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| UNP ready for any election - Gamini Atukorale By Franklin R. Satyapalan He was responding to Friday night's cabinet decision that the PA government would go ahead with the forthcoming Provincial Council elections as scheduled. Meanwhile three major decisions were taken at the lengthy Special Cabinet meeting chaired by the President on Friday night, PA sources said. Minister G. L. Peiris said that the cabinet had decided that holding a presidential election in August 1998 was considered impractical. He said that cabinet had decided that the electoral process connected with the Provincial Council polls would go forward and that it will be an ongoing process. It was also decided that the overall security situation with particular reference to the North-East will be kept under constant review by the government. Meanwhile the parliamentary group of the PA had given an unanimous mandate to President Kumaratunga when they met last Monday for the Government to go ahead with the PC elections, PA sources said. They had proposed that if there were difficulties in providing security in view of the ongoing military operations in the North-East that the polls could be held province by province on a staggered basis, the PA sources said. Chief spokesman for the UNP MP Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku said that the UNP had always stood for regular elections. In fact when Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike decided to postpone the General Elections scheduled to be held in 1975 to 1977, the then leader of UNP, the late Mr. Dudley Senanayake declared that he would resign his seat as MP for Dedigama as scheduled in 1975. But unfortunately he died earlier. His successor late President J. R. Jayewardene resigned as MP of Colombo South, and contested and was elected once again by a majority of over 25,000 votes. This was despite the fact Felix Dias Bandaranaike's many machinations. So since UNP's inception in 1946 the UNP always stood for regular elections. One year ahead the UNP commenced its campaign to face any forthcoming elections. "We went ahead organizing our branches, educating our organizers on campaigning and on selecting the best possible candidates. Our list will be a mixture of experienced politicians, professionals, youth and women leaders. This is the third provincial elections scheduled to be held in this country and the list of candidates the UNP has short listed would be the best compared to the last two elections, he said. "All I can say is that most of our candidates are not only suitable for Provincial Councils but they are suitable even for the next general elections. "When the UNP list is announced the whole country would realise the tremendous effort of our leader Ranil Wickremasinghe particularly in reorganising and revamping the UNP", he said. MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena said yesterday: "We are not bothered by the deals between the UNP and the PA. Both these parties have very little difference in running governments or engaging in policies. Therefore we were continuing to prepare ourselves for elections which should be held according to the laid down laws. "We only appeal to these two parties to respect the elections laws and that will help everyone. We need not have 30,000 policemen to provide security for election if all respect each other and conduct themselves peacefully and according to election laws there would be no problem of security. The only thing that came out of these deals between the PA and UNP is that their credibility is at its lowest", Mr. Gunawardena said. Propaganda Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Wimal Weerawansa, responding to the decision to go ahead with the PC elections said they did not believe that the government is speaking the truth or would keep its word. "Though the government is said to have taken this decision, we do not know whether it is really meant. To the best of our knowledge, what the government really wants to do is to postpone the PC elections", he said. He suspected that the government would go through the motions of holding the election and then postpone them at the last moment on some pretext. "We call upon the government to prove its good faith by holding the elections. We are not ready to accept false promises. Let them prove it in action by going ahead with the polls without any postponement", he said. Minister Batty Weerakoon speaking on behalf of LSSP said the decision of the Government to go ahead with the election was a good one. "I agree we must go on with the election. If there is a security problem, it must be tackled at that stage", he said. |
Chandrika tried to run away from election says Ranil Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe Friday accused the government of attempting to run away from a provincial council election saying that security was not the real problem confronting it. "That is why I asked them to hold a presidential election if they can't face a PC poll. I wanted to fight it out directly. But Chandrika who said she accepted my challenge has summoned the cabinet to take the final decision. "If she accepted the challenge, why summon the cabinet? There were two cabinet meetings this week but no decision had been taken up to now (Friday). She is now trying to run away from the challenge,'' he said. Wickremesinghe was speaking at a series of meetings in Ingiriya, Urugala, Halwatura and Devalamulla. He said that the whole country has now accepted the fact that Chandrika was an untruthful and incompetent leader. "So my endeavour is to uproot this poisonous tree that is poisoning the whole country and give our motherland a new society. That is why I seek a presidential election. "When the UNP is elected to office, my first act will be to set up an independent police commission, an independent elections commission and an independent public service commission. "This government is trying to put off an election till the year 2000. We cannot allow that. They say that the security situation does not permit an election. If there is no security for an election, how do they plan to have security for the SAARC meeting here in July? The real question here is not security.'' |
