Review

The dark life of 15-year-old Sanduni

By Jamila Najmuddin

The road is dark and silent. The sound of waves crashing onto the rocks is  the only sound that haunts the eerie night.. ...... 

More......

> Animals return after the wrath of the sea fades away...

> This dog at the cemetery is not dead...

> Was the tsunami an act of God?

> Hot topics and dashy driving... (....Balder dash)

> History re-visited

> "The mourning period is over..."

> NASA revisits tale of three tragedies

> Japanese bean plants sprout messages

> Alarm at new climate warning 

The dark life of 15-year-old Sanduni

By Jamila Najmuddin The road is dark and silent. The sound of waves crashing onto the rocks is  the only sound that haunts the eerie night. A young girl? A little girl stands near the railway tracks, dressed in a revealing outfit. With make-up lightening her dark complexion, she stares ahead with a blank expression on her face.

This is 15-year-old Sanduni.

Standing near the railway tracks each night for the past one and a half years, Sanduni earns her daily income through prostitution.

Abandoned by her alcoholic father, Sanduni was brought to Colombo by a relative who gave her hope of a new life in the big city. Instead of fulfilling her dreams of attending a city school in order to gain good employment in the future, Sanduni was sold to a brothel to lead a life as a child prostitute.

"I came to this city two years ago. I still remember the day when my aunt told my father that she would take me to Colombo to enroll me in a good school. Instead of getting a good education, I was forced into prostitution and have been roaming these streets ever since in search of 'customers' every night," she says.

Sanduni claims that she chose to stand near the railway tracks each night as it was an 'ideal business spot.' "There are many people who come to the railway station each night to catch the late night trains. I have my daily customers who visit the station and certain nights when business is 'good,' I have people who come in search of me in luxury vehicles as well," she says.

However, Sanduni claims that there are nights when she has to return to the brothel without any business as well. "There are 12 girls working in my brothel and as I am the youngest, I am looked after well by my other 'sisters.' However, on the nights when I return to the brothel without any business, I do not get my meals and remain hungry the whole day," she says.

Recollections

When questioned about her past, Sanduni's face brightens at the thought of her mother and brother. "When my mother and brother were alive, life was perfect. We lived in a tiny home and my father earned a living through carpentry. Though we were poor, we were very happy until the day my mother and brother were knocked down by a speeding bus. They died on the spot when I was only nine years old," Sanduni says adding that life changed for her father and her ever since that day.

Unable to bear his grief, Sanduni's father spent most of his time consuming alcohol and many days Sanduni was left alone at home with an empty stomach. "My father had tears in his eyes the day I was taken away by my aunty, but he never searched for me. I do not know whether he is living or not," she laments.

Sanduni also claims that although she tried to run away from the brothel so many times earlier, she had now adjusted to the pattern and was content with her life. "Maybe this is what God had in store for me. Instead of grieving each day, I now live each day with hope - hope that someday I will live a good life and have children who I will love and care for the rest of my life," she says.

Animals return after the wrath of the sea fades away...

By Risidra Mendis

The road is deserted except for the sounds of birds that fill the air. The only sign of life is a mongoose that crosses the dusty road in search of food. The huge trees with their long branches swaying in the breeze on either side of the road is the only indication, that beyond this barrier lies a national park.

A national park still in its stages of recovery, barely a month after the tsunami devastated a large extent of this natural habitat.

As you enter the Yala National Park there is no sign of the destruction the tsunami left in its wake. But a closer look at what was once the Pattangala bungalow is evidence of what was left behind. Uprooted large trees now lie drying on the ground. A few of the lucky ones remain. The area on this side of the park is deserted, with no animals in sight.

The Yala National Park that was once the hub of tourism for a variety of animals, is today without the regular tourists. However, there was a number of locals who visited the park in the hope of spotting some of their favourite animals.

Animals feel EMF

Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Wildlife Expert, Dr. Nandana Atapattu said it is possible that all animals have not returned to the park yet. "A few tremors were felt in different parts of the country recently. Due to an earthquake the animals can feel the Electro Magnetic Field (EMF), a phenomenon in the earth. Humans can not feel the EMF, but animals get the message that there is danger. Elephants can feel the EMF with their legs and trunk while other animals feel the impact of a tremor from their legs. Even ants can feel the tremors," Dr. Atapattu said adding that it is unlikely that all animals will return to the park until the slight tremors stop.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of Director General, Wildlife Department, Dayananda Kariyawasam, Law Enforcement and Field Operations Head, H. T. S. Fernando said many of the animals who had left the park prior to the tsunami had returned by December 27.

