Letters

Increased meal allowance - a Titanic eyewash

This is what flashed through my mind when I read a report in one of the Sunday newspapers that an allowance was being considered for MPs to meet increased prices. It has been decided to increase the price of meals provided to the MPs because the people saw on the TV how grand the meal supplied for Rs. 15 was.

Nowhere in the world do MPs have the privileges enjoyed by ours. Most of them enter parliament like Idikatu Penchas of Mahadena Mutta fame and within a short time become Rabbadaiyas. The children of most of these MPs are being educated either overseas or in international schools. With their allowance how they manage this is something baffling.

Coming to the question of giving an allowance to overcome the increase in the price of the meals, it is a Titanic eyewash. If the meals are to be charged according to prevailing market prices, that is what the MPs must pay. To charge, say Rs. 500 for a lunch and give the MPs an allowance of Rs. 500 is utter nonsense. As it is, the perks afforded to politicians are an unnecessary burden on the toiling masses. The right course of action for the MPs too, is to pay the market price for what they get.

Regarding these highly underpriced meals, it is pertinent to ask:-

(a) Is it only the MP who is entitled to this or can he bring any number of his friends and feed them at this price?

(b) Is the concession given every day of the year or only on days when there is some activity in parliament?

(c) What is the average cost of the meals given out at this price for a month and what is the average amount charged from the MPs?

It is worthwhile mentioning that two thosais or 10 string hoppers with a dhal curry - the meal of the voter who is called the master by the politicians, will cost more than the sumptuous meal that the masters get for Rs. 15.

W.R. de Silva
Dehiwala

 That sinister Anti-Conversion Bill

Bandaranaikes hell bent on dividing Sri Lanka again

Barely 10 years after independence the first division began - The Sinhala Only Act - an irrevocable mistake which was to isolate and alienate the Sinhalese and bar them from access to most of the scientific, technical, cultural, and sociological innovations of the world and keep all communities in a state of war and mired in Third World underdevelopment.

S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, a Christian, converted to Buddhism (unethically?)to gain a place in history by governing this country fooled the Buddhist clergy into getting votes for him from the Buddhist masses, only to be assassinated by a monk. The "socialist democracy" he tried to promote was none other than the national socialism advocated by Adolf Hitler, an atheist, who dabbled with the dark arts, occultism, and Secret Societies (the S.S. the Gestapo was not the only secret society he was a member of).

Bandaranaike's racist policy was to drive most of the Burghers out of this country - Sri Lanka's loss, the world's gain. Many Tamil and Sinhalese professionals also started emigrating which added to the brain drain which had gone on for 48 years from 1956 to-date. Bandaranaike himself sent his children to England and France for their education. The Sinhala Only Act did not apply to them! President Chandrika Kumaratunga's education and the education of her son and daughter in England, was also in English, mind you!

As Sri Lanka could not fill its treasury through the ancient system of waging war on nations and plundering their wealth, they did the next best thing - they nationalised lucrative private businesses, throwing their owners and proprietors on to the streets literally, along with all their employees (my father being one of the many thousands).

As if that wasn't bad enough, farmers and land-owners were their next target (under Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the Land  Reform Commission was formed, headed by her daughter, the incumbent President, Chandrika Kumaratunga) and overnight Goigama and all other farmers had their best agricultural lands purloined by the Bandaranikes. One such family were family friends of ours and four members of that family - father, two sons and a daughter - committed suicide. They were from Madampe.

They have repeatedly lied to the Sinhala Buddhist masses (remember the loaf of bread for Rs.3/50 which trebled in price?). They have violated the fundamental rights of people for 48 years and continue to do so to-date with their once again, divisive Anti-Conversion Bill.

They have without any conscience repeatedly divided this country through fascist dictatorship, set up one ethnic group against the other; set up villagers against land-owning farmers who gave them work and built schools, temples and clinics for them. And now they are encouraging religious division and hatred.

The hateful "national socialist" atheist policies of the SLFP provided fodder for disgruntled youth from rural areas, whom they did not hesitate to kill in large numbers (remember 1971) and leave their decomposing bodies to rot everywhere.

