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| Friday, 2 January 2004 |
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Another Parliamentary Election is not the solution It is very unfortunate that the discussions the President had with the UNF for a National Government or for a cohabitation between the two parties for a period of one year or two years had failed. According to reports appearing in the media, the failure was due to the UNF demanding the Defence Ministry back to them and the unwillingness to come to a compromise suggested by the President. It appears that the UNF wants to go for a Parliamentary General Election. Another Parliamentary General Election at this juncture will not solve any of the problems Sri Lanka is facing today. No party will get a two- third majority in the Parliament if the elections are to be held under the present PR system. It will not only be a wastage of public funds but also will disrupt the peace in the South. This election will be a tough fight for power between the two parties. One party trying to retain the power and the other party trying to grab the power from that party. As a result, there will be violence in the country. It will badly affect the economy which is just recovering. Therefore I humbly appeal to the politicians in Sri Lanka to be patriotic and think of the country and not the power and money. If they are really interested in the welfare of the country and its people, they could easily come to a compromise on the present crisis. Do not think of betraying the country to a group of terrorists in order to retain the power to earn the money wasted at the last General Elections. Another Parliamentary General Election means you have to waste more money again. How are you going to recover this wasted money? You have to earn this money by corrupt means which will even involve the selling or leasing of the limited national wealth to get commissions. I hope our present politicians will also be patriotic like our former politicians. A.L. RANASOORIYA, Nugegoda A Deputy Defence Minister would do The government constitutes the legislature, executive and judiciary. For the country to progress these departments of state or people's power should work in unison although the principle of checks and balances is in operation to safeguard the liberty of the people. According to 1978 constitution, section 4 (b) the defence should be with the chief executive, the President. But with the mandate they got in the parliamentary elections UNF pressurised the President to hand it over to a minister of theirs, on the condition that they would inform her on the running of the ministry, because constitutionally she should be responsible for the country's defence. Even at that particular moment of time if they were to be consistent with articles 4 (b), 46 (1 & 2) of the constitution they had to appoint a deputy defence minister. As she was not happy with the way they ran the defence portfolio, she took over the defence with two others with the assent of the Supreme Court. Now there has arisen an impasse saying that premier is unable to go ahead in the peace programme without the portfolio of defence with them. Although they had it for nearly two years, that is an amendment of the constitution by implication. Once a lawyer on television tried to justify it by the application of the principle of estoppel. It's not an acceptable proposition. Such an amendment is not law. The Supreme Court cannot allow such a course of action though they did not refer that to the Supreme Court for review. The present situation is that the whole country is not willing to go for war; their only wish is for a peaceful settlement. If the premier is badly in need of the defence ministry to go ahead with the peace programme can't the President appoint a deputy minister from Ranil Wickremesinghe faction to operate under her to push the peace programme to a political settlement? Conditions arisen are such that although you are not willing to call it a national government even from the beginning of the UNF regime it was a PA-UNF Government theoretically, executive and legislature being of opposing parties. If you are true statesmen why can't you to do so constitutionally or else you have to act illegally that will lead to anarchy. Even if you go to elections people are not knowledgeable enough to make a difference. You, the knowledgeables elected by the people do the needful. Our wish is no other. D. K. PIYARATHNA, Matara In his article under the above caption (Dec. 19) Prof. S.R.H. Hoole remarks "Caste is an evil that hides behind religion. We need to extirpate it but entrench it through our vain desire to better our caste." As a matter of fact, caste divisions primarily based on birth and usually involving occupation and religion are now things of the past. What with the social amelioration and economic improvement in the standards of living and of course, the ethnic conflict and its aftermath, the Jaffna Tamils have almost forgotten the caste distinctions or at least do not consider it except in their innermost private lives. The blot on Hindus for denying equal opportunity in the matter of temple entry to low caste members had also been long since effaced. Thus there is no more involvement of religion and occupation in caste distinctions and no necessity for the low-caste members (now mostly Christian converts) to aspire to move into the coterie of high caste Vellalahs or for the latter