|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
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.
Acid-throwing incidents are not unusual in our country. This criminal act is motivated through hatred and vengeance and the victims are subjected to lifetime sufferings or death. The latest, in these series, took place recently in a temple and the assailant is unbelievably a young Buddhist priest. The acid attack was fatal and the priest succumbed to his injuries. What is most puzzling here, apart from the death of the elderly priest, is that a Buddhist priest who is said to be practising the teachings of the Lord Buddha has committed such an act. The discipline of Maha Sangha is considered to be held in the highest esteem compared to that of laymen. But in this instance, how did it come down to such a mean level out of the offending priest. Therefore, it is extremely important to delve deeply into this matter to uncover the conditions under which the priest was instigated to commit this heinous act. The findings can be of great help to avoid occurrence of such happenings in future and to maintain the centuries old strict discipline of Maha Sangha. It is up to the hierarchy of Maha Sangha, Sangha Sabha and the leading Buddhist organizations to investigate the event carefully to find out ways and means to avoid recurrence of same. M. R. A. L. Gunasinghe, Health risks in use of plastics We would like to thank Lake House papers, J. E. Vedanayagam in his letter which appeared in your valued journal (Sunday Observer) on the above subject, for sharing this piece of valuable information with your readers. I came to know there had been a three-member panel discussion recently over the radio. This discussion would have been by the concerned authorities (with the Director General, Sri Lanka Standard Institute also participating) why not issue a press statement on this discussion as many were not aware of this, so that the general public would be educated? It must state whether the strong plastic bottles used by schoolchildren is safe or not? The chemical agents that cause cancer called Diethylhydroxylomine or Deha according to Mr. JEV's letter are harmful and is a health risk. He also states plastic called polyethylene Terephalate or Pet is also harmful. In this connection I would like to draw the attention of your readers to Dr. Roland Arnold's letter "PVC food packaging despite toxic matter" - April 8th 1998 in the Daily News. This was a casual observation by the good doctor on a short visit to Sri Lanka. He states PVC is banned not only in advanced countries but also in certain poor countries. Therefore the authorities concerned, especially, Director-General Sri Lanka Standards Institute, is duty bound by the public, if they are any useful service to the people to explain and sound a warning to the public event at this belated hour for these are in use for quite a long time in Sri Lanka to the detriment of the health and the future generations will be ridden with cancer due to the negligence of the authorities concerned. V. K. B. Ramanayake, Illicit lime coral mining in the southern belt Although permits are issued by the local authorities for lime stone mining, the extent of the land covered by such permits are not clear without a plan attached to any such permit. Further no refilling of the land is executed by the permit holder after the mining is over and no authority is bothered whether such condition of the permit is duly executed. Associated problems for the adjoining land owners where such mining is done are:- (a) It is not stated how close to the adjoining land boundary or a common road edge such permit holder could do the mining excavation. (b) How soon should the area excavated be refilled is not known. (c) What steps are compulsory for the permit holder to prevent environmental pollution: such as pollution of drinking water, creation of breeding ground for mosquitoes, refused dirt accumulation. Illicit lime stone mining is most prevalent in low lying lands between Ambalangoda, Kahawa and Hikkaduwa a little interior to the coast line main road escaping the notice of higher authorities. Disputes arising out of encroached excavation close to adjoining lands and edges of roads are normally brought to the notice of Police for settlement by only a few courageous persons despite fear of political pressure. Only the Police are helpful in taking action against such wrongful excavations. Y. Amarasena de Silva, One of the talking points following the recently concluded International AIDS Conference is how Sri Lanka has managed to control the AIDS problem. The UNAIDS/WHO figures for Sri Lankan adults and children living with HIV/AIDS have shown a remarkable decline in the last few years. In 2000 it was estimated to be 7500, in 2002 it was 4800 and the latest figure i.e. for 2004 is only 3500. While most countries in Asia have shown a considerable