President meets business leaders President Chandrika Kumaratunga last week had a pre-budget meeting with a group of business leaders ahead of the 1999 budget which will be presented in November. Well informed sources said that that the chairmen/chief executives of some of the country's biggest companies and leading industrialists participated at this meeting where, among other matters, concern had been expressed at the collapse of the stock market despite spectacular results by many companies who have seen their share prices tumbling. There was a 10-point pick-up of the all share index on Friday, but this was of little consequence in the context of the steepness of the fall in the preceding days. The desirability of funds like the EPF and ETF taking a long-term view of the market and making investments had been expressed at the meeting. The ETF has been making some stock market investments while the EPF has been coming in more recently though not in any big way. The delay in the implementation of the proposals made in the last budget had been raised at this meeting. There was an assurance that these proposals would be soon passed through parliament. Some businessmen are of the view that since already half the year is past, it would be useful if some of the proposals that were restricted for one year are extended for a further year. One such proposal was investment relief for individual investors in new shares issued by quoted companies. This facility is not available for corporate investors and business leaders have been urging that if companies too are provided such relief, the government's intention of gingering job creating investment would be considerably assisted. Government's reservations on this score hinge on revenue considerations. The corporate sector is also keen that the promised reduction in the corporate tax rate which could not be implemented in the last budget is granted at least by next year. This request was also made. President Kumaratunga had indicated the scope of development projects in the pipeline and said that work would soon begin on some of these projects. Senior Treasury officials, the Governor of the Central Bank, the head of the BOI and Central Bank and Inland Revenue officials had been present at this meeting. Among the business leders present were Messrs. Sunil Mendis (Hayleys), Ken Balendra (John Keells), Ratna Sivaratnam (Aitken Spence), Tilak de Zoysa (Associated Motorways), Mano Selvanathan (Carsons), Nihal Jinasena and S.E. Captain. |
Free Media Movement opposes postponing provincial polls The Free Media Movement said in a statement yesterday that attempts to postpone the provincial council elections and negotiations between the government and the opposition in this regard was an "attempt to infringe on the franchise of the people.'' "The right of the people of Sri Lanka to use their vote to elect their representatives in a legal manner and from time to time cannot be negated according to the wishes of religious leaders of other individuals. "The election of representatives by the people through a voting process is a cornerstone of the representative democratic process which we follow in our country. We should direct our energies towards strengthening this process, not towards eroding it further,'' the statement said. It further said that the free and fair use of the vote was also a matter relating to the freedom of opinion and expression and any proposal to postpone the PC elections was also a violation of the freedom of opinion and expression. It rejected security considerations as a justification for postponing the elections saying there was no grave deterioration of the security situation in the south of the country since the last local government elections in March 1997. "If indeed the question is one of providing adequate security, then the elections could be held in a staggered fashion and all the votes counted on one day as is the practice in India,'' FMM said. |
Anura rejects Chandrika's allegations Mr. Anura Bandaranaike yesterday angrily rejected a claim by his sister, President Chandrika Kumaratunga, that he had planted stories about a possible Chandrika - Anura meeting "for his own benefit.'' Mr. Bandaranaike was reacting to reports that the president had made this remark at Friday night's cabinet meeting which decided to press on with provincial council elections. UNP circles were agog with the rumour that Mr. A.C.S. Hameed was setting up the brother - sister meeting. These rumours were fuelled by a private meeting between Messrs. Bandaranaike and Hameed on Friday. Asked what they talked about, Hameed laughed: "These days many things are being attributed to me. This does not come to me as a surprise. In fact, nothing in politics surprises me.'' Bandaranaike said that he did not know why people were talking about his meeting with Hameed. "We both belong to the same party and have lots of matters of mutual interest, both national and international, to talk about.'' He alleged that the stories of a possible meeting between him and the president were planted by senior PA ministers. ``I will come out with their names at the right time. If the president says that I planted these stories, she is absolutely wrong. If she looks around her cabinet, she will find who did. "I never told the press that I wanted to join the PA,'' he said. (FRS) |
