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Morning Spice by Ginger
Cheapest funeral costsa packetGinger was talking to a friend the other day. He was a nice type of bloke but was a pretty morbid sort of chap at the same time. He began talking of funerals then he spoke about the cost of burials. According to him the cheapest funeral service was in the range of fifty thousand rupees which denies us the right to die and was a gross violation of our fundamental rights. How many of our citizens can afford to pay fifty thousand rupees to go to an uncertain destination? Few know where we are heading for once inside an undertakers limousine.
That apart, a funeral in a poor family can set it back for quite a few years. In most countries the state makes some kind of arrangement for those who cannot afford it. I wonder whether there are such arrangements here other than for ETF contributors. After all, dead people can’t vote and so any investment must be made on those who will impersonate them. One feels the profit margin on corpses or coffins as the case may be is pretty high. It is incumbent then on for the state to have contractors who are a little humane who will offer a cheaper service and come under the aegis of the state. Those whose income are below a certain sum can avail themselves of such a service on an instalment basis.
Fruits good for health
If the first man passes you just clap and call him. That is of course if you can afford a G.S.T., mango banana or pine. Fruits are a thing of the past for many but if you can afford it don’t forget to eat plenty of it. A major study confirms the belief we had that eating fruit was good for us.Really, the study has revealed that all food that is rich in potassium including fruit such as banana, tomatoes and oranges do you good because they may cut down the chances of your getting a stroke by as much as 30% but avoid potassium supplements as they could be contra-indicated if you have kidney problems.
Green light
Manila softening its attitude to some of those who cohorted with Marcos to perpetuate his totalitarian regime in the eighties? The latest story that came down the diplomatic grapevine was that Estrado had given the green light for Fabian Ver to return to Manila though he would not be immune to any legal action against him. This concession was made because he was ill.Ver was closeby associated with Marcos in many of the things that shocked the country. He was also indicted with the murder of Benigro Aquino in absentia but Corazon is also not raising any objections to his return because he may come out with more facts about the murder.
Master plan for demobilised personnel essential
As a World War II Veteran, I feel competent to write on the above subject. I was on the staff of the Ceylon Defence Force Dispersal Camp, Dalugama from after the Armistice till the end of 1946.
I was with others responsible for demobilising the armed forces in batches. Each demobilised soldier received a gratuity; (humorously called "gratitude") of one months’ salary for every year of mobilised service. In addition, each one received 14 yards of white cloth , 14 yards grey cloth, a rice ration book and Rs. 10 for that week’s rations.
Officers received in addition to the above, half a bottle of whiskey. A register was maintained in the Officers’ Mess for this purpose. Unfortunately, there was no planned Rehabilitation scheme for the demobilised personnel. For those fortunate enough some received employment in the Public and Private sectors.
The others were flotsam and jetsam of society. Incidentally, those fortunate enough to hail from Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Padaviya, were lucky to receive five acres of land each. I had the good fortune, quite accidentally, of being invited to a five acre, well maintained block in Padaviya.
I have written separately on "How Henderic Appuhamy received five acres of land at Padaviva’’ due to three slaps from me. Due to a lack of planned Rehabilitation scheme, there were sporadic attacks by armed gangs, chiefly with robbery of cash and jewellery as the motive. In all parts of the country crime flourished but not on such a brutal and unbelievable scale, as is prevalent today, including rape and brutal murders.
After World War II, two of the most outstanding crimes which I can remember were the well planned Ceylon Turf Club Robbery resulting in the murder of the Driver Silva of the Armstrong Taxi Service, and the brutal murder of a young English Planter, Whitehouse for the wages of his estate staff. Due prominence was given to both crimes in the media.
I need not elaborate as to what is prevalent today with all the horrendous mayhem of rape, murder etc. As all indications point towards a cessation of hostilities in the North/East, in the not too distant future. I feel that we should start to plan for the future, i.e. after the war is over. The payment of Pensions and/or compensations will be counter productive as the resultant recurrent colossal expenditure thus involved will negate the colossal war funds saved towards productive and a stable economy, for the future, after the war.
