Morning Spice by Ginger
Wayamba elections and violenceSome six hundred complaints of violence threats, and intimidation are supposed to have been reported during the lead up to the Wayamba elections. Now what heady political breezes caused this frenzy and violence nobody knows. But one sad truth many a member of those violent groups would realize before long. They would have taken a lot of personal risks for no real reason and they have been prize suckers for nothing. Ginger for, instance runs a mile when he sees a politician just before an election. That is for the simple reason that a political will not let you come within a mile of where he is after the elections. Fearing you might point out certain reciprocal obligations on his part.
That however is not the point Ginger is trying to drive home. The fact that six hundred true and false complaints have been lodged could mean that the actual figures can be much higher. Mind you this is for a provincial council election. The scale of violence for a general election could be expected to be much higher. Now it would be a good thing if some private institution started giving rapid courses and possibly a diploma on the art of countering election thuggery. I don't think any of the international schools can but a group of martial arts experts might be able to run such an academy quite profitably. There is no other way for Citizen Perera.
Slow death by arsenic poison
In the old days if you wanted to bump someone off or some old relative who had promised you an inheritance and was hanging on for too long you just gave them enough doses of arsenic till they got to the undertakers. After that the private detectives took over and went on looking for clues till they traced the culprit.In other words many of the murder stories were based on arsenic poison. Now you would be suprised to learn that you might be doing someone a lot of good by giving that individual arsenic. Small doses of arsenic is supposed to help to control a form of leukemia known as A.P.L.
Medical discoveries
One good thing about the latest gadgets is that they can speed any process almost and also guarantees greater accuracy. In the medical field for instance so many gadgets that help diagnosis and so forth have been created that life for most doctors is much easier than it ever was.Now take for instance a normal x'ray. It took more than a few minutes after it was taken for the doctor to have a proper look at it. Now Cauen has invented a machine that with the help of a digital radiography system can show digital images with the help of silicon sensors in a matter of three seconds.
Probe police apathy at NWP polls
It is with a deep sense of shame that I view the reports of Independent Observers on the Wayamba Elections. Absolute and total mayhem seems to have prevailed throughout the province. The question arises as to why the Law Enforcement Authorities allowed this state of affairs to prevail. It was reported that the province was flooded with police officers to maintain Law and Order. What did these Police Officers do? Will they say that they were helpless because politicians led these hooligans? To a Police Officer the Law is no respecter of persons. Nobody, be it a politician of any colour, be it red, green or blue could claim to be above the law. What were the Police Mobiles doing ? What were the Police at booths doing? In the good old days there was only a single Constable at a booth. Reportedly the strength was very much more this time. Being a Retired Senior Police Officer, I feel quite ashamed to read that Police only stood and watched while mobs were running amok. One report likened the police to pillars.
Shouldn't the conduct of the Police be probed as to their inaction? At one booth the Police were so inactive that even their firearms were robbed, according to one report. Very Senior Police Officers would have been on duty and they should explain the apparent apathy that attended the Police.
My experience is that a mob will not act unless it is spurred on by a politician. It would appear that the laws governing elections should be amended forthwith. I suggest that it be made illegal for any persons, other than bona fide residents, to remain in a province or electorate from one week prior to the date of Elections. The area will then be rid of 'imported' politicians, thugs, numberless vehicles etc. The candidates alone will be at liberty to roam their areas, canvas votes and do whatever is necessary to promote their candidature. If this is enforced, voters will never be harassed, Booths will never be stormed, ballot boxes will not be stolen, lives will not be lost and we will have an absolutely FREE and FAIR Election. To call what took place at Wayamba an Election would be the greatest joke of this century.
'Jaybee'
A remedy for pasting of unauthorised election posters
Every citizen is aware of the unsightly campaign very often well organised of disfiguring public and private property with posters and portraits of rival candidates, before every Election.
Most of the pasting of such posters etc., is clandestinely done during night The Police appear to be helpless in trying to prevent this 'smear' campaign. Very often days before the actual dates of Elections, gangs of Local Government employees can be seen loaded with buckets of water, brushes etc., going round trying to undo the work the poster vandals have done.
