The Sunday Times on the Web Letters to the Editor

4th July 1999

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Come, come, we all have good memories

Meetings held to commemorate and felicitate the dead on birth and death anniversaries are, to my mind held to ask for blessings for the dead and to remind people of their good deeds.

But two such meetings held recently were used to sling verbal abuse on the UNP leader. There were hardly any accolades to the dead and even Buddhist priests were used in this disgraceful exercise. One wonders if the age old saying, 'Those whom the Gods want to destroy, they first make mad' is true in this case!

It is no wonder that the youth of today turn to violence and are disrespectful to their elders; when they see senior politicians and Buddhist priests behaving in this manner. The leader of the UNP is trying hard to re-organise the party and to bring respected, educated young people into politics. This will undoubtedly raise standards and will in turn improve the behaviour of the politicians, both inside and outside that now blasphemed but once respected most august assembly.

As a long time UNPer, I doubt that the late Dudley Senanayake or even the late President Premadasa would approve of their names being used in this manner. I once had some respect for Mr. Wijeyapala Mendis, but not any more. I am horrified and infuriated at his attitude to our leader, which will only help the government, not the UNP or him. As for Sirisena Cooray, now trying to behave like a paragon of virtue and the Godfather of the UNP, I do not think that any decent, educated person would support the UNP if he was to return to it.

Some people obviously suffer from a loss of memory. They have forgotten as they use: "Me Kawda, Monawada Karanne?" the fate of MMC Luxman Perera, who dared to write a skit on this and produce it on stage. They dare say that there is no democracy in the UNP now. What happened to the people who dared to question the leadership earlier and what were the reasons for the impeachment?

Come, come Mendis and Cooray, we have good memories and have not yet reached senile decay. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. I assure both of you that the fame you have at the moment will be but fleeting.

I.P. Hettiarachchi, Colombo 2


This is Sick!

The strike organised by the GMOA is causing immense hardships, especially to the poor and the sick. There are several controversies in this strike and it would be an eye- opener if we disentangle some of these issues and look at them dispassionately. I have concentrated on three basic areas; the issues that are at the core of the strike, meeting the genuine concerns of the doctors and the morality of the strike.

Doctors have gone on strike because they want the National Health Policy on recruitment and appointment of doctors to be implemented. According to the GMOA's statements to the media, the Cabinet had decided that a central authority should handle the recruitment and appointment of doctors. This decision is supposed to have been taken in March this year by the Cabinet of Ministers based on a cabinet paper submitted by the Ministry of Health.

First, even this cabinet decision is contentious because it may be in conflict with the Constitution, amply demonstrated by the fact that the Wayamba PC has filed a case in the Appeal Courts on the very same issue. The WPC has challenged the authority of the central Ministry of Health to appoint a Provincial Director of Health for Wayamba! ( in fact the present strike maybe construed as applying indirect pressure on the judiciary and therefore thought of as "Contempt of Courts"). It is amply clear that neither, Cabinet, nor anyone else in this country other than the Supreme Court can decide on issues related to the Constitution. Of course the other option is to go for a 2/3 majority in Parliament or a referendum. (The Ministry officials who misdirected the minister on this matter, including the legal advisors of the Ministry, should therefore be held responsible for this Cabinet paper. On the other hand the Cabinet should hold the minister responsible for allowing this embarrassing situation to arise).

Second, the GMOA keeps on talking of implementing the "National Policy" on employment of doctors. What is meant by the term "National Policy"? Is a Cabinet decision National Policy? No. National policies are made in parliament and no where else!!.

The repeated message given by the GMOA is that handing over appointments to the Provinces will result in political interference. They believe having central control will enable more fair play. If this were true, how can these genuine concerns be met? The way forward is to ensure that all the Provinces get together and agree on a scheme for recruitment and promotion. Then, give it "legal" or "administrative" teeth by incorporating it into circulars etc. If this is done, those who are unhappy with appointments have a better chance of obtaining redress from the courts. By the way, even in the Provinces the health administration is often headed by a senior Medical Administrator and it is wrong to believe that the Provincial politician is going to be in charge of appointments and promotion of doctors!

Is it correct for doctors' to strike?

First, it is illegal because the Essential Services have been gazetted. No one can condone the fact that, even learned professionals should be allowed to openly disregard the law of the land. (This maybe "right" in the case of draconian laws under dictatorship where the courts are part of the oppressive machinery e.g. Aparthied in South Africa). Therefore the statement that the GMOA has tried "all avenues" of a settlement is false. They have not gone to courts, not held any demonstrations nor have they kept the public informed of this crisis until it suddenly crashed on our heads. (If I knew it, maybe I could have arranged for my friend to get his cancer treatment a week before)

Secondly, the strike is aimed at the poorest of the poor who cannot afford any other forms of treatment and are sick, i.e. the weakest persons in the society. In reality these weakest persons (who often form the silent yet suffering majority with the weakest political clout) are being made to suffer in order to win demands from the politicians. I am sure the rich, the connected and relatives/friends of doctors are being looked after in private hospitals or clinics. This strike action is therefore nothing short of blackmail.

