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Morning Spice by Ginger
Passengers can't ask for ticketsGinger does not know whether his eyes and ears were deceiving him. But he thinks that one of the news items from a TV station was that from next year or so the bus crews would have to issue tickets and that those caught without tickets would be fined. Now do the powers that be want the travelling public to get into daily brawls by asking conductors for their tickets. This same stipulation was made earlier and abandoned. The idea was absurd. Tickets can only be issued if the conductor does it when passengers get in.
There is one condition that is vital for the scheme to succeed. There has to be a queue system or some orderly arrangement on a first come first serve basis where the conductor issues a ticket before the passenger gets in or else there is a scramble for seats and the conductor comes around much later and collects the fare. There is precious little a passenger can do if the conductor ignores the demand for a tickets as the bus is already on the move. The system where the owner asks for a minimum hire from the crews and is not concerned about the tickets adds to the problem.
Taslima causes controversy
Though Bangladesh has been a little more tolerant about religious views than most countries, it does not seem willing to let controversial writer Taslima Nasrin get away with what the extremists consider nothing but sheer blasphemy get away lightly for what she wrote. She has been asked to surrender to court and stand charges of blaspheming Islam by the end of the first week in January.Taslima has been living in exile since her book had angered many Muslims at home and abroad when it came out a few years ago. She came back a couple of months ago to look after her ailing mother. She denies charges that she said the Koran should be written all over again but she said there should be changes in the Islamic laws of Bangladesh that give women more rights.
Parkinsons dreadful disease
Parkinsons is one disease that was dreaded all over the world for quite a few decades now. Its debilitating effect on the human system almost made vegetables of those afflicted by it. Many found moving around almost impossible. Even the medication available didn't produce very dramatic results.Now there is hope for even those who are bedridden as a result of Parkinsons. They have discovered that stimulating the brain electrically with implanted electrodes can almost bring a patient back to normal and they were able to do their daily chores as in the past.
Underprivileged teenagers shut out
I was taken aback when on an early Sunday afternoon, a week ago, I was told by the security guard at the entrance to a cricket club in Colombo South, that dogs on a lead are no longer allowed into the grounds. I along with my dog, who is as old as myself, have been taking an afternoon stroll, once around the open space of this ground for the past several years since my retirement, as I happened to be a resident of the area.
Be that as it may, what was most disturbing was to hear that the teenage children living in the underprivileged community, which is located not too far from this club, have also been excluded from these grounds. For the past many years, it has been a pleasing sight to see the shanty/slum teenagers with smiling faces, some playing soft ball cricket with improvised bats and wickets and others playing foot ball on these grounds. The access to such a facility for these children was an effective way in keeping them off the streets. The exclusion, therefore, of these teenagers from the club grounds could lead to certain social consequences.
It is common knowledge that access to open public space is vital to the physical, social and psychological well being of urban dwellers. The lack of it affects certain social groups in the city more than others and one such group is the underprivileged teenage children in the urban society.
I understand that the Colombo Municipality has given out on a 33 year lease the use of this land to the club. I am not aware what the conditions are on the lease about the use of these grounds by the public. However, it may not be unreasonable to suggest that the officials of the club reconsider their decision and permit the poor section of society the use of at least part of their grounds during stipulated times of the day, or even during stipulated days of the week for them to play, and thereby contribute their share towards the upliftment of these slum/shanty teenagers.
Another option could be for the three clubs that adjoin one another and now taken up a large chunk of the open space in this area, to discuss together and explore the possibility of carving out an area, taking space from each of the three clubs, for the teenagers to play. Surely, altruism is not declining as a feature of our social and recreational clubs in the city of Colombo.
Terence Perera,
Colombo 05.
Giving 'The right answer to the wrong question'
The officials of Glaxo Welcome, the biggest multinational pharmaceutical company in the world had made some observations on drugs for treatment of HIV (AIDS) on Monday's Island and promptly clarified and answered some confusion that had arisen in the next day's newspapers.
The issue of HIV infection and the drugs used to treat it is complex. Individuals suffering from HIV do of course require treatment (even though the drugs will just postpone the inevitable) but should the government spend the limited drug budget on much less expensive drugs that will cure more prevalent conditions in many more patients? There are no easy answers.
