Morning
Spice by Ginger
Ordeal
with land lord
A relative of Gingers came to
see him and told him of the ordeal he was having
with his land lord. The land lord evidently has
got his money in advance and now wanted to make
it as hot as possible so that the tenant would
leave. He lived in a relatively outlandish place
and few people go to see him. So as he is all
alone the land lord would have thought that he
was easy meat. There are many ways that you can
make some one want to get away from that house.
The obvious and most common
method would be not do the repairs that make a
house habitable. In actual fact they do not
refuse to do so point blank instead they
faithfully promise to attend to it and do nothing
about it. That means the tenant would have to
repair it at his own expense and there is no way
of deducting it from the rent as the rent is
already paid. Should there be no tribunals in
every local authority to go into instances of
this nature and grant the victims redress. True
many house owners were also pressed to wall by
recent acts but equity must be ensured for both
parties.
Good and bad about
booze
We have been hearing good
things about booze all this while and how a tot
or two keeps the doctor away particularly if he
is a heart specialist. You might as well know the
reverse of the coin as well. The latest study on
what alcohol does to the system is not very
flattering to the tot that cheers.
Now they find that those in the
twenty one to twenty five year old age group
needs about two drinks a day to lessen their
ability to study more than in the case of those a
little older — A study suggests that
students start drinking largely due to watching
too much TV and more so the musicals.
Policemen are not
saints
Though we accuse our own police
force of a host of atrocities it has to be
admitted that the police all over the world are
no saints. Now take the case of Francisco Forleo
who had illustrious careers both as a top notch
policeman and a politician.
Forleo was recently arrested
for having shot a suspected smuggler whom he knew
was not armed when he was chasing him in a
helicopter way back in 1995. He is then alleged
to have put a rifle in the boat. All this was to
power up a police involvement in a smuggling
racket.
Bring in the hangman to stop
election violence
Those who have followed the
incidents which took place both during the
election campaign of the North Western Provincial
Council elections and on the day of the election
cannot but be utterly frustrated at the speedy
ruin of the democratic rights of the citizen
enshrined in the country’s constitution
which all parliamentarians have sworn to uphold
and safeguard. Those who are playing with the
democratic right of the citizen to cast his vote
to whatever political party or whoever person of
his choice may be reminded that they are
certainly playing with fire. A government which
fails to safeguard this sacred right of its
citizens has failed miserably in its bounden duty
by its people.
The opposition politicians are
equally to be blamed for their failure to arrest
this trend by taking remedial action. By their
negligence they have betrayed the trust which
democracy has placed in them to see that the
rights of the citizen are not usurped by force by
those in power. It is only fools of the highest
calibre who would have failed to foresee that the
trend set in motion at local elections of 1997 of
naked robbing of the citizen’s right to
vote, would increase to unimaginable levels at
all future elections.
Either draconian legislation
should immediately be brought in to stop this
disastrous trend or all citizens be allowed free
and open use of arms to safeguard their right to
vote and live in peace without let or hindrance.
All offenders under new election laws must be
dealt with as offenders against the state. Unless
such action be immediately launched, future
elections will be unthinkably bloody and
disastrous. It is doubtful whether there would be
survivors after any future election. The
opposition political parties owe their followers
guarantee to their safety in case of such
elections.
A question may also be raised
here regarding the role of the various vigilant
groups. Have they succeeded in curbing election
related violence? Have they been able to persuade
power drunk doers of the misdeeds to desist from
doing those unacceptable acts? I fee that they
have just wasted their time, energy and money in
the face of power and political force. While
their purpose has been commendable, their failure
shows that we need other mechanisms to eliminate
the trend which has been set in motion.
Drastic reforms are needed both
in election laws and regulations relating to the
conduct of election campaigning to arrest further
disruption of civilian life and destruction of
life and property. If this is not possible an
extreme alternative may be thought of as every
citizen is entitled to provide mechanisms for his
safety and protection when the state fails to
provide it. The level of degradation that has set
in, shows time is ripe to bring back the hangman
to action to deal with offenders against the
democratic rights of the citizen and confiscate
their property. Those who fund and fuel such
action should be dealt with in the same manner.
