Morning Spice by Ginger
Girls taking to manly forms of sport

It is nice to see the girls taking to more manly forms of sport. Ginger predicts they may even surpass the male before long. When it comes to really rough stuff it is hard to beat the female. The other day Ginger was watching the finals of the first football tournament played here on the sports segment of Rupavahini news. If I am not mistaken the police won the tournament and naturally too. It is difficult to stop a heavy bootedpolicewoman should she decide to use her feet.Contrary to expectations, however, they looked quite cute though formidable. Now we come on to other forms of sport.

Women have invaded the cricket field and even shown their ability to slice, throw and kick their opponents at karate. However, Ginger is a little puzzled as to why women have not taken to boxinghere.Theirspousesand fiances would ofcourse be glad that our women have yet to enter the ring. They may not confine their boxing skills to the ring and may want a few workouts et home making things a trifle uncomfortable for their hubbies but the fun is worth the risk. There could be nothing es deadly or furious es two women thronging punches et each other and for a gender that has no qualms about landing a punch or two below the belt there could be no better form ofsport. One only feels a little sorry for the referee who may try to cramp their style with alotof gibberish about the rules of the ring and soforth.

The price of leadership
The price ofleadership could be pretty heavy. Now take the case of Atal Bihari VaJpayee. Ever since he came into power six months ego he has been kept so busy that he hardly has time to attend to his personal needs. The pace may also be taking a toll of his health and in fact it was noticed that he got down from the dais on Independence day with some difficulty. It was as the official explanation went due to a pulled back muscle.

His political foes seem to be behind some of the rumours floating around about his health. There was even the talk that he was having cancer but official sources denied the rumours and said he had merely entered a private hospital for a routine check-up which did not reveal any such condition. These rumours appear to be the work of a one time ally who did not get the break he was expecting.

Law and justice of Malaysia
Malaysia is a bit touchy about comments on its law and justice system. Actress Anne Heche has done nothing to make the authorities less unhappy about the digs made its legal system. Her latest movie about a lawyer trying to save an American drug smuggler from the death penalty has created quite a furore.

Prison authorities have been highly offended at Anne's showing Malaysia's cells in death row being full of rats and roaches. In fact officials tried to get the film ' Return to Paradise' banned. Some politicians seem to think that the best policy would be to ignore it all.

Wild Life and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka

Wild Life and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka [ WLNPS] has been in the forefront of conservation in Sri Lanka upto the recent times. Whenever there was an important environmental issue, the Society used to take the lead, fighting for the protection of wild life and nature.

Alas! That was only in the good old days. But now, the situation is totally different. The Society has got into a rut. The Committee of Management has split into two, over certain issues involving the Past President and one section of the Committee has gone to Courts. Present President and the former President who should sort out the problems have both gone abroad and cannot be contacted.

The Annual General Meetings held in the recent years have been always very stormy, unruly and ugly. The members are fed up with the situation. There is no nature protection now. It has been totally neglected and forgotten. Instead, the Committee is fighting a battle at personal level. The Society is almost dead. There are so many important issues such as killing of elephants in the country. But the present Committee is unable to do anything these matters.

This Society has stood the test of the time. There are very many achievements to its credit. It should not be allowed to disintegrate like this. Therefore, may I suggest that the members should get together, appoint a new Committee of Management, go ahead with business and follow the good traditions set in the past. Let us hope that this will be done soon before it is too late.

P.A.Jayawickrama
Colombo

Is this a sheer mockery?

Recently - 7.10. 98 - over Rupavahini 'Kadamalla' programme, Arun Dias Bandaranayaka telecast at unique even at a Buddhist temple. It was a wedding ceremony conducted in a Buddhist temple, attended by several Buddhist monks, friends and relations of the newly wed couple. One is puzzled and wish to know from the Maha Nayakes, Buddhist leaders and organisations, whether such a thing was advocated by the Lord Buddha. If not, is this not a mockery, bringing disrepute and disgrace?

The monk who conducted the ceremony in his 'Anusasana' said that there are three important events in man's life, birth, marriage and death, hence this most important event called 'marriage' should be considered as a religious function. Admitting that marriage is one of the events in man's life, why have a ceremony in the temple? Hitherto, married couples went to the temple after the wedding to be blessed. Is this an attempt to commercialise Buddhism?

Earlier, in a similar programme, a set of Buddhist monks were shown in a five star hotel chanting pirith at a wedding. This time they have graduated to having a ceremony at the temple. Perhaps the priests have copied this act from the Christian Church where marriages are solemnised.

The Buddhist public would wish to know, through your newspaper, the views of the Maha Sangha, Maha Nayakes, Buddhist Congress, Sinhala Commission, specially from the eminent citizens whom the Sinhala Commission or the National Joint Committee, on this matter. If they do not come out openly with their views on this matter they, in my opinion, will fail in their claim to be saviours of Buddhism. As much as the Maha Nayake Theros of Malwatte Chapter demanded the government not to recognise the Bhikkhuni Sasana, let them issue directives to the Bhikkhus, either to carry on this new venture or dessist.

Will all those concerned speak? Guide us?

G. A. D. Sirimal.

Registered Letters

There has been controversy over the posting of registered letters addressed to Post Office Box Numbers. The Postal Authorities have failed to issue a clarification.

Post Office Rule E3-5 specifies that a letter should not be accepted for registration or insuranc if it bears as the only address, a Post Ofice Box Number or the mere address.

