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People and Events
Film award time

by Nan
Nominations for the Directors Guild of America Awards and the fifth annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. The awards will be made on March 6 and 7 respectively. They are keenly watched because obviously they are prestigious and forerunners to the Oscar Awards on which they most definitely have bearing. The Oscars for best director have been won by the winner of the Directors guild award for 36 years since its first presentation in 1949.

The Directors Guild of America will select best director from among Seven Spielberg - Saving Private Ryan, Roberto Benigni - La vita e Bella, (Life is Beautiful Terence Malick - The Thin Red Line, John Madden - Shakespeare in Love and Peter Weir - The Truman Show.

The Screen Actors Guild have almost the same contenders for best director. Their nominees for best actor are Roberto Benigni in life is Beautiful, Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love, tom hanks for his role in Saving Private Ryan, Ian Mckellen in Gods and Monsters and Nick Notle in Affliction. The Best actress for 1998 will be selected from Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth, Jane Horrocks, Little Voice, Meryl Steep in One True Thing Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love and Emily Watson Hillary and Jackie.

The annual Screen Actors Guild calls for votes from all 95,000 of its active members and the final selection will be by a randomly selected panel.

The interest this year will be focused on the tussle between Steven Spielberg and John Madden for best director and their two films for Best Film of the year Award. The best actor? It will be a fine thing if Tom Hanks is selected Best Actor - for the fourth time - since in the recent past he has won this award for his roles in Forest Gump, Philadelphia and Apollo 13. You cannot deny the man his rights; it will surely be a record, difficult to break, if he wins the Oscar. But I for one will prefer to have someone else carrying away the award on Hollywood's big night.

Tom Stoppard, the screenwriter of Shakespeare in Love, is also tipped for an Oscar. His is a most interesting life. Did you know he lived in India for a short while as a child?

The Scriptwriter of the Probable Winning Film
Tom Stoppard was born to Czech parents in 1937 and named Tomas Straussler. The next year the family moved to Singapore where his father, Dr. Eugene Straussler, was employed. During the Japanese invasion the doctor was killed and the mother, with her two sons, escaped to India. In 1948 she married a British officer, Kenneth Stoppard. The young boy took his stepfather's name and converted Tomas to Tom.

He dropped out of school at age 17 and launched his career in journalism in 1954. This led to literary writing and in 1960 his first play was produced. He is a playwright and script writer for both the theatre and television. Probably his most famous play is Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, written in 1964/65 and presented on the amateur stage at the Edinburgh festival in 1966. It moved to the repertory of Britain's National Theatre and was presented in London 1967.

Remember it was produced in Sri Lanka too about a decade ago, with Breckenridge and Richard de Zoysa. (Correct me if I am wrong). I remember it was brilliant though I must admit I did not catch all of the subtle irony.

Stoppard took two minor characters from Hamlet and placed them centre stage, driving home his pet theory that man is but a minor character in the greater scheme of things, controlled by incomprehensible forces. True, and a good lesson for the powers-that-be who seem to be so puffed up with their importance and won't listen to the likes of me and you. They cannot listen to each of us, but at least they must take due note of public opinion.

The biographical sketch I read did not mention the fact, but Stoppard being a contemporary of The Angry young Men who looked back in anger and wrote plays in the Theatre of the Absurd genre like Pinter, may also have had his dark moments. Fortunately for us, Stoppard moved into romantic comedy and so we have his latest screen play - Shakespeare in Love.

Film Parched Land
Which brings me onto my eternal grouse and groan. Will we ever see these films in our cinemas? There is such a difference between seeing a film on video and on the wide screen. Films screened at the British Council and elsewhere on the smaller screen are fine, but we should be given the opportunity to see quality films at least once in a while. It's trash and trivia that is advertised as English films in the local cinema.

Is the reason for deprivation of our screen entertainment in English a shortage of money? How then explain all that is spent on tamashas, election violence and security for government VIPs?

In the very next breath I declare: "But who cares? Will my voice and that of others be heard or taken note of by the people in charge? Not on you life! Everything is commercialized and every move calls for direction from right above - not God, but the lesser gods who rule us with a strict disciplining hand.

We did have a healing break which we appreciate now - seeing Fire soon after it was released in Canada. India screened it very recently and had riots spilling over, instigated by diehard Hindus who feared that the institution of holy marriage was under threat by Lesbians. Goodness! What far fetched ideas and stupid excuses for going on the rampage and keeping women in their place-second class.

Of the films mentioned at the beginning of the column, I would most dearly love to see Shakespeare in Love and Saving Private Ryan, the first definitely. Saving Private Ryan is supposed to be the most starkly realistic of war films with raw suffering and savage battling shown on screen, impossible to stomach by the weak or squeamish. The Truman Show was screened in the USA in June-July last year and needed concentration to appreciate the non-entertainment of the film and messages sent across.

Shakespeare in Love, from what we read, promises to be a romp, but authentic to period it deals with the young Shakespeare suffering writer's block - lack of inspiration and difficulty in creatively writing. He is working on a play titled Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter and is woefully stuck. His eye roves and is caught by Viola De Lesseps who becomes Ethel or Juliet to his Romeo. Viola surely is supposed to be the Dark Lady of the Sonnets who was the wife of a Venetian trader. He gets the necessary push to write, with love springing forth And being reciprocated. He gets not only his body sap flowing but the words off his pen.

The cast is sure fire wonderful. Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare to Gwyneth Paltrow's lovely Viola. Joseph is Ralph Fiennes' brother so he should be good. Gwyneth has had a string of romances, mostly with her leading men, hence romance with the young Shakespeare should be right up her street.

Judi Dench is Queen Elizabeth and reportedly almost steals the show. She makes her character pivotal to the film. She has played queens before-Victoria in the 1997 film: Mrs. Brown and Gertrude in Hamlet.

Dench, 64, is acknowledged as one of Britain's hardest working actresses and has been rewarded with the equivalent of a knighthood: she is Dame Judi Dench. She is supposed never to watch the films she stars in since it makes her squeamish and unhappy about the things left undone to make her role even better. She is also sensitive about her looks and when asked to play Cleopatra is 1987, exclaimed she was "a menopausal dwarf. I'm not a face that people want in films" but film her they do and with great success to the film and the woman.

Terence Richard Jansen -a biography by his daughter
by Shelagh Goonewardene

Reviewed by Kirthie Abeysekera
This is a daughter's tribute to a father whose memory she re-kindles, a quarter century after his death at age 79, "after a protracted battle with cancer." It is a memory worthy of record, because Terence Richard Jansen, a renowned eye surgeon in his day, belonged to a community which, in the words of Foreword-writer, Ivor Ferdinands, "made a tremendous contribution to Ceylon in all spheres of life including medicine, law, history, literature and administration."

Alas, laments Ferdinands, "today, the Burghers in Sri Lanka, or what remains of what was once a prosperous and thriving community, are officially classified as the poorest community in the country. Very soon, there will be no distinct Burgher community."

Shelagh Goonewardene, a product of Bishop's College and the Peradeniya University, is well-known in drama circles. The author of 'This Total Art,' (1994) in which she covers a vast area of the performing arts in Sri Lanka in her time, she emigrated to Australia with her family in 1986. She now lives in Melbourne.

In this biography which she calls a 'monograph' she recounts the long and arduous journey of her father who, from humble beginnings "as a boy from a poor family in Galle," rose to be an eminent surgeon. Born in 1896, Terry Jansen had his early education at All Saints Galle, then, at Trinity College Kandy, on a scholarship. Excelling in academic studies and sports, he showed early signs of leadership, coming under the benign influence of Trinity's A. G. Fraser and W. S. Senior, the brilliant Oxford scholar and poet.

Terence Richard Jansen Jansen was only 19 when he entered the Ceylon Medical College. It was the start of a distinguished medical career which, to him, was more a vocation. The writer details the 'multifaceted' life of her father, Dr. Jansen who, in her words, epitomized "the Western-trained professional elite who bridged the gap between the colonial elite and the national elite to play their essential role in the building of modern Ceylon/Sri Lanka."

Classifying her biography under 'A Doctor's Vocation', 'A Military officer,' 'The Energetic Sportsman,' 'A Leader in Society' and 'At Home with the Family,' Shelagh Goonewardene succeeds in recounting the unique career of a man who dedicated his life to the service of his fellow-men.

Dr. Jansen continued his medical studies in England and passed out an L.R.C.P & S (Edin.) and L.R.F.P.& S (Glasgow). He commanded the Ceylon Army Medical Corps (Volunteers), having joined it as a private. Among the many places he served in, were Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Jaffna. He served in World War II. In 1951, he was made a Member of the British Empire and in 1956, was awarded the Order of the British Empire. He was President of the Trinity College Old Boys' Association and Director of the Red Cross. He was also closely linked with the Burgher Association, the Ceylon Medical Association and the Ceylon Amateur Athletic Association.

Ferdinands lists some of those prominent among the Burgher community, such as R. L. Splttel, R. L. Brohier, Charles Ambrose Lorensz and Pieter Keuneman. "Among these giants," says Ferdinands, "but a humble one, must be included Terence Richard Jansen who did so much in his life, and, in his daughter, Shelagh's words, "touched nothing which he did not adorn."