The Yala National Park is well known for its sloth bear, leopards, elephants, water buffalos, wild boars, sambhur and spotted deer. Last weekend locals spotted a lone tusker, an elephant, a leopard, wild boar, spotted deer and water buffaloes.

However, along the road within the park, the peacock, jungle fowl and birds that included the Grey Heron, Hoopoe, Painted Stork, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Green Bee-eater, Fish Eagle, Little Egret, the Black Necked Stork, Indian Darter and Open Bill Stork were a regular sight.

According to research conducted by the Wildlife Department and experienced naturalists, a total of 32 species of mammals have been recorded at the Yala National Park.

No reduction

According to Yala Park Warden, W. S. Weragama there is no reduction in the animals at the park. "I saw a leopard and herds of elephants a few days ago," says Weragama.

The Yala park is located in the south eastern region of Sri Lanka and extends over two provinces and two administrative districts. The northern, north western and western areas of the park lie in the Moneragala District and Uva Province while the south western and southern areas lie in the Hambantota District in the Southern Province. Part of the southern and the whole of the eastern and north eastern boundaries lie along the Indian Ocean. The area of the park is 97,881 hectares. However only 14,101 hectares (Block 1) is used for tourism.

The vegetation in the park consists of fairly dense forest and is characterised by species such as palu, satin, weera, mayila and malithan, ehela, kohomba and divul. The shrub vegetation consists of andara, kukuruman eraminiya and karamba among others.

Birds such as the Crested Serpent Eagle and White Bellied Sea Eagle and water birds such as Lesser Flamingoes, Pelicans, Spoonbill Painted Stork, Black Necked Stork (of which there are about a dozen in the country) the Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Night Heron, Purple Coot and Darter are attracted to the lagoons.

Reptiles include the mugger, estuarine crocodiles found in the main rivers and the common monitor. The Cobra, Russell's Viper and a variety of sea turtles such as the Olive Ridley and Leatherback are also popular in the park, as the Yala coastline is known to be a major nesting ground for these turtles. The lagoon fauna include various species of prawns crabs and fish.

As life gradually gets back to normal in the park, visitors hope that in time the many animals they had spotted before would return soon.

This dog at the cemetery is not dead...

By Ranee Mohamed

This is not the time to write about animals you may say, for it is a time when human beings are undergoing immense hardship. But look at the face of these suffering animals and you will realise that there is a message in there, a plea, that tells it all - that they have feelings too, that they feel pain, feel hunger and that suffering causes them a misery that cannot be expressed and that is why we call them 'dumb friends.'

Dog in pain

This brown dog lives in the cemetery at Kohuwala - it is not dead - but it is dying. It cannot move its hind legs for it has met with a painful road accident. "A vehicle went over him and it did not stop," said an onlooker. In pain this dog had dragged itself to the other side of the road. And it remains this way for days.

Today its hind legs seem paralysed, possibly by pain. It has no food and no help. When it is daytime the hot sun burns him and he has no way of getting to water - besides where can you get water in a cemetery?

When it rains, things get worse for him, because he has to remain soaked and cold for a long time. There is no shelter to which he can drag himself to other than the tombstones.

Where this suffering animal ought to be is at a vet, receiving care. What he ought to get is some shelter and some food. But who has time for dogs when man is suffering? Very true.

A plea

But what about the feelings that another being feels? What about the pain, what about the hunger and the helplessness? If only someone can be extra human enough to reach out to the suffering that is not a human being.

The rat race and the suffering among human beings is greater, but for animals it could get worse. Down De Silva Cross Road, near Charles Apartments are starving dogs - seldom do they get any food. Hungry and yawning they remain, hoping to kindle some heart. It was barely a month ago that a female dog had to watch her two brown pups being crushed to death by a van in a hurry. Pasted to the ground, the young pups bled to death, from all sides, crooning in pain and helplessness.

There are female dogs everywhere, some are pregnant, some have young ones hidden somewhere waiting for their mother to arrive to wet their parched tongues with a drop of milk - but from where can these animals get food - we are too busy.

So busy, that we run over the pups and the kittens on our path and head on to our own destinations in a hurry.

