The Sunday Times on the Web Letters to the Editor

27th December 1998

Contents


Is this the freedom they boast of ?

The newspapers of Friday 11, 1998 contained as usual, the reports on many events that shocked the nation. One such came from the mouths of two ministers of this government imposing an embargo with immediate effect on giving publicity to the discourses of Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thero, in all print and electronic media of the government.

Anyone would think the Ven. Thero had committed a grave national crime such as treason, inciting people to rebel against the government or to overthrow the government hierarchy. However if you read the announcement in the newspapers you might have split yourself in laughter on the jocular reasons given. One reason given was that the Ven. Thero was giving vent to communal views. Another was that he was trying to bring down the government by criticising it. The third reason given was that Hindu religious leaders were opposing his discourses as they were anti-Hindu.

Pause a minute and ponder over these reasons leading to the mighty embargo of the two ministers of the government on the Ven. Thero's sermons. Is it wrong to expound the true essence of Buddhism by a Ven. monk erudite in Buddhist teachings? Ven. monks have to expound the teachings of Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that all beings are responsible for their own actions and for their deliverance from the samsaric miseries. No God or deity can save the living beings from miseries. This is one of the main teachings of the Buddha followed during many centuries. His teachings have not evoked any communal disharmony. We have not heard of any believers of Hinduism protesting against the teachings of the Buddha as jotted out by these so-called heroes of communal love.

Can a follower of any religion with conviction condemn a person for his struggle to create a nation free of drugs?

M. Samaraweera,
Mt. Lavinia.


Think again Mr. Thonda

We can understand Mr. Thondaman's anger that one of his votes was defeated at the Committee stage of the Budget. He is going round the country blaming the UNP for this debacle.

Would it not be more prudent for him to sit back and think why his own people, the members of the Government Parliamentary Group and the Chief Whip let him down by not being present in sufficient numbers when his votes were being discussed.

K. Sivaratnam,
Colombo 6.


Let them declare their assets

Every follower of cricket must be thankful to "The Sunday Times" for giving the salaries of the Sri Lanka Cricketers. Now that there is plenty of evidence to suggest large scale bribery to fix cricket matches on the international scene, I am sure we do not want our own cricketers to fall prey into the hands of unscrupulous "bookies". If at least for their own protection I suggest that our Cricket Board publishes all earnings by cricketers on a regular basis and get every cricketer and even cricket officials to declare their assets according to the law.

Merril Joe Alvis
Moratuwa


Tell me where's the Babe?

War clouds smear the celestial blue
With blood and smoke from battle fire.
Lives unfulfilled, yet to flower
Are wrenched out to spear this blue.
Sons strike sons; mothers weep, sons-less.
Tell me if this is not madness?
This mournful scene notwithstanding,
A festive mood is in the air.
Children dance to Santa's coming;
Five-star ads scream their tempting fare.
In homes, liquor's drunk with pudding
To stir up the merry-making.
Tell me, where's the Babe? Indeed where?


Ugly act of an officer

Just opposite William Grinding Mills an Army vehicle was trying to overtake a black Nissan Sunny which was blocking its path due to the heavy traffic.

Opposite Tri-Smart Building the Army vehicle overtook the Nissan and an Army officer got down.

The unsuspecting driver lowered his side window and the army officer dealt him a blow in the face, got back in the Jeep and drove off.

Another Army officer who was following stopped and pacified the driver and promised to report the officer to the authorities.

The Police officers at the Dehiwela bridge checkpoint were very angry at this wanton act by the unidentified Army officer and just failed to stop his vehicle. They were very concerned and advised the driver of the Nissan, to get himself checked up at the Kalubowila Hospital and report the matter to the Police post there.

The parting words from the lady officer at the checkpoint who was very considerate was, ''We the forces are there for your protection and not to harass you''.

I am reporting this incident so that those concerned will educate the errant members of the forces so that this type of stupid behaviour is not repeated.

Desmond de Silva,
Moratuwa.


Biggest nuisance on our roads

Three wheeler drivers are the worst offenders of traffic rules. They are a law unto themselves and pose a great danger to the other motorists and pedestrians. Many an accident occurs due to their reckless driving and negligence. They have a scant regard for the others.

The stacking up and transport of aluminium pipes and extrusions atop the three-wheeler is another hazard that should be avoided.

The Police should be more vigilant in nabbing three wheeler drivers who cause much inconvenience and unpleasantness to the general public. They should be impartial in their attitude.

The CMC's garbage collecting trucks are also guilty of such high-handed action. They park their vehicles on the middle of busy roads with little or no regard for others. They usually engage in their duties in the mornings when most office workers have to hurry to their workplaces. They should be more civic-minded in the discharge of their duties.

Rowan Aniff,
Colombo 13


No apologies, no inquiries, CEB lives happily ever after

Just laugh it off! This is precisely how Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) want their customers to respond to the total collapse of the Power Transmission Network in the afternoon of December 11.

Newspapers on December 12 said the collapse originated with a lightning strike on the high voltage lines between Polpitiya and Colombo. CEB took nearly two hours to restore the supply, newspapers further stated.

In any other country, including the developing countries, the total or even a partial collapse of the transmission network is considered an extremely serious matter. It certainly is a rare event. After such an event, the electric utility organisation would immediately issue a detailed statement, the Government would immediately establish an inquiry, and Universities would swiftly set-up research studies to investigate the event. But in Sri Lanka, nothing happens. No statements. No apologies. No inquiries. No studies. Nobody is accountable. CEB lives happily everafter, until the next blackout and beyond.

A direct or an indirect lightning strike on any power transmission line is no reason to lead to a total collapse of the transmission system. Initially, the affected line would be automatically removed from service, and the remaining lines will share the current carried by the affected line. All electricity networks at the transmission level are designed to withstand the outage of at least one line. Then, if there is a second calamity, such as another lightning strike, then the network would attempt to operate without two lines. Unless the network is designed to withstand such a situation, loss of power to some customers is unavoidable. I emphasise, that it should only be to some customers, not for the entire country. In Sri Lanka's context, Colombo is the area of highest priority. If the highest priority area was saved, then the lower priority customers disconnected can be reconnected within a few minutes. It would certainly not take two hours. On December 11, as on many other occasions before, the CEB was unable to save even Colombo. This was obviously because Colombo did not have adequate generating capacity or because most of the available generation was concentrated on one or two large power plants. There is a rule of thumb, which can be verified and fine-tuned with mathematical studies CEB is well capable of, that no single power plant should carry more than 10% of the demand in a power system, but obviously, CEB does have power plants which at times carry up to 25% of the customer load.

Why hasn't CEB taken action to relieve the vulnerability of its transmission system to lightning strikes on the Polpitiya-Colombo lines, which obviously has been known for years and years? Why didn't CEB's lower priority medium-voltage lines trip-out automatically with a clearly-defined ranking, thus preventing a total collapse of the transmission system? Why did CEB in the very recent past build and operate large single-unit generating plants, thus exposing the transmission system to a higher risk of total collapse. CEB has had all the state-of-the-art mathematical tools, and the best engineering talent in the country, for several decades, but why aren't transmission problems being solved? Electricity in Sri Lanka is not subsidised, and therefore, there cannot be any shortage of funds to implement transmission projects. The problem then boils down to one of management and one of decision-making.

Tilak Siyambalapitiya
Negombo.

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