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The many faces of crime
Chinua Achebe once said, "It is clear to me that the African creative writer who tries to avoid the big social and political issues of contemporary Africa will end up being completely irrelevant... And let no one tell me that if it was true of an African writer, it must be true of others." He also firmly believed that the task of the creative writer or any other author of the present generation was "drawing his country's fate and portraying society for tomorrow".

This is exactly what Nandasena Ratnapala has done. His book "Crime in Sri Lanka" is relevant in today's context. Facts are supported by statistics, thereby leaving no room for doubt.

A Professor on Criminology and Criminal Justice in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ratnapala knows what he is talking about. The book analyses modern crime from police reports, drawing from the IGP's annual reports. Crime is analyzed in the background of criminological research undertaken.

Statistics reveal past crime rates in Sri Lanka, while Ratnapala also looks at the future. The last chapter of the book 'After Thoughts' states that "juvenile crime is on the increase... Juvenile gangs are in the offing, and unless serious steps are taken, we would face a wave of juvenile gangs as in Western countries."

"Crime in Sri Lanka" focuses on several aspects of crime. The first chapter is on 'Police Public Relations'. A survey of people of the urban, semi-urban and rural areas reveals the mistaken beliefs people have about police-public relations.

Other interesting chapters in the book include 'Arson', Cattle and Goat thefts', 'Rape', 'Child Abuse', 'Narcotics and Drugs', and 'Terrorism'.

"Terrorism is something beyond the police. The steps to be taken are with the government. The situation could have been curtailed if the respective government discerned the problems... the problems could have been solved with a little foresight," the author stresses. True. If this had happened, violence would have remained, but not to the degree it has established itself now.

Prof. Ratnapala has also made interesting studies on 'Suicide' and 'Child abuse'. He points out that most suicides are not reported because these are buried under some other title such as 'death by a known illness' or because of social prejudice. The most common method of suicide is poisoning, he states. Hanging oneself, suicide through drowning, setting fire to oneself and death due to shooting are the other methods. "Counselling those in need would be important," he says.

Offences relating to narcotics have progressively increasing during the last few years and a dangerous trend is shown in the country where more and more youth seem to be taking to drugs. Prof. Ratnapala points out that the drug war is as important as the war in the North and we should be more aware as this is the most attractive thing for youth today. Before we know it, the drug culture could be second nature to all of us.

The final chapter 'After Thoughts' sums up the different aspects of crime. He predicts what would come, if problems are not curbed now.

What is most essential for Sri Lanka today is a justice system which could win the public's respect and regard, the author states. When the sanctity of the law can be respected, most of the problems we face today would disappear the day after.

The question of why crime is flourishing in Sri Lanka is well answered in this book. The role of the police is also analyzed impartially. It is thus essential reading to all those interested in crime, particularly policy makers.

My knapsack on my back
By Chandani Kirinde
Children going off to school with the weight of heavy bags on their backs is a common sight. Most youngsters carry the heavy bags without complaining but both they and their parents are unaware that this could lead to a host of medical problems later on in life.

The issue has come up for discussion among parents and teachers at school meetings but finding a solution is tricky. Schools can offer none and there is little the parents can do to lessen the burden for their children.

Mr. Neville Wickremaratne sees his grandchildren, aged nine and ten, off to school everyday. "They look like two nattamis in Pettah. It's a sad sight considering that in our days we had so few books to carry to school. I worry that this could cause back and spinal problems for them later on in life," he says.

Mr. Wickremaratne is not alone in expressing these concerns. Thousands of parents all over the country share his fears but are powerless to change the system.

The long-term effect of carrying heavy bags can range from bad posture to aches and pains in the back and shoulders. Carrying a backpack weighing 15 per cent of the body weight makes a child or adolescent unable to maintain proper standing posture.

Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne, Programme Officer of UNICEF, Colombo, says it is a problem for small children to have to carry four to five pounds weight daily to school especially those having to travel long distances. But in the present education set-up there is little that can be done about it.

"Many textbooks are used for school work starting from the primary school. It's better if there was a more interactive system of education for primary students where they learn more from the environment than being dependent on so many books," she said.

The usual school day in Sri Lanka consists of an average of eight periods. There are at least six textbooks and 10 notebooks to be taken almost daily as well as the child's food and drink and on some days additional materials needed for school work.

Medical opinion is that the bag should not be more than ten per cent of the child's own weight which means that a child weighing 30 kilos should not carry more than three kilos on his back. But this is an impossible task in today's situation. As the child needs to bring home most of the books for his homework, the bags have to be carried to and from school daily.

