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A new Railway Station with rest room for passengers with all
facilities was built in Jaffna in 1962 during the same period when new
stations were built in Anuradhapura, Nawalapitiya and Kandy. This
replaced the colonial building built in 1905 when the railway line was
laid to Jaffna.
The new railway station was a brain-child of the legendary Chief
Engineer Vaithyalingam who designed it according to Dravidian
architecture in keeping with the environment and island platforms with
underground passage. District Engineer R. Ratnasingham was in charge of
the construction. Recovered rails were fabricated and used as beams,
saving a considerable amount on foreign exchange.
The building was damaged during the conflict, leaving only the
pillars. Presently, the high speed rail track is progressing and is
expected to reach Jaffna by 2014. With the on-going programme the land
value is rising and the best use must be obtained for the future
generations.
I would like to make a suggestion to the Transport Minister to submit
a proposal to the government to come to an agreement with a local or a
foreign developer, to build a multi-storied building on the railway land
designing it so that the lower portion of the building will meet the
requirements of the railway station and the upper floors to be a Tourist
Hotel owned by the developer subject to the conditions laid by the Sri
Lanka Railways to have a modern railway station by giving the land. A
similar proposal was made by Vailthialingam for the Colombo Fort Station
in 1964 but it did not materialise, due to the change of government.
B.B. Perera
Katubedda
The latest eruption at the Welikada Prisons has been taken up as a
serious issue by the Opposition which is directly accusing the
government for the deaths that occurred during the melee.
Having a very serious issue inside its own house they are peeping
into the irrelevant affairs of others. It is a known fact that handy
weapons, fatal drugs, harmful cannabis and even mobile phones are in the
hands of prisoners.
Certainly, such items have entered the prison with the connivance of
most of the prison officials. Therefore, to employ prison employees to
make search operations is a futile attempt.
It was a prudent decision to summon the Special Task Force officers
for this strenuous and horrendous task as the prisoners are great in
numbers and strong in action. So what is wrong in that operation? The
questions as to who ordered such a raid, whether approval was obtained
for such a search, why the STF should have been called in etc., are
totally unwarranted. The prisoners and for that matter anybody, need not
question the Prisons Department as to why such a raid was arranged and
conducted. The former should have only obliged the STF to make its
search and arrest suspects or those caught red-handed with regard to any
prohibited items. If not for the prisoners’ unruly behaviour the search
operation would have smoothly ended. But the prisoners made the blunder
and as a result they lost their colleagues.
People of this generation are not Jesus Christ, to offer the other
cheek too when one is slapped. The STF was confronted with bullets and
bricks in defending themselves and they too had to reluctantly use their
fire power.
Lord Buddha said that one reaps what one sows. This incident shows
how those who were sentenced to death for committing murders met their
deaths. The words ‘Prisoners are human beings’ are displayed on the
prison walls. But we saw how these human beings turned out to be more
fierce than animals.
How would it be if the same number of STF officers were killed in
this encounter? Life is precious to everyone. But just for comparison,
is it of the hardcore criminals and murderers or of those who liberated
this country from terrorism?
Newspapers carried banner headlines stating 'Mini war at Welikada'.
If it was such, is it not funny for the Opposition to fish in troubled
waters? When they have other fish to fry, why shed crocodile tears? At
least, talk about the contemporaneous budget proposals, though it will
be a cake-walk in Parliament. After all, moss will gather if stones do
not roll. Hence changes are essential.
Nazly Cassim
Colombo 13.
The annual ritual of Muslims all over the world takes place without
any interruption from time immemorial. Thus, the eligible Muslim
individuals go to Mecca to perform their Hajj. To accomplish this
meritorious task every such Muslim needs to get ready for the
pilgrimage, annually. Whether it is a Muslim nation or any other country
where Muslims live as a minority, visa procedures are simplified as it
is a religious matter. But, in the recent past things have become more
complicated or impossible for pilgrims. As a result, a good number of
pious Muslims in Sri Lanka are unable to perform their Hajj.
