|
Musaeus
College building Anuthara Jayewardene |
By Ranee Mohamed
When a child goes to school, it
is usual for the parents to expect him or her to come
back home.
But the unusual happened to the
Jayewardenes whose only child was their daughter
Anuthara Jayewardene (14). Since last Wednesday the
Jayewardenes, living down Sudharshana Mawatha, Malabe
have been in tears trying to battle the reality of
having to live in a house wherein lie their daughter’s
clothes, books and musical instruments .
Wednesday, July 22 was just like
any other day for the Jayewardenes whose mornings
centred around their daughter’s departure to school — to
be there on time.
"Anuthara woke up 4 a.m to study
and I woke up at 5 a.m. I made Anuthara a box of
sandwiches. Thereafter, Anuthara set off with her mother
to board the school bus. It is seldom that her mother
took her to the school bus."
The final goodbye
"It was I who always went along
with her to the school bus, but on this day they went
together after bidding me goodbye," recalls her father
who has now realised that Wednesday’s goodbye had been
the final goodbye from his daughter. And the few hours
of that busy morning were the last hours he spent with
his daughter. It was the sandwiches that he made that
were his daughter’s last meal.
"We loved her with all our
hearts. We cherished her and we gave her the best.
Usually girls of her age cannot cook, but my daughter
Anuthara not only did chores around the house but was a
good cook too," said her heart broken father, Athula
Jayewardene.
The Jayewardenes thought that
they were giving their daughter the ‘best’ in life and
that is why they chose Museaus College, situated at 58,
Rosmead Place, Colombo 7, a well known girl’s school in
Sri Lanka for her education.
Museaus College, like many other
state schools has banned the use of mobile phones in the
school. And when the prefects of the school had on
Wednesday, July 22 found a mobile phone in the
possession of Anuthara Jayewardene, she had hell to pay.
Scolded and verbally abused
Scolded, verbally abused and
threatened, the 14 year old had been made to kneel in an
area where mobile phones, CDs, flash drives and such
other electronic devices and accessories are subject to
a scanning by prefects.
"During the time she was made to
kneel by the prefects, she was shown to various other
students and ridiculed," said a fellow student in the
circle.
The fact that the phone found in
the possession of Anuthara Jayewardene was not purchased
by her father is not a mystery for Sherlock Holmes to
solve, for it had been a long standing practice among
some students of the school to pool in money and buy a
phone to be used by three or four of the students.
Not her phone
Yet again, it must be mentioned
that the use of a mobile phone — be it to let a child
tell her mother where she is or notify that he or she is
having an extra class, or receive a message from a
friend, is a grievous offence in many schools in this
technologically developed era.
What had taken place according
to a student in Anuthara’s circle of friends, is that
the phone in the possession of Anuthara Jayewardene had
not actually been her phone. It had been the phone of
one of the three friends and it is to this mobile phone
that a boy — a friend — from a boys’ school had sent a
photo that bordered on being ‘sick.’ These perhaps are
things that boys do.
On learning that the prefects
had got wind of their possession of a mobile phone, one
of the girls had allegedly slipped the mobile phone into
Anuthara Jayewardene’s schoolbag. And when the prefects
checked her bag, it became her baby.
Lashing
Soon the talk was that the phone
in the possession of Anuthara Jayewardene was said to
have a ‘sick’ photo. A ‘sick’ photo in modern-day
students’ jargon is not necessarily a photo of a measles
rash. It is a photo that borders on being sexy but it
does not need to depict a sex act. Even a photo of a
woman in a skimpy bikini, sexy pout or hard embrace
falls in the category of ‘sick.’
But in this instance it is not
so much the photo that makes us sick, but the lashing
that was to follow, in the presence of the section head
and the authorities in charge of discipline.
Anuthara Jayewardene who was
kneeling down, her head in a whirl of worry and fear,
her mouth dry and throat choking had requested
permission to visit the bathroom.
As she had not come out of the
bathroom, the prefects and a teacher-in-charge had gone
into the area of the toilets knocking on each door. One
door had been locked, and there had been no response.
When the security personnel in
the school had broken open the door, the prefects and
the teacher had been aghast to see the tender body of
Anuthara Jayewardene hanging from the roof, with her tie
knotted to a pipe overhead, her legs hanging way up from
the commode.
In a bid to take the girl down
the shocked group had taken a knife and cut a part of
the tie.
"Then we saw her tongue slip
out," said one of the girls recalling the incident in
tears.
When Anuthara Jayewardene had
been taken to the Asiri Central Hospital, in Horton
Place, she had not been breathing.
"My daughter had received 45
minutes of heart massage after which a beat was
established. She was put on a machine and was covered in
tubes and a catheter. She lay this way for two days. She
never opened her eyes, never spoke… that was the way my
daughter left this world," said Jayewardene.
Capable doctors struggling to
save the life of Anuthara had reportedly chided the
school authorities for their complacence in not bringing
her early and not administering relevant first aid
measures. It is learnt that the name of the person who
had admitted her has not been given, instead the name of
the school has been recorded.
