Letters to the Editor

5th January, 1997

A Welcome Committee

I am happy to hear about the birth of the National Joint Committee of Sinhala Organizations. All these days there had been none to fight for the swindled rights of the Sinhala community. The Sinhalese were the most affected under the Portuguese, Dutch and the English.

Every Sinhalese expected fairplay and the justice at least after liberation from the British rule in 1948. I like to mention here the yeoman services of great Sinhala leaders such as late Rt. Hon D.S.Senanayake, R.G.Senanayake and Dudley Senanayake and a handful of their colleagues. It is for the ill luck of the Sinhala race, such true leaders were lost.

For the past 40 years the Sinhala people have been sent from pillar to post. They have been made to sacrifice their birth rights, assets, employment, education, religion, freedom to travel or live or live on their own lands.

All these years, Sinhala people have been trampled down by their own puppet leaders. There is none to hear or look into their grievences. The so called Sinhala politicians are most dishonest, ungrateful and disgraceful.

Therefore the new organization is essential and opportune. Their only objective is to regain and restore the lost or robbed or plundered right of the Sinhala people. I congratulate the key-men and the constituent organizations for their honest and brave undertaking to serve the Sinhalese community.

H.B.Herath

Kandy

Caring hospital staff

I had to enter the Jayawardenapura hospital recently for eye surgery. I did so with some trepidation, having heard so much about the unethical attitudes and indifference of the medical system.

I am pleased that my experiences at the eye-clinic and eye-ward completely changed my mind not only about the doctors, specialist or otherwise, but the entire nursing system as well.

Here was a set of young doctors working as a dedicated team, rendering much care and concern to all the patients, whoever they be. The wards were maintained with a great deal of cleanliness and the efficiency and medical attention were prompt and precise.

The whole system was without doubt a reflection of the excellent leadership of the consultant surgeon, who led from the front both by example and precept. Here was indeed a medical set up that echoed the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath.

L.H. Devendra,

Maharagama.

Intercoolers with bus numbers

Luxury vehicles, like Mistubishi Pajeros (Intercooler) Nissan Land Cruisers and vehicles of this category, have been issused 61-, 62-, numbers which belong to the bus category. On inquiry it was found that these vehicles are exempted from the diesel tax.

The poor govenment staff officers who have bought diesel cars with loans have to pay the diesel tax.

I wonder if the government is aware of this. It appears that some one has been taken for ride. Over to you Minister of Transport.

A poor government staff officer,

Colombo.

I only bear witness to the truth, says priest

I refer to the article in The Sunday Times of December 29, under the title 'LTTE front lashes out at Foreign Minister' written by your Military Analyst. I am saddened that even a national newspaper such as yours has had to descend to such depths of journalistic fabrication and blatant falsehood to malign my reputation and to further foment anti-Christian and anti-Tamil sentiments in our country.

If there has been any booklet published by an organizations in the UK called the International Tamil Foundation on the subject of Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamer, the Foreign Minister, I totally and emphatically deny writing an anonymous foreword or in fact making any contribution whatsoever to it. Let me assure you that it is not in my character to write anonymous articles and I have always made it a point to ascribe my name to my articles and statements whether produced in Jaffna, Colombo or anywhere else. It is on this basis that I have opponents and critics whom I respect and with whom I engage in dialogue.

Your report that I conducted a workshop for 40-odd LTTE cadres in London is absolutely without foundation. Further, your allegation that I had sought to depict the Sinhalese as non-Christians and the Buddhists as anti-Tamils is far from the truth and not worthy of your journal. I have always studied, lived and worked with good Sinhalese Christians and Buddhists in Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately their views and those of other good Sinhalese moderates are largely not represented in the media.

As to the allegation that I write speeches for the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, it is incredulous that you insult the intelligence of your readers. If it were the case, then in my absence from Sri Lanka for the past few months, and based on your specious predication, Mr. Prabha-karan must by now be rather speechless.

As a Christian and a Catholic priest called to live with a people suffering discriminations, death and destruction, I am committed to bear witness to the truth of events happening around me. No one on earth can silence me from fulfilling this commitment. I have published articles and booklets with my name which clearly set out my personal views, about justice and peace for all the peoples of Sri Lanka. I have no intention of offending my Sinhala brethren. Just because some of those truths I bear witness to are hurting those in power and not to the liking of others, I will not hide them. In order to bear witness to the truth (which liberates), I have no need to link up with any organization - political or otherwise.

My Christian convictions about justice and peace inspired by Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church are a motive force for my witness.

I am afraid that we all are heading towards a national disaster, because we are reluctant to recognize the truth, publish the truth and bear witness to the truth. The way to peace, as I see it, is to be truthful and realistic.

So as to maintain the integrity of your newspaper, I trust that you will retract the calumnious and libellous statements regarding me published in your article under reference, as they are absolutely without foundation. May I also request that you kindly publish this letter in your newspaper in order to redress the harm that has been caused to my reputation and to assuage your many readers and my friends.

All I wish for Sri Lanka is peace with honour and justice for all her people.

Rev. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel,

Tamil Chaplaincy,
London.


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