But where will our eventual destination be - we never pause to ponder.

Was the tsunami an act of God?

The tsunami that took place on    December 26 - was it due to natural causes or is there a divine hand behind it? Men of science will say it is due to the movement of tectonic plates, which caused the earthquake in the sea off Sumatra. All earthquakes are explainable through geophysical forces. But people who believe in religion, any religion, must have an explanation beyond the purely scientific view. All suffering is due to sin say the Christians while the Buddhists refer to karma. So is it the karma vipaka of those who died? But is there a collective karma to explain the large numbers dead through the same event in Sri Lanka?

God can and may intervene with nature

Christians believe that God created the universe and upholds it by His spirit. He has completed his creation and left the natural forces to operate according to the laws discovered by scientists. But the Old Testament refers to several incidents where God has intervened with the forces of nature to punish mankind because of excessive sin as in the flood during the time of Noah and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sexual immorality.

There are also instances where God directly intervened with nature to benefit his people. He divided the Red Sea to enable the Israelites to cross over dry land and when the Egyptians pursued them the sea covered them and drowned them. There was Joshua's famous "long day" when Joshua and the Israelites, in chasing the Gideonites, had direct assistance from God.

".The Eternal threw down great stones from heaven upon them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of Israel killed with the sword" (Joshua 10: 11).

Most of these calamities were prophesied on condition that if the people repented the punishment would not take place. The Fatima prophecies were also conditional. If the rosary was recited for the conversion of Russia then Russia would turn from her godless ways said Our Lady to the three girls at Fatima. Russia has been converted. But there are the end-time prophecies, which are not conditional.

One of the great signs Jesus said would take place during the tribulation, prior to His return to earth, is "...earthquakes in various places" (Matthew 24:7).

Tsunami, an act of God?

Are religiously inclined Christians correct in claiming earthquakes as divine? Or are some earthquakes (or most) merely the result of natural forces, with purely physical causes relating to the structure of the earth itself? Any serious student of science would argue the latter is true.

Buddhists as atheists and agnostics would tend to see the mention in the Bible of earthquakes as the ignorant speculations of ancient seers who attributed purely natural phenomena to "God." But, if God is the Creator of "nature," then He is able to interfere in His creation from time to time if He chooses to do so.

The position regarding calamities other than those due at the end times is not easy to understand because of what Jesus said. He was asked whether the men who fell under the tower of Siloam were sinners. Jesus denied it had a divine origin. He explained these unfortunate creatures were not being singled out as the special objects of God's wrath. No, they were the victims of purest chance. (Luke 13: 2-5).

But he also told those who raised the question that all would die unless they repented. So it would seem that sinners would be liable to be punished in this world too unless they repented. So Jesus did not exclude the punishment of sinners through natural calamities. He said when we repent, God then intervenes (usually through His angels; I Corinthians 11: 10) to protect His people from such circumstances, but explained that these men were not greater sinners than those who asked him the question.

In the case of the Buddhists there is no repentance but only karma under which bad acts bring their own punishments. So the whole issue would seem to be irrelevant to Buddhists and Hindus.

Men becoming morally better or worse?

Humanists may say that people are getting morally better. But as pointed out by Dr. Woodrow Kroll, God doesn't think so and those who look objectively at the human behaviour in the modern world would agree with Him. According to the Bible, mankind after the fall of Adam and Eve transmitted sin from parents to children in the same genetic way as other biological characteristics. So all human beings born are prone to sin.

God has provided a way of salvation by sending his own son to the world. This is through belief in Jesus Christ. But such faith also involves accepting the way of the cross - man must mortify his body instead of pampering it in sinful ways. If he is prepared to surrender himself completely and totally to God and follow his will then he can be saved. But people who misuse their body for immoral purposes will lose God's grace which is essential to follow his commandments and live a sin free life.

Deadly sins

There are some sins, which are particularly repulsive to God, and one of these relate to sexuality. God condemns homosexuality and lesbianism. It is for such immorality that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It is because of a surfeit of sinful people that God destroyed the old world during the time of Noah, saving only Noah's extended family. The last century saw the spread of the so-called sexual revolution, which has led to widespread immorality in the West. The sexual mores of the West are now spreading through globalisation to the Third World as well. Gay marriages have been legalised in parts of the West.

God also considers human life sacred and does not tolerate murder. Today mass murder is common. While 30,000 were killed by the tsunami there are said to be about a 1000 abortions every day in Sri Lanka.