Some touching moments of their family life have been recalled in this moving story. The biographer recalls how her father used to sit patiently in his vintage Chevrolet outside Welikada - "the country's largest and most notorious prison" - while she visited her husband held inside during the 1962 'coup d'etat' to overthrow the government. She does not name her husband who was eventually acquitted and released for want of evidence.

The life-story of Dr. Jansen, says the biographer, is recorded mainly for the benefit of his grandchildren and future generations to perpetuate the memory of a man who, while living an exemplary life, brought distinctive credit to the clan. Despite his many community activities, he was essentially, a family man, deeply devoted to the home.

"One of the greatest gifts he gave me, which was to sustain me for the rest of my life, was the sense of security he radiated," says the daughter who calls her father the "patriarch of all the many branches of his family and that of his wife" - Georgina Joseph, the daughter of Dr. Sydney Joseph.

The biography is dotted with anecdotes of an era gone by and provides fascinating reading for those familiar with the times, while giving a lesson in history for the new generation. The story contains some well-known names of those who played a dominant role in the medical, sports and social life of then, Ceylon.

She thanks her elder sister Suzette for sharing some of their father's memories with her. They have a younger brother, Roger.

"Terence Richard Jansen epitomizes the finest type of gentleman of his era," says Foreword-writer, Ferdinands. "His life was one of service....... Today, unfortunately in Sri Lanka, the high tides of racial divisiveness and self-service have over-taken the ideals of racial unity and altruistic service." It is a good thing, says Ferdinands, that Shelagh has written this story of her father. "It will serve to remind people, both in Sri Lanka and abroad, and particularly, the Burgher community, of their great men and what they accomplished in the service of the land of their birth."

Ferdinands expresses the hope that the Terry Jansen story may inspire others also to write of the distinguished men and women of the community, "so that their lives and deeds will not be forgotten."

Doughty defenders of parliamentary decorum & dignity

by Kirthie Abeyesekera
On one of my sojourns in the Homeland from Canada, I visited an old friend, Ronnie Abeysinghe, Parliament's Serge-ant-at-Arms. It was the first and only time I'd been to the Sri Jayewardenepura Parliament Complex - in my eyes, an 'architectural monstrosity' lacking the elegance and charm of the old chamber by the sea. In contrast to those awe-inspiring precincts of the Old Parliament, I was now in the staff cafeteria of this awful 'modernity' with my luncheon host, the affable Abeysinghe who himself, was nostalgic as we spoke of the days of yore.

Even the old dining room had an intimacy, all its own, where parliamentarians lunched together with their guests. On the day of my visit to the new Parliament, members dined exclusively, while their guests ate in designated areas - for security reasons, I was told.

Ronnie and I took a sentimental journey to the Old Parliament at the Galle Face where I had often sat in the Press and Public Galleries amidst the grandeur of a bygone age. We re-lived the many years we spent in those hallowed and historic corridors where some of our political giants strode like colossuses. We recalled the occasions when we would scoot off to the not-so-far 'Anglers' Club for a few quick shots of arrack and the club boy's special 'buth-curry.'

My cousin, Capt. C. P. J. Senewiratne was Member of Parliament for Mahiyangana and Junior Minister of Lands in the Dudley Senanayake government, 1965-1970. Often, I lunched with him, at the House Restaurant.

Among our regular tablemates were D. B. Welagedera, D. B. Wijetunga and Paris Perera. 'Wele,' as everyone called the MP for Kurunegala, was, like his political guru, Sir John Kotelawela, as much a playboy as a politician. A good story-teller, Wele regaled us with many a tale going back to his days as a Divisional Revenue Officer. One of the stories he revelled in relating, was Sir John on a visit to his Dodangaslanda electorate. In the company of two foreign women, the Laird of Kandawela had stopped at the Kurunegala Rest House for lunch. Wele who called at the Rest House to pay his customary respects, could not contain his mischief. In the language the women did not understand, Wele asked, "Sir, dennek mokatada?" Sir John's naughty response cannot be repeated, I regret. D. B. Wijetunga, then a Junior Minister, was even at that time the quiet listener, often blushing at Wele's 'val katha.' Later, when he catapulted to the top, his initials were to be given a wicked twist from the 'Dingiri Banda' his parents had christened him.

The well-groomed Paris Perera from Ja-ela, a parliamentarian in the traditional style, was better known as a ladies' man. At times, no less a person than Dudley Senanayake himself, would join our table, while others fell into quick silence, yielding the floor to the 'Lokka.' A story he oft repeated and roared with laughter at, was his meeting with Malaysia's Tunku Abdul Rahuman. The two Prime Ministers had been discussing Asia's population explosion when Abdul Rahuman deplored the fact that despite the free distribution of condoms, his country's birthrate was rising. It seemed he said that men 'circumcised' the condom before using it. During late-night budget debates, the playful Southerner, Lakshman Rajapakse, would take a collection to keep the 'spirits' up. Even the teetotaller, Dudley Senanayake, dropped a tenner in the hat.

Politics was hardly a topic at those luncheon meetings. They were fun times. Politics was confined to the inner chamber. The rhetoric from within that revered sanctum would reverberate through the walls of Parliament - Colvin R. de Silva, bellowing that a Parliamentarian should be like Caesar's wife, 'above suspicion;' the Gunawardena brothers - Robert, sometimes stealing the thunder from elder brother Philip, the Boralugoda Lion. Philip once silenced Stanley Molligoda, the Nivitigala heckler. "An animal with one 'molli'" (hump), Philip roared, "is called a 'gona' (bull). What do we call the animal with 'molli godak?'"

One day, Felix R. Dias Bandaranaike made a late entry to the House. Colvin was on his feet, talking about S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. Felix caught the word 'Bandaranaike,' and, believing the reference was to him, rose to a Point of Order, denying he said such a thing. Colvin rolled his 'r.' "I was talking of the real Bandaranaike." I recall Soma Wickremanayake, Dehiowita's debutante, making her maiden speech in 1960. In emotional eloquence, the woman who took over from Edmund Samarakkody, hailed her Sama Samaja Chief, "NM Sahodaraya" as the man who dared the mighty United National Party at a time when "even crows were scared to fly over the rooftops, of the 'dhanapathiyo'. And then, there was vivacious Vivienne, the red-hot firebrand. A sharp contrast to her soft-spoken husband, Leslie Goonewardene, she pursued a violent and passionate love affair with politics. She was more at home with the 'hoi-polloi' than among legislators. Leslie and Vivienne, along with K. M. P. and Kusuma Rajaratne, made history, sitting in the same legislature at the same time. Other husband and wife combinations who were in Parliament, though at different times, were Philip and Kusuma Gunawardena and T. B. and Tamara Ilangaratne. The humble U. B. Wanninayake from Yapahuwa, was seen by Pieter Keuneman as the "worst-dressed Finance Minister." He simply demolished the Opposition argument led by N. M. Perera, Economics disciple of Harold Laski. To these financial pundits, said Wanninayake, referring to the Left leaders, the Budget is like what an elephant is to the blind man. They just have no perception of its entirety. Keuneman once gave a twist to the familiar phrase when he called the mild-mannered Dudley Senanayake, a "sheep in wolves' clothing," after an uncharacteristic verbal onslaught by the Prime Minister. The House abounded in skilled orators. J. R. Jayewardene and Bernard Soysa were among a galaxy of others, too numerous to name. The literary gems that dropped from their lips have enriched 'Hansard.' Among those standing high above were Keuneman, the polished Cambridger and Colvin R. de Silva who, according to eminent Crown Counsel, A. C. (Bunty) de Zoysa, "made more laws in the Courts, than in the Legislature, through his scholarly judicial interpretations." No academician, yet a Man of Letters, was W. Dahanayake whose literary brilliance was embellished by quotes from Shaw, Shakespeare and the Bible - his favourites. Truly, 'the Peoples' Representative', he rose from mob orator to a skilled Constitutional Expert, laden with volumes of Erskine May and Sir Ivor Jennings.

Parliament had its lighter moments that eased tensions - wit being a handy weapon in the thrust and parry of debate. Dahanayake once brought the House down with laughter.

During his record-breaking marathon on the rising price of textiles, Appointed MP, Singleton-Salmon rose to say the government had brought down the price of sarees.

A master of repartee, Dahanayake shot back, "When the sarees are coming down, the sarongs are going up."

It is worthy of record, that the 'Left' leaders, notably, N. M. Perera, Pieter Keuneman and Philip Gunawardena among others, who sought to revolutionize the socio-economic and political order, were, at the same time, doughty defenders of the dignity and decorum of Parliament. It was said that Colvin's bow to the Speaker's Chair was as reverential as his respect for the Bench.

These are but a few flashbacks to an era gone by. Ronnie Abeysinghe has now stepped down from the Seat of the Sergeant-at-Arms. I no longer report Parliament. But to those of us privileged to have witnessed the workings within the walls of the country's Highest Legislature of yesteryear, memories of the men and women who adorned that august assembly will always remain.

