Greatly appreciated and approved of, the statement made by the
Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksha, to the effect
that, in this country there are only two groups i.e.: those who are
terrorists and those who are fighting terrorists, we applaud his
clarification, that he agreed with President Bush that, we are either
for terrorists or against terrorism.
We feel that, in the present circumstances of fighting in the North,
where terrorist Prabhakaran is making use of civilians, that the
overwhelming majority of people in this country wholeheartedly agree
with the patriotic sentiments expressed by our distinguished Secretary
of the Ministry of Defence.
We are further of the view, that the secretary of the Ministry of
Defence together with the skilled and sufficient heads of the Armed
Forces are capable of overcoming the terrorist resistance without any
foreign assistance or interference. Representatives of the senior
patriotic group consisting of the following;
R.S. Wanasundara - Retired senior pusine judge.
C.A.M.N Silva - Retired Army General.
G.D.C. Weerasinghe - Barrister-at-law and Advocate.
V.R.K. de Silva - Chartered Accountant.
W.K. Wickramaarachi - Company Director.
S.Ellegedera - Attorney-at-law.
J.C Boange - Attorney-at-law.
Y. Rajakaruna - Director - Youth affairs.
In the near future when terrorism is wiped out there will be a long
chain of ceremonies to felicitate and grant awards for gallantry etc. in
battle fields. This is a must, no doubt.
Apart from the awards given to service personnel there are others
whose services have to be recognized with awards. It may interest the
reader to know that Colonel Henry Steele Olcott was named a National
Hero of Ceylon only in 1967, which in 60 years since his death in 1907.
It is strange that it takes time to recognize the greatness of a person
and his services to the nation.
Colonel Olcott was instrumental in persuading the British rulers in
1885 to grant Vesak Poya Day a holiday to the citizens of Ceylon.
Similarly a few years ago Lakshman Kadiragamar, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs then, diplomatically persuaded UNESCO to announce Vesak Poya Day
an International holiday.
This is a magnificent achievement by an individual who was not a born
Buddhist as much as Colonel Olcott.
It is hoped that the authorities who are busy listing award winners,
will name Kadiragamar a National Hero of Sri Lanka for the silent
service to the Buddhists in the whole world.
G. P. Dhanatunga Kolonnawa
The adoption of the Republican Constitution on May 22, 1972 was an
epoch-making event that changed the monarchial system of Government
(absolute and subsequently constitutional) that existed for over two
thousand years in this country.
With the declaration of the Republic, the British sovereign who had
been installed by acceptance, over the Sinhala kingdom, by virtue of the
Kandyan Convention of 1815, ceased to be queen hereof. Consequently, the
Privy Council ceased to be the final Court of Appeal and all references
to the British Sovereign, in State documents and transactions together
with all vestiges of colonial rule became matters of history.
Thus, the significance and the importance of Republic Day should be
given its due place in the annual events of the country and should be
celebrated with all pomp and grandeur as India celebrates its Republic
Day.
After all, there was full independence for our land till 1815 and it
was only during a brief spell of 133 years, out of a period of 2,492
years of existence that, freedom was partially eclipsed; and that also
due to internal strife and problems, which resulted in the cession of
our kingdom by virtue of the convention of 1815, and not by conquest.
Clause 4 states;
The dominion of the Kandyan Provinces is vested in the sovereign of
the British Empire, and to be exercised through the Governors or Lieut-Governors
of Ceylon for the time being and their accredited agents, saving to the
Adigars, Dessaves, Mohottals, Corals, Vidhaana and all other chiefs and
subordinate native headmen, lawfully appointed by authority of the
British Government, the rights, privileges and powers of their
respective office and to all classes of the people the safety of their
persons and property, with their civil rights and immunities, of
according to the laws, institutions and customs established and in force
amongst them.
Clause 8 states;
Subject to these conditions, the administration of Civil and Criminal
Justice and Police over the Kandyan inhabitants of the said provinces is
to be exercised according to established forms and by the ordinary
authorities, saving always the inherent Right of Government to redress
grievances and reform abuses in all instances whatever, whether
particular or general, where such interposition shall become necessary.
The uprising of 1818 was due mainly to failure of the British
officials to honour the provisions of the Convention. Nevertheless, the
treaty continued in force, forming a part of legislative enactments of
1956, till the Republican Constitution of 1972 relegated it to a
historical document.
In the circumstances, the significance of the 1972 Constitution
cannot be overestimated, and due recognition should be given to it as a
National Day with due pomp and ceremony, as where a system of Government
which had existed for 2500 years, went through a radical change and the
last vestiges of colonial rule relegated into the dustbin of history.