In my humble way I would suggest the immediate establishment of a very high powered Co-ordinating Committee to work out the logistics etc. with the Deputy Minister of Defence as Chairman, the three Service Commanders, the Minister of Agriculture and Food and relevant very competent highly qualified officers in their various fields as members.
It should be the duty of this Committee to study the whole problem in depth, with the infrastructures involved and to draw without delay a Master Plan for all demobilised personnel. Ready to be implemented immediately after the war.
I had in mind various land schemes where each Regiment can be allotted land and be self-contained in every way. Ex-service personnel will prefer to work with comrades they know and with whom they fought together with, than the unknown angels.
I am not competent enough to elaborate on what actually should be done but I can only suggest that it should be done expeditiously. Tomorrow will be perhaps too late.
Capt. L. P. Juriansz,
Dehiwela
Tamils not the original settlers
We observed that the interview of the President in South Africa was a rushed job giving hardly any time even to explain what the President may have had in her mind. What the President obviously wanted to emphasise was that the ANC represented the original settlers of South Africa and that there was no parallel with the terrorist activities taking place in Sri Lanka.
The statement, however, attributed to the President, of Tamils not being the original settlers of Sri Lanka has been settled by several learned professors including some Tamil scholars. When the population of the Tamil people is only 12 to 13%, it will not need much research to settle the issue.
Now these Tamil parties want to politically blackmail the President. We must all congratulate the President for her principled stand of not wanting to appease these Tamil parties by not caring whether they vote for or against the Budget. On this matter the President will receive the whole hearted support of all right thinking people of this country.
In a recent television interview a Tamil private self designated politician was saying that he does not want to go to Jaffna because he is not prepared to take permission from the Singhala government whom he considers as his enemy. He also said that the only Tamil representatives in the country is the LTTE and that he is supporting them fully and that all other so called Tamil leaders I suppose including himself are imposters masquerading as the representatives of the Tamil people in Parliament.
If this is so, why does the President want to pay any attention or importance to these Tamil parties in Parliament. It is they who have to be supportive of the government in their own interest of personal security and other monetary benefits they are receiving and supported by public funds contributed mostly by the Singhalese who are publicly insulted as enemies of the Tamils. It is those same Singhala people who pay for the food, medicine etc. that are sent to the people of the North and East, a part of which we understand is robbed by the LTTE terrorists.
This is a strange phenomenon of the enemy being sustained and cared for by the very people against whom the enemy is determined to continue this bloody war. I don’t think that this sort of situation is prevalent in any part of the world i.e. Feeding the enemy! This is only possible in a Buddhist country like ours.
In conclusion, I hope Television stations will refrain from interviewing and giving undue publicity to racist politicians who can do so much harm to the friendly ethnic relations, which we maintain today inspite of this terrorist war.
Sena Mahawatte
Colombo 05
The front-page of The Island of 9th November 98 highlighted "New Bridegroom dies of Ragging". A bridegroom who had been severely ragged by his friends on the day of his wedding died of pneumonia after admission to hospital.
The teledrama directed by Wimalarante Adikari viz "Ingammaruwa" depicted the danger of this type of sadistic delights where when the bridegroom was thrown into a water tank he received a severe head injury and ultimately the wedding house became a funeral house. However in this teledrama the perpetrators received their just desserts in that they were caught thrashed, put into the same water tank and later chased out.
It is not innocent fun to harass a newly married couple by throwing fruit salad over them, pouring dirty water on them and ultimately throwing them into a hotel swimming pool in their wedding attire. One has to consider the fact that the couple may have spend a lot of money to acquire their dresses to appear their best on the all important day. Sometimes they may have borrowed their outfits or taken a loan to obtain same in these hard times. When one considers all these facts specially the friends and relations of the newly weds they should consider throwing the "Newly weds" to a swimming pool as a sadistic, barbaric, obnoxious, heinous and a heart breaking act.
