Our country’s shame - who cares?
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As technology advances dramatically, strinking the world to a global village, in our little corner of the world Sri Lanka still remains happily entrenched in the grip of pontificating politicians who cannot go beyond the narrow confines of their selfishness to see the pain and suffering all around them. |
Our hospitals, mental institutions, prisons, slums, street children, pavement dwellers, beggars - the list is interminable and so is our national shame. But, does anyone care?
While other high-profile suppressions of human rights have stirred international outrage and punitive sanctions, the plight of broken humanity in our country will remain forever a tragedy. Why? Because no one cares.
High ranking officials, starting with the President and her ministers are continuously visiting foreign countries at the tax payers’ expense but what reward has Sri Lanka reaped from these many jaunts abroad? Have we emulated or even tried to put into action any of the noteworthy examples seen in other countries?
I make special reference here to the callous disregard for cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation, facilities in hospitals, maternity homes, cancer hospitals, mental institutions, asylums and other institutions. The horrendously appalling filth and stench and the miserable apology they dare to call ‘a meal’ are the hair-raising hallmarks of these institutions. But, does anyone care?
The smell of damp earth, rotting food and heavy scented toilet facilities pervade the slums, pavement dweller areas, prisons and where street children play. The ache of hunger and starvation, the indignity of not having clothes to wear, the agony of poverty that renders a little mud hut impossible to even hold the simple wooden coffin of a precious life given in battle - just another body or just another number perhaps. Who cares?
When I talk of individual human rights here, I am referring to the singular right of every human being to live with dignity in an environment of cleanliness and the responsibility of the government to provide that basic right. But do these burning social, moral and civic issues ever penetrate the priority lists of the rich and powerful? That is if they do have priorities other than themselves.
Perhaps if a bomb wreaked havoc in the city today or the country was engulfed or threatened by some natural disaster, the powerful, the rich and famous might pause long enough to reflect on their own mortality and the resounding reality that power and wealth alone could not save them.
Recently we were treated to visual delights of ballot boxes brought in from Australia - ballot boxes that would literally and metaphorically go up in smoke! It would have been more practical and sensible, certainly not from the Election Commissioner’s point of view of those who visit Australia could study their garbage bin storage and disposal systems which could easily be put into effect in our country. An useful exercise in cleanliness, hygiene, effective management and dedication would have been a visit to some of Australia’s base hospitals.
If the people of Sri Lanka could develop not only a sense of national pride but also take personal pride in all that they do, if the leaders of our country could focus on the reality that today’s prince could be tomorrow’s beggar, perhaps there could still be some hope for Sri Lanka. Sadly, though the question still is ‘who cares’?
K.M.
In honour of Mr. Upali Wijewardene
In 1984 just a year after the mystery of Upali Learjet disappearance over the Straits of Malacca, this writer had a moment of pride as a fellow countryman of Upali Wijewardene the international mega-businessman.
I was on a Japan International Co-operation Agency fellowship, undergoing a training programme in Tokyo. One fine weekend in the summer season we were in Tokyo Disneyland enjoying the fascinating world of Walt Disney along with hundreds of visitors to the theme-park from many countries as well as Japanese themselves. Most of them we would never meet again in life!
Within our group were a few friends from India, Nepal and Malaysia. The Malaysian was a young lady doctor by the name of Dr. Wong. She was my close companion waiting in line to board a vintage steam train that goes through the simulated American countryside of the past when I suddenly remembered that Dr. Wong was from Malaysia and asked her with some uncertainty whether she knew about the mystery of Upali Learjet that left Malaysia and never returned to Sri Lanka.
She didn’t seem to grab it at once. I then added that an year previously the Sri Lankan business tycoon Upali Wijewardene was flying in his private jet from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo and.....
I didn’t have to go any further. Two things happened. One was that the miniature American steam train arrived at the wooden platform and the other was that Dr. (Miss) Wong from Malaysia smiled and nodded in recognition and asked me: "You mean the Chocolate King?" Then she boarded the train for the fun ride.
I followed suit, a proud Sri Lankan in Disneyland, Tokyo.
At this anniversary time of Mr. Upali Wijewardene I shall be thankful if you could publish this short letter in honour of the great man.
Ashoka Weerakkody
The Third Millenium - when will it commence?
On this subject much has been written by eminent and learned people. The arguments are quite interesting and different opinions have been put forward.
Based on the following explanation, I conclude that the Third Millenium will commence on the 1st of January, 2001 at 00.01 hrs. precisely in Sri Lanka, in keeping with the GMT time zone we follow.
Unlike others who have written on this subject, I wish to explain in detail how the above time and date was arrived at. It is nothing but simple, and logical to come to this conclusion.