Abortion was legalised in the West during the last 50 years and the number of such abortions has sky rocketed after the 1970s. Feminists have proclaimed a right for the woman to decide the fate of the child in her womb. The unborn baby has no rights and can be killed wantonly.

In ancient societies infanticide was quite common and is still practised in China and India. But God has said that human life is sacred and cannot be killed for the convenience of the mother or the state or any other human being. During the third trimester the unborn baby can live outside the womb and hence there is no difference between infanticide and such abortion at least.

Another sin, which is repulsive to God, is the profanation of His holy name. Jesus Christ forgave the Jews who killed him. But God abandoned the Jews and so the Romans destroyed Israel in 70 AD and exiled the Jews. But God will not abandon them for all time. God promised that He will bring them back.

Theodore Herzl in 1895 claimed to have had a vision from God asking him to revive the Hebrew language and prepare for the return of the Jews to Israel. Since the creation of modern Israel in 1948, many Jews from all over the world have returned. But they are not following God's commandments and hope to restore Israel by their own efforts, which have brought forth untold violence.

In our own country some ignorant persons have desecrated the holy name and person of Jesus. A poster ridiculing the baby Jesus appeared during Christmas in Galle, Matara and Paiyagala. In Britain too there had been some attempt to belittle the baby Jesus.

God chastises man to reform him

Why, people ask are the innocent being destroyed along with the wicked. In God's eyes man is a sinner. Children maybe innocent. They will enjoy eternal bliss in heaven and don't have to pass through the period of trial which is what life on earth is all about. Since man is prone to sin unless he makes a special effort with the grace of God, the increase in population means an increase in sin in the world.

When sin multiplies in this way the few good people also suffer and find it difficult to practise the good life. The few good are at the mercy of the wicked and many innocent people suffer at the hands of the wicked. It is then that God acts. His patience has been taxed to the limit and for the greater good of the innocent He decides to act and allows calamities.

Many Christians feel that because of the evil of America, God is using the Islamic terrorists as a scourge on them. In any case God is not bound to protect the property of the sinners who break his laws. So God has a purpose in sending calamities. It is to give human beings a message that despite their inventions that life on earth is fragile and that life depends on God's magnanimity. "The spirit of God is what upholds human life on earth and he is withdrawing his keeping or preserving power from mankind if they continue to disregard his laws.

When men continue to defy God, ignore his commands, He is left with no alternative to correct man except through withdrawing his protection of the universe for man. Men ask how a loving God can bring on such calamities? But from God's point of view man's sinful conduct is intolerable and demands some action to call his attention to repent and change his ways.

After each such calamity men have changed their ways at least for a time. But if they continue to sin then He will send calamities again. God like a father who wants to change his son's bad behaviour chastises the sinner. But if the sinner persists in his sin, He abandons him and then the sinner is free to reach the limits of degradation.

God is the God of all

He is the God of all men and will not take the side of the Christians against the Buddhists or the Muslims, or the side of the Americans against the Iraqis. But he wants his word preached throughout the world and will not allow men to interfere with this freedom to preach his word.

God wants people to convert to him of their own free will. He does not want forced or unethical conversions. In fact he has said that conversion is from his grace. The way to obtain His grace is available for openhearted men of goodwill.

It is the poor and suffering who will accept His word as Jesus predicted. Many will not accept His word despite the preaching. But He wants His word preached to all mankind and it would seem to follow that no Taliban, no Buddhist, Islamic or Hindu fundamentalists will be allowed to stop the preaching of His word.

- R. M. B. Senanayake

Balder dash

Hot topics and dashy driving...

Drop it while it's hot, drop it while it's hot..oooeeooowhooo!

This is the current hot favourite in our family, very catchy tune indeed, pulsating drumbeat. Asked one of my girls for the rest of the words, and she burst out laughing at the aghast look on my face after hearing just one line! Are we really listening to what we hear? Or, if it's pleasing to the ear, do we just accept it and cheerily go our way ?

I shudder to think of what other interesting, educative lyrics our kids listen to. I mean to say, I like rock music myself, I even listen to the same radio station as the kids, but this is just too much! I suppose it's all the rage now, freedom of expression and that sort of thing. Boom, di di boom,ooeeoooowhooo!!!And hot it is too, weatherwise, although we're having some evening showers.

