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| Sunday, 12 September 2004 |
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Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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I have always been a strong supporter of the freedom of the press, which I consider a sacred principle to be maintained by the citizens of a freedom loving country. A censored press in which nothing is allowed to appear that does not suit the views, political, religious, social of one party in the State is indeed a curse to any country. The views of all parties the opinions of all sides should have free ventilation; so that we can see all sides of every question, and know what others are thinking, suffering and striving for. But even in the west the freedom of press is always limited by certain necessary restrictions. Infact the freedom of press like all freedoms is and must be freedom within certain limits. There can be no freedom without law; for freedom utterly unrestrained by law, becomes licence which is a very different thing. Freedom has been well defined as being the liberty to do what we ought; not the liberty to do what we like. Political liberty itself is a limited liberty. As a citizen of a free country, I am free but only within the law. I am not free to steal, to murder, to cheat, to damage my neighbour's property, or to break any law of the land. If I don't I rightly lose my freedom and thereby subject to stand before law and take up the punishment, unlimited political freedom would be anarchy and not freedom at all. So the freedom of the press is a limited freedom; and it must be subject to restrictions. And I have written all this to point out that many of the newspapers of the country are at the present time dangerously overstepping the limits of legitimate freedom. In communal and religious disputes they are introducing an element of bitterness and hatred which is calculated to inflame the public mind and to result in disturbance of the peace of the country. It is high time that such misused liberty was restricted, and a limit put to the length to which a section of the press is now going, such restrictions will not destroy, but rather preserve the freedom of the press. Mrs. Stella Johnpillai, The owners of theatres say that they show 'adults only' films to cover the expenses of their maintenance of the theatre. Another reason they give is that people are more attracted to 'adults only' films. The theatres are houseful, when there is a 'adults only' show. Don't we really have any other films for the people or have they lost the taste for artistic movies? Sri Lankan cinema has not developed according to other developed countries to produce and shoot a film which is full of excitement. But how come that our people are very 'artistic' to produce storyless 'adults only' movies, and of course endless releases of raw comedy films? Everyone has a right to do what they want, but they must not do what can harm another. One may argue how these films could harm anyone if people don't want to watch these kind of films. Those who stay in the queue for 'adults only' shows are those who need to watch them. No one is forcing anyone to join these queues. But is this the reality? Showing 'adults only' movies is alright, as there are people who want these kind of films but what about the banners and posters that are exhibited films? Isn't the name of the movie and the venue enough information for the audience? Why should they expose scenes of the films? These posters are hung in public places. An adult is allowed to see these movies, but have all the people who walk on the road and gather in public places forced to see these banners. Who can guarantee that schoolchildren are not corrupted because of this exposure? The posters are visible in zoomed pictures. Sri Lanka children are neither blind nor are the adults. The saddest thing is that the relevant authorities are silent. Even the public seems to be blind. Members of the Parliament fight for the majority in Parliament, while little kids count their fingers to become adults. Actually I might be wrong, but if either the public or the government do not take action, in another ten years, 'adults only' films won't be a big issue for Sri Lankans. Specially for Sri Lankan children, as they will get used to it. 'Adults only' films might be labelled as family shows! Zaneefa Zaneer, Depositors at Pramuka Bank must be reading, with interest, the repeated and re-repeated assurances of the Central Bank that they would be repaid their deposits. That sounds hopeful and sweet to the ear indeed. But to the hope, will it smell foul to the nose ? What proposition of their deposits can be expected is the multi million rupee question. A good portion of the resources available for distribution would have by now been wasted, while the Central Bank was dilly-dallying and calculatingly, dragging their feet in the matter. If it is a fact that it was only a month before the bank was suspended that the Central Bank listed it among the viable banks, the Central Bank has to be responsible to the depositors, like this writer, to be caught up in the loss of his deposits. Will the Central Bank of Sri Lanka be more specific about their "Hill Top" pronouncements lest those affected may know where they stand, and not await things to happen like the proverbial stork waiting for the tank to dry, to catch fish ! C.L. Terence Fernando, Unity, urgent need of the hour It cannot be disputed that the ethnic crisis has had and is continuing to have an adverse impact on the economic development of our country. This problem has become so complicated that the government alone cannot succeed in finding a solution acceptable to our people. Since it remains an impediment to our progress as a nation the opposition too should extend its unstinted support for finding a lasting solution. I would therefore appeal to the UNP to lend its wholehearted cooperation in order to effect a breakthrough in the search for permanent peace in our beloved motherland. Party politics should not be allowed to hamper the well-meaning efforts in this direction since it is a problem affecting the entirety of our nation. I would also refer to the attitude of the JVP