May this deterioration not create new terrorist
groups as alternative means.
Disgusted voter
Pensioners discriminated and
insulted
The pensioners are a
discriminated lot. Parliamentarians who become
entitled to a pension after 5 years as a
legislator, receive increases granted to
parliamentarians, whilst being out of Parliament,
after rejection by the voters whereas Public
Servants who retire after 10 — 40 years of
service do not receive increases granted to
Public Servants from time to time.
In neighbouring countries such
as India and Bangladesh, retirees receive
increases on the basis of the cost of living,
which is denied to retirees in our country.
In certain countries pensions
are adjusted twice a year for price increases,
and a pharmaceutical allowance is paid and rent
assistance is given.
It is these anomalies at the
People’s Alliance pledged to remove in other
Election Manifesto, to come to power. But the PA
Government has not only failed to honour the
promises to pensioners but also hurled insult on
them by the President’s statement that
pensioners eat and drink doing nothing.
The pensioners should not take
such insult lying low. They should come out and
prove what they could do at the forthcoming
elections by ensuring that the President and her
pack of politicos join the pensioners fraternity!
Upali S. Jayasekera
Colombo 04
Co Sri Lankan cricketers
shoulder-thumped
British Empire has collapsed.
Years have gone by. Yet, natural characteristics
such as hypocrisy and cunning of the British and
their close relatives are submerged, only to
emerge at opportune times. The philosophy of
isolate and attack has never been abandoned. Mr.
Tariq Aziz, the Vice President of Iraq reiterated
soon after the recent bombing of Iraq by American
and British forces "British has no power.
Yet they cant help feeling imperial. The only
option available to them is to hang on to the
tail of the American elephant and feel a little
bit better.
Throughout history white
justice was only pretended to be done but never
really was. One can not expect an exception only
for Sri Lankan Cricket unless Sri Lankans
themselves make it happen.
Eventual result of the Adelaide
saga seems to be some form of punishment for
Arjuna. Arjuna had a long discussion with both
umpires. Alec Stuart has called it finger wagging
being ignorant of the fact that different
nationals use different physical gestures to make
a point. Arjuna has not brought the game of
Cricket into disrepute by taking bribes like Mark
Waugh or Shane Warne who are still at large. How
come Emerson go unpunished having unfairly no
balled Murali and having manifested total
incompetence during the match. What about Alec
Stewart’s premeditated shoulder thumping of
Mahanama? The English skipper had the cheek to
criticise Arjuna’s behaviour on the field as
appalling while his own was stinking.
These are the times black teams
(they call us black) should take a united
standard. Emerson’s incompetence was evident
not only in no balling Murali but also in failing
to notice verbal abuse given to Sri Lankan
players by Allan Mullalay, verbal abuse and
physical assault to Arjuna by Adam Hollioake,
Mahanama obstructing Gough, Alec Stewart shoulder
thumping Mahanama, Jayawardana’s run out and
Greame Hick’s caught behind.
Arjuna’s action in this
context is justifiable. One can not stand and
ignore a blatantly premeditated and obviously
unfounded action of an umpire in the name of a
code of conduct. Maintaining silence in such a
situation can never be sportsmanship but total
stupidity or even cowardice. White justice is all
about silencing the opponent in the name of bogus
ethics, principles, codes of conduct etc, and
delivering a verdict suitable to them against a
silenced accused.
When Sri Lanka won the world
cup we Sri Lankans living in Britain found it so
hard to believe how difficult it was for the
English to digest that they were beaten by a tiny
black nation. Time and again they called the
victory a fluke. Even the last year’s
thrashing does not seem to have any effect in
accepting the fact that Sri Lanka are a
formidable force in the Cricket field. Aussies
are not different from the English in this
regard. If the Australian Cricket Board is not
willing to compromise by replacing Emerson simply
to avoid friction and to have a decent game of
Cricket, then bugger it. You are afraid of us.
