Letters
View(s):Will we get landed over land deeds in Port City?
It has been reported that according to the Port City agreement the Chinese will get land on lease (99 years) and also Sinnakara land. What will be the situation if the Chinese decide to plant their missiles on this land and anchor their nuclear submarines in the sea adjoining this Sinnakara land? Oh yes, we can protest but we shall in all likelihood be told to take a running jump into the Kelani river.
What will happen if the US and India issue ultimatums to China to withdraw from Sri Lanka and China ignores such ultimatums?
I hope our new government and the many pundits on the nation’s sovereignty have answers to my questions.
Durand Appuhamy
Negombo
Why I have a problem with Colombo
screening ‘50 Shades of Grey’
Right upfront I want to state that I have not watched the movie or read the book ‘50 Shades of Grey’ . Why-because I did some research before and realised that it will mess my mind. Why do I say that? Because garbage in IS garbage out. What’s wrong with the film adaptation of the erotic novel “50 Shades of Grey” you may ask?
Firstly 50 Shades of Gray is screening in Colombo and I have issues that lots of young girls and boys have access to what I consider a movie that wrongly depicts what a relationship is/should be all about.
Fox News’ Dawn Hawkins said the film glorifies domestic violence given that the relationship between fictional couple Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey is all about control and domination. “The reality is that if you take away the glamour, ‘Fifty Shades’ is just a sensationalised lie, telling women that they can, and should, fix violent and controlling men by being obedient and devoted, and that, somehow, this is romantic,” Hawkins wrote. “It is no surprise that Hollywood is betting millions of dollars that now is the right time to offer sexual abuse and sexual violence against women as mainstream entertainment.”
However, I believe there is a bigger underlying problem behind the success of “50 Shades”: Today’s generation are looking to obtain more violent and user-generated pornography. With more than 100 million copies of the book in print, I believe this type of erotic fiction sadly does not just shock people but rather lowers the bar for what society thinks is normal in the bedroom.
“Material like ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ fuels the allusion that fantasy and a sexual release will bring satisfaction. It leads to an insatiable desire for more,” Slattery wrote. “The more you chase the counterfeit, the further away you get from the real deal — intimacy.”
Make your choice? Please don’t be ignorant or turn a blind eye, I appeal to the still decent, old fashioned community like me, we need to get better movies in our theatres, we need to build our young people, teach them good values and build our families rather than crush it with fantasies and wrong values.
T. Tranchell
Via email
Are we missing the golden opportunity to put things right?
It is a great pity that the mandate given by the people to the common candidate at the last Presidential Election is gradually eroding. It was a herculean and impossible task to dislodge the Maharaja who had ruled this country for 10 long years, making the Executive Presidency a total dictatorship.
The magnetic force that attracted voters having different shades of opinion was the firm assurance given by those who campaigned for the common candidate that once in power they would bring to book those guilty of unprecedented corruption and bribery. Although no specific charges of bribery were levelled against personalities at the time, what was spotlighted was the enormous amounts of money spent on several mega development projects, running into trillions of rupees.
Another important assurance given was that once elected to power, legislation would be brought to curb the powers of the Executive Presidency which was identified as the most dangerous element that ruined the country
Placed before the people was a hundred day programme with specific dates for the implementation of some the proposals included in the election manifesto. Fifty days of the 100 days are now gone; there is not a single constitutional item listed that has been implemented. If the parties that got together knew that some of these things cannot be implemented within 100 days then exact and specific dates for the implementation of such important proposals should not have been given
There is a growing dissatisfaction and disappointment among the people as well as some of the leading personalities who worked day in and day out to dislodge the Maharaja. They openly give vent to their frustrations at the many TV telecasts. The situation is so bad even the President himself confessed that he too is wondering why there is such an inordinate delay in bringing the culprits to book.
Allegations have been levelled against the new government that it had stuck a deal with these people who were involved in bribery and corruption. They specifically point fingers at the President and the Prime Minister. The forces that want to resurrect the Maharaja back into power conspired to elect the President as the President of the SLFP as well. If that had not happened several SLFP members of parliament would now have deserted the party and joined the government ranks. With the President being elected the leader of the SLFP, that was not necessary.
The Machiavellian tactic of those who conspired to elect Mr. Sirisena as the leader of the SLFP was to tighten his hands so that he will never be able to institute action against any of the SLFPers. That is exactly what is happening today.
The President still wields wide executive powers and he can easily move in and bring these rascals to book. But he still remains a strong SLFPer and he does not want to destroy the SLFP. That is the stark reality
The pathetic situation is that the deaf silence observed by the President and the Prime Minister are giving enough ammunition to the likes of Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunawardene, Dayan Jayathilake and Udaya Gammanpila who are making a valiant effort to resurrect the Maharaja into politics by beating communal drums and again destroying the unity that has been achieved after 30 years of cruel war..
But the people are disappointed. The SLFP is systematically delaying the implementation of the constitutional amendments that were promised to the people. They do not want an immediate election. They want time to regroup. And Ranil Wickremesinghe is playing into their hands.
The only chance the people have of insisting on the implementation of the election pledges given now rests with the Rev Sobitha, who spearheaded the movement to have a common candidate. Will our country miss another golden opportunity to put things right?
Cassian M. Fernando
Via email