vis-a-vis the peace talks. Since the JVP is an important partner in the government one would expect a more balanced and responsible attitude from the party in this regard. It is reported that the President proposes to hold talks with the LTTE taking the latter's ISGA as a basis. One cannot, by any stretch of imagination, predict that the ISGA proposals will be accepted in toto. After an in-depth study of the proposals, amendments to provisions in the ISGA not acceptable to the country are bound to come up. In the circumstances, the opposition of the JVP to holding peace talks is unacceptable and premature. The international community is keenly watching as to what is happening with regard to peace talks. I therefore appeal to the JVP to refrain from causing obstructions. Let the talks begin in a peaceful atmosphere; well begun is half done. M. Thambipillai, Our teledrama distortion of Buddhism It is only the Buddha who said it as it is, and he said, "Human beings delight in suffering". If one glance around you does not prove this, take a look at our Sinhala teledramas. Practically every character is swamped in despairing gloom, whimpering, "it is, alas! my karma!" we ought to prohibit the makers of these teledramas from distorting Buddhism, by using wrong words. What their character is loudly and sorrowfully experiencing is not karma, which is the cause of his present flight, but "vipaka", the result of his past bad karma. Karma is volitional action and vipaka, feeling, is the fruit of that action. At least if the character is made to squeal, "it is my vipaka", the audience will be alerted to the fact that evil does not pay! This continuing, warped rendering of Buddhism cannot be good, especially for young viewers, more inclined to follow the wrong, sleezy trend of their favourite actor, rather than what is tought in the Dhamma class. Have you noticed how even the animals in our teledramas look more forlorn than elsewhere? And our teledrama characters remain helplessly pinned down by life's vicissitudes, unable to react, whereas the Buddha's message is a clarion call to hope, self-reliance and the ability to mould one's own destiny. A hackneyed tear-jerker is the ingratitude of children. If the advice in bana preaching to save for a rainy day comes in through one ear to go whizzing out of the next, at least the stinging reminder in the Dhammpada, "sons are not for refuge, neither father, nor kin...." is enough to activate any Buddhist parent to feather their own nest, however sparsely, without lavishing all their possessions on their offspring, resulting only in hateful dependency on them. A recent poya day teledrama shows a mother simply curling up and dying through dissappointment because her married son did not come to take her to Kelaniya. A true Buddhist mother would not only have gone to Kelaniya with a friend, but come back bearing a goblet for her son as a reminder that the cost of her pilgrimage was his to reimburse. How many times had she not packed the ingrate off to school with bus fare and a mas paan? In another, the parents, unable to bear the belligerent demands of their two rich children, who keep asking for the ancestral home, where the old, frail couple had decided to spend their remaining years, simply commit suicide to let them have it! These silly episodes make a mockery of the religion these characters are supposed to follow. No doubt one reason for this sorry state is traceable to the words, we now hear contemptuously spat out at every turn "do not preach bana to me!" not only in teledramas, but also in real life, especially by politicians. True, our teledramas reflect our sick society. But artists are expected to bring out the lost or hidden goodness of things, and our pessimistic, gloomy movies are crying out for light. Light that accords with the religion the majority profess to follow - courage, self-respect, self-reliance and the determination to accomplish the best undeterred by obstacles. Surely at least one such character could be made to romp across the stage, instead of the whole let being hopeless bunch of nitwits? Prema Ranaweera-Das, An unethical practice that is among the doctors is that they prescribe drugs by trade names rather than by generic names. The late Professor Senaka Bibile fought against this unethical practice by doctors and he thereby created many an enemy and is death under mysterious circumstances is well-known to the elderly. The late Prof. Bibile and the late Dr. S.A. Wickramasinghe was appointed by the late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike to formulate a policy regarding sale of drugs and other related matters. After which some order was set in the sale and use of drugs. Now when they sell under trade names for instance Amoxillin could be obtained in different trade names viz: (1) Amoxillin B.P. 250 for SPC Dacomax costs only Rs. 4.52 per cap. (2) Amoxin B.P. 250 Rs. 1.80 (3) Smithkline Beecham Co., England Rs. 10.74. (4) Imox 250 (Indian) Rs. 5.35. Another malpractice by doctors is they tell the patient and sometimes write 'do not substitute'. Thereby the person who does not understand the difference is cheated. Hippocratic Hypocrite, I write this letter in the hope and belief that publicity in the newspaper will awaken in Sri Lankan authorities to the criminal negligence by employers towards those who secure employment abroad and the indifference in their own motherland. My husband the late Ramamoorthy on leaving school had an in service training in the Trinity College farm in Pallekelle Kandy. Thereafter he secured employment in the Department of the Razat Farm of the Palace Salalah where he continuously worked for a period of 9 years from 1980 to 1989. From there to better prospects, he secured employment in the Agriculture and Projects and Services Co., L. L. C. Horticultural consultant in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman. He worked continuously for a period of 12 years. I was with him throughout with our only child son and we periodically visited our home in Sri Lanka and went back. On the last visit stayed back with my son in order to give him a proper education not long after my return my husband just 52 years old suddenly passed away on 26.06.2002 while in employment. He was