The aftermath of those nationalist-socialist ideologies has made it impossible for anyone to govern this divided country. The SLFP is itself a failed party, kept alive by a Marxist group created as a result of those policies.

Had a country like Singapore followed national-socialist (fascist and racist) politics, it would never have developed the way it has and would never have been able to boast of a foreign reserve of over US$100 billion, inclusive of gold reserves. We barely have two months foreign exchange reserves!

We have the highest suicide rate in the world (double the global average) and a shocking crime rate of murders, rape-murders, child molestation, child soldiers, burglaries etc. People are being gunned down on our streets! And yet we have a conviction rate of under 4%!!

I understand that the present government has borrowed (I would call it purloined) US$300 million from NRFC accounts of citizens who have worked hard and often at degrading jobs and have failed to pay back the US$100 million due in June.

Had the JVP and JHU not been in power, the President would not have hesitated to agree to the ISGA proposals of the LTTE if it meant filling the coffers with the World Bank and the IMF loan offer of US$4.5 billion. The SLFP, much to their chagrin, is closely scrutinised by the JVP, JHU, the UNF, and indeed all of us little people. This time around their hands are tied so there will not be a new presidential palace or a new speaker's palace (no one ever talks about the half-finished palaces which cost the taxpayer millions of rupees in the late 1990's).

But now enough has been said. We have another attempt at dividing the people of this country with the Anti-Conversion Bill to foster religious disharmony. It is our chance to oppose it and any other attempts to divide this country on ethnic and religious grounds, Sri Lanka stays united, not divided!

Linda van Schagen
Mt Lavinia

Why railway should be privatised

I, as a daily train traveller request any employee of the Railway Department to give good reasons as to why it should not be privatised. I list below some of my reasons:-

1     The compartments are dirty.

2     Some of the windows cannot be opened or   closed.

3     The seats are damaged.

4     When it rains, the use of an umbrella becomes essential inside.

5     The toilets are filthy.

6     Some trains have no water.

7     In the night trains, some lights do not work.

8     The lethargic attitude of the workers.

9     There is no change in the counter when you  buy a ticket.

10    Late to start and late to reach the destination.

11    No proper time table outside the Fort railway station.

12    The number of railway compartments covered  by long grass and creepers.

13    The decayed sleepers that can cause derailments.

14    Some trains do not have first class compartments.

15    The numbers of compartments are not in-

       creased, according to need.

16    Second class passengers are compelled to travelstanding while third class passengers occupy              these seats.

17    Waiting at the counter for a long time till somebody attends to you.

One can say many more things regarding the railway service. Therefore, it is high time it goes into private hands or it is necessary to wake up all the employees who are sleeping and get rid of those who are not national minded. Having flower gardens in stations is not the only thing that will bring credit to the department.

Shan
Panadura

Temple - the place for monks, not parliament

The proper place for bhikkhus is the temple where their followers show due respect to them even by bending into two.

But when these monks come out of their 'sacred bowers' and enter parliament, they are not only assaulted, but also their private parts are squeezed, causing them excruciating pain, by the rowdy elements in parliament when they vote contrary to the wishes of the latter.

It is indeed a deplorable situation!

Punchi Singho
Mt. Lavinia

Fighting crime: NPC must not neglect responsibility

In The Sunday Leader of July 17 under the headline "Police Commission blames IGP for inaction" by Shehan Moses, there appears several comments relating to the constitutional powers of the National Police Commission made by the NPC Chairman, Ranjit Abeysuriya. Abeysuriya has been quoted as saying that "acts of torture are carried out by officers below the rank of inspector and that the commission has no provision to take action below this rank."

This statement is quite in conflict with Article 155G(1)(a) of the Sri Lankan Constitution as amended, which vests disciplinary control of police officers other than the Inspector General of Police (IGP) with the NPC. The article further states that such power will be exercised in consultation with the IGP. To claim that the NPC has no provision to take action against officers below the rank of inspector goes against constitutional provisions, which give power over all police officers except the IGP to the commission.

In fact, in terms of disciplinary control the constitution has been even more specific in stating in Section 155G(2) that "The commission shall establish procedures to entertain and investigate public complaints and complaints of any aggrieved person made against a police officer or the police service, and provide redress in accordance with the provisions of any law enacted by parliament for such purpose."

