Letters to the Editor

Desperate for a drink of water
Five hundred families within the village of Gurudeniya, coming under the local authority of the Ganga Wata Korale in the Kandy District have been suffering due to the lack of drinking water for almost a year.

Though located in the Kandy district, Gurudeniya is in a dry part of the Dumbara Valley and for about 4-5 months of the year there is a severe shortage of rain. Wells in the area are not reliable and most run dry during the June-October period. About 8 years ago, a water scheme managed by the Ganga Wata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha was implemented and for about one year water from the Kandy Municipality was supplied abundantly.

But from then onwards the water scheme has been badly mismanaged and over the years has deteriorated to the point that about one year ago (June 2003) tap water came to a sudden halt. From then onwards water has been distributed on an ad hoc basis for about one or two days a month.

The reason for the sudden stoppage of water is because new connections were indiscriminately given to houses built on lands sold by finance companies. The Pradeshiya Sabha is giving preferential treatment to these people (for some reason unknown to us) and depriving us (the original customers and rate payers) of water.

When this situation was brought to the notice of the Chairman of the local council he responded by shutting off the water supplied by the Kandy Municipality altogether, substituting it with water pumped from a tubewell. However this water is unfit for human consumption. It has a strong odour and it coats any object it comes into contact with, with a dark brownish rust colour. Even this water is supplied only about once a month.

The neighbouring village of Dambawela (two km away) receives fresh pipe-borne water 7 days a week. If the Local Authority wants to they can easily reallocate this water to Gurudeniya at least once a week. But the Chairman of the Pradeshiya Sabha is taking no interest in this alternative.

This situation was also reported to the Chairman of the Local Council but no action was taken. The prevailing drought has compounded the problem and now the people of Gurudeniya are in a desperate situation. It is my earnest hope that this letter would alert the proper authorities and that some action will be taken to relieve our suffering.

Chuck them, politicians and all!
Cricket is said to be a gentleman's game but what has been happening within and around it, for sometime now, suggests it has strayed far from those ideals. Now, dirty, insidious, cloak and dagger, unfair tactics and methods have entered the game and its administration, even at the highest levels.

Muthiah Muralitharan's problems started when it was observed that here was a bowler with an extraordinary skill and ability and perhaps with a slightly different action from the run-of-the-mill, which his physical flexibility and dexterity allows him.

He entered the arena of big-time international cricket in the early '90s and began taking wickets at a fairly quick rate, puzzling batsmen and worrying opposing teams. The Aussie Cricket establishment largely and the Englishmen, started making noises about 'chucking' and 'illegal' deliveries in an effort to thwart and cripple Murali as a bowler.

We believe, strongly, that the Australian cricket establishment has all along, behind the scenes, instigated and encouraged the campaign against Murali - Ross Emerson has said a mouthful about this. The actors and agents in this were the Australian media and their umpires, Darrel Hair, Ross Emerson and another - all in Australia. Sometime later came B.S. Bedi with his 'tour timed' yapping.

Murali was fully scrutinized and pronounced clear of any 'chucking' or 'throwing'. Murali's one innocent mistake, subsequently, was that of talking about his 'Doosra'. The doosra proved extremely effective and became the topic of the cricketing world.

Those affected and worried by the doosra, particularly the Aussies, wanted to see it outlawed and negatived. Insidious and unfair tactics and methods were put into operation again.

The Aussies have their connections and influence with the ICC. From nowhere Chris Broad was brought in as Match Referee for the Sri Lanka-Australia Tests. In his first and surprise appointment, with no report from the umpires, he, all on his own, picks on Murali's doosra, with an assured assurance, and makes a report. The coincidences are sickeningly apparent.

And then, John Howard, the Australian premier, enters the field to help 'run-out' Murali. We know Mr. Howard has lost much ground in Australia having 'chucked' the Australian troops into Iraq and he thinks he can regain some of his lost ground from his already instigated cricketing public by calling Murali a 'chucker'.

