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Morning Spice by
Ginger Ginger today pays tribute to a friend of roughly 40 years. Errol S. de Silva was in his teens when Ginger got to know him later he knew him as a colleague whilst he worked briefly at the Times of Ceylon. He was in every sense an amazing character — warm effusive hot tempered and unpredictable but no mood lasted long with Errol. That perhaps is because he remained a boy at heart till he died. He was also anti-establishment in a sense and set his own norms and targets. Those who knew him would admit that he was unique and there were few like him. He was all heart inside him and did not mind what it cost him. As a journalist he was a different proposition. He was one of the most resourceful journalists I have come across. There was a slight difference between him and the rest of his breed. He crossed his bridges as they came and never thought too much about what lay beyond. It helped him immensely in a sense because his working style had an impetuosity that was similar to his normal conduct. Very often luck held with him. This probably was because he was an exceptionally gifted journalist and so he could rely on sixth sense more than many. He could more than hold his own with anybody where layout and production were concerned and even in the field of reporting there was a doggedness about him that Madehim go for his stories no matter what the impediments in his way were: Beyond all this the affable Errol was a warm friendly being willing to share his last cent with a friend. He was a man who gave lavishly and never counted the cost. May the grass lie lightly over him. Hope for breast cancer victims A new drug has been found that could prolonged in breast cancer victims though not for long. The name of the new drug is hercepture. This drug is the first of its kind to be capable of targeting a genetic defect in breast cancer cells and turning off the signal that tells cells to divide. The drug can increase the survival rate in advanced cases up to three months. Sex offenders and reduced
sentences A seven-year-old was on her way to school one morning when she was kidnapped. She was then the victim of one of the most gruesome murders committed in that village. She was raped and then thrown into the river to drown. The accused in this case was a man who had been given a 48 years sentence for a similar offence but was released after three for good conduct. The question asked was whether this horrible tragedy would have occurred if the man was still in jail. Southern subversion - time to nip it in the bud Your editorial ('Subversion Again?') on the danger of Southern subversion raising its ugly head again should serve as a timely warning to both the government and the mainstream democratic opposition. They should stop the stupid, short-sighted and down right dangerous game of tryinga to undermine each other and concentrate on the terrible threat the nation is now facing. The security forces are now stretched to the limit trying to wrest control of the north-east from the brutal separatist terrorist. One does not have to be a military genius to realise that they simply cannot find the manpower to combat another uprising by this Southern subversives. The result of such a dreaded two front war will be the complete collapse of the Sri Lankan economy and nation state. This government would be forced to abandon the North-East to the separatist and bring down the armed forces to the south. It is most unlikely that India will send a second I.P.K.F. having badly burnt her fingers the first time. The current spate of bomb attacks on the electricity distribution system and the telecom centers could be the result of a joint effort of the separatist terrorist and a section of the southern subversives who survived the security forces superb 'operations combine' of 1988 — 1990. This is not as far fetched as it might sound. It is a well established fact that the PLOTE group helped the JVP with landmine technology and the supply of explosives and automatic weapons during Rohana Wijeweera's second grab for power. Fortunately it was not enough to defeat the security forces, who in a heroic counter offensive, saved Sri Lanka and her people from the hideous fate Cambodia suffered following Pol Pot's victory in 1975. On behalf of all patriotic people I appeal to the powers — that be to join forces and prevent Southern Sri Lanka from under going a third night mare. S.
