|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 13 December 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Letters | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Sports Obituaries
|
Please forward your letters to editor@dailynews.lk in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
The recent imprisonment of a local politician for contempt of the highest institution of law and order in any country in the world is a fit subject for investigative reflection. I wish to discuss it very briefly from a viewpoint different to that in law, to divert attention of readers from emotion thinking. The issue is conceit and feeling. The underlying or root cause is arisen from ignorance, from perception of a non-existent self or personality. Contumacious conduct, insolent behaviour and contempt stem from conceit of power. Power is the feeling that one can control the behaviour of others while they cannot control one's behaviour. Arrogance is one outcome of this feeling of power and exhibits in diverse ways. For example, there is intellectual arrogance in some doctors, lawyers and professionals. Wealth and political clout confer upon some a feeling that they are selectively immune, exempted, superior and inviolate. What if a labourer spoke the identical words of the politician from atop a water tank? At root is the in-built dependent structure of personality. There is only one teaching that analyses dependent or conditioned arising of anything. It is the teaching of the Buddha. Any arisen feeling, whether of power or equanimity, is dependently arisen. Things that other things depend on are sankhara or determinations. There is a discourse where Buddha describes the rich endowments and possessions of King Mahasudassana and finishes off thus: See, Ananda, how all those determinations have passed, have ceased, have altered. So impermanent, Ananda, are determinations, so unlasting, Ananda, are determinations, that this, Ananda, is enough for weariness of all determinations, enough for dispassion, enough for release". Those things were sankhara things upon which the king depended for his very identity. Those determinations determined his person as King Mahasudassana, just as politicians, wealthy people and so on depend on accoutrements and trappings for a feeling of power. The Buddha is not making an urbane simple statement. It is a lever to uproot the notion of selfhood from its socket. When the king saw that I am king depended on evanescent external things, he realized that this internal thing, I am king too is impermanent, that is how it actually is. Elsewhere, the Buddha enumerates 44 things to be effaced for arising of proper understanding of things actually as they are. Among them are: harsh speech, malicious speech, ill will, anger, revenge, contempt, domineering attitude, envy, avarice, fraud, deceit, arrogance, obstinacy, difficulty to admonish, bad friends, shamelessness, no fear of wrong doing, little learning and adherence to own views. Reflect upon this sample of things wise persons should strive to get rid even if to adhere to the notion of personality, no matter to what faith one belongs. What the Buddha teaches is universal. One can apply it to any situation to find comfort and wisdom from true understanding, without hatred and malice to none. Kingsley Heendeniya The S. B. Dissanayake verdict and aftermath The two-year jail sentence passed by the Bench of Five Judges against S.B. Dissanayake was not a surprise considering not only the particular act of contempt of the Court but also the several previous acts and utterances in the belief that society will consider him a 'chandiya' who fears no one and seems ignorant of the fact that those who applaud him when he plays to the gallery and gets applause and approval of those in society who have no respect or regard for anyone and due to their inferiority complex get satisfaction in joining in on the abuse of any person or persons who they regard as superior to themselves. Mr. Dissanayake's complex seems to be the same. What surprised and shocked me was not so much the sentence passed but the further disregard for the Courts and the legal system itself by his stutting out of the Courts showing off as a hero with bravado and contempt for the punishment he received and indirectly defying the legal system and the judiciary itself. Instead of showing some remorse in the expectation of some leniency he was defiant throughout the trial, at the verdict and sentence and even on his way to the vehicle carrying him to jail proudly raising his menacled hands and grinning as though in triumph and virtually implying an attitude of "I can take this and more and will comeback to give you leadership as before". He showed no remorse or repentance at all. It will be interesting to see the reactions of the UNP leader and his fellow leaders of the party and other elected representatives of the people sworn to uphold justice and respect for law and order and decency in society. The purpose of any punishment is three fold, namely to punish the offender for the wrong done, to set an example to society and discourage similar acts and to satisfy the aggrieved party, in this case the abused party the Courts of Law and the Justice System. DHANAPALA WEERASEKERA - Ratmalana The article '100,000 self employment jobs for rural youth' on Dec. 3 is surely welcomed by many unemployed young people in rural areas. However, there