| Letters
to the Editor |
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Peace, yes,
but with dignity It is appropriate
to dwell on some of the dissenting opinions regarding the ceasefire
agreement and on the fallacies and myths regarding the alleged strength
of the LTTE; its discipline and its much-bragged-about invincibility
as a fighting force. The ordinary citizens of Jaffna, are worse
off in many ways now than they were before these self-styled freedom
fighters - the Tamil Tigers - bared their fangs nearly 20 years
ago. The mobility
of the Jaffna man has been drastically curtailed; his movements
being controlled by both the legitimate forces as well as the now
internationally condemned LTTE terrorists. It is not possible for
these unwitting victims to traverse freely in their area. It is time
and money consuming for them to see the rest of the country, including
those areas claimed by the LTTE as traditional homelands. It is an undeniable
fact that the LTTE has mastered the art of mining and the skill
of manufacturing grenades, bombs, explosive devices and other death
dealing explosives. It has, on the other hand, also taken the heart
and pride of the Jaffna citizens, by the near suppression of facilities
for education and professionalism in the peninsula. Their children
are being abducted, kidnapped or conscripted and brainwashed to
join the LTTE killing forces. In addition, the LTTE is reportedly
levying taxes and extorting money from selected residents in Jaffna
and from others. It is necessary to place these facts before the
LTTE and the Norwegian brokers. We require
peace - the wish of a preponderant majority as evidenced at the
recent local elections. We must achieve
this with honour and dignity, preserving the total sovereignty of
our beloved country. We must not lose sight of the wood for the
trees, by giving too much importance to the alleged violations of
the ceasefire agreement, but instead concentrate on the larger vision,
that of maintaining our territorial integrity. In this respect,
it is our common prayer that Prime Minister Ranil Wickrem-esinghe
succeeds in his endeavour. We cannot afford
to lose any more lives.
From what we
hear, Minister S. B. Dissanayake is too busy poring over the world
"fauna" list to see what else he can include in his ever
expanding killing list of species to torment, slaughter and market
flesh to bolster the economy of this "Buddhist" land.
According to
Buddhism, harming or destroying living beings is the most certain
way to destroying oneself. The only project that was launched by
the PA regime and is continuing still is the "export of flesh".
What has the blood money brought this country? Is our land to be
further ravaged by the un-Buddhistic practices of the present regime,
as well? As for the
Buddha Sasana Minister, if he comes to office only at nightfall,
it must be to escape from his ministerial nightmares than for any
proper work. It is incredible
how our Buddhists, nationalists, and animal lovers also slumber
with no word of protest! Enforce animal
welfare laws strictly The culprits
were a resident of Anuradhapura and two butchers from Colombo. The police
led by SSP Lucky Peiris charged them with cruelty to animals. The
wrongdoers were fined Rs. 1,500 each and the animals were released
for slaughter. The law they
say is an ass. The awful crime of transporting 95 in a lorry meant
for 30 animals is unpardonable. The punishment is too lenient and
inadequate to serve as a deterrent. The Police
should investigate and take maximum action to prevent further criminal
acts against innocent animals. If they are
stolen animals, the culprits should also be charged with theft.
In this case,
they did not have a permit which made them flee the Police. The
Police should also check the veterinary certificate to ensure the
animals are fit for slaughter. We appeal to
the IGP to instruct his staff to enforce animal welfare laws strictly.
Secretary
They do not
operate buses after dusk and early morning even on working days.
During these times, the CTB has to come to the rescue of commuters.
After the Sinhala/Tamil New Year and similar festivals, they do
not operate for days. Besides, there is always the threat of a bus
strike. The relevant
ministers and the National Transport Commission do not seem to have
succeeded in checking their activities and bringing some order to
the service. Even the law enforcement authorities appear to be helpless.
The private
bus operators associations are either unwilling or incapable of
controlling their members. These associations have failed to get
bus crews even to issue tickets to passengers. Negotiating with
the government for higher bus fares and other concessions appears
to be their only achievement. In the meantime,
the state-owned bus service is losing millions of rupees monthly
owing to the various tactics used by the private bus operators to
monopolise the transport service. At least 90
percent of these problems emanate from individual ownership of private
buses. We should urge the bus owners to form limited liability companies
for each route in place of the present associations and assign the
operation of the service on each route to the CTB or one of the
private bus companies. Those companies that fail to maintain a satisfactory
service could be handed over to other companies. This could
perhaps bring some sanity to the bus service and relief to the CTB
and the travelling public.
Fifty years
ago, such things were not even thought of by schoolchildren. These incidents
demonstrate the depths to which discipline in schools has plummeted.
In the afternoons,
boys gather at bus-stands to cast indecent remarks at girls, even
if they are accompanied by their parents. Things are worse after
private tuition classes. During the
annual celebrations in a private tutory in Ratnapura recently, boys
and girls had taken liquor and misbehaved Tough measures
should be taken to arrest this serious decline in discipline.
The scenic
beauty of the place remains. But, the UDA rest house now managed
by a private party has gone to the dogs! The rest house
was full of flies which settled on the food before one could start
eating. Food is not
prepared well and the meat and fish seemed stale. Fried chillies
and dried fish were burnt black. The UDA should
supervise these rest houses and take action against the management.
Their permits should be cancelled, if there is no improvement. Municipal
authorities should take action against eating houses that are a
health hazard. 'Letters
to the Editor' should be brief and to the point.
Address them to: 'Letters to the Editor, The Sunday Times, P.O.Box 1136, Colombo. Or e-mail to steditor@wijeya.lk or stfeat@wijeya.lk Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned. |
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