We may never see the likes of them again.

Hazards for Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu from excavating the Palk Straits

by Lareef Zubair, Research Fellow
Institute of Fundamental Studies

Prof. Debashis Sengupta is an oceanographic modeller at the Centre for Atmosp heric and Oceanic Science at the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore. Recently, Debashis explained the oceanography around Sri Lanka and his computer model of it to me. We know little about the oceanography of the Indian Ocean. But one area attracting particular attention is the tip of the sub-continent - Sri Lanka - where the ocean currents merge, clash and set off long-lived eddies and waves. All this is interesting because of the reversal of the currents during the North-East and South-West monsoons and now because Indian Defence Minister plans to deepen the Palk Straits that links the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay in a few months.

Currents in the Seas around Sri Lanka
The oceans are dynamic and large currents flow from one part to another driven by the seasonal changes in solar radiation, surface winds and ocean currents from afar. There is drama in the oceans around Sri Lanka. The water is driven from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea during the North-East monsoons (December to April) and from the Arabian sea to the Bay of Bengal during the South-West monsoons (June to October) around Sri Lanka. A significant current travels along the East coast of India and it is called the East Indian Coastal Current (EICC). Similarly the West Indian Coastal Current (WICC) traverses along the West Coast of India. During the NE monsoons, the EICC travels down the coast impelled by the monsoons winds and fed by the discharge of the Ganga at the head of the Bay of Bengal and other rivers along the West Coast of India. The current reverses with the onset of each of the monsoons. This current will be particularly rapid when there is heavy rains and cyclones and leading even to tidal waves. To the South of Sri Lanka, the Equatorial Monsoons Current flows East and West during the SW and NE monsoons respectively.

What we learn from the model
Debashis's model is adapted for the region from an ocean model developed at Princeton University. One of Debashis's difficulties is that there is no estimate of the actual volume of water that flows across the Palk Straits. When he simulated the ocean keeping the gap between Sri Lanka and India closed, the regional oceanic behaviour was reproduced realistically. When he tried leaving a narrow channel open, he found that the currents gushed rapidly through the Palk Straits distorting the regional oceanography. Since, the Palk Straits is shallow across the land bridge from Mannar to Rameshwaram, there is likely to be little flow across it as intuited by the model. If indeed there was a sufficiently large passage, part of the EICC and WICC will gush through the Straits, because of the convergence of the currents on either side of Sri Lanka. It was quite funny the way Debashis described how he toyed with the oceans.

The Indian Plan
Then imagine my surprise when I read a news item from the Press Trust of India reporting that George Fernandes, the Indian Minister of Defence, had inaugurated a project to excavate the Palk Straits last week. This project named Sethusamudram is to cost Indian Rs. 12 billion, is to commence in a few months and is projected to take three years to complete. The Straits are to be deepened from 12 feet to 31 feet and the excavation would be over a length of 100 nautical miles. The Minister revealed all this in a meeting at Rameshwaram that highlighted the collateral benefits to Southern India. The stated aim of this project is to reduce the travel time of Indian ships, which have to circumnavigate Sri Lanka and its territorial waters. Since, the project comes under the Indian Minister of Defence and not under a civilian Ministry such as Shipping or Transport, it is naval ships that the Minister has foremost in mind. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have formulated the initial plans.

All I have seen of this Indian proposal are the PTI and Hindu reports. One is still to know the details of the excavation that has been planned or the engineering of it. The changes in ocean currents will depend on all these details. However, the danger lies, in the following. As the passage is cut, the current across the Straits will increase. As the current increases, it may gorge the passage deeper and wider. It may lead to a cycle with the rise in current and the enlargement of the passage feeding each other. Finally, the various currents in-between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea may short-circuit through the Straits rather than go around the island. Even if this project were to remain under control, its implications deserve our attention.

Environmental Impact
Leaving the military, shipping and commercial implications aside, let me speculate on the possible environmental impact of deepening the Straits.

a) Biotic Life and Fisheries
The oceans around Sri Lanka are far from homogeneous. The transport of rainwater, that from rivers and the seasonal currents have over millennia set up a complex geography of the biotic life of which we are only beginning to learn. If the currents change so will the temperature, the salinity, the nutrients and the biotic profile. If one were to shock this ecosystem by flushing the Bay of Bengal into the Arabian sea through it, it will be irrevocably altered. After all, the seas off Mannar are tranquil enough that banks of oysters have formed. Along with the biotic life and the food chain goes the fish. Since fishing in Sri Lanka is at present predominantly along the West Coast at present, the implications are grave.

b) Oil Spills and Pollution
Ships flush their wastes, unwanted cargo and accidentally oil into the sea. Lately, there have been oil slicks reaching the Western Coasts. Pollution and oil slicks to the South of the island will predominantly be transported away from Sri Lanka and diluted in the Indian Ocean by the ocean currents. However, the currents in the Palk Straits will carry the pollutants towards the coast.

c) Dust and Toxins from the Excavation
Digging up the ocean passage will stir up dust and toxins that lay beneath the ocean bed. It boggles the mind to imagine the impact of this giant dredging takes place. The point of departure for my imagination is the damage done in Hikkaduwa due to sediments carried by, hotel and other waste dumping and coral mining. It has already clouded up the corals of Hikkaduwa and is damaging the marine life and these are such relatively minor interventions. We are yet to know of any systematic surveying of the geology of the ocean bed that is to be excavated. Moreover, there is already patterns of transport of suspended sediments in these seas which will be disrupted.

d) Coastal Erosion
An upsurge of coastal currents can lead to higher tides and more energetic ocean waves that will erode the Western Coast. Indeed many of the harbours and other coastal structures may become vulnerable as they have been designed based on the present oceanography.

e) Climate
World over scientists understand only now the profound impact of the oceans on climate. The ocean is all the more important for Sri Lanka's climate as it is surrounded by it. The winds, salinity, temperature and moisture fluxes in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are crucial to the island's climate. One example, is the impact of the sea surface temperature. Indian scientists have shown that clouds due to oceanic convection will not form unless the sea surface temperature is above 27 ¡C. The surface temperature in the regional seas is close to this threshold and a slight change can push it across the threshold. For example, one cause of low rainfall in Hambantota is the cold current reaching the nearby seas in July and August. Now, if the temperature were to drop along the Western Coasts, it will reduce the locally-induced clouds and alter the sea-breeze which will in turn alter rainfall.

Laws, Politics and Diplomacy
All of these environmental impacts will bear on Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and maybe Kerala. Even if this project was carefully planned and executed, there would still be pervasive environmental impacts. It is one of those tragedies of environmental politics that projects with immediate human and cultural damage garner public attention, while those that could profoundly alter our habitat but remain out of sight, do not. The oceans remain out of sight and we neglect oil spills, oceanic waste dumping and over-fishing. It was to highlight the value, fragility and our disregard of the oceans that 1998 was declared as the year of the ocean by the United Nations. Sethusamudram in 1999 is irony.

What should be the response of the state of Sri Lanka and its citizens? I am not sure as to whether the Sri Lankan government has been consulted on this project. Its response must not be in terms of politics and diplomacy alone as was the case with the nuclearization of South Asia. Our health, habitat and livelihoods should not be left to the tunnel visions of politicians, lawyers, economists or scientists. It is a fundamental premise of the National Environmental Act that the citizens have a right to be informed when the environment is threatened. Such a spirit of openness should guide our consultations with India.

Sri Lanka and India have an agreement dividing the sea between the two countries in 1976. One premise of the agreement was that there would be no international shipping in the Straits. I imagine that according to these laws each is entitled to do as one wishes in one's own waters. Sethusamudram will be a cut through the Indian side of the Straits. Yet, its impact will not only be on India but also on Sri Lanka. On the Indian side, George Fernandes is confident of approval of the Indian environmental authority. But will the issue of environmental assessment even come up on the Sri Lankan side under the present law?

The old concepts of property rights which demarcated sovereignty based on geography are suspect for regional environmental issues. What sense does it make to claim sovereignty over the fish that swim with no care, or the atmosphere or the oceans which cross sovereign boundaries? Only now are the law-makers trying to improve on this and one cannot wait. Another similar project is the forthcoming construction of 2 Gigawatt nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu with Russian assistance coming in at a cost of Indian Rs. 100 billion. The regional environmental impact is best addressed through bilateral consultation. Alternatives such as allowing the Indian navy to cut across the Sri Lankan territorial waters should be considered.

Contemporary project appraisal practices are flawed in that the cost-benefit analysis fail to redress inequity between those who benefit from the project and those who bear the burden of its ill-effects. Usually it is the voiceless who pay and those who decide and their friends who gain. This project will be no different. Sri Lanka will not benefit from the Sethusamudram project and will even lose financially. Since, it is a whole country, which will have to pay the price, there is some hope of mitigation, notwithstanding the asymmetry in military and economic clout and scientific and engineering capacity.

