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People and Events
The Kandy perahera - pluses and minuses

by Nan
Excellent spectacle! Very beautiful! Impressive! Marvellous show! These comments were coupled with - Too long. Rather monotonous. We had to sit for hours.

These were opinions expressed by a group of visiting persons from the SAARC region who visited Kandy and viewed the Perahera from a vantage point. They were unanimous in their exclamations of wonder and unanimous in their criticism that the procession was too long and had too much sameness in it. The latter was excused when it was pointed out that the dancing and drumming were as far as possible pure upcountry and that no low country dance forms and drumming were allowed, hence the repetition of the pantheru dancers, those with brass circlets and the same range of drummers in each of the three sections’ the Kataragama Devale procession being distinctly different. This justification was graciously accepted, but yet again the visitors felt the Maligawa Perahera need not have had so many flag bearers and such a vast number of dancers and drummers paying obeisance to the casket bearing tusker and then in equal measure to the Diyawadana Nilame.

Incomparable procession

Impressions of a Kandy person who’s seen the Perahera fifty years ago and then all through the intervening years with gaps of five to ten years, was similar to the opinions aired by the foreigners. Of course in her case there was national pride and more specially regional pride, being a Kandy born and bred person, proud of her lineage. She felt the traditions were intact, the procession spectacular and very orderly and very neat, but too long. It is difficult to keep away infiltrating influences and a show of oneness with other national traditions and styles. Yet the Esala Perahera in Kandy retains its unique Kandyaness and has blocked entry to other styles of dancing, drumming and showmanship.

This is why I never see any of the other peraheras. I once watched the Gangarama Navam Perahera and said I would not repeat the experience.

Money madness creeps in

I remember the whip lashers being the heralders, harbingers, preceders of the Maligawa procession and thus of the entire Perahera. They still are. As kids we’d strain necks and eyes to catch the first appearance of the men who cracked their whips producing crisp explosions of sound. This time there was a difference down on the road. The whip lashers were constantly bending forwards and gathering something. I wondered whether they attached end objects to their whips when I realized they were busy collecting coins thrown to them. Both throwers and collectors spoilt the show. It gave the impression that money collecting was the main concern of the parading men and whip lashing of secondary importance. Thus each time the leader blew his whistle to start the lashes, a couple of men were still busy picking up coins.

One cannot, I suppose, ban coin throwing since it will continue to be done. The solution to the spoiling of the very beginning of the procession and conveying wrong impressions would be to have two or four boys discreetly moving along with the whip lashers, collecting the coins and then dividing the spoils among all equally.

Another noticeable smudge. The entire dignified procession was led by a non-normal person. A dwarfed man it was that led the whip lashers and thus the entire Perahera. He may be the oldest of the lot, the most experienced or even the proprietor of the performance with whips, but he should not lead the procession. If he must be in, it should be in a middle-of-the-line position. The Perahera is no occasion for the display of abnormalities. Its dignity and grandeur must be retained.

The fire circlers were spectacular and went through their pace with skill and an air of nonchalance. Even the stilt walkers who high up on their slender stilts juggled with fire circles looked easy on the job. They were marvellous and to think they’d be walking perched 10 or more feet above ground level for two hours and four miles!

The carts preceding each procession were incongruous, to say the least, but how else carry the copra needed by the torch bearers? Even if this chore could be performed more decorously by say men hefting gunny sacks of the stuff and walking alongside the procession on the sides, the announcing of which procession it was that followed would not be possible. Each cart carries the name of the devale that follows.

Missed by me who’d last seen the Perahera seven years ago was the very strikingly handsome and dignified ‘keeper’ of the Kataragama Devale in his traditional red or crease shervani suit with the red sash. Now it is the Sinhalese nilames who follow the casket bearing elephant. There are the Tamil helpers that follow but no longer the Hindu head of the devale.

Advertising should be banned

The clothes on the elephants were all sparkling gorgeous and new. No tatty caparisioned creatures as there used to be in days gone by; neither ill clad persons on their backs. Costumes were all neat. Even the torch bearers were dressed alike and the clothes clean and well pressed. But I wish the donors of elephants’ clothes could have been dissuaded from proclaiming their donations by emblazoning names and addresses of persons and shops right across the entire side of the elephants’ covering. That was odious advertising. Maybe the persons in charge of the Perahera should, with due notice, have the lettering unpicked and removed. One has to remember this is a religious and cultural festivity with no Mardi Gras gaiety in it. If sponsorship or donation comes with the corollary of advertisement or announcing, then the Maligawa should refuse such benefaction. It is rich enough to provide for its procession, or will easily have magnanimous donors who do not wish to proclaim their magnanimity.

Born-to-the-business dancers and drummers were augmented by, I am sure, school boys to carry flags, dance and drum. I suppose that is alright since the standard of drumming and dancing was fine, and it is better to see handsome young faces and bodies with a sprinkling of the aged gurunanses. Are the boys from schools of dancing or from the vidyalayas and colleges in and around Kandy? Such numbers as present could not be solely from villages and families that render this service to the Maligawa. They had to be schoolboys coopted for the job by their dancing/drumming teachers, probably.

No getting away from threats

The tail end of the procession after the Randoli, was incongruous, to put it mildly, but necessary one supposes. Police persons leading dogs came just behind the palanquins and behind them was a huge vehicle with the words Dog Kennel emblazoned across the two sides. It brought the viewer sharply back and down to strife torn, war affected reality. History, tradition, culture, veneration, custom, artistry and national pride were overcast by this display of police strength and overshadowed by fear, danger, unrest, unease and disumity.

The efficiency and humaneness of the Red Cross and other aid giving recruits was very noticeable. Parading and more so chanting, dancing and drumming seemed to be thirst inducing activities. The young girls and boys with their cans of water were constantly on call.

The efficiency of the Police has to be commended. There surely would have been suicide bombers sneaking around and trying to infiltrate, more so on the last night when it was rumoured that HE the President was at the Queens with Her Royal Highness the visiting Thai Princess. It seemed an almost impossible task to frisk every person that came to see the Perahera and search their bags. But it was done and safety assured.

Chandra Weerawardena — the daring photo-journalist

by Kirthie Abeysekera
The fourth death anniversary of photo-journalist, Chandra Weerawardena (today, Sept. 5), seems opportune to relate some untold stories of my reporting days of yore with a competent cameraman who was also a devoted friend.

In the hectic and adventurous life of that era, the ‘60s and ‘70s, Chandra was my partner in crime investigative reporting. He accompanied me on many hazardous assignments. Over the years, we developed a personal friendship that contributed greatly towards the performance of our professional duties. Together, we covered some of the major crimes of the day, such as the CWE gang-robbery, the Kirambakanda boy-murder case, better known as the Pauline de Croos case, and the Kalattawa case.

