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| Sunday, 24 March 2002 |
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Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A campaign to cripple peace talks? There appears to be a co-ordinated and well orchestrated campaign to cripple the ongoing and strenuous attempts by the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (and others who have our country at heart) to bring about peace in our troubled land. Those responsible for this rabble-rousing foray must be given short shift by the Government and maybe even indicted for treachery and treason, well before the real negotiations begin with the LTTE. All previous efforts to bring about a negotiated settlement were failures, again, because of these undesirable elements in our society. The fact, that people of this ilk have held sway causing mayhem and dissension throughout our history, is evident when reading any authoritative book be it Robert Knox's "Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon or any fractural fiction (using an oxymoron) written by scholars of repute, about the Kandyan Kingdom the Kotte Dynasty or any other period. It is possible, that it is this flaw in our collective persona that prompted Bishop Reginald Heber (1783-1826) to comment: "What though the spicy breezes It is necessary to understand the meaning of at least one expression on everyone's lips i.e. MoU or the Memorandum of Understanding. This in fact is merely a prelude or preamble, rather like an introduction to a discussion. The fact that there are signatories to a MoU is not an indication of its validity/legality in a court of law it is in reality a set of guidelines and a framework rather than a legally binding document. It was in the past a business instrument used by Multi National Corporations and Commercial Houses before Acquisitions and Mergers. in recent times it has been used by international facilitators like the Norwegians to settle similar disputes in other parts of the world. What is disheartening though to those who prepare these documents in greater detail, is the fact that in the final analysis (more often than not) the negotiations fail at the table. It should be our prayer however that the peace negotiations will be successful and that Sri Lanka and her citizens will once again be treated as men and women of culture as befits our ancient civilisation, by nationals of all countries that make up the Globe. It is the belief of a section of Sinhala Nationalists (who take great pains to disabuse others that they are not racialists) that the Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has given in to the Eelamists. It has also been suggested that he has been influenced by the Norwegians when giving his approval to the MoU. The fact that he has mentioned that there will be a Referendum and now as an additional measure of reassurance a broadbased parliamentary committee to ensure that the Sovereignty of the country is not jeopardised, however seemingly falls on deaf ears. It is ironical that the new saviours of the Sinhala Race, are the JVP who were more sympathetic to the LTTE than even their most ardent supporter and camp followers, not so long ago. Their volte face is easily explained they want power at any cost even of lives and institutions. Their philosophy and activities in the early 70s and late 80s is nevertheless fresh in the minds of all middle aged responsible and respectable people in the country. It is unlikely that they would, despite their current rhetoric, change their policy and stance as they yet pay reverent homage to the founding father of this insurgent movement the late Wijeweera. The choice before the people today is therefore very simple, a cure or a festering sore. At this stage it is well to reflect on the words of Abraham Lincoln during his second inaugural address on 4th March 1865 where he said: "With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in: to bind up the nations wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan, to all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. B.J. KARUNATILEKA,Nawala. Double trouble in Traffic Court When my drivers are penalised for Traffic offences, they are asked to report to the Traffic Court. The temporary permit given to them by the Police does not state where the Court is situated. They come back and say that the earlier Traffic Court at Dam Street, Alutkade had been closed down. When they finally find out the location, it is Court No. 7 in the Chief Magistrate's Court, it is too late. The OIC should instruct the police to write Court No. 7 in the temporary permit. Then our drivers will know where to go. S. PERERA, Negombo. Physiotherapy unit needs bypass surgery It is sad to note that the Physiotherapy Department at the Panadura Hospital is in a pathetic condition. Having visited this department every other day, for almost two months for treatment due to a torn ligament, I observed the following conditions prevailing there: The unit is located in a small room about 20 feet by 15 feet. In this small space, 2 short wave elect-magnetic machines, 2. electrical stimulators, an ultra-sound machine, 3 infra-red lamps, a wax bath, a static bicycle, and various other implements are cramped together. Patients cannot exercise on the static bicycle or engage in chest physiotherapy exercises due to the limited space available. There is no room whatsoever for any walking exercises. The usual office items including a huge office table, several cupboards and even the patients diagnostic bed are cramped into this room. The unit is so pressed for space that the physiotherapists rest room (15x10 feet) has also been sacrificed to accommodate some of these machines. The only redeeming feature in this unit is that there are three dedicated and duty conscious physiotherapists trying their best to cope with over 50 patients daily. In spite of all these obstacles, it was pleasing to see these officers carrying out their duties with a smile. I hope the officers of the Department of Health and others responsible realise the importance of the Physiotherapy Department and shift this unit to a much more spacious location within the hospital so that patients could obtain the maximum benefit from these machines and from the dedicated staff attached to the unit. RANJITH G. PERERA, Panadura. The current power crisis has affected industries, government, households and individuals - no body is spared. The power crisis is the result of mismanaging our environment. At the rate trees are being felled, jungles are being cleared, we can no longer be sure that we will have enough rainfall at the right times to generate electricity in the future. There are only two ways to solve the power shortage: going for coal power, hydro power. When there is rain, hydro power plants could generate electricity, when there is a drought, coal power can be used. There is another very important aspect that should be looked at by the authorities concerned. It would make a lot of sense to grant duty-free facilities to all individuals who wish to import electricity generators for their own use. Such imports should also be made free from having to pay Customs Duty, GST, NSL or BTT. This facility should only be granted to genuine individual users and not to businessmen who would try to make money out of such a concession. And even genuine users should be required to prove ownership of their houses, in order to obtain this facility. Similarly, when new houses, offices and workshops above 3,000 square feet are built, a regulation should require that they