The biotic life of the ocean, our fisheries, our coasts and its pollution, our climate and our habitat are far too important to be left with questions over its future. It may be that the hazards I have speculated on are remote - but who knows. One should be cautious when there are grave hazards, even if the odds are small. Such a project should have been preceded by detailed multi-faceted studies of the oceans, adequate publicity regarding its form and wide consultation. Is unveiling the project as a done deal, conceived 130 years ago by British Colonial Officer, fully funded, of enormous national benefit and imminent, an attempt to forestall opposition in and out of India? That after all was the successful strategy of the contemporary Indian and Pakistani defence establishments with the nuclear testing. It is also the strategy of some past and present Sri Lankan Ministers to environmental appraisal. While India may be far ahead of us, we do know that the Indian scientists may not have the basic data related to the Palk Straits with which to begin a proper assessment of the impact.

At the least, Sri Lanka should request the Indian authorities to postpone Sethusamudram - the conflation of the oceans. Let us have the project studies so that we may know what we are about to face. According to the Ramayana, Hanuman and his helpers built the land bridge from India to Lanka. Never since has there been an attempt to monkey with the Straits. Lanka burnt then. Let us, at least, learn the script beforehand this time.

Incentives for our soldiers

by Cecil V. Wikramanayake
Way back in 1981, by an Act of Parliament, the government of this country decided that our fighting forces should be provided with incentives to excel in combat on the battlefield. To this end, medals for Gallantry were struck, in Silver and bronze, and have , from time to time, been presented to deserving cases by the President of the country.

The highest of these, the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, unfortunately, has not been awarded to any living soldier. Every single one of these has been awarded posthumously, for the recipient gave his life for his country in the performance of an act which merited his receiving the award.

This medal is "of Silver gilt and circular in shape, bearing in relief on the obverse in the centre a stylized figure of the Heraldic lion as depicted in the Lion flag of the Kandyan period, surrounded by a curved leaf motif (Getakola) and a lotus motif (Nelum mal) and with the suspension bearing a creeper leaf motif (Liyapatha) and in relief on the reverse, the Armorial Ensign of the Republic of Sri Lanka in the centre of paddy surmounted by the wheel of Doctrine with the filled vessel at the base with a depiction of the Sun in splendour and the Moon on the right and left respectively, surrounded by the legend "for Gallantry of the most exceptional order" inscribed in Sinhala and Tamil and the year of institution, 1981 inscribed below and the whole surrounded by the design as depicted in the obverse."

This decoration shall be worn on the left breast suspended from a ribbon, one inch and a quarter in width and two inches in length which shall be wine in colour. So far, no one has had the pleasure of seeing this medal worn by any living member of the armed services.

The next highest is the Weerodara Vibhushanaya, which medal "shall be granted to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Republic of Sri Lanka for individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of a non military nature of the most exceptional order, performed voluntarily with no regard to his own life and security with the objective of saving or safeguarding the life or lives of a person or persons imperilled by death, or for a meritorious act or a series of acts of a humane nature of an exceptional order displayed in saving life from drowning, fire and rescue operation in mines, floods and similar calamities under circumstances of grave bodily injury or great danger to the life of the rescuer, and who are recommended by the Commander of the Army, the Commander of the Navy or the Commander of the Air Force to receive the award under the terms and conditions defined in the regulations"

The decoration shall be conferred by the President by a citation under his hand and seal and the award shall be made personally by the President.

The names of the persons upon whom this decoration is conferred shall be published in the Gazette and a register of all such recipients shall be maintained under the direction of the President.

Every recipient of this decoration shall be entitled to use the symbol "WV" after his name.

The Weera Wickrema Vibhushanaya, the third highest medal, is awarded for individual acts of galalantry and conspicuous bravery, as in the one above, and the recipient shall be entitled to use the symbol "WWV" after his name.

This medal was awarded to certain members of the armed services after the bomb blast at the Central Bank some years ago.

The fourth medal, the Ranawickrema Padakkama is granted to all ranks of the Army, Navy and Air Force for individual or associated acts of bravery in the face of the enemy and performed voluntarily, and who are recommended by the Commander to receive the award. The recipient shall be entitled to use the symbol "RWP" after his name.

The fifth of these medals is the Rana Sura Padakkama, which is awarded to all ranks of the three armed services for distinguished conduct in the face of the enemy. The recipient is entitled to use the symbol "RSP" after his name.

This writer interviewed three recipients of this RSP medal last week, a member of the Air Force, and two sailors. He will tell you next week what they did to deserve the decorations they have received.

Jayasiri Semage - a maestro who blends art with architecture

Jayasiri Semage will hold his one-man art exhibition "Rhythms of my Canvas" at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery, Colombo from February 19th to 22nd.

by S. J. Anthony Fernando
Artists who have made a name for themselves in varied fields , in their chosen medium of expression have their own inimitable distinctive style. In the case of Jayasiri Semage there is no mistaking identifying his drawings and paintings with a mere fleeting glance.

Jayasiri is a maestro in line drawing. His deft fingers have created masterpieces in works of art in the traditional eastern culture mould. He wields the brush with equal dexterity giving flesh and life to his drawing in a delightfully pleasing blend of colours.

The versatile artist he is Jayasiri Semage's works branch into diverse fields to suit a multitude of purposes and occasions. Often we see his work adorn many a hotel lounge , drawing rooms at homes, temples here and abroad. He is also a much sought after man for creation of decorative works of art for pandals, wedding poruwas as well as other forms of decorative art. Whatever the occasion or place his distinctive style remains the same.

Through a happy blend of art and architecture Jayasiri Semage has been able to master the art of designing and constructing elegant pandals with his inimitable works of art imprinted on them. He niched a name for himself by designing and creating those delightful and eye catching pandals that adorned the entrance at all Gam Udawa Annual Exhibitions for well over a decade. When it came to designing the pandal at the main entrance to the Exhibition held at the BMICH last year to mark the 50th Anniversary of Independence Jayasiri Semage was the obvious choice out of many who tendered.

Whether it be figures and decorative motifs or the village scenes Jayasiri's creative genius comes into play. His vivid expression of contours of the human figure bringing out the varied emotions and feelings of the human mind in diverse circumstances brings out his creative ability. Even when it comes to giving expression to various concepts or ideas Jayasiri does it with finesse. He steadfastly resists making it a real picture . His secret is to convey the meaning and thought much more forcefully than a real picture would do.

One would not be far wrong if Semage is likened to a poet - a poet who gives expressions to his thoughts through his paintings.

Ever since his artistic talents were discovered by his teacher on seeing a drawing of an elephant on the slate while in primary school, Jayasiri was at it, egged on by his teachers. In 1956 while still at school at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda, Jayasiri held his maiden solo Art Exhibition which was declared open by the then Director of Education S. F. De Silva.

Jayasiri throughout his career has held several exhibitions of his paintings which were well received by art lovers. He has also had the distinction of being invited to do several Murals at Buddhist Vihares in Malaysia and Singapore . He has had the privilege of designing and constructing Sri Lanka pavilions in exhibitions abroad.

Jayasiri who was bestowed the "Kalasuri" award in 1990 had been forging ahead with his crusade of breaking new ground trail blazing efforts in the field of art.

Jayasiri Semage's simple mannerisms and friendly disposition belies the greatness he has achieved . He is not one who would impose himself on others . He lets his work do the talking.

3
Egg coconut - Just the thing for tourists !

By Cecil V. Wikramanayake
One never stops learning, does one ? I have just been mulling through a magazine called "Cocoinfo International" published twice a year by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community in Jakarta, Indonesia, and came across a most interesting article on Young Tender Coconut, or YTC as the author R. N. Arancon, an assistant Director of APCC calls it.

The editorial of the magazine says that "with more than fifty billion nuts produced every year, coconut is the most extensively grown and used nut in the world. The magazine contains information about coconuts from all countries where coconuts grow, like the Philippines, Fiji, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The only reference to Sri Lanka, however, is just a picture on the cover of the issue, Volume 5 Number 2, with a caption that says "Young tender coconuts on sale on the roadside in Sri Lanka". The picture, however, shows king coconuts, or thambili, and not the kurumba, which is popular more in the villages than in Colombo, where Thambili is really king.

Arancon's article intrigued me, for, apart from giving the reader all kinds of information about young tender coconuts, including statistics of the export of fresh coconuts by major suppliers from APCC member countries, from 199

2 to 1996, and a tabulated breakdown of young tender coconut varieties, where there is a brief reference to our country, in that we have the king Coconut (Rath Thembili), the Red Dwarf and the Yellow Dwarf varieties.

His discourse covered a great deal of ground, like "The coconut fruit at seven to eight months maturity possesses the sweetest and the optimum volume of water inside its cavity." And "Dwarf varieties are most suitable for YTC production because of their short stature. This makes harvesting much easier and the problem of nut breakage during harvesting is minimal. "Also, harvesters could easily climb dwarf coconut palms and could safely bring down a whole YTC bunch from the canopy."

I was not aware, nor am I still aware, whether Sri Lanka exports her young coconuts. Of course we all know that coconuts, the ripe ones, and copra have been exported by us for years. But young coconuts ? I wonder what our young entrepreneurs are doing.

