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| Sunday, 13 June 2004 |
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Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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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.
The LTTE is protesting against the killing of its cadres. Innocent civilians and the clergy were massacred in the past. Even after signing the MOU, army informants, politicians, members of political parties and civilians were killed by unknown gunmen whose identity has not been established. The LTTE kept silent.Now LTTE cadres and sympathizers are also being added to the list of killings. The gunmen and bomb throwers, involved, have not been identified. The LTTE is protesting over the killing of its cadres and sympathizers accusing the armed forces of complicity over those killings. There is no doubt that one feels bad and sad when your own kith and kin and friends are murdered more than when others are. But killings (friend or foe) are killings which surround sorrow and immense hardship to families of the dead. Hence all killings should cease. The only solution is to declare peace and outlaw murder, bloodshed and violence, as a means to an end. Upali S. Jayasekera, SLT Internet and false promises All SLT Internet users, especially broadband and ADSL users are in a disparate situation because, since last January SLT Internet became unreliable due to its low speed and poor quality in service (High rate of net congestion). The situation is getting worse, when new users are coming on line every day with broadband connections. Present situation was predicted by me and drew the attention of Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) in last October. Collapse of SLT Internet system mainly caused by the impact of ADSL users recently come on line, was under estimated by the relevant officials at Sri Lanka Telecom Limited.Today the speed in ADSL lines has been dropped to the level of dial-up Internet speed and anyone hardly sees the difference. Surprisingly ADSL users starts to celebrate when SLT break out the news with a letter forwarded to all ADSL customers on 16th March, 2004 saying that they are in process of upgrading its Internet backbone. And SLT quoted in the letter by the end of April expansion will be completed and users will get far superior speed in their Internet connections. This was another false promise and Internet become even worse and still SLT were unable to keep up their promise. In early May I have contacted officials at SLT and inquire about the delay in expansion they promised. They have given me the reason for the delay was at the submarine cable and it's beyond SLT's direct control. As far as I know, UUNET is a Tier-1 Internet backbone provider in the world and its network extending to OC-192 (10 Gbps) rings connecting major cities around the globe. Here I personally not agreed that UUNET or any other SEA-ME-WE-3 cable landing point simply having any difficulty in configuring or commissioning of OC-3 for the last 30 days. This was not technically sound reason for the delay to be given to the subscribers by Sri Lanka Telecom Limited. I believe if any unexpected technical problem arises, SLT should fill up their tanks before its get emptied. Running until the resources to be over was not a good decision taken by the superiors at SLT. Here we can clearly see the lack of strategy implementation and how it affected all SLT ADSL Internet users in the country. Apart from it, by sending such letter to its customers, SLT convincing that their ADSL service today facing problems directly attributed to the speed. At this particular situation I think SLT has to be more customer conscious and I would like to propose, SLT to waive the rental during the periods of poor quality Internet service provided to all ADSL subscribers by them. (Since last January) I believe in a process like this TRCSL should come forward and protect telecommunication subscribers in the country at first place. This kind of consumer right violations should be stopped and I believe its TRCSL sole responsibility to evaluate the Quality of Service (QoS) in telecom providers regularly. Further, I will humbly request CEO at SLT to draw more attention on consumer related problems and to maintain the standards of services provided by the company to its customers. I still have no idea how long SLT is planning to hold its ADSL users by giving excuses for the poor quality Internet service that they provide. Sanath Siriwardena (SLT ADSL Customer), Think of the country not the party Much has been said about the part played by the police for maintaining the unexpected, surprising peace during the recent election. While appreciating the police or maintaining law and order, we must appreciate the truth that the people too shunned violence on their own volition. This is a sign that people are also sick of election violence and cheating. Hope the leaders will take a cue from the mass and follow suit. The usual practice in our country is while one party tries to do some good the Opposition initiates riots, strikes and disunity. It is widely talked about, that the Alliance will not last more than 8 months. However, if the Opposition will value the country above themselves coming to power, they can support the present Government to last longer. Strange and alien as this suggestion may see, it is time the Sri Lankan politicians shifted their paradigm, for the people are sick and tired of politics and the country has taken enough