increase after promoting the ABC or prevention i.e. (1) Abstinence While the Health Ministry is sending a team abroad to study how to control dengue, they should invite HIV/AIDS staff from other countries to see how Sri Lanka has controlled AIDS. The National Dengue Control Task Force should take a cue from the AIDS programme. Do nothing and ultimately the cases will come down. Southern Province, They seem forsaken - certainly by the government. They eke out an existence, with hardly one meal a day, consisting of rice and scraped coconut, if they are lucky. They are surrounded by these two too impoverished to satisfy their own hunger. These are the Buddhist monks in Pottuvil, Akkaraipattu, etc under the jurisdiction of the government - which apparently refuses acknowledgement of its responsibility. The villages around are consigned to abject poverty, with perhaps only one drinking water well for the whole village, no proper roads, no schools, no medicine, no medical facilities at all, no transport - in fact, no amenities. In these remote areas, it is mostly one monk to one temple, and this monk, who is often young, is genuine Buddha-Puthra stuff, otherwise he would have started running a long time ago, without looking back! The lone monk in the Eravur temple was found dead under suspicious circumstances, and the temple with its premises was taken over automatically by the non-Buddhists in the vicinity. Who cared? True, Sri Lankans have long since stopped expecting anything good from the governments they foolishly keep electing, but how about the Mahanayakes, who have been appointed to foster the Buddha Sasana? Surely, it is their business to find out the plight of their brethren in remote parts? If no funds are available elsewhere, is it too much to ask the Diyawadana Nilame and the Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters to curtail the Maligawa performances (after all, the Sotapenna, reaching the first stage of sanctity, eradicates belief in rites and rituals) and donate what is thus saved to ameliorate the pathetic condition of these monks? Should not the President, Prime Minister, Buddha Sasana Minister and Ministers on both sides stop concentrating their attention on areas closer to home and survey the outer regions of the island, where both monks and lay people are undergoing such hardship? Politicians are certainly under oath to protect the country and its inhabitants and their avowed task is to distribute equally whatever resources are available. What else are governments for? As nothing ever seems to reach the outer fringes, why do they not begin some development projects from the outside in, targetting the destitute areas first? Dare we ask our Buddhists to rise up and take action to support these monks, heroically struggling to upkeep their derelict temples, in order to keep going the Sasana? Prema Ranawaka-Das, A well established business magnate from deep down South, hospitalised his dearly loved mother, an octogenarian, at a reputed nursing home in the city of Colombo. After three days, in early July 2004, at 2.30 a.m. the mother passed away. The hospital authorities insisted that all belongings including the linen of the deceased to be removed and free the room to make way for the patient of a 'Big Wig' in waiting. Accordingly, excepting the white sheet, covering the corpse, the rest of the linen were all despatched to her far away home. The mourners little realised that the sheet covering the corpse belonged to the hospital. The bill for three days climbed 'Himalayan Heights' a little less than a lakh. Promptly, the account in full was settled, when the "cock-a-doodle-do"crowed at three in the morning. The family mourners lowly bowed in silence with a "Tear Drop in their eyes". The solemnity of the "Deadly Hour" was rudely disturbed. The hospital Authority claimed and insisted to return the white sheet. This heart breaking order sent shock waves and the deep southern mourners saw "morning stars" as to where they could go to purchase cloth at this ungodly hour of the day. A young banker who happened to be a friend of the deceased's son, acting "Good Samaritan", tried to temper the haughty attitude of Authorities with "the quality of Mercy" offering to pay the fair price Rs. 300 for the used sheet. As he heard of the hospital price Rs. 1000 with a penalty added, none in the crowd had that much cash after settling an exorbitant bill. As an alternative, it was politely suggested to forward the memo of the cost addressed to the deceased's sons with an assurance for prompt payment. As the request was turned down, an argument ensued. Vehemently objecting to the inhuman attitude and behaviour of these "Universal" nursing staff, the mourners together with the undertakers forced their way out. The mourners now await the memo of cost for settlement. C. L. Terence Fernando, |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
