Slow strangulation of country
The slow stangulation of our country by the colossal waste of resources and human lives is of grave concern to all of us and unless a solution to this terrorist war is found urgently and brought to an end our country will bleed to death and make us so weak that we may be forced to yield to the terrorist demands. This may be one of terrorist strategies.
To save this country, there has to be determined and wise leadership and the two largest political parties should consider this as a National issue and work closely with mutual trust to resolve this matter. lt is my firm belief that as long as there is political division, the terrorists will try to get their maximum demands. When the terrorists are made to believe that in this matter, the two major political parties are completely united, the terrorists will realise that we mean business and will relent.
The political proposals put forward by the government some time ago known as the Package has been rejected out of hand by the LTTE and are strongly opposed by the Sinhala Sanvidanayas. Some political analysts of this package say that if the proposals in the package are implemented, it will be a forerunner to granting Eelam.
The enclosed proposals would be acceptable to all communities as they are designed to:
(1) Meet with the aspirations of the minority communities of actively participating in the National Legislature by Constitutional Right, whilst being directly involved in the development and administration of their respective Provinces.
(2) The constitutional Right of all citizens to live in any part of the country, own property, practice their respective religions and cultures without any hindrance and to live as one Nation - one family.
The main features of these proposals are:
(a) Sri Lanka shall remain a United Sri Lanka.
(b) devolving maximum political and administrative power to the periphery to enable the Councils to develop and administrate their respective Provinces without interference from the Centre.
(c) The de jure recognition as the Chief Minister who obtains the largest preferential votes of the people of that province. Thus the Chief Minister’s appointment will not be at the discretion of the President, but according to the preference of the people of the Province.
(d) The Chief Minister shall be invited by the President to join the Cabinet of Ministers
(e) The members of the Council will be the Members of Parliament of each Province. Those members of the Chief Minister’s party will be recommended for appointment as Provincial Ministers according to the preferential votes obtained and also their suitability. Here again the preference of the people will be given due recognition.
(f) The life of the Councils will be the same as that of the Parliament. The existing Provincial Councils will be dissolved and billions of rupees saved.
(g) The public servants attached to Ministries in Colombo can be transferred out to the Provincial Ministries and any vacancies could be filled from applicants of that Province, thus increasing employment opportunities in the Provinces. Colombo will be less congested.
(h) The need for Provincial Governors will be eliminated.
(i) Agriculture and industrial developments could be made on a planned basis on a Six Year National Development Plan based on Provincial budgets.
(j) Any disputes within Provinces could be amicably and speedily settled at cabinet level or parliamentary level
(k) This will reduce the number of Provincial politicians in the country and open the door for educated and respected citizens to enter politics.
These proposals may not be attractive to politicians because their numbers and powers will be curtailed. This problem has to be viewed as Statesmen and not as politicians.
P. S. Mahawatte
Conserving elephants
The intensification of the human-elephant conflict seems to have resulted in a spate of articles and letters to newspapers, offering solutions ranging from the pragmatic to the fanciful criticism of a wholly unconstructive nature and gratuitous advice. All this from various stand points, including that of an organisation whose energies are, or should be, devoted to the continued well being of the cart bull!
Jayantha Jayewardene’s recent article on what ails the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela and the solutions he offers to the problem of overcrowding and the shortage of mahouts is among the more pragmatic of the offerings. Clearly if there is overcrowding, Mr. Jayewardene’s suggestion, that animals in excess of the orphanage’s capacity for proper care be sold or gifted to temples or individuals who have the financial capability and expertise to provide care, should be taken seriously.
It is not too late for the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) and the Department of Zoological Gardens (DZG) to take note of what Mr. Jayewardene has to say, and immediately formulate guidelines for the disposal of the excess animals at Pinnawela, unless of course they (The DWLC & DZG) have found viable alternatives.
What are the viable alternatives?
— Release into the wild?
— Export?
— Culling?Release into the wild
Despite claims to the contrary, I for one, do not believe that release into the wild is a viable alternative.