beating. Though our past Prime Minister clearly projected a "clean man" he miserably failed to keep his Cabinet "clean" mainly because he had no majority in the Parliament where he could confidently chuck out any wrong doers' he always had to bow down to shims and fancies of his party men for fear of them crossing over. However, the people had no qualms of chucking them out as shown by the total rejection of his majority Ministers. If the UNP manages to unseat the Alliance - Ranil will again face the same predicament - for the simple reason that again it will be a hung Parliament. Our country had suffered enough under this blighted system where the politicians wanting to maintain power, again and again end up with hung Parliaments, which lead to the country being held ransom by uncouth politicians. The present Government may be the best thing that happened to the country, if only Ranil will opt to make it so. With the SLFP and JVP totally opposing each other on major policies, they will be breathing down each other's shoulders if any of them try to cross the line. The JHU with its surprise number of parliamentarians can keep an eye. Overall Opposition leader Ranil can have the final say, if any misdeeds are planned by the Government, for he will be able to muster a majority Opposition. In this way, a "National Government" in the working sense can be formed if not in actual sense. So really, the decision is in the hands of the past Prime Minister - will he rise to the occasion? Dr. (Mrs) Mareena , Thaha Reffai, Need for Supreme Council to protect the Sasana The behaviour of the J.H.U. monks in the recent past has not only brought discredit and disrespect to the saffron robe but also has caused irreparable damage to the cause of Buddhism. Although it is said "nothing but the good of the dead" it is pertinent to remind our society that there have been criminals in saffron robes who were found guilty of heineous crimes. They became criminals whilst being in robes to realize their political intentions. Vast crowds that gathered to pay their respect to late Rev. Soma Thera at the Adahana Poojoathsawaya provided ample proof of the services rendered to the Sasana and the society by the late Soma Thera. His demise was a great loss to the Sasana and the country. But what lured him to leave our shores so discreetly remains a mystery. Was there an unseen hand or an agent of missionaries who offered rubles to the Buddha Putra to put an end to the services to sasana and our society. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary the sudden demise of late Rev. Soma Thera could only be attributed to the machinations of an unseen hand. The Buddhist laity has very justifiably entertained a fear that this invisible hand is still at work to ridicule and discredit the noble teachings of the Buddha. The behaviour of the J.H.U. monks in the recent past provides ample testimony to this. They have become tools in the hands of drug peddlers and bookie mudalalis, who feed, maintain and provide air conditioned comfort for them to go on Paramitha Peraheras to achieve their political ends. The teachings of the Buddha are being misinterpreted and distorted to justify their actions. It is imperative that early action is taken to put a stop to this anti- Buddhist activities of a politically motivated group, in the interest of the Sasana which has stood the test of time for well over 2500 years. A Supreme Council comprising the Mahanayakes and reputed and honoured Buddhist leaders should be summoned to decide on suitable action to be taken to arrest this situation without delay. L. Karunayaka, Sonia creates an example in politics The way Ms Sonia Gandhi handled the political situation during the last few days, following her historic victory, sadly reminds us of what the political leaders of many other countries lack nobility and grace. After the dramatic election results in India, everyone thought that Sonia Gandhi would be the next Prime Minister. But unexpectedly she declined the post. I think it was the right decision for her. By taking the decision she has created an example in politics. For this decision, the BJP is now totally defeated, because most of the BJP members were going too far on the issue of Sonia's origin. Sonia's decision will not only increase her acceptability to the Indian people as a true leader, but also to the whole world. We are not only perplexed but also appalled at Sonia's decision to jettison premiership. Typically, by discarding the party proposal she proved that she is politically urbane and pragmatic. Really, she is the victim of BJP's xenophobia. It maligned Sonia Gandhi scurrilously. It is ambiguous to me why Mr Vajpayee keeps mum while the rank and file of the BJP opposes Sonia as PM of India, which is undemocratic. Sonia has been the citizen of India since 1983, and she has every right to be Prime Minister as declared by the Supreme Court of India. It is evident that BJP members are politically narrow minded and parochial. They should keep in mind that though they are advanced in IT and space technology, they are not politically civilized. They lack political decorum and decency. Sonia Gandhi created history twice within the span of a mere week, first by leading the Congress to victory in the general election against all odds: and second, by declining the post of Prime Minister something unthinkable in the politics of this region. The return on such moral investment is invisible and invincible. The goodwill thus created is charged, and the dividend would be seen in