The present calendar system which we have now come to accept and follow is based or commence from the time of the Birth of Christ. Therefore, we have presumed and assumed that Christ was born at 00.00 hrs. on the 31st of December in the Zero. Some argue that there is no such thing as year Zero. But as much as we have 00.00 hrs. there is year Zero as seen from the following explanation.
AD 1 or one year after the Birth of Christ come to being or will commence only on the 1st of January in the year one at 00.01 hrs. Which means that one year or 365 days have lapsed since the Birth of Christ. If we call that year AD 1 then what should we call the first six months after the Birth of Christ. We naturally would have to call it AD 1/2 or AD6 months. So reducing thus further, we come to the time of the Birth of Christ and that ‘year’ is obviously year Zero.
From the above we now see that the First Millenium commenced on the 1st of January at 00.01 hrs. in the year Zero and the first Millenium was completed on the 31st of December in the year 1000 at 00.00 hrs. Thus the Second Millenium commenced on the 1st of January at 00.01 hrs. in the year 1001 and will be completed on 31st December at 00.00 hrs. in the year 2000. Based on this the Third Millenium will commence on the 1st of January 2001 at 00.01 hrs. and will be completed on the 31st of December in the year 3000 at 00.00 hrs.
This is based strictly on the time zone Sri Lanka is following. Therefore, when in Sri Lanka the Third Millenium commence on the 1st January 2001 at 00.01 hrs. it will be the 31st of December year 2000 and the time will be 18.01 hrs. in Greenwich.
B. Joseph
Aussies ‘convicted’ for hooliganism
The recent behaviour of the crowds at the matches played in Australia is simply appalling. Never in recent memory have we witnessed such crude and vulgar behaviour of the Aussie louts, the beer swigging ancestors of ex-convicts.
It seems that the English and Australian teams and the media had laid their plans very well in advance. They knew that Sri Lanka would be the strongest team, and, more than that, they wanted to make sure that, either they never played in the forthcoming World Cup in England, or, if they did, it would be a thoroughly demoralised side, perhaps without their captain and star bowler, Muralitharan. Now they seem hell bent on causing physical harm to our- players on the field itself, in the guise of "playing the game".
We all know that England boasts of a large number of hooligans at International Football (Soccer) matches. These are well documented both in print and the electronic media. We have seen, in living colour, how the Police in the U.K., Belgium, Holland and France beat these drunken hooligans senseless, and have dossiers of these drunken hooligans who are barred from visiting these countries for International Football matches. It is now spreading to the so-called "gentlemen’s" game of cricket. These English and Aussie cricketers just cannot stomach the "blacks" beating the daylights out of them at their own game. To them this is "simply not done, old boy". If the ICC, International Match Referees, the media in these two countries have any decency left, they should make it known loud and clear, through the media and over the public address system, that hooliganism will not be tolerated and that the crowd should refrain from showing their ill-breeding. Maybe the Aussies and the English are immune to this type of rowdy and drunken behaviour, but Sri Lankans are a gentle people and do not play foul. Aussies and English, learn from us, you drunken louts!
It is high time that the ICC enlarged their ‘Club", to include representatives from other test playing nations. It is also high time the rules were examined and changed to reflect changes in the game from the good old colonial times. Rules are not immutable and not laid in concrete. There must be a level playing field, and fair play must prevail. Where is the fair play when Alec Stewart is not even reprimanded for his boorish behaviour. Where is the fair play for confessed bribe takers such as Shameless Shane Warne and Mucky Mark Waugh.
Why are the other Cricket Boards not pressing for their punishment and have these confessed bribe-takers banned for life, or to use an Aussie phrase - "scrubbed"? Why the double standards? It is high time that countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, Bangladesh and others got together and challenged the white controlled ICC. If the Australian Cricket Board and the ICC had an iota of decency and commonsense, they would not have put that sick Aussie Emerson to umpire, knowing full well what might happen. That is why I say this was a well laid out conspiracy of the ICC, ACB, Aussie and English teams, with the active help of the biased Aussie media.
I hope that our Sri Lankans will go in their thousands to the Airport to greet our heroes, for they are heroes for withstanding the indecent behaviour of the Aussie and English drunken louts, even though they lost the Cup. Do not treat our National team as orphans and demoralise them some more. That would indeed be the last straw. Well done Arjuna and the Sri Lanka Cricket Team! Come on Sri Lankans, rally round our boys and show those drunken hooligans how to honour sportsmen.
