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| Sunday, 10 August 2003 |
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Letters |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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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.
With the opening of the new bus stand at Ambalangoda (next to the super market complex) bus drivers of the 'Ruhunu Depot' do not stop at that place to pick up commuters as it was done during the days the old bus stand existed. The new bus stand which consists of three large parking places is provided with two queues for Colombo commuters along one platform. One queue is named as "Colombo A.C." and the other as Colombo ordinary. But, it is observed that no ordinary S.L.T.B. buses from Galle and beyond, call over at this Colombo queue to pick up passengers. A large number of passengers wait for hours in this queue to travel to Kalutara, Panadura and beyond. It is observed that only private buses starting from Ambalangoda come into this queue to take in passengers to Kalutara, Panadura, Moratuwa and beyond. The intervals are far between unlike formerly when S.L.T.B. buses used to come into the Colombo queue almost every 15 minutes. Now, we observe that all the S.L.T.B. and private buses coming from Galle, Matara, Tangalla, Hambantota and Kataragama stop at the express bus halt opposite the People's Bank, along Galle road, about 500 meters away from the central bus stand. I presume this express bus halt is provided for the private A.C. coaches and the private buses coming from the South. The commuters from Ambalangoda travelling towards Colombo never get an opportunity of getting a seat at Ambalangoda due to the above problem. Even the few S.L.T.B. buses of the Ambalangoda depot, proceed to Galle and then start their journey to Colombo with a full load of passengers from Galle bus stand itself. Commuters need some relief as early as possible. Over to you State Minister of Transport. L. Leanage - Ambalangoda Memories of 'Bridge on the River Kwai' Amaradasa Fernando's article in the Sunday Observer of August 3, provided pretty interesting reading. According to him, he has been fortunate enough even to have met the great actor Gregory Peck where two films were filmed in Kitulgala. He mentions a film featuring Gregory Peck while what was screened later in 'Ceylon' was the one featuring Alec Guinness. Nobody seems to have yet seen the film 'Bridge on the River Kwai' which Mr. Fernando has seen being filmed in Kitulgala, featuring Gregory Peck. I remember Gregory Peck came to 'Ceylon' to act in a film titled 'Purple Plain' the heroine of which, I guess was Vivian Leigh. I stand to be corrected. He should bear in mind, in the interest of himself and the reading public, to be careful to be accurate in what he writes, particularly when a dash of boastfulness is thrown in to make the writing colourful on the one hand and for personal glorification on the other. D. Peiris - Kotte The revelation by the Atakalanpanna Pradeshiya Sabha PA member that the Kalutara Central College students ragged the new comers by asking them to pick up a one rupee coin by tongue from the toilets (in an English daily newspaper on July 12) will churn the stomach of any decent citizen. Why do youngsters behave like that? How could any decent human being stoop to such low level that they revel at another's humiliation and suffering? What were the other students doing? Were they all such cowards not to voice their opposition? Or at least couldn't someone inform the teachers? Or were they also cowards against a few ruffians? And what did the Pradeshiya Sabha member do about this? Usually people fear thuggery and intimidation. But actually the thugs are cowards. We saw this in the recent picture splashed all over the front pages of the newspapers when the Police officer who massacred the Bindunawewa prisoners, whining and crying. Though he pleaded innocence, his excuse was that he was carrying out orders, not that he didn't do the treacherous acts. A man who could kill many in cold blood, wasn't one to smile at the face of death. Right is might. It is high time we Sri Lankans must realize this, and try to stand against any injustice. Be it in an office where the government servant refuses to abide by rules or a motley crowd tries ragging - for every rogue there are thousands of righteous people - right here in Sri Lanka. The only problem is the righteous people do not want to even voice their opinions, let alone stopping the crime. On the other hand, let's also caution people against taking the law into their hands. Recently an education officer was murdered by the crowd when he accidentally knocked down a pedestrian an got down from the car to apologize. Let us be stern, just and guide each other. Dr. Mareena Reffai - Dehiwela. Currently there is a growing tendency among women, both young and elderly at times matronly figures - to wear trousers to work or, on casual occasions. Womens' denim jeans are popular and abound in shop show-windows. These trousers appear to be in more demand, than the saree, all the year round, reckoned by the steady pace of replenishment in many a fashion shop. With the unisex hair styles and muscle bound form of bodies acquired from rigid exercise daily - the subcutaneous fat reduced - women tend to appear like virile male body builders; so much so, the other day this writer had to direct a fierce glance, at his age (79 years) to distinguish a woman from a man !. To the extent this