| Wind and rain cause havoc in several
areas The South West monsoon that brought in rainy weather and strong winds causing havoc in many parts of the country is expected to continue for another day or two with the Meteorological Department predicting more showers accompanied by strong winds. A Met Department official said that this is the inaugural phase of the monsoon will end in a day or two. Many Hydrel catchment areas experienced heavy rains during the 48 hours ending at 9 a.m. yesterday, according to the Department of Meteorology. Castelreagh recorded the highest rainfall of 86.5 mm, Laxapana had 74.2 mm, Nortonbridge 68.5mm, Kotmale 54 mm, Heavy showers have been reported from the following areas: Neboda (52 mm), Kalutara (48.2 mm), Maskeliya (46.2 mm). According to the weather report occasional or thunder showers accompanied by fairly strong wind at times will be experienced in the Western, Sabara-gamuwa, Southern and Central provinces and in some parts of Uva and North Western provinces. Cloudy weather with showers or thunder showers and rough seas will be experienced in the sea areas of Western South Western and Southern coasts. There will be very strong westerly winds over these sea areas at times. The worst affected areas due to the existing weather conditions are Kalutara, Wadduwa, Matara and Hambantota. Over hundred houses have been destroyed by strong gales in Kalutara and in the coastal areas. Some houses bordering the coastal belt have been washed away by the rough sea. Director of the Social Services Department Ms. N. Pathirana said that they are experiencing difficulty in trying to contact the affected areas but the people displaced in such areas will be looked after by the local cooperative societies that will provide bread and other food items. Minister of Social Services Berty Premalal Dissa-nayaka has visited several affected areas. He undertook to provide compensation to them. Meanwhile at Gonahena, Kadawata a tree had fallen on a boutique killing a woman on Thursday evening. - (LS) |
| ULF to contest PC polls under UNP banner by Zacki Jabbar The ULF Political Committee and Politburo which met last week decided unanimously to work with the UNP in the larger interests of the country, the sources said. Leader of the ULF Srimani Athulathmudali told the Political Committee and the Politburo comprising 75 members that the time has come to take a decision on how best they could serve the country. She had pointed out that the PA whom they backed at the last General Election had not fulfilled its pledges including the abolition of the Executive Presidency. Mrs. Athulathmudali had also said that they should work towards pre-serving the unitary status of the country. The members of the Political Committee and the Politburo while unanimously approving Mrs Athulathmudali’s proposal had said that the working agreement they reach with the UNP should ensure ‘fair play’ so that the ULF would have a say in matters unlike the agreement they had reached with the People’s Alliance before the last general elections. "They were of the view that their discussions with the new UNP leadership should centre on principle oriented politics," the sources added. |
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Nominations for the NCP Provincial Council will be received at the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa District Secretariats during office hours of July 4 to 12 noon on July 11, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has announced in a gazette notification. There must be 24 candidates in each list for the Anuradhapura district and 13 for the Polonnaruwa district, the gazette specifies. |
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President Chandrika Kumaratunga has gazetted a regulation under the Public Security Ordinance defining the Colombo Security Zone covering the Colombo Municipal area. The gazette said that this zone is bounded on the north by the Kelani River and Kittanpahuwa Road, on the east by the Dematagoda Ela, Baseline Road and Kinda Ela, on the south by Railway Avenue, Dutugemunu Street and Dehiwela Ela and on the west by the Indian Ocean. |
Tussle between managers and owners of Lanka Oberoi There was a lot of excitement in the Hotel Lanka Oberoi in the last few days with the owning company moving to take over the management from Oberoi of India and re-name the hotel as the Lanka Imperial. Letters have been issued to hotel executives saying that the owners have taken over the management from the Oberoi, bank accounts frozen and a new bank account opened, well informed sources said. The Lanka Oberoi name at the entrance to the hotel had been covered, ostensibly to remove the Oberoi identity. There has been a dispute over the original management contract between Asian Hotels Corporation Ltd., the owning company and Oberoi of India who are the managers. This had gone into arbitration and the first arbitration had ended in favour of the owners. A second arbitration had thereafter been initiated. In the meantime, the matter had been taken to court and an injunction had been obtained. That was the stage at which the owners moved to take over management control. Subsequently, Oberoi had obtained a restraining order. "We are now back to square one,'' a hotel official said yesterday meaning that Oberoi has once more got management control. |
| When Tigers face defeat they agree for
