightmare that haunted this country all these years.

Another dengue epidemic

The dengue epidemic has raised it’s ugly head again with alarm bells sounded by health authorities following the rapid spread of the fever in the Western Province.

Chief Medical Officer Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said the CMC area alone had recorded 70 cases of dengue within the first half of this month with Modera alone accounting for 30 cases. He said the situation was serious in comparison to last year.

It is unbelievable that with so many local authorities functioning today - some overlapping each other - no viable steps have been taken to contain the sudden outbreak of epidemics such as dengue which is a direct result of polluted environment including poor sanitation that breed the dengue mosquito.

Statistics are issued each year on Dengue prevalence by the CMC like a manthram but regrettably it has been the worst offender contributing to spread of disease.

The ubiquitous garbage dumps, polluted drains and waterways snaking through the certain parts of the city, overflowing sewers, unattended gullies, pot holes etc. that collect water are a clear example of the general lethargy and negligence by the CMC.

Perhaps the internal strife in recent months of the country’s premier local government body had contributed to this sad state of affairs.

The CMC has already has a deterrent whereby residents and businesses who fail to clean up their premises of receptacles, containers and general pollution are legally prosecuted or fined. How far has this been implemented is anybody’s guess. But judging by the number of dengue cases reported from the city no headway has been made.

At least now the health authorities should get their act together and put in place a comprehensive dengue eradication program.

The campaign should be started in schools within the Colombo city and taken to all corners of the country. Civic groups too should take an active part by prevailing on the community to maintain a pollution free landscape. What is needed is a combined effort to fight dengue and other epidemics which may descend on the population due to their own negligent attitudes.