Letters
View(s):The dream has soon turned into a nightmare
I wrote a couple of months back, about the wonderful work that had been done, down the Millenium Drive, Malabe, by the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse, where a ‘Walkers’ Path’ had been built with paved roads, side-walk benches, solar lights and outdoor gym. It was a dream come true for us walkers!
Now the sides are completely overgrown, garbage is strewn everywhere and the entire area bears an air of utter neglect. What a sad end, for all the effort and expense incurred!
Could the minister, who approved this worthwhile project, please take remedial action, to maintain the area regularly, place concrete garbage bins , etc. Please do bring back to this former haven of delight, the pristine beauty it had once known!
Walker
Via email
Polls chief can stop political bhikkhus
In a letter published in Lankadeepa, Ven. Iththepana Dhammaloka Thera says bhikkhus engaging in political activities, contesting elections or entering Parliament cannot be approved. He says these bhikkhus, after joining political parties, criticise other parties, even resorting to abusive language. Therefore, bhikkhus should be prohibited from politics.
In my opinion if a Buddhist priest contests an election, he is making use of his robes which is a symbol of veneration, respect and “Shradhdha” to his political advantage to gain votes. This advantage over his rival is unfair
New laws to prohibit Buddhist clergy from contesting elections to any local government body or parliament are not necessary. The Elections Commissioner has adequate power and authority to reject nomination papers submitted by Buddhist priests for any election. However, in the past the Elections Commissioners have made a mistake.
Dharmasena Mohotti
Piliyandala
Welcome news: Highway on concrete pillars
People who live bordering a major highway project on concrete pillars in and around the Colombo city will breathe a sigh of relief, because their lands will not be accrued for road expansion.
They can now beautify their premises bordering the proposed highway without any fear.
Almost all lands have a street line marked on them and if some concession is made pertaining to the street lines, it will be a great facelift to the city provided the Road Development Authority and the Colombo Municipal Council could work out a permanent plan for Colombo.
Concerned environmentalist
Via email
Help senior citizens lost in translation exam
Prior to 2010, the Government conferred the Sworn Translator title without any exam to applicants who had administrative experience in any sector or on recommendations. Now there is a public examination to confer this title. Several of my retired friends, who are in the age group 60-70 and who are non-professional translators, sat this examination recently.
The two-hour paper had four translations, with each answer carrying a maximum of 25 marks. The candidates were required to get at least 50 marks to pass the exam.
This is quite easy for younger candidates who are already working as translators. But my retired friends who sat the exam were not translators, though they translate their own writing with the help of a dictionary or friends.
At the exam, dictionaries were not allowed. The time limit of two hours was not enough for these senior citizens who have medical problems and whose memories are failing due to old age. Besides, they had not sat an exam of this kind for the past 30 or 40 years. Some of them could not complete the paper. They want this title to help their communities in the translation of their birth, marriage and death certificates and other documents.
Given the fact that some have got this title without sitting any exam prior to 2010, it is unfair to make the process difficult for senior citizens.
Therefore, to be fair by those who are over 60, please set the pass mark at 35 and give them an additional 15 marks taking into consideration their long experience and service to the nation. Even at the GCE Ordinary Level examination, the pass mark is set at 35.
DLUP, a senior citizen Maharagama
Listen to the words of a true patriot
I was quite touched by the piece written by Hemantha Warnakulasuriya in your newspaper. I agree wholeheartedly with the writer. We need to encourage children to reconcile in the beautiful land of Sri Lanka by providing opportunities like the one Mr. Warnakulasuriya prescribes.
I am a Sri Lankan living abroad for the past 45 years or so. However, since the tsunami I have spent the winter months in Sri Lanka trying to give back to the country of my birth in my own small way. After the war ended, this work has involved efforts to help in the reconciliation process.
I have spent time in the North and a couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Independence celebrations at a school in Jaffna. The children only spoke Tamil as did most of the teachers including the principal. The children sang the national anthem in Tamil with great gusto and joy! I was so choked up with emotion. This should be the real Sri Lanka.
This is the way to have full reconciliation. I applaud the likes of Mr. Warnakulasuriya, a true patriot!
Chandra Fernando
Via email
Solution to malady of ‘ask no questions but order whole lot of tests’!
We Sri Lankans are a highly resilient and adaptable lot. The general public of Sri Lanka has long been experts in remoulding their ways to suit the situation and forge ahead with daily lives; despite insurgency, terrorism, the tsunami, economic hardship or the changing political environment.
One such unsatisfactory situation we have learnt to ‘work around’ is seeking treatment from specialist consultant doctors channelled through private clinics and hospitals. Most of these doctors do not give value for money. They simply do not have time to ask questions. They do not have time to listen to the patient to determine symptoms. They do not have time to physically examine patients.
They do, however, rely heavily on laboratory reports -blood tests, ultra sound scans, MRI scans, X-rays etc.
Patients have no alternative. While anxious patients describe their symptoms these consultants don’t even look them in the eye but focus on writing the various laboratory tests to undergo and also prescribing medicines for ailments they have not yet discovered. (The writer does not cite examples for brevity’s sake).
Lab tests are immensely costly. The way things are with consultants we might as well undergo a complete medical check-up to see if we have fever in the big toe.
Patients still go in numbers exceeding 1000 every day to each high profile hospital. These hospitals charge about 20% of the doctor’s bill for facilitating the consultation.
I would like to suggest a solution, of course, without changing the status quo. Knowing the shortcomings of the doctors, the hospitals could interview the patients before the specialist sees them. Fill up a form with symptoms; in the language a specialist understands (hopefully medical language). The Ministry of Health should exercise its rights to serve the public by making this a requirement for every clinic that provides channelling services.
Furthermore before the lab reports are out the patient could develop adverse conditions. The specialist will not be at hand to seek advice. Can the hospital help without a fee? Can this be made a condition?
Can one smart hospital adopt this method and get more profits? There is money to be made here. Every laboratory test recommended derives profit for the doctor concerned by way of commission. Only the lab makes legitimate profits.
We the general public, are not going picketing over this. We are willing to work around it like we have always done in Sri Lanka – live and let live and sulk in private.
Lawrence Fernando
Via email
This would further divide the Sinhalese and Tamil people
Regarding the article in last week’s Sunday Times, “Rendering two lines of the National Anthem in Tamil”, I wish to remind the writer that in Britain, the anthem is not sung in Welsh, Scottish or Irish but only in English.
Unfortunately all these Tamils who left our country because of the “Blackest Day” of Sri Lanka’s history, never came out openly against the dastardly and cruel practices of the LTTE, thereby silently cheering them on in all their terrorist activities. Even now if these Tamils come out in favour of the good hearted Sinhala people who helped to eliminate Prabhakaran, who kept them cruelly under his jackboot, there would be peace and reconciliation here.
With all the dollars they have earned, the Tamil Diaspora who seem to be against terrorism should develop the devastated North and East of Sri Lanka, devastated of course, by Prabhakaran.
Two lines in Tamil, in our National Anthem would only further divide the Sinhalese and Tamil people.
Tamils who go abroad mostly for economic reasons, happily learn the language of the natives in the various countries which they call home! Why can’t they learn the Sinhala language, and use it at least in our National Anthem?
Vineetha Gunasekera
Via email