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Trauma of children in divorce litigation proceedings Usually parents are the parties in this litigation seeking either maintenance or separation amounting to divorce. Parents take a major role in this litigation - it is seldom that judicial practitioners call upon children to participate in the proceedings though cases do make a determination on the future of the children of these affected parents. It is also customary to keep away the innocent children from these cases as it would have serious psychological bearing on the children when they are allowed to be witness to either of their parents. Hence it is an important factor specially for the courts to uphold the rights of the children in these cases and make them no party to the proceedings since they are infants or caring children or dependants of misfortune. It is beyond imagination the psychological strain the children undergo in adjusting themselves to the moods and demands of the parents estranged. It is often heart breaking to see children being called upon as witness in these cases where parents engaged in protracted battles at the expense of the well being of their children. We can see that these cases do have a unique character of their own. Hence it is the responsibility to set up special separate councils to hear these cases so that the parties concerned will not be made to suffer the stigma that they do during trials. As law develops as any other discipline it is also important to take up these cases under close observation and handled by judicial practitioners who undergo some kind of family counselling training in addition to their legal qualifications as what is decided in these cases have a bearing on the most important source that sacred institution is the 'family'. Legal practitioners must also take care not to subject the children trapped in these cases to traumatic experience. Children are the future of this country and they must be treated as such. Bandula Nonis I was surprised to see hoards of bank employees taking to the streets with placards reading 'Give us a LIVING wage' and more strongly in Sinhala using a colloquial term 'DIYAW'. I was more surprised because these people were from private banks. We have always had a higher regard for the staff of private banks. It is a well known fact that most employees of these banks are from prestigious schools and good family backgrounds - unlike those who have gained employment through politicians in certain public institutions. Also it is known that these employees of private banks are the privileged class, being paid very high salaries and are entitled to medical facilities, low interest housing, vehicle and other loans and many other perks compared to employees of both the public and private sector. A school leaver joining these banks as a trainee clerk is supposed to draw a salary of over Rs. 7000/-. What is the starting salary of a qualified graduate teacher? Or a government staff officer? What a joke is it for these bank employees to take to the streets. Thus it was disgusting to see them out on the streets holding posters shouting and asking for more. How can they expect the majority who are much less paid than they are and working under more difficult and uncomfortable working conditions to sympathise with their cause? How many in Sri Lanka are fortunate enough to get employment in these banks? It was only a few weeks ago that this same comparatively well off employees' union had refused to even contribute to the National Defence Fund but now they are shouting slogans appealing to the kith and kin (including me) of the real 'poor' soldiers dying for the survival of the better off people to support the 'cause' of the better paid for still higher salaries. Everybody knows that private bank employees are well paid and financially better off than most of us. They have a duty by the country to ensure that they do not harass or inconvenience the public as well as to see that the functioning of the economy is not disturbed. U. A. D. Ranaweera, While walking along Circular Road opposite the town Hall and turning into Shrimath Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha to go to the Public Library recently, I happened to look at the large sized white board on which the street name Shrimath Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha was written in Sinhala, Tamil and English and was horrified to read the Tamil version of the name of the street. The Tamil version read as Shrimath Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha (instead of Anagarika....), Which in Tamil means uncivilized Dharmapala! I do hope that nobody at a later date will make some accusation that the Tamils have defamed the great Reverend Monk, whose statue, by the way, is standing a little away from the board in the corner of the Vihara Maha Devi Park, or worse still that I had done it, as some of our researchers are in the habit of starting their researches from the middle and not from the beginning. At the time I saw the name of the street on the board I was reminded of the medal that was made by the Air Force some time back during the time when the late Mr. J. R. Jayawardene was the President, to be presented to some of the officers of the Air Force in which the President for Makkal Presidetn (People's President), which meant that the President was described, in Tamil, as Makkan President was a fool or a fool of a President! The presentation ceremony was postponed when I pointed out this faux pas in the press. The street names written on the new white boards in the city in all three languages in pleasing characters look attractive and give clear direction. But some of the names, especially in Tamil and English, are simply 'murdered'. The long standing Pickerings Road along which I lived for several decades has now become Pickaerings Road. Perhaps we are trying to prove to the world that our literary standard, which was described as the best in the East, is not that good now. Arul Custody of the sacred tooth relic The custody of the Sacred tooth Relic, as at present, lies with the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters of the Siyam Nikaya or sect. The Siyam Nikaya is distinctly caste based in that no member of the