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Morning Spice by Ginger
A better life for Ministers and MPsAnd here is good news for ministers, deputy ministers and MPs. And what is more not a soul is that august and exclusive club is likely to make any serious objections to the proposal. There is going to be a massive jump in their allowances adding up to well over ten thousands smackers a month. Hats off to members of that much esteemed and exalted assembly. They at least know how to fight their cause unlike a mute and lumpen public.
They were not going to take G.S.T. and added taxes on liquor and tobacco lying down. They are as a rule an articulate lot and what is more can turn dangerous if they decide to stop nodding — and this is what they are supposed to be there for. Nobody knows whether it was the result of collective action but they at least knew how to cushion the effects of increased prices and taxes. It is sad that Citizen Perera and others are not quite as enterprising as their representatives and can only wring their hands in dismay and complain that they cannot live on their incomes. The moment has come for them to decide whether they are to enter parliament or stop living if they cannot do so on their incomes.
Findings on menopause
I wonder how well this recent finding on menopause will be received by medical circles all over the world. Scientists at the medical research council at University College, London had come to the conclusion that your I.Q had much to do with the setting in of menopause. The theory is in dispute at the moment.The scientists at the university came to the conclusion after carrying out 19 tests on almost nine hundred women born in 1946. Those who had not reached menopause yet did much better at the test then those who had already done so. A woman’s thinking ability is closely linked to the level of oestrogen. That evidently is the cause behind this phenomenon.
Media moghul Rupert Murdoch
There was hardly anything that did not even remotely touch mass media billionaire Rupert Murdoch. The media moghul had nibbled into the holdings of some of the best known media organisations all over the world but evidently economic trends are putting a leash on Murdoch.Murdoch feels that the world is heading for a major recession and would not be making any fresh investments. Murdoch says he has buttressed his organisation against debt by re-financing that will fortify him against both long and short term debt.
The tragedy that befell Rita John Manoharan and the fate of many others under similar circumstances should be fairly and squarely placed on the shoulders of the President, politicians and the legislators of today. Needless to say that they have all proved to be a set of imbroglios including the ‘pothe guras’ in the Cabinet.
It is widely reported that the politicos have wilfully for material gains from the underworld drug-lords, murderers, rapists and gang-robbers defied the implementation of the death penalty. They have thus betrayed the trust reposed in them by the people to usher in a disciplined society with due deference to law and order so that all can live without fear. They have miserably failed to fulfil their obligations by the people. It is obvious they are following the foot-steps of their immediate predecessors who were traitors to the nation preaching Dharmista and practising Adarmista with a vengeance. They got what they deserved and may not history repeat itself!
Law and order is something which we all cherish. If any government is incapable of restoring this all important ingredient during their term of office and governance they should get out before they are thrown out and before any macabre scenes and bizarre incidents of the past be re-enacted. Although I am no prophet of doom to predict, I can safely say that coming events have already cast their shadows before.
Judging from the moral social, ethnic and political situation prevailing in our country today, it is obvious even to the most naive that the imposition of the death penalty should be mandatory. In this context the first offenders to be tried should be the politicians and legislators who give the glad eye and the green light to criminals to pursue their activities relentlessly. This amounts to aiding and abetting by them. Secondly the actual perpetrators of gruesome crimes. The politicians and the legislators are placed in the first category because they have reduced the judiciary to a mockery and the Police Force to a poltroonery . This is the main cause for crime, chaos and confusion in our little country that was once a paradise.
Let me didactically and dialectically prove what I have stated by direct reference to no less an authority than the Holy Bible.
(1) Proverbs Ch. 24 Vs. 24
(2) - do - Ch. 25 Vs. 5
(1) But to him that punisheth the wicked shall be delight
And a good blessing shall come upon him.(2) Take away the wicked from before the king
And his throne shall be established forever in righteousness.(3) Ecclesiastes Ch. 8 Vs. 11
Because sentence against the evil work is not executed speedly, therefore the hearts of such men are fully set to do greater evil.
The Holy Koran too fully endorses these views and advocates torture before execution.