Chandra was the ideal cameraman. He was as quick to shoot his camera as I was at firing my questions. Fearless in action, he ‘shot’ Alfred de Zoysa, the villain of Kalattawa at the Anuradhapura courts at point-blank range, so to say. De Zoysa kicked the camera into smithereens, but Chandra had the picture. Despite death threats, Chandra and I scoured the Kalattawa jungle where ‘Kele Mahattaya’ - Lord of the Jungle - reigned supreme. We trudged for miles in de Zoysa domain to meet the wife of de Zoysa henchman (henchaiya) Kalu Albert still evading arrest on a nation-wide warrant.

When Kalu Albert was eventually arrested in the Kotte residence of a de Zoysa kinsman, I was tipped-off that he was to be taken to Anuradhapura by train. Chandra was not available that day, and another cameraman (whose name I withhold), was assigned for the job. Kalu Albert was brought in chains to the Fort railway station. I was kicking my heels for the substitute cameraman to arrive. He showed up 15 minutes late. The train, with Kalu Albert on board, was probably at Ragama by then, and we missed the picture of the year - a picture that would have told the story I had to relate in a thousand words.

Acting on another tip-off, Chandra and I were the only journalists at hand when de Zoysa victim, P. K. D. Perera’s skeletal remains were unearthed at Kalattawa where Anuradhapura magistrate, Parinda Ranasinghe, later, Chief Justice, held open court. From there, we made an unscheduled detour to Trincomalee to meet Kamala, wife of Julius Sandrasagara whose disappearance triggered off the biggest manhunt and police probe in Criminal Investigation Department history.

We had been on the road for 24 hours before returning to keep our Monday morning deadline, surviving solely on bread and ‘halmesso hodda’ at a Habarana ‘re-kade’. On another occasion we ate at the Polonnaruwa rest house where the Queen of England had dined.

Chandra was easy to get on with-game for anything, as they say. He was ever ready for any assignment, the riskier, the better. He and I had lots of fun on our outstation trips. But we never drank on the job-only after it was done. That was one of our self-imposed disciplines. We followed the Denzil Peiris dictum: "I don’t care what you fellows do, as long as you bring me the stories." And, we did bring the stories for Page One which Denzil always kept open for us.

We have shared toddy off a palmyrah leaf at Kankesanturai and under the bridge at Thotalanga. We were equally at ease, sipping whisky and soda at the Tissa Wewa rest-house in the distinguished company of de Zoysa defender, the doughty G. G. Ponnambalam Snr., a good drinker who could not however, match his wits with pint-size prosecutor, Daya Perera, the teetotaller.

Driven at ‘bella kedena’ speed, in the words of Lake House driver, Jayatissa, we trailed hot on the heels of police cars, to the jungles in the deep south, looking for CWE gang-robbery hidden loot-top sleuth, I. T. Canagaratnam, heading the CID chase. A later, DIG, he kept us briefed on police movements. We were once airlifted by helicopter over the Kalpitiya islands in a police hunt for child slaves - Police Supdt. Dumbo Jayatilleke, then the police-media relations man, at the helm.

Chandra and I were the first journalists to report from the line of action in the 1971 Youth Insurrection. He and I shared the honours of a record, eight consecutive, Page One, by-lined lead stories. Philip Coorey, then ‘Observer’ editor, writing in the 150th ‘Observer’ anniversary supplement, October 3, 1984, said "Kirthie Abeysekera’s reports were superbly illustrated by Chandra’s photographs, and both would have won prizes anywhere in the world."

Katchativu, re-christened ‘Kakkativu’ by the imaginative Chandra, was a hilarious, though nauseating experience. That’s the time ‘Dinamina’ cameraman, Raja Perera jumped off the boat into the sea, but quickly regained sobriety when hauled back to safety.

Chandra was the ideal cameraman for me, the crime reporter. Ever alert and swift of foot, his camera was always ready for the take. We both loved action and adventure. Food, sleep and rest were inconsequential in the search for scoops for which we were amply rewarded by ‘then’ Lake House.

Chandra was a delightful story-teller with an abundant sense of humour that helped ease some trying situations we’ve been in. These attributes contributed greatly to whatever professional success we were able to achieve. An added reason was the family friendship which led to a better understanding between us. His wife, Chandralatha and their adorable daughter, Suchinta, have often been to our Kiribathgoda home, and we’ve visited them in Pannipitiya. We’ve shared many meals.

On my sojourns in the Homeland, since leaving for Canada in 1975, I always spent lots of time with Chandra, recalling memories of old times. He continued to be my ‘unofficial’ cameraman.

He was among the many journalism colleagues who attended the Colombo launch of my memoirs, "Among My Souvenirs." He and Rienzie Wijeratne took the ‘official’ pictures. The book has many references to Chandra, "my constant companion." On that 1990 visit, Chandra accompanied me to ‘Braemar,’ the home of J. R. Jayewardene to whom I presented a copy of my book. During an exhilarating 90-minute chat with the former President, Chandra took enough pictures to fill an album.

On that same Sri Lankan visit, he brought his renowned photographer-father, B. P. Weerawardena, to see me. The father had expressed a desire to meet the reporter with whom his son had worked so closely. It was my first meeting with the octogenarian who survived his son, but passed away later.

I had taken Chandra a shirt from Canada. Instead, he asked for a shirt I had worn, so he could feel the warmth of my body. In the Sinhala in which it was said, it was a beautiful thought emotional and sentimental.

On my last visit home in 1996, there was no Chandra with his warm, welcome embrace. He had died in harness four months earlier, at the peak of his career as pictures editor of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. He was only 55.

Chandra will always be remembered by me as one who played a significant role in my career as a reporter, in days that don’t seem to be the same anymore in today’s troubled homeland.

Gullible’s Travails
I run into a pack of monkeys

by Cecil V. Wikramanayake
After a wayside lunch, once again my favourite Wall’s sausages and bread, washed down with a cuppa tea from a boutique close by, I set off once more in the direction of Pottuvil.

At the boutique, I had been warned by the people there, who, no doubt, had my welfare at heart, that it would not be advisable to travel at that time of the day.

This was elephant country, they said, referring to the animal as "Maha Eka". It would be better to stay the night at Moneragala and ride on during the day.

Had I been older, perhaps, I might have heeded that advice. But when just twenty two, you do not take advice, not even from your parents. So I rode on.

A few miles from Moneragala, the road began to climb, gently, and this was no exertion for a young man who was as fit as could be.