Play your silly Cricket by yourselves. From us
here is a good-bye kiss. We can live without
Cricket but not without dignity.
D.M.M.R. Dissanayaka
U.K.
The chucking affair – leave
it to the ICC
An Ansett publication - 200
seasons of Australian cricket - has an
interesting reference to the subject now
agitating the minds of all sports lovers the
world over. I quote the section as given - 40
years ago.
Adelaide February 1, 1958
During the Adelaide Test, the
Australian Board of Control met and rejected all
complaints about umpire Mel McInnis noting that
in their opinion the objections raised were
neither tangible nor reasonable.
In the opinion of
‘Johnnie’ Moyes, McInnes was one of the
three outstanding umpires in Australian cricket
history. There are many who think that a vendetta
was declared against him purely because he was a
strong man who insisted that the game be played
under the laws as he knew them.
Complaints had not only to do
with some bad decisions which McInnes freely
admitted but also with the question of
‘chucking’. England captain Peter May,
Manager Freddie Brown and Assistant Manager
Desmond Eager attended to discuss grievances.
Brown told the Board "I
would like to make it perfectly clear… I am
definitely not raising any objection regarding
the action of any Australian bowler. However, I
must make a point to you. I have visited 15
schools on this tour and at practically every one
there were around four or five boys who had
suspicious actions".
Sir Donald Bradman said,
"Mr. Brown, there are two points. First,
whether umpires are interpreting the law
correctly and secondly, whether the law should be
altered. In my opinion, it must be one or the
other".
Brown said, "you are quite
right. My own view is that the law is difficult
to interpret and I believe that change in the law
would be of considerable benefit and make it
easier for the umpire to interpret.
For his part, umpire Mr.
McInnes suggested that the word "or
jerked" be deleted from Law 26, which says,
"the ball must be bowled not thrown or
jerked". (I understand that the new law 24,
only refers to bowled and thrown).
Having seen Australian teams in
Colombo since the great Don Bradman’s 1938
team played on the old S.S.C. grounds and
personally watching them lose to England in the
Fourth Test at Melbourne in December 1998, I
still hold the opinion that the Aussies play
their cricket hard but in the best traditions of
the game and their spectators are most
knowledgeable and fair minded.
"Murali" is a great
bowler. We should leave it to the I.C.C. without
rushing in where "angels fear to tread"
and endangering many years of good relations with
those who have helped US.
Ronnie Weerakoon
Mount Lavinia
Umpire Emerson ridicules the ICC
Muralitheran’s bowling
action, which the I.C.C. had cleared, after
careful scrutiny, as being legitimate or in
conformity with fair delivery law, does not seem
to have been acceptable to umpire Emerson for
reasons best known only to himself.
In the recent one dayer between
Australia & Sri Lanka Muralitheran was called
rather unjustifiably for throwing on the 4th
delivery of his second over. Now what seems to be
queer, ludicrous and un-forgivable is the fact
that all previous deliveries seem to have been
perfectly acceptable to Emerson, but, not the one
in question. And according to Ian Chappel
‘The one delivery at Umpire Ross Emerson
felt transgressed at the Adelaide Oval
didn’t appear to be any different (on Video
tape) to any other off-break Muralitheran has
delivered on this tour’. This view expressed
by Chappel speaks volumes on the credibility of
Umpire Emerson. It will be correct to suggest
that his name should be struck off from the list
of International Umpires in the interest of the
game.
On the other hand it baffles
one to note that I.C.C. which had given the green
light to Murali’s action has left the option
to the umpires to call if they wish to do so. It
is the height of absurdity on the part of the
I.C.C. to take decisions which cannot be enforced
on the umpires and the players.
