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| Sunday, 30 June 2002 |
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Letters |  |
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English news telecast and cricket I am unable to discern the complacency displayed by Rupavahini Authorities in the conduct of the programmes. Over the years I have been relentlessly agitating the telecast of English News at the scheduled time. This was done on several occasions through the print media as well as personal correspondence during my stay at Kiribathgoda from where I very recently shifted to Matara to spend the evening of my life with my wife in quiet solitude. My consistent and repeated request was to set apart a separate channel exclusively for English News and never to disturb it or deviate from it under any circumstances. I believe Channel Eye was at last set apart leaving the Rupavahini Channel for entertainment. Incidentally, sometime ago I read an article in which Cricket and Traffic had been identified as hindrances in achieving productivity. It was argued whether it is worthwhile losing national productivity over some 22 people chasing leather and sweating. I also read another article that cricket is not being played in developed countries like USA, Russia, Japan, Germany and China. So, a very relevant question arises whether we have got our priorities right. Anyway, by all means go ahead and play on and display cricket if you so desire, but please do not try to force it down on those who have other priorities. On my arrival in Matara I found that Channel Eye is blurred in this part of the country and over the telephone I pleaded with the Secretary to the Chairman of the Rupavahini Corporation to be good enough to arrange the telecasting of English News over the Rupavahini Channel as I was told that it has a wider coverage. On 31st May, I eagerly awaited the telecast of English News at 9 p.m. over Channel Eye. Seeing a Cricket Match being telecast and utterly disappointed I telephoned the News Division to be informed that the News would be telecast at 10.30 p.m. I wonder who is responsible for these decisions much to the inconvenience, of those who are interested in News and News only. Why do Rupavahini Authorities refuse to see reason? On 1st June, I tried to reach some one in authority over the telephone but failed. Finally I thought of articulating my grievance thus. We elders derive pleasure in keeping abreast of the current affairs and also plan our lives and programmes depending on the daily weather forecast. So, the daily English News Telecast at the end of the day is of paramount importance to us. Conceding to reasonable requests of the public specially where there are no financial implications constitute good governance. Over to you the dynamic and attentive Minister of Mass Communication Imtiaz Bakeer Marker and the newly appointed Chairman erudite Scholar Professor Obeysekera for redress. Nanda Nanayakkara, Oldest tree in the world Sri Maha Bodhi I refer to the letter of Dr. S. K. Vadivale in the Sunday Observer dated 09.06.2002, giving prominence to so called oldest trees in Kanjipuram and Tasmania. There could be legends relating to those trees, without sufficient historical proof. However in the case of sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, I wish to quote from the book of Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy "Medieval Sinhalese Art" (Chapter I). "In 288 BC Sangamitta landed in Ceylon with a branch of the sacred Bo tree beneath which the Buddha had attained enlightenment. The branch was planted with great ceremony in the Mahamegha garden at Anuradhapura, where it still flourishes as the oldest historical tree in the world, commemorating the noble life and teaching of Gotama Buddha, who attained enlightenment beneath the parent tree." According to these evidence it is obvious that the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura possesses an undoubted History and it is the only oldest authenticated tree in the world. A. B. GAMAGE, Recently it was reported that a child died by attempting to experiment an acrobatic exercise, which had been displayed over the television. This was reported in the news bulletin of the electronic media. This will be a good lesson not only for parents and children, but also for the media authorities who are irresponsible in fulfilling their duties. It has been the practice of the electronic media to give its viewers anything they wish without carefully selecting what is beneficial to society. This is a very unethical practice, Through electronic media they portray scenes, which accentuate and promote sex, crime, use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. These people may sell anything for want of money. I have clearly noticed that a certain television channel telecasts teledramas every Saturday at 7.30 p.m. which induces so much promotion for alcohol and tobacco use and especially non-alcohol users are humiliated through the stories that they carry on that particular day. These stories seem to have been produced for that particular purpose of promoting alcohol and tobacco and humiliating those who attempt prevention activities. Is this the kind of media ethics that they should follow or practice? To add to this shameless situation, we