In the name of discipline
In the school uniform of Museaus
College, and the tie, throttling her, Anuthara died in
the name of discipline. And early last week, clad in a
white saree, she was carried away from her Malabe home
in a coffin.
Anuthara Jayewardene born on
March 7, 1995 got through her scholarship examination,
was always in the 80 average in her class, was a great
player of the guitar and the organ. She was a quiet girl
who liked to mind her own business. During her entire
school life of nine years, the only complaint about her
was that she once spoke during a class.
But the school’s suffocating
sense of ‘discipline’ and the prefects with their high
and mighty attitude did not let her live.
This day too Museaus College,
Colombo 7 stands proud behind locked gates. Little can
be seen from the outside. The access roads to the school
extend from Town Hall and also through the Kanatte
roundabout. Several years ago too, the death of another
student of Museaus College sent shockwaves countrywide.
Thoughts of death
And today too, after several
years, it is the thought of dark death that lurk in the
hearts and minds of the students, teachers and
management. Yet there seems to be no mention of a loss
of life in the school, no underlying sympathies and no
explanation in their bid to cover up the ‘good name’ of
the school.
"Why has the school not told us
what has happened? Why are they silent. Why don’t they
issue a correct statement to say what took place,"
queries the heartbroken Athula Jayewardene as the school
has let different kinds of rumours surface. "The last
thing I want is for the school to assassinate my
daughter’s character. Why don’t they think of my
daughter as a daughter of Museaus College?" queries
Jayewardene who is finding it hard to believe the
school’s insensitivity to his daughter’s death.
"I know my child is innocent.
But the school, with their silence and refusal to accept
what has happened is letting different kinds of stories
circulate. Some say the photos in the phone were bad,
others say I am of ill health, yet others say that my
child was unhappy. None of these are true," said
Jayewardene who appeared to be in the pink of health.
His only ailment appeared to be a broken heart.
It is a happy sight to see
hundreds of students clad in white flock outside Museaus
College after school hours. They appear to be carefree.
But life during school hours according to some students
is one studded with bullying by a section of ‘prefects’
who have been given a badge to bully.
Avenge personal animosities
"They have made school life a
dreadful one. Not only do they ‘pull up’ students but
also shout at them and threaten them. They are free to
give us any kind of punishment they want. Sometimes,
they use the powers of ‘prefectship’ to avenge personal
animosities and dislikes" said a student. She said that
she had long wracked her brain in search of a way out of
this unpleasant climate in school, because of the
clamour of the prefects to show that they are the
‘authorities’ in the school.
School life brings happy
memories to all of us. And much of the sweetness
ironically is because of the pranks, the fixes we have
got into and the rules that we have broken.
But Anuthara Jayewardene did not
live to recall ‘sweet memories.’ Her death centres
around the terror that has been instilled in her mind
over the discovery of a mobile telephone in her
possession.
Students and teachers alike
today remain numb, locked not so much in grief but in
shock and shame as they struggle to hide the slips that
are showing by way of a tender life having been snuffed
out in the name of discipline.
|
School principal uncontactable
All attempts to
contact Museaus College for their side of the story
failed. The principal was said to be in ‘meetings’
through Thursday. It is learnt that one of the three
girls had cut herself with a broken bottle in the
canteen and another had ingested a toilet cleaning
liquid and that both are presently under treatment —
all in the name of a mobile phone. This ought to
ring a bell for the importance of kindness,
tolerance and understanding. |
The heart rending plight of two
girls
|
Rikasa and Sameera |
By
Risidra Mendis
S.A. Gafoor and his
wife Fathima were the proud parents of four lovely
children, and like all other parents all they wanted was
to educate their children and give them a better life.
Gafoor is a trishaw driver. But despite his poor
earnings, he with the greatest difficulty managed to
make ends meet in order to provide for his wife and four
children.
However unknown to
Gafoor and Fathima two of their children were showing
signs of a very dangerous disease.
Fathima Sameera now
14 years and Fathima Rikasa nine years were diagnosed
with leukaemia. "When I took my two daughters to the
doctor he recommended that I take them to Center of
Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre in India
for treatment. Medical Director Meenakshi Mission
Hospital and Research Centre in India Dr V.N.
Rajasekaran says that Rikasa needs surgical intervention
followed by blood transfusion," Gafoor said.
According to Gafoor,
from the day Fathima found out that her two precious
daughters were diagnosed with leukaemia she became ill.
"She had diabetes and we didn’t know because our
attention was focused on the two children. My wife’s
medical condition worsened day by day as she watched her
children suffer with a disease that nobody would wish on
their worst enemy," Gafoor said.
Gafoor was soon to
suffer a terrible ordeal, one that he never expected.
His wife suffered a heart attack and passed away five
months ago. "I never expected my wife to pass away so
soon. She was very upset about her two daughters and
that made her medical condition worse.
"I have to now look
after four children on my own and earn a living as well.
I have no relatives or parents to take care of the
children. I get up in the morning every day and cook
some food for the children before they leave for school.
When my eldest daughter returns home I leave for work in
the afternoon. Despite my problems I have to spend Rs.
1500 per day as medical expenses for my two daughters,"
Gafoor explained.