However a question that is more relevant to the patients of this country and asked of Glaxo Well come in these same newspaper columns 2 weeks ago has gone unanswered. Dr. RC Seimon, the National Coordinator of the National Advisory Committee of the Prevention of Blindness is in his letter on 13th December 'What price for eye health' asked why Glaxo sells Betnasol at Rs. 8.25 in India and Rs. 173.75 in Sri Lanka. This is a price difference of 1300% after equalising for exchange rates. The question is simple; A drug that is very useful in ophthalmology and could potentially prevent blindness (especially among the elderly) and therefore is virtually life saving, is sold by Glaxo Wellcome for Rs. 8.25 in India and 1300% more in Sri Lanka. Why?
The issue underlying the question is also simple - exorbitant pricing. I hope Glaxo Wellcome after being very prompt with complex issues will now at least provide some answer to this simple but vital question. So far, Glaxo Wellcome has given 'The Right Answer to the Wrong Question'.
Professor K Weerasuriya
Professor of Pharmacology
Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo.
The lethargy of government and corporation officials
I write in response to an article published in your esteemed journal in this column under caption 'Terrible Mess' by a correspondent who has signed as Citizen Perera of Mt. Lavania. I agree with every word Mr. Perera has written with regard to the lawlessness prevalent in the country, and also the utter inaction of government and corporation officials who come into contact with the public, in their day to day business.
However I have come upon a 'magic formula' to get some work done from these lazy officials, which I would like to share with your readers, and would quote one example. For several years I have not been provided with a water meter by the NWSDB and they have arbitrarily charged me monthly rates under 'unmetered' supply ranging from Rs. 75/- to the present day charge of Rs. 400/-. Since I am a single person & some flats have been provided with water meters, I embarked on a long and arduous journey into the realms of officialdom, corresponding for several years with the NWSDB to have a meter installed. There was not even one acklowledgement to the registered letters or telephone calls.
I then wrote one final letter as a reminder, and at the bottom of the letter I added a foot note as follows 'Dear Chandhi as per my telephone conversation with you, if there is no action by NWSDB I will contact you, thanks for the invitation to dinner - Rexy. Needless to say, I did not send a copy to dear 'Chandi'. BUT the magic formula worked! In a matter of days the NWSDB van arrived with their mechanics and within a few hours I had my water meter fixed. Now the surprise is that I am charged Rs. 15 per month for water actually consumed, than the arbitrary unmetered charge of Rs. 400/ monthly! And as to who 'Dear Chandi' is, your guess is as good as mine!
Rexy,
Colombo 06.
More on Buddhist monks' association with Tamils
I thank reader Lionel de Silva of Katugastota for sharing his thoughts with me in The Island of the 7th instant on the above topic.
This prompts me to recount another pleasant and useful association that I had with a venerable Buddhist monk.
Way back in the 1960 - 70's, I was working on a tea plantation in the Madulkele area. During this period, my parents, after my father's retirement, were residing in Rattota, close to the town, in a place called Kuruwewa. There was a Buddhist Vihara close to our residence, popularly known as the Kuruwewa pansala. It was my routine to come to Rattota for my weekends, and in course of time, I became friendly with the Buddhist monks in this vihara, especially with a particular priest, and whose name, if I remember right, was Athulawansa Thero.
This was the time that Sinhala was made the official language. One day the venerable monk told me, 'Nadarajah mahathaya, why don't you learn Sinhala, I am prepared to teach you.' I gladly accepted the offer.
The venerable monk, on his own, provided me with the basic text book, and began teaching me during the weekends. He gave me another useful tip. The monk advised me to read the Sinhalese names on the various name boards whilst travelling in the bus through various townships, and match it with the English version on the name boards. This turned out to be very useful, and to this day, I have made it a habit to read the names on the name boards. I can now read Sinhalese fairly well, and I owe my knowledge in it, to the venerable monk of Rattota.
One day, while the said priest and I were in the pansala verandah chatting, a bullock cart, heavily laden with firewood was trundling by. The bull was struggling to pull the cart. I turned to the venerable monk and said, 'Sadhu, see the plight of that bull, isn't it a pity and sin?. To this the venerable monk said, 'Nadarajah Mahathaya, it is the bulls Karma. That poor bull is paying its penance for its misdeeds in the previous births. Therefore we all must lead a righteous life to avert a fate of this nature'. How sublime and true.