According to the Ceylon penal code this is a criminal act punishable under the existing law. The relevant sections are 314, and 410 of the penal code. Section 314 states whoever voluntarily causes hurt shall be punished with imprisonments of either description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may be extended to one thousand rupees or with both. Section 410 of the penal code reads thus "Whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damages to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.
Leaving aside the legalities the parents of the newly married couple, friends and the hotel management if the wedding is held in a hotel should step in firmly and stop these drunken, sadistic misdemeanours or misdeeds. Thank you Editor for the editorial on 11th instant.
Bandula Senewiratne
Colombo 8
‘Quality’ politicians — the need of the day
Kingsley T. Wickremeratne, the Minister of Internal and International Trade, Food and Commerce, is reported to have said at a recent meeting, that what we need today are "quality professionals". (Island of 16th November).
How much more blind and superficial can politicians get? In Heaven’s name, why don’t they keep their mouths shut, if they cannot talk sense? Is there not one among them who realizes that the country’s greatest need today is quality politicians.
I do not know in what sense Wickremaratne used the word ‘quality’. From the rest of his speech it would seem that he used the term to refer to skill or skills.
Undoubtedly, the country needs individuals who are skilled in their special fields, be it computer literary on which the Minister had laid great stress, or any other type of work in which they are engaged to earn a living. And such individuals are required not merely today but always.
But ‘quality’ is much more than being merely ‘skilled’ in one’s particular job or sphere of work. It implies a capacity to transcend the limitations of self and especially, in the case of politicians, to place the good of the country above their own selfish interests, which, in this country, seem to me to be, at present, the craving for power and the desire to be somebody in society.
It is ‘quality’ men of that type, be they professionals or not, that the country sorely needs today.
Just look around and we find today, in this country, hordes of individuals who are skilled in speech-making, arguing out cases in the courts of law convincing judges that the false is the truth and that the truth is the false, teaching, engineering, medicine and surgery, commerce, administration, diplomacy, journalism and a host of other fields.
But of what ‘quality’ would they be, if, as some of us in the Avadhi Lanka movement have come to realize, that barring some notable exceptions, they are, unbelievably shallow, without self-respect, unprincipled, unscrupulous, serpentine, rapacious and worst of all, without compassion and with no concern for the sufferings of their fellow-beings? The tragedy is that, in common parlance, all of them are ‘skilled.’
Much the greater tragedy is that our politicians (again, there are the odd exceptions) who, unfortunately, are chosen by the people to be in charge of the task of governing the country, are without any ‘quality’.
What is the way out? A correspondent, Kumar Abeywardena, had suggested in the columns of the ‘Island’ of the same date as when the report of Kingsley Wickremaratne’s speech was carried, that it was time a minimum international standard was adopted for those who govern a country. We entirely agree. But that is where the people come in. Until they bestir themselves and awaken from their lethargy and slumber, the country will be without hope. That is not enough. They have to get together. Otherwise we are doomed. I personally think that is the reality.
Stanley Jayaweera,
Avadhi Lanka
Pensioners — Government’s forgotten promises
The President, instead of fulfilling the promises made to pensioners as detailed in the Peoples Alliance Government Policy Statement, spoke disparagingly of pensioners and has not done anything to bail them out from their sad plight, though she was sympathetic towards the cause of pensioners to come to power and before coming to power.
This is what the President’s (PA Government’s) policy statement had to say then:
"Our attention is particularly drawn to the problems and the plight of pensioners who have spent the best years of their life for the development of the country and therefore deserve a comfortable life in their retirement.... In order to remedy this situation, a national programme towards the welfare of pensioners will be launched."
However, what the President said after coming to power was that ‘pensioners were wasting time eating, drinking and idling.’! Perhaps it is that view that she now holds after consolidating power, that has failed to honour the following pledges:
1. The rectification of pension anomalies and introduction of an uniform and equitable pension structure.
2. The linkage of pensions to the cost of living index.
3. Granting of concessionary fares to senior citizens in respect of public transport.
4. Payment of a special allowance added to the pension to pensioners having school going children.
5. Provision of hostels with health care and other facilities for pensioners.
6. Giving special consideration to the children of pensioners when vacancies in their former work places are filled.
"Kiyana Kota Ehemai, Karana Kota Mehemai" said Andare.