It's extremely convenient for all concerned, if it rains in the night. Unless of course, you happen to be a vampire bat, an owl, a sloth or such-like creature. You do not  get up with a start, bathed in perspiration. The energy I am conserving and the money I am saving on the electricity bill! Anyway, the main thing is, the brown film of dust covering everything in sight is washed away, and more green begins to appear. I think green is a much more soothing colour than brown, much pleasanter and so cool to the eye.

The only problem is, new leaks appear in your roof, and then you are put in the position of simply begging of the repairman to attend to it. It seems he is really busy after the tsunami, lots of things to repair. Oh well, never mind! A bucket with a sponge or towel will catch the drips, at least we have a roof in the first place, others are without so much more.

Today I am hoping the weather will hold up and the rain stops soon. And why is this, you might ask? It is because I am going to a barbecue, and there is nothing like having it outdoors. Selfish beast, aren't I? depriving all those thirsty plants! There is something primordial about eating under the stars, with meat roasting over a fire, although nowadays some people have electric grills, how boring and expensive!

Makes you think of ancient man, tearing away at a hunk of charred meat using his teeth and bare hands, sparks flying from the fire. No cutlery in sight! Did they think to rinse out their mouths ormaybe they had a lot of bad toothaches? I wonder when they discovered that salt makes things more palatable?

I can just picture the man (beast?) having his fill, and then dragging the woman by her hair to a nearby cave for his dessert. Rowrrr !!No such luck today, we shall have lovely, fresh ,cool salads, beautiful baked potatoes, warm bread and tender meat with a choice of several sauces. All this of course on china plates with cutlery.

Some females would go into hysterics if they broke a nail! That beautiful French manicure they paid so much for! Such are the trials of modern life.I simply have to tell you about this friend of mine who lives in England. She suffers from compulsive shopping disorder.

For those of you who are ignorant about this malady, please seek proper medical advice. I am not too sure I know the exact cause and the resulting symptoms of this disease, but I was never one for misleading the public. That is why I am not a politician, even though my husband was convinced that was the one profession for me.

This was because my driving instructor would take me daily on the Parliament Road and back. So I knew how to navigate this course with ease, but unfortunately had this tendency elsewhere to drive into roadside taps, lamp posts, trees, chickens, cats, etc. I was politely and firmly told to use the chauffeur which he had so considerately got for me! But I have gone off on a tangent. Anyway, this friend of mine has withdrawal symptoms if she doesn't shop at least three times a week. Her husband is like Sherlock Holmes, trying to figure out if she has shopped or not that day! (He has to foot the bills most often.)

She heard that there was this Gucci sale at Harrods, and there was she, trying to save money, when she heard a horrified shout, "Muum! What on earth, are you doing here?" Of all days, her daughter and British friends had decided to collect money for the Sri Lankan tsunami victims outside Harrods!! She says she was so embarrassed, she was wondering what the other kids would tell their parents about this callous behaviour! Whilst they were shivering in the cold, this frivolous lady was shopping!

But she earnestly informed me she really did her bit, collected a lot of stuff, was involved in fund raisers etc. but, I mean, Harrods, I mean, half price, I mean, Gucci!!!... We all forgive you, after all, we know you suffer from this terrible, incurable disease! Another friend of mine, also in Britain, is involved in organising a Bollywood style dance to collect funds for the Sri Lankan tsunami victims. Having fun for a worthy cause! Keep it up, girls!

- Honky Tonk Woman

History re-visited

The ancient temple is a place of study and refuge for children today

By Dharisha Bastians in Ampara

In Pottuvil's harsh mid afternoon heat, two small samaneras sit among the ruins of what appears to have once been a temple or monument of some kind. The young monks are busy teaching children in the neighbourhood, many of them now homeless thanks to the tsunami, to read. Close as it is to the ocean, the temple complex and ruins survived the devastating wave, largely thanks to the protective sand dunes in front of it and the sheltering branches of a tall Margosa tree atop.

How closely intertwined the legend of these ancient ruins are with the devastation along the eastern shores today is little known.

Two thousand years ago, the last time giant waves threatened to engulf parts of the country, the ruler of Maya Rata did the only thing he knew to appease the wrath of the sea gods. He gave up his beautiful daughter, Devi as a sacrifice unto the sea, hoping to save his people from the punishing waves. Satisfied, the sea gods calmed the tumultuous ocean and spared the princess' life. For weeks she remained at sea, allowing the waves to take her where they willed.

