Morning Spice by Ginger
Skills of Sri Lankan workforce exploited

Many of the big names have moved into Asian countries in the hope that lower operational costs would make their products more competitive in the international market. What share of that type of investment has Sri Lanka been able to grab. Actually the skills of Sri Lanka's work force remains badly under-exploited for some reason or other. Ginger is positive that our workmen can be more innovative than those of most other countries in Asia. The fact is that not much is known about them despite all the accolades our garment and software industries have got.

Why have no big names like National, Mitsubishi, the American Manufacturers or European makers of appliances and cars thought of coming here. Was it because no pushing at this end has been done with any real seriousness. The shipping industry is somewhat in the doldrums and that has partly been due to the high costs involved. What is the attitude of the big groups here. Are they yet too commerce oriented to think in terms of long term investment and returns or suspicious that the political climate could change in the future. Something is wrong somewhere because the country that opened its economy before many others in this region has yet to measure up to them where big time investment in industry is concerned.

Crohns disease
Crohns disease is an illness one would not wish even his enemy to get. Ginger would not wish even a bus driver to get that terrible disease. It is a very painful inflammation of the gastro intestinal tract. What is worse is that there was nothing that could be given to really relieve the patient of this condition or the pain.

Now hope seems to be just round the corner. A new drug called infleximeb has just been tried and found to be very useful in relieving patients suffering from this condition. It cannot cure the patient but when it is injected into the vein it reduces the symptoms that cause it and is effective for weeks.

TV personalities
Some TV personalities such as children's stars often project an image of innocence and good character. That ofcourse does not mean that they don't get naughty in one way or another without catching the public eye while they are about it. People often suspected this but nobody would have thought funny guy Bob Denver the young ones favourite would be guilty of such lapses.

He really stunned the TV world recently. He was caught having marijuana with him. What actually happened was that the cops caught him with about 25 gms of the stuff which he had signed for on mail order. They found other evidence of his using the stuff as well.

PC election, presidential election, no election

In the recent months we noted that the government took steps to dissolve all the provincial councils. Later they promised that provincial council elections would be held in the month of August. When the days approached closer the government went back on its promises and laid an excuse that the provincial council election could not be kept because of the ongoing war on the North.

In that case the government should have thought of this situation before it could dissolve the provincial councils. There are so many learned professors and senior ministers in the government rank where they could have thrashed out these problems before reaching the climax.

The government again made another blunder by taking the challenge of the opposition leader to keep a presidential election on November if the provincial council election were postponed. This was also confirmed by the Minister G. L. Peries. But a week later they said there would not be presidential election and the provincial council elections would be kept and arranged to call for nomination.

Now after making all the arrangements for the provincial council election they come out with another excuse saying that the war is about to be over in a month or two and therefore the forces could not be called back from the war front which would jeopardise the progress made by the forces and as such the election could not be kept until the war is over. Here again we note how the government changes its word when it reaches the bottle neck.

Why cannot the government think of all these obstacles before they could take a decision to dissolve the provincial councils.

As most of the people say this government does not have a framework of policy and they jump into conclusions with hasty decisions and at last put the people into a mess and unwanted hardship.

It is true that we must win this war against our enemy and make Sri Lanka a peaceful land where all the people Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim can live in this country in peace and harmony. For all this the ruling government even at the last lap must take constructive steps without going into hasty decisions whenever important decisions are to be made.

S. Abeyratne,
Colombo 10.

Can the UNP win?

Events of the past week ending with President Chandrika Kumaratunga accepting the challenge thrown by Ranil Wickremasinghe and his retirement into incoherence has led me to attempt an evaluation of the chance that the UNP under his leadership can have at either the Provincial or Presidential elections. I am not a student of politics. I give below observations and comments of an ordinary voter who has a memory of recent UNP governance and its calamity in the country.

J. R. Jayewar-dene declared that it took him forty years to become President. As is now established, he rigged the referendum to savour another term of power, abandoning dharmishta policy. He replaced it with an unwritten one: make as much money as you can but for God's sake do not get caught. When it was clear that he cannot come back a third time, he gave way to Premadasa.

Premadasa meanwhile prepared himself for the job. JR used him as the hatchet man to hack the SLFP which he did very well. But he had his own agenda and adroitly cast himself as a national figure with schemes such as Gam Udawa, corralling the rank and file. His best decision was hiring Paskaralingam and so, together became an unbeatable team, each to make hay while the sun shines. The mistake he made was to put his wife on horse back, which she rode to death ending what both hoped would be a Premadasa dynasty, by making speeches making from the pattirippuwa.

Dearly Beloved got the job for nothing, and gave it away for nothing when he met dentist Rajitha S. No more need be said. His period will not count for a footnote.

Ranil W. is now the aspirant for President. His track record shows that the job is definitely too big for him. (See 'Always Breakdown'). Anura B. knows his classmate and he has accordingly positioned himself. He has met Sai Baba and is probably having an amulet hidden in his expanse. (Some local politicians such as Gamini and Premadasa who met Sai Baba died shortly afterwards).

