There was a news item on Sirasa TV, that the Minister of Transport and Green Card holder Dullas Alahaperuma has named a bus in memory of the school girl who had an untimely death due to falling through the floor board of a ramshackle bus when she was on her way to school.

Who was responsible for this incident? The owner, driver and the conductor all seem to be the same person and we cannot find fault with that person only. What about the government authorities? The Registrar of Motor Vehicles, the Provincial Council, Private bus owners’ Association, the authority that issued the fitness certificate for roadworthiness, and the Police should be held responsible.

The precious life of that schoolgirl is lost and it will be the parents and the family members who will feel the loss. The publicity seeking transport Minister had the dead child’s name painted on a bus. What is the big deal in painting the name of a dead child on a bus? Will the child come back to life? Or will the family feel less sorrow?

My thinking is that all those responsible for this untimely death should be charged in a court of law.

I remember an incident that occurred during the time of the last SAARC summit. A worker who was in a hurry to get to office had his legs severed when he was run over by a train while crossing the railway line. What did the minister do? Nothing.

I will not be surprised if the Minister of Transport accompanied by a cameraman, some Kandyan dancers, tom tom beaters and 30 to 40 security personnel, visits the bereaved family to hand over a cheque for Rs.25000 as compensation. That news will surely be given prominence in the Bera Gedera newspapers and Rupavahani.

Beruwala

A memorable birthday party

When I was undergoing post-graduate training in cardiology in the UK during the period 1971 - 1973 prior to completing my course which included qualifying for the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (M. R. C. P - U.K), I received several letters from some of my friends and relatives in Sri Lanka discouraging my return to this country, as the government in power at that time had introduced a large number of sanctions and restrictions relating to many essential food items including the import of motor cars, radios and other electrical equipment.

The little children of that miserable era were deprived of even the ‘luxury’ of using toys during their childhood apart from suffering from malnutrition as a result of lack of milk foods. Some of my friends wrote to me that there were innumerable queues including bread queues and milk food queues at 4 a.m. I was told that people were not able to buy even sufficient sugar with which to drink their tea.

However, I ignored all those letters and sincere advice, unlike some of my other colleagues who went to the UK on government scholarships and found jobs in the UK, USA, Australia and Canada and never returned to the country, I decided to return to Sri Lanka to serve my people although it was easy for me to obtain very lucrative employment in a foreign country.

As soon as I returned to the island in late September 1973 after obtaining my Membership (M. R. C. P - U.K) and after completing my Cardiology fellowship training at the University Department of Cardiology, Manchester Royal Infirmary (M. R. I), I was posted to the Institute of Cardiology, National Hospital, Colombo (then called General Hospital, Colombo) to work under the Chief of Cardiology Dr. N. J. Wallooppillai. Some of my friends then telephoned me to congratulate me on obtaining my M. R. C. P. and all those who congratulated me ‘insisted’ that I should celebrate the occasion with a dinner party.

I promised that I would give them a fine dinner in a good restaurant as soon I received my first salary — only Rs. 800 per month at that time. As soon as I obtained my first government salary (there was no private practice during 1971-1977), I contacted a restaurant in Colombo which was famous for delicious ‘rice and curry’ and other meals and fixed the date for the dinner to coincide with my birthday in November, with the idea of killing two birds with one stone. As requested by me, my friends came to my boarding house and gave me a lift, as I was using public transport during that period.

We reached the restaurant at about 8.30 p.m. and I requested one of the waiters to get us the menu cards. To our great surprise and disappointment, the waiter told us that, that particular day was ‘the manioc day’ according to the government regulations then in force, and therefore, looking at menu cards would serve no purpose. We were very disheartened and depressed and all our attempts to persuade the manager of the restaurant to provide us with some ‘rice and curry’ failed, as he-was afraid to flout government regulations.

Some of my friends then contacted several nearby restaurants and hotels and they were told by the managers that only manioc could be served on that day and that the government was very strict about enforcing food restrictions during that particular era.

Malnourished people rummaging for food in dustbins was not an uncommon sight and those years from 1970 to 1977 are considered the most distressing period in Sri Lanka’s history since independence. Only those who are over 40 years of age now, experienced it or remember that era today.

We were very hungry and I had to treat my friends with only manioc and pol sambol on my birthday. My friends who had by that time come to know that, that particular day was my birthday, not only congratulated me for obtaining my UK membership, but also wished me many happy returns of the day after the ‘manioc feast’ given by me.

I apologised to all my friends for my genuine mistake in not inquiring from the restaurant manager in advance about the menu available and we left cursing the then government for the severe restrictions enforced on food.

This will remain as an unforgettable birthday throughout my life.

