The President's Dharmishta Sri Lanka
Why, in Heaven's name, must politicians invite ridicule on themselves by making public statements which the people know have no basis in fact? More especially at a time when, in a couple of weeks, the people will be called upon to decide whether the rag tag and bobtail of an Alliance which the President leads should be allowed to form administrations in the provinces where elections will be held.
We refer to the statement which the President is reported to have made recently at an election rally in Kundasale that it is under her government that a "truly dharmishta" society has dawned in the country. Obviously words have a different meaning for her than what they actually connote.
The President's observation that her government has ushered in a truly dharmishta society in this country is an insult to the intelligence of our people who know that the real situation is exactly the opposite of what it has been made out to be in her speech at Kundasale.
They know, from personal experience, that, as a recent "Island" editorial put it, today, "the nation has sunk to the lowest level of degeneracy in living memory". This is a far cry from a "dharmishta" society.
There is no dispute whatever that the J. R. Jayewardene period can rightly be called the "Satanic Years". That is precisely why the people elected her to office with a majority that defied all predictions. But does the President deny that unprecedented violence is stalking the land today? Is the Wayamba fiasco evidence of the "dharmishta" or righteous society she claims to have ushored in?
The President claims that her government has succeeded in "eliminating bribery and corruption to a great degree." Evidently she gives new definitions to words. It was just the other day that the "Island" spotlighted the fact that more than 4000 cases of bribery and corruption have piled up in the office of the "Permanent Commission to investigate allegations of Bribery or Corruption", because the government has effectively stalled the functioning of the commission. As a result, public morality is at its lowest ebb. People in high places are literally plundering the country and getting away shot free.
The fact that the President makes statements such as that we have today a Dharmishta society is proof of how far removed she is from the woes of the people.
Leave violent crime aside. A dharmishta society implies that at least, materially, our people are enabled to lead contented lives. What we see in the country today is quite a contrary picture. The vast majority of the people are reeling under a staggering cost of living, while the class to which the President and her cabinet colleagues belong have never had it so good. Frequent references to the Buddha and his Doctrine cannot cover up this naked fact.
Recently, while addressing the SAARC Council of Foreign Ministers in Nuwara Eliya, the President had said that "the lives of many of our people are guided by the teachings of South Asia's greatest son, Gauthama the Buddha". Our immediate response to that statement, which we consider is a perfect example of what is called, in polite language, a "terminological inexactitude", was to say "Tell us another one too".
What we wish to tell the President is, "Please, madam, awaken to the actual situation in the country. By invoking the name of the Buddha and making frequent reference to his Doctrine, you will not succeed in concealing the reality that the country is on the verge of a revolt. The situation is as bad as that. No one wants a return of the Satanic years".
R. M. B. Senanayake, Stanley Jayaweera, Leela Isaac, Chandra Mettananda, Shelton A. Wijesinghe, Dr. K. N. Wijewardena
Avadhi Lanka.
An Appreciation
Enid PereraHappiness depends on what one can give and not on what one can get. This mature saying is true even to date. The tragedy of human history is a story of decreasing happiness in the midst of increasing comforts. Enid's mission in life was to correct this misunderstanding and, spread the gospel of bliss among the many people who had the privilege of coming into contact with her. She found comfort in the humble things of life, and through them, she was able to calm the disturbed and console the disheartened.
Her early demise took many a person by surprise, but we all have to yield to the creator's decisions. She was taken away at a time when the future looked cheerless and the present oppressive. To her the past that was dead and buried gave her all the enlightenment, and her earlier encounterings acted as a source of inspiration, and provided her with all the strength to forge ahead, in serving the community round her.
To Enid, her entire life was a narration of love and affection. It acted as a beacon to guide her through the thickest of obscurities. The test of love to her was not what it demanded, but what it was prepared to do without. She was always ready to share her sorrows, joys and successes with others, as a sorrow shared she felt, was but half the trouble, but a joy that was shared was a joy made double
She would look time in the face without deception or fear. She associated each year as it passed, with new developments, duties accomplished, and work performed. She had a forewarning of her impending death. Though untimely, her creator gave her sufficient time to fashion her life in a manner that she would have wished to have lived, when she was sinking towards death. Today, the question is not how she died, but how she lived
She was a charitable worker, and her involvements in such activities were numerous. She believed that an ounce of hard work was worth more than many pounds of words. She was ever ready to stretch her hand of friendship not only to her near and dear, but to all those who needed her help. From her very early days, she had acquired that meritorious personality to break away from all obstacles fixed on human identities. She treated all in the same manner, and to her it was all a happy family. Although she was planted in Colombo, her eyes surveyed all the trouble spots in the country. Her involvements in social activities dotted the entire country.