have come to know that very soon alcoholic beverages would be directly advertised in the electronic media. Dr. Wasantha Dissanayake , A lesson for Sri Lanka missions On May 11, 2002, I had the rare privilege of witnessing a Sri Lankan cultural ensemble at the Tom Bradley International Hall organised by the Sri Lankan Consulate General in Los Angeles, USA in association with the Dashew International Centre of the UCLA. My thanks go to Mr. Tissa Wijeratna the Consul General Sri Lanka who invited me for this occasion. The event had two sections. The first, an exhibition of paintings and jewellery and the second, a variety entertainment by US resident Sri Lankan artists. Eminent artists like Gamini Ratnavira, Gration Weerasingha, Malkanthi Amabwatta and Kithsirimevan Jayasena had displayed their work at this event. All the works presented exhibited a high taste of artistic expression but among them Gamini Ratanaviras works were truly outstanding. They are of real world class. Among them, The Elephant, The Cranes on Villu and the Elephant Herd were world class by any standard. The jewellery section though small in size represented the traditional Sri Lankan taste and immensely contributed to the colour of the exhibition. The next presentation was the variety entertainment. Much could be said about this. The stage work by Badrajhi Jayatilaka provided a very appropriate back drop for the evening. The pure white Dagaba accompanied by Walakul bemma with a cut-out of Sri Lanka created the true Sri Lankan atmosphere. He also had not forgotten the other elements of Sri Lankan culture when he had added signs of a church, a mosque and a kovil to depict the cultural harmony that is there within the Lankan context. Had he placed Sri Lanka behind the Dagaba, perhaps a little high on the wall it would have been a perfect back drop that depicted the true Sri Lankan image. It would also have been more colourful if the organisers could have run the SLRC documentary displayed on the screen outside little while earlier, inside the hall as well. The highlight of the day began with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp accompanied by magul bera by Bindu Mudunkothge. This took the audience spellbound to the dream world of the Kandyan atmosphere way back in Sri Lanka - a melancholic and moving moment for those who have been far away from their beloved country for a long-time. The cultural parade presented 17 items. And msot of them were excellent judging by the limited facilities available at the disposal of the artists on a foreign soil. A special word may be mentioned about the following items. Prasasthi dance by Umendra Kahadawaarachchi, Kalagedi dance by Renuka Samaths kids, Bharatha Natyam by Sithara, Rasmi and Ruwani and the upcountry dance by Sriyani de Silva. The costumes of Kalagedi dance certainly merit a special word of appreciation. Last but not least are the songs by Badrajhi Jayatillaka. His 'Beautiful Island Lanka' and 'Farewell Lanka', I have no doubt must have taken all those Sri Lankan present into a dream world of melancholy and remorse born out of ones being away from home. I am sure many of them must have felt that they should take the first flight available back to their motherland. Most of all what I admired in the whole episode is the thought provoking lecture on "Splendours of the past" by Dr. Benille Priyanka. Beside its illuminating content, its appropriateness as a most fitting introduction to a program of this sort is the most valuable contribution I noticed in this evening. Besides being an eye opener to the foreigner it was really an appetizer to a hungry Lankan crowd craving to visit their pristine and proud past. His new interpretation on the Sigiriya damsels where he tried to associate them with the pre-5th century similar fresco work in countries like Iran, Afghanistan, India and China adds new stuff to the existing interpretations of Coomaraswamy and Paranavitana. I think his lecture was able to generate a deep desire in the minds of the viewers to see what followed. Had his lecture been a little shorter and a little more forceful in presentation and had he told the crowd that his lecture is only an introduction that provides a glimpse in to what is going to follow it could have certainly enhanced the colour of this presentation. In any case this indeed was a new approach and a new insight into the whole subject of introducing a cultural program on a foreign land. I congratulate the organisers for this innovation. I have no doubt that the able leadership of Mr. Wijeratna the Consular General and the commitment and the love of his eminent team for their heritage must have brought about this success. I have no hesitation in recommending this approach very strongly to all Sri Lankan missions abroad to be adopted in presenting their cultural programs in future. This pleasant evening which brought together many distinguished persons both American and Sri Lankan (more than 500), I think will be remembered by the Sri Lankan residents in LA for many more years to come. Finally, as a lover of our heritage, I record with pleasure my heartiest congratulations to the Consular General of Sri Lanka and his able team for organising such a wonderful event. Sudath Gunasekera, , |
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