At the end of the gradual ascent, was a downward slope, and the young rider took advantage of it, to coast down, free-wheeling, and singing as he went. It was so exhilarating that I took my harmonica from my shirt pocket and played as I coasted downhill.

Rounding a bend in the road, at quite a good speed, I ran full pelt into a pack of languor monkeys (Wanduras), sitting in the middle of the road and enjoying the carefree life of the monkey-kind.

Before I could brake to avoid them, I was in their midst, and the next thing I knew was that the cycle and I were both on the ground. Monkeys were scattering this way and that, while one of them was on my back, biting at my shoulder and ripping pieces off my shirt.

In desperation, I blew a few loud blasts on the harmonica. This was such a shock to him that the monkey on my back jumped off and bolted into the jungle.. I was alone, bruised, shaken up, bitten and scratched, but still intact . I examined the bike. It too was intact, except that the handlebar was a little awry. That was soon remedied and I was on my way again.

A short while later I rode into what appeared to be about ten huts built by the roadside.. I stopped at the first one, where an elderly man and his wife were seated on the verandah, and asked them for a glass of water. I really needed it after my encounter with the monkeys.

As I drank, I told the couple what had happened.

"You are lucky, mahatmaya" said the woman. "If you had run into the ‘maha eka’ you would not be here now. "

The man advised me to spend the night there with them, because evening was the time the elephants came on to the road from the jungle.

Without waiting for me to decide what to do, he went into the house and brought out a camp-cot, which he placed in the verandah.

"You can put your cycle inside and rest here" he said. No invitation was more welcome, for apart from the tiredness, I was also trembling from the encounter of a few minutes ago.

The man hefted the cycle as if it were a toy and took it inside the wattle and daub house. I heard him telling his wife to prepare dinner for the guest, and then the man went out, probably to visit a neighbour.

Lying down on the camp-cot, I dozed off. When I was woken by the man’s wife, with an invitation to partake of their humble fare, it was dark. The woman had a plate of rice and curry for me, together with the customary glass of water.

The meat curry was delicious. "What is this meat ? " I asked her.

"Gas-gona" she said. In reply to my question whether there were plenty of ‘gas-gonas’ in the neighbourhood, she laughed and indicated that there was enough and to spare.

I told her ‘gas-gona’ was delicious, and she laughed again.

"You can have some more tomorrow morning, when I bake hoppers" she said.

And, like she said, the following morning there was more ‘gas-gona’ with the hoppers she was preparing, over a fire which had only dried coconut leaves under the pan, while the chatty containing fire which she placed over the pan was full of "pol-lelly", or coconut husks. The hoppers themselves were delicious and the ‘gas-gona’ curry, the same that had been made the previous night, was even more delicious than when I tasted it the previous night.

After a superb breakfast, before getting ready to start off, I complemented mine hosts on their repasts, and asked if they could show me some gas-gonas, if, as they said, they abounded in the area.

The man took me through the little house to the rear, or ‘pilikanne’ as they call it.

"There they are, " he said.

I looked through the undergrowth, and saw nothing.

"No, no, mahatmaya. There, there" said the man, pointing with his finger. He was pointing upwards.

There on the trees above us were plenty of languor monkeys, the kind I had run into the previous day.

And all the while I was eating that curry I had been under the impression that ‘gas-gona’ was some kind of deer !

I have eaten ‘gas-gona’ on several occasions in later years. It has always been, for me, the tastiest of all the fresh I have eaten. Mine host told me that there was only one flesh that was tastier.

"What is that ?" I asked him.

"He laughed loud and long and then spat out "Mini-mas".

I did not dare to ask him whether he had tasted that too. That would have been rudeness in the extreme. Perhaps he had. Perhaps not.

It was now around nine or ten, and after thanking mine host and his wife for their kindness and hospitality, I rode on, pausing at Lahugala, for another round of Wall’s and bread and some ‘elephant watching’ — a herd of about twenty were busy some distance away, uprooting tall grass, brushing the earth from it and shoving the grass into their cavernous mouths. It was fascinating to watch them, and I almost forgot the purpose of my being on the cycle.

Next: Komari and coconut offerings for a safe journey

Bakeer Markar — the soul I knew

by Siri A. Perera
Circa January 1966. I had just taken oaths as a Proctor (as the Branch of the Profession I was attached to was then called) and came to practice in the Courts of Kalutara. I was also a card carrying Communist. For the record I must say I still am one but sans the card. Bakeer Markar was a senior Proctor and a Member of Parliament. I was a little skeptic and wary with UNPers and kept my distance from them. But I could not do that for long. He broke the ice.

It was a time when the norm was juniors were only seen and not heard in Courts!

One day I was struggling in my cross-examination of a witness and was non-plussed at the way things were going. Bakeer came to my rescue. He whispered to me certain do’s and don’t do’s. From that day I came to look up to him as a friend.

As a senior, he was always helpful to the juniors. His professional conduct was exemplary and impeccable, and he added luster to its rank. He preserved the dignity and decorum of our courts. He was endowed with a warm and genial personality maintaining at all times the highest standard of ethical conduct.

Bakeer had his early education at Maradana Muslim Girls’ school in Beruwela. He later joined St. Sebastian School in Hulftdorp. I do not know whether it is the same school, which you could find behind the Attorney General’s Office. If so Bakeer’s Alma Mater is unique. This school is the only one of its kind in the whole world! It is called ‘St. Joseph’s Muslim Balika Vidyalaya!, Thereafter he joined Zahira at the feet of one of the foremost educationists Sri Lanka ever had, Dr. T. B. Jayah.

As a lawyer Bakeer was a friend of the client. He took great pains to study the brief and chided us about our then haphazard ways. He came to Courts then in an old Vauxhall Wyvern. He used to pickup a complement of passengers in his car on the way from Beruwela to Kalutara, and drop them just outside his office every morning. Some of them were litigants who had retained other lawyers. He never did mind. "After all" he used to say when I pointed this out to him "they must be having their own reasons" and "if I am in the habit of giving lifts to my own clients that would be unprofessional", he would add. Whenever there were children he will stop at Monis Bakery and buy some sweet meats for them. It was the same thinking in terms of politics. When the Muslim Congress was formed I told him that it was a good idea that a minority community has banded themselves together to safeguard their rights. Then he asked me if it were so what would be the outcome if all the Muslims in the UNP, SLFP and other parties leave the fold and join hands on a communal basis?