The old guard, supporters of Wijeyapala Mendis, comrades in similar peril and 'Full Sira' with his gang are in the wings. Hema Premadasa and son yearn for nothing less than their assumed heritage.

Against this background, President Chandrika is playing the game very well. For example, she will not let go of the ghosts of 17 ghastly years, just as the UNP did when the SLFP and her mother made a mess of the economy. (She is biding her time to reveal more devastating stuff that will nail Ranil et al).

Though JR brought in the proportionate system of voting to perpetuate UNP rule, it was defeated as when they were reduced to eight. They were rejected throughout the island, including by the Tamils. Since Ranil is obviously partisan on a political settlement to the 'Tamil problem', the UNP can now rely only on the LTTE.

All political parties are joined to prevent another period of UNP cronyism and corruption. They may not be with the PA on many issues but they are united on this one President Chandrika must be regarded as clever to recognise it and make allowance.

The UNP have no speakers in the class of Premadasa. They depend on muck thrown by persons such as Rajitha Senaratne and Ravi Karuna-nayake who have got a free ride to parliament and have nothing to lose. The new, young and forward looking members have been sidelined. Under the leadership of Ranil they will have to wait a long time. Their dilemma is if you throw the fellow out, who else?

Whatever is written in manifestos and shouted from platforms, it is persons who make a government. The people know it instinctively. The make up and sapience of the UNP suggest that it cannot win.

Kingsley Heendeniya,
Nugegoda.

Harassment of tenants

The harassment of the tenants of the ACBC continues unabated. Publicity in the press and first hand observation by the Executive Committee and Past Presidents have been of no avail to the tenants some of whom have been in occupation of their offices for 20 years.

Their unhappy story began with a bizarre verbal request to vacate their offices for three whole months to allow a pirith ceremony to take place. The tenants realized that this was a devious attempt to evict them. Where were they to go for 3 months with all their furniture and fittings? How would they manage without telephones etc.? And will they be allowed to return after three months?

The real intention behind this subtle manoeuvre was revealed when they were verbally asked to vacate their rooms for good after it was realized that the pirith excuse did not work. It is significant that no proper legal notice was ever given. Everything was by word of mouth! Nothing in writing! Why can't the ACBC give proper written notice? Why this reluctance to commit to writing?

Two favoured tenants were, however, not asked to leave.

After various threats were communicated indirectly, with no result, there began a campaign of harassment. One morning the tenants found their nameboards, letter boxes, and signs had been torn out of the wall and thrown into a corner of the premises. Complaints made to the police were fruitless. Thereafter, a VVIP with a party of supporters visited each of the offices (in the absence of the tenants) and threatened the staff with problems for them should they come to work after 26th November 1997.

On that day, a mixture of cow dung and urine was found to have been poured on the staircase leading to the offices. These matters were reported to the police and the subsequent police enquiry and presence in the premises were sufficient to restore some degree of peace to the tenants. But unhappily not for long.

Then one day, tenants were told they would not be allowed to park their vehicles in the premises on alleged security grounds. Nevertheless, the two favoured tenants were exempted. Also, assorted persons were and are allowed to bring their vehicles in but not the tenants! A clear case of victimisation and discrimination. No security checks are made. This is plain harassment.

To cap it all, the Congress has cut off power to the tenants and also the water supply interrupted, thus causing a work stoppage in the offices and forcing them to do their work outside.

It is inconceivable that a venerable Buddhist organisation led in the past by eminent and respected personalities can indulge in such cruel harassment and intimidation of their peace-loving tenants. What are the members of the ACBC doing in the face of these un-Buddhistic acts perpetrated on unoffending people? What are the Past Presidents doing to halt the commission of unjust and harmful acts?

It was Edmund Burke who said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ This is precisely what is happening at the ACBC.

An Interested Observer

National Cricket Team

Having won the World Cup, our National Cricket Team is in the forefront of global cricket. When the team is on the global stage, the team members, in my opinion need to develop in addition to their cricketing skills — the following as well, in order to match up to other international teams.

An area which needs attention is to develop the skill levels of the players to give them confidence to speak clearly and effectively when interviewed by commentators on the electronic media. Unfortunately,some of the better communicators in our society has made the cricketers the butt end of jokes due to this "area for improvement".

My suggestion to overcome this is to advise those cricketers who are poor communicators in English, to speak in their first language whether it be Sinhala or Tamil and use the services of an interpreter, and also obtain the services of the international commentators who are in the country at the moment to train the cricketers on answering questions when interviewed on the electronic media, and to include training in use of gestures, body language and posture as well.

Some of the other areas that need to be focused are;

1. Proper dining manners at formal functions to include use of cutlery, different types of glasses, appreciation of wines and food items from a-la-carte and formal dinner set menus of international hotels.