The Presidential
Secretariat has offered Rs. 125,000 each for the medical
expenses of Sameera and Rikasa. The doctors in India say
Rs. 2.5 million is needed for the surgery, medicine and
the blood transfusion after surgery. "With my poor
earnings I cannot find the money to take my children to
India. I appeal to any kind donors to help me
financially to save my children from this terrible
disease.
S. A. Gafoor
resides at 66/F St. Joseph Street, Colombo 14.
Raghav in Sri Lanka – What, who,
when, where and why?
|
In happier days before the Sri Lankan concert
(inset) In deep thought and Wishing he said
ayubowan in the trailer |
By Azi
Sheriff
If I told you Asian Superstar, Raghav
was performing in Sri Lanka, you wouldn’t be crazy to
think, that it will be a nearly sold out concert. As
your common intelligence assumed, well you were right,
as it was sold out, but only to a whole heap of grass
hoppers, insects and creatures of the night.
If Raghav wasn’t aware of the Sri Lankan
population, he would probably be at some Saturday night
out with friends in London, patting himself on the back
saying "half of the Sri Lankan population are my fans."
Well not so fast Raghav, Sri Lanka is not a country with
600 people. So what went wrong for the concert
promoters, sponsors and poor Raghav? Let’s try and solve
this puzzle.
Was it his Indian/British accent he used
to voice the trailer about his arrival and concert date?
Personally I have studied dialects and pronunciations,
so it was easy to understand but perhaps the rest of the
public mistook it for some other day, venue or artist
perhaps. Who knows, and who really cares since it has
been a week gone since that night of horror.
Let’s face it, we live in a country
where senior musicians, in terms of age and time in the
industry, stress on the importance of pronunciation,
whereby the songs sung, sound more like kids reading
poems at an elocution exam, only a lot less perfect.
Was it that, Sri Lankans just don’t care
about the man, although he has sellout crowds in other
parts of the world? Perhaps, but it seems ridiculous to
think so, because Sri Lankans generally do go in their
numbers to watch foreign acts. I mean they did go to
watch the Vengaboyz and DJ BoBo, two of the corniest
acts in the world. In addition, Raghav’s music have been
hits in our motherland, so much so that even my mom
knows all of his tunes.
Was it poor marketing? My thoughts are
slightly skewed towards this possibility, as there
didn’t seem to be adequate hype created over his arrival
and concert by the media and organisers. It was more
like the advertising for a concert with local artists,
with a significant difference being the price of the
tickets which also probably made the decision for those
on the fence a lot less hard.
The line-up of supporting acts was
brilliant, and I mean this with every bone of sarcasm in
my body. Perhaps a Natasha Rathnayake, Umara or BnS
should have been the ones supporting Raghav, but then
again performing at that concert would have been a loss
of brand image and value to those artists, considering
the turnout.
Was it bad timing? Even this is a very
high possibility with the Hikka Beach Fest this weekend,
many music lovers and party goers, may have already set
aside a substantial amount of their earnings on this,
which left Raghav’s concert a highly expensive outing,
which didn’t make it worth the while. That confirms
Raghav’s demand and popularity is highly price elastic,
which doesn’t speak much for the man. However the
concert promoters should have carried out relevant
research before bringing down a ‘B’ list artist such as
Raghav.
Perhaps there was a hidden agenda behind
this event, which made the success of the concert
immaterial. If there was, hope it was achieved unlike
the happiness of the 300 strong crowd that actually got
dressed for the occasion and sang their hearts out,
although much of it wasn’t in tune and with the right
lyric.
I tried to advise these concert
promoters, when I heard of the date, but my advise fell
on deaf ears, and well we all know how that panned out.
So here’s to hoping there is no repeat of this
disgraceful organising and promotion in our beautiful
island ever again.
Royal College partners with German
Foreign Ministry in language programme
|
Dr. Stefan Weckbach inaugurating the German Language
Training Centre at Royal College |
Acting Ambassador of the Federal
Republic of Germany, Dr. Stefan Weckbach last week
inaugurated the German Language Training Centre at Royal
College, Colombo.
Present on the occasion were Director,
Goethe-Institut in Sri Lanka, Richard Lang, Principal,
Royal College, Upali Gunasekera, Deputy Principal,
Lakshmi Attygalle, Chief Co-ordinator of the Partner
School Initiative (PASCH) at the Goethe Institut,
Brigitte Wimaladharma and several other invitees.
This state-of-the-art German Language
Training Centre was established in collaboration with
the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. The
inauguration of this Centre also sees Royal College
becoming Sri Lanka’s first-ever National School to gain
‘PASCH’ (Partner School) status. The other schools in
Sri Lanka currently enjoying PASCH status are Jennings
International and Musaeus College.
Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier launched the "Schools: Partners for the
Future" Initiative to build up a worldwide network of at
least 1000 partner schools through which to awaken young
people’s interest in and enthusiasm for modern-day
Germany and German society.
German is the official language in Germany,
Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. As
the second most popular language being learnt in the
European Union countries, it also ranks among the top 10
languages frequently spoken in the world. German also
plays a predominant role as a foreign language in many
countries particularly in Central and Eastern Europe
apart from the almost 20 million people around the world
who learn German.