Having sailed around the south of the island, finally, she was washed ashore, golden canoe and all, on the island's east coast, in the ancient kingdom of Ruhuna.

Muhudu Maha Viharaya

To mark the spot that the princess' boat landed, the people in the area erected a stupa and around it, monuments of the princess and the king who later took her for his bride. It stands there even today, what the people called the Muhudu Maha Viharaya or "temple by the sea." Not even the tsunami which ruined most parts of Ampara's coastline could touch the viharaya, sheltered as it was by high sand dunes and the protective branches of a tall neem tree.

The port of Princess Devi's landing has long since been a bone of contention for historians. A great many people believe that the princess landed in Kirinda, in the Hambantota District, closer to where the capital of Ruhuna, Mahagama is believed to be. But local legend and folklore in the Ampara District holds that the daughter of King Kelanitissa first landed on the shores of Pottuvil, and it was here that King Kavantissa first saw the princess and was captivated by her beauty.

According to the legend, when the people saw the princess having washed ashore, they ran to the king and informed him that the ocean had given up a boat with a beautiful lady inside and urged the monarch to come and see her. King Kavantissa followed the people and upon arriving at the shore he asked "ko kumari?" (where is the princess?) and that was how the spot in Pottuvil, Komarigama came by its name.

The highlight of the temple are three statues that stand tall among the ruins. Facing a standing monument of Lord Buddha are two smaller statues of a man and woman. These are believed to be torsos of King Kavantissa and his Queen. Princess Devi was later bestowed the title, 'Vihara Maha' in honour of her self-sacrificing mission to save the country from the fury of the waves. Much of the ruins are covered in sand, save for several tall pillars erected from brick around the three statues. The ruins of what are believed to be a dagoba and a pond are also visible inside the complex.

Following the tsunami, tourists to the area often take the short road that leads from Pottuvil town down to the ocean. This is not surprising; many believe that it was a tsunami that had driven the King of Maya to sacrifice his daughter to the unrelenting sea so many thousands of years ago. Having been shocked to the core by the devastation wreaked by the tsunami that hit last year, the reality of King Kelanitissa's plight hit home hard. So now, Muhudu Maha Viharaya, long forgotten in the throes of an ethnic conflict has become real for visitors to the area once more.

Tsunami, then and now

If it was indeed a tsunami that Princess Devi was sacrificed to 2000 years ago, her act of self-sacrifice heralded in for the nation an era of unity and prosperity.

From the union between Princess Devi and Kavantissa, King of Ruhuna, was born Prince Gemunu, later known as King Dutugemunu, hero of the Great Chronicle for having defeated Chola rulers in the north and united Lanka. Despairing over the modern devastation wreaked by the tsunami of 2004, do we dare hope that this tragedy will in some way, unite this nation, now so divided?

"The mourning period is over..."

"The whole world is sympathising with us and helping us. It gives us all the opportunity to get actively involved in helping the victims of the tsunami," he said.

Untold sorrow

Ganlath said that the people who are rendered destitute because of the tsunami are suffering untold sorrow because their homes were destroyed and their families separated. They are unable to engage in the work that they are used to; and being confined to refugee camps, has made matters worse, he said.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the people in refugee camps are now being shifted to other old buildings because some schools have to be 're-opened.'

These people who have lost their homes and belongings remain helpless. They cannot complain, but have to comply whether they like it or not. So many changes in such a short time - losing their homes, their belongings, their families and now changing venues to places that the authorities decide. Can this be healthy to the human mind, however poor they may be?

"These people are severely affected mentally and physically. In the worst case scenario, they may end up as permanent beggars in time to come without any will to fend for themselves," pointed out Ganlath.

Ganlath went on to say that therein lies the danger - the danger that leads to cultural poverty.

Ganlath said that Sri Lanka at this stage must encourage and welcome any person or organisation willing to help.

"Immediate and continued coordination is necessary with all the agencies that have come in; possibly through their respective embassies and all international funding organisations," observed Ganlath.

Lalith Ganlath went on to say that the government must now formulate policies with regard to relocation of schools, settling of the displaced children and encourage people who have been self-employed to get back to their normal daily routine.

"These resettlement schemes must take into consideration all the new legislations that would come into place with regard to the coastline laws," he said.