Writing under a sub-heading "Food products from YTC kernel," Arancon says "The kernel of young tender coconuts could be eaten fresh or straight from the newly split nut. It is soft and gelatinous and at the same time nutritious and tasty. It is a good source of carbohydrates and other nutrients. Processed young tender coconut kernel could be in the form of sweetened, dehydrated or dried "buko" or young tender coconut kernel in syrup. "Dried buko chips may be sweetened or unsweetened. They are white chews and sweet with a distinctive young tender coconut flavour. YTC could also be used as a filling for pies. "Buko" pie is popular in the Philippines and is gaining a wider acceptance in recent years."

But what struck me as being unusual was his description of the "Egg coconut" as he calls it.

Says Arancon, "Egg coconut is another form of product from young tender coconuts where the whole round soft kernel is pulled out from its shell with the water intact in it. This is possible by the use of a thin and flexible knife made from the horn of a water buffalo. A straw is used to drink the water inside the egg coconut and the flesh is eaten afterwards. It was reported that an egg coconut can sell in the supermarkets and restaurants in Malaysia at between US$ 1.40 and 2.00 per nut depending on the location.

"Young tender coconut is also commonly served in hotels and restaurants in its natural form by simply removing part of the tender husk up to the outer shell.

"To prevent browning (Kahata bendenawa, in Sinhala) of the husk, the freshly cut nut is immersed into a solution of anti-browning agent such as sodium metabisulfide at a concentration of about 2000 ppm for 5 to 10 minutes. The husk will remain white for a week or so especially when stored cooled.."

I wonder whether we Sri Lankans have the patience to extract the "londha" of the YTC in this manner, and so preserve the "londha" as well as the "wathura" of the Thambili. At the present time, we are content to follow the age-old practice of slicing off the tender husk till we come to the nut itself, make a hole in it and drink off the water, after which we simply split open the nut and scoop out the "londha".

What we do with the nut when we have refreshed ourselves, is one of the most uncivilised things we do. We simply throw it away, on to a garbage heap, or into a drain, where it helps to breed mosquitoes.

And then we have the Anti-Malaria campaign to do the dirty work for us, clearing up the rubbish !

Arancon has this to say about the by-products from YTC. "After drinking the water and eating the kernel, what is left are the husk and the shell which are still quite immature. It has been proposed that the fibre and the dust from these nuts be used as wall coverings, ropes as well as geotextiles. As they are yet young and tender, these by-products could also be used as fillers for animal feed formulations. When cut into smaller pieces, they could be used in the horticulture industry or in the growing of orchids and other potted plants. Because they are fibrous, they store water for plant use. It has also been proposed that these by-products be used as organic fertilizer or compose for coconut and other crops."

Other entrepreneurs in Malaysia and Indonesia serve the young tender coconut as a ready-to-drink fresh and cold water with strips of the young tender meat (Londha) neatly packed in chilled plastic packs. This is common in the Philippines and one of the popular brands is called "Buko Joe"

Perhaps at some of these "star" class hotels, someone might think of introducing Buko Joe for a start.

Or are we content to be left behind in the race ?

2
Coconut milk cheese!

I've always been nuts about cheese, and the happiest, cheesiest six weeks of my life was spent in France, way back in 1968, when in the course of a tour of the entirety of that country, I was able to sample sixty four varieties of French cheeses, in the company of Serge Caplan, a French pilot whose boast was that "In England, they have three hundred dialects and one cheese - Cheddar, while in France we have one dialect and three hundred cheeses !"

Ever since that experience, I have found that the 'processed cheeses' available in this country are comparatively insipid. With the exception of cottage cheese which I have made myself from curd, following a recipe given to me by the late Mrs. Wadsworth, former matron of Trinity College, when she was in charge of "Petworth" the Nuwara Eliya convalescent home for English Christian missionaries.

So it was a welcome surprise when I came across an article in a magazine called "Cocoinfo International" , where Josefina C. Suharto has written about "Brian's coconut milk cheese", the cheese with a difference.

Leonard Brian is an Australian who moved to Fiji 27 years ago. He, like this writer, had a fondness for good cheese, and after fifteen years of hard work, patience and determination, he has become the inventor, proprietor and exporter of the first and only commercialised coconut milk cheese in the world.

An ancient legend, says Josefina Suharto, attributed the invention of cheese to an Arabian merchant who filled his pouch made of sheep's stomach with milk. After travelling all day, he found that the milk had separated into curd and whey. The lining of the pouch could have contained rennet which, with the sun's warmth, caused the milk to coagulate and the whey to separate, just as it does in the modern cheese vat.

But to get back to Mr. Brian and his coconut cheese. Brian had always been fascinated by the coconut, which he referred to as "the giant grass seed" that had been a food for the dinosaurs. The question that kept nagging him was how to make this seed entirely edible and easily digestible by humans.

Basically, according to Leonard Brian, the coconut cheese is every bit as good for humans as dairy cheese. But not for the same reason. The protein in coconut cheese is not as high in volume but is of high quality. What is important, he says, is its high amount of dietary soluble fibre, dietary oil, the potassium and vitamin E content, along with other concentrated vitamins, all of which are extremely good for health maintenance, which can only be found in the testa of the coconut.

It is on this principle that Brian's Kotta Coconut Milk Cheese came about. It not only utilises the milk but the entire coconut kernel as well. The testa or brown skin incorporated in the cheese gives it a distinction of what he termed as "wholemeal cheese".

With the brown skin and the white flesh of the coconut, the cheese has a flecked appearance and the flavour is mild. It has a low melting point and can be used as a spread, a base for sauces and dressings and as a butter substitute for baking.

Brian's Kotta Coconut Milk Cheese is made from organically grown coconuts. It uses traditional cheese making methods but without rennet, the process of souring produced by lactic acid bacteria. The coconut meat is pasteurised, cultured and ripened. Once the correct acidity is developed, the curd is again pasteurised, drained and packed. It is reported to have an unlimited shelf life. It is high in soluble fibre which aids in freeing dangerous accumulated toxins from the system. It also has no cholesterol.

Now that's really talking. Perhaps some entrepreneur in Sri Lanka might be tempted to emulate Mr. Leonard Brian and produce Coconut milk cheese here on a large scale. I believe it would pay good dividends, for Brian has had orders for 2,000 cheeses to Sydney, Australia, and another 800 to Christchurch, New Zealand. His cheeses come in three-kilo packs as well as a smaller pack of 125 grammes.

Being, as I said before, an ardent lover of cheese, I am inclined to experiment with making cheese out of coconut milk. Only I am afraid that my experiment will be like the one I tried, several years ago, at making "sake" out of our white rice. On that occasion I made the mistake of keeping the pot closed tight, resulting in an explosion that scattered fermented rice all over our kitchen. Much to my late wife's disgust ! (CVW)

Two years after SLT/NTT tie-up
'Remarkable achievements' remain a pipe-dream

by Suresh P. Perera
At the five-star Trans Asia hotel last Tuesday, Hideaki Kamitsuma, the top Japanese telecom executive who has sparked off much controversy in Sri Lanka, was narrating a 'success story'. The packed 'Earl's Court' of the luxurious hotel reverberated with the 'remarkable achievements' that were being proudly delivered. It came to light that all this grand, star-studded accomplishments had become a reality only after the Japanese telecommunications giant, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) tie-up with Sri Lanka Telecom in 1997.

Kamitsuma, the chief executive officer, presided and what emerged was indeed a Herculean effort, backed by an annual report, colourful literature, a lengthy video still presentation and a glut of talking by top officials, followed by a sumptuous lunch to drive home the point that NTT has made a tremendous impact since its debut into this vital sector two years back. Of course, a SLT diary and a large calendar, though belated, were presented by a charming girl as compliments to participants departing after a heavy meal.

The sessions were linked to what was described as 'SLT's progress in 1998 and annual business plan for 1999', which was unraveled. All that's good and fine. But, are these so-called 'splendid achievements' tangible where the long-suffering SLT subscribers are concerned? How many of us feel the 'difference', if it exists at all? Has it changed the situation or on the other hand aggravated matters? In plain, simple English, have all these 'proud, remarkable doings' brought new meaning to the entire scenario and eased the misery? That's what counts in the final run.

Kamitsuma and his high command have every right to be proud of what they claim to have achieved. There is no dispute on that score. But the people of this country have an equally vibrant right to protest against SLT's persisting indolence, lackadaisical and insensitive attitude when it comes to dealing with problems faced by most of its subscribers. How fast did the linesman attend to the repair which had left your phone dead for weeks? How receptive is SLT to consumer complaints? Then what about the growing problem of 'inflated bills' and the indifference and at times the sheer arrogance displayed when an attempt is made to question the logic involved? Ask any SLT consumer. He will tell you that all this and more are just the tip of the iceberg. An avalanche of complaints from disgusted subscribers is almost a daily routine in the Fourth Estate. What transpired at the recent 'public sessions' of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) is yet another of those telling indictments on SLT's performance so far.