She always acted with a clean heart, and happiness followed her like a shadow that never left her. Her ministrations to humanity brought her all the earthly comforts. She firmly believed that half the misery of human life could be extinguished by collective acceptance of forgiveness, kindness, and humanity. Born to a conservative family, she had acquired the art of giving without hesitation. She was taught to lose without regret, and to acquire without meanness. She considered all mistakes lessons of wisdom. All these human qualities were securely established in her from her childhood.
Enid's early demise has created an emptiness that will take a long time to replenish. Her temporal body was consigned to the flames a few days ago, but her depiction as a treasured wife to Ernie, a cherished mother to Shannes, Tushie, Gnayantara, a loveable mother-in-law to Romesh, Roshan, a very precious grandmother to Nelakshan, Avijja, Ranishka, Isharya, and Menandra, and above all an unwavering friend to the wide circle of people she befriended during her various sojourns, will continue to abide very much in their hearts as a surviving being.
Enid was a tower of strength to Ernie during the most difficult days whilst in the Police force. The path she decided to take to reach the majestic heights of family happiness, was not always easily comprehensible, but she had that enchanting way of reaching those goals in the most appropriate manner, without maligning the feelings of others.
Ernie has lost a wonderful wife, the children a precious mother, the grand-children a very concerned grand-mother, and her vast assembly of friends, a faithful companion. The Almighty who gave her to this world had a plan for her, and let us all fall in line with his design for her. May her soul rest in peace.
M. F
Ven. Soma Thero and Buddhism
Much has been published in the print media, for and against the above named Monk's views on Buddhist Philosophy.
The Ven Thero is correct in that there is no worship, and no Gods according to the Philosophy, since Buddhism is plain atheism. Having read books on Buddhism by the late Ven. Narada and Ven. Piyadassi it is quite clear even to a non Buddhist that 99% of what is practised as Buddhism is wrong and alien to the philosophy. Even the lifestyles and activities of the monks is un-Buddhistic. Since there is no worship as such according to Buddhism, worship of relics, statues, monks, parents etc. is wrong. Buddhist places of worship, including the Maligawa is contrary to Buddhist Philosophy, Sri Pada included. Peraheras and Pinkamas should be conducted, if necessary, without beating of drums, since the main component of a drum is cowhide, and since much agitation is being carried out, urging the state to ban cattle slaughter, in view of Sri Lanka being a Buddhist country, the hide of a dead cow being thrashed at temple rituals, peraheras and pinkamas, is not considered a sin.
Before Buddhism is restored to what it was 2500 years ago, the monks must first be converted to Buddhism.
R. Buddhadasa
Housing humbug
The CDN of March 22 has a strangely worded advertisement by the National Housing Development Authority inviting applications for the purchase of 37 building blocks in Kataragama and Wariyapola.
What seems strange, or even hum-bug, are the first two clauses governing eligibility of the applicants. The first says that the applicant should be a permanent resident in the relevant district or within 30 miles from the land. The clause following reads; "Applicants should be permanent residents in Gampaha District and who does (sic) not own a house or land to build a house within the district or 30 miles from the land".
What has living in Gampaha have to do with applying for land in Kataragama or Wariyapola?
The NHDA boasts that it is "the ultimate name in reliability in housing". Drafting advertisements, however, seems a closed book to them unless the mention of applicants from the Gampaha District was a latent factor and not meant for public consumption considering that applications can be obtained upto March 30 and the eligibility of applicants are to be assessed through an interview.
Nalin Fernando
Wariyapola.
Do Sri-Lankans show-off ?
A little Bangladeshi boy was shown on T.V, during the recent Test Match in Dacca and unprecociously said that he does not like the Sri-Lanka team because they show-off. Even if as I suspect, this little chap was put up to it, this yet remains a stunning perception that should make us all sad.
It used to be said, in the days goneby, that this business of showing-off was a Royal-Thomian monopoly. Quite rightly this was then scorned by institutions nurtured in rich Eastern Philosophy. The pendulum has now swung but the ego-centrism yet remains, that is if the Bangladeshi boy is right.
What bothers me is whether this is confined to the cricket team or whether this is a middle class aberration or yet still a national malady. Anybody?
Sidat Sri Nandalachona
The sting of the multi-national mosquito
I was amused to notice large advertisements published by a well known multi-national company on the merits of a mosquito repelling Mat.