Looking at homosexualism in its real perspective
|
Colombo
Pride organised by EQUAL GROUND
|
By Piyumi Buddhakorala
What makes a human being? How do you define one? How
do you exclude others from such a category? By their
shape and form? Their digestive tract? Their sexuality?
Now there’s a thought! Excluding, including,
discriminating and harassing people according to their
sexuality is an age old issue, world wide.
How vital is a person’s sexuality today? Must one
belong to a specific type? The stereotype and the
"unnatural," how would one classify people accordingly?
How has the world done it? More importantly, have you
ever wondered how Sri Lanka has handled the matter?
I am going to tell you about the type of sexuality
you find here, not including the heterosexuals, that is
the LGBTIQ community. Heard of it? The chances are, you
probably haven’t, as is the case with the average Sri
Lankan citizen. I spoke to EQUAL GROUND (EG) regarding
this matter.
EG is a non profit organisation seeking equitable
human and political rights for the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning
community of Sri Lanka through unity, and advocacy
against all forms of discrimination based on sexual
orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.
Before, I only knew them as the homosexuals.
It’s illegal to be a homosexual
The Penal Code out laws such persons. It is illegal
to be a homosexual, man and man or woman and woman. You
might wonder how such persons survive in such a
conservative country as ours. Well, the only way one can
be arrested is to be caught in the act of any form of
sexual behaviour with a same sex partner. Therefore,
many LGBTIQ persons do exist in Sri Lanka; they simply
prefer to stay quiet.
But why stay quiet? Most of them believe it is their
right to be as they are; the Penal Code cannot and does
not stop them. Yet, the discrimination brought upon them
is inconceivable. In order to survive, they must
camouflage themselves in various ways for various
purposes.
June 2004, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera founded EG. Her
main view being, a need for an organisation catering to
a diverse community of Lesbians, Gay men, Bisexuals,
Transgenders and Questioning Individuals. She states
that the LGBTIQ community in Sri Lanka is ostracised and
marginalised in many ways, be it for job offers, when
using a public bathroom or even when in need of medical
help.
"Using a toilet can be traumatic. The women inside
look at me as if I’m in the wrong one just because I
have short hair," she tells me! Apparently, it is just
as difficult to get medical help without having snide
comments passed at you for being an LGBT. "The medical
insensitivity in Sri Lanka is astounding!"
Marginalising people
She goes on to say that same sex between consenting
adults is nobody’s issue. "We’re basically advocating
for equal rights — just to ensure that we too are able
to reap the benefits as the heterosexuals enjoy."
Every year EG hosts an event called Colombo Pride.
This year they started off with a kite festival in June
and went on to the Art and Photo Exhibition in July,
followed by a film festival, a workshop and to end it
all, the pride party. I went to the exhibition myself
and found that all the artistes were persons belonging
to that specific community.
One particular artiste who caught my attention was
Nigel de Silva. Having spoken to him I learnt that he is
also an AIDS activist. When asked what he would state as
the main issue regarding homosexuality in Sri Lanka, he
said that people are not true to themselves. People,
fearing public disgrace, fall for the stigmatisation and
discrimination by hiding their true identity. "People
need to come out." says Nigel.
Speaking to a member of the staff, I found yet more
absurd activities towards the LGBTIQ community in Sri
Lanka. She was at that time, reading an email by a
certain extremist group who are of course, homophobic.
They were writing to state that homosexuals are
unnatural and events such as Colombo Pride must be
condemned.
I ponder, but for a minute, are we not a free
country? Who and how can one or the other determine what
is natural and what is not? Do we not have bigger
problems to deal with than restricting the LGBT
community? What of the rapists, the paedophiles, the
murderers and the notorious "big shots" that commit
crime after crime?
First things first
To which side of the scale is significance tipped
now? Must we not deal with such matters first and
possibly let the persons with whichever sexual
orientation they possess, enjoy it as they please?
Here’s some food for thought — how dangerous is the gay
community in comparison to the actual wrong doers? Who
are they harming in such a violent and corrupt society?
Unnatural, the extremists state. Why does no one
then, point a finger at the homosexual animals, over
1500 species? Are they being "unnatural" as well?
People do not realise how hard a life it is to live
as a "non heterosexual." This fight has come a long way,
starting with the Stonewall riots in New York, precisely
40 years ago, where the gay and lesbian community
finally stood up for themselves and said ‘No’ to the
persecution they had long endured.
Questioning Rosanna on what steps have been taken,
thus far, for the decriminalisation of the LGBT
community, she informs that conversations with certain
politicians in the past lead to the response which was
that with the ongoing war, it is not possible to discuss
these matters at that time. She states that either way,
such a change can only do so much.