In a recent letter to the editor of ‘The Island’, the writer, a Mr. H. Wickremasinghe of Galgava Mithuro, claimed on behalf of Dr. Atapattu of the DWLC, that it has been proved that elephants could be successfully introduced to the jungle in batches. If this is so I believe it is high time that the Director, DWLC or the eminent Dr. Atapattu places before the public and the scientific community the results of these releases into the wild, because upto now it would appear that the releases have been a closely guarded secret which the good doctor has shared only with Mr. Wickremasinghe. I believe we have a right to know what the fate of these elephants has been. Elephants are a part of our heritage and not anybody’s personal property.
If the releases have been successful and the methodology used documented, let the DWLC publish its findings. It will not only allay our fears as to the fate of these animals, and reconfirm the eminence of Dr. Atapattu, but also provide guidelines for future releases - reducing the pressure on Pinnawela and making Jayantha Jayewardene’s proposals redundant.
If on the other hand the releases have failed, as I fear they would have - otherwise why the deafening silence? - let us, elephant lovers, conservationists et al support pragmatic solutions like Jayewardene’s and help conserve the few elephants that remain lest future generations, perhaps even the next one, will have to travel abroad to observe these gentle giants.
Export
Elephants have been exported from this country for centuries. As an alternative to Mr. Jayewardene’s suggestions however it has fewer attractions. The only one of merit (as opposed to condemning the animals to lives of misery abroad in circuses and zoos), would be for breeding programmes; there is already a view (Chadwick, D. 1982) that the tuskless trait in Sri Lanka stems from natural genetic isolation of the islands population. Surely it is worth putting this to the test?
Culling
Culling is not really an option given our socio-religious background. If habitats continue to shrink, if safe havens like Pinnawela continue to be overcrowded and sale or transfer locally or internationally are not options, what is left? Culling, or the even more frightening prospect of extinction.
Nigel Billimoria
Mount Lavinia
The heroic Sinhalese rescuer at the awful fire tragedy in 1956 at Hanthana, Kandy
One of Ceylon’s now Sri Lanka’s worst fire tragedies occurred at Hanthana on the Kandy road in December 1956.
We were the first batch of interns at the General Hospital Kandy where we commenced our duties in March l956, and on that awful December day we were rudely informed of lorry loads of burnt victims admitted to the acute surgical ward. We all rushed enmasse, of course helped by all available doctors. As I recollect they were Drs. R. Ravindran, David Ratnavale, D. M. S. Karunaratne, all interns including myself, whilst the S.H.O.’s were Drs. P. Uduwala, Percy Deheragoda, S. Kalpage, P. Nadaraja, Andrew Nanayakkara, E. L. Joseph, V. Karunainathan and of course the kindest and most loveable of them all Dr. C. D. L. Fernando, some of whom are not in the land of the living now.
As I recollect now there was a wedding reception of a driver of the Hanthana Estate in a cadjan roofed house by the side of the road on a slight precipice what the back window opened on to a chasm. As usual all the female folk the women and the girls with the small children were cramped into this small building while the males were outside singing the baila and were consuming drinks mainly "Kassippu". Crackers and fire works were lit with the occasional "rockets". One of these rockets fell accidentally on the cadjan roof which went unnoticed. When all of a sudden this cadjan roof was ablaze blocking the only entrance. The whole area was wrenched with piercing screams of burning human torches. The bridegroom braved the burning entrance and rescued the bride dressed in all her glory in Kanjipurarn etc. while most of the victims were rescued by a Sinhalese driver who was almost 95% burnt.
The acute surgical wards were full, with these burnt victims, and all were given drips with required sedatives, Morphia and Pethidine around the clock for three full days. I cannot still forget the piercing screams of the burnt but conscious Bride, Shrieking away with all the other females dressed in all their finerym Benarese, Kanjipurams and Manipuries. And I cannot ever forget the chief clerk whose wife and five children were burnt, the breast fed baby in the mealie was later found roasted with the two year old infant in the burnt up building. The other three children died one by one and it was pathetic to witness the wailing of the bereaved husband cum father who lost his whole family in this episode. As we were occupying ‘`The Lower" medical quarters which was opposite the Mortuary, the mourning and wailing of the relations still ring in my ears.