robust, a picture of health and fully active. His sudden death compete upset me. My father who is 87 years old came to my rescue and regard to making arrangement to get my husband's body to Sri Lanka. A post mortem stated to be held on 20.07.2002 (24 days after the death) gives the cause of death as "organo phophorous poisoning" with considerable expense at this end, the body was brought and the funeral rites according to Hindu customs performed at Nawalapitiya on 24.07.04. I am a widow with a school going son now living with my aged parents. The back wages due to my husband, gratuity and compensation remain unpaid. I am grieved that the Foreign Employment Bureau in Sri Lanka has informed me - " There is no response and it is impossible to take action as Salalah is 1000 Km away from the capital" and suggesting that I should file action in the Labour Court of Oman. Is this all the comfort and consolation that the Sri Lankan authorities can offer to those who go abroad to remit valuable foreign exchange to their motherland? Is it practical for me to accede to this advice? Or is it a convenient method for the authorities to wash their hands of their responsibility and a duty they owe me? A few days ago the Labour Minister, Hon Athauda Seneviratne, to whom I made an appeal sent a very nice reply. But the substance of the letter boils down to - sorry nothing can be done, please forget about it - can some good samaritan or Human Rights Organisation help me in this matter. To obtain the dues to which I am legitimately entitled, arrears of back wages, gratuity and compensation due to my late husband. I have no income of my own future and that of my son is dark and dismal as matters stand. Mrs. S. Ramamoorthy, Cricket in Sri Lanka 50 years ago In 1956 the Galle Cricket Club played a cricket match with the West Indies team, which was a very good team, at the Galle Cricket Club grounds. The Galle C.C. invited Neil de Silva who had played for about 6 years for Mahinda College cricket team. Neil opened bowling and he captured 4 or 5 wickets. When Galle C.C. were batting Neil opened batting and scored a very high mark. Galle C.C. won he match. The All Ceylon Cricket Association invited Neil to play in a match where Ceylon was playing Pakistan. Neil left Galle and came to Colombo, and found he was made the 12th man in the team, and thus he could not ball or bat. People in Galle were not surprised because they knew that All Ceylon Cricket Association selected players only from Colombo cricket teams or schools and never invited a player from towns out of Colombo district. Peter Sumanasena, It is the PA government who privatised the former G.O.B.U. of Colombo Gas Co. and they allowed during their period to Shell to import gas on duty free basis. But what happened they increased the prices of gas during that period saying that the government has agreed to them to increase the price of gas by 10% every year. During the period of G.O.B.U. of Gas Co. there were nearly 900 permanent employees. Now they have not more than 100 permanent employees and the balance few are on contract basis. They closed down the installation section and the employees were sent on a package deal. But Shell informs the Govt. and other private companies that they are doing installation work. They give this job to a sub contractor who has no experience and charge exhorbitant rates to cover up their commission and the sub contractor fee. The Shell when they took over, reduced the weight of gas from 13kg to 12.5 kg on safety grounds. But did they reduce the price for the quantity of gas they reduced ? No. During the G.O.B.U. of Gas Co. there was no any accident occurred by selling 13 kg gas. They say about the extra safety cap (black) which is fixed to the cylinder should be available when the public returned the cylinder for filling. If not they charge Rs. 5.00. Now where is the safety precaution for the 4.4 kg gas cylinder, they supply for the three wheel gas ? There is no any cover of safety cap on the valve of the cylinder. The cylinder can leak at any moment if any body touch the valve where is the safety precaution for this cylinder by Shell. Now who is fooling who ? K.A. Gamage, Once a JP (Jolly Pensioner) now a SSP (shattered, sorrowful pensioner) Not a day passes without the multitude of woes of the pensioners being presented in the newspapers. They keep asking the question, when will the much longed for, much promised and eagerly awaited arrears of pensions be paid ? Who will give them the details and answers to lots of questions they keep inquiring and get no acceptable answer ? Visits to the different officials, the Pensions Department, the District Secretaries, Assistant District Secretaries, etc, provide no definite answer and seem to be of no avail. May I please request the relevant authorities (the Director of Pensions and any of the other relevant and concerned (no pun) authorities) to please inform the pensioners, through the media, and if possible even individually, when the pensioners can expect to receive their enhanced pensions, what procedures they have to adopt to get this and what forms (if any) they have to fill to receive the increased pensions. Also can any forms that have to be filled please be sent by the Divisional Secretaries or the Assistant Divisional Secretaries to the pensioners direct, along with their monthly pension forms? (In the same manner information about free eye examining and spectacles for nominal amounts are offered) The biggest problem faced by the pensioners is, they have no idea what action they have to take to get this long awaited, enhanced pension, about which they have heard a great deal about. So that, at least if they are correctly informed what action they have to take and when they can expect the arrears, it will do them considerable good. It will minimise groping in the dark and attendant frustration. A very large number of these pensioners depend on the pension as their sole, if not major source of income. Most of them are feeble, senile and not fit physically. And, most importantly, do not forget that quite a few of them are in the "departure lounge" awaiting the last farewell !! Major General Gratiaen Silva VSV (Retd), |
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