Also the lack of locker facilities means that even if all the books are not needed there is no place to leave them behind safely.

Eight-year-old Thushara is in Grade 3 in a government school and constantly complains about his heavy bag.

"I carry the bag to the point where he boards the school van but after that he has to carry it himself. When he returns in the afternoon, he complains that his shoulders hurt. It's a real worry for me," his mother Manel says.

Teachers too agree it's a problem but they see no way to lessen the burden. According to the Principal, St. Lawrence's College, Colombo 6, Audrey Wijeratne, almost every subject is on the timetable daily and hence children have to carry all the books each day.

"Unfortunately, most schools lack locker facilities to enable them to leave behind some books. This facility could go a little way in easing this problem," Ms. Wijeratne pointed out.

The problem is worse for children who use public transport because they find it difficult to maintain their balance in crowded buses.

One alternative is the pull-along bags that are becoming popular in schools these days."

The wheeled bags are bulky but I noticed my daughter is happier since I got her one recently. Earlier she looked so harassed carrying a heavy bag on her back," said Mrs. S. Karunaratne whose daughter is in Grade 4.

Dr.Wijemanne of UNICEF suggests that a way to ease the burden on the child would be to carry the knapsack hung over both shoulders so that the weight is evenly distributed and also use cloth bags which are light by themselves.

Although many have suggested having lockers in schools for each child, this system does not seem feasible where government schools are concerned. Providing locker facilities seems almost an impossible task in the already heavily burdened free education system where most schools lack many basic facilities.

So it is left to parents and teachers to work out a system which does not burden their children and make going to school a more pleasant experience.

Is the bag too heavy?
* If the child needs help to lift the bag onto the shoulders.
* If the child leans forward when walking.
* If the child is short of breath after walking a short distance with the bag.
* If the child complains of shoulder and back aches and pains.

What parents can do:
* Choose a school bag with broad, padded straps. Narrow straps can squeeze nerves or blood vessels or chafe the skin.
* The child should always use both straps of the school bag. Slinging the bag over one shoulder may increase the risk of back and shoulder pain.
* Pack the heaviest items close to the child's back, packing neatly and trying to keep the items from shifting around.
* Teach the child to put down the bag when waiting at the bus stop, in the assembly etc.

What the doctor says:
Leading physician Dr. Geethanjana Mendis warned that carrying heavy school bags could result in life-long back and spinal problems for growing children.

"This is the age that young children's bones are developing. The heavy bags they carry put a strain on their bones," Dr. Mendis said.

He said that it has been a recent trend for children's school bags to get heavier and heavier. The real health problems caused by this would surface when these children reach adulthood in a few years.

Dr.Mendis said that many children had come to him for treatment complaining of pain in the shoulders and back as a result of carrying overloaded bags. "What we can do is treat them for the pain and tell the parents to make sure they carry less weight. But this is an impossible task from the parents' point of view," he said.

He said the matter needed to be looked at seriously and addressed urgently by both the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Education.

A fair hand in life
Can female workers on plantations hope for a brighter future? The Trust thinks so and takes the initiative to improve their lot

By Steve A. Morrell
The incident that follows is true, but names and places have been changed to prevent identification.

On Ertsegine, an estate in the highland district of Rubadunia, Sri Lanka, a young woman of 18 died at childbirth about five years ago. She was not a resident worker, but was afforded care and attention usually attributed to workers. This girl, Poovai, pleaded with the Estate Medical Assistant, (EMA) not to inform her parents. She had an elder brother, working on the estate, a younger sister schooling in the Esnoron day school, and also a younger brother.

She was in the advanced stages of pregnancy when her condition became serious. Transport facilities were requested to take her to the Nriac Nelg hospital. The Superintendent (PD) Mr.Thorntree readily released the estate lorry to transport the patient. The lorry however had left the estate on an outside trip and was late to arrive.

Meanwhile, as Poovai's condition deteriorated her brother Sellan with a few friends carried her to the factory strapped to a chair. The lorry arrived a short while later. According to them she died when they were boarding the lorry. The workers attributed her death to the negligence of the PD and went on strike. The entire workforce numbering about 500 converged on the factory demanding the PD's presence at a Kangaroo court. The PD sensing danger to his life avoided the factory and fled to the police station.