the near future, when she bounces back, undisputed and unopposed. She beat Vajpayee, the outgoing PM, in his own game=he was good enough to give up like a true gentleman with humility. These examples would set precedents in the SAARC region in changing political cultures. The masses had been under duress these decades for third class leadership, barring some rare exceptions. Any sort of appreciation regarding Sonia Gandhi is insufficient. What she showed the worldly people will go down in history in golden letters. When the politicians are addicted to power, it is not easy to put aside the offer of becoming prime minister of a country. After defeating the BJP in the Indian election, she refused to take over as prime minister. What a sacrifice! A.Abdul Aziz, The Malay betrayed and deprived once again? The new UPFA government formed under the leadership of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga too has ignored the Malays despite of the many requests made directly and also through the print media. Their appeal was to appoint a Malay as a member of Parliament to represent the Malays. It was heartening to hear the President mentioned the Malays as a distinct race and give them due recognition in all her election speeches. She also had nominated a Malay candidate in the National List. The lady named is a prominent educationist renowned for her contribution to the education sector at large. However, for reasons unknown she has not been considered for entry to the Parliament. In the past it was the SLFP that gave due recognition to the Malays and appointed two members on two occasions to the parliament. There are nearly seventy thousand Malays living all over Sri Lanka and around twenty five thousand of them are settled in Colombo and its suburbs, surely a fraction of them at=least would have voted for the success of the UPFA, if not all. This was solely because of the impact made by the Malay candidate in the national list through her election campaign activities. In the past no Malays were considered in the appointments to the position of Chairman, Directors or emissaries of the government institutions. The Muslims of Sri Lanka don't constitute the Moors alone. This fact should be realized atleast now and the President should consider the Malays as a significant group that are contributing to the economy and the general welfare of the country. On the other hand the UNP has ignored its stalwarts to accommodate minority communities like the Memons and Colombo Chetties and Parsies. (Of course the fact remains hidden whether it was done for monetary gains.) Now this insignificant groups have representation in the Parliament Thanks to Ranil! If the UPFA intends to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of its people as focused in its election manifesto the Malays should be given due recognition, prioritizing the women. This would certainly bring fruitful result at the next Provincial council elections. Mohamed Sadikeen Samsudeen, Health workers - more sick than the sick Now the time has come for the people to treat the 'incurable' doctors, nurses, para-medics and attendants who fall sick every now and then, mostly group by group and sector by sector. Health workers from doctors down to the sanitary labourers are more sick than the sick who are paid handsome salaries. Their disease which is highly infectious is spread by a germ which is only curable by a 'painful' injection of increased salaries. The funny thing is that this germ gets into another group and they begin to yell in pain clamouring for increase in salaries. The patients from their sick beds watch, these health-workers screaming in pain, with a lot of fun and interest. The only solution or the correct medicine for this peculiar disease is either to sack the workers who defy the Essential Services Order (JR once did it and was returned to power with a thumping majority) because the people never sympathise with striking health workers or privatise the entire health services and initiate an insurance scheme for the poor with the government providing the necessary funds. E.M.G. Edirisinghe, Oh Lord! What tricks these mortals play? Article captioned, "A widow taken for an insurance ride" published in your esteemed journal of May 30 is very sad indeed! "Calculatingly, to lead an 85-year-old lady, a widow, up the garden path of "Exhaust" in dragging her insurance claim case in a court of law for a period of seven or more years, attending courts for many more moons is deplorable. The fracas being a third party insurance claim, one would look forward to the fulfilment of a statutory obligation without 'Much ado about nothing' from a leading insurance company - in keeping with the basic principle in insurance viz: 'Oberimma Fedae'. Facts of the case being so, may be that the learned District Judge of Moratuwa inquired from the insurance lawyer whether the company could go up to Rs. 40,000? Since then, many moons passed. Yet the case dragged on and on without an answer from the insurer. Hence, I believe, the aged widow's trembling hand was forced to agree to the belated offer of Rs. 25,000 for a settlement. Well, the ruse so meticulously adopted to stump a more deserving award is a crying shame. Besides, the sacred promise of the insurance company made in a court of justice to remain unpaid till the following year sounds tricky enough to prolong the agony hopefully awaiting the 85-year-old widow's departure from "Here to eternity". C. L. Terence Fernando, |
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