He never thought in a narrow sense about the fellow beings or on any other matter. But he was mindful of the role and the boundaries with which he has to cope up with. When I suggested to him that he should stand for election as the President of the Kalutara Bar Association he was a little diffident. No Muslim had ever been the President in a Pan Sinhalese body of professionals. But he was elected unopposed. He did justice to the position he held from the very beginning of his stewardship. It was the ceremonial opening of the Assizes Court in Kalutara. Dr. Colvin R. De Silva, the then Minister of Constitutional Affairs represented the Government. On behalf of the Unofficial Bar, Bakeer made an observation and ended by reciting the Pali Stanza holy to all Buddhists:

"Sabba pa passe akaranan,
Kusalassa upasampada,
Sachitta pario dasanam,
Etam Buddhanu sasanam!"

There was pin drop silence in the Hall of Justice and everyone thereafter converged on Bakeer to congratulate him on his intervention and I inquired whether he had been in a Buddhist temple in his youth! He told me he had a sleepless night preparing this lest he might not do justice to the post he held as the Leader of the Bar. Bakeer as the President of the Kalutara Bar Association, served the Bar to the best of his ability. He was a fighter par excellence. He was courteous to the Bench and to his colleagues at the bar. He fought for the cause of his clients without fear or favour. He earned the affection, esteem and lasting admiration of the bar of which he was a leader.

Bakeer’s political career commenced at Maradana, his place of birth, with his entry into the Beruwala Urban Council as a member in 1949, and thereafter he became the Chairman of the Urban Council. In 1960 March he first entered parliament as the member for Beruwala, and again in 1965 he was elected as M. P. In 1977 once again he was elected to Parliament and became the Deputy Speaker and thereafter was elected as Speaker in 1978. He resigned his post as speaker in 1983, and was appointed as Minister without Portfolio. In 1988, he retired from politics paving the way for his son Imthiyas Bakeer Markar to take his place in politics of Beruwala.

Imthiyas Bakeer Markar is an Attorney-at-Law who had been State Minister and presently a Member of Parliament from Kalutara District. Bakeer was later appointed as the Governor of the Southern Province, which position he held finally.

Bakeer was never "swollen headed". He could walk with kings and yet not lose the common touch. Nor did he "put parts" as a Government MP. Soon after the ’77 elections he came to courts and sat in his usual chair. Another senior lawyer who had lost his seat was also present in Courts. Bakeer on seeing the defeated candidate and colleague walked up to and sat by him and chatted for a long time. After the duo finished the conversation I had the occasion to speak to Bakeer. I told him it was a wonderful gesture on his part for I had never seen the other talking to Bakeer for the entire duration of the previous Parliament in Courts. Bakeer smiled and whacked me on the back of my chest and said victory and defeat are imposters and he is never rattled by them.

He was also a deeply religious and a devout Muslim. He had been the trustee of the Mosque and the Chairman of the Jamath Council. He was also appointed as Mukaddamushazuli by Dr. Sheik al Fassy, the spiritual leader of the Shazuliya order in the world, to propagate the Shazuliya order in this country. He attributed all his success to the Grace of God and the unfolding of his plans, and not to his personal merit. Bakeer lived the better part of his life along the road taken by Arabs when they first set foot in our Island. The first Mosque was also built here and Bakeer was a dominant figure vis a vis in its later day development and progress.

Just after the General Elections of 1977 there was general mayhem all over the island. In Beruwela Bakeer had won handsomely. The SLFP candidate came a poor second. (Later he crossed over to the UNP). There was another candidate, a Muslim from Beruwela who bagged quite a number of votes. Everybody thought he would be the Second MP but lost to their dismay. The day after victory this candidate’s brother’s mansion was torched ostensibly by supporters of the UNP. I moved in the matter and the suspects arrested and subsequently remanded to fiscal’s custody. Amongst the suspects were some who worked closely with Bakeer. This case was committed to the High Court and after a protracted trial all accused were acquitted. I was wondering how Bakeer could rub shoulders with such people or whether it was done with his blessing. He confided with me that he had nothing to do with the incident and distanced himself with the lot. True enough.

Because of his attitude toward this gang its leader became Bakeer’s bitter political foe in the years to come and until his dying day. He had a running battle with the mighty and economically powerful of Beruwela. I had the good fortune of appearing in a number of cases espousing Bakeer’s cause on matters relating to the welfare of the public successfully. But Bakeer was never able to implement some of them as the long arm of the law never sided with Bakeer and opted to serve the financial tycoons.

Someone suggested to Bakeer that he should transfer the officers who were obstructing. But he was never vindictive and the officer stayed put. When Bakeer was Chairman, the then Minister of Local Government removed him from office. He filed action to vindicate his tenure but was unsuccessful. Yet there was nothing against him involving his moral turpitude as he was above par. During this period he was living in a rented house. On an application made to the Minister of Housing PBG.K vested the house with him. Bakeer breathed his last in this house. Bakeer was one successful politician, who could have shouted himself hoarse truthfully any time any day "Silver or Gold have I none". It was an irony of fate that Mr. Hanaffi, a leading civil lawyer from Kalutara was appointed as Administrator of the Beruwela Urban Council after the removal of Bakeer from the Chair. The task of delivering a reference on Bakeer at his demise fell on Hanaffi also hailing from Maradana Beruwela as the President of the Kalutara Bar Association who is also the current Chairman of Wakf Board. In the presence of a large gathering of lawyers presided over by the District Judge and other judges, Hanaffi concluded thus:

"When we bid farewell to Markar, I think it’s all the more relevant to refer to a part of his farewell speech to parliament. Mr. Markar said "Leave takings are always sad; rendered all the sadder and more poignant by their very inevitability. When parting is final, when never more would congenial souls foregather to savour the passing moment; its sadness transcends the power of words to describe. So feel I now at the thought that these hallowed precincts will no more be home to me and that those with whom my life has been so inextricably linked for more than a dozen years will from today cease to be that companionship of noble minds"... "We Muslims extend our hand in friendship to all communities whom we regard as being of one nation, so that together we can march forward towards that one divine event to which the whole creation moves".

Markar’s life may be epitomized in the moving words of Mark Anthony in Julius Caesar, "His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world, "This was a Man"

May the Most Gracious and Most Merciful Allah grant him the best abode in the highest heaven Jennathul Firdous. Amin"

This tribute from a rival sums up the man whose soul I knew.

Fiddling around while ships sink off our coast

by Niresh Eliatamby in Hambantota
The sunken ship off Hambantota spewed oil and its fertilizer cargo, damaging fisheries and the beach. The matter raised disturbing questions of the irresponsible behaviour of almost all the state and private agencies involved. Fortunately, the pollution was away from major urban areas. But what if this had happened at Bentota or Negombo?

Fortune smiled on Sri Lanka last week.