peace talks - Sobitha Thera By Himangi Jayasundere Sobitha thero said that different views have been expressed on the separatist war which has lasted for several years and caused much destruction. At one time it was a battle fought for the rights of Tamil citizens at another time a battle to reclaim what they call their traditional homeland. Considering the violence caused to the people of Sri Lanka by the Tigers over the last several years Sobitha thero said that in 1983, 13 security personnel were killed, in 1984, 100 civilians were killed. In 1985 pilgrims and bhikkus worshipping at the Sri Maha Bodhi were massacred while 35 Buddhist priests in Arantalawa were killed the same year, 127 bus drivers were done to death in 1987 and several hundreds more maimed and killed in the Pettah, Central Bank, Dehiwela and Maradana bomb blasts. The LTTE says that this battle is being fought for the Tamils but among their victims were innocent Tamil civilians and even their leaders. Polpot killed several lakhs of people, so did Hitler but did anyone hold peace talks with them? Sobitha thero asked. When a Tamil political leader was recently asked on a TV programme to mention their grievances (Rathu Ira) what he said was that in Singapore letters painted in all languages on their currency notes were of the same size while in Sri Lanka the Tamil letters were smaller than the Sinhala letters. We have fought 22 wars in the history of our country. They have all been in defence of the country. President Chandrika Kumaratunga held peace talks with the terrorists in the hope of bringing an end to the war but the LTTE only used it to bolster their military strength. They are ready once more for peace talks because they have become weak and want to strengthen themselves. Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne said. Our customs and beliefs have been devalued in every way. The diversity in our country means that we must work towards achieving unity he further said. I am against war anywhere in the world. I was also a victim of a kind of terrorism for two and a half years. If the minorities have been denied their rights they have to be restored he said. 'I get letters every day from people who need houses and schools for their children. If even 10% of the war expenditure can be spent on the development of villages a lot could be achieved' he added. 'There is no point in conducting peace talks if the need and desire for peace does not exist in their hearts Dr. Ariyaratne further said. "If the Tamil Tigers come to the table for peace talks they will not come to give back what they took but to get more that they could not get through weapons" Mr. S. L. Gunasekera said. They put forward four conditions at these talks. If we had agreed to them it would have enabled them to create a separate state any time they wanted. He said that even former Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr. Dixit agrees that if it hadn't been for the Indian intervention and later the Indo-Lanka agreement the four battalions of the Vadamarachchi operation would have succeeded in wiping out the Tigers for good. Mr. Gunasekara said that there were no commissions appointed to find justice for hundreds of policemen and civilians killed when police stations were attacked between April and June 1989. They asked the government for help but no help came their way at that time. Hundred days after the peace talks arranged by President Kumaratunga, the Trincomalee harbour was bombed killing 17. |
| Felix Dias
Bandaranaike memorial oration FDB dismantled entrenched institutions by Navam Welihinda This was said during the Felix Dias Bandaranaike Memorial Oration, organized by the Felix Dias Bandaranaike Memorial Trust held in the BMICH on Friday, on Felix Dias Bandaranaike’s vision and critical legal philosophy - a new agenda by Rangitha de Silva de Alwis who had obtained a Ph.D. in law at the prestigious Harvard Law School of USA, She flew in specially to deliver the commemorative lecture. Dr. de Alwis described FDB as someone who dismantled entrenched institutions in the hope that they could be renewed with fresh vigour. He refused to accept entrenched given norms. His philosophy was intuitively modernist and beyond his time, she said. H. L. de Silva, Sri Lanka’s’ former permanent representative to the UN, Baku Mahadeva and Vijaya Corea also delivered brief speeches on the character of FDB. The following are excerpts of the orations:- The critical argument is that the Rule of Law has led to false consciousness in that it hides the way law helps reinstate social injustices. By subjecting the law to different interpretive techniques and by opening up the law to different analyses from other disciplines like history, economics and sociology; the critical writers hope to expose the way in which for example the law of Property or Contract are weighed towards hierarchy. In particular they hope to expose certain legal concepts as being cover up for the capitalist market system. The critical analysts expose the rule of law as a method of serving dominant interests in society and in essence a way of reinforcing the status quo. Apartheid South Africa was a good example of how the rule of law could be used to justify and legitimate arbitrary action by government rather than curb or ban such excesses. The critical legal studies movement was one founded on skepticism one which advocated that constitutional theory be more aware of the social and economic contexts in which the law is practiced. CLS aims to expose the emptiness of abstract rights rhetoric as applied to those who because of poverty, ignorance or discrimination are unable to exercise the actual freedoms those rights are suppose to protect. FDB was one of the few Sri Lanka political analysts to realize the significance of critical legal thought to political analysis and the implications of insights of realism and critical legal studies for the relationship between law and development even before these