It is clear that the statement made by the NPC Chairman has no basis in law at all. In fact the NPC is well aware of its obligations under 155G(1)(a) and 155G(2) of the constitution; two lawyers working in collaboration with the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), submitted a draft complaint procedure under 155G(2) of the constitution to the commission last year.

If the Chairman of the commission claims there is no legal provision granting the commission power over the lower ranks of the police, this is a clear misunderstanding of the law as enshrined in the 17th Amendment. However, if the commission itself has handed back this power to the IGP, then this is a completely different matter. If the commission has done so, this is a decision, which is fundamentally flawed. However, what seems to be the actual case is that the NPC has not seriously taken any practical steps to use the power it has for the disciplinary control of the police. Its time has been mainly spent on matters relating to appointments, promotions and transfers.

It is suggested that the NPC face up to its constitutional responsibility to exercise direct disciplinary control over all officers. The major problem with the Sri Lankan police is the breakdown of discipline. Nothing can save the institution until this very serious problem is adequately addressed. There is no constitutional authority other than the NPC that can address this important task. To abdicate from this role is an act of colossal neglect particularly at a time when the country is faced with very serious problems of social instability and increase of crime. Discipline, particularly within the lower ranks of the police is an essential condition for proper criminal investigations directed towards the deterrence of crime. If the NPC neglects to take responsibility for the disciplinary control of such officers, the fight against crime has very little possibility of success.

Basil Rodrigo
Chairman, AHRC

Sri Lankans treated like dirt at visa service centre! 

My wife and I were directed by the British High Commission security to forward our visa application for travel at the new location and were told that the measure was taken to improve the service offered by the embassy.

To our dismay we wonder whether it is an improved service or a place where basic human dignity is not respected. All who deal with visa applicants are dumb and sometimes clueless regarding their duty.

Right from the security guard to the persons who stand inside the gates wearing ties with the Sri Lankan and British flags pinned on to their ties show that they have authority to grant visas above all. The personnel involved are so rude that they lack basic manners.

They play the role of High Commissioner inside. There are two lines to pay the fees. For what? Is this improved service or are we Sri Lankans treated like dirt?-By an organisation hired to give service, which does not know what service is about?

It is disgusting they do not know what interview schedules to look for to give appointments or how to even call up applications in the order of the tokens they themselves have given.

Why should Sri Lankans be treated like dirt and be tortured in this manner when we have all the necessary approvals to visit UK on business.

Just go there and see. It is unbearable.

Concerned Visa applicant
Colombo

Sri Lanka controls AIDS 

One of the talking points following the recently concluded International AIDS Conference is how Sri Lanka has managed to control the AIDS problem.

The UNAIDS/WHO figures for Sri Lankan adults and children living with HIV/AIDS have shown a remarkable decline in the last few years. In 2000 it was estimated to be 7500, in 2002 it was 4800 and the latest figure i.e. for 2004 is only 3500.

While most countries in ASIA have shown a considerable increase after promoting the ABC of prevention i.e. (1) Abstinence, (2) Be faithful to one partner, (3) Condom use; Sri Lanka has shown a decline by its own ABC

(1) Abstain from preventive activities.

(2) Be faithful to your executive chair in an air-conditioned office (thanks to the World Bank). Do not leave your seat unless it is to attend a conference abroad.

(3) Confine your activities only around Colombo and con the Health Ministry  and UN organisations that are easily taken for a ride by wrong figures.

While the Health Ministry is sending a team abroad to study how to control dengue, they should invite HIV/AIDS staff from other countries to see how Sri Lanka has controlled AIDS.

The National Dengue Control Task Force should take a cue from the AIDS programme. Do nothing and ultimately the cases will come down.

Southern Province Doctors Group

Another year of remembrance, darling son, has dawned and its like yesterday you left us. We pray and think of you every day and miss you so very much. I feel you are still by my side, walking beside me, whispering words of comfort and guiding me.

My tears keep flowing at the thought of you, my precious gem, and I keep longing for your gentle voice and loving smile.

I know I am going closer to you and longing for the day to see you. You had great hopes for me.

Pray for us, my loving son from above.

Fond memories of you linger on.

Loving Mum
Pannipitiya