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| Sunday, 24 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.
I wish to draw the attention of the authorities to the plight of the government servants who retired before 1994. They have done their maximum for the benefit of the country. But at the end of it, they draw a pension of about Rs. 5,000 per month, while those who retired after 1994 are given a pension of about Rs. 11,000 monthly. The pension of Rs. 5,000 is barely sufficient to meet the demands of the COL today. Further there are dependants and the medical bills to be met. Those come to about a couple of thousands every month. It was announced recently that salaries of the government servants will be increased after the budget. Therefore I appeal to the authorities concerned, to make some adjustment to ease the hardship of those poor pensioners who retired before 1994 and see that justice is done. These pensioners may live only for a few years. Therefore, I appeal to our kind and understanding Prime Minister to improve their lot before they go to the land of no return. A pensioner from Kegalle. Why not display photos of criminals? Sometime ago the police in a press statement said they would display the photographs of hard-core criminals. As expected by many this never materialised. The reason being the political backing of these criminals and these politicians will never allow the display of photographs of hard-core criminals connected to them. It is no secret that even some of the top politicians have made use of hard-core criminals at some state in their political career. With the increase in the crime rate the public has lost confidence in the police. Meaningless press releases do not help them build up public confidence. Police should therefore refrain from making statements to the public that they cannot honour. I have lodged three complaints at the local police station regarding robberies. On every occasion they have asked me to describe the suspect. Why can't the police follow the practice adopted in other countries? Photograph all suspects taken into custody even for petty crimes. Those making complaints should be asked to identify the suspect from these photographs. The fact that the photographs are available at the local police station would be a deterrent for petty criminals, who are invariably drug addicts, to operate freely. Understandably police stations cannot be equipped with camera equipment for this purpose. However, the services of a local film studio could be easily made use of. The photographed criminal can be made to bear the cost of the photograph. C. B. Gunadasa. Similar to the enormous amount of financial transactions channelled through credit cards in developed countries, during the past decade most Sri Lankans too have got accustomed to the usage of credit cards purely for convenience. All merchants who qualify to enjoy this facility of acceptance of credit cards are provided with the necessary inter linked machines with the respective financial institutions, particularly to screen and scrutinize their genuineness instantly. For over a decade I have made use of this wonderful facility purely for my convenience too, as I need not carry cash. I am privileged to use a visa credit card from a prestigious bank having a network of branches worldwide. I am grateful to the relevant authorities of this bank to have correctly assessed by integrity and credit worthiness even without a formal interview, I have hailed and acclaimed their decision to enhance my credit limit, simply over the telephone. I have derived many benefits out of this facility while making my payments promptly. I have had the luxury of pumping fuel by producing the card. The employees of Lanka Filling Station, Mt. Lavinia are so familiar with me that they do not have the slightest hesitation to accept my prestigious card. They accept my card at all hours of the day. I have even left my card with them to be collected later when the machine is not functioning. I continue to patronize this filling station although its location is further away from where I reside, as the service is excellent. I however experienced an awful and different attitude when I was forced to pump fuel from a service station located in very close proximity to my residence on the 27th July, a Sunday. When I made inquiries from the proprietress this filling station whether I could avail of myself of the facility of pumping fuel with my card, she refused. The reason was that it was a Sunday. I pleaded to her and told that I used my card a few days ago on the 22nd July, when it was allowed after necessary scrutiny of my card by her accounts clerk. I even told her to keep my card with her as I was in a hurry to attend to a family funeral urgently. I was shocked, amazed and bewildered, by her total negative attitude, as credit cards are operative throughout day and night. The conclusion I came to was that the lady owner was ignorant as to the manner in which the machine should be operated to obtain a valid authorization from the relevant bank. I have made a complaint to my bank and requested them to educate their merchant, so that other constituents are not inconvenienced in this manner due to her lack of knowledge in this field. Sunil Thenabadu, Needless to say the crime rate in our country is soaring. The morality is plunging. The Government is kept busy with the peace talks and its ramifications: but what is happening to our country? The politicians are behaving like hooligans. If the elected representatives of the highest echelons cannot behave decently, it is better to close the Parliament and forget about it. No wonder the people are taking the law into their hands and there is pandemonium in the country. There must be some decent, efficient members who can take control of the situation. If only they will stop behaving like spoilt brats and look at the limelight focused on them, not only by the Sri Lankans, but by the whole world, it will do much good. No wonder the entire country is going berserk. Accidents have multiplied, corruption is rampant, suicide on the increase. Once in Singapore I asked a taxi driver how come the people there are so courteous irrespective of their age, social status or religion. He said that it's because they are trained in such a way from childhood and the elders are the trend setters. We have such horrible trend setters no wonder our youth is going blind not knowing where to go. Surely, surely, there must be some sane people in the country. Are we just going to sit and watch our country going down the drains? Do something as early as possible. Dr. Mareena Reffai, Finger printing of Sri Lankans Sri Lankans are finger printed when applying for visas to the United Kingdom. Judging from what appears in the newspapers the ego of some Sri Lankans is very badly hurt. We are a "dharmishta" nation. We don't want death penalty to be introduced. Even the president opposes