Letters to the Editor

P-TOMS - A synthetic bone of contention?
P-TOMS has beaten more tom-toms of discord in this country, than any other subject in the recent past. It has split the ruling coalition, suspended the Government on a precarious cobweb of convenience and placed the Prime Minister between the horns of a dilemma. Fortunately, the escalating public unrest has been contained by the far-sighted and down-to-earth order of the Supreme Court thereon.

Could not the objectives of P-TOMS have been realized through the existing normal machinery of Government? At the regional level, the Governors of the three affected regions could have handled the assignment through their respective secretariats. There would have been no difference in the District Committee as the P-TOMS MoU itself proposes to use the existing machinery. However the need for a novel implementation set-up has arisen from the general dissatisfaction with the performance of the routine administrative structure. Given the rate of performance and the integrity of that structure, up to the emergence of P-TOMS, it would not be fair to dismiss the disenchantment out of hand. Hence the need for a new approach.

P-TOMS appears to be an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. The second unexposed bird may be, building up consensus with the LTTE as a first step towards national reconciliation. In that sense, the conceptual achievement of the MoU is certainly greater than its practical product. Those who have anxiously watched the LTTE horse being taken to the water for years, would have been delighted to see it taking one grumbling sip at last. No doubt it was a diplomatic triumph.

But was the achievement really worthwhile? Could it not have been realized more effectively and peacefully through a conventional approach? P-TOMS could not have been a spontaneous brainwave of the LTTE, for they do not gain from it anything more than what they can get out of a more conventional arrangement, despite the relaxation of their strategic tough stance, for the benefit of the camera.

Unfortunately the thinking behind the triumph was too much focused on the LTTE to avoid the havoc that followed. The North-East was not the only region that was affected by the tsunami. The South and the West suffered equally, if not more. Why did not P-TOMS include those regions as well? This is not a complaint of racial discrimination but a question of strategy.

Bringing all affected regions under one conventional project would have resulted in the following advantages:

•Normalizing P-TOMS as a national response to the tsunami, devoid of partisan considerations

•Deflecting communal jealousy and suspicion that would have certainly avoided the ensuing litigation

•Equitable and transparent distribution of the vast idling resources among regions through multiple and equal agency bargaining

•Avoidance of fund-concentration and unicentering, the most provocative features that have been stayed by the SC.

•Distancing the implementation process in the added regions from the bureaucratic machinery

Perhaps the reluctance to broadbasing the P-TOMS may be due to concerns that it may not be acceptable to the LTTE. Why should the LTTE grudge the other regions getting what they themselves have already got? Another problem would be the nomination process to the Regional Committee (RC). The South and the West do not so far have the equivalent of the LTTE to nominate their five members.

The solution appears to be to make the numbers of members of the RCC, proportional to the number of MPP of the respective communities in the areas and to leave the individual nominations to the political parties concerned. Given the life-long trust of the vast majority of the Tamil MPP in the LTTE, this arrangement should not affect the intended representation and influence of the latter at all in the High Level Committee (HLC) or the North-East RC .

“It may not be still too late in the day to cut the Gordian knot by expanding P-TOMS to the other two regions as well.” Besides in time, the much desired relaxation of the LTTE attitudes, would be a natural outcome of their ‘give and take’ in the extended project.

The unique procedure devised for the North-East HLC may also be applied to the other two regions thus allaying any residue of fears on the part of the anxious guardians of the Sinhala heritage. The only disadvantage in broadbasing the project will be the watering down of the diplomatic triumph of getting the LTTE to place an imaginably, recalcitrant signature on the dotted line. That would be unfortunate for the thinking behind P-TOMS, appears to be far above grassroots level – almost Alpine.

Teach baas' work in schools
I read with interest the letter of Mala Gunaratne in The Sunday Times of October 2. I am convinced that her experience is not singular and that many of us have had similar experiences.

It is about time that we learn to do these small jobs on our own, as many who have lived in developed countries would agree. In the developed countries, if one were to employ somebody to do such jobs, it would be very expensive too.

In our schools, we are taught only academic subjects in the primary and secondary schools where the curriculum is oriented towards passing examinations and progressing towards employment in white collar jobs. In countries like Germany, in addition to academic subjects, technological and vocational subjects are also taught in schools, enabling students who do not qualify to enter university to progress in the technological field and obtain lucrative jobs. If these subjects are taught in schools, the students will not only learn how to do their masonry, carpentry and electrical work on their own but also develop an aptitude to become leaders in technology and engineering.

Federalism ensures sovereignty and unity
Our country is at a turning point in history. This beautiful land with its vast potential for peace and prosperity has become an island of divisions, rivalries, contentions and corruption due to short-sighted politics and self-serving politicians.

Some are insisting on "the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the island. The Tamils say they are “fighting for their just rights". In the ensuing confusion and conflict, thousands of innocent people have perished or become impoverished.
In a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society, the ideals of justice, general welfare and rights of individuals can be realized only in a federal system of government. It is the form adopted in many countries.

Unfortunately, in Sri Lanka, politicians with ulterior motives have given it a bad name and deceived the masses, raising the spectre of fragmentation and ruin. It had led to the chauvinism that prevails in the land.

Federalism does not destroy the sovereignty and unity of a country. It ensures both. But it also assures the member states full autonomy in matters like agriculture, education, social services and development.

The situation in Sri Lanka cannot be solved by, what was proclaimed as "Far-reaching proposals of provincial autonomy," an autonomy like that of a municipality, subject to the whims and fancy of a central government!
A good type of federalism based on the model of the U.S.A or Switzerland can solve the impasse. It will guarantee the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the island and assure the Tamils of their just rights.

Please ensure competent marking examiners
The Presidential election is looming large at this moment. In this background it was quite pleasing to hear that the Commissioner of Examinations is going ahead with preparations for the G.C.E. O/Levels, perhaps with a silent prayer that nothing untoward would disrupt the dates.

I wish to bring to the urgent notice of the Commissioner about the marking of the English Literature answer scripts. The situation in schools is an open secret. Competent teachers of English, especially for Literature are hard to come by. This was sadly proved in the 2004 O/L results with outstanding students gaining “S” grades while mediocre ones got “A” grades.

This has caused a negative impact. Students think twice before offering this subject at the exam while the powers that be crow from the rooftop about improving the standard of English.

Therefore, on behalf of all students who offer this subject facing many odds, I appeal to the Commissioner to uphold the right of these children to a fair chance, by securing competent marking examiners as is done for all other subjects.

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