Buddhist Clergy, who is not from the Govi Caste, could obtain Higher Ordination from that sect. The Buddha opposed castism and hence the observance of caste discrimination in any form is contrary to Buddhist Philosophy. Thus when the Sangha who have to follow Buddhist Precepts resort to caste discrimination it is anachronistic and such members of the Sangha have to be considered as breaking Vinaya Rules and Buddhists should do away with them. Accordingly, keeping the most venerated Buddha Relic in the custody of a section of the clergy who are caste based and biased is not salutary. It is therefore, necessary to take action not only to do away with the caste based Nikaya Division but also place the Dalada Maligawa in the custody of a Sangha Sabha consisting of pious and educated members of the Buddhist Clergy disassociating with Nikaya Divisions. Upali S. Jayasekera Until and unless man stops slaughtering animals for food or sport, he will never ever stop killing humans for this or that reason because the instinct for slaughter has already steadfastly instilled in his blood and his thirst for blood has to be quenched. Be it Holy War, Jihad or laying down life in war to ensure a place in heaven; but man must stop taking life all beings. No mountains of prayers or preachings for peace will ever help humanity if animals are slaughtered whether within the spirit or outside it. If man fails to do it that way, he will keep on fighting and killing each other as he did before and after revelations. E. M. UNESCO and World Teachers' Day The teacher seems to be receiving considerable attention currently - we have noticed the statement of a university Don stating that there are many unqualified teachers, the reactions of the Education Bureaucrats to this, the caustic remarks in State on the work of Teachers Union, the fall in discipline among students even warranting the come-back to the use of the Strap in class and so on. Hence it will be fitting to pay attention to the position of the Teacher - he has to be considered the chief Navigator in the ship of Education wherein the crew, the students in School, will get to their journey's end successfully and not end in distress in the mid-sea if the navigator is committed and kept satisfied, his work and responsibilities and also his Rights as a Worker are also recognized. Hence our urge to pay attention to Teachers' Day and thereafter, October 6 is remembered all over the World as Teachers' Day in recognition of their services to the young generations in the Formal, Non Formal and Informal sectors. Irrespective of the existence of a few black sheep it has to be accepted that 90% of the millions of Teachers today have done a job of Work in producing the needed man power for National and International Development and well being. No one can deny the fact that it is the background received in the School, the seed, that has contributed primarily to the growth of even the strongest Intellectuals and Producers in the World. UNESCO issued a special declaration in the form of 141 articles citing the recommendations made at a high level inter country conference on October 5,1966 on the 'Status of Teachers'. This event is of great concern especially to us in Asia as Teachers are being treated in status as the under dogs although they are considered to be members of the noblest of professions. Further in comparison with qualifications and skills in managing young human beings, the Teachers normally were the most neglected in terms of monetary considerations and other marginal benefits. Fortunately University Lecturers are better off in marginal benefits with better pay and sabbatical leave for an year etc. While political and military solutions may be necessary to settle conflicts and communal friction in our countries in the SAARC countries in particular, Education may not only be an instrument/investment in National development but also can be nurtured as a force in Human Development for the sake of Peace. Values and Tolerance and can be the best sustainable solution by brain washing of the young manpower in the Schools. This can be done only in mobilising the active support of the Teachers. In short Teachers are entitled by right and deserves respect not only in the schools but also in the outside world, the Parliaments and even in the newspaper Offices. They have to be correctly identified, trained soundly as Teachers and School/Society/National developers and given the material and non material resources to work and live as satisfied Workers. Let me now repeat the Recommendations cited in the UNESCO declaration: Recruitment of Teachers - Recommendation 3(7): 'ÉPreparation and Employment of Teachers should be free from any form of discrimination on grounds of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, or economic conditionÉ' This will mean that the right Teacher has to be selected to the right job as teacher and not the wrong man to the right job of Teacher. Unfortunately the 10% of bad eggs among our Teacher population who may have come in on influence as against merit may need to be removed or brain washed Recommendation on Rights and Obligations: 'É Professional Standards should be defined and maintainedÉ Teachers' Organisations should seek to cooperate fully with authorities in the interests of the pupils, Education Service and SocietyÉ codes of Ethics should be established by Teachers' Organisations, Teachers should be prepared to play their part in extracurricular activities for the benefit of pupils and adultsÉ' Hence our aims on this Teachers' Day to develop a satisfied Teacher Force by helping to improve their image among the people and provide them with the essential financial and other essential resources to lead a life of status in the Schools and in their homes as productive Workers. In the country our effort is to cultivate Peace, Tolerance, Values Systems & National Reconciliation may bear fruit, if fertilised at the proper time, with honest incentives and open-hearted understanding of the course for problems and conflicts and also eliminating parasitical influence by poisonous elements in the guise of patriotic leaders by closer surveillance of their work and surreptitious moves. George Mendis |
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