Gerald de Alwis,
Nawala
Of late there has been a spate of letters to the press regarding the above. Some commuters vex their grievances regarding certain bus routes, while others praise the energetic Minister of Transport, A. H. M. Fowzie, for his endeavour to create a more realistic transport services in Sri Lanka. His foremost act was to pull out all the skeletons in the depots in the island, and with the assistance of the mechanical engineers and the skilled labour force, made them road worthy for the public.
At the moment there are a lot of loopholes regarding the Central Transport Board, and the privatised services, which have to be taken into serious consideration.
I will start with the running of certain bus routes:
1.In Route No. 102, Dehiwela to Kotahena, the ratio is about 7 private to 3 CTB and this is the only conveyance to the Fort- you will have to wait about half an hour and wedge your way in when the vehicle arrives as it a private vehicle. If you are in a hurry, jump into a bus and get down at Bambalapitiya, and interchange into a No. 112 bus Maharagama/Kotahena, via Fort. This route is very well organised with a fleet of a ratio of 10 to 1 as against route No. 102. So for the convenience of the commuters who travel to the Fort, this service should be expanded with a couple of more buses.
Since of late I have noticed that no tickets are issued, by the private operators in spite of the fact that the tickets are stored away in a corner. In case of an accident and the casualties are rushed to the National Hospital, there is no proof of having travelled in the fateful vehicle, even to claim 3rd party insurance, as there is no ticket in possession. There should be a code of conduct by the private bus conductors, who are taking the law into their hands, and treating the passengers, as cattle to the slaughter house, (passata yanda), and when the vehicle stops for you to disembark, (Wigahata bahinna). In the past when the private companies operated, all the conductors had a licence book with a photograph, and when they were found guilty of overloading, they were summoned to courts and an entry was entered as to the amount of fine or final warning in his licence. They also had a log sheet with them, and at every junction enter the numbers the tickets remaining, so that at the end of the day the owners know exactly how much revenue was earned. That is not relevent today, and it should be a must. What has happened to all the TIKKAS as they were called, to check ticketless travellers, overloading by the traffic police, have all vanished into thin air.
Finally, I do hope that the Traffic Police prosecute and spot fine the private bus operators, who stop at the main junctions, sometimes for about 5 to 10 minutes, shouting for passengers, who are more matured now and know all the route numbers, thereby hampering a free flow of traffic. It so happens by this move the Transport Board buses, overtake them and stop at a point where one has to run to embark, but by the time he goes the bus has gone.
So over to you the energetic Minister of Transport, A. H. M. Fowzi to read through my views and ideas for a better transport service, and if you feel that what I mentioned acceptable, I put the ball in your court.
Cutty Felsinger,
Dehiwela
Where I am seated in my office I get a grandstand view of policemen and soldiers who are on duty drawing themselves up smartly and saluting their officers who pass them. They are not only complying with the dictates of discipline, but their proud bearing in doing so is a stirring exhibition of their high respect in honouring their superior officers. One would expect the officer also to equally smartly return the salutes given to them. But, alas, such a gratifying spectacle too often is glaringly absent. Except for one or two senior officers who touch their caps in indifferently returning the salute, and a few officers who nod their heads in acknowledgement of the salute, all other officers simply pass away without even a smile or a glance.
What a saddening, niggardly and indisciplined example? As ordinary people, how spontaneously we smile even with unknown people when looking at each other in passing. A soldier or policemen will be pulled up if he fails to salute an officer, and when an officer fails to similarly respond, should he not be found fault with?
An interesting anecdote regarding salutes was related to me by my elderly uncle who had served in Defence establishments during World War II. At a military training camp, a subaltern pulled up a raw recruit for failing to salute him while passing and ordered the soldier to salute him ten times as summary punishment; the soldier smartly rendered ten salutes to the satisfaction of the gloating officer, who then dismissed the soldier with a warning against a repetition.
The Camp Commandant who had been observing this drama, called up both men, and having complemented the subaltern for pulling up the soldier, in the same breath ordered the subaltern to salute the soldier ten times in return — a lesson in military discipline, to honour not only rank and uniform but also respect the wearer of the uniform as comrade-in-arms.