Paul Adams, the South African bowler has the most extraordinary and uncanny action. His body, arm and wrist are bent and contorted, unbelievably, during his bowling.

No one has ever raised any serious query about his action perhaps because he has not taken too many wickets and/or because he was playing in the company of whites. We have nothing against Paul Adams or his action as he was bowling in his natural, accustomed way.

The whole question of 'chucking' or 'throwing' was to curb fast bowlers sending down 'dangerous' deliveries, which could injure batsmen. Any other interpretation to this and to include slow or spin bowlers and to specify 'degrees' of flex is all nonsense. Additionally, with helmets and pads of all sorts there can be no danger from any slow bowler. The ICC, if it is interested in cricket, must open its eyes to this and allow for and welcome development and sharpening of skills, which would make cricket more interesting and enjoyable.

All else apart, it does appear, transparently, that the Aussies, now through the ICC, are trying discredit Murali so that Shane Warne could get ahead and perhaps stay ahead in the records. All dirty tricks to target a gentlemanly and indeed an extraordinary performer! The ICC talking about rules is like the devil quoting its baseless scripture!

What is Sri Lanka Cricket going to do about this? They can't stop at saying that Murali has been told to refrain from bowling the doosra. They must contest it and take action to have him cleared fully for all time. We suggest, if needs be, they consult legal opinion and take the matter up even at the highest adjudicating forums locally/internationally. Dirty tricks must be challenged, exposed and eradicated. True cricket and its good and exciting skills must prosper.

Finally, the Asian Cricket Council and all well-meaning cricketing nations must see to it that the ICC is not monopolised directly or indirectly by anyone or a few cricketing countries.

All decisions must be in the interest of good and true cricket and in a just and fair manner. Individualism and self interest, whether by individuals or countries must be stamped out and given no place.

Heroics of Puran Appu or the pique of Tyronne Appu?
How intriguing! Namique Hussain who styles himself the Coordinating Secretary to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs responded last Sunday to my previous comments about Tyronne Fernando's post-election political volte face.

I did not know, of course, that former ministers have co-ordinating secretaries. Or is Hussain the former coordinating secretary to the former minister of foreign affairs?

I only raise this because had Hussain coordinated his thoughts instead, we would have been spared his obfuscations, linguistic idiosyncracies and non sequitur.

I find no "pleasure" in "having regular bouts at Mr Fernando"(whatever he means by that) though I admit that I had a couple of bouts of flu in the last three months or so.

As for my leading a "plush livelihood" ( I suppose he means a plush lifestyle, but never mind) I don't consider this a "birth right" as I do so at the pleasure of the British Government.

May I remind Hussain that whatever my lifestyle (I hope that is what he meant), I do not do so at the expense of the Sri Lankan tax payer unlike some of those seeds from Moratuwa that sprouted in our diplomatic missions around the world, perhaps with some help from the coordinating secretary.

It matters little to my original argument whether Hussain's former minister has in his veins the blood of Puran Appu or any other appu. All this kulappu could have been avoided if Hussain (no relation of Saddam I hope) had read my column with a degree of intelligence.

The issue is this. Tyronne Fernando canvassed for the UNP during the election campaign without demur. His name appeared on the UNP national list. He did not protest at that. During this time he never publicly castigated the UNP over ministerial corruption or other shortcomings.

He did so only when he found himself discarded and not made an MP from the national list. Will Hussain tell us why this great vocal critic of his party remained silent during that crucial period despite his oft cited Lankadeepa interview? Hardly the heroics of Puran Appu. More like the pique of Tyronne Appu.
There is more. But then does Hussain want it in the public domain?

Get more wheels on the road
It's really disheartening to observe day-in and day-out the poor passenger transport service on the Ja-ela to Gampaha and Nittambuwa route. The state buses and private vans on these particular routes are crowded to capacity, so much so, some of the passengers travel on footboards, clinging to the windows and doors at the risk of their lives.

It is high time at least now that the present Minister of Transport and Highways tries to alleviate the untold sufferings and hardships of these daily travellers by plying additional buses at least during peak hours to meet the demand.

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