|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
 |
|
 |
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.
The students of St. Anthony's College, Wattala felicitated 55 dedicated teachers on 2nd April 2005. I happened to be one of them. The little kids who studied at St. Anthony's College, Wattala (88-89 August group) would have been punished then, by some of these teachers. Yet as they grew older and attained very high positions in society they knew who were responsible for moulding their lives along with their loving parents. On that day some of the teachers were very weak due to age, some were with walking sticks, some had no proper vision, yet all of them were with tears of joy as they saw how grateful these students were to their teachers for moulding their character. I, straight from the University, though inexperienced was happy to teach this batch of very mischievous students. Now I am happy to see them in very high ranks in society but still have a special place in their hearts for us. They did not forget to felicitate the minor staff, that day, who helped them in various school activities when they were students. Nalini Wimaladasa, Polonnaruwa. Being a director, I am very happy that the Minister has finally got the nerve to restructure the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB). This should have been done long ago. Frankly the Tourist Board is a total flop. It is full of cooks, waiters etc., given top posts on political agendas. We see all the time the lack of administrative knowledge, skill and misappropriation of funds in all promotional campaigns and trade exhibitions and we wonder when will there be an end to all this for we have voiced our concerns long time ago even to the then minister who took no notice. Campaigns were organised by individual hoteliers and on a collective basis where we had to bear our own costs though we pay a huge tax levy to the SLTB and the Government. Bravo Mr. Minister, we are with you! S. Fahim, Bentota. There is no shortage of Sri Lankans willing to commit suicide for the benefit of others. Few years back I experienced a situation where 4 employees backed by a JVP union went on a hunger strike demanding re-instatement of employees who were sacked. The threat of suicide by fasting unto death is a tactic adopted by extremists and should be discouraged. Without delay laws should be enacted in our country to prohibit fasting unto death in public places as it disturbs the peace. Supporting or encouraging another individual to commit suicide should also be made an offence punishable under law. In this manner the individuals who wish to commit suicide could do so without the support of others and without being a nuisance to the general public. Civic minded citizen, Ratmalana. An NGO employee, a Jaffna resident was in town last month to attend to some official work in Colombo. As he had a couple of days work in Colombo he decided to obtain a passport. I learnt that a Justice of Peace operating near the passport office certified his application for a fee. Apparently the officials at the passport office are aware of this racket. So what is all this fuss about fingerprinting Sri Lankans by some foreign embassies for issue of visas? Don't these embassy officials know that passports are issued on false documents & some of the passports are even forged? Reading local newspapers they are well aware that Sri Lankan parents teach their children to lie at school admissions. The practice of being dishonest starts at a very young age. Those who complain should do something about these fraudulent acts of Sri Lankans, which compel foreigners to consider even the honest Sri Lankan as a cheat. Bandula Perera, Piliyandala. Justices of Peace are appointed annually by the Ministry of Justice. But we often observe some Justices of Peace discharge their legitimate duties near Courthouse premises, Divisional Secretariats or even at Public Pubs, waiting with their letterhead pad and their official seal until some client comes to get an Affidavit or some such document attested. How bluntly they place their signatures on these documents even without reading what their contents are nor having understood their text, merely concerned about a small santhosum for their so-called social service. However it is heartening that the Ministry of Justice, this is probing into alleged irregularities in certain JP appointments and complaints received against errant JPs from the Public for corruption and abuse of their powers. However, any applicant seeking appointment as a Justice of Peace, should at least posses a minimum educational qualification of GCE O/Level as a pre-requisite in addition to an unblemished integrity of character. Honesty, Social Status, basic qualifications and integrity or character should be the criteria when recommending such applications for Justice of Peace, if the sanctity of this honorary service towards the Public is to be maintained Pro-eono-publico. Don Sarath Abeysekera, Bandarawela. |
|
||||||||
|
| News
| Business |
Features |
Editorial | Security | Produced by Lake House |