Under the efficient and persistent care of the surgical teams led by Dr. M. H. G. Siriwardena, of course every one of the nurses, attendants, midwives and labourers all did their duty without a wink of sleep for at least three days and nights. All saline and glucose drips and sets, morphia and pethidine etc. were forcibly requisitioned personally by Dr. Ravindran for the immediate disaster treatment. But it was a pity as it left a bitter taste when there was a persistent "Query" by the then sleeping bureaucracy for not signing the requisition forms to satisfy their P.R.’s and F.R.’s (Public Regulations and Financial Regulations) when the required drugs etc. were forcibly requisitioned.
The death toll was twenty eight, of the bum victims and only a few survived. And it was an achievement that the Sinhalese driver who braved the blazing inferno and rescued several victims survived even though he had almost 95% burns. He was a hero, a Sinhalese who rescued the burnt Tamil victims, but it passed unnoticed.
In remembrance of most of my colleagues of the then Kandy General Hospital, who are now not in the land of the living and specially the victims of this Tragedy even though forty four years later specially the bride and the family of the chief clerk may all their souls rest in peace.
Dr. P. V. D. Fernando
The Kumar Ponnambalam I knew
History records many instances of brilliant sons of brilliant fathers. Sometimes such a son is over shadowed by the dominance and achievements of the father. Some sons match their fathers in ability and intellect, but the effluxion of time and change of circumstances in the political mileau, cribs and confines the sons horizon.
Such was the case with Kumar Ponnambalam. He could not strut the stage as his distinguished father did - neither in the legal sphere nor in the political arena. Kumar was born on 12th August 1938. He died by the assassin’s hands on the 5th of January 2000. He was a straight forward and outspoken man, exposing injustice without fear or favour, and an astute and bearing lawyer.
One begins to wonder whether it is fair to contrast the life of the son with that of the father who was undisputed leader of the Tamil community in his time. From fierce antagonism to the policies of the then Sinhala leaders he veered to pragmatism and joined the Government as a Cabinet Minister. As Minister of Industries he was able to initiate development schemes in the Northern Province including the KKS Cement factory. He was a selfless person.
As a student I had the opportunity of attending the public meetings of the father when he was Minister and also his election meetings.
Kumar was a simple man under his public veneer of aggressiveness. When I was a sheriff at the Colombo Municipal Council, I remember he often came to pay his taxes accompanied by his highly qualified doctor wife - I had the opportunity to speak to him on such occasions when there was no rush of work. I was greatly struck by his simple language and pleasant demeanour. When he was asked about his political future he invariably replied - "ask about the future of the Tamils and I shall tell you." Such was his concern about the future of his community. He refused to consider a future for himself separate from the community’s future. His enduring love for his community, was great. He did not have hatred for other communities. This I gathered on many occasions, when he even was able to spare a few minutes at the Town Hall newspaper vendor’s stand buying his newspapers.
Kumar’s simplicity in the midst of opulence stemmed from his belonging to a community that throws away the plate after every meal. That is, the plantain leaf. Homespun Tamils belief is that eating from the plantain leaf Is good for the eyes. Both his parents were from villages near mine and were from hardworking stock whose philosophy was plain living and high thinking. Kumar was a scion of that respected clan.
It is perhaps not generally known that Kumar was a keen cricket fan too, and was a regular spectator at most international matches. Cricket is a gentleman’s game and Kumar too had imbibed the qualities of sportsmanship which he displayed in his normal life. Helping so many who needed a helping hand was his hobby.
His untimely death was a great shock to all and the Tamil community mourned as if a brother had died. The large gathering from all communities at his funeral bore ample testimony to the regard and respect in which he was universally held. His followers and supporters sang the Hymn "Om Namasivaya Sivaya Nama Om" all along the funeral procession route to Kanatte. He leaves his wife and two children, a lawyer son and doctor daughter. May they be consoled by the fact of the multitude of tributes and gratitude to a great sire - a simple intellectual with a lion heart and the outspoken courage of his convictions. Those who make history have a place in it by right.