This situation takes place only in Sri Lanka. Because, all travel
agencies form a cartel to set up and decide the cost of the pilgrimage
and they give justifiable reasons for the costs specified by them. But,
the reality is that it does not cost all that for the pilgrimage. True
hearted persons vouch that the cost is very slim.
It is learnt that travel agencies get more than hundred thousand
rupees per head. What a lucrative business venture travel agencies are!
When this is stated there certainly would be heated arguments from the
circle of travel agencies. However the only justifiable argument is that
the Holy Mecca and its surroundings undergo construction so the rent of
rooms goes very high.
Well, could anyone deny the fact that pilgrims never stay in hotels
or rooms throughout the day? It's a very limited number of days only
that the pilgrim spends there. Most of the day pilgrims stay out of
hotels or rooms. And even the cost for food and refreshment cannot go
beyond Rs. 1000/= per head. The travelling cost and other levies to be
incurred in will not reach Rs. 100,000/= per head.
Now, any average person could calculate the amount of cost to be
incurred per pilgrim out of their Rs. 525,000/= paid to the travel
agents. We ask all travel agents to touch their hearts and tell us how
much of money they actually spend per pilgrim. We do not say that they
should take all pilgrims free of charge. But, what we ask is not to
taste the sugar can with its root for the sake of its sweetness. They
must be fair and square. No travel agent will pay heed to this type of
criticism because their purpose is profit maximization in the concept of
market economy. But we strongly believe that the good office of the
Presidential Secretariat could intervene into this fiasco.
In the interest of future pilgrims who will spend their hard earned
money to accomplish their Hajj task with perfection, I make the
following suggestion.
There is a Jummah mosque in every nook and corner of our country. All
future pilgrims should register their intention to go to Mecca. This
task of registration should have its deadline. On the closing date of
this registration the number should be notified to the Muslim Cultural
Department. On obtaining the information of all such pilgrims the Muslim
Cultural Department should invite all travel agencies to bid their
respective real cost per pilgrim. The opening of all such bid letters
must be followed by the tender procedures laid in the financial
regulations of the country. I think that this procedure will fall in
line with transparency because the pilgrims in the respective Jummah
Mosques will have many options in selecting their convenient travel
agencies according to their taste and penny.
At this juncture, one may pose a question as to how the mosque could
determine its number of participants since there is a quota that is
decided by the Saudi Cultural Department. This is not going to be a big
issue at village level or mosque level. They all abide by the rules and
regulations adopted by them. The concept of Mashoora or by lot could be
applicable with amicable decision.
Anybody is welcome to revive this mode of pilgrimage because it is
the need of the hour. We cannot dissatisfy ourselves on the completion
of the pilgrimage. Most of the pilgrims are silent and they all leave it
to Almighty Allah even when they have been cheated. The monopoly of the
travel agency must be stopped. The cartel concept is the one that is
dangerous in the concept of open economy”.
It is fervently hoped that an effective service of Hajj Pilgrims will
be implemented for the sake of all future pilgrims so that there would
be transparency at all levels.
A.L.M.Amein
Nintavur
Myanmar Democratic Party Leader San Sui Kyi was on a trip to the USA
when a student asked her, "Are the Ruhangiyo's, citizens of Myamnar?"
and she replied, "I don't know". What an answer from a Noble Peace Prize
winner. I lost all the regard I had for her despite all her sacrifices,
for I value humanity more than anything else.
I quote Rev. John Donney who said, "I am not an Island to myself. I
am part of the Main. Any man's demise causes me pain as if I have lost
part of myself and I do not ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for
thee".
Will the leaders of international repute consider this fact and try
and stop human killings which go on day in and day out all around the
world? Women and children are victims of these attacks.
The latest from Israel... a family of 12 killed in Gaza strike. Where
are we going? Oh God! Whether astrologers are right or wrong, do punish
the wrong doers before December 12th. Will politicians please take note
of this?
Mir Omar Abdulla
Kolonnawa
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