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to the Editor |
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Majors General:
Exploding the myth This myth needs
to be exploded. We have fought
a war for well nigh 20 years. In this war, for the most part, were
engaged those officers who have now reached their present rank of
Major General as well as those who have even risen higher to positions
of ultimate command and have since retired. But what has
been achieved with this precious so called "experience"
arising from long service? Nothing other than a series of military
reverses resulting in humiliating defeats, ignominious retreats
and abject displays of military ineptitude. Our "battle honours"
are stunning in reverse! Welioya, Pooneryn, Mankulam, Kilinochchi,
Mullaitivu and Elephant Pass tell a harrowing and dismal tale. The military
hierarchy with its weak leadership, lack of foresight and elementary
common sense despite long service and high rank failed to make a
positive impact on the prosecution of the war. Nor have they been
taken to task for these battlefield debacles. All too often they
have been thrusting the responsibility for failure on politicians
and making them the whipping boys, thus evading strictures and punishment
for their incompetence. This rearguard
action to cling to perks and positions brings to mind the famous
episode of Napoleon and the mule. Emperor Napoleon
had reached the zenith of power. His brilliant young marshals had
blazed a trail across the European landscape, toppling ancient kingdoms
and vanquishing powerful armies. He was sitting in his headquarters
in Paris contemplating his next move. Suddenly his
ADC announced a delegation of senior Generals intent on seeing him
on urgent business. The Generals were summoned to his august presence. These Generals
who had long years of service in the French army, even before the
advent of Napoleon himself, complained to the Emperor that despite
their long service, they were still Generals, whereas the Emperor
had thought it fit to confer the Marshal's baton on beardless youths
with much less service and experience. Napoleon had been silent
for a while, then risen from his chair and gone to the window to
address the senior Generals thus: "Gentlemen, pray, look out
of this window, you will see my mule grazing leisurely. This mule
has been through all my campaigns but it is still a mule." The Generals
understood and retired never to bother Napoleon again. This is not
to say that all the Majors General and for that matter other senior
officers are of the same ilk. There have been and still are courageous
and competent officers who have breathed the acrid smell of powder
to attain their present high rank. They deserve our unstinted praise
and admiration. We are proud of them. I only refer
to those incompetent officers with tarnished military reputations
albeit weighed down by medals for heroism, medals earned under spurious
pretexts. Thus in determining
the continuance of a senior officer in service either in a consultative
or operational role the yardstick should be no nebulous factors
as would qualify one to be a mere carpet knight but successful performance.
No carte blanche measures should be adopted. Merit should be the
sole criterion. A sovereign
power needs an army well trained and properly led by well focused
commanders. It is immaterial who the enemy is or would be. There
should be no room for tin soldiers and pothe guras (pseudo theoreticians).
In this context
it is worth pondering over the profound observation of that great
philosopher Aristotle - "He who wears the shoe knows best where
it pinches". More on Koneswaram
deer They do not
come within an area declared as a sanctuary, but are traditionally
treated like animals within one. They have not
been domesticated; nor are they owned by any person or institution.
The Koneswaram Temple authorities claim that the deer are the descendants
of a pair presented to the temple decades ago by devotees in fulfilment
of a vow. Elder citizens of the town support this view. These animals
are not frightened at the sight of man or vehicle. They have now
become a tourist attraction. Feeding this herd has been a problem
for sometime. No individual
or organisation feeds them regularly. The temple feeds them with
fruits and coconuts mainly during festivals. Other organisations
used to dump unsold vegetables in the Fort, but this was stopped
due to security. When there
is a shortage of food, the deer can be seen straying into the Big
Maidan and the vegetable market facing the danger of attacks by
stray dogs. This herd which
is neglected has no proper food or place to live. Its protection
and preservation should be the concern of the authorities. Ms. Kirinde
has highlighted the problem of environmental pollution to which
this unfortunate herd is exposed. The polythene bags strewn around
the Fort contain leftover food. This environmental risk is linked
to the shortage of food. This needs to be given priority if the
herd is to be preserved. The following
measures could be taken: Polls
should decide NE fate It is also
reasonable for the LTTE to demonstrate its willingness to bow to
the democratic will of the people. The rule by terror has to be
stopped and equal rights for all communities ensured. Abductions,
extortion and forcible recruitment should be stopped forthwith and
the common legal system followed. In a multi-ethnic
community such as ours, power sharing is a prerequisite. A separate
administrative unit for each community should be formulated. It
is the absence of such prerogatives that has led to unrest in the
east, causing much hardship to both the Muslims and the Sinhalese.
Those who promote terrorism may be allergic to the democratic process
because democracy means equal rights and privileges for all. Danger
behind North-East merger It is clear
that the Sinhalese and the Muslims who constitute 65 percent of
the population in the east do not like a merger. Even some members
of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress have demanded a separate administrative
unit for Muslims, if there is a permanent merger. The purpose
of the peace process is to devolve power to the north and the east
so that the people there could manage their own affairs and prevent
Sinhala domination. If the merger takes place, the Sinhalese and
the Muslims would come under Tamil domination. Once the north
and the east are merged even for an interim administration, it would
be impossible to separate the two provinces. Therefore, it will
not be fair by the Sinhalese and the Muslims. It is the duty
of the clergy, NGOs, intellectuals, civil society and politicians
to apprise all involved in the peace process, including Velupillai
Prabhakaran, that it is not fair to merge the north and the east.
There is no doubt that the Norwegians and the international community
would appreciate this position in the name of democracy. For lasting
peace, the north and the east should form separate provinces when
devolving power. Then the question of Muslims in the east demanding
a separate region will not arise. Sell coconuts
at CWE As a coconut
grower, I wish to propose the following: * Sell coconuts
at all CWE outlets at a reasonable price and eliminate the middlemen
who make a profit as high as Rs. 7 per nut. * Direct all
coconuts - around 5 million a month - from government-owned lands
under various agencies to be marketed via co-operatives and the
CWE. Growers strongly
oppose moves to import coconuts as this will bring down their income,
making it impossible to maintain the land, which will further affect
the industry. Halloluwa needs
more buses But today,
it is a densely populated area with hundreds of new families. More
than 75 percent of the people come for their daily needs to Katugastota. Till recently,
there were a number of small private vans plying between Halloluwa
and Katugastota junction.People were able to go about without wasting
time at bus halts, especially the main halt near the Sigiri Cinema.
Now the law
of the jungle prevails at the main halt and only ablebodied youngsters
can board these buses. At peak hours, these vehicles are packed
with more than four times the number of passengers they can carry,
with seven or eight hanging on to the doors. The private
buses that come from Kandy stop at the main halt for more than 15
minutes to take in more and more people. If the authorities
can arrange for at least two or three buses to run on this road
regularly from Halloluwa to Katugastota, the hardships and risks
the commuters face can be overcome. Over to you Mr. Minister. Beacon
of peace 'Letters
to the Editor' should be brief and to the point.
Address them to: 'Letters to the Editor, The Sunday Times, P.O.Box 1136, Colombo. Or e-mail to steditor@wijeya.lk or stfeat@wijeya.lk Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned. |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
herd
which lives within the Fort around the Koneswaram Temple. 