A series of blunders by a salvage company, government shipping officials, and state environmental watchdogs, allowed a Turkish cargo ship to spew hundreds of tons of oil off the southern coastline.

But amazingly, the pollution hit an area dominated by fishing, and no urban areas were affected.

Near the Great Basses Reef, the sea and parts of the coastline are thick with oil, which escaped from the "MV Meliksah." The tide has washed the oil several feet high on trees and bushes on the beach.

Sadly, the pollution has entered parts of the estuary of the Kirindi Oya, causing severe problems for dozens of farmers in the area.

‘’We depend on the Kirindi Oya for water. Our fields will be parched now. Our livelihood is ruined. Who will help us or pay for this? We know nobody will", said W. Iranganie, whose family ekes out a living by farming in the area.

At the end of this week, officials of the Marine Pollution Prevention Authority were involved in exhaustive discussions with the Attorney General, on who should pay for the damage, and how to impose fines, or whom to sue in court.

"We are considering legal action against Sri Lanka Shipping Company Limited, the salvage firm, for bringing the ship so close to the shore, despite instructions not to do so," said an official at the MPPA, who asked not to be named, since the issue has become very controversial.

A spokesman for Sri Lanka Shipping Company Limited claimed that the environmental damage was not very much, and that they would contest any action against them. He did not wish to give a detailed explanation of the incident, since the matter is clearly heading to the courts.

Some of those who know the true state of affairs are extremely unhappy about how the matter was handled.

"What if this happened close to a tourist resort’? What if it was at Negombo, Bentota, or Beruwela? The tourist industry would collapse overnight. Hundreds of thousands of jobs would be lost, and the damage to the economy would have been incalculable," said a southern hotelier, who asked not to be identified.

Most alarmingly, the handling of the entire matter showed that Sri Lanka’s shipping and environmental authorities have no proper plan to handle any type of maritime disaster. Given the fact that Sri Lanka is slap bang in the middle of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, it is a calamity waiting to happen.

First and foremost is the fact that a ship with a hazardous cargo, which was sinking 17 miles from the southern shore, was actually brought in to within 800 meters of the beach, where it sank.

This clearly showed that the agencies that should be responsible for the safety of the environment, have no proper plan.

There are many agencies which should be involved, such as the Director of Merchant Shipping, the MPPA, the Coast Conservation Department, the harbourmaster, etc.

In fact, the problem seems to be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

Throughout the last two weeks, officials of many agencies have been milling about, having discussions, making public statements, threatening legal action, etc. But little actual action took place, towards preventing the sinking of the ship off the coast, or to fight the environmental pollution.

First of all, no one was sure of how much hazardous cargo the ship carried. This is a major problem, which the shipping authorities need to address immediately. The next ship that sinks may be carrying something more dangerous than fertilizer, perhaps even something deadly to human life. No action can be taken if the authorities aren’t aware of the details of the problem.

For example, no one is sure how much oil the ship was carrying for its engines. Estimates ranged from as little as 20 tons, to as much as 1,000 tons.

From what we have seen, and from what area fishermen told us, there were definitely several hundred tons of oil on board.

Another major problem was that Sri Lanka Shipping Company Limited, a private salvage firm, went out to sea, and on their own accord, towed the ship to the coast. It would have been far more sensible to try to repair the ship in mid-sea, to patch up the leak, and then tow it to a port.

Instead, the act by the salvage tug "Mahanuwara," in deliberately towing the Meliksah to Hambantota, is extremely reprehensible, and was obviously done with little thought for the environmental consequences, should the ship sink. That the salvage firm intended to bring it to Hambantota, from the outset, is apparent from the fact they had sent a team by land to Hambantota, before the ship was actually towed there.

Why the salvage firm disobeyed instructions to stay a safe distance from the coast, is yet to be explained.

In fact, when the salvage tug found the Meliksah, it had drifted no less than 40 miles from where the crew had abandoned ship. Had it been allowed to drift, it would have gone into the Bay of Bengal and sunk in deep water, with no effect to Sri Lanka at all.

Sri Lanka Shipping Company officials are blaming bad weather for the sinking. But if they couldn’t handle the situation, they shouldn’t have towed the ship in. In fact, they could have obtained assistance from another firm, Master Divers, whose tug was waiting alongside. But they did not do so.

Why the Director of Merchant Shipping did not prevent the Meliksah from being brought, is another unanswered question. This Directorate functions directly under the president, and even has its office at the presidential secretariat. If necessary, assistance could have been obtained from the defence ministry, to call out the Hambantota police or the navy, to lend weight to any orders.

The role of the MPPA is actually frightening. This body appears to have no teeth to prevent pollution, as it is supposed to do, and can only act after an environmental disaster occurs. Whatever action it takes, is after lengthy discussions with the AG, which means that it is a matter of closing the stable door after the horse has gone.

The Coast Conservation Department, which is responsible for the coast and beach, doesn’t seem to have got involved much at all.

Ships sink often, and Sri Lanka seems to have more than its share. But so far, each time the damage has been small. But it is time that the government agencies concerned, work out a proper plan of who should do what. The next time, it could be a fully loaded oil tanker.

Police department 133 years old

by Rienzie Perera, Senior Suptd of Police

The Police Department celebrated 113 years of service on the 3rd of September, 1999.

Although the history of the modern Police service in Sri Lanka started in 1866, the concept of policing can be traced back to historical times of the ancient kings. An edict by king Udaya 11 refers to the legal and administrative jurisdictions of Royal officials and village assembly the Gam Sabhawa (Village Tribunal) which had powers and responsibilities relating to maintenance of law and order of the relative areas.

The Royal officials were, "Adikaram" as the Chief Minister, "Dissawa" as the Governor under the Adikaram, Ratemahaththaya, Mohottala, Korala, Liyanarala.

The Gam Sabhawa system was in operation even during the period of the Dutch. They appointed their own officials as "Arachchies" to liase on with the ordinary people in this country. They also appointed their own officials as "Fiscals", for towns like Colombo which came under their purview, to maintain law and order, who had powers similar to the present Magistrates. They obtained the assistance of Lascarin Corps for this purpose.

When the British captured the island in 1796 they abolished the Gam Sabhawa and maintained law and order using the Indian soldiers working under them.

In 1806, Regulation 6 was passed to policing the rural areas and appointed one or more "Police Vidanes" for each village who could get only 10% of the stolen property recovered, after the conviction of the accused. They had powers to search and arrest.

In 1806, Regulation 14 was passed for policing the Pettah and the country within the four gravets of Colombo and appointed a "Chief Constable" and 28 "Constables".