S. Nadarajah,
Colombo 15.
transport The flow of traffic from the South to the city of Colombo is increasing in spite of the fact that all the petrol bowsers, containers, lorries bringing produce, not forgetting the private vehicle owners, are being diverted through Hospital Road, via Sri Saranankara Road, Kirulapona, Havelock Road, causes undue hardships to the motorists, as they get caught in traffic jams, etc; and their journey is delayed.
Unfortunately the Galle Road is not wide enough to cope with all the traffic and like in other countries cannot have overhead roads as there are buildings on either side.
So to overcome this problem, my suggestion to the Minister of Transport, A. H. M. Fowzie is to explore the possibilities of inaugurating a Canal Passenger Transport service.
Now that the old Dutch canal is reclaimed, with the help of a donation of 4,000 million by the Japanese Government, covering about 256 kilometres could be utilised for this purpose. Being a resident in Sri Saranankara Road, as it is now called, I recall my school days when Padda Boats, drawn manually used to bring, sea sand, bricks, bamboos, etc all the way from Negombo and anchor at Hampdon Lane. At that time the water in the canal was so pure that you could have counted the white pebbles at the bottom. It was after Ceylon got Independence and political parties came into existence, the shanties sprang up and the whole canal was polluted.
Now that it has been reclaimed, I am confident of this alternate mode of transport, starting point being Dehiwela canal, via Sri Saranankara Road, Pamankada, Kirulapona, tributary to Wellawatte canal, Narahenpitiya and also to the Fort - (Beira) South through Kalubowila, Attidiya to Bolgoda.
Finally, summing up I do hope that this will also catch the eye of the Tourist Minister, who can float some Viking boats, for the Tourist, who have already started arriving, so that they can have a view of the beauty of the urban areas.
Cutty Felsinger,
Dehiwela.
Discrepancies in Pension payments in State Banks
The state banks have uniform policy for the determination of salary scales for their employees. Once in three years the salaries are revised and incorporated into a Collective Agreement signed by the Managements of the State Banks and the Employees Unions the Ceylon Banks Employees Union and the Officers Association. This has avoided discrepancies in payment of salaries in the State Banks.
But unfortunately there is no uniform policy with regard to the payment of pensions in the state banks. Each has its own policy. For example, the People's Bank pays a lower rate of Widow pension than the Bank of Ceylon. The People's Bank has freezed the cost of living allowances to pensioners who retired after 1996 June and pays a consolidated pension. The Bank of Ceylon has not changed its mode of payment and it pays the cost of living allowances to all without discrimination. When there was a salary increase in January 1994, the Bank of Ceylon gave an increase in pension from that date whereas the People's Bank gave the increase from 1995 January. The pensioners were denied the increase from January, 1994 by the People's Bank.
It is high time that the Ministry of Finance intervenes and directs the State Banks to follow a uniform policy with regard to the pensioners.
V. Ganeshalingam,
Colombo 6.
Some of the first things the Mayor did on taking office were :
(a) Print a book at unnecessary cost informing us of all the services available, how to obtain them etc. etc. which any ratepayer would confirm was an absolutely useless exercise.
b) Put up new, fancy street name-boards which are non-functional. If two pedestrians stand in front of such a board name is hidden from view. The Mayor, having lived abroad should have realized the time tested, efficient way in which this is done in developed countries. And the boards installed almost fifty years ago serve us better. Talk about re-inventing the wheel!
c) Those gantry signs, hideous as they are, coming up all over the city. Again in developed countries such gigantic boards are not used to merely direct traffic to their correct lanes. In any case how is the one opposite the NSB supposed to do this when buses have to stop on the left and then look for the lane on the right in order to turn at the upcoming junction in the midst of heavy traffic. They have to necessarily swing sharp into traffic coming behind them. Are these signs not supposed to be followed well ahead (200 to 300 metres).
Such signs are used in developed countries with complicated road networks having uniflow systems. How many drivers go about the streets of Colombo not knowing how to get to the Museum or to Dehiwela or Thibirigasyaya?
Couldn't all those resources have been put to better use? What a waste of effort and money while people die because trees are not lobbed. And the drains are hardly ever cleaned and King Garbage has won the battle.
What is even more frightening is that the Mayor is also the leader of the UNP waiting in the wings to rule this country again. Typically UNP solutions to problems.
Since I have some ongoing matters to settle with the CMC I wish to remain anonymous.
Crazy Colombo Dweller
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