5th April 1998

• All about extinction
• This season of joy
• Safeguard this fragile unity
• This is a mockery of Buddhism
• Why so many on idiot box?
• The billion worth confusion
• They are a menace at times
• There are three zeros too many!
• GST: no additional expenditure
• An eye opener

All about extinction

Conservation is not about animals,
It's about people, they say.
For animals don't send hampers
And know not what to say.
If they hold us responsible
For what's done to them
It'll be man who faces extinction.
Now, how can we face them?

Mrs Irene de Silva

Colombo 5

This season of joy

April has come!
New Year has come
Spring time has come
Season of plenty has come.
The trees are full of flowers and fruits
The gardens are a mosaic of lovely birds
The orioles, parrots, flower-peckers
Chirping and flying high
Infatuating my eye!
The cuckoo has come
To sing sweet tunes
Of good will and friendship
Love relationship,
The season of joy has come
To renew tradition and custom
To tie up family bonds
To tie up racial bonds
To tie up national bonds!
May the New Year
Bring good blessings
For a United Sri Lanka!
May war and bloodshed perish!
May peace and unity flourish!
May human hearts be nourished
With the milk of human kindness!
May all Sri Lankans be united
Beneath one Sri Lankan flag
Bereft of race, caste or creed!
May our 'Mother Lanka' be Paradise Regained!

Malini Hettige

Safeguard this fragile unity

In the context in which I write this letter, it is necessary to refer to the distinction that is legally drawn in regard to two races of Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka; (1) 'Ceylon Tamil' (2) 'Indian Tamil'

The Citizenship Act 18 of 1948 defines the Citizens of Ceylon by descent; it also makes provision in part 111 of the Act for citizenship by registration. This Act was followed by the Indian and Pakistani (Residents) Citizenship Act of 1949. In 1963, arising from a case filed against the Registrar General, in respect of the registration of a newly born child to a parent, who was registered as a Citizen of Ceylon under the provisions of the Indian and Pakistani (Residents) Citizenship Act of 1949, the Supreme Court of Ceylon held that an 'Indian Tamil' is not a 'Ceylon Tamil' in the contemplation of the term 'race' in the Births and Deaths Registration Act and it would not be inappropriate nor without justification to call the 'Indian Tamils' a race. (SC 47/1963-DC (Criminal) Matala 868/X Pasagna vs R.G.)

Following this decision, all people of recent Indian origin, whether by descent or registration under Acts of 1948, 1949 or the subsequent Acts of 1967, 5 of 1986 or 39 of 1988 fall into the category, 'Indian Tamils' and are so classified in the census and other government publications. But to distinguish themselves from the Tamil people of India, their own leaders and intellectuals use the nomenclature, 'UPCOUNTRY TAMILS'

According to the 1981 census, the Upcountry Tamils constitute 5.6% of the population of Sri Lanka and presently their numbers which is in the region of about 10 lakhs constitute about 7%. About half this number are people who are confined to the plantation agriculture and the balance 50% scattered mainly in the towns and urban areas of the hill country and a sprinkling in and around Colombo too.

Throughout, the Upcountry Tamils have inter- mingled with the majority Sinhalese and there has always been an abundance of friendship, trust, goodwill and rapport. The communal outbursts that took place in the country since independence created temporary setbacks, but there has always been reconciliation. The majority community has also realised the futility of wreaking vengeance on the innocent Tamils; this has been amply demonstrated when the Sri Dalada Maligawa was bombed; in spite of the grave provocation there was no backlash.

It is however sad and distressing to note that of recent times, the general attitude of the uniformed personnel as well as the bureaucracy is on the theme, 'every Tamil is a terrorist suspect' and the Tamil does not appear to be ever cleared of such suspicion.

The security of the Upcountry Tamils and Upcountry Tamil/Sinhala unity is endangered further by the utterances of Mr. Thondaman, which receive wide publicity in the media (including the electronic media), especially as he persists that he is the sole leader and spokesman for the Upcountry Tamils and has the blessings and support of the media. Mr. Thondaman is the leader and spokesman for 67000 (odd) members of the Ceylon Workers Congress and no further.

In the name of the Unity of Sri Lanka, I appeal to the media not to promote this myth 'Truth is sacred, comment free'

S. Thambyrajah

Colombo 3

This is a mockery of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama gave up his luxury life style, and his favourite horse, shaved his head and took to the life of an ascetic. He went through all the paths and roads of northern India on foot. Even after he attained Buddhahood he went on foot and admonished his followers, the Sangha to go on foot and preach the doctrine far and wide. Even on his last journey to his final resting place, he walked amidst the pain and suffering of his last illness.

The gift of a super luxury limousine equipped with a compact disc player to the Maha Sangha at the Dalada Maligawa is certainly against the grain of the Buddha Dhamma. It is inappropriate and certainly not acceptable by the Buddhists of this country. It is a mockery.

At a time when the LTTE terrorists have smashed the roof of the Dalada Maligawa, the utterly inappropriate gift of a super luxury car to the Dalada Maligawa would strike at the very foundations of an ancient religious organization: the Maha Sangha of the Theravada Buddhists of Sri Lanka.

Dr. B Wijeratne

Mt. Lavinia

Why so many on idiot box?

I wonder if others too have noticed that of late there has been an alarming increase of mentally deficient people portrayed as characters in Teledramas. When I said this, my son aged 13 said, "It takes one to know one"! But these parts are so crudely over-acted in most cases, that it would take one not to know them!

Anyway, these are some of the things I noticed - most mentally deficient domestics are portrayed as of estate origin (why I wonder?) There is Muthu or Raman, murderously waving a knife, talking Sinhala with a strong Tamil accent - Yenda for Come, and mata bey, for I can't. There is the more harmless Gopal, mouthing and gibbering, hitching up disastrously insecure shorts, but kind-hearted, fond of his master and mistress (both taking turns in wheelchairs, and mouthing and twitching too!).

Of Sinhala origin is the mad cook, making uncouth noises, but cooking for a prosperous household. An office drama includes a simple son of the boss. At the other end of the scale, we had the chilling helper, who finally murdered her mistress-a stunning performance, and the lovable childlike wife in a family teledrama, who adores her husband, and comes out with funny sayings all the time, to mention just a few.

Why are we subjected to seeing so many mentally deficient people during our viewing time? Foreigners watching our teledramas will assume that every Sri Lankan home has a mentally deficient individual in it. (My son's comment on that is censored!).

I wonder if all this follows the superb portrayal of an idiot boy in Dadabima', which cannot be copied. Also, that was believable as the result of inbreeding in an ancient Walauwe family. The new idiots turn up at the drop of a hat, for no earthly reason!

I hope my letter catches the eye of producers of teledramas, and that they would limit these characters on the idiot box, please.

Nalini Ismail

Moratuwa

P.S. I just watched a new teledrama, which has a deranged mother as well as another mentally deficient person in it!

More Letters to the Editor * The billion worth confusion * They are a menace at times * There are three zeros too many! * GST: no additional expenditure * An eye opener

Return to the Plus Contents