Colombo 7

Graffiti on school walls

I have noticed on my way to office that school walls have been defaced by vandals who have scribbled all sorts of comments on them. Very often, you can see this on the walls of girls’ schools and I presume the boys attending the neighbouring schools do it.

The schools must be spending quite a big sum of their maintenance funds to keep the walls spick and span. It is high time the government introduced legislation to bring to book the culprits who commit this vandalism.

Even in buses one can see unwanted things written on the back of the seats. It is the same at bus stops too.

I think the school authorities should put up a notice of warning, on the wall for example — "Stringent punishment will be meted out to those defacing the wall."

I also would like to suggest that the students, teachers, OBA / OGA of the schools should think of having motivational and inspiring quotes similar to that appearing on the walls of the Girl Guides’ Association, which is right opposite the Colombo Public Library.

The students of the school, including past pupils, could do this as an outdoor activity and I have no doubt they will enjoy doing it, as it is for their alma mater.

Mohamed Zahran

Those exorbitant water bills

A minister or some high official of the Water Board interviewed on TV recently stated that 100 litres of water per day per person and a five-member household was the basis for the current rates charged for water. Any consumption beyond this 15 units per month was considered a waste he said.

Though this arbitrary limit of 100 litres is not beyond dispute let us examine the justification for the current rates and the untenable assumption of a five-member household.

1. Water supply is a service and not a profit making business. To keep the rates within reason the inefficiency and consequent waste must be eliminated. The current waste is over 50% due to leaks, unauthorised tapping, supply to illegal squatters etc. If this waste is eliminated the cost, and consequently the price of water could be drastically reduced.

The legal consumer is made to pay for the waste and inefficiency of the Board!

2. Many affluent families have no more than two or three occupants per house and on the 100 litre basis they would use nine or 10 units per month. The consumption beyond this is used to water their gardens and wash their vehicles. This excess is subsidised for the rich!

3. Large houses with extended families may have 10 to 15 occupants. These are not rich people who could opt to live more comfortably.

When these people pay their water bill at Rs. 82/50 per unit they will have to die of starvation!

Fair billing has to be on a flat rate or on a per capita basis.

Dehiwela

Is this true worship?

We the people of the 21st century are really amazing. We do exactly the opposite of what intelligent beings would do.

When what is needed is really more of worship and less of show, we do just the opposite.

We are living at a time when there is a surfeit of problems, shortage of money and food. Instead of being frugal and practical in our ways, what do we do? We build larger places of worship.

The other day we received an appeal to build a mosque in a very poor village the cost of which had been worked out to millions. When we went through the estimate we found that the exorbitant cost was due to imported marble tiles for the floor and ornamental pillars etc. being included in the plan.

A place of worship should be simple, devoid of unnecessary ornamentation, be functional and beautiful. It is amazing why our people do not think of this. This is due to their anxiety to show off. The Quran has the following to say about this type of behaviour.

"The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things), until ye visit the graves.

But nay, ye soon shall know (the reality).

Again, ye soon shall know!

Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (Ye would beware!)

Ye shall certainly see Hell Fire!

Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight!

Then shall ye be questioned that day about the joy (ye indulged in)!

— (Sura 102  )

It is a matter of who builds the larger mosque or more ostentatious one. We see this among the followers of other religions too. Recently there was an article on carving the largest Buddha statue, and another article about installing a golden protective fence for a statue.

Buddhism too, like Islam frowns upon ostentation; but who cares?

When all the money spent on ostentatious buildings could profitably be spent on educating, feeding, clothing and housing the people, we the most intelligent beings on earth, choose to do otherwise.

Is there any wonder then, there is unending suffering in this world?

Dehiwela

Form designers please note

On October 15, I went to the National Savings Bank Branch at Nugegoda to withdraw some money. To do this I needed to fill a savings withdrawal form. The Security guard who was attending to the needs of the public gave me a withdrawal form to fill in. As it was different form the ones I have hitherto been filling in I asked him about it. He told me to use it, as it was the latest form for withdrawal. I was a bit surprised to see the new form. In that form the date, the account holder’s name and the amount to be withdrawn, in words, did not appear. After filling the new form I looked at the security guard. He told me to join the queue and hand it over to the cashier. I was not fully satisfied with the new form, but when I tendered it to the cashier with my pension card he gave me the amount that I had asked for.

Is this modern technology? The person who designed this new form perhaps forgot to include space for the date, the account holder’s name, and the amount to be withdrawn, in words.

According to my knowledge monetary documents should give the amount in figures and words too as figures could be altered by conmen or tricksters.

I hope the authorities will give some thought to this matter.