CITIZEN'S MAIL
With reference to the article titled "Veera Monarawila Keppitipola's
192nd death anniversary unmatched valour and patriotism" in the Daily
News dated 26.11.2010 I wish to point out the distortions of the said
letter.
Sorry to note here that I got a chance to read the above letter today
31.12.2010 and I feel it is my duty to point out the errors as a member
of the Keppitipola family.
Distortions of history are not a style but a crime. The writer of
this letter is one Richard Busnayake.
The writer Busnayake has stated Monarawila Keppitipola was born in
Galaboda Korale, Keppitipola in Uva province and later he settled down
in Monarawila Village after he got married to a noble lady of an
aristocratic family named Delwala Kumarihami of Monarawila village.
So I wish to point out that Monarawila Keppitipola Dissawa was born
in the hamlet called Monarawila of Udugoda Pallesiya puttu in Matale
district.
The original ancestors of Keppitipola family hailed from Keppitipola,
Rambukkana of Kegalle district, in Sabaragamuwa province. Golahela
Keppitipola Dissawa the father of Monarawila Keppitipola had married a
sister of Ehalepola Chandrasekara Mudiyanse and lived in Monarawila
Walawwa Pallepola. Later Ehelapola Chandrasekera Mudiyanse's son
Ehelapola chief Adigar Married the elder sister of Monarawila
Keppitipola and lived at Ehelapola Walawwa, Kandy.
Delwala Kumarihami was not a lady from Monarawila. She was a daughter
of Delwala R.M. of Kegalle.
Monarawila Keppitipola was not the Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of
the Tooth Relic, Kandy. But his father Golahela Keppetipola was the
Diyawadana Nilame of Kandy and died accidentally. Thamankaduwa
Mahadisawa was the grandfather of Monarawila Keppitipola.
During the days that K M P Rajarathne was the MP of Welimada the
grateful people of Welimada of Uva province built a statue of Monarawila
Keppitipola and renamed Palugama as Keppitipola as a mark of respect for
the Rebellion of Uva in 1818.
We the descendants of Monarawila Keppitipola feel sorry for the
ignorance of the writer for his poor knowledge of Keppitipola's History.
Nimal Senaka Monarawila Keppitipola
I wonder why, the authorities do not round up, all these stray dogs
and cats, that gallivant on the roads. When they get run over by
vehicles and killed, their carcasses rot and stink, and are left
stinking no end, polluting the air for days, before they are cleared.
When we walk along the roads early morning, with pure fresh thoughts
breathing in the fresh cool air, after meditating and prayers, our
thoughts are polluted and it makes one to ruffle ones feathers, when we
see, dog and cat, faecal matter lumps all over the place, on our roads,
everywhere. The terrible odours we experience, when we go along some of
the roads in our country, makes us to close tight, our noses. What must
be the foreign tourists be think about our country, with dirt strewn all
over our roads, is, be a point to ponder! All this can mar the good
image of Sri Lanka, in the eyes of the foreign tourists.
Only the other day, I witnessed a tourist try to hit and escape, a
ferocious dog, which was attacking him. It is a real shame, that things
such as these, are allowed to happen in our country, which is going to
be, the hub of Asia.
One suggestion is, to have a 'Stray animal's home,' and look after
these animals there and not allow them to roam the roads and dirty them.
Stray dogs also get infected with rabies, and bite people often and
make them victims of hydrophobia, which is a dreadful disease, and such
victims, suffer immensely from this disease, which is, a terminal
illness. So, considering all said and done, it is very good if the
authorities will not turn a blind eye and deaf ear as usual, but
instead, bring Credit to the Government, by taking necessary action and
do the needful to fulfil this commitment.
Mohanlal de Mel
A senior citizen
I wish to bring to the notice of the concerned authorities and the
general public the sickening behaviour of bus conductors in this
country. We as peace loving citizens of this country tolerate and endure
this nasty uncivilized behaviour on a daily basis but pay for it through
mental stress and pent up anger.
The bus conductor should ideally be standing or sitting at the back
door or front door to give tickets to the commuters and help them when
they need some help to get in or get down from the bus. But what we see
daily is a different scene.
He walks from back to front inside the bus several hundred times
during a journey pushing and shoving rudely commuters at will. It is a
much uncivilized way of behaviour annoying all especially children and
ladies.
They should issue tickets from one point and then stand where they
are instead of running inside the bus several times rubbing against
ladies and children in a crowded bus.
At times it is also impossible to get down without their slippers
rubbing against your trousers as they sit on the bar near the front door
swinging their legs at will.
The authorities must take note of this and bring relief to the
commuters. I suggest the following:
* Bus conductors should be prohibited from moving inside the bus to
and fro to the doors.
* They should issue tickets at the backdoor when the passengers enter
the bus.
* They should be given periodical lessons on good behaviour and use
of civilized language.
* They should not obstruct commuters getting in or getting down from
the bus.
* They should wear clean and tidy uniforms and should not rub against
commuters.
Apart from this there are other issues relating to bus conductors and
drivers, but I wish to limit myself to this particular issue in order to
focus attention of this.
One day, a Chinese tourist who got into the bus and after seeing this
odd behaviour he shouted "why are you running inside the bus up and
down... are you a monkey!".
Over to you minister of transport!
Sszkhan
Sir Albert F Peiris Stadium, is one of the treasures of Wennappuwa,
where national and international sports festivals are held. This is the
only stadium with such a green lawn and sports facilities in Puttalam
District but the present deplorable condition of the stadium and its
maintenance is very pathetic.