J. C. Boange
I have been listening to Mahela, when ever he was interviewed after
matches and the very admirable tone in which he spoke needs
appreciation.
As a good leader he never tried to give excuses for failures but took
the responsibility with courage and in good spirits. He never put the
blame on other parties or criticized them. It should be a good example
for our political leaders or for that matter any leader.
Now also he has done the honourable thing. He has given the country
first place and not his place as Captain. A perfect cricket playing
gentleman. I wish him well in batting for many more years like our hero
Sanath.
D. P. Y. Abeywardhana Nawala
I’m a regular news-viewer of the State electronic media and I do not
fail to watch the English and Sinhala News.
What I’m very much worried about, is the carelessness or the
ignorance of Sinhala grammar of the news-presenters. I can point out so
many examples and witnesses for what I complain.
Most often the TV news presents Sinhala utterances or the expressions
are grammatically incorrect and are of linguistic errors. I don’t know
whether the news directors or any such responsible officer look into the
correctness and the language features of the news items, before the
broadcast.
Therefor I would like to suggest that all the journalists of the
State electronic media to learn Sinhala grammar without destroying the
Sinhala language and its noble features, any more.
H. L. Sunil Shantha Wadduwa Central College
Wadduwa
Animal lovers are immensely perturbed about the shooting down of a
leopard that infiltrated into the village of Kolegala in Ratnapura on
January 27th morning.
It is a well grown sturdy animal in full stature. It may be that this
animal haphazardously crashed into this habitable village whilst roaming
in the jungle.
The question is as to whether there was no other means of controlling
or incarcerating this animal and save its life.
At a time when rare species of animals are facing extinction this
type of animal destruction has to be viewed with regret.
A method of temporarily controlling this animal was to have shot it
with a tranquilliser gun and thereafter immediately tether it with a
nylon rope until the Wildlife Department officials appear on the scene.
The animal could thereafter be transported to the Dehiwala zoo or
release it to a jungle congenial to it. The leopard is a protected
animal and is the fauna wealth of this country.
The reason for the shooting is attributed as for the security of the
life of the community. In such instances all possibilities to safeguard
the lives of rare animals have to be probed into before shooting as an
inevitable step.
Hence I suggest that the Wildlife Department formulate some procedure
in this regard to familiarise the law enforcing personnel stationed in
borders of jungle areas to use tranquilliser guns and temporarily arrest
such harmful and dangerous animals before shooting them down as a final
resort.
R. L. Gurugamage Dodanduwa
I am compelled to write this letter to highlight the indifference of
the Pensions Department and the consequent trials and tribulations of my
sister. My sister was married to a Sri Lanka Air Force Officer. Her
husband died in 2007 in the U.S.A.
While it is nearly one and a half years since the demise of her
husband and she has submitted all the required documents to the Pensions
Department through the Sri Lanka Air Force, the matter of the pension
has not yet been regularized.
Initially, after the submission of the relevant documents, the
Account and Divisional Secretariat Negombo, the officer concerned wanted
my sister to appear in person before him to authorize the payment of the
pension. As she was a resident in the U.S.A. and not in a fit state of
health to travel, she obtained a certificate from the Sri Lanka High
Commission in New York confirming.
A. The death of husband’s date and place
B. That she is the legal wife
C. That she is presently resident in the USA
While she submitted the letter issued by the High Commission and also
requesting that the pension paid to her Bank Account at Bank of Ceylon
Negombo, the payment of the pension has not yet been regularized.
The long and unprecedented delay in approving the grant of pension is
not understood. My sister did not wish the pension to be remitted to the
U.S.A. but paid to her Bank Account at the Bank of Ceylon.
Ranjini Samaraweera Kandy
Reference Sunitha Sahayam’s letter (22.01.09) wherein she says “The
Word of God says Faith is being certain of what we do not see.” This is
quite contrary to what late Pope John Paul II said as reported by Joe
Jenkins in The Telegraph, London Group 1998 of 17.10.98 in his Encyclica
Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason) “Faith and reason are like two wings
on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of Truth.”
This wise understanding of ‘Faith’ by late Pope John Paul II is in
keeping with the advancement of science, avoiding conflicts between the
Church and Science and to believe in such findings rather than have
blind faith.
It is due to blind faith that late Pope John Paul II at the
commencement of this millennium sought pardon from God for sins
committed by the Church in the name of God and cited the case of Galileo
who was persecuted.
G. A. D. Sirimal Boralesgamuwa
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