In November 1832, the Governor, Sir Robert Horton appointed a committee of five to report on the establishment of a "paid" Police service in the town of Colombo and the nature of the taxes that should be levied to generate the funds for same. On a recommendation of this Committee, in 1833, Thomas Oswin who was a Civil Servant with judicial experience was appointed as "Superintendent of Police" and ordered to establish an efficient and paid Police Service on the lines suggested by the Committee. Thereafter the senior most rank in the Police was amended as "Superintendent of Police".

In 1884, the Governor ordered J. S. Colpeper who came from the London Metropolitan Police to prepare a scheme to re-organize the Colombo Police. He recommended that there should be three ranks called "Inspectors". "Sergeants", and "Constables". Later he was sent to Kandy, Negombo, Galle and the rural planting districts to re-organize the Police.

In 1863, the designation of the senior most officer in the Police Service was again changed as "Chief Superintendent of Police". G. W. R. Campbell was appointed to this post on the 03rd of September, 1866 and his designation was again changed as "Inspector General of Police" and in 1867 and became the first Inspector General of Police in this country. He introduced a new uniform, New Enlistment Form, Constabulary Registers, Leave Forms, Duty Rosters, Police Gazette (Quarterly), a system of regular inspections, written guide-lines for inspections, a system of maintaining Crimes, Statistics and Annual Administration Report.

He originated the pension scheme, the Reward Fund and a scheme of housing for Policemen. Campbell meted out severe penalties against wrongdoers and gazetted them for the information of all ranks. He gave each member of the Force a printed booklet containing "Catechism" on Police duties and other information necessary to day to day duties in the service. Date of appointment of Campbell as the head of the Police is marked as the Police Day.

Governor Blake got down C. C. Longdon from South India in 1905 and made him the IGP. With this appointment Government Agents were relieved of their Police responsibilities. Among the reforms and improvements effected by Longdon were the complete policing of Western, Southern and North Western Provinces, Division of Police provinces into two more Districts and opening of new Police Stations in other up-policed areas.

In 1947, Sri Richard Aluvihare has the Distinction of it being the first Sri Lankan Inspector General of Police in this country and thereafter this post was held by Sri Lankans. The present Inspector General of Police B. L. V. de S. Kodituwakku is the 25th IGP.

In order to provide the optimum service to the public all police stations in the island are operating round the clock and Police stations are divided into small units such as the Crime Branch, Minor Offences Branch, Vice Branch and the Traffic Branch. In addition to these, a special unit functions in every Police Division to combat the crimes of underworld under the direction of the present IG Police.

The Department of Sri Lanka Police has now set up a special unit which consists of a computer system to contact the Internet to co-ordinate properly with the Interpol in order to produce criminals having international connections, before courts.

All Police officers are presently engaged in an uncompromising endeavour to safeguard the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the public freedom of Sri Lanka, whilst the ‘Home Guards’ service and the Police Assistants too are making a great contribution to enhance the public welfare.

I wish to mention here with deep respect and dedication the noble commitment of those officers who sacrificed their lives to ensure the safety, territorial integrity and peace of our mother-land.

The Police Ceremonial March Past to commemorate the 133rd Annual police celebrations day and the Guard of Honour to Her Excellency the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga will be at 5.00 p.m. today at the Police Grounds, Bambalapitiya.

Redisovery of the Dighavapi tank

by Professor Abaya Aryasinghe
King Kakavanna Tissa of Magama marched to Seruvila from his capital with the fore-head relic of the Buddha to enshrine it in the Seruvila Chaitya. On his route he Passed a locality called Dighavapi presently known as Digamadulla. He commissioned his younger son Saddha Tissa who accompanied him to reside there and construct the Dighavapi Chaitya on the spot sanctified by the Buddha.

A large tank called Dighavapi referred to in historical literature would have existed there before the visit of the king. Prince Saddha Tissa would have enlarged it for irrigation purposes while constructing the Dighavapi Chaitya as instructed by his father.

Although the Dighavapi Chaitya has been identified correctly the tank by that name has not been traced to general satisfaction. No inscriptional evidence is forthcoming to help a possible identification. There had been however a township called Digavapi (Dighavapi) as referred to in a pre-Christian inscription found in the locality.

There is an abandoned tank a few miles away from the stupa to which the name Mahakandiya is attributed. The villagers there are of the opinion that it is the ancient Dighavapi tank of the ancients. In Mr. R. C. Brohier’s words," The reservoir was formed in the foot-hills of the Uva mountains by raising two short low embarkments across the hollows of a central stretch of high land. Judging from the contour map it was perhaps six miles in length and possibly not much more — if anything less, than one mile in width on the average."

The Mahakandiya Wewa in question has a very limited catchment area and no sufficient water could collect to feed a vast stretch of fields. A tradition asserts that water to this tank was led from a take-off near the Minipe Ela on the right bank of the Mahaweli ganga. A vast network of canals which led fron this tank must have spread over the Baticaloa District to the coast a distance of about 40 miles.

The administration report of the Eastern Province for 1868 states that this ancient tank was inspected by Mr. Young Adams, Asst. Govt. Agent, Baticaloa. In his Report Mr. Adams says," Local tradition gives this tank a bund of 10 to 12 miles in length and indeed we passed a bund several miles from Kova-Linda through the forest. On examination however we found that the bund was not continues and we came to the conclusion that there had probably been a long line of small tanks and not a large one."

In 1886 another survey of this tank was undertaken by Mr. Thoerton. The extent of the tank and its original source of water-supply were not clearly shown in this report.

A third survey was carried out in 1901 by Mr. H. Ward, Director of Irrigation and made some important observations: His words in a summary form are:

‘This tank situated 12 miles east of Chandian-talawa which is the best route to take to reach it. Chandian-talawa is 8 miles from Kalmunai, the tank therefore is about 20 miles inland of Kalmunai.

‘The bund is over 5 miles in length, there are two breaches in it 4 miles apart. Two tributaries of a main river known as Magul Aru flow through these breaches.

The bund of this tank apparently consists of a range of low rocky hills joined by an artificial bund. This tank and its reputed supply canals appear to have commanded the whole of the Batticaloa district for over 40 miles in length up to the sea-coast.’

As stated above the native residents were of the opinion that a canal bringing sufficient water from the Mahaweli-ganga ran to the Mahakandiya Wewa (Dighavapi) and crossed the valley in which Vakaneri is situated. This canal is awaiting rediscovery .

The investigations and surveys referred to above are unanimous in saying that Mahakandiya Wewa, if restored to its ancient size and prestiged position the whole area south of the Gal-oya and as far as the sea on the east coast could be brought under cultivation.

