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Thursday, 28 February 2013

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Stop human encroachment on elephant corridors

That wild elephants are a symbol of wildlife and an attraction in our country, is clear by the large number of tourists visiting Yala, Handapangala, Bundala and other elephant habitats. The 2011 census had recorded 5879 wild elephants but that number is dwindling, with an average 150 animals getting killed each year. Shooting, poisoning, 'Hakkapatas' and being knocked down by trains attribute to this sad situation.

It is common knowledge that elephants need a large home range according to their forage behaviour, and spend about 18 hours a day feeding. It is mainly because of this reason, that the competition for land between man and elephant has arisen.

We see human-elephant conflicts mostly in new human settlements. The major conflicts have been in the Mahaweli project areas established in the 1970s. Many human settlements have been established in elephant corridors, which elephants have used to move and feed for years. These settlements are without any acceptable Environment Impact Assessments (EIA). Successive governments and private companies have implemented large scale development or business projects in high elephant density areas. Most of them do not come under the EIA. Most projects displace elephants’ home ranges, resulting in elephants raiding villages. This is very clear in the Hambantota District where recent development projects have chased away elephants from their usual habitats.

Although the Wildlife Department has adopted the electric fencing system to keep the elephants away, its effectiveness and longevity to a large scale depends on maintenance, which on the part of villagers is very low. Human encroachment on elephant habitats and corridors should be stopped. Proper studies should be done prior to development projects being implemented in these areas. There is no single solution for this problem. Therefore an integrated one that is flexible enough to be adjusted according to the locality must be developed.

HARSHI NADIE PERERA
PILIYANDALA


Dr. Subramanian Swamy and the UNHRC

I was happy to read in the Daily News the report on the statement made by Dr. Subramanian Swamy to the media on the eve of the UNHRC sessions. I have met Dr. Swamy on two occasions and he is indeed a great man with forthright views on many matters. People in India and in other countries pay heed to his words of wisdom and knowledge. I responded to Dr. Swamy's statement reported in today's Daily News by going to the Feedback Web Page, but am not sure if you received it. Hence I am repeating my response below:

'I appreciate very much the call made by the Janatha Party President Dr. Subramanian Swamy on the eve of the forthcoming UN Human Rights Sessions to take place in Geneva shortly where the LTTE rump and its insidious cohorts are trying to bring about a vote against Sri Lanka, by manufacturing absolute lies and trumped up stories on the war to eradicate terrorism on their soil. Dr. Swamy is held in high esteem not only in India but also internationally. This visiting professor of Harvard University has the guts to call a spade a spade which sadly is a rare quality among politicians of all hues and opinions. I am sure that member nations meeting at the UNHRC sessions will heed the saner voices of men and women of the calibre of Dr. Subramanian Swamy and reject wholesale the attempts of all those who are still trying to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka'.

Samuel J. Coilpillai,
Syraccuse, USA


Rizana with no justice nor pardon

As the Patron of the Nugegoda Housewives’ Association where we help the poor and the needy, I wish to state that all women of Sri Lanka share the grief and calamity that befell Rizana, a poor under-aged girl who was entangled in the clutches of a bogus job agency which went to the extent of even altering her birth certificate.

Agencies of this calibre should be highlighted, dealt with the law and duly punished. Rizana was a naive girl who went in search of riches to support her family. Poverty was the main factor. President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke on her behalf but to no avail; the millionaire of Saudi Arabia showed her no mercy. First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa visited the house of Rizana. The mother was deeply touched by the kind gesture of the First Lady who seeing the plight of Rizana's family, promised to build them a house and assured employment for one member in the family.

This is an-eye-opener to all women seeking employment as housemaids. It is important that we who hail from various religious backgrounds sympathize with those less fortunate.

Carmen Tillekeratne
Nugegoda


The mind of the religious extremist

I was happy to read the article by Lionel Wijesiri under the caption 'Needed a candid jaw-jaw'. Wijesiri walks right in the middle of the path and speaks neutrally. He requests all moderate religious leaders to come forward and stand against religious extremism. That is exactly what is needed today. Throughout history, people have perpetrated extreme violent acts in the name of religion – whether it be Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism or any other faith. Religious extremism is not good for constitutional democracy. We must stop thinking of democracy primarily in terms of elections. We must instead start thinking in terms of a full menu of democratic and constitutional freedoms, with tolerance for religious diversity near the top of the list.

As a moderate Muslim I assure you that religious extremism has nothing to do with the true spirit of Islam. Islam enjoined us to exercise moderation in religion but we gave up this moderation long ago. In Pakistan religious extremism was adopted as a policy of the state during the 1970s when the Muslims were fighting a proxy war for the US in Afghanistan.

The seeds of extremism sown at that time bear bitter fruits now. Even Muslims there are not safe in the hands of Muslims, let alone other religious minorities.

Some Muslims in Sri Lanka seem to have forgotten everything including the immortal message of the Quran and they refuse to follow ‘the beautiful pattern (of conduct) for everyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day'. Muslim moderates should stop dithering between 'to be or not to be'.

Nizam Azeez
Nugegoda


Need to check school vans in city

There have been many news reports of school vans being checked by the Traffic Police in various parts of the country for their “Roadworthiness”. But strangely this has not happened in the City of Colombo.

They have checked the vision of drivers, but not the condition of the vehicles.

I have observed that many school vans that transport children to school are not passenger vans but cargo vehicles, which have been modified with the installation of make shift seats.

In most instances the seats have been installed so close to each other that even children do not have enough leg space.

Some vans have shutters which cannot be opened as they are permanently fixed, while others which can be opened have their hinges broken; some of the doors too are broken and tied with rope. The tyres too have long passed their road worthiness and even the canvas could be visible

Its time the city Traffic Police spent some time checking on these vans.

Tilak Fernando
Wellawatte.


Do we need more hawkers in the city?

It was recently reported that the government has decided to shift the Manning Market to the Peliyagoda area and construct a modern bus station and a shopping complex there instead. It was also stated that there will be about 1,000 to 1,500 spaces reserved as hawkers' stands.

There should be a limit to bringing hawkers into the city. Hawkers are notorious for selling items short-weight and food items unfit for human consumption. President Premadasa was the first person to bring in hundreds of hawkers into the Pettah and Fort areas. Places on the pavements were given to them to erect small sheds as a result of which Citizen Perera had to walk at great risk on the road and not on the pavement. Each time they were removed from these places and given shops in designated areas, they came back to these very same areas and started business, renting the shops allocated to them by the authorities.

Just take a look at Pettah. The bus shelters outside the Manning Market meant for the public travelling along Galle road and Horana road have been taken over by hawkers who have constructed small shops selling mobile phones etc. Does it mean they can flout all the rules in the country and ply their trade?

It is only the Defence Secretary who can get these unauthorised structures removed as he will not bend to ministers representing a minority community who claim theirs is a community of traders. Law abiding citizens look to the Defence Secretary to enforce the law. Tilak Fernando.

Wellawatte

 

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