Don't read me wrong, I claim to be no expert. Maybe you can call me a fool for what I write and I'll say thank you. But, please, read on. There maybe a morsel of truth in my folly that may strike a chord in you.

I readily admit that I am unaware of what is happening in the does what from the intricate ivory towers. But does that matter? I think not. I do not question, validate nor write in criticism or condemnation of anyone's action. I pen my words merely from what I decipher from the newspapers and what CNN, Sky and the BBC, the Jeremiahs of global information, splash about the ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka to the viewers of the world.

A thousand young men died on a lonely road in Kilinochchi.

A thousand families grieved and cried to the high heavens for reason.

A thousand graves got filled with decapitated bodies that were collected by the International Red Cross. The remains of the young, from both sides, who a different light, may have been watching one day cricket, or riding the rails to work. The day to day mundane norms that we take for granted, which are so sadly and so savagely denied and robbed from some of our unfortunate fellow brethren.

The questions are there, they have been present for the past fifteen years, blasted and bashed in council rooms by whoever the powers that be. The reality is, the answers are in multiples. Depending on where you stand and what vision you have. Applies to either party. Be it from the bunkers of the North or the board rooms of the South. The never ending justifications that feed the continuation of the war. Yet the undeniable fact remains that at most times, the price is paid by the innocent. The young man who dons a uniform for reasons that spill beyond a love of a land, or his counterpart, who lifts a gun as a child, in search of a homeland he always had. Both caught in a conflict that they played no part in the design.

It doesn't end there. They have their loved ones. The ones who die a thousand deaths at every dawn, praying for peace to save "Private Ryan".

This is no Speilberg drama that gets lauded at Cannes or win Oscars in Hollywood. This is real. For years, the prayers haven't got answered and peace never came. Time ran out for local Ryan. It only left an old man to walk the cortege of his son, with bent head and stooped shoulder, moiled by thoughts stunned with the sheer absurdity, or a mother woman to light a pol thel lamp, pleading with the Gods for solace for things beyond her understanding. They both stand alone in a sorrow that a nation and it's people will not take long to forget.

Complaisance has settled in us to the horrors of war. That is a fact. We all go thorough our daily life, following itemized routines, quite oblivious to the fighting that is going on. More than a decade of the raging battle had smothered what little we had in the form of feelings and almost cauterized our feeble protests. Just another battle, how many dead? do we know anyone? simple queries, negative replies, and we go on. Life goes around the bend and takes the straight blinkered path that obscures the carnage. It is nobody's fault. What directly doesn't affect us has the temerity to leave us on speedy wings and take the conflict to the ones that bear the brunt.

It is not a case of fighting and winning. It is more a matter of losing and dying. For both parties. What can be done? Who knows, there must be something. If that is not possible, let us at least be aware of the dilemma and remove the shroud that cloaks the tragedy away from us, and seek even in a some small way to be connected to the sorrows that plague the people who suffer.

It is not a conflict of brass and braid, nor of boast and brag. It is a question of death, of people who should not die. Of lost limbs and blinded eyes. Of burnt torsos that house crippled minds that find it impossible to cope with the aftermath. Of shattered hearts and broken dreams. Of father's sighs, and mother's tears. Most commonly, devastated young widows desperately coming to terms, to take care of their little children who grow up looking at pictures on the walls, of their posthumously promoted fathers. All these boil in a meaningless cauldron that pleads for sanity and understanding from you and me and the multitudes who fail to realize that if the direction of cataclysm goes unabated, the spill would definitely reach all of us.

It would only be a matter of time. That is certain.

Hence, to say the least, it is not a question of our soldiers and their war. It is ours, the whole gut wrenching agony of it. The misery cannot be measured and it is sprayed to the entire nation, devoid of cast creed and social status. From the palmyrah shaded beaches of Keeramalai to the sun drenched sands of Kirinda. None is spared. Yet it gets conveniently sprinkled with the daily changing mixtures of prosaic life and silently slips away from the reality. A lot more than we dare to comprehend, and much more than we care to admit.

There lies the shame and the sadness. Our soldiers, their war.

If and when the dust settles in this Armageddon, we may wake to dawns,, void of sirens and gunfire. Walk the streets without bomb fears. Maybe cross Alimankada visiting friends, relations and places. We may once again breathe as a single nation. At least then, I hope we will remember, the ones who selflessly in their total innocence, was forced by circumstances to pay with their lives, the price for our blood and tear soaked freedom.

Capt. Elmo Jayawardena
The writer is a pilot for singapore Airlines

Perverts, murderers rule the roost

It was with a heavy heart that I read some time ago about the murder of a young businessman Sudharshan Sellamutthu in the newspapers. It was a cold blooded murder planned and executed in order to rob the expensive watch he was wearing. Subsequently I read of the murder of Rita John Manoharan this was in order to satisfy perverted desires of a few individuals.

