• Revive issue of pension vouchers

• Children in the 'Rat-Race'

• Rabindranath Tagore
  
  Revive issue of pension vouchers

From the inception of the government pension scheme it had been the practice of the Pensions Dept. to send vouchers to each pensioner detailing the composition of his or her monthly pension and this system served the pensioners best because any pensioner was able to get a clear idea of the date of pension, consolidated and compensatory allowances, arrears of pension (if any) etc.

By withdrawing the issue of pension vouchers the pensioners, especially the old and the infirm, have been put to a great inconvenience as there is no way of checking the details of their monthly pensions, unless one calls over at the Pensions Branches of the respective Divisional Secretariats. As a result the D. S. S offices are always inundated with inquiries about details of one's pension. The banks can give only the total of the pension one draws as no other pension details are sent to them.

Anyone would understand that it is the democratic right of any employee or pensioner to know the details of his or her salary or pension. Today when we are living at a time when pensions are frequently revised pensioners cannot keep track of the details of their pension due to the non-issue of pension vouchers.

One of the startling features of this new scheme is that the Pensions Dept. can even unwittingly continue remitting the pension to the Bank even after a pensioner's death! It is quite surprising that the officials of the Pensions Dept. have not considered this important aspect.

In the light of these and several other facts the country's pensioners urge the Pensions Dept. to revert to the earlier system of issuing pension vouchers giving details of each one's pension. This must be considered as equally important as the payment of pensions.

Andrew Scott, Kandy.

Children in the 'Rat-Race'

One day of the week and it so happens to be Sunday, has over the centuries been treated as a day of rest-a time to recoup. It was also a day that was set aside for religious observances by both adults and children engaged in worship as a family unit.

It was also a day when children of whatever religion, would meet in the temples and churches to attend what is referred to as 'Daham Pasala' or 'Sunday school'. Here priests and elders would spend time teaching and instructing the youth on moral and religious values and principles that are very important in the formative years of the life of a child.

Now this day of rest and reflection has been disturbed by all sorts of worldly activities that do not provide any form of relaxation and rest, but rather, stress and strain. Any doctor will tell you that the human body needs rest.

Adults have long been ignoring this advice to their detriment and it is a pity that this attitude is now being foisted on our children.

Now on a Sunday we see children being rushed around to high pressure tuition classes and to engage in strenuous sports activities and other extra curricular activities which in the past were confined to the week days. Now burdening children with these extra activities on the only day set apart for rest leaves them thoroughly exhausted when they should be rested and revived to start a new week in school.

A matter of concern is that apart from depriving the child of his much needed rest, these activities interfere with the child's religious education and observances. The opportunity they have to be guided and instructed along corrected values and principles in the temples and churches which are equipped to impart this education is interfered with.

They are also deprived of engaging in worship as a family unit. Religion plays a very important role in the life of everyone especially children and our country has always given this high priority. But we now seem to be going the way of most of the so called highly developed countries where religion has lost its importance and significance.

We have to admire our Muslim brethren who refuse to allow anything to interfere with their religious obligations. To them worship of their God is more important than anything else. We saw this demonstrated recently at the ICC Trophy cricket tournament where play was interrupted to allow for the Muslims to participate in their religious observances.

Our Christian and Buddhist leaders can take an example from their commitment and dedication and campaign for a return to the times when one day in the week was really a day of rest, reflection and worship. God in His wisdom ordained that such a day of rest should be observed in the week but what we now see is a day when children and adults are engaged in a "Rat Race".

Zerney Wijesuriya, Colombo.

Rabindranath Tagore

I refer to the "Glimpse of History" regarding Rabindranath Tagore and his sojourn in Sri Lanka, in the features page of the 'Sunday Observer', of December 3.

I was a schoolboy of 11 years, when he visited my home town Wekada, Panadura in 1934, after having come for the foundation laying of "Grantha Bhawana, and "Silpayathanaya" at Sri Palee, in Hegalla Group, Horana, belonging to late Mr. Wilmot A. Perera.

Not only did his ensemble perform live in Colombo, but also gave a live performance on the spacious lawn at "Srinagar", Wekada, the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Salgado. Practically the whole village was there to enjoy this splendid spectacle.

Mrs. Walter Salgado was the sister of Wilmot A. Perera. The Salgado couple had an only child Luxhmi, who married Mr. G. S. Peiris, civil servant and Ambassador to Bonn. These two were the parents of Prof. G. L. Peiris, who spent his childhood days at "Srinagar", with his grandparents before shifting to Colombo. Though I am an octogenarian now, this rare event of the visit of Rabindranath Tagore still remains vividly in my mind.

Donald Perera, Wekada, Panadura.