implementing capital punishment. So some Sri Lankans will never understand why Sri Lanka had been selected for fingerprinting by the British. Most of us are not surprised. Lately there is a huge increase in the crime rate in our country. We have made it aware to the world what we are capable of and that there is no law and order in our country. Some even call Sri Lanka a rapists' paradise. But some of us refuse to accept the truth. At least the British give us due recognition. As for ordinary citizens like us who cares whether visa applicants to the UK are fingerprinted or photographed in the nude. The most our types could expect is a job in the Middle East. We don't even dream of travelling to the UK. All what we want is to live in peace in our motherland. Citizen Perera Bank violates customer secrecy - a response This refers to a letter that appeared in the Sunday Observer of July 27. I thought of relating a personal experience for the readers. I had a current account in a provincial bank (state bank). A person well-known to me came and asked me whether I could sign as a guarantor for him to take a loan and when I said that I do not have an account at this particular bank he mentioned the name of a well-known businessman from the area who is a good friend of mine. I told him he too does not have an account there. He went away and returned in a few minutes to say that both of us have accounts there and went to the extent of giving our account numbers and the balances in our accounts. I never expected this and told him that I cannot help him and sent him away. Later I told my friend this and he too was shocked. Anyway I met the manager of the bank and told him the story with a request to close my account immediately. The manager told me that there are some clerks who leak the information for their personal gain. Even today there are known money lenders in front of this bank waiting to give money on interest to known customers on a higher rate who are in a hurry to get loans. These money lenders take a cheque as a guarantee and they are in touch with the staff that as soon as the money is deposited in the borrower's name cheque is cashed and most of them know the account numbers and the bank balances of the regular borrowers. The annual trip of the bank staff is always supported by these money lenders. A customer of a state bank Violence against women-a response The article "Home truths about violence against women" by Jayanthi Liyanage (Sunday Observer July 13 recapturing the words of judicial wisdom of Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane, President Court of Appeal, in a lecture organised by the National Committee of women is educative. One of the important facts that the lay person is not well versed or briefed is on female rights and privileges. Says the Judge: "The country's Constitution protects her freedom to express herself in many ways, of which her dress is but one." If a lady's dress is one that is within the scope of what may be popularly termed "decently clad". In that sense, she is expected to rightly draw the line between what fashion dictates and decency forbids. If, however, she oversteps the red line, so to say, what then? If she is not liable in law; yet, she is resented for being immodest in society, presumably. On the other hand, a man is charged, if in the opinion of a police officer, this man had exposed his person - in tucking up his sarong; and, in addition on a windy day unfortunately the blowing had done him foul! Often we had heard police officers demand that the men put down their sarongs, with words of embarrassment to all around. I suppose the saying "The apparel oft proclaims the man" is not so much meant for the women, anyway. With due respect to the learned Judge's contention, a clear cut ruling will be appreciated on the man's position in the villages, from police officers. Secondly, the Judge says: "If the family becomes a breeding ground of violence, ins't it far better that the family is dismantled rather than let it touch the rest of society with violence." In this country, in the past women took the vituperations of the husband, and, perhaps some assault, without much ado, saying everything will be alright after the pot of rice boils..." Few cases of violence were reported to the Police: the temple gave solace. As our legislature follows the English legislative body called the Mother of Parliaments, in the main having been a dependency, we had to accept the kindred system of a singular marriage - with one husband - as sine qua non, quite different to the one that was in existence before the advent of the white rule, among the Sinhalese or Singhalese. Then, in England, a way out (without a judicial seperation) was the one practised during the late 18th and 19th century, when a couple could no longer pull together as partners of marriage, "the husband might lawfully sell his wife to another man, provided he conducted the transaction in a public place and delivered the wife to the purchaser, with a halter about her neck." "This practice was most common and averted violence against women (domestic violence) and, also the lesser degradation of a host of unwanted revelations of her character." For here, today, the woman divorced is, by and large, the innocent partner of the former marriage - a contention when another is to be initiated! Coming back to the case in point, "these sales were duly reported in the newspapers, without special comments. In some cases market tolls were collected. In 1787, at a market in Suffolk, a man who traded his wife got five guineas; gave one to his 'dear departed' and spent a further sum to have the event celebrated with Church bells rung." "The London Observer of March 17th 1805 reports on a man who sold his wife in Hythe market to a drummer for 6d. The Times of Sept. 19th 1797, in lighter vein says: 'A hostler's wife lately fetched twenty five guineas. The next sale at Christies, went off well." "At Carlyle on April 7th 1832," (when the British were here in all their fury)" Joseph Thompson, a farmer disposed of his wife in the market place. No one seemed in a hurry to purchase Mrs. Thompson, and the seller had to wait nearly an hour for a customer. Eventually a man named Harry Mears bought her for 20 shillings and a Newfoundland dog. The report concludes that they parted in perfect good temper - Mears and the woman going one way, Thompson and the dog another." - These facts were gleaned from the Doncaster Gazette, and published in the English Digest, June 1957.But, however, nothing is mentioned about the children of the families, if any. Rather than let domestic violence to end in suicide or, even murder, it is best the couple part for good. But what of the poor children? It is the radiant concept and gracious scheme of the late President R. Premadasa that could well fit in - the Foster Parent assignee scheme. Stanley Geevaratne, |
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