L. David, Trade union action - EUTA style I read the letter written by the President, Eastern University Teachers Association, with much amusement. You will understand my feelings when I preface my statements with the remark that EUTA represents only about 30% of the academic staff at Eastern University. The remaining 70% of the academics left EUTA to form another Association when the present incumbent was elected President of EUTA in 1997. They left EUTA because contrary to the constitutions of EUTA, the President got rid of 50% of the academics from EUTA, so that his supporters will be in the majority. We, 70% of the academics, have formed another association called the Eastern University Democratic Teachers Association (EUDTA). Contrary to what is indicated in the article, appointments of Heads and elections of Deans have been duly approved by the Council, eight elections of Deans have been conducted in the different faculties during the past two and a half years and have been approved by the Council. One election of Dean was contested by EUTA, making up 30% of the academic staff, but approved by EUDTA which makes up 70% of the academic staff. This election was also approved by the Council. President EUTA makes several allegations against the Vice Chancellor of Eastern University and the Eastern University Council. In fact he states that the staff have taken the Vice Chancellor to Court (University Services Appeals Board and others). It is interesting to note that the five cases which have been concluded so far have been decided in favour of the position held by the Vice Chancellor. It is expected that the others also will be decided in favour of the Vice Chancellor. In fact one such is the appeal of the President EUTA against the decision of the Selection Board denying him promotion to a Professor's post. This appeal has also been rejected by the University Services Appeals Board. Perhaps the reason for the discontent of the President/EUTA lies here. President/EUTA makes allegations not only against the Vice Chancellor and the Eastern University Council, but also the UGC. The only ones he spares are the Minister and the President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, probably because as he says they are beyond his reach. That attitude will change if they are also accessible. The Council he approves at times, at times he condemns, apparently depending on whether the Council agrees with his views or not. In fact this same article was published in another paper under the title. Turbulence at Eastern University. For the first time in the 16 year history of this Institution, the University has remained open for lectures and practical without any break, for the last two and a half years ever since the present Vice Chancellor took over. As evidence of lack of turbulence, I may mention that of the five convocations held during the 16 year history of this Institution, three have been held during the past two and a half years. Staff members have gone abroad either on study leave or on sabbatical leave for research. It can be expected that they will honour their bond obligations and return to Eastern University. He mentions that a charge sheet has been served against him for trade union action. The charge sheet has been served not for any trade union action but because he obstructed the vehicle of the Vice Chancellor, a criminal act in itself. The allegation that the Vice Chancellor does not give interviews is false. The Vice Chancellor sends invitations to both EUTA and EUDTA. We have accepted the invitation and held discussions with him. The last three invitations sent to EUTA have remained unanswered. EUTA has actually resorted to trade union action but it has not been able to disrupt the activities of Eastern University during the past two and a half years. With only 30% of the academic staff on its membership EUTA cannot hope to achieve much. It is widely rumoured that most EUTA members are waiting for the end of the presidentship of the present incumbents so that they could join the EUDTA and form a single union once again. B.
Sugumar Street names the Sri Lanka way Not so long ago we celebrated 50 years Independence from colonial rule. During colonial times, our country street names were named after colonial masters like the governors etc. This is a colonial legacy. Let us now do it our own way, the Sri Lankan way. Sri Lankan names of Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim heroes and personages of importance after whom the names are given and changed to normally bear longer names. That is Sri Lanka. The majority of Sri Lankan personages of inportance have longer names like Hon. Siri-mavo Bandaranaike, D. S. Senanayake, Sir John Kotelawala and the greatest Buddhist and national hero born during colonial time and upto present time Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala. It is the will of the residents of the area that is perpetuated by our worthy elected representatives who give the new names according to our national culture and customs etc. We do no longer follow the colonial pattern of colonial masters. Coming to Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha in Colombo 3, it was the original resolution of the C.M.C. to name it so the first board carried it correctly. However subsequently when new boards were put up errors had crept in due to technical matters and lack of supervision. Some time back it read as "Dharmapala Mawatha". This was pointed out by me to the mayor and he rectified the error. So we see due to technical matters and lack of supervision errors are crept into the name boards when new roads are replaced. The C.M.C. should see that such errors do not creep in in the future and lead to confusion. V.
K. B. Ramanayake, The stereotype Ceylon Civil Service official was a man who convinced the politician to say yes to a recommendation made after weighing the pros and cons of the matter. The stereotype bureaucrat of today is a man who says 'Yes, Sir', to the politician without thinking of anything else except the safety of his position, power and perks. The stereotype of the perfect officer does not exist, but we may suppose that he is a man who weighs pros and cons which include intellectual, ethical, practical, and even scientific and artistic aspects of the matter on which a decision is to be made. Neither the CCS or the bureaucrat stereotype exists in pure form. One is taken by surprise, however, when any one of these decision-influencers departs far from the stereotype. I saw such a case recently when a bureaucrat gave a public lecture at SLAAS on economics and poverty. He showed restraint and balance which would have been admirable even in an academic. I need not name the man concerned because it is not my intention to praise some single person but to reflect on departures from stereotype. He spoke of the frustration he feels when pressure of customary work hinders reading and independent thinking. He showed numerous tables of densely packed data on poverty, unemployment etc, which impressed me for his learning (even if they depressed me for their extravagance and illegibility - it is better to show one thing in big letters than a thousand in small). Society is consumerist. South East Asian miracles have collapsed while Sri Lanka and Kerala with their political history of welfare services have high achievements in the education and health of the people. If there were signs of narrowness of even this unusual bureaucrat's own vision, it lay in such facts as the following. He never mention the paradox that Sri Lanka has a mix of high health indices (such as in mortality rates and average length of life) with low health indices (such as a high incidence of childhood diarrhoea). While seeing the cost of wheat imports he never spoke of the need to move the people away from wheat-based food, especially bread, to rice. He was far from seeing that individuals must start such a process by way of example (as when individuals stop eating beef by way of example against inhuman cattle slaughter). I guess he would have regarded such a strategy as being utopian. He was all the time cautioning about practicalities as he saw them. VB, Traffic mess - a permanent problem The morning rush of traffic entering Colombo from the South through Independence Avenue is a permanent problem to motorists including public and private transport vans and buses. The traffic police bear a heavy burden. In the morning rush, the girls of St. Bridget's Convent control the flow at the pedestrian crossing opposite their school. These girls are over-seen by two police women. The girls signal three streams of vehicles consisting of at leat 150 vehicles to an abrupt stop just to see that one teacher or a fellow student ambles across to safety. It cannot be a hardship to those on foot to wait a while till the traffic signalled to move at the roundabout has passed. The traffic police can look at this matter in another way. The bus halt opposite the school can be shifted a few yards back, where road traffic is controlled by efficient traffic police on duty at the turn off. St. Bridget's Convent teachers and students can feel far safer crossing under the eye of the police. The crossing itself can be moved back to where the Police are on duty in a more professional way. A walk of a few yards will not harm the teachers and the students. Traffic will move with only one stoppage at the round about. Motorists will save money and get to work on time. L. A.