to increase their membership as alleged. The author's attempt to remind the caste divisions and distinctions from the limbo of forgotten past when there are other pressing problems for the community as well as the country, seems quite unwarranted and is a wasteful effort. C.R., Wattala Sinhalese is the origin of all other languages I refer to a letter by A. Gamahelage of Kotte. Mr. Arisen Ahubudu (AA) is a well-respected scholar and a household name in Sri Lanka. It was I who provided this quotation to Mr. Ahubudu a long time ago. I obtained this quotation from 'Collins Gem' Dictionary of Quotations page 252. It goes as: "I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations'. The earlier section given by A.G. of Kotte is not in the book I quoted. I have not read A.A.'s article, and I am sending this letter to put the record right. All AA had done seems to be to change 'Languages to langauge and nations to nation'. Lastly always to almost'. This is not a deliberate change but may even be a printer's devil but the quotation in its original form proves what AA is saying all the time in his talks. Quoting about changing original quotes is only to ridicule a very learned and respected scholar. In fact I have heard people saying that he is 'A laksha koti gananak watina pandiruwanak. It is now an accepted norm that the history of any nation can only be discovered/traced correctly by the study of the language roots. The "sel lipy" or stone inscriptions are merely dictates of kings and queens and ministers as is done today. Of course now they are being used for rubble foundations of buildings Mr. A.A. is not a 'birth certificate Sinhalese'. COLVIN DE ZOYSA, Borella What is a 'conversion'? It is a matter of exercise of the intellect based upon personal knowledge! A person 'converts' from either one activity to another activity, or from one lifestyle to another lifestyle (or a profession) after reflective consideration of the 'pros and cons' involved. If the 'cons' outweigh the other contentions, then nothing would ever occur. There would be no conversion. As 'conversion' is a matter of intellectual exercise, it cannot be brought about by coercion, or external influences which are called 'enforcements'. It is completely beyond the control of every imposition! The criteria of conversions (mind related matters) are either intellectual inputs or perceived improvements in lifestyle upon another plane of existence, leading into a reversal of earlier decisions. Basically, these are the factors of persuasion that influence a person to effect a 'change of mind'. On the other hand, 'enforcements' are actually connected with arm-twisting and incarceration of persons inclusive of the use of mindbending drugs. These tactics can never be influential upon an intellect-based decision such as a 'conversion'. They are essentially criminal activity if provable. ROHAN JAYAWARDANE, Dehiwela The 'fundamental' thrust of Christianity is 'faith' - faith in Almighty God. Therefore, it is impossible to convert or 'exploit' a person's inner spirit to have faith. If anyone does get converted through pretence it is shortlived as in all areas of life such as relationships, politics etc. For example, even born Christians sometimes have to travel on a long pilgrimage of hearing, studying and dwelling in the word-of-God until being established with faith even of the size of a mustard seed. The commandment to love one another - to pray for them that hate you and to do good to them that persecute you is spiritually powerful. This causes one to love so much that one can bathe the wounds of a leper and kiss an AIDS patient; to share ones belongings with the needy, feed the hungry - not on one day but everyday if possible, in the name and strength of God who taught how to love like this - beyond ourselves... and even to die for it. It is not an easy pilgrimage as there may not be any reward on this earth but in heaven. That is faith. Let us build bridges based only on Love and Understanding between our religions. Why should it be wrong to care, to share to give from the heart something that is good, kind and beneficial? Is it not more urgent to take action are the extent of hatred, revenge, jealousy, abuse... shall we sow religious harmony instead and, together spend our energy and time and public outcry on quelling that spirit of evil? One of the evil examples is prostitution and child abuse. Many brothels are found in expensive homes and apartment blocks for the rich. Young girls are enticed in the bloom of youth, from villages, and the parents are willing to sell their children - even boys - for prostitution. Is this not exploitation of the poor? - and why is there no outcry on these 'burning' issues? May Mother Lanka unite in brotherhood. Only truth shall set us free. Let us Buddhists (approximately 75 per cent of population), Muslims (12 per cent), Hindus (8 per cent), Christians (less than 5 per cent), love one another, care and share everything, including our philosophies, beliefs and faiths - and let that be a love that is sincerely from our heart - a love that is patient and kind, is not rude and self-seeking, is not easily angered or keep a record of wrongs - a love that protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres - a love that never fails. Please, my brothers and sisters, let us live like that, in peace and love with one another. RUANI JAYASURIYA, Colombo |
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