This type of routine appears to be the norm before and after every Political Election. Now it is an undeniable fact that at each Election the number of private Printers is limited and the location of their printing presses is also well known.
My suggestion for what it is worth or accepted by the powers that be, is for the CID to take possession of the first unauthorised posters (pasted) at in night and surreptitiously visit the well known printers in the areas and with their experienced sleuthing, discover and detect the name of the printer concerned.
Once the CID has the proof, that particular printing press should be sealed off until after the Elections are held. If there are more offenders, more 'sealing' of a printing presses concerned will be necessary.
This will not only act as a deterrent but will stop for all time this pernicious recurrent vandalistic practice. Mine is only a practical layman's suggestion.
'With malice towards none and charity towards all'.
Capt. L. P. Juriansz.
To sum up his letter in 'The Island' of 22 January, S. Abeywickrema, decries the sermons of Ven. Soma Thera and draws the conclusion that the ven. monk is a kind of false 'prophet' and an agitator. S. Abeywickrema, is entitled to his opinion but the truth is that the Ven. Priest is widely admired and acclaimed as a saviour of Buddhism.
Bana it also preached by other monks over the electronic media but those monks have not been able to evoke any admiring and positive responses from Buddhist public.
Abeywickrema is only harping by choosing one aspect arising from the sermons of Ven. Soma Thera. Mr. Abeywickrema is justifying the ritual of begging for favours from Gods planted in devale temples. Such favours of course are not granted free but the penitents have to shower gifts in cash and kind at the altar of these devalas. As Mr. Abeywickrema may be aware there are lots of gullible people in this world.
Belief in alien Gods goes against the fundamental tenets of Buddhist philosophy. Due to historical reasons devales have taken a foothold in most Buddhist temples. It is not a misnomer to say that devale rituals nowadays have been transformed wittingly or unwittingly as a source of income to incumbent monks and/or kapuralas.
Lastly, it is quite absurd, flippant and ridiculous for S. Abeywickrema to equate Ven. Soma Thera to the Tapasa Nikaya phenomenon of the 50's who were pure and simple uneducated rogues and renegades disguised as monks instigated perhaps by anti Buddhist forces to bring discredit to the established order of Sanga.
J. L. R. de Silva,
Etul Kotte.
A large cross section of the people from various parts of the country have complained about the disturbance and the noise pollution caused by loudspeakers at temples, mosques, musical evenings, political meetings etc. To this list I would add the commentaries at Vesak pandals that go on for about a week, the cacophonous singing at birthday parties and sing song, in certain homes, lighting of thousands of crackers on New Year's eve, a practice totally absent even in Christian countries, and the tooting of horns by thousands of vehicles.
Editorials have also been written on the need to curb this menace but the violators of the law carry on regardless while - and because - the police turn a blind eye to the complaints and a deaf ear to all the noise. For environmentalists loudspeaker menace, heaps of garbage in every street corner, belching vehicles etc. are only trivial matters. They are interested in 'macro' or 'mega,' pollution.
A few years back I read in a newspaper how the police removed the mike while the late Dr. W. Dahanayake of Galle was addressing a meeting without allowing him to continue beyond the stipulated time. But that was a long time ago before the public service had been brought under the thumb of politicos and every Govt. servant acted without fear of reprisal.
It also looks as if the silent majority who suffer by this menace have learnt to treat it as a matter of course, something that they have willy nilly to tolerate like the kammale balla.
Amidst all these complaints it was heartening to note that at least one tolerant Muslim has publicly admitted that the use of loudspeakers in mosques is against the principles of Islam and that mosque authorities who privately admit this fail to take any steps to stop the use of it. If disturbing others is against the principles of Islam one could imagine how much it violates the teaching of the Buddha, the Lord of Compassion. Apparently His disciples have no compassion on others. I hope that more and more tolerant Muslims will take up the issue with mosque authorities and stop the use of loudspeakers so that it will be an example for monks and all others who perpetrate this crime.
The final solution to the problem, however, lies with the police who should learn to enforce the law.
S. Abeywickrama,
Nugegoda.