NTT which took over 35% of the stake under the SLT partnership agreement, is perhaps doing everything within its capacity to improve the overall situation. No sensible person expected wonders to happen overnight. But then it's no longer 'overnight'. What's the situation, two years after the debut of NTT? What remains to be done is gigantic if Telecom is to shed that mischievously coined term 'Telecon'. How many are still kicking their heels months after paying the installation charges? In most cases even the instrument has been fixed but the 'connection' is not in sight. Now Kamitsuma has come to their rescue not to give the promised phones, but to refund the installation charges paid months ago and also pay 'proper compensation' for the long, frustrating wait.

Kamitsuma is apologetic. 'Today, there are long outstanding faults in several areas.We realise the problems this can cause and treat this matter very seriously. Action is now being taken to remedy and overcome this serious situation. The call for payments on mobile services has been suspended', he announced.

The CEO referred to compensation to be paid in this regard under an 'acceptable system'. SLT has sought TRCSL permission to make payment at the rate of Rs. 300 per delayed week. That's not from the date the money for installation was paid, but the period after one, two, three or even four months SLT had sought for installation. The number affected by SLT's inability to provide connections after raking in the installation fees of Rs. 15,000 each, is 43,000, according to Press reports. These lesser mortals had lived in despair for over 6 months and now the Japanese who run the show at SLT are contemplating making a refund. Well, they can go ahead now without being losers in the game because 15,000 each X 43,000 totals a staggering Rs. 645 million. It doesn't require a genius to figure out what returns that kind of money will bring in half a year, if not more. SLT can now afford to be 'generous' and give back the capital which it hunged onto for far too long.

Kamitsuma was told by 'Sunday Island' a pathetic episode where a Ratmalana SLT domestic subscriber who receives an average monthly bill of not more than Rs. 600/-, being sent a shocking bill for nearly Rs. 5000/-. What added insult to injury was the fact that the bill was under the name of another person, but the recipient's telephone number and address were correct. It happened in July last year and the incredible discrepancy was promptly brought to the notice of SLT's Billing and Collection Division in Colombo. It dragged on and on with reminders mounting and promises galore from the other end of the line. The bills that followed were also unbelievably excessive and while the assurance that the line will be placed under observation and the phone will not be disconnected, was thought to be in place in accordance with the gentlemans' agreement, a 'disconnection notice' was received. More letters were sent and more verbal assurances were given. The end of the year was at hand and arrears were piling up. When asked why, in the first place, the erroneous bill was sent under a different name and what difficulty there was in treating it as a blunder or to be mild, a 'human error' on the part of SLT, a senior official of that division replied that the name could be wrong, but the telephone number was correct! This defies belief. It's too ridiculous to be true! The question 'Sunday Island' asked Kamitsuma in this context was interesting. It caused ripples of laughter from the participants. Here it's....

Q;' Mr. Kamitsuma, under these circumstances if I were to receive a bill tomorrow under the name of Velupillai Prabhakaran, am I expected to pay it just because my telephone number on it is correct? That is what your official wanted me to do'.

Mr. Christy Alwis, head of customer service group replies after consulting Kamitsuma who was seated by his side: We apologise for what has happened. We are sorry about it. The matter will be gone into. There are complaints about inflated bills. This will not happen after itemized billing is introduced. Thanks for bringing this to our notice.

In this regard, Kamitsuma was also told that even upto this point of time, that's 9 long months after, the matter has still not been sorted out. There was an adjustment done, though unsatisfactory, but to end the agony, it was agreed upon. Fresh monthly bills for the period under observation indicating the adjustments done were requested and the usual promises were dished out. Despite repeated reminders, nothing has been done so far. So, the agony continues and the line is liable to be disconnected any moment as arrears had mounted.

This is not an isolated incident. How many countless people suffer in silence in the face of SLT apathy, indifference and arrogance? It's not everyone who can tell Kamitsuma the tragic tale behind that telephone SLT has given or not given. How many of us are paying for calls we have not made? Some customers are even charged for IDD calls when they had never ever made an overseas call. Friends and colleagues have tales of woe on SLT's antics, which could consume reams of newsprint if we are to publish them.

Kamitsuma says customer care is top priority and is one of the prime areas of importance in its business plans. That's welcome news. The Japanese CEO is eager no doubt, but down the line, it's a sordid tale. SLT must stop resorting to 'tele-conning'. Grand are those advertisements, but last Tuesday at that plush hotel, it was an anti-climax when Kamitsuma had to apologise for failing to deliver. He didn't stop at that. He even assured compensation for those 'affected'.

SLT conducted 144 mobile services last year, obviously at tremendous expense, collected tens of millions of rupees as installation charges and finally gave the boot to 43,000 unsuspecting people? Whose bright idea was this? Kamitsuma says some of the work was 'delayed due to unavoidable reasons outside the control of SLT'. In any organisation of the magnitude of SLT, which has a 460,000 customer base, there exist problems, obstacles and difficulties. Nobody is trying to deny that. NTT was brought in to improve the situation and give a better deal to subscribers. What's the outcome two years later? Are people happy with the performance of SLT? Has it come in for praise from the people of this country for its 'spectacular achievements'? Far from that. Only the Telecom bosses are lauding themselves. They are giving themselves a pat in the back. SLT, in the words of one subscriber, is faced with an 'old wine in new bottles' situation.

Call charges were enhanced last year and the telephone rental was also jacked up after NTT took over. All that was done in the name of 'providing a better service'. Two years have lapsed, but what is the position? People are now paying more for the chaos. That's the only difference. If there are any who missed out on what emerged at the TRCSL public sessions or the tragic tales of woe in the daily Press, the scenario can be summed up as 'organised chaos'. Almost in every respect, be it billing, attending to faults, response to customer complaints, endless wait in the 'waiting list', the situation is heart-rending.

Shiran A. Perera, Deputy General Manager, Air Global Ltd., has been given a new year 'gift' of hope by courtesy of SLT. He says; 'I am still under obligation to a few people who very dearly helped me to get my phone in the Polgasowita area. Just 15 days after the connection, exactly on December 31, 1998, the brand new phone went dead. Inspite of my calling the '121' girls nearly 8 times and the customer service office's PA, still this privatised unit is dead.'

It's wishful thinking that Perera had expected the days of 'going behind and asking for big favours' to be over with privatisation and aggressive advertising, as he calls it. He pointed out that letters were sent in most areas to pay now and get your phones and in Kottawa-Mattegoda areas, banners were put up calling upon the people to pay up. 'As a sales and marketing person myself, I would like to know why SLT is spending so much on advertising when they cannot deliver. For instance, Piliyandala exchange has some 5000 plus phones and 240 faulty phones at any given time, with only 2 people to put them right. You shouldn't promise what you cannot fulfil. Don't try to compete without getting your house in order. It's KAMIKAZE', Perera added describing it as a 'telecom joke'.

Tragically, his telephone still remains dead, almost two months after that dreadful new year 'gift' from SLT.

Telecom's '121' new faults reporting system seems to have got its wires crossed. A Mt. Lavinia subscriber whose phone had remained paralysed for a week had complained to the '121' girls on February 6. As expected, nothing happened. The 'Sunday Island' on February 11 dialled this number and attempted to report the fault when the girl at the other end explained that the complaint had in fact been recorded, but if it had not been attended to, the DGM will have to be contacted on 328652. It was a struggle to get through and when finally a woman answered, we were told that the 'DGM is at a meeting'. After it was revealed that the inquiry in this regard was from 'Sunday Island', she was quick to add 'the meeting seems to be over' and the DGM was available. She was heard phoning somebody saying that the call was from 'The Island'. A few minutes later, an official by the name of Rodrigo who described himself as GM (new connections) and Director (Metro region) came on line. He was at a loss to understand why '121' had given the DGM's number without attending to the fault. He said the officer in charge of this new faults reporting system was one Mr. Alwis. Anyway, he assured that an ambitious programme to expedite new connections and attending to faults was underway.

He said the fault reported will be rectified, but even at the time of writing, over 24 hours later, the phone remained dead.

So, this is plight of SLT's '121'. What's the purpose it serves if people are pushed from pillar to post? How many ordinary subscribers can go beyond '121' to approach the DGM or other such big wigs to resuscitate their phones? All these agonising stories transport us back to the same old question - how many us feel the difference?

"It's far more easier to get through to Germany than to Colombo", says Dietmar Doering, a key German investor and sports promoter based in Marawila.

In Germany, call charges have come down drastically, by as much as 200% to 300%, due to heavy competition following privatisation. At the time of state monopoly in this sector in Germany, charges were high and many were the problems. This happens in most cases when employees are under a guaranteed salary scheme, as in the state sector and emoluments and incentives are not performance-based, Doering explained.

In Sri Lanka, over the past two years, there has been a marginal improvement in telecom services, he observed.

Kamitsuma refers to the progress achieved and what remains to be done in the months ahead. He talks of a target of 150,000 new connections this year. Under the current set-up, more phones could mean more suffering and even more misery. Whatever progress and targets there may be, the general perception is that Telecom officialdom must change its insensitive attitude. Stop treating poor subscribers like cattle. That will the greatest ever achievement the CEO could boast about. Whether SLT goes digital or expand its network of teleshops is immaterial and irrelevant in the face of the shoddy and at times humiliating treatment meted out to customers. Above all, there must be a change of heart to serve and serve better.

