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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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The root cause for the continuing failure of all peace efforts in Sri Lanka, seems to be buried deep similar to why Ahinsaka the innocent in Angulimala Charithaya slayed too many. There is no doubt that India will arrest the LTTE leader for slaying their late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, if he is to give up terrorism and enter into the civilized society. Isn't this be the reason why the LTTE simply keep on killing people and violating the Ceasefire Agreement and trying backwards to evade, disrupt and disagree with every move introduced by the State? It is crystal clear that it is safe for the LTTE leader as long as he is in hiding. Therefore it is correct to say that his fear of arrest by the Indian authorities, spoils all tactics towards peace by the Sri Lankan government for ever. In this connection, to hit the nail on the head and to take the bull by the horns, top priority of the Sri Lankan government should be directed especially towards this point and to even introduce legislative enactments, so that the LTTE leader will overcome such fear and give up his Angulimala role for ever and peace thus established in this sacred island, and precious lives, money, time and energy could be saved. H. N. Wimeleratne, Kelaniya. Recently Dr. D. Attygalle, consultant anaesthologist, in a speech she made at a leading girls school said she found that deterioration in the work ethic of schools was very evident. Education is not there only to pass exams, but also have all the other necessary requisites that go with it. The co-operation of both parents and school was necessary to establish this and discipline the students. The aim of education is to gain knowledge and create an awareness among the children, about how to adjust themselves to face life's challenges. Sometimes when children go wrong, the parents tend to blame the school, without finding out who or what went wrong. Such parents even go to the extent of questioning the school, for the wrongs of the child. Passing exams should not be the only aim of the child. It may make them eligible for jobs but there is more to that. Time management is a vital component of self-discipline and success in career management. Ayesha Yusuf It has come to light through the media that the payment of pensions to be arranged through the banks only. Any government in power if it is reasonable to the public should always consider whether the proposed one is better than the existing method. In the case of payment of pensions through the banks, the poor, innocent, pensioners who are suffering with many difficulties have to travel in vehicles for long distances, also spending a lot of money to obtain their poor pension. In village areas the pensioners have to walk for 15, 20, 30 sometimes even more than 40 miles in search of the bank. For example, a pensioner living in Ambagahawatta (an area more than 20 miles away from Welimada) has to travel all that 20 miles to get his pension. Many weak, old and ailing pensioners have to beg for someone for help. The existing method of paying the pensions through banks, post officers and also through the sub post offices will seem to be much better than the proposed method, because the post offices, and specially the sub post offices are mostly situated in village areas and the pensioners have only a walking distance from home to the sub post office. Dharmacharya Wilson, Kelaniya. Doubling the postage during Christmas! Is the Postal Department, one is constrained to ask, engaged in daylight robbery? People who went to the post offices during the Christmas time to send parcels to their kith and kin and friends living abroad, were asked to pay more than double the charges that prevailed earlier. Many people took away their parcels without sending them. Previously 1 kilo parcel was sent for Rs. 525/- to European countries and for Rs. 725/- to USA, Canada etc. This was called the small packet service where items such as children's clothes, shirts, underwear, banians, sarongs etc., could be sent. But this rate was increased to Rs. 1268/- for a kilo during the Christmas season and is in operation now. Was this sudden and unreasonable increase, without any cause, imposed with the minister's or government's sanction. Mahinda Rajapakse became the President only recently a promise keep down the cost of living. Is this the way to keep his promises. The owners of Agency Post Offices, among the public, no doubt, will reap some benefits for no extra service done other than pasting some more stamps. Are the ordinary people to be fleezed for the benefit of the postal department and the owners of agency post offices. Arul, Colombo 13. Why no rebate on Electricity and Telephone bills? It is very much regretted that a rebate on Leco & Telecom bills has not yet been made although the Water Supply & Drainage Board has already made a four percent rebate on every advance payment to the respective Board on account of water consumed monthly by the consumers. It is high time that both the Ceylon Electricity Board (including Leco) as well as the Sri Lanka Telecommunication Corporation decide to allow a similar percentage of rebate (5% - 10%) on Electricity and Telephone bills as bills on these two items are specially very much higher than water bills. Durand Jayasuriya, Talawatugoda The Express train from Tokyo to Osaka scything zoomingly half across the more than 500 Miles across Japan at more than 100 mph speeds touching only a few allocated very busy mercantile/commercial and industrial centred points is quite practicably fantastic. The agitation and anguish of the dedicated Minister and his Ministry should be the ever problematic rush and peak-hour dilemmas, meaning the commuting between Panadura/Kalutara to Colombo one way and the other from Polgahawela to Colombo. The Monorail and the super-structure construction project should entail much astronomical expenditure, with much inconvenience to residents on the track way. The Tokyo to Osaka train runs perfectly on time and schedule, so much so, that uniquely the luggage porters have the strange and special duty of tight-packing, like a tin of anchovies, commuters from behind so that they wouldn't get jammed injuriously between clock-work precision functioning doors. Then it should be common assent that punctuality must be the key word for success which makes all the difference. Why not concentrate, on stress on a very rigid timetable, of course, with many more engines, coaches and sidings planned out and avoid a very big colossal expenditure for the Treasury and the people. All success for super/duper precision timed train travel. W. Meadows, Dehiwala As we all are aware, a large number of TV channels have been introduced to us today. If a person is free, he could watch the TV from dawn to dusk and vice versa. But when we pay our meticulous attention to teenagers and small school children we can realise that these channels pave a bad way for them providing unlimited exposure to scenes which are unsuitable for them. What usually happens is that they tend to imitate these adult's life styles at the early age and it is sufficient for them to be adulterers and murderers in their youth. According to the recent researches carried out by the scientists the children who do not watch television extensively become more studious are well disciplined than other children who are addicted to watch these 'unlimited' channels. So on behalf of the younger generation, I kindly request the authorities concerned to come forward without delay to impose restrictions on these unlimited TV channels. K. K. Thamal Mahindarathna, Ahangama.
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