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| Sunday, 22 December 2002 |
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Letters |  |
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Free access to magistrate or contempt of court ? I wonder whether the author of the article under the heading "Free access to magistrate - a people's right that appeared in Sunday Observer of December 1, will let your readers know how the matters referred to in that article can be brought to the notice of a magistrate without the possibility of having to face a charge of contempt of court. Perhaps the writer is referring to an ideal situation and not to the real situation. As a matter of public interest and with all respect to the judiciary and the courts, I feel that the underprivileged would feel that they would be treading on dangerous ground if they do not retain the services of a lawyer in the absence of a magistrate. A lawyer from the unofficial bar of that court usually acts for the magistrate. Advice from the author, members of the legal profession and relevant professional bodies will, I feel be highly valued by the public. Albert P. Wickramasingha, When we were holidaying in Sri Lanka we had the happiest moment in our lives. We were staying in a star-class hotel in Bentota. I left my family for the day to travel to Kataragama and returned around 7p.m. to the hotel. I walked to the lobby where my wife and the two little girls were seated. I turned back and saw this face and told my wife that it should be Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Then I went upto the Prime Minister's guards and asked them if we could pose for a picture with him. But they refused. I came back to my table and then I walked upto the Prime Minister and asked him if we could have a picture taken with him. He agreed to pose with us after the hotel 'show' was over. My wife and our kids (7 years and 4 years old) were thrilled to hear the news. As soon as the show was over the Prime Minister came up and said he was ready to pose for the picture. We were so happy to pose for a picture with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. I have enlarged and kept the photograph in our Melbourne Lounge Room. I am not into politics in Sri Lanka, I must say that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is a gentleman and with all the worries in his head made a family so happy. We will never forget that day till we die as the holiday was a happy one too. Thank you Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for posing for the picture. Jeehan Abeywickrema, I have been reading news items in the newspapers recently of fines imposed by Magistrates, in the outstations on lorry drivers and their assistants, for illegal transport of cattle, goats etc. Readers who are familiar with these news items are aware of the cruel, barbaric and inhuman way these dumb animals are stuffed into these hell holes, they call lorries. It is well-known fact that these poor animals are starved for weeks, beaten mercilessly to make them weak and making it easier to hoard almost double the number that is meant for the particular space, in the vehicle. When detections are made, some animals are invariably found dead due to severe starvation and dehydration, choking due to no ventilation etc., even before they arrive at the slaughterhouse. The fines imposed on these offenders range from a mere Rs. 50 to just a few thousand depending on the number of heads and surely these offenders would not transport less than ten heads at a time, to maximise their profits. Can any reader tell me, if there is any less punishment meted out anywhere else in the world, for a cruelty of this nature. Can some authority explain why this illegal practice is rampant, why these sadly outdated laws are still in force and why more strict laws and punishments have not been introduced, to at least curb, if not stop this inhuman act, which is not fit for this civilised world? 'ANIMAL LOVER' The desk calendar printed yearly by the Government Printer in Sri Lanka is available for purchase at the Government Publications Bureau, Transworks House, Colombo in October. Day in and day out inquiries were made upto December 09 from the Publications Bureau which gave the information that it has so far not received the 2003 desk calendar for sale. The desk calendar is printed on one sheet of paper measuring 28 1/2 by 21cm and the Government Printer has no excuse for the delay in releasing the same as his department has no urgent work such as the printing of ballot papers for elections. Government departments, schools, the private sector and the general public depend on this early publication which contains a wealth of information. Government Printer please publish an appropriate news in the media. Earle R. de Zoysa, I have read recent letters written in response to an article with the above heading. Sri Lanka consists of a multi-cultural society; not admitting mothers dressed in anything other than sari to the school premises discriminates against women of cultures in which the sari is not the traditional dress. The sari is a beautiful and elegant dress; however, the sari, too, just like any other form of dress, can be worn in a less than decent manner if one tries, as most of us have seen. The main considerations in dressing for everyday activities usually are decency, comfort and convenience, and the choice should be that of the wearer. Wouldn't it be absurd if mothers had to go home from their workplace or other daily activities to change into a sari before picking up their children? It would be just as unfair if fathers had to go home and change into national dress before visiting their child's school. I wonder whether the people who favour this restriction have thought about the predicament they would be in if they visited another country and were not allowed in certain places because they were wearing sari. It was mentioned in one of the letters that children whose mothers enter the school premises in so-called "unsuitable" dress will be humiliated by other children. Children should respect their parents based on their merits as parents, not based on what they wear. As for children who humiliate their fellow students, it is the task of the school staff to discipline and teach them to respect their fellow students whatever their background may be - one has only to look at what is