A prescribed brand name drug is the doctor’s choice governed by his principles. He hesitates to prescribe by a generic name to prevent the pharmacist from dispensing a branded drug of his choice. Marketed generic named drugs are extremely tiny.

Prescribed brand name drugs not available locally are extorted from overseas. The many unregistered drugs are evidence of this genuine prescription demand for them. The drug authority dares not conflict with doctors. Registered brand name drugs containing the same generics are available, but the preference is for a specific brand.

Will the law and medical contest even end in a pyrrhic victory for the former and a moral victory for the latter? The question is rhetorical.

Good God! Was the blasphemous expression that escaped my lips when I saw the front page pictures of young Mayantha Dissanayake, the younger son of my friend and college mate, the late Gamini prostrating himself not before God but before President Rajapakse and for what? Merely because he was appointed the organiser for Colombo West.

What would he do if and when he is appointed a minister? I forbid the thought for my stomach churns and I would puke at the mere thought. The spirit of my friend Gamini, bless his soul, may have surely screamed in pain at the sight.

Surely Srima should have advised young Mayantha not to demean the memory of his late beloved father. This is sad for the country for if the leaders of tomorrow have no self-respect what hope could we have for the country? It is indeed a shame.

Shame is also the word I wish to use to describe another instance of a figurative prostration through the medium of a letter sent by the Sri Lanka High Commissioner in London to Minister Bogollagama published in your paper.

The High Commissioner has indulged in such cheap, flagrant flattery, which calls into question her integrity. She ingratiates herself exhibiting a certain servility wholly unbecoming of a government official. It does appear from the letter that she is obviously flattering the Minister in order to stay on for another four years after she finishes her term.

If she can ingratiate herself in such a manner in a letter, I would have to think of what she would do to please the Minister when she meets him personally — kiss his feet?

Little wonder that the President has announced that he intends to cleanse the Foreign Service — the sooner the better. Have people who value self respect and dignity representing the country.

Dear Sir,

As a Sri Lankan, it made me squirm with embarrassment to see the front page photographs in your esteemed journal last Sunday, of the late Gamini Dissanayake’s younger son, Mayantha, grovelling on all fours before President Rajapakse in order to get his appointment as SLFP organiser for the Colombo West electorate.

The people of Colombo West will, no doubt, in the fullness of time, have an opportunity to express their opinion on young Dissanayake’s perfidy. That will be when he gets his comeuppance (or, if he keeps worshipping the President, a corporation chairmanship). His father must today be turning in his grave.

Gamini was a man of great honour and courage who — had not his life been cut short by a terrorist bomb —would have gone on to be a truly great president of Sri Lanka. He never scraped and grovelled at anyone’s feet: even in his darkest hours of persecution, he held his head up high. It is a pity that neither of his sons can hold a candle to him.

As so often is the case when parents hold high and important jobs, the children are neglected and grow up with the values of the domestic staff, and not those of their illustrious progenitors. It is to his credit that President Rajapakse, himself clearly taken aback by young Dissanayake’s unscripted genuflection, declined to engage the latter in conversation after his display of servility. I watched this footage on television, and although Dissanayake clearly tried to chat up his benefactor immediately after licking the presidential toes, he was summarily dismissed by a regal wave of the hand, like the vassal he is, even as the next candidate was summoned. What next: serrappu soup, a’la A. J. Ranasinghe?

It is not as if Mayantha Dissanayake has a good example to follow in his pompous and self-important brother, Navin, either (I keep wondering what he has to be pompous and self-important about!). I read in the papers last week how Navin was offering unsolicited advice to the UNP, in whose ranks he included yourself, calling you a novice. Well, Sir, I see from The Oxford English Dictionary that a novice is ‘One who has entered a religious house and is under probation.’ Fat lot this upstart knows about novices, and the little he does, he probably learned while picking apples in Australia.

He has not even had the guts to contest the last two elections, having cringed and grovelled at Ranil Wickremesinghe’s feet and got his father-in-law to lobby for a place on the National List for him.

Who is this upstart ‘novice’ that he should be on the national list in preference to party seniors like Tyronne Fernando and Tilak Marapone? What has he done for the country, or for that matter, the two electorates that he fled?

And the one time he did contest, if I remember right, he came last in the very electorate in which his father for decades romped home far ahead of the rest of the field. And rather than being grateful for the completely undeserved place he got on the National List, he is now trying to tell his grandmother how to suck eggs (or is it how to pick apples?).

Both these spoilt young brats could take a lesson from Sajith Premadasa who, like his father, has his feet firmly planted in his southern electorate, which he cares for with unreserved dedication. Sajith and Navin began their political careers at about the same time, and it is refreshing to see how mature Premadasa has become, in contrast to Dissanayake.

I was amazed to see it stated in last week’s papers that Dissanayake’s defection from the UNP was because his grandfather, Andrew, was (for a few years) an SLFP MP. His father was not even mentioned. Gamini has been erased from the record, as the family licks around pastures new on the lawns of Temple Trees cashing in on the credit Gamini built up by looking after Basil Rajapakse in his down-and-out days with commendable prescience.

If these puppies are no good for anything else, fair enough that they should take to politics, be it of whatever colour. But let them first win an election and then start pontificating. No one cares if they make fools of themselves, but those of us who respected their late father cannot help noting that this pair of upstarts is not one bit a chip off the old block.

It is completely in character that one of them should beg for a free lunch on the national list while the other should make a fool of himself trying to win Colombo West and not the Mahaweli districts, Kotmale, Kandy or Nuwara Eliya, where their father’s memory still attracts affection bordering on reverence. There’s no room for spoilt city brats there. The whole UNP should breathe a sigh of relief that these two clowns have finally fled its ranks.