11. Dress sense and deportment for different occasions/functions.

111. Protocol at formal functions attended by VIP's of a country.

The above is critical not so much at home but when on tours abroad, specially with the impending tour of England as defenders of the World Cup. This applies not only to the national cricket team but to all sports teams that tour abroad as well as to members of delegations, specially from the public sector.

Sunil Dissanayake,
Baddegama.

Roads without pavements

The Road Development Authorities seem to have completely disregarded the rights of the pedestrians when they are rehabilitating roads all over the country. They only think of the mechanized vehicles, and not of people who use their feet for mobility. In good old days, the roads whether major or minor had a tarred surface in the centre and couple of feet or yards depending on the space available on either side, meant for people to walk safely.

These stretches in urban areas were separated with curbs, elevated and paved with concrete slabs or tarred making it safer for people to walk without being mowed down by speed maniacs. This practice still remains in city and urban areas where there is heavy traffic.

The problem now the pedestrians or regular walkers like me face is not in the major arteries of the country, but in the sub urban roads, may be C or D grade roads, which have to accommodate all types of heavy and light vehicles, motor cycles, bicycles. They go at break neck speed and cause many accidents. Nowadays the majority of drivers have complete disregard for people who walk on the road, especially those who do not own vehicles and have no choice but to use their feet.

The Road Development Authorities are also going along with drivers on the same line of thinking. They facilitate the movement of vehicles faster by widening the carriage up to the side drains or to the door steps of narrow lanes, making them smooth with asphalt concreting, and shrinking the narrow pedestrian path or completely doing away with it and denying the right of the pedestrians.

The latest method of preventing road shoulder erosion is paving it with premix. The drivers take it as their right to drive their vehicles on this area too. Where do the pedestrians walk? The deep drains on sides are exposed and uncovered. Many old people and children often fall into these drains by trying to escape from oncoming vehicles.

It is the duty of the Road Development Authorities to at least mark the limit of the carriage by yellow line so that the pedestrians can safely walk outside the yellow line and the vehicles will be confined to drive within the two yellow lines on either side of the road. Covering the exposed concrete drains with slabs will also give at least a foot or two for the pedestrians to walk. It is costly to cover drains with concrete slabs; but human lives are more valuable. It is worth giving a little thought to the rights of the pedestrians and minimize accidents on our roads.

A. M. U. Seneviratne,
Rajagiriya.

National Hospital, Colombo

I write this letter for the benefit of future patients, who enter the National Hospital, Colombo. Some time ago, the National Hospital was known as General Hospital, Colombo, and I have been in the General Hospital too, as a patient.

The greatest inconvenience that the patients suffered in the General Hospital was that toilets were broken and the roofs were leaking here and there, and not repaired for months! On the contrary, it was a pleasure to see that the buildings of the National Hospital are kept tidy and the repairs are attended to promptly. Excepting a rude technician, who took X'ray photographs, the medical staff consisting of doctors, matrons, nurses and even minor employees were very courteous.

Nevertheless, there is much room for improvement, and I make the following suggestions, which I hope will not fall on deaf ears, as the Minister of Health is out to ease the patients, who are suffering, perhaps owing to their "Karma", from chronic diseases, which gives them excruciating pain:

(1) The present permit systems whereby only two people are allowed to see a patient and that too only during visiting hours from 12 noon to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. should be abolished and everybody who wants to see a patient should be allowed to do so during visiting hours. One swallow does not make a summer. Just because a thug has entered the hospital and killed a patient (this is an isolated incident in the history of that hospital) it is not fair to prevent so many kith and kin and friends of a patient coming to see and console him.

Even with the present system, what is there to prevent a criminal from borrowing a permit and entering the hospital! This is an unnecessary restriction and whoever devised it, does not seem to have any imagination!

(2) Every large hospital should have a list of retired trained attendants to be given to patients, who can afford to pay their wages. As hospitals are short of trained nurses and attendants, special attendants are a boon not only to the patient, but also to the matron in charge.

(3) The old and feeble pensioners, who possess Elder's Cards issued by the Department of Social Services, should invariably be given priority and better consideration.

A patient,
Mt. Lavinia.

No toilet at Kalutara bus station

There was a toilet it was badly damaged, seats broken, water overflowing, filth and dirt all over. The easiest thing the Urban Council Kalutara demolished it. As an indication one ceramic urinal is only still there on a wall. At Aluthgama the Pradeshiya Sabha has built a fine toilet for men and women separated.

Why cannot one be built at Kalutara bus stand where thousands pass up and down every hour. Passing the baby will not help commuters. Some say the U.C. should do it, the pradeshiya sabha should do it, the private bus co. should do it. All shirk responsibility and people suffer. Where are the MPs the champions of the voters. Presume action will be initiated to remedy this highly deplorable and ugly situation in a town like Kalutara.

Carl Nanayakkara,
Kalutara.