The emergence of two private service providers, Suntel and Lanka Bell has to some extent eased the load SLT shouldered. They offered concessionary rates, as low as Rs. 7500/- per connection to employees of various organisations and thousands benefited. This also took a chunk off the Telecom 'waiting list' and relaxed the situation to some degree.

The competition has led to a call by Suntel for a more level playing field to maintain the good and healthy development of the telecommunication industry.

Suntel's Managing Director Jan Campbell charged that the government's decision to grant SLT extended international monopolistic status until August 2002 contravened the earlier notification to Suntel that this international monopoly would be abolished in 1999. He described this as a 'tremendous setback for the WLL operators and consumers of international services to whom the tariffs can be reduced by as much as 50%'.

He says the final ruling of the interconnection agreement was more beneficial to SLT than to the two WLL operators.

But, SLT is sticking to its guns. It points out that the decision to extend the international monopoly from 1999 to 2002 was taken in line with the objectives spelt out in the national telecommunications policy statement of the government considering the time required for the tariff rebalancing process and the network roll out requirements, specially to rural areas. So, the debate goes on without an amicable settlement in sight.

The bulk of the complaints received by TRCSL during the public hearings related to over-billing. The complainants maintained that they had no faith in the bills received, TRCSL assistant director Kolitha Ranawaka said.

He said 440 complaints were received following a Press notice and 40 were invited to give evidence during the first phase of the sessions. Complaints against the two private providers, Suntel and Lanka Bell were not many and it was not a major issue, Ranawaka explained.

During the second phase, experts in the billing sphere and inland revenue department officials were among those summoned to give evidence. A committee appointed under the Telecommunications Act, with TRCSL Director-General, Prof. Rohan Samarajeewa, as Chairman, which studied the issues at hand is expected to give its ruling before the end of this month, Ranawaka said.

'Sunday Island' learns that SLT has sought TRCSL permission for a 25% tariff hike with effect from April this year. A decision in this regard is pending.

Asked what NTT has learnt from Sri Lanka Telecom, T. Sakagami, a Japanese director on the board beamed 'Sri Lankans enjoy life!'.

With all the mayhem in these difficult days, Sri Lankans have still not lost that smile. Suffering in every aspect, seems to have become an integral part of their lives. Sakagami is certainly entitled to his views. But with the continuing Telecom chaos, let it be our fervent hope that our 'enjoyment' doesn't end where SLT's inertia begins....

Valentines and Marriage proposals

by Cecil V. Wikramanayake
Today is Valentine’s Day. The day when in the temperate zones, it is Spring and a "young man’s fancy turns to love" . It takes this writer back to over a hundred years ago, when his paternal ancestor, whom we all called Grand-dada, had his fancy turn to love and he proposed to the woman who bore him eight brilliant sons and no daughters.

He remembers "Mamma-nay" as we little ones called our paternal grandmother, telling him the story of how she, a teacher at Hillwood Girls School Kandy, became the wife of Edward Beauchamp, a teacher at Trinity College, Kandy, way back in the closing years of the nineteenth century.

They were both of a religious frame of mind, were Rosalind Harriet and Edward Beauchamp. They both, like the other teachers of the two schools, attended Communion Service and Evensong at St. Paul’s Church, Kandy.

Edward Beauchamp was no singer. He was what is known as "tone-deaf", even though he had a certificate to say that he had obtained a distinction in "Theory of Music" at the Cambridge Senior examination.

The fact is he could not sing even the scales correctly. He sang in a dull monotone, though, in theory he knew that each note was different.

That was not the case with Rosalind Harriet. She had a lovely voice, a mezzo soprano, you could say, and even in her declining years, when she still sang at St. Paul’s Church, her dulcet tones would drown even the choir.

It was perhaps natural that a man who knew his theory of music, though tone deaf, should fall in love with the slim, tall, fair woman (she had Dutch blood in her veins, and spoke Portuguese as if it were her mother tongue) with such a lovely voice.

But in those days, decorum was the order of the day, and though the two teachers met before and after church service, it was always in company, and he would address her as "Miss Sumanasekera" and she would address him as "Mr. Wikramanayake".

But the old saying "Love laughs at locksmiths" was true, and one day the teacher of Trinity College found himself face to face with the teacher from Hillwood. And, wonder of wonders, they were alone. There was no one within earshot.

"Miss Sumanasekera," breathed Edward Beauchamp. "Rosalind, may I call you Rosalind ? There is something I have been wanting to ask you. May I speak ?"

Rosalind Harriet looked down her long, pointed nose and replied "Speak on, Mr. Wikramanayake."

"Rosalind," repeated the schoolmaster. "Will you share your life with me ?"

"Oh, Beauchamp " gasped the lissome damsel. "This is so sudden!"

Edward Beauchamp was never a man to show emotion. He "Harrumphed" and said "Will you give me your reply next Sunday?"

She promised to do so. Edward Beauchamp took his leave of her and went back to Trinity, walking on air all the way. For hadn’t she called him "Beauchamp"? No one had ever had the temerity to call him by that name. It was "Edward" and no other.

The following week the answer was in the affirmative, and after an announcement of the engagement, the marriage took place shortly after that. And, till the day she died in 1947, Rosalind Harriet always, but always, addressed her husband as Beauchamp, and nothing else.

Their second son, Charles Vivian, who was headmaster of Holy Trinity School, Nuwara Eliya, was, in the nineteen twenties, a frequent visitor at the home of Rev. A. S. Paynter, of the India Christian Mission. He was quite friendly with the missionary’s two sons Arnold and David, as well as with the rest of the family. Irene was a couple of years younger than Charles Vivian, and at these frequent meetings, no one guessed that there was anything between these two.

But my mother later told me that they had a "post-box" in the Park. A hole in a tree that was known only to the two of them.

The news was broken when one day the couple were missing. They had fled to Kalutara, where they were married by special licence with Dr. M. W. M. De Silva, a friend of dad’s in their Medical College days, and Proctor Aelian Ebert, a colleague at the Law College, signing as witnesses to the marriage.

After a honeymoon at the Bristol Hotel, Fort, Colombo, the couple returned to Nuwara Eliya to face the music. The music took the form of a Reconcilliation Service at the Holy Trinity Church.

The second son of the second son, when his turn came round to pop the question, was a stenographer in the Supreme Court, Colombo. He sat at his typewriter and hammered out a note to the light of his life. It went:"Darlung love, my hand us shakung far too much to hold a pen.

That us why the cold typewriter stammers oit the latest gen.Shortly and precisely, darlung, somethung’s birst unto my lufeYoi mist know aboit that somethung. Darlung wull yoi be my wufe?P. S. Please excuse the misprints, do not feel inclined to chide.Even on unfeeling keyboards, U and I are side by side."What the second son of the second son of the second son will do is still in the air. Derek, the guitar wizard is still "footloose and fancy free". And Gautham is only two years and two months old. He has a long time to wait !

Nirthanjali - Dances & Rhythms of Sri Lanka

The Chitrasena dance company, will perform "Nirthanjali" a fast moving presentation of rhythms and dances of Sri Lanka at the Bishops College auditorium on Sunday the 14th of February at 7 p.m. Upekha, the daughter of the two famed dancers of this country Vajira and Chitrasena will be the leading performer along with the versatile male dancer Ravibandhu. Upekha and Ravibandhu, with their colleagues from the theatre world have volunteered to organise this presentation in order to raise funds towards the development activities of Sahanaya, The National Council for Mental Health, which has long been involved in improving mental health amongst Sri Lankans. The Chitrasena Dance Company has long been associated with the cause of mental health, and has supported it on numerous occasions.

The National Council for Mental Health (Sahanaya) is a non governmental organisation established to work towards improving the mental health of people of this country. Since its' inception in 1983, Sahanaya has been engaged in promoting the 'community based care,' concept in caring for the mentally ill as well as uplifting of mental health in general in the society through mental health care programmes and advocacy. The mental health care programmes initiated at Sahanaya, are conducted by a group of voluntary and paid professionals. Information on various aspects of mental health and illness is made available to the public. Education, Training, Rehabilitation, and Clinical care, activities are undertaken at the centre. Outreach programmes as well as Research have also been initiated at the centre. Although mental health is as important as the physical well being of an individual, it has always been pushed into the background, and given very low priority, both in the community as well as in the state sector.

The development in the state mental health services have not been able to keep pace with the ever increasing and changing needs and expectations of its' people. An estimated one per cent of the total population suffer from serious mental illness and about 5-10 percent suffer from less serious disorders and problems.

Mental illness causes death, disability, mental pain as well as a range of other problems in the afflicted person. According to a recent publication, 'The Global burden of disease', depression occupies the fourth position in the ranking order. It is believed, that it would shoot up into the second position in the next decade. Both the World Bank and the World Health Organisation have emphasised the gravity of mental health problems. The economic cost to the individual, family and the community is staggering.