G. K.
Perera
Nugegoda
The ‘noble’ mango tree
Reference the interesting article "Mango - in the Mahawamsa" by Gamini G. Punchihewa in Sunday Island of 24-01-99, may I add the following historic episode mentioned in the Mahawamsa - Geiger’s translation of the Mahawamsa. Chapter 15 lines 39 to 44 states "A ripe mango fruit excellent in colour, fragrance and taste, and of large size, did the gardener bring to the king, and the king offered the splendid fruit to the Thera. The Thera bringer of good to mankind, let the king know that he would fain rest seated and forthwith the king had a fine carpet spread. When the Thera was seated the king gave him the mango fruit. When the Thera had eaten it, he gave the kernel to the king to plant. The king himself planted it there, and over it, that it might grow, the Thera washed his hands. In the same moment a shoot sprouted forth from the kernel and grew little by little to a tall tree bearing leaves and fruits".
From this episode we can learn good lessons which we all may well emulate:
1. The great and Noble Arahath Mahinda set a noble example to the king and people by offering the king the kernel of the mango fruit to plant, in the great value of planting trees.
2. The king himself planted it, and over it that it might grow, the Thera washed his hands. The supreme leader of the nation and Arahath Mahinda set up an excellent example to the people as regards the protection and nourishment of the environment.
3. The mango tree should be our national tree, as a mango fruit has been a sweet, fragrant and historic fruit from very ancient times.
J. A.
Jayawardena,
Retired Regional Director of Education,
Kandy.
The President must resign
On the 25th of January 1998, the President of Sri Lanka very clearly proved that she cannot safeguard the most valuable and precious possession of the Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the world when she failed to protect the Sri Dalada Maligawa from the bomb attack by the LTTE terrorists.
On the 25th of January 1999, the President once again proved her callousness, inefficiency and total disregard for the people by allowing her government and her supporters including some of her cabinet of ministers to destroy democracy in our land when she permitted serious acts of violence and corruption in the Wayamba elections. These facts can be borne out from the government officials who were on election duty, some policemen (who are courageous to say so) and even some foreign diplomats.
What then are the people of the land waiting for. We elected her democratically in the 1994 elections. We made a terrible mistake. Now we call for her to resign immediately. We desperately need to elect another in her place. We don’t want her, her incapacitated Prime Minister and her cabinet of ministers any more. They cannot do any good for us. Go, Go, Go.
M.
Jinadasa
Colombo 10
LTTE and Democracy
The LTTE in a feeble attempt to turn the events at the Wayamba polls to its own advantage is bemoaning and shedding crocodile tears over the type of democracy the Sinhalese are getting from the govt.
Perhaps the remaining members, if any, belonging to the families of the Tamil politicians brutally murdered by the LTTE could explain to the world what type of bloody democracy the Tamils are getting from the LTTE.
The LTTE has not forgotten, as usual, to distort the picture further by depicting the Wayamba electorate as exclusively Sinhalese.
Caesar Ekanayake
Vegetarians vs meat eaters
Before the dawn of civilization,
And till men took to cultivation,
Men thrived on the flesh of animals,
Or on human flesh as cannibals.
As man settled down to some sort of civilized life,
to live with his near and dear without any strife.
His animal nature to tame,
Laws he began to frame.
Ignorant of the laws of eternal nature,
He worshipped the Sun, Moon and Stars to ward him off from
danger.
He also created a universal creator,
To whom he attributed his good and evil nature.
As tribe after tribe increased,
And living space decreased,
The tribes began to fight,
And proved that might was right.
The Union of tribes commenced,
From aggressive tribes to defend,
For man in hostile surroundings to survive,
Drawings theory of the "survival of the fittest"
non can belie.
As man the animal has the herd instinct,
had to be led by someone eminently distinct,
To represent natures creator,
To guide man the vicious destroyer.
To maintain peace among men,
The creator sent several wise men.
The Hindu sages, Moses, Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet
Mohamed,
To fine tune rules by man to be observed.
As man requires food, clothing and shelter,
He tends to liberally utilize the gifts of nature,
Over exploiting the earth’s resources,
Presently with the help of Global Market forces.
Some eat meat and fish,
Others vegies loaded onto an ever silver dish.
The latter claims to be morally superior to the former,
As propounded by many a religious reformer.
Man whether vegetarian or meat eater is a gourmandiser,
A habitual human rights violator,
Depriving billions of their daily bread,
But debating about humane methods of slaughtering animals
instead.
Is this not absolute hypocrisy,
In our so called democracy.
To deprive a man to choose his type of food,
Though to others it may not be good.
Let each man do what is right according to his conscience,
To be a vegetarian or meat eater to improve on the
World’s stage his performance.
Any attempt to thrust down the throats of others one’s
conviction,
May result in unnecessary human strife, slaughter, misery and
destruction.
G. A.
Bastian,
Dehiwala.