"Changing the law today will not change attitudes
tomorrow." Persons belonging to the LGBT community
themselves do not wish for such a stir in their hidden
worlds. "Some come up to me and say ‘we’re perfectly
happy. Why are you rocking the boat?’ "
Fighting for ones rights
It is indeed a hard task to go about fighting for
such rights, especially when one does not have the
support of the people one is fighting for. EG has taken
up the task of helping those in need of dealing with
such issues in the form of a counseling hot line. They
have only just completed the training for their second
batch of counselors, all fluent with the three main
languages in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka may be against such persons but not all
agree with the law. Well known companies assist EG by
sponsoring and helping with venues for their events such
as Women on Top and Colombo Pride. Even with such
support, EQ was forced to tone down most of their
activities this year due to threats from homophobic
extremists, and fundamentalists.
Threats by an extremist group
In early February, they had to move office as the
situation became quite unbearable due to threats by an
extremist Muslim group who printed untruths and spread
misinformation through their publications and through
email campaigns.
In December 28, 2008, Sri Lanka refrained from
adopting the UN’s non-binding declaration calling for
the decriminalisation of homosexuality. With India
decriminalising homosexuality a few weeks ago, Sri Lanka
is far behind in resolving human rights issues.
Lasantha Wickrematunge once wrote, "It is time we
joined the community of nations that subscribes to the
view that gays are people, too." As far as I am
concerned, only the materials are unnatural, nothing
else.
Marginalising people
She goes on to say that same sex between consenting
adults is nobody’s issue. "We’re basically advocating
for equal rights — just to ensure that we too are able
to reap the benefits as the heterosexuals enjoy."
Every year EG hosts an event called Colombo Pride.
This year they started off with a kite festival in June
and went on to the Art and Photo Exhibition in July,
followed by a film festival, a workshop and to end it
all, the pride party. I went to the exhibition myself
and found that all the artistes were persons belonging
to that specific community.
One particular artiste who caught my attention was
Nigel de Silva. Having spoken to him I learnt that he is
also an AIDS activist. When asked what he would state as
the main issue regarding homosexuality in Sri Lanka, he
said that people are not true to themselves. People,
fearing public disgrace, fall for the stigmatisation and
discrimination by hiding their true identity. "People
need to come out." says Nigel.
Speaking to a member of the staff, I found yet more
absurd activities towards the LGBTIQ community in Sri
Lanka. She was at that time, reading an email by a
certain extremist group who are of course, homophobic.
They were writing to state that homosexuals are
unnatural and events such as Colombo Pride must be
condemned.
I ponder, but for a minute, are we not a free
country? Who and how can one or the other determine what
is natural and what is not? Do we not have bigger
problems to deal with than restricting the LGBT
community? What of the rapists, the paedophiles, the
murderers and the notorious "big shots" that commit
crime after crime?
First things first
To which side of the scale is significance tipped
now? Must we not deal with such matters first and
possibly let the persons with whichever sexual
orientation they possess, enjoy it as they please?
Here’s some food for thought — how dangerous is the gay
community in comparison to the actual wrong doers? Who
are they harming in such a violent and corrupt society?
Unnatural, the extremists state. Why does no one
then, point a finger at the homosexual animals, over
1500 species? Are they being "unnatural" as well?
People do not realise how hard a life it is to live
as a "non heterosexual." This fight has come a long way,
starting with the Stonewall riots in New York, precisely
40 years ago, where the gay and lesbian community
finally stood up for themselves and said ‘No’ to the
persecution they had long endured.
Questioning Rosanna on what steps have been taken,
thus far, for the decriminalisation of the LGBT
community, she informs that conversations with certain
politicians in the past lead to the response which was
that with the ongoing war, it is not possible to discuss
these matters at that time. She states that either way,
such a change can only do so much.
"Changing the law today will not change attitudes
tomorrow." Persons belonging to the LGBT community
themselves do not wish for such a stir in their hidden
worlds. "Some come up to me and say ‘we’re perfectly
happy. Why are you rocking the boat?’ "
Fighting for ones rights
It is indeed a hard task to go about fighting for
such rights, especially when one does not have the
support of the people one is fighting for. EG has taken
up the task of helping those in need of dealing with
such issues in the form of a counseling hot line. They
have only just completed the training for their second
batch of counselors, all fluent with the three main
languages in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka may be against such persons but not all
agree with the law. Well known companies assist EG by
sponsoring and helping with venues for their events such
as Women on Top and Colombo Pride. Even with such
support, EQ was forced to tone down most of their
activities this year due to threats from homophobic
extremists, and fundamentalists.
Threats by an extremist group
In early February, they had to move office as the
situation became quite unbearable due to threats by an
extremist Muslim group who printed untruths and spread
misinformation through their publications and through
email campaigns.
In December 28, 2008, Sri Lanka refrained from
adopting the UN’s non-binding declaration calling for
the decriminalisation of homosexuality. With India
decriminalising homosexuality a few weeks ago, Sri Lanka
is far behind in resolving human rights issues.
Lasantha Wickrematunge once wrote, "It is time we
joined the community of nations that subscribes to the
view that gays are people, too." As far as I am
concerned, only the materials are unnatural, nothing
else.
Conferring of Honourary Titles to Sujith and Susanne
Jayawickreme
|
A prelate
speaking at the ceremony |
It is hard to escape from the
rewards for your good deeds
Sujith and Susanne Jayawickreme were the
first couple ever to be awarded titles by the Sri
Rohana Sangha Sabawa. The titles were conferred
during a special ceremony in the temple on Pigeon Island
in Matara. Fifty priests from all over the south and
many distinguished guests were present at this rare
occasion on Saturday, July 25.