King Saddhatissa’s plan to irrigate Dighavapi-mandala in the 2nd century B. C. would have been a guide for our politicians and engineers of the present day before undertaking the Gal-oya Scheme. Undoubtedly king Saddhatissa had the engineering knowledge surpassing that of the modern so called specialists. The Gal-oya Scheme of Mr. D. S. Senanayake would have rendered itself redundant had the Dighavapi tank was reclaimed with its canal system and put into use.

Glaucoma in Optometric practice

by K. K. M. Jagath JP
Head Optometrist, Rajapoopathy Memorial Glaucoma Centre

Glaucoma is an insidious disease characterized by elevated intraocular pressure, with changes in the optic nerve head or optic disc and disturbances or loss of visual fields. Available data suggests that only half of all cases of primary open angle glaucoma are detected and, a predominance of those detected cases have already lost a considerable amount of their visual fields.

It is well known that with the proliferation of opticians and optometrists in the country, a large proportion of the working population change their spectacles frequently. Hence it is of paramount importance that the optometrist should be trained to detect glaucoma and make a referral to an ophthalmologist for further treatment.

At this stage a few salient points in diagnosing or even detecting glaucoma is discussed in detail for the benefit of interested parties.

Definition of Glaucoma

The definition differs but the comprehensive definition by Anandarajan (l999) describes the glaucomas as "a disease of the retinal nerve fibres, characterized by progressive loss of axons’ presumably as a result of elevated intraocular pressure".

The important risk factor is the elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) which is high for the normal functioning of that eye. The normal range being 10 to 24 mm, and varying in the mornings and evenings usually (3 to 6 mm in normal persons). In general, the IOP is higher in the mornings. This diurnal variation should be borne in mind and several readings should be made before a diagnosis of ocular hypertension is made. The optic

nerve is not only affected by elevated IOP, but there are other factors like perfusion of the optic nerve and axonal transportation in the optic nerve roughly estimated at about one million axons in each optic nerve.

The first stage is where the IOP is not normal for that eye. This lasts for a long time and if the optic nerve head remains healthy at the beginning and could be called a "glaucoma suspect" or glaucoma without damage. If pressure is not taken care of it leads to the second stage where changes are seen in the optic disc, which over time leads to visual field loss.

This small article will not go into the classification of the glaucomas but touch briefly on the different types so that there will be continuity in understanding. The classifications are now discussed.

Childhood glaucomas

Childhood glaucomas are present at birth and are named Congenital glaucoma. It could appear in the first year of life and are named infantile glaucoma. It may appear later during the first two decades of life, and if so, are named Juvenile glaucoma.

Open angle and angle closure glaucomas

Open angle glaucoma is usually a medical disease where the IOP can be controlled by medications. Angle-closure glaucoma is usually considered a surgical disease. Even here, however, medical therapy is done for few hours before surgery is undertaken.

A patient coming to an optometrist generally wants to correct his glasses which he feels has gone "out of date", or to change the frames. He feels that everything is alright with his eyes and that a new pair of spectacles will solve all problems. He is totally unaware of any latent conditions of his eyes that may caused defects inside. It is usual, when examining this patient, if everything appears within normal limits, to prescribe glasses. Of all disease unknown to the patient, a possible condition for later blindness is open angle glaucoma. It is incumbent on the optometrist to ensure early diagnosis and treatment for, if this type of glaucoma is neglected the disease runs its ruthless course to blindness. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential, because if neglected, the disease at a later stage, cannot be remedied.

It is recommended that the optometrist has a "casual chat" with the patient with particular emphasis on the following:

a. History and symptoms;
b. Family history of eye disease;
c. Any medications taken orally or used locally
d. Headaches and pain in the eyes.

There are some symptoms that are particularly significant. Open angle glaucoma, in particular the silent type, may characterize itself in the form of the patient feeling a necessity to change his pair of spectacles frequently, a persistent dull ache in the eyes after a short spell of reading, a tendency to knock into stationary objects and slowness in adapting ones eyes in the dark. The angle closure glaucoma causes redness and pain in the eye and often nausea and vomiting. A halo is seen during the silent phase of the glaucomatous eyes. There is a simple test that can be used to differentiate this halo of glaucoma from the physiological halo. The intricate details are beyond the scope of this article. In your trial lens box there is a stenopic slit disc. A small spot of light in a dark room is used and stenopic slit is moved across the pupil of the eye seeing halos, the glaucoma halos is brighter and causes a defection pattern as seen through a lycopodium powder on a glass slide. A halo occurs during a mild attack. It occurs around a light at dusk or night and has a blue green inner ring and yellow red outer ring. It usually appears in the late evenings and disappears in the morning. It should be differentiated from halos caused by lens opacities and mucous secretions in the eye. For the diagnosis of glaucoma four essential methods are in common use. They are:

a. Tonometry
b. Pupilary examination
c. Ophthalmoscopy
d. Visual field testing.

Crick says that to improve the present system of detecting glaucoma the trend to more comprehensive testing by optometrists should be encouraged. Now I will consider the stages of a routine examination

Stage 1

Tonometry, commonly used are digital tonometry and Schiotz tonometry; Applanation tonometry needs slit lamp but Perkins hand held model could be used. Today the non contact air puff tonometers are available but expensive. Routine tonometry is clearly practicable and important in identifying patients with high intra-ocular pressure.

Stage 2

Ophthalmoscopy is mandatory. Every optometrist should have an ophthalmoscope and have efficient experience of using it in order to visualize the optic disc. The study of the optic disc or the optic nerve head is of paramount importance in the diagnosis of glaucoma. Years of looking at it will give new knowledge of the intricate arrangement of the disc which varies from individual to individual. Changes that are looked for in the disc are pallor, cupping, temporal unfolding, notch of neural rim, enlargement of the cup with funnelling and in later stages saucerization.

Stage 3

Routine perimetry will help to spot field defects. Today automated and semiautomated perimeters are available but costly and time consuming.

A knowledge of retinal axon distribution in the retina and optic nerve is essential to interpret any visual field defect.

a. Majority of fibres pass directly from the macular area to the temporal aspect of the optic disc.

b. Fibres from the temporal retina arches over the papillomacular bundle in an arcuate pattern; the fibres from the superior retina enters the superior optic disc and the fibres from the inferior retina enters the inferior optic disc. The fibres from the superior retina temporal to the fovea originate above an imaginary horizontal line named median rapine, drawn through the fovea, with the inferior fibres originating below that line. Peripheral nerve fibres that run closer to choroid come to be in the peripheral optic nerve; fibres from the retina close to the optic nerve head lie close to the Vitreous.

The optometrist has an important part to play in the following circumstances.

