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Tie-up
with JVP and JHU
Mahinda
digging his own grave
 Mahinda
Rajapakse seems to be intent on digging his own grave by latching
onto the JVP and the JHU. By doing so he has virtually announced
his intention of declaring war on the Tigers - a war in which we
are bound to be hopelessly outdone.
The JVP, intent as they are on mayhem
and confusion, insists on conditions that are in effect a
proclamation of war intents. The JHU too, makes the same demands.
In their case we have the incongruous situation where they declare
their association and agreement is with Mahinda
Rajapakse and not the PA. Yet, Mahinda claims to be the
PA candidate. This anomaly has to be cleared up before
nomination day.
Incidentally, the JHU, being composed
at the top tier by respected members of the Buddhist clergy seem
to be intent on war-mongering. Is this compatible with the noble
precepts of Buddhism? Can they expect self-respecting Buddhists to
support the cause of the candidate they profess to back?
What of the PA? Are constituent members
willing to accept this position or is Mahinda going to split the
alliance? In any case, by rushing to accept backing, whatever strings
are attached, he is cooking his own goose.
No amount of posturing behind the
microphone can alter the fact that his pronouncements lack the
depth to convince discerning listeners. 'Helping Hambantota', too
is not helping his cause at all. By returning the money put into a
private account, he admitted his wrong-doing and this will dog his
footsteps throughout his campaign. Calling it mud-slinging is not
going to clear him of a serious misdeed and is bound to cast
aspersions on his honesty and acceptability.
A.
A. B.
Attidiya
JVP
has no moral right to be involved in poll
In keeping with its policy towards the
abolition of the executive presidency, the JVP has no moral or
legitimate right whatsoever to either involve themselves by
nominating a candidate or supporting the candidature of someone
from another party at the forthcoming presidential election.
Just before the 1994 presidential
election the JVP agreed to support the PA
candidate Chandrika Kumaratunga on the written assurance
given by her that she would abolish the office of executive
presidency within six months of her victory at the polls.
President Kumaratunga had not kept her
promise and since then the JVP
has referred to the executive presidency as the curse of
this country and kept insisting on its abolition throughout.
Now, having decided against fielding
their own candidate because their vote bank would become known,
they have decided to support the candidature of Prime Minister
Mahinda Rajapakse notwithstanding the latter's attempt to use
tsunami funds on grounds of helping Hambantota via a private bank
account.
All in all, it has now become clear the
JVP is advocating a dual policy because they have decided to
become part and parcel of the upcoming presidential election.
Their primary aim is to defeat the UNP and prevent the dissolution
of parliament in order to secure their 39 seats in parliament.
What happens to the country thereafter is not even a secondary
matter to them.
In the final analysis they deserve to
be treated like curry leaves (karapincha) just like the president
did a few months back with the split in the much talked about
sandanaya.
They have given Mahinda Rajapakse an
open licence if he wins, to serve as executive president almost
till the end of his six year term before abolishing it. They are
also fully aware their agreement cannot be implemented without
triggering a war and in case Rajapakse has to subsequently put
aside the agreement just to avoid a war, the JVP would be left in
the lurch like a lame duck with no remedy available for them.
Polls Watcher
Dehiwala
Security
for Kadi
IGP's
lame excuse unacceptable
Lakshman Kadirgamar,
probably the only honest politician this country had after D. S.
Senanayake is no more. He did his best for this country in the
capacity of foreign minister knowing very well how vulnerable he
was in the eyes of the LTTE. No doubt he was on the very top of
the LTTE hit list. How did our security forces fare in protecting
this VIP who was a prime target?
After the death of LK,
the IGP came on national TV with some photographs taken from a
video tape which had been in the possession of suspected LTTE
cadres about two weeks before his murder.
Was not that a loud and
clear signal for the IGP to take additional precautions to protect
him? The lame excuse IGP gave was that LK did not want his
neighbours disturbed, knowing pretty well that nobody can dispute
him since LK is no more. Is it necessary for a duty bound security
man to tell his charge what measures he is taking to protect him
other than warning him? All security men who were responsible for
LK’s security must take the blame for his death.
The top brass of our
police and security forces bend in twos and threes when they are
confronted by politicians of all levels. This was amply displayed
when a rowdy brat of a deputy minister who entered parliament
through the backdoor attacked the IGP’s men and shed blood while
they were doing their official duty.
The IGP defended this
brat stating there was not sufficient evidence to charge him,
contradicting the report filed by his own DIG. This shows what a
spineless man we have at the top of our police force. Obviously he
was expecting an extension at the expense of his juniors or
dreaming of a diplomatic assignment.
It is no better with the
other security forces. The officers who should have gone on
retirement several years ago are being kept in those places with
extensions for personal political gain of politicians as they are
all ‘yes’ men who are waiting to wag their tails at the sound
of a whistle. These old codgers are complete misfits for these
positions.
They also deprive the
efficient officers of their due promotions in the process. They
also deprive the efficient officers of their due promotions in the
process. By keeping these ageing officers the security of the
country and its people is at stake.
Ultimately it is the
President who is responsible for these appointments.
Harmanis
Bandarawela
Watch
out for stuffed ballot boxes in copters
During the last presidential election
in 1999 and general election in 2004, I was attached to the PSD.