The Sri Rohana Sangha Sabawa
honoured Sujith and Susanne Jayawickreme for their
social, humanitarian and community work they conduct
through the Jayawickreme Foundation for almost 10 years
in Weligama. Moreover German born Susanne was the first
woman who received this honour. This very clearly shows
the tolerance and open mindedness of the Sangha, who
honour and welcome foreigners like any other Sri Lankan.
The title was conferred by Professor Ven.
Aththudawa Sri Rahula, Chief Prelate of the Sri
Rohana Sangha Sabawa the Council of Priests. He is
also the chancellor of the Ruhunu University. The Deputy
Head Prelate Professor Ven. Gatare Dhammepala was also
present.
Professor The Ven. Midigama Soratha,
Chief Prelate of the Agra Bodhi Raja Maha Viharaya spoke
on behalf of Sujith and Susanne Jayawickreme giving a
broad picture of their work in rural Weligama and their
significant contribution in helping the tsunami victims
and participation in rebuilding the destroyed coastal
area of Weligama.
The Chief Prelate continued by saying
that Sujith Jayawickreme comes from a leading family in
Sri Lanka most of whom were philanthropists. The Ven.
Midigama Soratha stressed that the Council of Priests
was proud to give this title to a couple who have done
tremendous service for the poor in Weligama and that the
Sri Rohana Sangha Sabawa feels very privileged to
have conferred this special title for the first time on
a German National residing with her husband in Sri
Lanka.
Moreover the Chief Prelate of the Agra
Bodhi Raja Mahara Viharaya of Weligama thanked the
government for banning honorary titles being conferred
on unscrupulous people by other organisations.
Noteworthy were the cordial
conversations Susanne Loos-Jayawickreme had with many
priests and the Head Prelate at this colourful event,
when the priests enjoyed speaking with her in Sinhalese.
The Sri Rohana Sangha Sabawa,
Council of Priests, has its own mahanayake and is
the Southern Branch of the Malwatte Chapter of Kandy.
The Sri Rohana Sangha Sabawa
rarely confers titles.
Sujith Chanaka Jayawickreme was bestowed
with the title "Sri Rohanaabimanya," meaning
"The Pride of Rohana." The deeper meaning is that it is
with pride, who one is and what one has achieved.
Susanna Loos-Jayawickreme was bestowed
with the title Sri Rohana Prashadini, meaning
‘The admiration of Rohana.’ It further means the one who
gives with delight. The name Sri Rohana Prashadini
was specially created for this occasion, as never before
has a woman been awarded any title. Prashadini is
Sanskrit.
Both words Abhimanya and
Prashadini are
used for special occasions only and are not used in the daily language. In
ancient Sri Lanka, under a kingdom, there were three
provinces: Rohana, Pihiti and Maya. Since those ancient
times the name Sri Rohana is still used in the South.
The Sri Rohana Sangha Sabawa
honoured President Mahinda Rajapakse some years ago.
Sujith Chanaka Jayawickreme, who hails
from a family of philanthropists, was awarded the
prestigious title of Sri Rohana Abimanya by the
Chief Prelate of the Rohana Sangha Sabawa.
He was educated at St. Thomas Prep
School Kollupitiya and S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia
and is a planter by profession. Sujith Jayawickreme is a
proprietory planter at present and founded the
Jayawickreme Foundation in memory of his late father
Errol in 2001.
Sujith Jayawickreme is the eldest son of
Errol and Mildred Jayawickreme, nee Pelpola. He has
three brothers Suresh, Eshanth, Nilkamal and two sisters
Mirani and late Savithri. He is the father of two sons,
Sachine and Rehan.
Sujith Jayawickreme is the nephew of
Major Montague Jayawickreme, a former minister and
governor and a close relative of former Speaker of
Parliament R.S. Pelpola. He is the great grand son of
Mudaliyar David Martin Samaraweera and Don Christian
Samaraweera Jayasuriya, Paththu Mudaliyar of
Magam Paththu.
Susanne Loos-Jayawickreme is a German
national. She was awarded the prestigious title of
Sri Rohana Prasadini. She is the first woman to be
awarded by the Rohana Sangha Sabawa. Susanne
along with her husband Sujith was the first couple to be
awarded titles by the Rohana Sangha Sabawa for
their social, humanitarian and community work.
Susanne and Sujith Jayawickreme live on
Charley Mount Estate in Udukawa, Weligama since they got
married in 1994. She was born in Plettenberg (North
Rhine Westphalia), Germany, as the daughter of Herbert
and Anni Loos, nee Beyer. She has a younger sister
Sabine.
Susanne Loos-Jayawickreme studied
History of Arts and Archaeology at the Ludwig Maximilian
University of Munich and graduated as a banker from the
Munich private bank "Schneider and Muenzing" before
joining journalism. She worked for the private media
agency Ferenczy Presse Agentur Munich, and was a
longstanding editor of a leading German daily newspaper
Neue Ruhr/Rhein Zeitung – NRZ in Essen before
coming to Sri Lanka, where she contributed to various
dailys, weeklys and magazines as a freelancer as well.
