23rd August 1998

• What would people think?
• Floods in Ratmalana
• Well done, Mudliyar
• Tamashas for whose benefit?
• Woes of the tourist elephants
• Status of Muslim women
• Telecom: are we really developing?

What would people think?

What person - forty, fifty years - married or single with moderate financial means and reasonably healthy - would not wish to live at least a part or whole of his remaining life - in a completely different atmosphere away from the environment he/she had spent long years.

Many elderly men and women wish to live in affordable Retirement or Holiday Homes. There are those of course who do wish to stay on where they have been.

Caring and well meaning offspring struggle with the question as to how they could fit in - to give a hand, within their capability - as regards time, money and energy and also the approval of close friends and relatives. Should any broad-minded child be asked whether some remedy connot be found, suggesting that there are 'Homes' - for Destitutes or for Paying Inmates, he/she poses another question "What would people think?".

This question is one of the chief snags facing the elders desirous of change. Other snags are of course the inadequacy of both Elders' Homes and Retirement or Holiday Homes, at affordable rates. There is also a stigma attached to a family with the elders living separately. If only those Joneses living in the neighbourhood mind their own business, the stigma will assuredly vanish, and the green light is brightly given.

Wealthy businessmen do not seem to accept that Retirement Homes can offer them greater rewards than currency, for most of them seek financial rewards.

In the past years citizens thought otherwise, and some of them donated even their ancestral house and property. Very recently there was Herman Steur - a foreigner, whose heart was moved, and gifted several units as Homes. More recently, a noble gentleman is said to have donated a large bungalow by the sea at Moratuwa. Another gentleman whom I know, told me that he is planning to build a Retirement Home on his land.

There are also unused and unattended land and buildings belonging to temples, churches, kovils and mosques, individuals and other organisations. Would those in authority, attempt to open their hearts?

There are many warmhearted souls waiting for opportunities to engage themselves in various ways. It is sad, but true that in most instances, those with open hearts have no bank accounts large enough - and many of those who have large bank accounts have no large hearts to offer what they can.

T. G. Edirimanna
Madampe.

Floods in Ratmalana

In Ratmalana, heavy rains are virtually synonymous with floods. Residents in most low-lying areas are affected due to lack of proper surface drainage. However, the worst affected are those at the base of the elongated trough between Galle Road and the Railway line at points where this low belt of land intersects Raja Mawatha, Sri Sumangala Mawatha and Dhamarama Mawatha. Their plight has aggravated with efforts made to prevent flooding in areas east of Galle Road. Water from this area originally went eastwards to vast expanses of marshy land and/or streams and waterways that flow into Bolgoda Lake and associated canals and rivers.

Resultantly, a large number of houses go under water during the rainy season. Earlier,water flowed down shortly after the rains.

After the diversion from areas east of Galle Road, the areas mentioned above remain inundated for several days, if not weeks, causing much hardship.

Felician Bastiasnz,
Ratmalana

Well done, Mudliyar

To the many peace loving and law abiding people of this country who have read your articles in The Sunday Times of August 2 and 9, with pleasure and thankfulness and silent appreciation, allow me to add my share of thanks and praise. Well done, Mudliyar.

The figure justice, is depicted as blind and female, holding the scales evenly, to mean that justice is no respector of persons of social status and holds the scales evenly in dispensing justice. The figure is female, to denote its gentleness and tender care and motherly concern for the stricken and afflicted.

That beautiful figure assumes quite a different form in Sri Lanka now. It is the figure of an ungainly giant wielding his heavy club with a rounded end with spikes all round, doling out primitive justice in barbarian fashion.

Regretfully, this lonesome malady has invaded the sacred precincts of the law. Justice is what Pilate in scorn uttered, "What is truth?" Implying truth is of no concern. He would not wait for an answer.

Sir, I do hope, trust and pray that your excellent articles will move the really cultured few, holding high office in state to stem the tide of lawlessness among those that practise the law, leave alone the professional thug who is so, out of necessity and compulsion and restore the independence of judges, as was done by King Henry IV when his son and heir to the throne was sentenced by the Chief Justice.

