Our frontline batting was brittle and seemed that their survival depended on chance rather than on skill or quality of batting.

Captain Jayawardena has a woeful trot in batting having failed to score a 50 in his last 15 or 14 outings which is a dismal record for any captain. Mahela surely understands that his position in the team is essentially as a batsman and certainly not as a captain, though he excels in that role. I don’t know if there are countries that continue to retain players in their national teams when they do not adequately deliver for so long.

In that respect Sri Lankan selectors have been too generous towards Mahela having expressed their implicit faith in his ability as a batsman and continue to retain him in the squad with bated breath and hope that he would end this horrendous run of poor scores sooner than later.

Mahela has a crucial role to play as a batsman in the World Cup and it is everyone’s wish that he’ll not continue to fail. Pressure is on him and he should be more circumspect in his approach and play his natural game rather than being dictated to by anybody as to how he should play his game. He cannot be another Jayasuriya or anybody else. He has to be himself.

Our bowling too in the absence of Vaas and Murali seemed inadequate to dislodge partnerships as witnessed in the matches that India won. Our fast bowlers lacked control over their deliveries with Lasith Malinga and Dilhara being the biggest offenders and provided the run hungry Indians an orgy of juicy deliveries.. Nuwan Kulasekera seemed much more disciplined and controlled.

The plus point for the team was the long awaited middle order solidity in our batting that saved us many a blush.

The trio Dilshan, Chamara and Arnold all did fine by the team. What a find Chamara Silva is. This unheralded and unassuming youngster will certainly be the cynosure of all Sri Lankans in the years to come. A star has emerged despite obstacles and it is the duty of the cricket administration that he is well looked after.

The fact that Mangala Samaraweera (MS) is someone embittered by President Rajapakse should not be sufficient reason to disregard the former’s 19 page letter to the latter. In business we have exit interviews for those leaving an organisation to comment on the organisation and these interviews are regarded as invaluable feedback.

As the public we are the judges and we must therefore demand an explanation from the President with respect to the various charges that Mangala has made, especially because he has been a very senior and very high profile player in SLFP politics, a government heavyweight and the man who brokered the deal with the JVP that put Mahinda Rajapakse in the driving seat.

The President has a duty to reply the charges and to let the public decide having heard both sides. If he does not do that, he is not merely being arrogant; he is verily deemed guilty in some measure.

What impressed me in the whole long letter are charges relating to the following:

(1)   The Mihin Air project where the former minister was minister-in-charge of the subject;

(2)   The allegation that President Rajapakse had been constantly in the habit of saying "I will speak to my brothers and let you know," indicating thereby that he has been abnegating his decision-making responsibility  to his brothers;

(3)   The allegation that the President was very superstitious  and leaned heavily on astrologers and the occult, which again, shows a wrong kind of world view for a leader of a country.

(4)   The charge that the President, by taking into his fold so many ministries and specific functions of other ministries controls 60 per cent of the budget while all the other 53 cabinet ministers have only 40 per cent;

(5)   The charge that by becoming a government that violates human rights the GOSL is playing into the hands of the LTTE which would use that to wean global support away from the GOSL;

(6)   The allegation that since his expulsion from cabinet and return to Colombo the President has put him under virtual house arrest. 

 I have previously commented in The Sunday Leader about the Mihin Air project in a piece entitled "Lowering the bottom line of public conduct." What I said there appears to have been validated by the minister’s letter. Since the hue and cry raised by newspapers like The Sunday Leader we notice that the government is playing down the issue. It was since announced that Mihin Air is "going to be owned by the government."

Why on earth does the GOSL want another airline when all its previous airlines have been flops and sold out, is another question altogether. However, in Mangala Samaraweera’s letter he indicates the specific interest in the project by the President’s brother and other relatives and he points out that the project as originally conceived had been rushed through by the President personally in spite of the fact that its feasibility had not been studied.

Mangala charges that he had to sign it with regret. As originally conceived, the project which was to be allegedly run by a private company that included Gotabhaya Rajapakse and P.B. Jayasundera  as directors, had to depend largely on ETF funds. Hence the crucial need for due process and due diligence by the relevant government agencies.

The tourism industry generates the fourth largest source of foreign exchange to Sri Lanka and is also a major source of employment for locals. However, we often see a fluctuation in the arrivals of tourists to Sri Lanka for various reasons.

As a means to sustain the tourist industry and also ensure that the employees in the tourist trade are not left unemployed, I would like to propose that the Tourist Board devise packages and offer them to the locals especially the private sector schools and parents.

Inspired by the programme Serisara telecast on Rupavahini, I was amazed at the beautiful sites in Sri Lanka and the equally attractive accommodation available. With the private sector in Sri Lanka taking a greater interest in the welfare of their staff, I would like to encourage the Tourist Board to draw up a formula (based on price, accommodation, facilities etc.) and offer same to the private sector so that they may be encouraged to sponsor staff on a regular basis.

In this manner all levels of staff would benefit by an outing that would be appreciated in view of the scenic and historical value. Such offers can even be drawn up and given to companies to offer their clients during festive seasons as complimentary gift packages.

The Tourist Board can even undertake to even offer guided tours depending on location or even group tours. By doing this, Tourist Board accommodation and Sri Lankan products can also be promoted and revived.