She is the co-founder of the Jayawickreme Foundation.
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Projects of the Jayawickreme
Foundation, Denipitiya, Weligama
Jayawickreme Foundation Education
Centers:
1 Three free of charge English and
Tamil tuition schools: for 50 children in
Ludwigslust Education Centre Jayawickremepura, 400
children in Denipitiya and 120 children in
Playmobil School in Polwatte.
2 Three free of charge
Kindergartens: for 30 children in Playmobil
Kindergarten in Denipitiya and two for 35 children
each in the Playmobil School in Polwatte.
3 Serendib Children and Youth
Library in Denipitiya.
Poverty Alleviation:
4 Day-Care-Center in Pelena for 40
old people, who are traumatised, neglected and
lonely.
5 Donations for needy old people
like temple cloths, spectacles, tea flasks etc.
6 Housing for the rural poor and
needy: 48 houses completed.
7 Micro financing scheme with more
than 2000 members up to now.
8 Livelihood projects for more
than 1000 people. The beneficiaries are women and
youths.
9 Helping financially neglected
places of worship at the request of villagers:
badly needed piped water facilities; toilet
facilities; erecting of staircase for pilgrims to
climb up to sacred Bo-tree, renovation work etc.
10 Spectacle donations, more than
2000 second hand spectacles donated to old people.
11 Ad hoc help for needy people
i.e. financial assistance for medical treatment,
operations, hearing aid, wheel chairs, disabled
toilets, fishing nets, etc.
12 Donations for Sunday School and
Kindergarten children: various donations of school
equipment, bags, school uniforms and dance
costumes for competitions etc.
13 Equipment for 30 rural sport
clubs
Tsunami projects:
14 Tsunami housing out of buffer
zone: 60 tsunami houses completed.
15 Small Business Re-starter
Projects for small businesses destroyed by
tsunami, seven have been helped.
16 Fishing boats with outboard
motor and netting. Job facilities for five
families per boat. 13 boats donated.
17 Kindergarten and Sunday School
for 550 pupils and a Community Hall built in
Pelena.
18 Equipment for 30 costal sport clubs
destroyed by the tsunami.
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Cashew nuts are good for you
|
Cashew nuts |
By Dr. Harold Gunatillake
The cashew, Anacardium occidentale L.,
belongs to the Anacardiaceae or cashew family. Two
related plants in this family are the mango tree and
pistachio tree. Cashew nuts are actually the
kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the
cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is
native to the coastal areas of North-Eastern Sri Lanka,
Brazil, and Peru.
Cashews are sold with the shell removed,
because the interior of the shell contains a caustic
resin known as cashew balm. In Sri Lanka we call it the
milk, and it is very important that this resin is
removed before the nuts are fit for consumption. The
resin is actually a poison, which is used in industries
to make varnishes and insecticides.
Cashew contains lower fat content
Cashew oil contains a lower fat content
than most other nuts; approximately 75% of their fat is
unsaturated fatty acids, plus 75% of this unsaturated
fatty acid content is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy
monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Studies show
that oleic acid promotes good cardiovascular health,
even in individuals with diabetes.
As mentioned in previous articles,
diabetics should eat plenty of big onions, crushed
garlic and cinnamon to bring down their sugar levels
naturally in the blood. A diabetic person can verify
this by checking the glucometer reading before eating
these and two hours after. Daily exercise also brings
down the sugar levels in the blood.
Increased triglyceride levels in the
blood influences heart disease. It prevents the good
cholesterol (HDL), removing the bad cholesterol (LDL)
from the blood stream. It also settles down in the body
and causes weight problems. Increased weight causes
inflammatory diseases like atherosclerosis, heart
disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, arthritis and
many others.
Take cashew nuts in your diet to ensure
you have plenty of monounsaturated fats in your food.
Cooked cashew nuts in white curry form do not destroy
the nutrient values of the nuts.
Just a quarter-cup of these delicious
nuts supplies 37.4% of the daily value of mono
unsaturated fat.
Good source of nutrients
In addition to the high mono unsaturated
fats, cashew nuts are a good source of copper,
magnesium, zinc and biotin. Copper is an essential
component of many enzymes and beneficial for a wide
range of physiological processes, including iron
absorption from the gut, elimination of free radicals,
development of bone, connective tissue, production of
skin and hair pigment called melanin, hence good to
prevent graying of hair.
Copper is also a component of the enzyme
superoxide dismutase, important in energy production and
antioxidant defenses. Copper also helps to make the
ground substance to keep the blood vessels elastic and
flexible, an important function in preventing high blood
pressure, heart disease and stroke. It also helps to
form the ground substance for bones and joints, to keep
them functionally active. In the colon, copper prevents
the increase of faecal free radical production
responsible for colon cancer
When the copper intake is inadequate,
one could develop iron deficiency anaemia, spontaneous
rupture of minute blood vessels, osteoporosis in old
age, joint problems like rheumatoid arthritis, brain
damage, elevation of (LDL) bad cholesterol, reduction of
good cholesterol (HDL), irregular heartbeat, increased
susceptibility to infections, and accelerated graying of
hair.