It is indeed sad that whilst other countries in the region are making rapid strides economically, our country is retreating in every sphere. From the time of one’s arrival at the airport visitors/citizens are confronted by airport staff lacking the soft skills, which are becoming increasingly important for the country, if we are to attract tourism and investment. Where are those smiling, gentle people?

The increasing aggressiveness of the country’s citizens is permeating into every fabric of society. For instance the other day, I bought tickets for a Hindi movie from a cinema near the sea. It was with great difficulty that I was able to park the car after pleading with a policeman that I would be out of the cinema as quick as I could, not an uncommon feature presently.

I therefore rushed off to the car without re-checking the tickets. However, when buying the tickets I had twice mentioned to the ticket seller the particular show that I required. A fracas ensued when the double booking was discovered at the show and instead of trying to find an alternative solution to a mistake that had been made by the staff, one office executive insisted that we rebuy tickets after promising that alternative seats had been found.

Admittedly, I lost my cool and harsh words were used by me followed by a string of abuse hurled by the executive concerned. I showed my anger and the man then tried to hit me and had to be held down by three staff members!

Where is our country heading? Are we not collectively responsible to ensure justice and fair play?

The residents of Thalawathugoda area have not had water for the past three days. On the street where I live, residents have finished the water that was in their overhead tanks, and are now in a desperate situation.

I have tried calling officials at the Water Board, and I get the impression that they are just ‘passing the buck.’ The best response that I got was ‘you must be living on top of a hill, (and consequently) you must not be getting water!

As I write this, unwashed dishes are piled up in my kitchen. My toilet cisterns are empty. This morning I used bottled water to brush my teeth. By the way being a Sri Lankan, I am used to washing my bottom after using the toilet. But this morning it was dry-clean only!

Now I am packing my bags to move in with relatives.

It is ironic that it was just a month ago that this country had severe floods and landslides where several people lost their lives. Looks like we can’t even manage our water. Or is it political bungling that has resulted in this? What are our officials doing? Do they care? What is this country coming to?

Recently I read in an English daily the above description of Karu Jayasuriya, and I thought of asking the writer to find out from a good English teacher the definition of a ‘gentlemen,’ leaving aside — ‘redoubtable’! Here is a man who rose to this position in the party due to one who can be graded a real gentleman — Ranil Wickremes-inghe.

He says his relations with Ranil Wickremesinghe are very cordial. If that is so, how come he resorted to the lowest tactics to undermine Ranil’s position by even going to court — thank God, without success. Is this history repeating itself? This recalls to memory JR taking Dudley to court.

Of course the coward he is, he did not have the guts to come forward, but like a seethala hora used a shameless senior member and two golayas to do the dirty!

A reply to the friend Down Under who sent a verse ‘Men Are Superior’

Only a woman can enjoy the happiness of motherhood, own the greatest name ‘mother’ we always remember.

No one in trouble ever says ‘oh father!’

Only a woman can feed a baby from her own milk not from what is bought from the supermarket.

Women are not guilty of polluting the environment! boasting ‘I can do it anywhere!’

Men wait in attendance to open doors for women but only waiters for men

You do not say ‘father country’ but it is always ‘mother country’

You do not get a ‘father tongue’ but it’s always the ‘mother tongue’

Women can enjoy the long relaxation of idle shopping not a nerve racking one hour job.

A woman can use any perfume and be sweet smelling like a flower without being considered silly

Fraternity can be questionable but maternity never!

Can a man be happy without a woman?

Remember why God created Eve for Adam!

Stop this silly canvassing for men

Both are lucky and happy to have each other.

(Continued from last week)

Thirdly, the political establishment.

Some of these might actually be possible to attempt given the SLFP-UNP MOU (if it survives) and the fact that the JHU, TNA and JVP posture as very moral parties, and these ideas are likely to have the support of the TULF. All will have widespread public support, I think!

I would hope that some of the politicians might try in a small way to start trying some of these measures and create momentum in their favour.

1. Expel (i.e. the party to withdraw from parliament, provincial council or local body, any minister, MP etc. thought to be involved in bribery, nepotism, corruption, giving appointments on family, religious, ethnic or grounds other than merit, giving patronage and shelter to the drug and illicit liquor trade and similar acts, crossing over in parliament, etc. Given the nature of the constitution and proportional representation everyone from the President to the lowest MP can be replaced without an election; so the fear that parliament or other elected body might be almost empty, need not be there. In particular I think the President can send out of ministerial or official posts any such person without that person going to court. The public will support such moves.

2. Avoid taking into a party those who cross-over.

3. Recognise the right of all Sri Lankans to be equitably governed — the use of language, translation etc. to be done in a fair manner. All Sri Lankans must feel that the government is for them.

4. Stop being an employment or housing agency for friends and relatives.

5. Do not interfere in police activities (arrest of criminals, stopping illicit timber felling, gemming , the brewing of illicit liquor etc), transfer systems, or any other public body. The parties should expel those who interfere in the working of government departments.

6. By action make clear that a culture of impunity in the forces or police, or any terrorist organisation as regards rights issues is unacceptable. All Sri Lankans must feel that the police and army are for them and the security forces must set by their actions exemplary standards.

Finally what about terrorism?

Those of you who have looked at the 1990’s youth commission report or have looked at the history of terrorism elsewhere might well agree that if we act in such a way as to prevent future terrorist leaders and organisations emerging, the present problems will be reduced in due course, in that terrorism will not be necessary and public support will vanish. The pressure to settle matters by negotiation will increase as the credibility of all parties, and the type of scenario after peace comes, will all be much better.