critiques crystallized into theory. He was impatient with both the Capitalist or purely Marxist understanding of economic life. He had the courage to deviate from established economic models in search of alternative institutional arrangements. Not for him the short run analysis of capitalist growth, which would cause the increasing alienation of labour, inhibit local production and foster a destructive attitude towards the ecology. His argument was that liberal reform, market growth and corporate restructuring must be accompanied by equitable distribution of resources and grass roots development. He was against neo-liberal, conservative capitalism taking the place of social welfare and market regulation. FDB was a progressive but a pragmatic reformer. He realized that dependence on the International Monetary Fund would mean total subservience to the demands of the IMF, which would result astronomical inflation and cutting off subsidies and services to the less privileged. He once said in Parliament "The Socialism to which we aspire is neither doctrinaire or revolutionary but based on the will of the people." FDB stretched his imagination to search for alternative institutions to carry out his economic plans rather than take the established institutions as given. He tried to find alternatives in face of the inflationary situation forced upon the country to meet the dictates of Breton Woods institutions, which now commonly known as the Washington Consensus have tried to in the 80’s to dominate the developing world and the politics of the newly emerging democracies. However though FDB was a socialist who believed in equitable growth and was against capitalist accumulation, he was not content to leave the social change to either a single minded Marxist or a neo liberal plan. He has said "we intend to make our country prosperous not merely by changes in the ownership of the means of production, where necessarily, from the private sector to the public sector, but by aiming to make the most productive use of the means of production in the public private and cooperative sectors that we have in our country." He believed in the collaboration of the public and private spheres towards a more integrated approach to development. He was constantly aware of the links between a top heavy capitalist approach to government and people’s unrest. He once said, "If the life of the people and the country remains unaltered substantively, then you will find that the seeds of revolutionary movements of insurrection and dissatisfaction will become manifest soon." His words have all to tragically proven to be prophetic. FDB believed in the progressive tradition that national government should regulate commerce and industry in the interests of justice. He was apprehensive that a formalistic court might prevent the actualization of his social policy. As he once said in Parliament, "I do not think that the courts are there to frustrate the will of the People." He was acutely aware that social justice could not be achieved only through the means of formal legal doctrine. He also questioned the legitimacy of all public institutions including the judiciary. Like the critical studies proponents after him, FDB sought to demystify the judiciary and deformalise justice. He visioned the court setting to be less intimidating and more litigant friendly and altogether a more humanizing experience. The symbolism implicit in this icon of justice has continued in to the courthouse where the robes, the grandiose language all served to remind both judge and litigant the essential distance in their relationship. FDB revolutionized the administration of justice and abolished an artificial legal hierarchy. FDB wanted to make the court setting a less threatening experience, to make it less isolating and alienating experience to the litigant. Not for him, the outward symbols of the judiciary, and FDB therefore discontinued the use of the judicial robe which he thought was a residue of colonial imperialism. He was determined to make the court house a space in which a connection could be forged between those who sat on the bench and those who sat outside it. FDB felt the litigants would be more impressed by judicial philosophy and less by judicial wigs. FDB also facilitated the work of Conciliation Boards which not only became a less expensive means of settling a dispute but a far less bewildering experience for most litigants. The ideal of adjudication that FDB worked towards achieving is very much implicit in critical legal scholarship that it is - simplicity and uniformity in the administration of justice. FDB had the imagination to know that there were limits to legalism when it came to the promotion of economic and social rights. The principal alternative to reliance on judicial remedies is a programmatic approach. The programmatic approach generally implies the formulation of a program of action aimed at ensuring the realization of the right in question with the government playing a pivotal role. The political model, FDB felt would be in better control of their agendas and be able to respond to complex institutional reform. This was why FDB concentrated on effecting social reform through the political model, rather than wait for judicial validation of such reform. It is important not only to refrain from violating the rights of citizens but as FDB envisaged to go beyond the minimal night watchman state to affirmatively promote their welfare through intervention in the economy and ensuring a minimum level of well being for all. Lakshmi Dias Bandaranaike in her tribute attributes the defeat of her husband and his party at the 1977 election to an alienation of the people with those who had a sacred trust to represent them. She argues that the political leaders of the time had stopped listening to the people and therefore the estrangement had set in. Both FDB and his wife were moved by the significance of the words that "here the people rule." FDB was acutely aware that ultimate power vested with the people and that it is important to cultivate civic authority at local levels. When one learns history one should learns it by the study of the people of that time. What is fascinating about the study of Felix Dias Bandaranaike is not so much that he shaped our history but that his thinking is far more critical for the future than the past. |