This would mean that a letter should bear the name of a person or Firm to which it is addressed in addition to the P.O.Box Number to be accepted for transmission as a registered article. Letters to a mere address also cannot be sent under registered cover.

Upali S. Jayasekera.

Was there a debacle?

It is being grilled into the minds of the people that the military has suffered a debacle in Kilinochchi. The number of troops killed in action have been given and attempts have been made to inflate these figures by the LTTE, its sympathisers and those who want to project what happened in Kilinochchi as a defeat for the incumbent government. (The SLFP and its allies also thought and acted on the same lines when in opposition).

How can one call what happened in Kilinochchi a debacle? The reason why I am posing this question is this: no one knows for sure how many LTTEers have died in the attack and what other damges it has suffered in terms of loss of equipment weaponry etc. As a result.

If the side that mounts an attack sufferes a loss that is similar to the one inflicted on the enemy, can that side claim victory over the other. The area captured by the side staking claims to victory may be considered some yardstick. But there again, in a terrorist war what matters is cadres not real estate. (Isn't it the UNP that has told us so?) Could anyone enlighten me on how many LTTEers have been killed in the attack and how the calculations have been done in that respect.

If it is the land caputred that matters in determining which side has won, then why isn't Mankulam taken into consideration in reaching a conclusion? And above all, going by that argument, hasn't the state already secured a considerable victory in view of the liberation of the Jaffna peninsula and many other areas where the military dared not tread in the past?

I cannot just understand why certain people are making an attempt to portray? What happened in Kilinochchi recently as a debacle for the military.

The media too failed to be exception. It too fell for what the LTTE wanted it to believe in respect of Kilinochchi?

Why jump to conclusions before ascertaining the numbers killed and loss of equipment and weaponry ?

Shouldn't we restrain ourselves from making such hasty conclusions which are likely to badly affect the morale of our troops?

Over to you those who told us about a military debacle in Kilinochchi (including Dr. Nalin de Silva, the staunch supporter of the military).

Alfred Wickremabahu
Nugegoda.

Hazard to motorists

As a person taking the Havelock road to and from work everyday, I have noticed that there is a heavy concerntration of traffic at the Vilasitha Niwasa there is a pedestrian crossing oppostite the Hindu Kovil.

Even for a single person who crosses the road, all the vehicles taking this road have to come to a halt contributing thus to a long line of vehicles blocking all other, intersections along the road on both sides.Pedestrian are also in the habit of crossing the roads at their whims and fancies without considering inconv-enience they cause to motorists.

The police too can do very little in this regard as they too have to give priority to pedestrian the place being a pedestrian crossing.

Worst, there is a roundabout just opposite the Vilasitha Niwas and the vehicles coming towards the city have to stop for pedestrians to cross line along the road even at the roundabout. This makes it difficult for others to give right of way or to move out quickly so that others too can do the same.

I wonder why the police cannot propose to the local government authority concerened that an overhead bridge be built for the pedestrians to cross the road without blocking this important intersection.

There are a few more places along this road stretch that require a lot of thinking on the part of the local authorties and the police if unnecessary traffic congestion is to be avoided.

Another useful step to ease traffic jams at Nugegoda will be to singalize all intersections in Nugegoda along both the 176 route and 130 route.

Congestion leads to a colossal waste of foreign exchange interms of motor spare parts and fuel and loss of man hours everyday.

A developing country like ours cannot afford this waste. Time the authorities gave serious thought to this.

Gamini Mathagoda,
Kottawa.

Save those sweet little twittever!

There recently press regarding the absence of sparrows in Colombo one writer did indicate the possibility of the various pesticides that are being used, when eaten along with the food grains by the birds causing sterility in the female bird.

This I feel is a real possibility, and certainly is food for thought. Further investigation on this is urgently called for in order to minimize this calamity. If this is a fact, are we just seeing the tip of the iceberg so to speak? If this is scientifically proven, are we slowly and surely decimating our avifauna by the use of these high powered oxic chemicals? It certainly is a very disturbing thought to learn that yet another of our modern day human actions is adding the name of our commoner garden sparrow to the list of the endangered species on our planet.

Just in passing, a few weeks ago, I was outside the Borella Supermarket waiting for my wife, when I noticed quite a number of sparrows chirping and playing about on the outside balcony with little knowledge of their eventual fate. They were a small group and certainly not in the numbers we used to see them in the past. I would be happy to hear more from some knowledgable person about this problem through this column.

Dr. A.N.Dhammawansa
Colombo 7

Be patriotic: stand by the forces

Is it just and fair to say that army takes severe beatings in the North. This is most unpatriotic and anti-national. Gross ingratitude to the thousands of youth who are dying to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty. In a deadly and brutal war like this beatings are taken by both sides. Why this dirty double tongued talk to lower the morale of our brave and valiant youth of the armed forces. We would rather give them full support and unstinted courage. We salute the Defence Minister, Deputy Defence Minister and our heroic and valiant soldiers. They captured Jaffna, the once invulnerable and invincible fortress of terrorists. Now they are hiding in bunkers in the jungles. To play up defeats suffered by the military without giving publicity to their victories smacks of treachery. Support the war like true patriots. Do not support brutle and deadly terrorism. All want peace. Our forces know they joint to die but fight valiantly to restore peace, law and order. Unite and help to achieve victory.

Carl Nanayakkara,
Kalutara.