1. Patients needing early monitoring like ocular hypertension, high normotensives with family history and risk factors like diabetes, hypertension and smoking should be carefully checked.

2. Patients who are referred to a hospital or an ophthalmologist and left the hospital to be at home should be seen regularly.

3. Elderly patients who do not like the hospital or even the waiting period to see an ophthalmologist should be checked regularly. The optometrist should refer to an ophthalmologist patients with IOP above 26mm or IOP 22 to 25mm with the optic disc or visual field showing changes. The golden rule will be that the patients with the IOP 22 to 25mmhg without any changes in the optic nerve head or visual field who are considered border line instead of being referred could be monitored keeping in mind that the prevalence of open angle glaucoma in this group is several times higher than in patients with lower IOP.

Jaffna’s ‘Tree of Life’ in danger

by Suresh Perera
Even the swaying palmyrah palms - Jaffna’s pride, have not been spared by the cruelty of the North-East conflagration. The conflict has extended beyond humans destroying countless numbers and taken a heavy toll on the productive palmyrah groves as well, virtually crippling an industry which was flourishing at one time.

This was perhaps the worst that could happen to strife-torn Jaffna’s economy. Adding to the misery was the mass scale destruction of palmyrah trees to build bunkers. Trees were being wiped out and so was what remained of this industry.

‘In the Jaffna district alone 1.5 million palmyrah palms have been felled to construct bunkers’, says M. Packiyanathan, Chairman, Palmyrah Development Board (PDB).

‘I raised this issue at several fora, but nothing happened’, he lamented.

The palmyrah palm which grows in marginal and arid soils is called the ‘tree of life’ because it gives anything and everything. Shelter, food, utility, fancy products, pharmaceuticals and animal feed have been traditionally prepared from the parts of palmyrah, from crown down to the roots.

Of the 15,000 palmyrah toddy tappers only 7000 are left in Jaffna. The others have moved out of the district due to the unsettled conditions, Packiyanathan noted.

Battered by the war, the industry still survives providing livelihood to a considerable segment of the North-East populace. According to a publication of the PDB last year, 100,000 families in the North-East are still depending on this palm for their sustenance.

‘The palmyrah-based products industry which was earlier third in line to agriculture and fisheries in Jaffna, has now topped the list and is the only surviving entity. Though it received a battering, it survived the war’, the Chairman explained.

The other two sectors were worst hit and recovery is a gradual process.

There was a time when the Jaffna people had no choice, but to turn to Palmyrah arrack, if in the mood for a ‘shot’ in tipplers’ parlance. All other products were ‘banned’ and hence there was no alternative.

‘There was a heavy demand in Jaffna for palmyrah arrack earlier, but in the current context, products brought in from the South have made in-roads into the market and the task has become more difficult’, says Packiyanathan who took over as Chairman in December, 1994.

‘Only 2% of the palmyrah palms in Jaffna have been tapped for toddy. We have restricted tappers to a maximum of five trees per individual because of the limited market at present’, he said.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga has granted an excise duty waiver to give succour to the troubled industry and help rehabilitate it, he added.

The PDB was established under the Plantation Industries Ministry in 1978 by an amendment, on similar lines of the Coconut Development Authority. It has its head office in Jaffna and a regional office in Colombo to co-ordinate activities.

As a significant step towards reaching out to the population at large, the PDB has now introduced palmyrah arrack to the Colombo market. Stocks shipped from Jaffna are being distributed through the PDB.

Transporting consignments to Colombo is the biggest hassle as they have to be brought down by sea. The first stock of 35,000 bottles is moving fast as the response is tremendous, Packiyanathan said.

‘There is a huge market outside Jaffna and we are keen to give tipplers islandwide a product with a difference’, he stressed.

Palmyrah arrack has re-emerged in Colombo after a spell of two decades. At that time, it was blended and bottled by the then Distilleries Corporation, he said.

‘Sebaha Wenasak’ coined in Sinhala and ‘Different Taste’ in English, are being employed to promote and push the products into the highly competitive market. The prices are within the range of other local liquor products.

Even a marginal price revision of ten rupees taking into consideration the heavy shipping costs, was disallowed by the authorities, the Chairman observed.

The palmyrah toddy-based liquor products are manufactured at the Valikamam, Thickam and Varani distilleries, which have a collective production output of 4.25 million per annum.

‘Palmyrah toddy has a lesser sugar content than its coconut equivalent and its bitterness has anti-biotic properties’, Research Officer R. Guhanesan said.

With 34% ‘alcohol by volume’, palmyrah liquor products are not blended with rectified spirits and doesn’t lead to after-effects and constipation. It’s 100% palmyrah, he assured.

The three distilleries in Jaffna were primitive, but the infusion of modern equipment has enhanced the production process. Steam generators and water softeners have also been introduced. But the lack of a land route to the North has added to the woes forcing all requirements, be they machinery or vats, to be sent to the North by sea and vice versa.

‘Sometimes we have to wait two months to send a shipment’, Chairman Packiyanathan maintained.

The PDB functions as an apex organisation harnessing the efforts of the Palm Products Co-operative Societies and Working Women Groups. Its primary objective is to develop palmyrah based industries in a systematic and scientific manner so that optimum use of the abundant resource can be made.

According to the PDB, the palmyrah population in the country in 1998 was estimated at 11 million. The palms exist in the dry zone, mainly in the North-East region covering an area of 70,000 hectares.

He said that this is the first time PDB is introducing palmyrah arrack to the Southern market. ‘We are positive of an encouraging feedback’.

Production can be increased if the market expands, Guhanesan said.

Trial runs are also being done on a new brand of palmyrah-based tooth paste and an instant drink, he disclosed.

The tooth paste contains 60% palmyrah fruit and 40% pulp and is priced at Rs. 20/- per 40g tube and Rs. 25/- for a 65g one. The instant drink is a palmyrah flavour natural blend and will be sold at a nominal Rs. 25/- per seven-glass pack, he said.

The re-emergence of palmyrah-based products to the southern market from the North is a hopeful sign of the bruised Jaffna economy picking up. It’s after 20 long years that tipplers outside the North-East have been given the opportunity of tasting palmyrah arrack on home ground. Whether coconut or palmyrah toddy-based, liquor may not be the best commodity to promote, but the colossal revenue it generates by way of excise duty is the life blood of any Finance Minister when it comes to bridging a yawning budget deficit.

Chairman Packiyanathan is elated when he says that there is a huge market in the south for his palmyrah products. To develop the industry, badly hit by the war, is his job. It’s not so with all palmyrah-based products, but some may not be too happy that more brands of arrack have joined the existing range.

Akin to all that’s considered good or bad, it’s left to us to either take it or leave it...........

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