At the coroner's inquest the EMA confirmed that Poovai had died before she was brought to the factory. He also said that death could have been avoided if as instructed, the patient was warded in the hospital at least a week earlier. The family wanted to keep this under wraps and threatened the EMA to make a false statement. The girl had had an illicit affair. Two weeks later the strike was called off. A life had been lost. The Silo Diata Tea Co.Ltd., lost at least Rs. 6 million.

Could such tragedy be avoided? Is anything being done to stem the trend? The context of this manuscript is not to portray industrial disputes, but primarily to accentuate social and health problems and arrest a predicament of decay.

There are many theorists who have ascribed the perplexity of teenage pregnancies and incest to many causes. After most have been identified, and all excuses have been exhausted, something is happening.

Dr. Indira Hettiaratchi, Director Health and Women's Programmes, Plantation Housing & Social Welfare Trust, has been at the helm of this wide ranging subject since the formation of the Trust in 1992. Her achievements include action at grassroot level. The labour unions have implemented their own strategies to introduce programmes on gender related issues which touch on sexual harassment at work and at home. The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) too has made a noteworthy contribution.

The plantations collectively number just about a million residents who live and work on estates. They are spread over approximately 423 of these holdings. (Average extents range from 300 - 500 hectares, or 900 - 2500 acres). This is an enormous population base for one industry. The Trust has made significant inroads to improve conditions, particularly in child care, maternal health, and overcrowding.

They deal with inter-related problems which could be broadly defined as health and social. Improvements in physical health are substantial. Infant mortality (IMR) is now at 15 per 1000 births. The national figure is approximately 16 per 1000.

According to "The Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (Millennium Supplement 2001), from 1972 to 1975, infant mortality in the Estate sector was 100 per 1000 births.

A staggering figure which portrayed the poor quality of health services at the time. Sanitation and good drinking water had long been a problem and resulted in epidemics till the administrative report of Sir. Allan Perry, (1903) made it mandatory that the Planters Association adhere to the construction of toilets. The planters of that time and age were a powerful lobby of men who tried to resist, but were dissuaded and eventually the construction of toilets became compulsory. Similarly maternal deaths which was an endemic malaise in the plantations is now hardly a scandalous blight affecting plantation women.

The plus factor is that health services in the plantations since privatization have improved as never before. Positive improvements through the direct intervention of the Trust and enthusiastic support from plantation companies, planting staff, and worker unions, is a well defined success story in population welfare and social development. But as Indira Hettiaratchi stressed, this could not have come about without financial assistance from donor countries.

The Netherlands and Norway have consistently supported the plantations through good planning and execution of a broad spectrum of activities directly contributed through grant aid. This is perhaps the only assisted programme which has evolved to be implemented without expatriate supervision and is an index to local expertise and integrity. The Trust has been the catalyst in implementation and the visionary leader in this sphere.

UNICEF, which has also been a contributing shareholder in childcare and health matters on the plantations, is also responsible for the perceived success. UNICEF has been with the plantations since nationalization in 1976. A long and enduring partnership in the long road to worker dignity.

What of the tragedy of Poovai? Will it be repeated? On a totally personal subject such as this, nobody can pontificate on the do's and don'ts of society. The plantations are no exception. The United Nations Fund For Population Activities has stepped in to limit the 'Poovai Syndrome.' They have accentuated their strategies in maternal care and family planning, mainly to prevent calamities such as Poovai's.

The Trust through such donor interventions has made marked in-roads in social issues. Young people supported by their parents have accepted instruction and advice on preventive measures. Worker education through Community Development Volunteers has progressively radiated a glow of hope.

Usually bad news is something sensational. Like the story of Poovai. Similarly good news too can be equally interesting. Women particularly, are now additionally motivated to be the decisive influences in the family and are now more or less of similar mindset as their male counterparts. They are respected as equals in their family circles. They earn more and deserve the kudos and attention.

The breakthrough in gender concerns and equality is quite substantial. This has to be noted within the plantation culture of over 175 years where the men always made the decisions. Now, with young women educated and demanding equal opportunities, domestic brutality and marital rape has regressed. An important step is that family planning methods and effective instruction which are now freely available on plantations have had formidable influence on families. As the saying goes a win win situation has emerged.

The Plantation Unions, of note the CWC have put together fresh innovations in gender awareness and are making concerted efforts to build a more confident female worker who could hold her own within her family circle and at work.

What has been the impact of social interventions? Will there be another Poovai? May be so, may be not, but the broad cross section of social development will minimize similar adversity. It is then the intrinsic responsibility of both unions and management to apply a few consensus parameters to ensure retention of workers. Without them there would be no Unions, and there would be no Management.

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