Sri Lanka is passing through a significant social, economic, political and cultural transition. These changes could affect the nature and the extent of the mental health problems within the country. Thus it is important to be aware of the situation and respond to these challenges in a creative and productive manner, in order to raise the quality of life of its' people. The limited resources that are available from the state for improving the services in the field of mental health are woefully inadequate. Thus the introduction of community based mental health programmes, the mobilisation of community resources for promoting mental health, the development of partnerships with state services and other agencies to promote mental health, is vital. These activities have been some of the major achievements of Sahanaya over the years. The activities of Sahanaya are financed largely by voluntary donations.

NDB and Rotary have a charity bash

Remember, just a year ago Zakir Hussain was here to help Rotary raise funds for Rotary Charities and celebrate independence with pomp. The National Development Bank as principal sponsor helped make it happen. This year the celebration takes a double feature with perhaps the greatest live exponent of North Indian Flute - Hari Prasad Chaurasia leading the act.

NDB is back as the lead sponsor this time with several others including Seylan Bank. Hari Prasad is no stranger to the followers of popular Indian Classical Music. Internationally renowned, he has won accolades from his fellow musicians of the calibre of Yehudi Menuin and Jean Pierre Rampal. As a musician he is a rare combination of an innovator and a traditionalist, expanding the expressive possibilities of classical north Indian flute. The success of Sisila, which is a platinum disk in India shows his extended range beyond classical music to Indian folk and popular music. The experimental album "Eternity" incorporated many western elements and the CD released by ECM where he collaborated with western artists John Mclaughin and Jan Garbarack has gained international popularity.

Zakir of course is no stranger to people in Colombo. He gave performances at the Wendt and at Taj Hotel last year. His charisma and stage performance added to his Paganiniesque virtuosity. Apparently with no more than ten fingers, he manages to raise a veritable orchestra of percussion sounds, each distinctive and all rushing together. When he gets going at top speed he seems to fit more perfectly controlled notes into the beat than is humanly possible. Equally amazing is the solidity and ease with which he dispatches the most intricate and varied rhythms.

A spokesman for the National Development Bank said that whilst they have now moved out of cultural sponsorships to more focus developing young minds programme which involves creating opportunities for IT education in schools, the bank has made an exception with independence celebrations. Further, the previous concert created such goodwill among some of the Bank's customers that they were only too delighted to help out in this event this year too.

A child prodigy, Zakir was already touring by the age of 12. He went to the United States in 1970, embarking on an international career, which included no fewer than 150 concert dates a year. He has composed and recorded many albums and soundtracks, and has received widespread recognition as a composer as evidenced by the numerous grants and awards he has received, including participation in the "Meet the Composer" programmes tuned by the Pew Memorial Trust.

Ustad Zakir Hussain is today appreciated, both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large, as international phenomenon. A classic table virtuoso of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his own country, India, but have gained him fame all over the world for his many accomplishments.

Pandit Chaurasia tours regularly in the US and Europe, acclaimed by fellow musicians in the calibre of Yehudi Menuhin and Jean Pierre Rampal. In 1986, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music he was awarded the National Award of the Sangeet Matak Academy. In 1990 the Maharastra Gaurav Puraskar was bestowed on Pandit Chaurasia. In 1992 for the first time in Indian history Pandit Chaurasia became the only flautist to be awarded the Padma Bhushan. He was again honoured in the same year as the only second recipient of the "Kobarak Samman" awarded by the Orissa State Government. In 1994, the Government of Uttar Pradesh bestowed 'the "Yash Bharati Sanman" on Pandit Chaurasia.

Rotary is the first worldwide service organisation for businessmen and professionals and was founded in 1905, in Chicago, USA. The Rotary Club of Colombo, founded in 1929 is the first such service organisation in Sri Lanka. The club with over 100 members has since its inception been involved in many projects and was the catalyst in the formation of voluntary organisations such as the Cancer Society, The Ceylon National Association for the prevention of Tuberculosis, The Sri Lanka Anti Narcotics Association (SLANA), Rehab Lanka to name a few.

For the second time in succession the club is staging a concert featuring world-renowned artists as its main annual fund raising event. The fund thus raised will go towards implementing the following projects envisaged for the year 1998/1999: 50 Rural Library Programme, 25 Houses for the poor, Development of the Blind School at Ratmalana Functional literacy - English for the Unemployed Youth, Youth Development-leadership camps, youth exchanges etc., University Curriculum Development-Dialogue between academics and the business community, Polio Immunisation Programme.

Maitri Sandhya with five Sri Lankan artistes

The Indian Cultural Centre will host a Maitri Sandhya (an evening of friendship) with five Sri Lankan artistes on 19th February at 6.30 p.m. The Maitri Sandhya is to be a regular feature of the ICC and this concert will be third in the series of such celebrations held since February 1998.

The evening will have a mix of classical Indian dance and music performed by five artistes well known in their respective fields. Ms. Chandrika Siriwardene (vocalist) renowned for her versatility as a vocalist, will begin the evening with a Bhajan and then go on to sing a Carnataca padam and a Ghazal. Ms. Siriwardene who is eminently qualified in both the Carnatic & Hindustani music traditions, has the unique ability to sing in four languages - Sinhala, Tamil, Hindi and English. She is a recognized A grade radio artiste in Classical singing and a Super Grade radio artiste in light music.

Mr. Anil Mihiripenne one of Sri Lanka's leading musicians will continue the evening with a recital on the flute. 'Trained at Shanthiniketan, he is a renowned flutist who has also specialised in Esraj in India. He is presently the director of Sharada Kala Nikethanaya which is affiliated to the Bathkande Sangeeth Vidya Pheet in Lucknow.

This will be followed by a kathak performance by Ms. Swarna Mihiripenne. Ms Mihiripenne a veteran in the field of Kathak, is the leading female dancer in the Mihiripenne Dance Ensemble. Her excellence as a dancer won her a gold medal from the Indira Kala Sangith University in Madhya Pradesh, from where she graduated in Kathak dance.

The next dance sequence will be a Manipuri performance by Ms. Jayawanthi Panibharata hailing from a family of renowned dancers and drummers. She has performed before audiences both foreign and local as part of her father, S. Panibharata's troupe. Ms Panibharata trained in the Manipuri dance tradition at Shanthiniketan and presently teaches dance at Kalalaya

The even being will end with a demonstration on Nava Rasa - the nine facial expressions based on the Kathakali dance tradition by Kalasoori Basil Mihiripenne. Having learnt dance at the Kerala Kala Mandalam under Padmanabhan Nair and Raman Kutty Nair, he has performed abroad in 16 countries. He is also well known for his mastery of Sri Lankan dance and drumming. Mr. Basil Mihiripenne is also the founder of the Mihiripenne Dance Ensemble.

The concert is open to all and will be held on Friday 19th February at 6.30 p.m. at the Indian Cultural Centre at 133, Bauddhaloka Mv., Colombo 4.

1
"Commentaries on Living II"

The British Council presents "Commentaries on Living 11" - a black and white photographic exhibition by Angelo de Mel from Thursday 18 to Saturday 20 February at the British Council hall from 9.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. daily.

Angelo de Mel was born in 1939, just at the onset of the second world war. He has vague recollections of those turbulent times, and can well remember the granting of Independence to Ceylon at Independence Square in 1948. Growing up in the fifties, he says, was very pleasant, as the country was then virtually a paradise compared to now. He acquired a love of nature and of people, and this is reflected in his photographic work which he began using a box camera, which in later life turned into a Leica and Nikon.

He became movie mad too at about this time and, teaming up with a group of schoolmates equally infested with the movie bug, in 1956 produced the first ever children's film in Sri Lanka. This film called 'Vanagata Kolla', and was premiered at the YMBA Hall in Borella. It was first shot in 8mm and later in 16mm with magnetic sound. The imports curb that soon followed put a stop to their movie efforts, and he returned to still photography and participated in photo exhibitions, both National and International. His photographs during this period were exhibited in Brazil, England and Finland.

The idea of presenting a philosophical idea through the medium of photography came naturally to him over the years, and he began striving in his photographs, as a reviewer of his work once put it, "to present a mundane visual experience in a philosophical light, thereby elevating the photograph to the realm of thought and feeling; a way of thinking with the camera". It was with this theme in mind that he presented his first solo exhibition in 1994, at the Alliance Francaise, Colombo which was entitled "Commentaries on Living", a title he borrowed, naturally enough, from Krishnamoorthy, the Indian philosopher. The late novelist James Gunawardane wrote in the Observer that "Angelo had an excellent insight into human attachments and conflicts", another said in the Dinamina, that the whole exhibition was a suitable theme for meditation. In 1995, he presented an exhibition on disabled children in homes entitled "we are also your children".

The present exhibition entitled "Commentaries on Living II" seeks to present the panorama of life from birth to death, with interpretations of the individual photographs drawn from various literary sources or from religious texts. All photographs are unposed and direct, and taken from life as it happens, freezing a moment of existence as it were, to comment on it. In this way he is closer to the great Cartier Brasson, who believed in the "decisive moment", than to the pictorial photographers such as Ansel Adamson and Edward Weston, all of whose photographs he greatly admires, and hopes one day, to "hold a candle to them".

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