The Borella market and Kanatte road
I wish to complain about the Borella market under the C.M.C. and Kanatte road under the Maharagama P.S. and the R.D.A. Engineer, Moratuwa. This is the second time Iam complaining about Kanatte Road. There have been several other letters to the editor about this road.
The Borella market is one of the filthiest in and around Colombo. It is infested with hordes of rats, cockroaches and flies. All kinds of dirty smell assail the noses of the hapless occupants and the citizens, who patronise the place. The building is so badly designed, that natural ventilation and lighting are poor. It is in a rundown state; the floor is broken up and a maze of electricity wires can be seen hanging loosely.
The traders say, that the building has seldom been painted or washed. It is neither a place, that is fit to sell any food items, nor is it a building, that is safe for the occupants and those who patronise it. Even the road leading up to it, Cotta Road from the Ayurveda Hospital junction, is in a constant state of disrepair the citizenry would naturally be driven into the clutches of the more expensive private super markets. Could his lordship the Mayor of Colombo look into this please?
Kanatte road from the Jayawardanapura Hospital end to Embuldeniya junction, Nugegoda, was resurfaced a few months ago. But it was an extremely poor job. There was no underlay of rubble to bear heavy loads and it broke up soon afterwards apparently it is the job of a private contractor, who is least worried about the longevity of the road. Huge pot holes have reappeared near the hospital end, not only due to the poor quality or work, but also to the absence of drains and culverts to drain off rain water, that now flows along and across the road, washing away bits and chunks of it.
It is a hazardous road for motorists and pedestrians alike. Can the Maharagama P.S. and the Moratuwa R.D.A. engineer please repair this stretch at least, without delay? If culverts are expensive, causeways could be tried.
L. F. Yapa,
Rajagiriya.
Elections: Nobody has really won
The NWP Elections have had a predictable victory. But, what price 'victory'? Nobody has really won; but certainly DECENCY has been lost. What we saw and read in the media has to leave all decent human beings numb with disbelief at the primitive behaviour of our politicians and above all our so-called 'leaders'.
In the past, we all associated killings as happening in the North and East. But that is war. Now like an inexorable tide, it is slowly spreading province by province, soon to engulf the whole Nation in blood. The politicians will go away to fight another day, but what about the poor voters whose only crime is to have a political opinion not aligned to the opponent.
Certainly, in the past too, there were incidents of intimidation, impersonation and very low level of thuggery. But since the mid 1970's, each party is hell-bent on winning elections by any means. What was most astonishing was how the government, within a short span of one month, was able to build roads, provide new busses, power supplies, build bridges, schools, hospitals etc. Why could not these be done for the last 4 years? It would be interesting to see how these projects continue, in, say, 6 months time. It seems that if we want good roads, schools, busses etc., there should be an election. Then let us have elections everyday!
I must commend Deshamanya Lalith Kotelawala for appealing to all political parties to eschew violence. Let there be more such voices. Let us hope the clergy of all religions will appeal to their respective congregations to end violence. More than that, let us pray that our so-called political leaders will openly decry this menace. Above all, it is the duty of the President of our country to issue a simple directive to the Inspector General of Police to arrest all breakers of the law, irrespective of their political allegiance.
It is most unfortunate that certain sections of the media, to support the government of the day, deny the violence which engulfed this recent election. It is a shame that leading journals were so partisan on a national tragedy. In the past, thanks to the diligent work of the police and the exposures in the media, the underworld had been tamed to some extent. Why not do the same for the 'political underworld'?
For a government to permit such violence, murder and arson speaks for the government's record. If, as the government of the day says that they have brought progress and development, the people of the area will reward that party. Why do the politicians say, 'if you vote for us we will do this and that?' This is one country. We are all citizens of this country and we have a right to expect any government to look after ALL its people, not only party supporters. Is this how people of the U.K. or the USA are looked after, on party lines?
Thank God, that during the election campaign, people were far more interested in the Sri Lanka Cricket Team's performances in Australia. Nobody gave a hoot about; the NWP elections. It seems that now, only our Cricketers and other sportsmen and women bring any happiness to our sad Nation. Nobody in this country has any faith in any politician, because, sad to say, everyone is trying to take the country for a ride. In the USA there is a book: 'Death of Outrage'. It is the comment on the people no longer being outraged by the violence, inequity, brazen flouting of the laws etc. In Sri Lanka too, we should be outraged at the mayhem epitomised by politics and fostered by our bankrupt politicians.