A. Bandara,
Kandy.

Tamashas for whose benefit?

This country has already witnessed two 'tamashas' - one, the visit of Prince Charles of England on Independence Day and the other being the holding of the SAARC Summit in this economically strangled and turmoil-festered country - and to what earthly good of the common man? Those who watched TV would have observed the brand new Benz cars imported specially for the use of the Heads of States attending the SAARC pow-wow.

Should the country have been put to the enormous expense of importing new luxury cars for just this one occasion lasting only three days .

Would it not have been more economical to borrow a few luxury cars from the vast array of cars most of which are lying idle in the Ministers' stables?

Could a poor country such as ours which is getting deeper and deeper into the economic morass have afforded the enormous expense of hosting the SAARC Summit in this country especially when it is at the threshold of a decisive moment of winning the never ending North-East conflict.

Was this not a strain on our depleted financial resources? Besides, was it also fair by the people who are groaning under the severe burden of an ever escalating cost of living?

Present trends show that the people are waiting to consign all these futile and extravagant events into the dustbin of history when the time comes.

Nut-Cracker
Nugegoda

Woes of the tourist elephants

Hotels are places where you live relaxed and in comfort. This is not so if it happened to be an elephant contracted by hotels transporting tourists to and fro for two thousand rupees for the delight and joy of the white variety of visitors to our country. If you happened to be in and around Habarana and in the proximity of hotels you will notice elephants often two or three in number standing to attention. They are awaiting clients for riding them and of course for photographing the fun. Back home the tourists reminisce the event over a glass of wine with much glee and banter. The lady riding on the neck of the elephant holding on to the chains and feet pressed against the sides had the biggest kick - her joy unconcealable.

The two thousand rupees is cut into chunks shared by the people who organise these elephant rides. But alas, no chunk remains for the elephant which has to bear the full brunt of the operation. It has to stand under the noon-day sun to be seen from afar by speeding tourists. It has not been led to water for this is the busiest business hour. Its comfort can wait. The mahout has had his pre-lunch drink and is quite dizzy. He needs the money for his evening bout. The elephant cannot complain. But its uneasiness is obvious to any observer.

This is not all the woes of the elephant. It has in all probability not been fed for the last twenty four hours. The kitul has to come from Kandy. The lorries transporting them are tardy. Tardy because the money is not flowing in the drivers' way to commiserate with the speed of the supply. Elephants standing two in a row are hungry and tearing. And when the mahouts do get a chance to do some business, - that is when the tourists alight to change from the cramped cars to the back of the elephant a heavy metal howdah with pricking ends is fastened to its back. They pull the ropes round its chest and back and around placing their feet against its body to lever them to the last centimetre possible. The howdah is secure.

It won't rotate round the animal's fleshy mass dropping the riders. But now it could hardly breathe. Loads could be to a maximum of seven people (Europeans at that), six seated on the howdah with feet hanging down and one invariably on the neck. Fine seat for one who needs a tickling massage. Cameras click and the elephant disappears behind the bushes only to reappear one hour later or as per arrangement.

All this is animal cruelty. Three tourist elephants in the Habarana- Dambulla area have already died for want of care- for want of food and water. In the need for money and the need for care, the animal is invariably the loser. Is it not said in the Bible that the man is the crown of creation? Would the animal lovers intervene and come to relieve the condition of these miserable creatures? Elephant rides OK. But an adequate portion of the hard currency earned has to go to feed and care for the animals.

There has to be strict regulations and controls. Metal howdahs should be prohibited, hours regulated, watering made compulsory, adequate rest given and feed assured.

A. Aryatilake
Maharagama

Status of Muslim women

The status of women in Islam constitutes no problem. Woman is vital to life as man and she is not inferior to man. Islam has given women, rights and privileges which they have never enjoyed under other religious systems. The rights and responsibilities of a woman is equal to those of a man, but they are not necessarily identical. Equality and sameness are two quite different things. This difference is understandable because men and women are not identical, but they are created equals.

