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Friday, 19 October 2012

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Government Gazette

Protection of elders and welfarism

The degree to which the Lankan state has been orientating itself towards welfarism is evident in two recent notable initiatives launched by it in respect of local elders, besides the numerous social welfare measures implemented by it over the decades. One is the proposed formulation of an insurance scheme for Senior Citizens. The second is the Ranaviru Mawpiya Rakawarana project which was flagged-off by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and which speaks volumes for the sense of gratitude of this country towards those elders whose sons and daughters made the supreme sacrifice in the theatre of war on behalf of Sri Lanka.

Elders, as in the case of women and children, are a highly vulnerable social segment. Inasmuch as women and children are increasingly imperiled by deteriorating local social conditions, our elders too are proving hapless in the face circumstances which are not of their creation.

For instance, more and more young adults are finding it hard to cope with their lot in the face of present economic trends and this is curtailing their capacity to fend for their elders, which was not the general case in times past. Accordingly, it should not come as a surprise if more and more elders are not cared for completely or are handed over to Elders’ Homes and the like in the hope that they would be fended for by these institutions.

Accordingly, some form of financial and material protection for our elders is most welcome and the obligation of the state is particularly pronounced in the case of those elders whose children laid down their lives for this country in the course of the 30 year conflict. Therefore these welfare measures with regard to our elders are most commendable and we urge the state to go more than the extra mile to ensure the protection and security of our children and women too.

To put things in a wider perspective, it needs to be mentioned that the issues related to women and children emphasize the importance of strengthening our Human Rights legislation and connected legal regimes. Besides, these sections of our population should be progressively empowered so that the relations of power in society would be tilted in their favour. Right now, power relations are structured to boost adult male social domination and this deleterious feature greatly weakens the local democratic ethos.

The provision of social protection requires a tidy sum of money and this could mean that equally important financial commitments by the state may need to be de-emphasized, but the state has no choice but to forge ahead with these social security projects. This is because welfarism has always been an enduring element of our philosophy of governance. Ours is a caring state and this aspect of Lankan governments is closely bound- up with the ethical principle of caring, which is rooted in our religions.

A popular belief is that no one in Sri Lanka dies of starvation. This is seen to be true and it is to our welfare tradition that the credit is owed for these strengths. Among other things, these notable achievements have enabled Sri Lanka to claim that she is a Middle Income Country. However, not many countries in the one-time wealthy West could claim that their vulnerable social segments enjoy a minimum level of social security today.

In fact, in some countries in the crisis-hit Euro Zone, more and more persons are turning up at Soup Kitchens, which provide the poor with a cup of broth. Not all these Kitchens are state-run.

We are seeing in these developments the importance of steering a middle path in economic policy and management. We cannot take a completely rightist path and give free rein to economic liberalization because it would result in a widening wealth gap and the gradual dispossession of the have-nots. On the other hand, we cannot follow a policy of complete state control of the economy because this would result in the strangulation of all economic enterprise. What should be chosen is a middle path, where free enterprise and social planning combine well, as is mainly the case today.

Anagarika Dharmapala, the greatest hero of modern era - Part II:

Regrets over not writing book on Buddhism

That is “I gave a few paragraphs to Devapriya”. No one had been able to find them. In one place he had written the following “I will write a book on Buddhism better than Paul caress and Susuki”. Apart from this, he built a Samanera Bhikkhu Centre at Isipathana. Most of the present day Bhikkhus of India had been resident there before. About 50 percent of the Samanera Bhikkhus had disrobed and returned to lay life.

Full Story

The Lotus Heart

The pair of slippers

As the soot clouds rose to the sky, Aravinda reflected about her life. The life she led was nobly impressive. Aravinda wanted to chronicle his mother's life. She was called 'lady' by many, because of what she had donated and built for the needy: hospitals, self-employment aids and other community service. She had no issue of funds, which were primarily drawn from her private medical companies. But that was not sufficient for her. She raised funds and got her associates involved too.

Full Story

Underwater Cultural Heritage; need to ensure effective protection

Over the last century, archaeological sites on land all over the world have received much attention as source of information on history of human civilizations. However, the oceans, which cover the large part of our planet, still retain many of their secrets without getting exposed to the world. Hence the richness of the world’s underwater cultural heritage is often underestimated. It is well known that there are cities which have been entirely swallowed by the sea and there are thousands of ships which have perished at sea.

Full Story

On the sidelines

BBC and Sir Jimmy Savile

The BBC is gearing up for claims against the organization of millions of pounds by sexually harassed victims of Sir Jimmy Savile, a well respected program presenter and a former disc jokey. He was involved in family television entertainment, popular music radio and also in raising funds for children.

Full Story

 

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