Criminals are getting bolder and life cheaper. Killing is becoming quite businesslike. The reasons for this, I feel, is the laxity of the police department.

One wonder whether corruption is the cause or whether the police is too busy solving political violence and politically motivated crimes. The country seems to be run for the benefit of politicians, the profits are theirs to accumulate, "justice" is theirs to dispense and the police are there to protect only them. Soon the ordinary citizen with have no rights at all, not even the right to elect the politicians of their choice.

I wonder what happened to the police force of the fifties and sixties, efficient and one which valued tradition and honour more than money and position. Crimes rarely went undetected. Is the police of today packed with substandard recruits or have old values disappeared with corruption all over.

They are eternally at conferences not available to solve crimes. It is high time society woke and repaired its entire foundation which politicians of the last few years have damaged. It is ridiculous that a young man Sudharshan should have lost his life because he chose to wear what he liked, and a young lady Rita lost hers because she chose to take a walk on the beach. These crimes must be solved and the criminals punished severely so that others would be afraid to make murder a business.

Otherwise all decent citizens will have to run away leaving this paradise to animals such as those who perpetrated these crimes. The police must do their job. My heart bleeds for my Lanka.

Tilak Fernando

Protest against South African interference

We strongly condemn the attempt by South Africa to interfere in the internal affairs of another sovereign and independent country.

A delegation from South Africa led by Mr. Ebrahim Ebrahim, MP, and Chairman, Foreign Affairs Portfolio Committee and comprising six other members of parliament have been visiting this country for some days now, and according to a media report, this delegation had visited Jaffna and told the Catholic Bishop of Jaffna that "the LTTE and the government should conduct peace talks in a small country of their choice. South Africa will render the necessary help". The delegation had also stated that "they are aware of the difficulties the Tamils in Sri Lanka are undergoing and had come here to find out how best peace and harmony could be restored in Sri Lanka".

We consider that these statements constitute a blatant interference in the internal affairs of our country and are amazed that any responsible delegation especially as it consists of Members of Parliament could have made such remarks which we find totally unacceptable. These statements are also a direct affront to our President, who has made the government's policy in regard to outside interference perfectly clear without any ambiguity. At the UN General Assembly session last September, President Chandrika Kumaratunga said "I would like to add here that this is an internal problem that Sri Lanka is fully able and ready to resolve with the full support of its people. We will not tolerate any outside interference ".

The vast majority of people of this country have always been strongly opposed to outsiders attempting to interfere in our internal affairs. This was why we opposed the Liam Fox Agreement also.

Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake
Secretary,
National Joint Committee

Halal and regulated slaughter

For the last several years, there has been much agitation for the employment of humane slaughter methods in our abattoirs. There has been no favourable response whatsoever. Instead a bill on 'Halal' slaughter is before the country.

In spite of the moral aspects of consuming the flesh of an animal, or the commercial sale of meat where 'Halal' slaughter, only for one's existence is permitted, the fact remains, that consumption of flesh will continue, and in this country animals will be made to suffer unnecessarily. There is no method of reducing the pain inflicted. I am making the following suggestion for action by the people of this country.

When I studied in the Homebush Abattoir in Australia, I found that the Muslim population there were allowed 'Halal' slaughter for their needs only on Fridays. We could have in this country a 'regulated' method of slaughter employing the captive bolt or electrical methods of stunning and the flesh sold in 'regulated' stalls separate from the 'Halal' stalls. The products too could be labelled likewise. The consumer could decide what he or she wants. This is very fair. To force people to buy what they do not like is not correct.

I hope the 'Galgawa Mithuro' and such other societies will pursue this suggestion aggresively. An amendment to the Butchers Ordinance is suggested. In the meantime those who advocate the principle of abstinance could go ahead.

S. M. B. Perera.
Nugegoda

Myth of Tamil Eelam

According to Gamini Iriyagolle brilliant exposition disproving the myth of Tamil Eelam or the Tamil Homeland; the term Tamil Eelam had come into circulation after 1976.

The P.A. Govt. which advocates the so called "devolution of power" at the behest of Eelamists and their cohorts, should heed what Gamini Iriyagolle has exposed and be wary of these Eelamists who are quite capable of turning around and claiming that the term Eelam is derived as Hela - Helam - Heelam and finally Eelam and what they meant by Eelam is really the whole island of Shree Lanka.

Caesar Ekanayake,
Badulla.

Gaya Cumaranatunga
An Exemplary Public Servant

(The news of the death of Mr. Gaya Cumaranatunga, an exemplary public servant and a rare human being came as a rude shock to all of us, especially his contemporaries at Peradeniya University and his colleagues in the Public Service. His untimely death is a tremendous loss especially at a time when there is a dearth of top class professional administrators of his calibre in the country.