The responsible authority is in a deep sleep and if we do not wake
them up from their unreasonable and irresponsible slumber, the parapet
wall surrounding the stadium will kiss the ground in no time and the
corroded broken gates will collapse. As a result this treasure will be a
haven for stray cattle and dogs. This is certainly an insult to Sir
Albert Peiris and all those who shed their honest sweat in construction
of such a large stadium for future generation.
Ajith Perera
Wennappuwa
Congratulations to the Government on its decision finally to bring in
the requirement of visas for all countries that demand visas from us Sri
Lankans. This is a matter that has been receiving attention to almost
every Government but none had the guts to take a decision of
reciprocity.
The Tourist Industry has been whining ever since the industry was set
up in the sixties almost all the time expecting governments to support
it. When they make enough money they go quiet but when they get affected
they seek 'bail out' packages.
If it cannot sell the country, (like hundreds of other countries do)
it doesn't deserve to be in the industry at all. Proper marketing can
overcome many obstacles but our Tourist Industry has been lulled into a
comfort zone by falling back on Governments to assist it all the time,
whereas in other countries, the private sector has to look after itself.
If the Tourist Industry objects to visas been demanded of foreigners
arriving here, it is only displaying the lack of respect that it has for
our nation.
The late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was one of those who
vehemently objected to the manner in which Sri Lankans were handled at
Visa Officers of foreign embassies and was also in favour of imposing
reciprocal systems. Unfortunately, this same Tourist Industry sharks
lobbied with the powers that be and stalked such moves.
I would like to extend my congratulations to the President and the
Authorities behind this move.
R de Silva
For the patients who are blinded by cataracts and unable to afford
their medical treatment, as well as to buy an intra-ocular lens, the
Social Services Department officers attached to the Beruwala Provincial
Secretariat are willing to render their help without hesitation. If one
needs an intra-ocular lens, this can be obtained free of charge by the
patient to insert, after the cataract surgery, on approval of an eye
surgeon attached to eye clinic of a Government General hospital.
But unfortunately, the surgeons at the eye-clinic of Kalutara Nagoda
Government hospital who are bound to perform the cataract surgeries,
arrogantly refuse to insert these precious lenses without any ground.
It is reported that most probably on many occasions, the needy
Samurdhi recipients are met with these harassment of unruly government
doctors.
C M Kamburawala
I was desirous of renewing my NIC 350220283V as it had withered away
along with my exterior with the affluxion of time. The details were also
obliterated. Moreover, I do not hold that much coveted staff rank any
more. It tended to be a misleading misnomer as I had bade Goodbye to
public service after forty four years which included a four year stint
beyond the compulsory age of retirement on Cabinet approval.
I had a lengthy surname which I had inherited and needed a coconut
matting (Polkola Pedura) in the colloquial jargon to scribe it. I am
eternally grateful to Shirley Amarasinghe Esq., the doyen of Civil
Service of yore for issuing Treasury Circular No. 394 of 18th August
1957 under the caption "Alteration of names" which rescued victims like
me and under which I sought refuge and changed my name and started using
it with effect from 30th March 1959. This circular categorically lays
down inter alia "No amendment of the birth registration entry be made at
all." Thus it is manifest that yours truly has used the present name for
well over half a century.
I submitted the renewal application of my NIC to the local Divisional
Secretariat. This particular Treasury Circular was not available
therein. Why oh why? The Honourable Minister of Public Administration
and his Secretary please take note. Isn't it an administrative lacuna?
Would you please make amends even at this much belated stage ! I managed
to obtain a copy of the same from the foundation house itself and
submitted it along with a duly certified translation into Sinhala and
was able to convince the officialdom at the Matara Divisional
Secretariat.
The Divisional Secretary Thusitha P Wanigasinghe Esq., was kind
enough to intervene and handed over the certified documents under sealed
cover for production to the Commissioner for Registration of Persons in
Colombo.
An outstanding trait of a mandarin of the day for which I am
grateful.
A nephew of mine having realized my rather hapless predicament
volunteered to offer me a lift to Colombo and back. A generous gesture
indeed. I presented myself before the Commissioner for Registrations of
Persons, Jagath P Wijeweera Esq., whose name I picked from the name
board. The affable benevolent bureaucrat viewed my humble presentation
full of empathy and sympathy and ordered the issuance of the renewal of
my NIC immediately and I did my duty by paying the stipulated amount
pronto. Within about one hour approximately I walked out of the premises
with the perfected document with feelings of eternal gratitude having
enthroned and enshrined him in my heart and soul. I hasten to offer my
tribute in sincere humility in the public domain to this compassionate
august personality to whom I owe a deep debt of gratitude.
If only others of his ilk follow suit this mundane world would
certainly be a better place to live especially for commoners like us who
are not manor born and not sufficiently equipped with political clout.
With the renewed NIC I walked into the Divisional Secretariat,
Matara, to obtain my Senior Citizen's Card. Within a matter of fifteen
minutes I received the duly completed and signed document. I had a
grievance on the same subject in my former locality of abode and I laid
bare the irony in the public domain through the bold and Forthright
Island Newspaper of 25th December 2007. What a contrast?
My own humble perception is that things are made much easier for the
hoi polloi under the directions of Lalith Weeratunge Esq., the ebullient
Secretary to His Excellency who exhorts public servants to perform their
duties with commitment, dedication and enthusiasm emulating the war
heroes who sacrificed their life and limb against all odds and ends
during times of turmoil.
I have come across such persuasive verbal inducements adinfinitum
umpteen times in the print media by the exemplary executive public
servant. Need I over emphasize that the exuberant Secretary to His
Excellency deserves kudos from the appreciative and grateful citizenry?
Nanda Nanayakkara
Matara
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