For the families of private sector employees this would be a wonderful gesture as often their educational environment and setup prevents them from seeing the scenic beauty of Sri Lanka.

Thus, the Tourist Board can even think of offering similar package tours/accommodation to schools/parents.

While the primary goal of the Tourist Board will remain working towards making Sri Lanka a preferred destination for foreign tourists; for the purpose of sustaining the industry it would be good to include the locals as well. The price formula must be worked out to suit the different wage-earning groups in the private sector so that the management will be encouraged to use it in lieu of seasonal perks, hampers etc. that they presently provide.

For the children such an offer of a trip to places they have not seen before will provide a treasure trove of information about their country and instill in them a feeling of pride about Sri Lanka.

To our surprise many times we have seen the JVP and JHU crowning themselves as the ‘President makers’ and advertising that they made Mahinda the President.

But what these parties should realise is that if just one of the Tamil divisional Secretary’s divisions in the northeast had been allowed to vote, the political scenario would have been totally different. If the JVP and/or JHU negotiated with LTTE and prevented the Tamils from voting, then we can accept the JVP and JHU as real ‘President makers.’

But everybody knows that these negotiations have been done by somebody else through some other gateway.

Therefore I appeal to the JHU, JVP, ministers and parliamentarians, to never ever claim the victory of the President as that of theirs, as this credit goes to Pirapaharan himself, by preventing the Tamils from voting during the presidential election causing the biggest attack on the country, its economy and especially on the people — Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and on himself too.

The radiotherapy machine at the Cancer Hospital is out of order for more than three weeks now.

Cervix cancer patients (a cancer which is curable with microselectron radiotherapy) are suffering due to this.

Never in the history of the Maharagama Cancer Hospital has this ever happened.

Very expensive radioactive material will decay with time anyway whether used or not.

Hope this will be an eye opener to the relevant authorities. 

The fourth death anniversary of Deshabandu Alec Robertson fell on December 31, 2006. His passing away was widely lamented by all Sri Lankans as well as his numerous foreign friends and acquaintances, who had at some time or other benefited from his guidance, friendship and exemplary life; and more than anything else from his deep understanding and propagation of the Buddha dhamma.

Sri Lanka has no dearth of Buddhist scholars among both the Sangha and laity. But not many would claim to have the attributes found in extraordinary abundance in Robertson. The dilemma among many Buddhist scholars is that they are unable, or do not make a serious effort to live up to the expectations of those who listen to them with rapt attention. They are unable to balance their obsessions with the precepts with even a minimum of practice.

How many of us, while claiming to be Buddhists, and even highly critical of others for their shortcomings, pay scant attention to the five precepts?

My own association with Robertson at a personal level is very short and would not go beyond his last few years. On the other hand as a long standing Buddhist activity, I have followed his writings and the radio broadcasts.

On my few visits to his home I observed the very simple and unostentatious life of the Robertson family. During my young days I had aspired to a life of few worldly possessions, sans houses and property; and on seeing the Robertson family I felt some envy in having both by choice and circumstances changed my life, almost irrevocably.

In Robertson I saw the highest epitome of a life of few worldly attachments nevertheless living a life of contentment, and devoid of lobha, dosha and moha.

Looking back on Robertson’s life, one could assume that he has been fortunate in many ways, in his long sojourn as a servant of the Buddha and the dhamma. His father, a Christian born, was working in Dodanduwa in fairly close proximity to the Dodanduwa Island hermitage, which was the reclusive abode of Gnanatiloka and Gnanaponika Maha Theras. They were both of German origin.

Young Alec had accompanied his father on his occasional visits to the Hermitage, and these encounters had left an indelible impression on the son perhaps more than in his father. With that initiation to the dhamma while living and working in Colombo, young Alec has continued to seek guidance of other maha theras, such as Pelene Vajiragnana, Narada, Piyadassi Kassyapa and Soma, all from the Vajirarama, in Bambalapitiya.

Alec was too young to have known and interacted with Anagarika Dharmapala (1864-1933), but his adult life seems to suggests that at a later and more mature age, Anagarika may have stirred his interest and even shaped his mission in raising the level of understanding and practice of the dhamma by his fellow men and women. Another person who may have drawn Alec into the dhamma discourse is late Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera.

Like Anagarika, Alec also had a remarkable ability to expand his knowledge of the dhamma through the mastery of Pali and a deep understanding of the tripitakas. His remarkable memory was his other forte and which adorned him as a shining armour in his many engaging discussions on the dhamma, often in the company of others, of even greater eminence and erudition.

Practically all who have penned appreciations of Alec and assessed his many contributions in the service of the dhamma have been most emphatic on his dexterity in responding to probing questions and clarifications on the dhamma and the life of the Buddha. What was most remarkable about Alec was his unhesitating responses, and their clarity in delivery.

This indeed was a rarity among many contemporary Buddhist scholars, who when confronted with such verbal challenges would wonder as lost sheep, groping for credulous answers. Only persons who are steeped in the dhamma, based solidly on the tripitakas in their original Pali rendering could be in complete control of such situations. Among those living among us Ven.Harispatthuwe Ariyawansa-lankara Maha Thera is one such person.

Let me end this appreciation with the following quote from Asoka Jayasinghe, adult sishya of Alec.

"We are left with the memory of this great Buddhist layman whose life was that of an ideal Buddhist; both in erudition and practice."