Basil R. Fernandez
Colombo 02
Right to life and birth control
Mr. Asoka Jayasinghe seems to
think that the Catholic Church exhorts its
followers not to practice birth control in order
to increase its followers. This is a wrong view.
Firstly the Church does not oppose birth control
by ‘natural methods’, not opposing
birth control itself but only abortion, which
amounts to killing the foetus which has life. The
Church is only affirming the commandment
"though shall not kill". At some point
after conception a human being is formed and
after that point, killing the unborn baby is
taking life.
Once killing or taking human
life is accepted where does one draw the line. Is
it alright to kill the old who are not socially
useful and who live off the production of the
working population. Hitler ordered euthanasia
— the killing of old folk. Our very own JVP
believed in it too although they did not get down
to it. We know the brutalities of the Khmer Rouge
in Cambodia. Nazi doctors, a few years before
Auschwitz, killed both old and sick people and
carried out heinous experiments on human beings.
Hitler thought killing Jews was justifiable. The
Communists in Rumania didn’t think that
deformed children or mentally retarded children
deserved care and attention. A utilitarian
justification can be made for killing deformed
children, those with terminal illness, the old
etc.
Our politicians act as if it is
justifiable to kill their political opponents.
So it is best for us to think
seriously how and where we are going to draw the
line when we sanction the taking of life even
though it is the life of a puny human being which
can’t resist or appeal to us to spare its
life.
Man is a rational being and
will justify his evil actions. If it is
acceptable to kill in one set of circumstances he
will use the same reason to justify killing in
another set of circumstances if it is logically
coherent.
Christians believe that god
prohibited the taking of human life although they
have not always followed this prohibition, human
nature being what it is. But that does not
abrogate a moral precept. Moral values may be
thought as relative by many but Christians think
the god given ten commandments are absolutely
valid for all societies and for all time.
R. M. B. Senanayake
Old age and pensioners
Pensioners have written many
letters to the press bemoaning their fate in the
context of rising costs and living conditions,
appealing for pension revisions or supplements.
It is clear that their expression is but part of
a wider national problem of ageing which has yet
to be addressed with wider and more far reaching
services and policies. It is evident that with
improved health and living conditions, that the
current 10% aged in the population would double
in the next two decades. There are not only more
aged but they are living larger.
As we are in the year of
Elderly Persons, it is high time that Pensioners
Associations & Senior Citizens form a common
front to urge national level polices, legislation
and effective programmes involving Govt.
Provincial and Local authorities, NGO religious
bodies and also families who feel acutely the
pressure in caring for their elders in their
homes.
Such a policy should include
the following elements which are indicative of
the needs of elders.
(1) Material — basic needs
of food, clothing and accommodation of different
types.
(II) Adequate income from
Social Security pensions, monthly allowances and
possibly supplemented by income from arranged
part time work.
(III) Health care, personal
safety and mobility.
(IV) Psychological —
mental health being accepted, with good
relationships all round; independent life style
and availability of counselling.
(V) Spiritual needs, access to
places of worship
(VI) Leisure time —
creative activities and recreation.
(VII) Community Service —
from NGO/Local authority multi-service centres
supplying meals, home helps, emergency service
and family support.
(VIII) State Policies for
Ageing promoting above and also concessions for
medical care, medicines, local travel, admission
to public places, taxes telephones.
In making their combined
representation, they are reflecting not only
their own concerns but of vast members of less
affluent and poverty groups who acutely feel the
cruel fate of old age and its isolation.
Consideration of voices of
elders’ groups directly reflects beneficiary
participation in policy formulation.
Pensioners/Senior Citizens may
seek the support of NGO (HelpAge) or research
organisation (MARGA) Institute of Policy Studies
or Ministry of Social Services to work towards
these objectives but they should have the final
say and be free to take appropriate action.
A further step would be to
establish a Age Concern Federation of Pensioners
and Senior Citizens to embody their proposals in
an Elders Charter and appeal to all political
parties for its inclusion in their Party
Manifestoes.