happening in schools and universities today to realize the importance of this. RLJ - It is sad to know that our highest seat of learning (where there was once the best and most talented) the situation is deplorable at present. A talented and innocent student had to pay with his life, his only fault being, he fought for a just cause. The unfortunate part of this is, that those who genuinely wish to pursue higher studies in the traditional manner, whose aim is to pass out as assets to society and the nation are made to pay the price of non commitment to a just cause. Selfishness creates problems, which are beyond the authorities, as politics infiltrates into the field of education. Time was when as those of us of the older generation will recall that ragging in universities at that time was healthy fun, inflicted on new entrants to these institutions. Over the years however it was indulged in its worst form that could be called ragging, which has now turned into a form of torture, mentally and physically. Where does this all lead to besides the agony of parents who lose their children thus? Parents must discipline their children, from their impressionable age when young, how to face life and problems that beset them. Not only at university but also when they go out into the world. Life can bring challenges, and make it known to them that the challenges they are called upon to face have to be resolved with grim determination. There is much young people have to learn today, to discipline themselves on the ways of life. Many of these students are from rural areas, and the struggle parents have to overcome, for their children to enter the portals of the higher seats of learning, is the financial hurdle. Parents do everything to send their children to university and spend a lot for their education. However most of those who enter the university, cannot achieve what they strive for devious reasons. Not only universities, but also schools have been affected by interference from outside. Students at these institutions are instigated to rebel and revolt against their mentors, many of them fall prey to such advice, that is against the established code of conduct. Discipline with a capital D has to be instilled in children at an early age. Home is where the foundation is laid in disciplining your child, and it is the parents' responsibility to adhere to this. There are many children, who are found wanting in discipline, even in early stages of school. At times they are a law unto themselves. They want to have their say, and way, with scant regard for the teachers and other children. We know of parents, who when a problem arises with their child at school, try to assert the child's right, and do not care to get to the core of the problem. They believe that their child is right even if he/she is in the wrong. They have to know that certain things are just not done and above all, they have to respect the feelings of others, and not run away with the belief, that they are always right. This is the cause of friction, that as they grow and leave school and enter the higher seats of learning grows with them, causing dissension and strife among students. They are easy prey. Who fall for the ulterior motives of those who find these tender minds, easy to gain advantage of their scheming and planning to disrupt the life of these institutions. It is sad that over the years, this canker has imbedded itself, in the body of those institutions and can only be eradicated by stringent laws, that should be brought about, if we are to see the future generation among those who enter our higher seats of learning, maintain the good name and honour, that is due to such institutions. Ayesha Yusuf, "Tom Brown's Schooldays" may be still a book read in schools in Sri Lanka today but does it mean Sri Lankan academics live in that time warp in spite of that academic and intellectual capabilities giving them opportunity to develop beyond it? Since achieving a peaceful independence in 1948 from our colonial rulers unlike our neighbour India, Sri Lankans appear still to find extreme sadistic pleasure in ragging. Even after 54 years of democratic existence Sri Lankans appear to be capable of clinging on to 'undeveloped' and 'savage' like practices and pastimes. To those among the leaders of Sri Lanka who turn either a blind eye or actually find some of the incidents of ragging part and parcel of their daily humour, I reckon you haven't evolved further than the ecstatic pleasure Romans got in watching christians and gladiators thrown to the lions or fighting each other to the death. The heads of schools and universities and technical colleges should be ashamed of themselves to accept that they claim to head such institutions that perpetrate these atrocities. Why cannot the leaders of Sri Lanka along with the heads of all schools, universities and colleges unite to ban the practice of 'ragging' with immediate effect and certainly from 2003? Rapidly bring in laws to imprison and deny the opportunity of further education to any individuals found guilty of ragging others. If academics and intellectuals especially in universities find it acceptable and pleasurable to behave this way towards their fellow men and women they are in fact worse than terrorists who often are at least not of the same intellectual capacity. I am glad to say that I left Sri Lanka after my GCE 'A' Levels and many of my class also did likewise. We were the lucky ones in that we came upon academic institutions that showed respect and dignity for individuals and left behind some barbaric practices. Of those of my class or year that stayed and went to University in Sri Lanka many recount the 'ragging' with a strange acceptance of its normality. Maybe it explains why Sri Lanka continues to be a dependent nation in spite of having some of the best 'brains' in Asia. Wake up Sri Lanka and consider if any student of a developed foreign country would wish to enter a Sri Lankan university and be subject to 'ragging' or be with other local students who accepted it as normal. The practice of 'ragging' is barbaric and it's time to make it vanish forever in Sri Lanka. To rid one's nation of terrorism and effect a lasting peace Sri Lankans have to start by eradicating 'Terrorist' practices from affecting the formative lives of its students. JAYANTHI MUNASINGHE |
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