Mawalagedara Rambling Notes by Nihal Corea Female adultery has been legalised in Turkey a Reuter report says that Turkey's constitutional court has ruled that adultery, long legal for men, is no longer a crime for women. There evidently had been a strong lobby for female adultery. Mind you, one feels that the cry on behalf of equal rights would have come from both sexes. There was quite some percentage for both the men and women in Turkey to repeal such a repugnant and stifling law. Now Turkey was never known as a highly romantic place. Its military interest for centuries surpassed its marital concerns. The men in fact were far more intent on conquering others land than others wives. There would have been some fringe benefits in the course of their territorial advance. They could as expected have made some bold advances as invaders in the course of their other activity. But then few thought of a rough hewn red faced red blooded Turk as the romantic type certainly not a frivolous Lothario willing to climb balconies and fire escapes as a Don Juan might have done. A Turkey gave the impression that he was a mundane type who would take anything that came his way without too much bother over it. If the Met. Dept. warned him that a liaison would be followed by a storm or anything stormy he would possibly pull out. Anyway, what is so criminal about adultery? It only becomes criminal if one lacks the sense not to get caught. It is certainly not meant for the paltroon and the indiscreet. It needs a certain mixture of boldness and shrewdness to keep all parties happy. A cuckolded husband may not be the most respected of persons but so long as he remains in a state blissful ignorance the other. Parties all remain in a state a blissful excitement. What made adultery criminal in Turkey will not be known perhaps. Why criminal? Sinful, yes, but not criminal. Trying to stop such a delightful pursuit may be criminal if at all and one cannot understand the minds of those law makers. One is inclined to take a ten to one bet that they were guilty of it in thought at least themselves. The women of Turkey may for years have been nursing a secret grouse... A woman with a secret grouse is dangerous discriminate against her and particularly in the matter of love and she will enlist the strangest of allies to her cause. Who knows what delightful ploys they may have used on those very judges to persuade them to declare that adultery was not criminal. Could it have been plain persuasion with first hand knowledge of the delights of adultery. They may have even have appealed to their sense of justice and equity. Or. it could have been plain simple blackmail. The truth may never surface but the Turk has shown remarkable common sense by at last not trying to stop what cannot be stopped. The women no doubt would be whooping with joy that they can make whopee without going to jail for it. Their husbands on the other hand may be gnashing their teeth at the judicial blunder. The worse part of it is that he dare not complain about it. It would be tantamount to an expression on his part that he fears that his own wife may pull the rug from under his feet while pulling other things off herself. Any way the women of Turkey evidently have won a great battle on behalf of their liberty and it is now up to the men to take whatever liberties. They can with them. Ombudsman People in Ruwanwella who applied for telephone connections in 1995 and 1996 were asked to pay their initial charges, a minimum of Rs. 16000 depending on the distance in January 1998. They were also informed that it will take about three months. Many who applied were government servants. Since they were given only a two weeks time to pay this initial charge, almost all faced lot of difficulties. Yet they did it without delay with the hope that they would get this facility after three months. Five months have passed. Many are not given their telephone connections. Pradeshiya Sabha members and those who get letters from the MP are given the priority. Others have their telephones installed but without connections. When inquired all concern pass the buck. These people who thought to talk more now think they could have saved more if they had refused the telephone facility. They wonder whether there is any difference before and after Privatisation. Disappointed |
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