Helicopters were very busy on pre-election day transporting stuffed
ballot boxes from Temple Trees and President's House, supervised
personally by the highest in the land.
The former and present air force chiefs
are fully aware of the number of trips the helicopters made to
certain destinations, transporting the stuffed ballot boxes. That
was how the president got her second term of office and won the last
general election in 2004.
So please watch out this time and
see that all helicopters are grounded during these few days,
as no one gets a chance of checking helicopters.
Ex-soldier
Sydney
Australia
MCSL
will take up matters of Lankan Muslims
There
seems to be some confusion about the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka and
Council of Muslims of Sri Lanka since the names are very similar.
The Council of Muslims of Sri Lanka is
a very old organisation established by some well known leaders of
the Muslim community.
The Muslim Council of SL emerged as a
confluence of about 50 organisations after the tsunami. Soon after
tsunami, the president of SLMMA, A. M. Ameen called all the
organisations which immediately responded to the disaster, to come
together so that the relief work can be coordinated better. About 45
organisations responded and came together under the banner CCRR -
Coordinating Centres of Relief & Rehabilitation. They met
frequently and planned and coordinated the relief work.
But as time went on, this active
organisation realised that the work cannot stop with relief and
rehabilitation but must be carried forward for lobbying the Muslims
cause. Because of this, the name was changed to Muslim Council of
Sri Lanka (MCSL). A constitution was drawn up and discussed widely
by the partner organisation and finalised.
MCSC is not an umbrella organisation -
rather it is a conglomeration of about 52 organisations which have
come together to take up matters pertaining to Sri Lankan Muslims.
It will also coordinate with the politicians, concerned individuals
as well as the mosques in the island.
The head office of MCSL is at 5,
Manthri Road, Colombo 5 and the phone no. is 2589788.
Dr. Mareena Reffai
Dehiwala
Time
has come to dupe the voter
The time has come for most of the
politicians to deceive the voters to obtain their valuable votes at
the next round of elections, as the game goes on. Once they are in
power they forget everything and begin to run amok with state
resources, while making parliament resemble a china shop, with bulls
in it, while the country takes a similar image, thriving on people's
misery, sucking the country white.
For a country to develop, first of all
the people should be united, while discipline including law and
order at the highest level should prevail. Accordingly, let us elect
honest, educated, respectable leaders who could identity the
prevalent problems correctly and intelligently and solve them
according to priority and not vice versa, creating more problems. It
should be noted that the whole country could be exposed to danger
otherwise.
Tommy Wanigesinghe
Kurunegala
Settlement
by insurance ombudsman
Recently I read in your paper an
appreciation of the great services rendered by the insurance
ombudsman in settling a widow's claim on her husband's life
insurance policy. I
also want to applaud the insurance ombudsman for settling my
daughter's claim on a life policy of her deceased husband (a medical
doctor ).
A state bank had given life cover of Rs.
500,000, to my son-in-law on an NRFC account but when he suddenly
died the insurance company refused to pay the claim made by his wife
(my daughter) on the ground that the claim was not lodged within the
time specified in the policy. The issue was that my son-in-law (the
deceased insured) had never been given a copy of the policy . Thus,
we never knew the conditions of the policy.
The ombudsman inquired into the matter
and on his inquiry the claim was settled and the wife (my daughter)
was settled in full - thanks to the intervention of the insurance
ombudsman.
A.
Sivapathasundaram
Colombo 6
| Dr.
Cyril Perera |
Appreciation |
Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest
American presidents and patriots that that country has produced
reminds me of a Sri Lankan, who bore similar characteristics, but
was in a different profession, and of a smaller calibre. I refer, to
none other than that great, noble, and humble physician and son of
our motherland, the doyen of pediatricians and eminent physicians,
the late Dr. Cyril Perera, whose ninth year remembrance was on
September 4.
The post independence era of our
motherland has produced very few physicians of the reputation and
dedication of this great physician. I still remember the massive
crowds that came for his funeral, people from all walks of life,
including top officials from the high echelons of the government of
the day, to members of the elite social circle and the scores of
patients who were treated by him. I was just one among the myriads
of people, from one end of Ward Place, to the other, waiting to pay
their respects, to this humble and noble physician. He was truly a
noble son of Mother
Lanka, and his loss to our country is irreplaceable. Even today,
when I meet friends and patients who knew him personally, as I did,
they speak volumes of his integrity, honesty, generosity and his
humane and humble qualities.
It is an honour to our motherland, to
have produced such a gifted and noble physician, who was a true
martyr towards his profession, and never profited from it. He
treated his patients like his own children, and loved them dearly.
One of his most cherished features, was
that it went against his grain, to speak evil or ill against anyone.
Even his wildest detractors, today would accept this great
characteristic
Another feature, which needs mention,
which very few people may be aware of was that he was a very pious
and devoted Christian. I still remember his Christmas day articles
in the print media, which were really thought provoking. His views
were sacrosanct.
It is my earnest hope and prayer that
the medical profession will truly and devotedly, enumerate his noble
deeds and he will be a guide and a leading light to the myriad
professors, and students of the medical profession.
May his soul rest in eternal peace, and
may he attain the supreme bliss of eternal happiness and peace in
the world beyond.
Amyn
Chatoor
Colombo 5
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