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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had put out a publication titled 'Sri
Lanka and the United Nations - 50 Years of Partnership' to celebrate 50
years of Sri Lanka's membership in the United Nations. This publication
consists of articles from eminent persons in Sri Lanka and it is a
useful and valuable publication.
I am referring to one of the articles, which appeared in this
publication. It is the article written by Desamanya Dr. Vernon L. B.
Mendis, Director-General of the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic
Training Institute titled "Sri Lanka and the United Nations".
In the first paragraph of his article, he has mentioned, among other
things, that "ultimately it was the dynamic and persistent diplomacy of
Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike which enabled it to gain
admission in December 1955.
Everyone knows that in December 1955, it was Sir John Kotelawela, who
was the Prime Minister of Ceylon and NOT Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike.
Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike became the Prime Minister only after the
general elections held in April 1956. I am surprised to see a person in
the calibre of Dr. Mendis making such a grave error. At least the proof
readers should have pointed out this mistake and notified Dr. Mendis.
Now it is too late to rectify this error.
Another error is in Mr. Thalif Deen's article, where he states
".....just before the then Foreign Minister A. C. S. Hameed was due to
address the delegates back in 1976". Mr. A. C. S. Hameed was never the
Foreign Minister in 1976.
He became the Foreign Minister only after the July 1977 general
elections, after a separate Foreign Ministry was established under the
Premiership of Mr. J. R. Jayewardene.
In 1976, the late Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the Prime Minister
and the Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs. I think the incident
referred by Mr. Deen took place in September 1977 or 1978.
I hope in future the Foreign Ministry would take precautionary
measures by checking the accuracy of the facts of the articles
contributed by various persons before it is published thus avoiding the
repeat of errors as pointed out above, which cannot be rectified.
C. M. de Silva, Ratmalana.
Two weeks ago, my mother happened to go to the People's Bank branch
near the Bambapalitiya Flats for a transaction. After the transaction
was over, she came home not realising that she had left her handbag
behind with money in it.
Since we couldn't find the bag after much searching, I decided to go
to the Bank a few days later to check whether by some chance she had
left it there. I happened to meet Mr. S. Tharma Kulasingham, an official
at the Bank who to my delight produced the handbag with all the money
intact.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank this responsible
officer for his honesty and those of the staff of the Bank as well.
Well done People's Bank!
Palitha Jayasooriya, Colombo 4
A regular writer to the columns of our newspapers, F. A. Rodrigo-Sathianathan
writing from Australia is one of our dailies has focus on the loss of
letters.
The writer has referred to the loss during the last Christmas season.
That letter has given a clue to my own mystery. The non-arrival of
Christmas greetings from the regulars in December 2006.During the last
few months I have discovered that these cards had been sent but did not
reach me. This is sad.
We depend at least most of us, on the Public Service, to deliver
these Christmas cards.
Rodrigo-Sathianathan has of course stated it bluntly, theft in the
Mail Room in Colombo. This is not good for the image of our nation. If
our public servants are being accused of theft it is those in power,
those responsible must look into this.
However can this be done? We lack credibility for as The Transparency
International and others like COPE have stated that "theft" is taking
place not only in the Mail Room but elsewhere.
We the people of Sri Lanka cannot look the other side for the silence
of the majority is the evil of our times.
Can anything be done? It has to be done soon. For in April/May there
will be the Easter/New Year and Vesak cards etc.
Over to the new Minister in charge of the Postal Department.
Sydney Knight, Rajagiriya.
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