install super-silent generators on such premises. Only thereafter should the premises be allowed to be connected to the national grid and for three-phase electricity connection. This regulation should not apply to people living in smaller premises that cannot afford individual generators. This would benefit both the electricity consumers as well as the Ceylon Electricity Board and safeguard us against a future power crisis. HECTOR EKANAYAKE, Colombo 7. Air pollution has reached alarming levels-around 85 times the acceptable norm in Colombo resulting in a drastic increase of respiratory ailments as highlighted in the press. The consequent cost to state and citizen from medical bills, damage to eco-system and health would run to many millions per day. To improve this situation some of the matters needing urgent attention are: 1. Exhaust pollution has to be controlled by enforcing fitness standards and providing better fuel. 2. Running time has to be reduced by inducing free flow eliminating the daily traffic jams. 3. Vehicles on, the road have to be reduced by providing efficient, comfortable, cheap, pollution free public transport. Desperate situations demand desperate remedies. A drastic but effective short term remedy would be to declare main roads to the city one way for one hour at peak times, doubling the capacity of each road for that period. Traffic in the opposite direction will adjust travelling times to suit. Less running time,less fuel consumption, less pollution, less fuel imports. A medium and long term solution would be increasing the frequency of trains followed by electrification and development of a system of electric railways with its own dedicated power supply without strain on state coffers by contracting on a Plan, Build, Operate, and Transfer basis with a country like Japan having a proven track record in these fields. Most people travelling to Tokyo drive only to the nearest railway station. LINCOLN WIJEYESINGHE, Dehiwala.` A spiritual healing: A true story My friend, who lives close by, came to visit me when I was ill and was getting ready to go in two weeks' time for an operation on my spine. For the last six months I was in constant pain when I tried to stand or walk, even though I had the aid of a walking stick. I supposed my condition prompted him to tell me of his experience. His illness, he told me, had begun some 15 years ago. Certain illnesses such as those of a particularly painful or disfiguring or shameful nature are topics which are generally avoided in conventional society. People do not like to talk about them because they find it extremely unpleasant even to think about them. The human condition in its unpleasant aspects is not a cheerful subject, but in my friend's case, the healing justified the telling of his story. The illness that afflicted him was haemorrhoids, commonly known as piles, but he did not consult a doctor for it. Throughout his life he had an aversion to taking medical treatment, and did not so much as take a mild painkiller. He said that his friends used to tease him that he was a Pentecostalist at heart. Even as a student during the seven years he spent in England - from 1958 to 1965 - he never went to a doctor and he survived pretty well, for all that. He lived in Galle as a child and like the children in all traditional Muslim families he was taught to read the Qur'an. At ten years, he had learned to read but he could not understand what he was reading. By way of explanation, he told me that those days, in Ireland, Catholics prayed in Latin and in India, Hindus prayed in Sanskrit and in Sri Lanka, they prayed in Pali and though very few of them understood the words, that was good enough for them. As he grew into adolescence and manhood, he did not bother to continue with what had become for him a practice devoid of much significance. With disuse, he almost completely forgot even how to read: He had become almost illiterate in the Arabic of the Qur'an. He was not worried about this lapse and continued to busy himself with the serious business of earning a living, and rearing his four children, three daughters and a son. He continued to regard himself as a Muslim and was considered as such by all who knew him. His haemorrhoidal condition had become chronic, in fact it worsened and the fluid that oozed from it was so corrosive that it burnt away the seat of his underpants and his trousers as well. He had had to discard many pairs of trousers, but no one except his wife was aware of his condition. He felt more and more pain in his ankles, knees and feet, and could only shuffle, never more than ten feet or so. yet, he never went for help to a doctor. He treated himself by ignoring his ailment. At 60 or so he had retired from an active life and his conscience began to prick him. He thought that he should at least learn once more to read the Qur'an, the divine guide and solace of Muslims the world over. He had heard it said that the Qur'an was untranslatable, that it has many layers of meaning, and that no human being, however learned or brilliant, could fully arrive at a complete understanding of it. In this state of mind, he thought that, as he knew by heart the shorter verses of the Qur'an, he could by deciphering the script, begin to learn, or rather to re-learn, the rest of the book. His miracle occurred on the 12th May, 2000. On that day he went to a book exhibition in Colombo held by a Muslim school and there he saw a big copy of the Qur'an which had extra large print. This was just the sort of print he needed to help him in his reading. He bought it at once and paid Rs. 600.00 for it. He took it home and began his reading exercise that very day. He slept that night and told me that he awoke at precisely two hours and thirty five minutes past midnight. He was in his bed but he was not dreaming, he was in a state of abnormal consciousness and felt as if he was floating in the air. He also felt, to use his own words, 'as if an ice pad was applied to his bottom'. At the same time, he heard a gentle, crystal-clear voice saying in English by his right ear "Your life is extended". He then became fully conscious, woke his wife and told her of his experience. From that moment, he was cured of all his aches and pains and there was no recurrence of his distressing complaint thereafter. He could now walk great distances without any discomfort. On an average, he prays the entire Qur'an three times a month. He has read it sixty six times so far. He was very anxious that I should hear his story and that as many people as possible should know it. He wish to learn to read the Qur'an was not obviously linked to his desire to be cured. By implication, he believes that the cure was a reward for his wanting to learn to read the Holy book of Islam. Everyday after his experience of the 12th May, 2000, he wakes in the early hours of the morning and prays the prayers that pious Muslims pray at that time and also reads the Qur'an. I do not know what explanation a medical man or a scientist can give for his cure. I have set down his account as correctly as I could. He has all the zeal of a new convert, but he is not a new convert as such. He wants his miraculous cure made known to as many people as possible. They may, he believes, benefit from knowing it. He may have been moved to pity by my plight and may be wanting to give me the solace and encouragement of faith. From where or from whom I cannot say, but he has received an amazing message: to me its lesson is that faith is the only answer to despair. H.S.B., Colombo. |
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