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Development, emotional security
and promiscuity
A glass of milk a day will help in keeping many a
disease at bay and President Mahinda Rajapaksa, by making
provision for this among our school-going population, has
focused sharply on a principal requirement of development. That
is, the empowerment of the person in the truest sense of the
term. The useful practice of providing our youngsters with a
glass of milk was allowed to die out over the years but there is
no denying that milk could go a long way in sustaining the
vitality of the human person. Hence, the advisability of
resuming this important dietary practice targeted at the younger
generation.
Besides the health implications of the glass of milk every
day, we are reminded by the revival of this practice that it is
the person who should occupy centre stage in the development
drive. One could be glad that the authorities have not lost
sight of this essential aim. For instance, on the occasion of
the launching of the reconstructed ‘Daha Ata Wanguwa’ roadway in
the hill country, President Rajapaksa said that the country’s
expanding road network would, among other things, help to bring
people together and facilitate greater person-to-person
interaction, particularly among our citizens of the North and
South. That is, the final aim is human development and current
infrastructure-building has this as one of its most important
ends.
It is important that the polity keeps these objectives
clearly in mind. That much spoken of per capita GNP of this
country would amount to nothing if it does not translate into
greater personal contentment among the citizenry. It is relevant
to remember that personal emotional security is an integral part
of contentment. If development, as usually understood, does not
bring about personal contentment in the true sense, we wonder
whether development has indeed been achieved.
Physical infrastructure development must be persisted with,
because, in the absence of this factor, we wonder whether the
citizenry would be enabled to pursue avenues of employment which
would help in their economic sustenance. But this requirement
should be balanced against the need to ensure the emotional and
inner stability of the people. In other words, without holistic
personal development we wonder the ‘development drive’ is
yielding substantial results.
For instance, it is all too clear that the more vulnerable
groups among us are coming under increasing physical assaults
and abuses of numerous kinds. Two such groups are women and
children. While this proves that a lot remains to be done in
terms of ensuring the security of these groups, we are also
reminded that there are quite a few sadists and other offenders
out there in the public who need to be treated for emotional
instability.
These are issues we cannot hope to turn a blind eye to if we
are to forge ahead on the road to human development. If
increasing sexual promiscuity among some is helping to spawn who
are callously referred to as ‘unwanted children’, then, the
conclusion is inescapable that sexual morals are on the decline
in some quarters, besides, quite a few individuals, both men and
women, not being in a position to effectively handle their
emotions. In short, emotional stability is lacking in some
sections and they need to be helped.
Unfortunately, the unprecedented exposure of almost the
totality of Lankan society to proliferating forms of the mass
media is proving to be a factor in increasing sexual promiscuity
and emotional instability. It was only yesterday that we
front-paged the story of a man in the provinces who made a
living off pornographic videos which featured, among other
things, schoolgirls, some apparently in their school attire.
Besides such highly harmful material from the viewpoint of
sexual morality, the law-abiding public has to also contend
against a splurge of videos and kindred devices which glorify
violence and brute force but which are legitimized as
‘entertainment’. Needless to say, these influences have a highly
deleterious impact on impressionable minds.
We are not making any categorical and definitive statements
on these issues. They should be the subject of further inquiry
and discussion. Clearly, we cannot be complacent about the
harmful impact some forms of the mass media have on the human
consciousness. If holistic personal development is what we are
seeking, then, we need to think more than awhile on these
questions and take appropriate action to remedy the ills in
question. |
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François Hollande: the change France needs
François Hollande won a stunning victory, not
just for himself, as a man who spent much of his career in the
shadow of others, nor for France, but for the left in Europe, too.
With the governing parties who preached austerity under attack from
a voter revolt on Sunday – in the Greek elections, where the extreme
right was set to win enough votes to enter Parliament; in
Schleswig-Holstein, where the vote of Angela Merkel's coalition
partners, the Free Democrats, collapsed – the breakthrough of the
left in France was a huge achievement and, just maybe, a turning
point.
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Reminiscences of Gold
Hitting a high note with Hollywood glitterati
Lakshman Joseph de Saram is the composer of the
2012 Columbia Pictures film ‘Bel Ami,’ and is one of the few South
Asians and only Sri Lankan to share the main creative credits for a
major Hollywood film starring some of the world’s biggest names.
Lakshman was born in Colombo to Sita de Saram and Sooty Banda. His
mother was a teacher of music and a sculptor, and his father was a
newspaper columnist. The household he grew up in was hardly
‘average.'
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Implementing the Supreme Court Order on ‘Accessibility’
On April 27 last year, the Supreme Court of Sri
Lanka paved the way, for a formidable and sustainable national
economy and an enhanced human rights image - two imperative needs to
take Sri Lanka to the next higher level.
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Consultative Committees for livelihood, awareness and social
activity
A further series of Divisional Seceretariat
Reconciliation meetings was held in Mannar and Kilinochchi Districts
on April 24 and 25. The first two in Madhu and Musali saw
participation by a large number of Grama Niladharis, while helpful
information and ideas were provided by Education and Health and
other officials. A representative of the International Organization
for Migration attended one meeting, and a peace educationist the
other.
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Sumathi Abeywickrema - a multi-faceted personality and devout
Buddhist
Sri Lanka has produced in this century a
brilliant band of supermen with a vision, mission and a mandate who
have by their sublime thoughts, power-packed words and dazzling
deeds attained immortality. To this select group belongs Sumathi
Abeywickrema, Attorney-at-Law, Notary Public and former Registrar of
Lands and father of Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Harsha
Abeywickrema who passed away recently at the age of 87 after a brief
illness at his residence in Pepiliyana, Dehiwela.
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