| ‘Human Resources Development with
Education’ plan for SAARC university women A regional programme on Human Resource Development with Education as the agent was decided on at the conclusion of the general meeting of the SAARC Federation of University Women (SAARCFUW), comprising delegates from the SAARC countries of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, held on Monday at SLIDA, Colombo. Each national chapter of SAARCFUW will also undertake a national programme to be determined by a core group in each country elected at the meeting. SAARCFUW, which has been granted by SAARC the status of a SAARC Recognised Body, decided to lobby SAARC on, streamlining procedures for SAARC-FUW members to attend SAARC meetings of their choice both in terms of receiving approval expeditiously and in enabling it to have an input into them. on including Founder members of SAARCFUW and members of its Executive Council — as well as those of the Governing Bodies of other SAARC recognised bodies — in the SAARC exemption category. on having a focal point in the SAARC Secretariat to deal solely with matters pertaining to SAARC recognised bodies, and; Regional action plans were tabled at the meeting by National Chapters which are focal points on them as issues of common concern such as Child Abuse, Micro Enterprise Development for Women, Adult Literacy and Bridging the Gender Gap in Education from Junior Secondary to Senior Secondary Levels, especially in the areas of technical and technological education. The general meeting had the benefit of a presentation by the South Asian Perspectives Network Association (SAPNA), on strategies for Poverty Education. In terms of the SAARCFUW Charter the Presidency and Secretariat of SAARC-FUW went from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh after the general meeting and will rotate every 3 years in alphabetical order of the member countries. The meeting was followed by a two-day workshop on Dysfunc-tionality of Education with Focus on the Total Development of the Child in General and the girl child particular. Country papers depicted vividly the need for a gender focused approach to education both at primary and secondary level in at least four of the SAARC-FUW countries. The workshop identified changes required to overcome constraints and made recommendations to promote equality of opportunity for girls in all areas of education. The workshop will aim at providing a draft regional policy action plan to reflect. the community of the region, • co-ordinated
efforts to formulate solutions, • strategies for
sharing information, resources and training, •
regional efforts to effect a socio-economic
transformation of the SAARC countries. The Hon. Laksh-man Kadirgamar, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs received visiting delegates and a representative number from the Sri Lanka Chapter of SAARC-FUW at the conclusion of the meetings which resulted in an extremely useful discussion on the input SAARCFUW seeks to have with the policy content and activities of SAARC. The occasion afforded delegates the opportunity of meeting Mrs. Kadirgamar and officials dealing with SAARC in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| Black
tea production up There is an increase of 1,311,460 kg in the production of black tea in Sri Lanka during May, this year as against the total produced during the corresponding month in the previous year, according to the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB). This represents a five percent increase in the production. The SLTB announced that according to the available figures, the total production of black tea in Sri Lanka during May 1998, amounted to 28,688,729 kg, as against 27,377,269 kg, produced during the corresponding month in 1997. This shows an increase of 1,311,460 kg. The black tea production during January/May 1998 amounted to 109,948,552 kg. as against 103,514,366 kg. produced during corresponding period in 1997, showing an increase of 6,434,186 kg or 6%. |
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| Paper
made of elephant dung A novel feature at the recently held National Symposium on Elephant Management and Conservation in Sri Lanka was the use of paper made of elephant dung. The cover of the book that was handed out to all those who attended was made from the treated dung of elephants. Jayantha Jayewar-dene, the organiser of the symposium, explained that 75% of the paper was of elephant dung and the balance 25% recycled paper. Jayewardene said that paper was of good quality and was sure to be popular since it was relatively inexpensive. The colour of the paper varied with the diet of the elephant — it was a lighter colour when coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) were consumed and darker shades with other food like Kitul (Caryota urens), Jak ((Artrocar-pus integra) etc. Jayewardene said that another heartening feature was that the producer of this paper Ranjit Serasinghe, son of conservationist Iranganie Serasinghe, had pledged a percentage of his profits for elephant conservation. |
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