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| Sunday, 1 May 2005 |
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Letters |  |
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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.
Impressed by the article on the above subject by Consumer Ombudsman, National Consumer Watch, (Sunday Observer, April 24, 2005,pg. 37), I looked through the pages of the newspaper and found some 25 advertisements which I presumed were designed to attract people to buy things or to take certain educational courses. My classification of these advertisements fall into three categories: class-oriented, bargains, and value-laden. There were no mathematical ones or any which depended on pictures alone. The Class oriented ones said "Blend some style into your life" (with sanitaryware), and "Leadership is everyone's business" (through education). The Bargains said "Lowest prices" (computers), "Rock-bottom level prices" (computers), "Reduce cost not quality" (education), and "Go to Canada for free" The Value-laden set was the largest of the three. Let me list them in alphabetical order for convenience. "Better future "(education); "Where Creative minds are inspired" (education); "Fast Track to a degree and MBA"; "Fastest route to MBA"; "Another First in our claim for excellence" (agrochemicals); "Advanced my career by about Five Years" (education); "Fulfilling your Dreams" (IT); "Glamour of fish"; "Golden opportunities" (visas); "Vocation with a High demand for employment" (steno); "Leader in insurance"; "Most sought after global qualification"; "Pioneer in electronics"; "put your career on Top Gear" (education); "While your companions Sleep" (education); "The Trusted Sri Lanka house for computers"; "Don't waste any more of your precious time" (education). V. Basnayake, According to media reports by the Chairman C.E.B. attributes its massive debts to a large number of illegal industrial, domestic and street lighting connections. The C.E.B. adopts an outdated system of connections directly off a street electric post, as such anyone could hook two wires on to the mains and make an illegal connection. The present system adopted by the C.E.B. may be material saving but not financially progressive. Compared to illegal electric connections there are no illegal telecommunication connections. There should be separate installations every Municipal, Urban and Town council ward, from which point only electrical connections should be provided. These points could also serve a control room from which voltage drops, electric failures, over voltage etc. could be monitored and remedied. Some C.E.B. employees are also involved in meter tampering, illegal connections, etc. for a fee. Field staff should not be retained for long in one area. G. M. C. Bartholomeusz, The US in conjunction with Britain, France and Germany launched a co-ordinated push to get Iran to abandon its suspected nuclear arms program by offering economic incentives as a carrot and possible UN sanctions as a stick. To date none of these moves have been accepted by Iran. She has signed an agreement with another European power, Russia to begin enriching uranium to obtain nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Countries most vociferous in objection to the nuclear program in Iran are the US and Israel. It smacks off double standards when it is an open secret that Israel has been operating a nuclear plant at Dimona now, for 20 years. Why shouldn't Iran go nuclear? How can the US which has the capability to destroy the whole planet more than 200 times over with its nuclear bombs, preach disarmament or tell others not to pursue the nuclear option. Saybhan Samat, More pilgrims are visiting places of Buddhist interest in India from Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam and from Western countries. They are deprived of any basic information of locations of shrines they traverse due to lack of any authoritative information and guide-maps a modern visitor/tourist, is catered to. Tourist maps of general interest are available, but none of them have been brought out with specific references to spotlight places of significance to Buddhist pilgrims. Names of ancient places familiar to pilgrims mentioned in Pali canons, have varied over the years and need be correlated to present day derivations in use. The Mahabodhi Society of India, should bring out an informative brochure with guiding illustrative maps giving factual historical sketches of each such shrine, its significance, location and distance between them. W. Samaranayake, The exellent piece by Lionel Wijesiri on Mary, Queen of Scots, on 10.4.2005 (Pg 25) had an error in para four concerning Queen Elizabeth I who ascended to the British throne in 1558. In fact, Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife. She succeeded Queen Mary who had ruled for five years (1553-58) and was called 'Bloody Mary'. She was not Elizabeth's mother, but was in fact without an heir, and the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife - Catherine of Aragon (Spain). Rohan Jayawardane, The introduction of a Social Security Act with a welfare system to provide public assistance (pension) to the blind, and the elderly poor at this point of time, is both timely and necessary and politically possible. But any productive political consensus in the national debate on such a reform requires an end to the widespread acceptance of myths about the blind community in particular and the elderly poor in general - myths that had been perpetrated and perpetuated through ignorance through incoherent and demagogic discussion by public officials, and through inadequate reporting by the media. The poor are poor not because they would not and do not work but because when they do work, they do not earn enough to lift them out of poverty. For the blind charity is no longer good enough. M. C. Jayasiri, President, It is reported that the elephant population in our country at present is around 3,500. It is also reported that around 150 are eliminated annually due to various reasons, including killing. The above situation is alarming and should be dealt with immediately to prevent this majestic animal being wiped out. It should also be accepted that the day these animals are not with us, we should also loose our jungles which are reducing at a similar rate. Those in authority should prevent this alarming situation before it is too late. I dread to think of Sri Lanka without her majestic elephants and thick jungles which are assets and a pride to our country, which is why she has come to be known as a paradise. Tommy Wanigesinghe, |
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