L. J. Pieris,
Colombo 8.
It is fortunate that U.S. does not play International Cricket i.e. not a Test Playing Country. It is also equally fortunate for Sri Lanka that U.S. is not a committee member of I.C.C. Most of all it is our great fortune that U.N Security Council also dues not have any authority over the I.C.C.
If U.S. has bees in the I.C.C. committee or Security Council had any authority on I.C.C., if Sri Lanka now taking part in the Triangular in Australia, by any chance refuse to take part any more and return to Sri Lanka the following scenario of a punitive nature is certain to happen:
1. Sanctions on playing International Cricket and any country playing Cricket with Sri Lanka would not get U.S aid or World Bank, IMF, ADB loans.
2. Air-craft carrier USS Enterprise will be stationed in the Indian Ocean and Missiles launched to destroy all Cricket grounds in Sri-Lanka including Premadasa, Tyronne Fernando and Asgiriya Stadia Ñ Of course floodlights too!
3. A surveillance zone would be created around Sri Lanka threatening to bomb any Air-craft bringing Cricketers or Cricket gear to Sri Lanka.
4. A committee of Inspectors on C.I.A. payroll would be forcefully sent to Sri Lanka to monitor and check the bowling arms of all bowlers in Sri Lanka to ensure they do not 'chuck'. If they chuck their arms would be cut off. The committee will not have a time limit to report or finalise.
Information of those Sri Lankan bowlers who are of Test quality and do not 'chuck' will be supplied to U.S. cricketers.
5. After many, many years once every thing is cleared Sri Lanka would be permitted to play International Cricket on condition that monies received from such matches, 50% should be paid to U.S to meet the cost of its activities undertaken on behalf of I.C.C/Security Council.
There is good reason to ensure U.S is not given committee membership in I.C.C or Security Council not authorised to monitor I.C. C.!!!
Ismathulla Cader.
On 'Gauntlet throwing knights and bishops' by Prof. Nalin de Silva
I have seen Professor Nalin de Silva's reply under the above caption (Island 20.1.99) to my rejoinder to his apparent complaint about the Christmas messages of the Most Reverend Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando the Archbishop of Colombo and Most Reverend Dr. Kenneth Fernando the Anglican Bishop of Colombo, appearing in your paper dated 13th January, 1999, under the title 'Why take a religio-racial stance at this hour of crisis'. I do not intend to enter into further debate with him on this subject.
As what is needed by the living and those yet to be born is Peace. I appealed to him to join with like minded people to find a solution meaning a solution for lasting peace in our country, and I still hope he will work on it. Leaving my comments on Christianity aside, I made my suggestion in the above article. Secularism is the answer to all countries.
Most of our leaders know this is the answer but unseen hands hold them back. It was with some courage that I wrote the above recommendations.
Denis S. Armstrong,
Dalugama.
Ombudsman
Domestic air transport in Sri LankaReading a letter in 'The Island' Newspaper of 15.1.99 gave me a great deal of happiness that we will again be able to travel by air to visit our families and relatives in Jaffna without paying ransom money to travel overland, after about three months of stoppage. I was earlier elated when the Government added another Airline almost eight months ago so that more and more people could travel easily. Earlier we had to wait for our turn and rush like mad to get a seat on one Airline only. This competition also improved our travelling facility.
Now like a bolt from the blue we are not in a worst mess not having any Air Transport to travel to our homes. I am always wondering whether the government officials are testing our patience or whether they are attempting to break down the rapport among all Sri Lankans.
Recently, I heard a radio news broadcast that all the internal Airlines are ready to run to Jaffna and back. The News on TNL video too mentioned this a few days ago. Why do they not allow these Airlines to fly us again to our homes? I suppose they have to wait for bureaucratic approval or decisions of inexperienced high position officials who are unable to make decisions.
A disgusted Sri Lankan Tamil.
