Letters to the editor
View(s):Well done for exposing the NSB fiasco
The Sunday Times deserves the commendation of every Sri Lankan for its excellent editorial in the Business Times of June 9 focusing on the duplicitous behaviour of the Secretary to the Treasury Dr. P.B. Jayasundara in the sacking of Sunil Sirisena of the National Savings Bank.
Mr. Siriena was handpicked by the President and appointed Chairman of the National Savings Bank on his retirement from the SLAS taking into reckoning his distinguished career of over 35 years as an elite SLAS officer who held the highest levels of responsibility in Sri Lanka.
It was reported in the columns of the ST that Mr. Sirisena was summarily dismissed by Mr. Jayasundara because he refused to carry out an order related to a mega foreign currency bond issue by the NSB which would have placed in jeopardy the interests of the vast depositor base of the NSB.
Mr. Sirisena as well as certain other Directors of the NSB are said to have expressed grave concern over the safety of the deposits of thousands of small-time depositors considering the risks and hazards facing the bank in the event of exchange rate depreciation hitting the cash flow of the bank in the aftermath of such a huge bond issue.
In a strange twist of irony, Mr. Jayasundara says in the same breath that political lackeys under this government have ruined state enterprises and therefore qualified capable men should be appointed to high posts. However the summary dismissal of such a capable and qualified professional with years of experience such as Mr. Sirisena clearly exposes the hypocrisy and double speak of Mr. Jayasundera.
R. Jayamanne, Wattala
An open invitation to the dengue mosquito
Dengue is on the rise again, but do not blame the mosquito. Rather place the blame on the doorstep of the MOH and his team.
A drain has been built bordering the Borupana road, Ratmalana and the fence of the Schools for the Deaf and Blind. This drain is cleaned regularly, which is good. But for days piles of this rubbish is left between the drain and the road, making it a hazard for pedestrians. The first rain washes all this rubbish back into the drain.
In addition, on Galle Road, close to the Telecom office, I have seen municipal workers sweeping this rubbish back into the drain. Municipal workers fill the manholes with all the sweepings. Some of these manholes are a hazard to pedestrians, especially to senior citizens and to the blind.
The Municipal Councils of Mt Lavinia and Moratuwa should take action to remedy this situation.
A very concerned senior citizen
The picture that brought back those days of Malaria
The eye-catching front page photograph in the Sunday Times of June 2 prompted a wave of flashbacks in my mind regarding the terrible spread of malaria in the Hambantota District where I was working as a teacher of English soon after training in the mid-70s. During my six years there at the same school called Moradavana MV off Beliatta on the Walasmulla Road I contracted malaria over six times and had to undergo the travails of it- the pains all over the body and lack of appetite for about two weeks.
Fumigating of classrooms almost every month by a team of workers left a thick dust on students’ desks and chairs which they were compelled to wipe away with paper before classes began in the morning. This led to a bout of coughing and sneezing as a result of inhaling the dust. It took nearly an hour for them to recover.
The protective nose cover worn by the worker in your picture reminded me of the dangers of not wearing it while fumigating. Disanayaka, our school watcher who joined this campaign to earn some extra money, being a devil-may-care swashbuckling person did not wear the nose cover and fell terribly ill. He was hospitalised and the tests taken revealed that his blood contained a high percentage of the chemical used in fumigation.
He took a long time to recover. So your picture was indeed a warning to be heeded. Malaria as part of the human predicament however promoted fellowship among our staff. When one of us fell ill and could not eat, one of our lady teachers coming from their homes would bring special fare like fried tomato curry or a pickle of biling fruit that helped promote appetite. Such kind acts made us all, a group of 25 young teachers good friends enjoying the service in this region considered as a ‘difficult’ area.
Vijaya Jayasuriya, Retd. DDE and former lecturer in English at Pasdunrata CoEd
The NPC Elections — A lesson in prediction
Judging by media disclosures the main focus of attention today, locally as well as internationally is on the Northern Provincial Council elections scheduled for September.
It is clear that strong opposition is building up. Groups outside the government as well as within have openly begun to express concern particularly in view of the land and police powers enshrined in the 13th Amendment. The government is also conscious of the dangers. It is confronted with virtually an insurmountable practical dilemma. India pressurised by Tamil Nadu is insisting on its pound of flesh and CHOGM is round the corner. Even a postponement seems impossible.
But democratically elected Northern Provincial Council paving the way for a politically negotiated (or even pressurised by economic sanctions) Eelam has indeed become a clear and present danger.
In this backdrop it can be reasonably expected that the NPC election will follow the likes of the DDC elections of 1981. The disruption of the September poll is a clear possibility. Local groups such as the NFF and the JHU have already shown their hand. But my considered prediction is that it will be disrupted by an unidentifiable force engineered by India. Anyone who has read my book, ‘Memorable Tidbits Including the Jaffria Library Fire’ (ISBN 978-955-9712510 – 2013) will know how RAW got involved in the disruption of the 1981 DDC elections.
By the end of the 70’s the relations between India and Sri Lanka were far from cordial. JR had even most undiplomatically made an insulting reference to the Congress Party symbol. India did not certainly want a regime in Jaffna close to the centre controlled by President Jayewardene. RAW had been given the task of disrupting the election. In page 333 I have written, “A highly disturbing prospect for RAW was the emergence of a democratic Eelam with elected leaders. RAW was of the view that such a development would not only lead to separatist repercussions in Tamil Nadu but also provide a bulwark to India’s vowed ambition to be the sole and undisputed power in the Indian Ocean”.
The geo-political reality is even more relevant today with many leaders in Tamil Nadu openly peddling the pro-LTTE line and the state government daggers drawn with the coalition at the centre.
Edward Gunawardena, Battaramulla
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