Our heartfelt sympathies are with his wife and children and we pray that Kumar may find happiness wherever he is and may his soul attain the feet of Lord Siva.
Thunalai Ponamthodam A. Masilamany
Baseless allegations the order of the day - why?
The above article which appeared in the Daily News dated 12th February has to be viewed with much interest as well as concern. While agreeing that attacks on artists cannot be condoned under any circumstances, the authorities should have no stone unturned to get to the bottom of this bizarre attack - that had been their view & may be their opinion as well?
But had the authorities taken prompt and impartial action, there would not have been any possibility or any need whatsoever for anyone to even attempt any blame on the Government? The question confronting all of us is - what action have been taken regarding the Wayamba election violence - where an opposition supporter, a female had been most shamelessly and disgracefully stripped naked on the road?
What action have been taken re the attacks on two peoples representatives - Messrs. Ravi Karunanayake and Alhaj Abdul Cader? According to what little information we have received - through the radio, press and the TV - several acts have been perpetrated against them where even the 3 accused or suspects taken into custody by the Gampola police have been released / bailed out by the police?
In case the "PA Media watch" feels that artistes should keep away from politics as much as possible, then the late Vijaya Kumaratunga appears to have made a big mistake? Certainly not, every citizen of this country has a right to get involved in the governing of this country - as well as the better future of our country.
Baseless allegations appear to be the direct result of the authorities turning a blind eye to all what is taking place in the country, as long as its to their advantage?
This is not the change or the democracy the voters expected from any party in power?
A concerned voter
Colombo - 05.
Refusal of bail
There is a growing tendency for suspects to be remanded without granting them bail even in bailable offences. This tantamount to a form of punishment even before a person is found guilty.
The guiding principle of the Bail act is that the grant of bail is the rule and the refusal to grant bail an exception.
If there are sufficient guarantees that a suspect would attend Court on the next date and if the alleged offence committed by him is a bailable offence, it will not be correct for bail to be refused.
The principal consideration in exercising the discretion of the Court in granting or refusing bail is the probability of the suspect appearing to stand trial and not his or her supposed guilt.
The Law states that "where a person other than a person accused of a non-bailable offence appears or is brought before a court and is prepared at any time at any stage of the proceedings before such court to give bail such person shall be released on bail." This would mean that bail shall be granted in a bailable offence as a matter of right.
The law also requires that all instances of refusal of bail should be accompanied by reasons for such a decision. One wonders whether this is being followed in all cases.
It is most unfortunate that even in minor cases of disputes between two parties, some police officers recommend to court that a suspect be remanded for two weeks "to prevent a breach of the peace."
Often, the Magistrate goes by this recommendation and the suspect is remanded even when he or she is prepared to furnish bail. The Ministry of Justice must take action to stop such recommendations being made by the Police.
S. B. C. Halaldheen
Attorney-at-Law,
Colombo.
President’s magnanimity to pensioners
400,000 pensioners welcome the magnanimity of the president in increasing Rs.400/- per mensom for the pensioners, one month after making the promise.
This in keeping with the great traditions of the Bandaranaike family, unlike the false promises of President Premadasa and Paskaralinganm secretary to the Treasury, who fooled everybody and said "No funds to meet the pensioners dues."
A critically ill retried Kachcheri Arachchi warded at the Cancer Home for Terminal cases in Kandy received the good news of the increased pension with folded hands uplifted to the Gods in prayer, blessed the President and implored the Devas to protect her and her children and the Sinhala Nation from any disaster. He died the next morning very pitifully in his sleep.
There are many in the village areas sick and under-nourished, struggling to meet their food and medical bills on their paltry pensions, who are grateful to her Excellecny for her magnanimity. Most of them are exhorting their sons and grandsons to join the Armed Services to save the Country and display their gratitude for the favours granted.
Prisoners Associations island-wide are organising poojas and thanksgiving services in the temples, churches and kovils to express their appreciation and bless the President and the country.
H. P. de Silva
Kalutara North