fast flaunting female fad had flourished today, it will be no surprise for the males to mix at a gathering, with a typical trouser clad woman, who puff up a briar tobacco pipe to boot as well. That indeed will be the bench mark women are no longer the weaker sex they are thought to be. Stanley Geevaratne - Dehiwala Technical education: advantages and disadvantages The Prime Minister had recently said at a meeting that the youths of the country should become proficient in technical education if they are to find jobs and for the country to progress. In this ultra modern world where technical education is moving at lightning speed in the outside world we, of course, have to keep pace with it if we are to survive. But technical education alone will not take mankind to a place of happiness. It might perhaps take mankind to a place of disaster and destruction at the end, if there is no education of good values along with it. With lopsided technical education on one side and no education of good values on the other side there won't be a balance and the ship of life will only capsize. There should be a balance between both of them. Probably the turmoil in the countries today all over the world is due to this imbalance. Arul - Colombo 13. School authorities can impose rules to students to wear uniforms but they cannot compel mothers to wear saries to school, because no dress code has been imposed for mothers. It does not mean that mothers are privileged to wear any type of fancy dress which humiliates their own dignity. Mothers should educate the younger generation about a decent dress code. Certain women in our society do not know to wear suitable dresses. Many elderly women dress like teenage daughters to show off. Although saris look nice for females, it takes time to wear. Therefore females have changed their dress code and wear frocks, trousers and skirts for their convenience. I do not think that it is fair enough to force mothers to wear sari or any other particular dress when accompanying children to school. Mahinda Perera - Moratuwa. 'Early childhood education' - a response A letter appeared in the Reader's Forum, in the Sunday Observer of March 2, under the heading 'Early Childhood Education,' written by Shanthi Wijesinghe, President AMD Sri Lanka. As I am interested on this subject, I wish to contact this person. Could you please give me her address or the telephone number or could you please send this letter over to her. My telephone number is 781030. On week days you could contact me only after 4.30 p.m. D. S. Jayawickrama, 10B/105/06, Mattegoda Housing Scheme, Polgasowita. Editor's note: Ms. Wijesinghe can contact the writer if she wishes. The recent news report in the press under the heading 'France rebuffed on polygamy' made interesting reading. It says the Grand Cadi of Mayotte, which is a small island under French rule, is telling the French authorities that their recent decision to ban polygamy goes against the teachings of Quran. He has further said 'to suppress polygamy is an offence against Quran because no authority whatsoever has the right to modify divine legislation'. Let it be also noted that over 97 per cent of the population of 175,000 of this island are Muslims according to the latest updated Internet information. The Cadi's views on marriage, divorce and polygamy as reported in the said news story clearly stand to reason at least partly and they remind me of the laws in our country in this regard. Take, for example, the hypothetical situation of a Muslim in Sri Lanka being sentenced to a life term in jail by a court of law. Under the Muslim law, which is applicable to his wife, she can easily procure a divorce and marry another man once again if she so wishes and in all likelihood she will do likewise. In contrast, no Tamil or Sinhalese woman placed in similar predicament would be permitted to do so under our law. Of course, this laxity in the Islamic law of divorce as against the Roman Dutch law, my Muslim lawyer friend tells me, is being constantly abused and thus Muslim law can be described as one full of loopholes needing revision and amendments. I do not propose, however, to go into details of it here. The General Marriages Ordinance which is applicable to all persons other than Muslims and Kandyans has restricted legal divorce to such an extent that non-Muslim women are forced to carry such a burden of marriage, if they deem it to be a burden which it is, over a lifetime in spite of their wish to the contrary. That is because husband's life long imprisonment is by no means a valid basis for divorce for such non-Muslim women in our country while it is the opposite for Muslim women. I can visualise a typical Sinhala, Buddhist wife undergoing tremendous mental stress and pain. She would take a pack of lunch daily to him in the first week of her husband's imprisonment, weekly in next month, monthly for another year and then give up the drudgery. She would thereafter live a miserable life while perhaps engaging in extra-marital sex. A Hindu, Tamil wife of such a man is placed in even a more sordid plight. She is condemned in the truest sense of the word. She is ostracized in society and barred from all social occasions. It is considered bad omen even to see her in the morning. Cases of such women being tortured or even killed by her husband's relatives are not uncommon in India. The traditional Hindu thinking is such, indeed. Now, though there is a general conception that Muslim women are backward in comparison to others in our country, who