There are at least 5 lakhs of
retired persons of all categories and assuming
each has at least four adult
dependents/supporters, they would contribute two
million votes in the country who would sway
election outcomes especially in electorates with
a large number of elders. The political strength
of veterans in USA and Senior Citizens in UK may
be cited in this connection.
J. V. Thamber,
Colombo
Colossal waste of money
Reading the newspapers these
last few days, I was wondering how people could
have the heart to waste so much money for
celebrating the dawn of the New year.
The Colombo hotels were
reported packed to capacity. Even outstation
hotels were said to have full houses. Tickets
were sold at rates ranging from Rs. 3000 Rs. 5000
per person..
The liquor bills and other
entertainment would have cost billions just for
one night.
Yes it is good to relax once in
a way. But to waste so much money at a time when
the country is full of sorrow and suffering with
a war in the North and the East for the last 17
-18 long years..
Families crying for their dead
ones, sons, husbands killed in the war or
reported missing. Then the wounded - without
limbs and extensive burns suffering in the
Hospitals, the starving families not having a
square meal for days, with the cost of living so
high.
This is a time when the
Government should start an austerity drive. The
money wasted at those tamashes could be usefully
used to elevate the suffering of the poor masses
Dr. C. Godamunne,
Kandy Humanitarian Society
Rambling Notes by Nihal Corea
Flexibility is the
keynote of modern politics
. . There was a letter recently
from a reader saying that the pavement hawkers
had gone on the spree on the pavement of Dehiwela
and were evidently having quite a party at the
expense of the pedestrian. Apparently what has
befuddled him considerably was the fact that
during the previous regime they had been bundled
into vans along with their wares and taken away
by the police on the instructions of the local
authority.
Flexibility is the keynote of
modern politics. This could be an euphemism for
lack of consistency. As that dear reader thinks
but in politics as in other situations one
man’s meat is anothers poison just as one
man’s supporter could be anothers opponent
and here-in lies the answer to it all. Another
reality is that nothing remains constant as many
a theory points.
In the first instance the
"dramatis personae" have all changed.
For example the politicians who run the local
authority have changed. Present set as opposed to
those before them who felt that pavements were
for pedestrians feel that pavements should be
allocated on the basis of the fittest getting the
fattest share of the pavement. There is no gain
saying that when it comes to them and sinew the
hawker has more of it than our half starved
Citizen Perera.
Flexibility is the keynote of
modern politics
Even the police officers who
took those hawkers away would now be serving in
other stations or have been served with letters
asking them for explanations for what they felt
was doing their duty. Evidently what was
considered a crime by the jurists is considered
praiseworthy by the politician and it is the
politician that decides the fate of policemen so
police have to take note of and notes from
different causes and people.
Take the hawkers for instance.
Those who were chased out by the previous set of
city fathers may have been able to stir the
chords of paternal love in the present set though
we would rather not dwell too much on the
technique used to ensure this sympathy for the
hawker.
Now the self same reader has
expressed concern about the safety of the
pedestrian. So have we all. Evidently the
pedestrians safety does not claim much priority
in that area. Perhaps the city fathers have a
fair idea of the political sentiments of those
who use their ambulatory aids in that area and
feel the less of them there the better it would
be.
Now this reader has evidently
taken umbrage that the correct thing has not been
done. This is where the whole issue is likely to
run into controversy. The local authority is
certain to ask the reader what he considers the
right thing and more so with the devil he thinks
he is to dare talk on what is right and what is
wrong. City fathers would ask the reader whether
he was not tresspassing into anothers terrain.
There, evidently according to
such politicians, was only one category of human
being competent to decide on whether pavement
hawkers should convert a pavement into a bazaar
or not and that was the local authority and who
the Dickens did. He think he was trying to usurp
the functions of that esteemed authority. Even if
it was esteemed only by itself.
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