K. Amarasiri
Kelaniya


No disrespect meant

As the writer of the article "Royalists to remember their war dead" published in The Sunday Times of May 30, I wish to clarify a certain disappointment which seems to have arisen in the mind of 'OhGee' of the Royal College Group of 63 when he says that the name of late Group Captain D.S. Wickramasinghe is not mentioned in my article. I regret to state that the writer has read my article out of context.

In the concluding paragraph of my article, I have ventured to state the names of three officers who were first to be 'Killed in Action' (KIA) from the Army, Navy and Air Force respectively. In addition, the reasons for mentioning the other names out of 38 Old Royalists KIA are given below: (a). Major General W.I.V.K.M. Wimalaratne, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP - the most senior Old Royalist officer from all three Services to be KIA.

(b). Captain D. T. M. Wijemanna - the last Old Royalist to be KIA (Hopefully will remain the last) and (c). Lt. A.W.M.N.M. De Silva, WWV and Flying Officer N.R. Fernando, WWV - Recepients of the highest Gallantry awards out of those Old Royalists KIA.

I would be grateful if you could give this letter the same publicity as that given to the letter of 'OhGee' merely to make him and everyone understand that there was no disrepect meant and that I as an Old Royalist, is not misunderstood by another Old Royalist.

Cmdr. Shemal Fernando, RSP, USP, psc.


Is this how the LTTE fights for democracy?

I was not surprised to read in The Sunday Times recently Mr. Thondaman emphasising the LTTE was not a terrorist organisation and that it was fighting for democratic rights! I am sure another so called political leader, Kumar Ponnambalam too would agree with this view.

As a Sri Lankan citizen, an ordinary layman, and a Sinhala Buddhist I do agree that the majority race, Sinhalese did create a murderous and unpleasant situation from 1958 to 1983 for Tamils living in the south. But can any educated or uneducated person living in any country agree that the LTTE stands for Democracy? Mr. Thondaman and Mr. Ponnambalam both know better than any one of us how many thousands have been murdered by the LTTE 'democratically' including Tamils merely because they held different views from theirs.

I challenge Mr. Thondaman and Ponnambalam to state what I have mentioned in this letter is not true and prove that the LTTE is a non-terrorist and democratic organisation.

Peter Wijeratna


We can bear defeat but not indifference

Humbled, humiliated and completely outclassed the former world Champions, who till very recently strutted the pinnacle of World Cricket, were unceremoniously kicked out of the World Cup in the first round itself.

Defeat is bearable. Sri Lanka has lost many a tournament before and the Sri Lankan cricket fans are not so naive as to expect victory in every match or tournament. What has affronted them is the attitude of the players as well as the administrators. What is significant is that despite the fact that Sri Lanka went from one defeat to another as they were thrashed without even a semblance of a fight, cricket lovers in Sri Lanka have shown unwavering loyalty to the team. The players on their part did not appear to care what others thought about them. But such loyalty cannot be taken for granted by the administrators or the players. Defeat came in such a barren sequence of winless performances that it could no longer be ignored as just another manifestation of the ups and downs of cricket.

The 1996 World Cup victory was the stuff that dreams are made of. To meet arch rivals Australia in the Final and to beat them so convincingly to win the World Cup was the ultimate achievement. But to cherish the memories of a bygone golden era is not going to serve any purpose; it would help no one apart from touching the sentiments of a few content to live upon the memories of those halcyon days.

In 1996 we saw a different Ranatunga running about on the field, encouraging the bowlers and the fielders, discussing with his senior players about tactics and field placements. It was not the same Ranatunga we saw in this World Cup. He allowed things to happen and did nothing. Take the case of Upashantha bowling wide after wide in the match against England. Any other Captain would have gone to the bowler and advised him, not Ranatunga. During the Indian onslaught at Taunton, Sri Lanka looked a rudderless ship. Even before this World Cup in most of the matches which Sri Lanka lost, some of the bowling changes made by Ranatunga shocked expert commentators all over the world. There was no doubt that in certain instances such bowling changes directly resulted in Sri Lanka's defeat.

Complacency, obviously has taken deep roots in the men who have served Sri Lanka at the top of the order for many years now. While several other countries have made spectacular advances, Sri Lanka has remained static far too long. Sri Lanka's cricket seems to defy the basic laws of life including the universal law of change. Sri Lanka seems to have taken one step back to every step forward recorded by other countries. With its image within the country constantly dented by administrative incompetence and infighting, Sri Lanka's cricket appears to have one foot in the grave and the other waiting to be dragged in.

There are many lessons to be learnt from this debacle. The basic fault lies in the easy going ways of a side which is drifting badly with no one capable of checking the slide. A look at the reserve talent would be more constructive than to dwell on the shortcomings of some of the players which have adequately been exposed during the recent tours. Faith in tried and tested players was warranted but to carry it to an extent where young talented players are not given enough chances to break into that circle would only be attributed to involuted thinking.

It now goes without saying that the present situation demands drastic changes in administration, management and selections.It is obvious that the services of outstanding professionals have to be secured.

M.A.Cyril
Colombo


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