Ganlath however lamented over the absence of a proper set of regulations to date.

"Whatever regulations that have been promulgated must percolate down to the people affected by the tsunami," said Ganlath.

Ganlath went on to caution that this is not a time for party politics.

"All ministers, provincial councillors and legislators must have one view and one voice to get out of this situation. They must not have divergent views with political motivation," said Ganlath.

Counselling centre

Ganlath said that as the founder member of Countrywatch, he has grouped together with civic minded people. "We are seriously going ahead with plans to set up a centre to counsel and help young persons who are affected. We will begin an orphanage and seek sponsorship oversees. We hope to give these helpless children all the comforts including education, clothing, food and whatever other necessities they may require. Our intention is to bring them up in a secure, comfortable place with qualified staff. All this could only be done with the necessary government approval," said this lawyer.

"Although we have faced floods and droughts, we have never experienced a tidal wave of such enormity. This is not a time for despondency. The mourning period if over - it is a time for reconciliation, rebuilding and coming out of a disastrous situation, victorious," said Ganlath.

One month after the tsunami, hundreds of people in refugee camps remained confined to the camp-life. "We are not allowed to move out. The stench is unbearable. I fear for my children," said a father of five children living in the Janajaya camp in Ratmalana.

Speaking to people living in camps in and around Colombo will reveal that they lead lives of prisoners. For people who have been living in their own homes, living without a cup of tea, a little milk for their little ones when they need it and a biscuit when they feel like it, has made this community living a horror.

For as we all know, however poor or humble it may be - there definitely is no place like home.

So what do we do about the people who have lost their homes? And when?

NASA revisits tale of three tragedies

NASA marks its saddest days of the year over the coming week, beginning with the 38th anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire, which killed three astronauts and set back America's rush to the moon by 21 months.

The week of triple tragedy continues with the 19th anniversary of the Challenger explosion recently and next Tuesday's second anniversary of the Columbia's disintegration. Each of those disasters killed seven astronauts and grounded the rest of the shuttle fleet for more than two years.

NASA's human spaceflight programme still has not fully recovered from Columbia's loss, but the agency is on track to resume shuttle flights in May.

To mark the occasions, NASA Administrator, Sean O'Keefe will lead a 'Day of Remembrance' ceremony at the space agency's headquarters.

Catastrophes and challenges

At last year's remembrances, the crew members of Columbia and Challenger were memorialised at Arlington National Cemetery and even on Mars - and O'Keefe exhorted NASA employees to remember "every single day that the consequences of us not getting it right are catastrophic." That message is likely to be underlined this year.

During the current gap in shuttle flights, investigators have delved into the causes of the Columbia tragedy, just as their predecessors did for Apollo 1 and Challenger. After each of the three tragedies, causes were found and changes were made:

ú Apollo 1: The fire that broke out during a launch-pad test on January 27, 1967 was caused by an electrical short circuit and fed by a high-oxygen atmosphere within the crew cabin. The three astronauts - Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee and Ed White - were trapped inside the cabin due to a poorly designed escape hatch. As a result of the investigation, more than 1,000 changes were made in the command module's design.

ú Challenger: On the exceptionally cold morning of January 28, 1986 gaps in the seals on Challenger's solid rocket boosters provided an opening for hot rocket exhaust to flare out and ignite the shuttle's liquid fuel tank, sparking a fiery explosion that blew the orbiter apart. All seven crew members - Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ron McNair, Greg Jarvis and space teacher Christa McAuliffe - died in the fiery fall on January 28, 1986. Shuttle components were redesigned and launch procedures were changed.

ú Columbia: Investigators say a piece of flying foam from the shuttle's fuel tank knocked a hole in the leading edge of Columbia's left wing during the shuttle's ascent, allowing hot gases to enter and destroy the shuttle from within during its re-entry 16 days later, on February 1, 2003. The seven crew members - Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark and Israel's Ilan Ramon - were all killed. The shuttle fuel tank has been redesigned, and new procedures provide more opportunities for inspection and backup, although there is still no proven method for fixing a Columbia-scale gap in the shuttle's skin.

In all three cases, NASA's management approach came in for as much criticism as the specific causes of each accident. During the Apollo days, the tendency to launch without resolving all the safety questions was called "go fever." After Challenger and Columbia, NASA was taken to task yet again for an overly lax attitude toward safety, made tragically clear in retrospect.