Before Islam, women had no standing in Arabia. The Holy Quran gave the legal rights and an assured position to women.

The status of women in Islam is something unique, something novel, something that has no similarity in any other system. What Islam has established for women is that which suits their nature, gives them full security and protects them against disgraceful circumstances and uncertain channels of life.

Woman is recognised by Islam as a full and equal partner of man in the procreation of humankind. He is the father, she is the mother, and both are essential for life. Her role is no less important than his. By this partnership she has an equal share in every aspect, she is entitled to equal rights, she undertakes equal responsibilities and in her there are as many qualities and as much humanity as are there in her partner.

Woman is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge. When Islam enjoins the seeking of knowledge upon Muslims, it makes no distinction between man and woman Almost 14 centuries ago Holy Prophet Mohamed (On Whom Be Peace upon) declared that the pursuit of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim male and female. This declaration was very clear and was implemented by Muslims throughout history.

Muslim women have participated in public life with the early Muslims specially in times of emergencies. Women have accompanied the Muslim Armies engaged in battles to nurse the wounded, prepare supplies, serve the warriors and so on.

Islam grants woman equal rights to contract, to enterprise, to earn and possess independently. Her life, her property, her honour are as sacred as those of man. If she commits any offence, her penalty is no less or more than a man's in a similar case. If she is wronged or harmed, she gets due compensation equal to what a man in her position would get. (Holy Quran. 2: 178, 4:45, 92-93). Islam does not state these rights in a statistical form and then relax. It has taken all measures to safeguard them and practice. Islam also has given woman a share of inheritance.

In Islam woman enjoys certain privileges of which man is deprived. She is exempted from some religious duties i. e., prayer and fasting during the regular monthly period and at times of confinement. She is exempt from attending in obligatory congregation prayers on Fridays. She is also exempt from all financial liabilities. As a mother, she enjoys more recognition an higher honour in the sight of Allah. (God).

The Muslim woman is always associated with an old tradition known as the 'Veil'. It is Islamic that the Muslim woman should beautify herself with the 'Veil" of honour, dignity, chastity, purity and integrity. She should refrain from all deeds and gestures that might stir the passions of people other than her legitimate husband or cause evil suspicions of her morality. She is warned not to display her charms or expose her physical attractions before strangers. The Veil which she must put on is one that can save her soul from weakness, her mind from indulgence, her eyes from lustful looks, and her personality from demoralization. Islam is most concerned with the integrity of woman with the safeguarding of her morals and morale and with the protection of her character and personality. (cf 24: 30-31)

It will be clear that the status of Muslim woman in Islam is unprecedentedly high and realistically suitable to her nature.

Binthy
Huxaima Marikkar.

Telecom: are we really developing?

It appeared in the Media, that the Telecom Regulatory Commission had proposed to the Director-General Telecom, that the Monthly Rental should be increased from Rs. 100/to Rs. 190/-.

The kind DG had boldly said "NO", and agreed for Rs. 180/-thus giving the poor subscriber a reduction of Rs. 10/-. Fantastic Rs. Ten!

He goes on to defend, the increased rates on decreased times consumed on telephone calls and further explains in, very flowery English of high voltage the reasons for such increases.

I am prepared to bet all the green tea in China, that not even 1% of our rice and curry eating Natives (yakkos to be more respectable) would have understood the reason.

I did not understand either.Speaking on behalf of myself only, I have to state that, I am now paying monthly an amount exceeding Rs. 1000/-, whereas I paid only about Rs. 600/- for the same number of units earlier.

Now we will take the pleasant side of the news. The Telecom has embarked on a vigourous campaign, all full pages "Hunting Facility", "One to One" "Two in One" etc, etc.

Personally, I do not grudge the service Telecom offers today, which is of a very high quality, but then, we pay a high price for it.

I am aware that in developing countries, these services are considered "necessary in day to day life" and as such the charges are kept to the barest minimum.

But the salient question is "Are we developing?".

Collin De Silva
Kelaniya

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