A salute is imperative among service personnel as well as the civil police, because it strikes the ordinary man as an example of disciplined conduct. It will certainly be more striking to behold officers smartly returning the salutes of their loyal men.
The jovial cheerio salutes by parasites in uniform when fleecing market vendors are, of course of another class — these are generally reciprocated with a malevolent stare by the victims.
Nazly Cassim
Colombo.
I have seen two letters appearing in your issue of 20.11.98, as a rejoinder to mine of 14.11.98, on the above subject.
One is from a formidable team of six persons. They are not bothered about the other points and suggestions, of more import, brought forward by me, and have only raised this issue, which shows their extreme servility and subservience!
They have taken umbrage at me for having called Lt. Gen. Nalin Seneviratne, a former Governor of N.E.P., as "an army man" (the quotes are theirs).
They have also said that I have done so, "with ulterior motives and with the intention of bringing disrepute to an individual" which charge is derogatory, defamatory, and liable to legal action in a court of law!
Let us now examine these accusations!
All I said, in relation to Gen. Nalin Seneviratne was as follows: "The first governor appointed here, Nalin Seneviratne, was an army man, who was sadly wanting in administrative experience, and he was therefore, fully obliged to the bureaucracy, to administer the Province."
This is what they have written in their painful, joint attempt to express themselves: I quote, "The hurting remarks which are factually incorrect, made by Mr. Thambirajah Mahadevan of Vavuniya............. are far from the truth and is apparently a reflection of writer’s ignorance of North East Provincial Administration."
Then again, about "an army man"!
If they care to refer up the Chambers’ or Oxford English Dictionary, they will see the following words and their meaning, in these dictionaries - e.g.,
(i) man-of-war .... (a) a soldier, (b) a warship;
(ii) man of God .... (a) holy man; (b) a clergyman
(iii) man of law .... a lawyer.
(iv) Man of letters .... (a) a scholar; (b) writer.
Now, to come to the second letter from, "Witness (Two Secretaries in the North East Provincial Council in 1989) as thy call themselves!
I would kindly request them to come out in the open, so that I may expose all their sins of commission and omission, during the time they were Secretaries, N.E.P. in 1989-90, when the administrative and accounting machinery, had almost, ground to a halt, and administrators and bureaucrats, high and low, were all having a field day, every day and in every way!
These two posing as "Witness" (Witness to what?) and calling themselves, "Two Secretaries in the North-East Provincial Council in 1989-90", and throwing poisoned darts, from behind appear to be ‘pandang’ holders.
Thambirajah Mahadevan
Vavuniya.
I refer to the ‘Opinion’ letter appeared in your journal of 10.10.98 under the heading ‘Tamils and Tamils’ sent by Mrs. E. L. S. Dharmatilaka of Piliyandala.
Let her not point a finger at others when the high and low caste problem prevails among the Sinhalese themselves and of upcountry and low country Sinhalese when getting married are taken into consideration does not the superiority complex prevails.
If she has listened to the ‘Sandeseya’ Sinhala BBC program relayed by our SLBC on Sunday nights between 9.15 and 9.45 p.m. she will understand how the Sinhala lower caste people are treated by even Buddhist priests at the temples addressing as ‘Tho’, ‘Balla’, surely she will not first come out with remarks on other communities where caste is concerned.
One should first correct one’s own community before finding fault with others which cannot be get rid off so easily. Let us first correct ourselves before we correct others.
Linton de Silva
Colombo
It has been reported that the flashes of light sighted on 16th November off the Jaffna Islands, on a navy radar screen could not be exactly interpreted. ("The Island" — 20.11.98) It seems that the only justifiable conclusion that a layman could arrive on this report is either the equipment we possess are not upto the required standard or we are not competent enough to handle such equipment and identify the objects that appear on it.
As "The Island" editorial of 21.11.98 highlighted it’s time that we ‘deploy high technology’ at this crucial hour to maintain round the clock vigilance over land, sea and sky.
Another such instance is our inability to ascertain the cause of the tremor that was heard and felt at Dumbara Valley in Kandy on 23.11.98. Here again as our geologists admit due to lack of equipment we are not in a position to monitor any seismic or micro-seismic activity in Sri Lanka. It’s a pity even though we have enough professionals with abundant expertise knowledge on geological matters, we are compelled to depend on neighbouring and/or advanced countries to know what exactly happens in our land.