He was a brilliant product of St. Peter's College, Colombo. Upon entering the University of Ceylon at Peradeniya in 1954 he read for a degree in Western Classics and obtained a second class honours degree in 1958. He sat the prestigious Ceylon Civil Service Examination in 1958 and was placed 3rd in order of merit. In recognition of his academic brilliance and intellectual prowess his Alma Mater felicitated him at a special ceremony.

Gaya had an illustrious career in the Public Service spanning almost 40 years. After completing his cadetship in the Ceylon Civil Service he joined the Customs Department as an Additional Landing Surveyor in 1962. From then on he climbed step by step to become the youngest Principal Collector of Customs in 1974. In 1976, true to his character he refused to carry out an illegal order and was removed from the post of Principal Collector of Customs. In 1977 he was appointed as Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Trade and simultaneously held the post of Chairman of the Tariff Commission with great distinction. Thereafter, in the mid 1980s he was appointed to the high office of Deputy Secretary to the Treasury which he richly deserved. He held that position till 1989 when the government released him to the Asian Development Bank to function as Alternate Director. On his return from the ADB he was appointed as the Chairman of the Private Sector Infrastructure Development Company.

The hallmark of his success in the Public Service was professionalism through specialization. He was a great pubic servant. His advice was sought by successive governments on matters pertaining to Customs, Trade, Tariffs, Accounts, Budgets and Financing. Greatness was not thrust on him. It came naturally. He was not born great either. He achieved greatness through sheer perseverance, hard work and determination. Nonetheless, one could always notice a streak of brilliance and a high sense of patriotism in his thoughts, words and deeds.

One could surmise that these attributes were both inherited and acquired by him almost fifty- Let us not forget that one of the greatest oriental scholars, grammarians and patriots ever to be born in this country; the late Munidasa Cumaranatunga was one of his grand uncles. It fact there was always that hidden nationalistic fervour in him. He would have died a worried man because with so many Shylocks asking for every possible pound of flesh he did not see any light at the end of the tunnel.

He was one of the few public servants who had the courage of his convictions to call a spade a spade. He did not yield to illegal or unreasonable demands of politicians especially on matters of a "tender" nature. He was a strict disciplinarian. He vehemently disliked doing anything improper or unlawful. He firmly believed that example was better than precept. Accordingly, whenever he returned after a foreign trip he would voluntarily open his bags in front of Customs Officers and request them to examine and make sure there was no contraband.

Gaya Cumaranatunga was a rare human being indeed. We have lost in him a good friend who has always been kind hearted, understanding and helpful. Even though he had a somewhat rough exterior, he was a man with a golden heart. He displayed rare human qualities in dealing with the less fortunate and the down trodden people. He was called "Mr. Reliable", because if he promised anything he would stick to it and deliver the goods.

Quite often people seek high office in the Public Service because it adorns them. But in the case of Gaya Cumaranatunga he adorned the Pubic Service. He was one of the most efficient, fearless and forthright public servants Sri Lanka has produced in recent times. His honesty and integrity have been beyond question. He has not built mansions nor acquired business interests. There were no skeletons in his cupboard. Therefore he could stand up to any type of arm twisting by the "almighty" in power. May his exemplary life be a beacon to the present and future generations of pubic servants. May he attain Nibbana.

K. H .J. Wijayadasa,
Secretary to the Prime Minister and Secretary to the President; 1984-1994

Mind Power

" Seeing stars, it dreams of eternity. Hearing birds, it makes music. Smelling flowers, it is enraptured. Touching tools, it transforms the earth. But deprived of these experiences, the human brain withers and dies."

The human body is controlled by a 1.4 kg greyish pink, jelly-like ball with many ridges and grooves on its surface called the brain.

Until the latter part of the present century, man believed that ageing had a definite impact on the brain. But this belief has been proved incorrect now. Scientific research into the brain reveals that the human brain is an ever changing and growing organ and that one can be creative even at the age of 90 or 100 It is also possible to improve one's IQ from a lower level to a higher level.

The human brain consists of 15 trillion cells and over a 1000 trillion neural connections or chemical chords, extended to cells. When a cell or a group of cells in the human brain die, new neural connections are created provided the brain is kept active.

Thinking, feeling and experiencing emotions happen due to chemical interactions and processes that take place between brain molecules. However the molecules do not recognize the type of emotion, positive or negative. All they do is, pick up the message and transmit it to the cells in the brain and the body. Positive emotions produce positive reactions and one becomes energetic, enthusiastic and motivated to achieve more. This is called 'positive affirmation. Similarly, negative thoughts produce negative reactions such as depression and anxiety. This proves the fact 'you become what you think.'