Say one thing to come to power and do something else after coming to power!!
Upali S. Jayasekera,
Colombo 04
Bicycle transport
Dr. Kolita Weerasekera’s article on Bicycle Transport (your edition of November 13, 1998) offers a part solution to our country’s public transport problem — the country’s low finances, the density of traffic on inadequate roads, environmental pollution and frayed nerves, not to speak of symptoms of ill-health evoked by a car-driver’s sedentary life.Here I must digress to pay my nephew a compliment, who to reach Colombo Fort from Moratuwa shuns the straight path and takes his car on diversions that make the journey really interesting; last time what we passed looked like a miniature Venice was it a diversion of the Wellawatte canal? God forbid however other drivers following suit!
Bicycles will not pollute the atmosphere, exercise will rejuvenate the citizen and above all, this simple mode of transport would work salutarily on the Sri Lankan EGO.
Would it be only wishful thinking that bicycles would also invade the parliamentary complex? Neither Pajeros nor speed has solved the country’s problems. Maybe a cause to a slower, less showy and healthier pace would!
Years ago, the late H. L. Premadasa, Attorney at Law from Kurunegala had written about seeing a Member of Parliament from England boarding the public bus. No MP in Sri Lanka boards a bus as a matter of course and if one does, the press carries a photograph of this ‘feat’ the next day.
I would vote anything in to curtail the terrible plight the private bus traveller is in at the hands of an indisciplined crew, who don’t know that they are running a public service, but whose eyes are fixed on collection and their private funds.
One minus factor I see in bicycle transport is the weather — both the terrific sun and the rain, whether mild or terrific. Weather conditions have changed and the sun is hotter than ever before.
However, please Mr. Fowzie, examine the pros and cons of Dr. Weerasekera’s article seriously, ascertaining its virtues and practicability, as you know the mess public transport is in. The very fact that something so basic has been suggested is for me a salutary sign.
Chitra Jayasuriya
Moratuwa
Proposals under new educational reforms
The All-Ceylon Union of Government English Teachers, Unit of Education International has urged the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Richard Pathirana to appoint a Sub-Committee to study the following proposals under the new educational reforms:—
The Union has assured the authorities that it is prepared to extend the fullest cooperation to such a Committee when appointed.
Under the new educational reforms English language is to be made a compulsory subject at the GCE (Ordinary Level) Examination. In this connection appropriate steps have to be taken immediately to re-organise the English Unit of the Ministry of Education by appointing a Deputy Director General with suitable English Specialist qualifications and experience to be in-charge of the Unit with adequate staff to assist him. At the moment English Unit does not have an English Specialist to handle the Unit. It has however, a Director to handle Languages and Humanities.
After re-organising the English Unit an island wide survey should be carried out to ascertain whether there is an equal distribution of English Teachers.
The Class ratio should be reduced at least to 35 students so that the teachers can handle, classes easily and efficiently. Re-orientation training courses and Seminars should be conducted for the benefit of English Teachers in Service.
A Register should be maintained to fill the vacancies of those teachers who go on maternity and abroad study leave on temporary basis.
Regular Inspection should be carried out by a team of qualified officers to assess the standard of the teachers and schools who should recommend the yearly increments of teachers.
The Incentive Bonus Scheme Circular issued for the benefit of the teachers of English to get their knowledge improved should be implemented accordingly.
Those teachers who give private tuition during school hours should be dealt with departmentally and suitable disciplinary action taken against them.
A team of senior officials of the Ministry of Education should be appointed to supervise the Education Offices on regular basis with a view to improve and augment the standard of administration and to assist the teachers to get their grievances redressed.
National Schools Transfer Boards should be re-constituted with recognised Trade Union Officials. At the moment it is being handled by the Education Service Committee whereby no teacher participation is involved added, the communique.
M. A. Stanley Perera, JP.
Founder President, ACUGET