During an era when people’s representatives clamour to enhance their monthly remunerations isn’t it logical to remind those concerned to expedite the supply of essential vital equipment to necessary units to avoid a major catastrophe that could befall the country.
Lionel de Silva
Katugastota
Grievances, aspirations and the homeland
Often, in discussions on the ethnic problem, especially over the electronic media, a situation like the following occurs: A speaker says very archly, with his tongue in his check "What are these grievances of the Tamil people? I have raised this question on numerous occasions, but have never got a satisfactory answer? Isn’t Tamil now one of the official languages? Aren’t Tamil students well-served with a number of higher educational institutes? Tamils can get about the country freely, buy land anywhere they choose, which cannot be said for the Sinhalese. I can’t understand this complaint about grievances..."
"Grievances" developed into "aspirations" which in turn has ended up in a demand for a "homeland". All this is puzzling to the outsider, but not to those of us who realise that we live in a multi-ethnic society and can well understand the Tamil people’s distrust of the major community and desire for more than were constitutional safeguards, by carving out a kind of homeland. After all when a community has been at the receiving end of programs from 1958 onwards, they will not have much confidence in half-measures. It is this that the writers of learned treatisers have failed to see. No amount of monographs debunking the idea of a homeland can convince the Tamil people, who cannot forget the harsh realities of the past few decades.
It is time we took off our blinkers and looked at this problem in the face, however distasteful the exercise may be.
R.S.Perera
Colombo 6
Private buses — tolerance reaching the limit
I wish to know from the administrators of this country, if they are going to allow the Private Bus Owners Association to hold the people of this country to ransom, on petty, trivial matters, any longer.
Are the people, to bow down to these rascals and be at their command and mercy?
If as reported, a bus driver has been assaulted — they must be thankful to the gods for not getting worse treatment for the things they do to passengers — the law of the land should take its normal course to deal with the offenders. Certainly not this kind of high-handed action.
Do they think that they are priviliged class above the law?
On the contrary, if a passenger is at the receiving end — which happens every minute, hour and day — almost all of them just have to bear the humiliation, mental agony and suffer in silence, rather than waste their time at police stations.
And what about the killings that regularly occur on the roads, due to drivers’ speeding, negligence, selfishness and drunken driving.
And, will the authorities at least wake up now and initiate some action to relieve the poor, innocent passengers of this misery, before they take the law into their own hands and deal within these barbarians once and for all.
‘Regular Traveller’
No appointments even after four years
Languages are most important for our nation, but officials not take any interest to teach Sinhala/Tamil to the school childrens. The Former Governor of the North-East Province Mr. Lionel Fernando had appointed about 75 teachers to teach Sinhala and Tamil in the schools in 1994 on monthly allowance for Rs. 1500. But so far these teachers have not been made permanent.
The union of the above teachers had met the Hon. Minister of Education and Higher Education last year. He promised that the teachers who had completed G. C. E. (A. L.) should be made permanent and others should complete the G. C. E. (A. L.) within 4 years.
But the promise has not been implemented and the poor teachers are still suffering. The Secretary to Her Excellency also had remainded many times regarding this matter to the secretary Education Commission. But an acknowledgement only received.
The languages are very vital for our nation and important for the unsolved ethnic problem too. Every politicians and diplomats are saying that the languages should be taught in the school level. Further there is a separate department also in our country for languages. They also are not thinking about valuable services of these poor teachers.
The masons, carpenters and labourers are earnings more than 500 rupees per day, but these educated teachers are earning Rs. 50 per day. It is shame for the educated people for this country. These teachers are working 8 hours and they treating them as normal teachers but no facilities available to the normal teachers.
In several occasions the union of the teachers had pointed out the above facts to the authorities. The Secretary of the Education North-East Province says that the delay is only in getting approval from the Cabinet.
Who are responsible for this appointments?
J. S. Marreyathas
Secretary, Sinhala/Tamil Teachers'
Union, Trincomalee