This time around, NASA says that it's addressing what the Columbia Accident Investigation Board called a "broken safety culture," and if top managers can't adjust, they'll have to go.

For all the parallels linking NASA's three tragedies, the aftermath of the Columbia's loss is subtly different: Apollo 1 caught fire at the very beginning of the Apollo programme, and Challenger blew up toward the start of the shuttle programme. After Challenger, the shuttle Endeavour was built to bring the shuttle fleet back to its full strength of four.

In contrast, NASA is not planning to build a replacement for Columbia. Rather, the Columbia tragedy brought home the message that the fleet's days were numbered.

- Alan Boyle

Japanese bean plants sprout messages

Ever wanted to say "I love you" and never found the words? Well now you can buy a plant that says it for you.

Two Japanese manufacturers, toy makers Tomy and Takara, have both produced bean plants which sprout to reveal a special message.

Takara said its plant was "a new type of message card to convey your feelings to your loved ones," according to the French news agency AFP.

The gift comes with a choice of six different messages such as 'Good Luck' and 'I Love You' inscribed through the plant with a laser beam.

Tomy's offering features beans set in a white egg which "hatch" soon after they are put in water. The plants have a message in French on one side, and a message in Japanese on the other.

"You can have the fun of fortune telling, as you don't know what message will come out until the bean sprouts," Tomy told AFP.

Both plants will be on sale in February.

Alarm at new climate warning    

Global temperatures could rise by as much as 11 degrees Celsius, according to one of the largest climate prediction projects ever run.

This figure is twice the level that previous studies have suggested.

The scientists behind the project, called climateprediction.net, say it shows there is no such thing as a safe level of carbon dioxide.

The results of the study, which used PCs around the world to produce data, are published in the journal Nature.

Climateprediction.net is run from Oxford University, and is a distributed computing project; rather than using a supercomputer to run climate models, people can download software to their own PCs, which run the programmes during downtime.

More than 95,000 people have registered, from more than 150 countries; their PCs have between them run more than 60,000 simulations of future climate. Each PC runs a slightly different computer simulation examining what happens to the global climate if levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere double from pre-industrial levels - which may happen by the middle of the century.

What vary most between the simulations are the precise nature of physical processes like the extent of convection within tropical clouds - a process which drives the transport of heat around the world.

So no two simulations will produce exactly the same results; overall, the project produces a picture of the possible range of outcomes given the present state of scientific knowledge. The lowest rise which climateprediction.net finds possible is two degrees Celsius, ranging up to 11 degrees.

The timescale would depend on how quickly the doubling of CO2 was reached, but large rises would be on a scale of a century at least from now. "I think these results suggest that our need to do something about climate change is perhaps even more urgent," the climateprediction.net Chief Scientist, David Stainforth told BBC News.

"However, with our current state of knowledge, we can't yet define a safe level in the atmosphere." Last week, the International Climate Change Taskforce, co-chaired by the British MP Stephen Byers, claimed it had shown that a carbon dioxide concentration of over 400 ppm (parts per million) would be 'dangerous.' The current concentration is around 378 ppm, rising at roughly 2ppm per year.

Dangerous warming

Next week the UK Meteorological Office hosts an international conference, Stabilisation 2005, announced by Tony Blair late last year. Its aim is to discuss what the term "dangerous" global warming really means, and to look at ways to stabilise greenhouse gas levels. Myles Allen, the principal investigator of climateprediction.net, said the focus on stabilisation might not be appropriate. "Stabilisation as an exclusive target may not be adequate," he told BBC News. "Stephen Byers claims to know that 400 ppm is the maximum 'safe' level; what we show is that it may be impossible to pin down a safe level, and therefore we should not focus exclusively on stabilisation."

Distributed computing has been used before, notably by the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence or Seti, where several million people have downloaded software enabling them to analyse data from observations of distant galaxies for signs of alien life. The scientists behind climateprediction.net believe their project, because it is distributed to individual PCs, can help inform people about climate change - and that, in turn could bring political change.

"It is very difficult to get politicians to collaborate, not only across the globe but also over sustained lengths of time," Bob Spicer from the Earth Sciences Department at the Open University, told BBC News. "The people who can hold politicians to account are the public; and with this project we are bringing cutting-edge science to the stakeholders, the public."

 - Richard Black, 
BBC Environment 
Correspondent