I had seen mention of suicide bombers 'entering the City' in the news several times now and each time I thought - "Do the authorities really think that this is a well guarded fortress?"
I am sure many motorists (including those of a questionable character) who, like me, when in a hurry going into Colombo, used to take the left turn at the bridge linking Dutugemunu Street (Kalubowila) with Havelock Road, knowing that the sentry at the checkpoint for this bridge entering Stafford Avenue (Kirillapone) would not stop them.
This I believe was realised by the authorities and I am glad to say the sentry stops vehicles going this way as well now. However, this is of no use when there is another 'gate' to the City that is wide open!
Anyone wishing to 'enter' the City from the south without passing through a checkpoint would have done so by entering Sri Saranankara Road from Hospital Road (Dehiwala), turned left towards Vihare Lane near Jason Courts, then turned right on Canal Road and passed through Hampden Lane 'into the City'! I am not an irresponsible citizen giving away a secret - this route has always been 'open' and by now it must be well known to every terrorist member.
Why didn't I ever bring this to the notice of the authorities before? I kept thinking that it seemed so obvious they would discover it any moment. But when it stayed unguarded I decided to do something about it, and hopefully in a way that would shame whoever in authority should have discovered this themselves with a little effort. I am sure there must be many more such routes which people in other areas must have noticed by now.
Dear authorities - please close the 'gates' now before there is no City for them to guard!!
I am astonished that there is still confusion over the advantages of changing our time to GMT +6. The next generation will find it incredible that we were stupid enough to put up with the thirty minutes nonsense for so long!
There are two separate issues here. First, international contacts. This refers to airline schedules, telephone calls, TV programmes etc.,.- matters which will soon concern every Sri Lankan, not just the Colombo elite.
Secondly, much has been made of children going to school in darkness. Well, any time is always inconvenient to somebody - but there is no need to be slaves of the clock, when its most convenient setting has been decided. Surely the school authorities have the intelligence to adjust the schedule, if it becomes necessary.
Incidentally, pressure is now being put on the Indian Government to make the same change, and I am sure it will be sensible enough to do so - unless the astrologers prevent it.
By having Pirith indiscriminately more for publicity than for its benefits, it has been devalued. Even though Pirith does not form the essence of Buddhism, there is a traditional cultural value attached to it in this country as it satisfies an important part in the lay life of the majority of those in this country who are less knowledgeable.
It has been the practice to chant Pirith to a dying person to draw him to have pious thoughts of the noble qualities of the Buddha and also, to distract the person from having unwholesome thoughts like greed, hatred etc. Pirith is chanted when one is suffering from a prolonged or painful illness to give one courage and hope of a speedy recovery as a supplement to the medical attention one is receiving, or to relieve an expectant mother of her anxiety and for her to have an easy delivery etc. Further, Pirith ceremonies are held on important occasions like Katina Pinkamas.
Buddha himself has preached a Suthra at the invitation of some Devas who wanted advice to be followed in the day to day lives. At a time of a calamity to a certain kingdom, he had delivered a benedictory Suthra to mitigate its effects and prevent its spreading. In the Karaniya Metta Suthra he has extolled the virtue of loving kindness by virtues of which he has wished all beings here and elsewhere seen and unseen to be well and happy. There is anecdotal evidence that there have been beneficial results.
Even today, some village folk have the collection of the Suthras - some in ola leaves - wrapped in silk-cloth along with the Satipattana Suthra, placed alongside a picture or statue of the Buddha for veneration. As for those who understand their meanings, there are subjects for meditation and contemplation - an important aspect of the practice of Buddhism. Of course, for those inclined to have a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals such as the Four Noble Truths etc., and tread the Path to end the journey in Sansara, there are learned monks and laymen to whom they could go. There are also many valuable books to help them better understand the Dhamma.
Anyway, it is important to realize that there is the need to support and maintain the temple and the monks who have preserved the Buddha Sasana. In as much as the laymen need the monks to satisfy their spiritual needs like Pirith, the monks need the laymen for the preservation of the Sasana in Sri Lanka. However, it is the responsibility of the Nayake Theras to save it from corruption.
I read your special reports of transcripts of the secret audio-tapes of conversations between the former President Ranasinghe Premadasa and his State Minister A.J. Ranasinghe with avid interest.
While thanking you for publishing them, I am also appreciative of the state minister's sense of duty to all Sri Lankans by abiding by the principle that 'the people have a right to know' as to how and why a few people who were voted into public office made history by changing the political landscape and fortunes of Sri Lanka.
