Gratitude

President Mahinda Rajapaksa opened the 'Ranajayapura Ranaviru' city at Ipalogama, Anuradhapura last Monday. It was one of the largest housing schemes to be undertaken by the Government. The complex comprising 1,509 housing units spans over 180 acres. It is equipped with a school, a hospital, a playground, carpeted roads, IT centres, a supermarket, banks and many more facilities. Each house is in a 10-perch land and is worth Rs 2.5 million. The total cost of the project was Rs four billion.

This is the nation's gift to war heroes and an expression of gratitude. It was built with contributions from the Api Wenuwen Api Fund. This is only one of such projects that are being undertaken by the Government under a special plan. The total number of housing units to be constructed under the plan is 50,000.

The housing projects are only part of the welfare measures undertaken by Defence Ministry and the Government. Besides them there are special rehabilitation centres, projects for the manufacture of artificial limbs etc. It is opportune here to note the contribution of the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the over all guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in making the project a success.

All these show that neither the nation nor its leaders have forgotten the war heroes, to whom the entire nation is grateful. It is the soldiers in the trenches and the battle lines that braved enemy fire and inclement weather and bore the brunt of the war often at tremendous personal sacrifice. Their bravery and valour is yet to be fully recorded.

The nation owes it to them to record for posterity a detailed account of their sacrifices and valour for the benefit of the future generations so that they would be remembered for ever. It is a pity that the real history of the three-decade old war has not been written and analyzed yet. More books have been written on the short episode of the Indian intervention and the role of the IPKF than on the role of the Sri Lankan Security Forces.

Perhaps it would be feasible for the Kotelawala Defence University to undertake research and present the saga of the war in its entirety with the assistance of the academia and experienced military leaders. It would be a single contribution of immense value to the struggle of the peoples the world over against ruthless terrorism. Then Sri Lanka's pioneering role would remain engraved in the annals of world history.

A bovine chalk circle

Most people are aware of Bertolt Brecht's Chalk Circle or its local version the Caucasian Chalk Circle by Henry Jayasena.

Now a similar story is heard from Elpitiya in the south. Like in the Caucasian Chalk Circle there are two claiming paternity to an offspring. The only difference is that the offspring is not human but bovine.

It is only natural that the mothers, the genuine and the pretender could not have come to court. Yet they were driven to court by their owners, two dairy owners. One was from Elpitiya. The other was from Pathiraja area.

Of course, the magistrate could not deliver the same judgment as in the proverbial drama. Luckily, modern science has come to his rescue. He has ordered a DNA test to find the maternity of the buffalo calf that is claimed not by the mother and a pretender but by two dairy owners.

Had there been no DNA testing facility what would have been the verdict of the magistrate? Could he have cross-examined those who were introduced as the mother? Imagine the commotion in the court room that would have ensued.

Anyway it is advised not to take this as a precedent for, then every thief could come to court with all types of animals and there would be not only bovine chalk circles but also canine and feline chalk circles that would take the wits out of our honourable magistrates.