in fact are, considering such state of affairs? A Muslim wife can act in accordance with her will and wish while others cannot. Dharmapala Senaratne - Gothatuwa. Shakespeare Drama Competition -a response This is in response to the article on Shakespeare Drama Competition in the Sunday Observer July 6, titled "Could it be better organised." Although the heading referred to the aspect of organising, we regret to note that the writer had failed to contact the organisers for their views prior to publication. Nevertheless, the views of some members of the audience had been obtained. The primary reason for the introduction of finals separately for boys and girls was to enable more schools to enter the finals. In the past, even though we witnessed a very close rating between the winners, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners up, the 2nd and 3rd runners up were shut out from the finals much to the disappointment of participants, their families and well-wishers. It also must be noted that boys and girls schools are judged separately at the semi-finals. We have to refute the allegation that it is a "money-making racket." The suggested solution by the writer of a simple one day final for two girls schools and two boys schools at a smaller theatre will no doubt be very much easier for the organisers to implement as it will save a lot of productive man hours contributed by more than hundred volunteers on each day. I am sure people would agree that if this scheme is implemented it will disappoint the many participants, their families and well-wishers who will lose the opportunity of viewing the performances. It must be remembered that the prices of tickets at the finals have not been increased for the past three years even though there has been a tremendous increase in costs. Further, it must be noted that the money realised is utilised to fund the other two vocational service projects for students, namely, the All Island Inter-School Oratorical Contest and the All Island Inter-School Art Competition. The comment made by the writer "that a positive change made in this year's competition was that schools were able for the first time to choose their own excerpts from the given plays" was a well thought-out decision arrived at by the organisers after much deliberation. For your information the reasons for this decision was to enable the schools to choose an excerpt which would be more suited and best performed by their students involved in drama and also to afford a variety for the audience. Another addition this year was the presentation of two special awards one for the Best Supporting Actor and the other for the Best Supporting Actress. Yet, another aspect not known to the writer is the fact that certificates are given to each of the participants who enter the semi-finals. The members of the Winning and Runner-up teams are given respective certificates of Merit. We have been made to understand that these certificates have been very useful for the performers when they leave school. You will no doubt appreciate from the above that the organisers have not been taking hasty and ad hoc decisions. Instead the organisers have always taken constructive and balanced decisions in the interest of not only the participants and school authorities but also the families and well-wishers of the participants, who collectively constitute a majority of the audience. The organisers have always endeavoured very hard to prevent disturbances during the performances. Although on the first day the organisers were successful in avoiding any disturbances during the performances, it was unfortunate that on the second day there were a few unruly elements who had resorted to create a disturbance, that too only during the fourth performance of the day. Accordingly, the organisers have already decided to take some preventive action in this regard in the future. Organising this event is not an easy task. It involves an enormous amount of work performed by volunteers including the choosing of plays, judges, prizes, co-ordinating meetings with teachers and school authorities etc. We must emphasise that all this is done to encourage students to perceive life in the true perspectives and spirit that great thinkers like Shakespeare did and thus we believe that the students who participated and those who viewed their performances from the audience undoubtedly would have enriched themselves with wide perception, knowledge and experiences through dramatic situations on stage which eventually would also have helped them to evaluate their own lifestyle. Rotary Club of Colombo North. Geriatrics and all that is concerned with it is in focus now. We are aware that the subtleties of aging bring on physical degeneration, uncertainty of mind and often a negative response to life. I spent some time with the inmates of Dev Siri Sevana (Welisara) where some elders have found comfort in the twilight of their lives. Some of them are quite helpless, feeble and even blind, nevertheless they are all cared for. There is an airy outer verandah from where one could see the garden with its greenery and a spreading cherry tree under which there is a seat. In the sitting room, the pond with some gold-fish and lotus floating creates a calm atmosphere. A lovely picture of the 'Good Shepherd' meets your eye indicating Christian love and care. There are four inmates in each room with a bathroom and beds for each person. I notice some pretty window curtains that let in the sunshine. Bedside cupboards are arranged with articles