I note a sense of responsibility as well as honesty by the State Minister by handing you these tapes which otherwise would have been lost to the public and allowing the political spin-doctors to weave their versions of history in print as they see fit with biases, warts and all.
Since Sri Lanka is now going through a very important phase in its history, I sincerely hope that politicians, Army Commanders and top bureaucrats routinely deposit their diaries and important papers in your archives, since you have taken the lead, to be published judiciously for public consumption at appropriate times.
After all these people are making history and all Sri Lankans have a right to know how that history is made. It certainly is dangerous and one sided when history students abroad could only read books in their university libraries authored by Tamil historians putting the Tamilian spin and biases as to what has really happened.
Once again, "Thank you" AJR, "Thank you" The Sunday Times.
Much has been written and much has been said and yet even more has been left unsaid on the manner in which the Government of Sri Lanka acted in respect of the above.
With due respect to our present leaders in government, I wish to express my personal opinion that what the nation witnessed was cheap, partisan and petty politics.
All this comes despite the fact that the former regime was and is repeatedly accused of 'petty politics'. However, it is now clearly evident that the worst of political vengeance was meted out to a man who is widely acknowledged as the architect of modern Sri Lanka. The state-controlled electronic media (namely the English Service of the SLBC) played all its usual pop and rock songs on the day of the funeral.
At least common courtesy would have it that this elder statesman should have been given a more fitting farewell as, in recent times, Sri Lanka has observed days of National Mourning even when foreign leaders died. But here was a nation of peoples asked to go about their normal duties on the day of the funeral of a noble son of its soil; the undisputed political giant of our times.
Such actions only bring to my mind teachings from the Holy Bible where it is stated that Jesus Christ was not accepted by his own men. However, it is high time saner counsel prevails and those in authority shed their petty differences to bring about peace in our beloved Mother Lanka.
The world "apostasy" which had some frightful connotations in Europe during the Middle Ages, is freely used by the Muslims today. A particular organisation periodically issues edicts of apostasy against persons whose understanding of Islam is different to that of the mainstreams Sunnis - until it issued one too many. The last "apostate" took it to the courts and the judge, after overruling the claim of the Organisation that he had no jurisdiction to interfere in religious matters, awarded massive damages to the plaintiff. The Organisation, which had no money to pay the damages, hastily withdrew its edict!
Sadder but wiser, the Organisation is now in the process of getting itself incorporated by an Act of Parliament so that its future edicts of apostasy cannot be challenged in court. I wonder why this Organisation has to be obsessed with declaring Muslims to be apostates when there are so many other burning issues to tackle which affect the morality of the community, as for example, the export of Muslim women to Middle East to be exploited when they are forbidden even from going to mosques here on the argument that their place is the home.
I sincerely hope that our legislators would ask some blunt questions when the proposed Bill to incorporate this organization is introduced in Parliament, such as "how many have been so far declared as apostate by the organisation" and, most critical, "what is the religious punishment decreed for apostasy". Though the Quran very clearly says "There is no compulsion in religion", Sunnism, which is the religion of an overwhelming majority of our Muslims, awards death to the apostate. When a person cannot be compelled to embrace Islam by force, it is equally invalid to force him, on the threat of death, to remain a Muslim.
Mercifully, we are living in a Buddhist country and hence sights of persons being beheaded for apostasy outside the mosque on a Friday afternoon will not be seen in Sri Lanka. But as the Rushdie Affair has shown, what is to prevent a hot-headed Muslim from murdering an "apostate" under the delusion that it is a holy act? Such murders have occurred abroad.
Of late, quite a few have used Friday sermons to attack the Shias and it may be only a matter of time before the Shias are declared as Unbelievers and apostates. Then, the entire Bohra community of Sri Lanka, who are Shias, will be under the threat of death as apostates. So, the consequences of letting this organization to run loose in Sri Lanka with the backing of the law, is tantamount to incitement to murder. The legislators should remember that even a Muslim who embraces Buddhism will become an apostate and punishable by death!
Of course, the State should not interfere in the religious practices of its minorities and I do not think that the Government of Sri Lanka would ever do so. An individual is perfectly within his right to consider another as Unbeliever even if the latter outwardly professes the same faith, but it is a different matter when the latter is threatened with death. So, I earnestly appeal to our legislators to throw out this Bill when it comes before them.
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