One would not fault a marketer for such ads had it not compared the benefits of the Mat against the coil (the more popular and affordable repellent), especially when the same manufacturer has been marketing coils over the past decade, at least. How it suddenly awoke to the hazards of the use of the coil is amazing, coming from a so called professional organization.
Perhaps the mosquito coil price war has compelled this manufacturer to take more drastic steps. Unfortunately, in the process, it appears to have forgotten the numerous occasions when it hoisted the benefits of its own coil on the public.
Isn't this a classic case of having pulled the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting consumer for so long? What a sting:
R. Silva
Five star media democracy
I happened to watch the much publicised "Jana Mandali" programme of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation on March 6, 1999. The time was at about 11.30 AM and the person who was being interviewed was Mr. Samaraweera Weerawanni - a Deputy Minister of the PA Government.
With lot of difficulty I managed to get connected to the telephone number 501610 and a person wanted me to pose the question to him first. At this stage I inquired from him whether the corporation was filtering the questions and the answer was a very specific "YES". Then I inquired from that person, who did not want to identify himself, as to whether this is what is referred to as democracy. The reply again from the person was, "Either you pose the question to me or otherwise nothing more can be done". At this stage I told that person to get examples from TV stations such as "Swarnavahini", "TNL" and "Sirasa", when they conduct such programmes, and hung up. The entire conversation related above was done in Sinhala.
Madam President, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera and Mr. Dew Gunasekara, what have you got to say about such low level actions of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation? Is this media freedom you claim to have given us or is this the Freedom of The Wild Asses?
- A citizen of a country which "claims" to have a "5 STAR Democracy".
Rev. Brother Gregory Bernard F.S.C.
The brand new college bus came to a halt near our parish church and out stepped Brother Gregory Bernard flashing a broad smile "Good morning Brother," we all shouted in a chorus. "Good morning boys," he replied cheerfully, " I have some good news for you. From today you need not walk to school or go in that rickety old van; only last week you had an accident. Don't worry. This college bus will be here early in the morning. It will take you to the college and bring you back in the evening. I will be your guardian angel". The thunderous applause of the students echoed around the parish church.
We had already acquainted ourselves with the benign Brother Gregory in St. Xavier's College, Mannar, where he was greatly admired for his genuine kindness and graciousness. He was the tender-hearted infirmarian, the generous procurator and the responsible caretaker of the Brothers' residence and the hostel. We from the village, Vankalai, began to love him dearly, because he was polite, punctual, regular and made sure that each of us was comfortably seated in the college bus. He endeared himself to all of us with his extra-ordinary fraternal care and loving attention. His oft-repeated fatherly query, "Did you have your meals today?" brought tears to our eyes.
Before he came to the island of martyrs, Mannar, he had already served zealously at St. Bede's College, Badulla, where he had a number of prominent old boys. Then after working for a couple of years in Mannar, he rendered his yeoman services at. St. Mary's College Chilaw and St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. Completing a short stint at St. Joseph's Novitiate, Mangalagiri, Tuticorin, South India, where he struck a wonderful friendship with the late Dr. Ben-Motha and the late Mr. Joe Roche, he was transferred to Mannar again where he spent twenty long years, serving the poor and needy. At the height of ethnic conflict, he was forced to seek refuge at the Provincialate, Mutwal.
In Mannar he was helpful to all. His compassion and magnanimity won him innumerable friends. He helped the poor financially whenever they approached him. He educated their children, even sending them to the university. He had a soft corner for the sick and visited them regularly, both in the hospital and in their homes. He brought them medicines and other requirements. The apostolate very close to his heart was distributing Holy Communion to the bedridden and praying over the dying. He made his rounds on a scooter and kept himself busy throughout the day.
The never-ending security-checks, threats, shellings and the deprivation of the basic necessities of life, forced him to retire to Mutwal. In seclusion and silence, he spent the evening of his life praying and contemplating the scenic beauty of the Provincialate and its placid surroundings. He taught English to all who befriended him, especially to our cook's children who are very grateful to him.
He was a fine correspondent and answered letters very promptly. He kept a note of the birthdays of all the Brothers and friends and made it a point to send cards to them on time. Being a lovable character, out going and people-oriented, he had friends all over the world who were delighted to correspond with him regularly.
He was rather short; only five feet tall, but was taller than most of us in his spirituality, kindness, compassion and graciousness. His relationship with the Brothers and others was truly admirable. Above all, he was a Lasallian 'par excellence', who loved his vocation profoundly and was very proud to be a La Salle Brother.
"May the Lord grant him Eternal Rest"
- Brother Baptist Croos F.S.C.