like medicine and mugs which they constantly need. On the taller cupboards there are ornaments, a photograph or two and souvenirs which they treasure. Each cubicle has a rectangular garden with potted plants. They cared for and they are rewarded with beautiful carnations, violets and ferns. You may hear the notes of an organ as a blind inmate practises hymns on it. She also spends time engaged in her braille work. She told me that she was born blind and was educated in a special school. She is generally cheerful but feels lonely now and again. Yet another blind woman makes her way carefully to and from her room. She is proud of her Dutch ancestry and recalls the time when she attended services held at Wolvendaal, a church famous for its grand and exquisite Dutch architecture. You will probably meet a female who is very helpful, fetching little things for her fellow inmates. There is a Tamil woman who was an English teacher in the Maldives and one of them is as petite as can be. A quiet woman gets about with the aid of a walking-stick and another on crutches. They love to have visitors, to pray and study the Bible. Most of them attend service held at the Union Church (in the same premises). It is nice to see them clad in their 'Sunday best' with beaded chains, bangles and clips in greying hair. I believe these inmates have found a peaceful, healthy environment and they are provided in mysterious ways. To me, they are beautiful flowers who turn their faces to God simply trusting in him for their daily needs. Caryl Nugara - Dehiwala. NSB's exorbitant interest rates A house of your own is the dream of everybody and in today's context is a luxury. But only a few could achieve this dream. The state owned banks the National Savings Bank do not have any mercy or compromise on concessionary rates to any borrower. The rate of interest that prevailed in the year 1990 was 19% per annum. Although the interest rate was subject to revision of rates of interest as decided by the Chairman and the Board of Directors. Unfortunately no revision of interest has taken place during the past 13 years. A close relative of mine (loan Ref. No. LD/10892) obtained a loan of Re. 370,000 from the National Savings Bank in October 1990 to meet the shortfall to purchase a house in Colombo 5. The price of this house was Rs. 1.4m. The contribution of my relative was Rs. 1,030,000. In terms of banks regulations then and now one has to go through a tedious and hectic procedure to furnish required documents to process a loan. the documents which have to be produced amidst many hassles along with the loan application are the local authority documents viz Certificate of Ownership, Certificate of Non Vesting, Street line and Building line Certificate etc, the tax receipt for the last quarter and the Annual Assessment Notice. As my relative and his spouse were both employed the bank was satisfied with their repayment capacity. But according to their ages the loan had to be paid within a period of 180 months i.e. 15 long years. The monthly equated instalment fixed was Rs. 6,227.10. If during the repayment period the payment of an instalment was delayed a penal interest charged also had to be home, 'termed' the delay charges. Although the amount of loan approved was Rs. 370,000 only a sum of Rs. 362,600 was released as a sum of Rs. 3,700 each were deducted as bank's service charge and as lawyers fees. In addition they had been requested to pay a sum of Rs. 3,721.25 as stamp fees for mortgage bond executed which was registered under MB No. 406 of May 20, 1992 at the Land Registry. In addition an insurance premium of Rs. 1,978.69 has to be paid annually during the tenure of the loan. My relative the co-borrower was retrenched from his workplace (due to over staff). The monthly instalment were naturally delayed. The NSB continuously sent him notices after notices with penal charges. Explanations, concessions and appeals were not accepted and not replied. The arrears had to be paid at any cost. My relative was continuously pestering me for advice, as I am an ex banker with enormous banking experience. As the only other alternative the borrower had to withdraw from his only savings he had from his provident fund proceeds to pay arrears of loan instalments at regular intervals. After payment of 152 equated instalments of Rs. 6,227.10 since the month of November 1990 his outstanding amount due to the bank is an alarming sum of Rs. 214,522.57 with only another 28 monthly equated instalments to be paid. The borrower up to now has paid a sum of Rs. 946,504 plus a tidy sum as delay charges. The balance outstanding amount has to be recovered in 28 further equated instalments of Rs. 6,227.10 which includes reduction from capital and interest. In the context of the above it is apparent that the schedule of repayment is absolutely incorrect. This matter which is of a serious magnitude has to probed by the governing authority, Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The excess amount recovered by the National Savings Bank should be refunded to borrower who have paid inflated exorbitant sums as interest giving NSB distorted profits. It is the fervent hope of many borrowers that this system is carefully scrutinised by the relative authorities of Central Bank of Sri Lanka and it is very apparent on statistics given above that it needs immediate clarification. All documentary proof in respect of the above are in my possession. Sunil Thenabadu - Mt. Lavinia. |
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