Daily consumption of a quarter-cup of
cashew will supply you with 38.0% of the
daily-recommended value for copper. Wearing copper
bracelets, and other copper ornaments also helps
absorption of copper through the skin.
Magnesium in cashew nuts.
Magnesium is essential in preventing
bone damage. Magnesium is stored on the surface of bones
for the body to draw when required.
Magnesium, by balancing calcium, helps
regulate nerve and muscle tone. In many nerve cells,
magnesium serves as nature’s own calcium channel
blocker, preventing calcium from rushing into the nerve
cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium’s
entry, magnesium keeps our nerves (and blood vessels and
muscles they innervate) relaxed.
Insufficient magnesium can contribute to
high blood pressure, muscle spasms (including spasms of
the heart muscle or the spasms of the airways, leading
to asthma attacks.) Magnesium deficiency may cause
migraine headaches, too.
Eating an adequate quantity of cashew on
a daily basis, may contribute in reducing blood
pressure, muscle tightness, fatigue, prevent heart
attacks, .
Just a quarter cup of cashew provides
22.3% of the daily value for magnesium.
Unfortunately, cashew is out of the
reach of the poor man, only the rich can afford it.
Humour
Difficult question
Two guys were taking chemistry at the
University of Louisville. They did pretty well on all of
the quizzes, mid-terms, and labs, and had a solid "A"
going into the final. They were so confident that the
weekend before finals (the chemistry final was on
Monday), they decided to go up to the University of
Kentucky and party with some friends.
They had a great time, however, they
overslept on Sunday and didn’t make it back to
Louisville until early Monday morning. Rather than take
the final then, they found their professor after the
final and explained to him why they missed it.
They told him that they went up to the
University of Kentucky for the weekend, and had planned
to come back in time to study, but they had a flat tyre
on the way back. They didn’t have a spare, and couldn’t
get help for a long time and that’s why they were late
in getting back to campus. The professor thought this
over and told them they could make up the final the
following day.
The two guys were elated and relieved.
They studied that night and went in the next day to take
the final. The professor placed them in separate rooms,
handed each of them a test booklet, and told them to
begin. They each looked at the first problem, which was
worth five points. It was a simple question about
molarity and solutions. "Cool," they thought. "This is
going to be easy." They answered the question and then
turned the page. They were not prepared, however, for
what they saw on this page. It said: (95 Points) — Which
tyre?
Reading between the lines
Dear Dad,
$¢hoo£ i$ rea££¥ great. I am making £ot$
of friend$ and $tud¥ing ver¥ hard. With a££ m¥ $tuff, I
$imp£¥ ¢an’t think of an¥thing I need, $o if ¥ou wou£d £ike,
¥ou ¢an ju$t $end me a ¢ard, a$ I wou£d £ove to hear
from ¥ou.
£ove,
¥our $on
Dear Son,
I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and
oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student
busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a
NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Love,
Dad
Another chance
A football coach walked into the locker
room before a game, looked over to his star player and
said, "I’m not supposed to let you play since you failed
math, but we need you in there. So, what I have to do is
ask you a math question, and if you get it right, you
can play."
The player agreed, so coach looked into
his eyes intently and asked, "Okay, now concentrate hard
and tell me the answer to this. What is two plus two?"
The player thought for a moment and then
answered, "4?"
"Did you say 4?" the coach exclaimed,
excited that he had got it right.
Suddenly all the other players on the
team began screaming... "Come on coach, give him another
chance!"
The realisation
An angel appears at a faculty meeting
and tells the dean that in return for his unselfish and
exemplary behaviour, the Lord will reward him with his
choice of infinite wealth, wisdom, or beauty.
Without hesitating, the dean selects
infinite wisdom.
"Done!" says the angel, and disappears
in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning.
Now, all heads turn toward the dean, who
sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. At length, one
of his colleagues whispers, "Say something."
The dean sighs and says, "I should have
taken the money."
Small world
George & Aggie were in Boston for the
first time to visit their son and family. As they
reached the front door of the terminal they hail a taxi,
and got in. As they headed for the city the driver,
making some small talk, asks them where they are from?
Aggie asks George "WHAT’D HE SAY
GEORGE?"
The old skipper leans over and yells in
her ear, "HE ASKED WHERE WE’RE FROM!"
Then the old skipper says to the driver
"We’re from Stephenville."
"Oh" says the driver, "I was stationed
there when I was in the airforce."
Again Aggie pipes up "WHATS THE FELLA
SAYING NOW GEORGE..WHAT’D HE SAY."
"HE SAYS HE’S BEEN THERE."
"I see" says Aggie.
They drive along in silence for a while
when the driver
says, "You know I went with a girl when
I was there, and she was
the meanest, most disagrable hag I ever
hooked up with."
"WHATS HE SAYING NOW GEORGE... I CAN’T
HEAR HIM."
The old skipper yells back, "HE THINKS
HE KNOWS YA."
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