Positive thinking influences body friendly chemicals such as Dopamine,, Serotonin and Endorphins. On the contrary, negative thinking releases a stress hormone called Adrenocorticotropi hormone or ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal glands to release another stress hormone known as Adrenaline. The accumulation of ACTH and Adrenaline weakens the immune system and causes stress.

One way to combat stress is to change negative thoughts to positive thoughts. Positive affirmation changes the body chemistry and strengthens the immune system. Hope is a positive emotion which builds up motivation.

Many a time we have heard of people afflicted with terminal illnesses cured miraculously . The medical profession will be able to testify to the fact that patients having a will to live respond faster to medical treatment and survive more often, than others.

It takes a tremendous amount of courage and determination to live in order to survive a terminal illness such as cancer. This is a fine example of mind power. When an intense belief in attaining a particular goal is created in the mind, body friendly chemicals take over, and the objective is finally achieved.

People who have attained fame and success in their respective professions too portray the power of the mind. The predominant characteristics of such people are the intense desire to excel, positive affirmations, complete involvement in their work and belief in success. Positive affirmations produce willingness to learn and achieve more, eagerness to face challenges, seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary and the determination to win.

The zest for living a full and useful life irrespective of age comes with positive thinking. The power of the human mind over life is truly amazing.

Geetha W. Bibile
Kandana.

Andre Graham Romaine Willis

Andre Willis, ex John KeeIls, died in Jersey, Channel Islands, U.K., on Saturday, 5th December 1998, at the age of 82.

Andre was a Channel islander with French blood in his veins and he was recruited straight from school to join Keell & Waldock as an apprentice rubber broker in 1937. He was then a very chubby young man and was known as "porky" and, apart from learning the rubber trade exceedingly well, was a very accomplished "oar". He was a keen member of the Colombo Rowing Club and both before and after the war won many trophies for sculling, and as a member of the Colombo 4's and 8's at regattas in Colombo and India. Later on he spent much time teaching the younger oarsmen the skills of the sport. Andre was also a very enthusiastic member of the Colombo Amateur Dramatic Society and took part in many local productions. He was also a keen supporter of the Colombo Hockey & Football Club.

Like most of the British nationals, Andre joined the Ceylon Light Infantry as an amateur soldier and enlisted in the army at the outbreak of the Second World War and was sent to Belgaum in north India to be trained as an infantry officer. Andre was commissioned at Belgaum and was sent to North Africa to serve in the 8th Army. He campaigned there for a couple of years and was captured in one of Rommel's rapid advances and was taken as Prisoner-of-War to Italy. When the Italians capitulated and opened the gates of the Prisoner-of-War camps, Andre retreated into the hills of north central Italy because the Germans were still in occupation. With his French blood and swarthy appearance he could easily be mistaken for an Italian peasant and Andre survived with the Italian guerilla fighters in the hills until the Germans surrendered when he was repatriated to England. By the end of hostilities he was certainly no longer "porky" but returned to Ceylon as thin as a wraith, having been virtually starved during his time in prison camps in Italy and his days of hiding with the Italian guerillas. He was demobilised in 1945 and married Jasmine (Babs) Lloyd, an ex-member of the W.R.N.S., a lovely Welsh girl who was also a very good tennis player.

Andre returned to Ceylon in 1946 and resumed his duties as senior assistant in KeeIl & Waldock and was in charge of the rubber department. I personally joined Keell & Waldock in 1948 and Andre and Babs kindly took me in to their home as a paying guest. They lived in Police Park Avenue and their house was owned by Dr. Rex and Doreen de Costa, who lived next door. It was a very happy relationship.

The senior partners of Keell & Waldock retired during, the 1950's and Andre became the senior partner and steered the company into an amalgamation with E. Johns in 1960 when the company took the name of John Keell Thompson White Ltd. Andre, as No. 1 of the company, devoted the rest of his broking life to the share department and was largely instrumental in revitalising the trading in stocks and shares in Colombo through the Colombo Broker's Association.

Andre retired from Ceylon in 1970 and returned to his native Channel Islands' capital, Jersey. There he joined the Hong Kong Bank in quite a humble position because he could not face total retirement at the age of 55. Andre had always been first in to the office in John Keells and last to leave, and this habit persisted when he joined the Hong Kong bank. He was, however, severely taken to task by his superiors for not pulling in for overtime, which ill-became Andre as ex-Chairman of his Colombo company!

Andre's uncle, General Willis, had been the Govenor of Jersey so Andre's future in the Channel Islands was assured and he and his wife Babs and three of the four children have lived there very happily since his retirement in 1970 up until his recent death. Andre and Babs were dearly loved members of Colombo society and their home always had a friendly welcome for everybody. Andre will be sadly missed by his many friends and colleagues in Sri Lanka.

Mark Bostock