seems to be some miscalculation. Since 'each youth would be allocated around 1,000 families to cater for' this will require 100 million families. If each family has four members, a total number of people will be 400 million. Needless to say, Sri Lanka does not, and will not have a population of that size. In the same copy of the Daily News was an article headed 'Self-employment drive to benefit 16,000 families in Horana'. So these we must also add to the 400 million benefiting from this Government action. There is no quick and easy solution to unemployment, especially in rural areas. Creating surplus jobs for graduates and self employment for others is not easy and no panacea. The government has rightly placed education as a high priority. Education has a vital role to play, and should not be primarily geared towards university. Eleven years of full-time schooling should equip young people with a diverse range of intellectual and practical skills. To have studied English and Maths for over 1,000 hours each, and for the majority of students to fail their exams, must indicate that some changes are needed. DOUGLAS KING - Kandy I wish to thank our President for reactivating the gallows. If she had introduced this rule earlier our country would be in a righteous way in development. In 1976 when gallows was activated 1,868 persons faced death. Then the Government and monks said that we are a Buddhist country and stop the death penalty. But now it's valid for everyone. My suggestion is that the first person who goes to gallows should be shown live in every TV channel of that death sentence. This will curb the crime rate. THARANGA RUBERU - Gothatuwa Every citizen of a country should do his utmost to uphold the law of the land. Similarly, a democratically elected Government should always act to ease the burden of all citizens. Considering the new emphasis on tinted glasses on vehicles in this context, there needs to be a sense of patience and equanimity so as to avoid draconian law being enforced on law abiding citizens. Tinted glasses on vehicles fall into two main categories, the first being glasses which have been tinted after importation and registration of the vehicle, by pasting tinted foil on the glasses and the other category being vehicles with the glass itself being intrinsically tinted at time of manufacture and the vehicle imported into this country and registered by the RMV in this original condition. The first category does not pose any great problem to the motorist as it is merely a case of peeling off the tinted foils. However motorists who own vehicles which have been imported with intrinsically tinted glass - most often in the rear windows and rear windscreen, must be going through much apprehension these days, as a result of the new laws. It must be borne in mind by the authorities that these vehicles were passed through customs in this original tinted condition and were duly registered as such. During this process, hefty duties and other taxes were paid to the Government by law abiding importers and the purchaser of the vehicle. There is no way to transform these originally tinted glasses into clear ones, other than complete removal of the entire glass and windscreen and replacement with new ones. This cannot be done within 14 days and will cost in the region of Rs. 1-2 Lakhs per vehicle. It may also damage the original condition of the vehicle. In view of the above, the authorities must consider: 1. Allowing vehicles with original, intrinsically tinted glass to remain in their original condition- especially if it does not involve the front windows. 2. If the Police insists on a permit, issue these permits in the course of the annual renewal of the revenue license, for vehicles which were originally registered with the RMV with the tinted glass. 3. For new vehicles, either issue the permit at the time of registration or ban new imports at the port itself. 4. In the event - removal of all tinted glasses is essential for the state to maintain law and order provide adequate time and reimburse the full cost of replacing intrinsically tinted glasses, on vehicles which were legally imported, taxed and registered in this condition. Failure to address this issue will amount to placing an unfair burden on law abiding motorists. I would greatly appreciate the views of the relevant authorities on this matter. A. WICKREMASINGHE - Nugegoda I am very thankful to President Kumaratunga for her wise, bold and courageous decision to re-implement the death penalty for rape, murder and drug offences. This should have been done many years ago. Many innocent lives could have been saved, if timely action was taken, when there was a public outcry against the rising wave of crimes. I am sure, High Court Judge, Sarath Ambepitiya, the family members of Hokandara and many others would have been living today, if the death penalty was in force in the past. Considering the number of deaths on the roads involving school children, I feel that death penalty should be introduced to traffic offences also. I am 100% sure that fatal road accidents could be drastically reduced by Capital punishment. It is said that some NGOs financed by the Western countries and the European Unions and the Amnesty International are against the resumption of judicial executions. If they are against the death penalty, they are in the company with these murderers. They are the enemies of poor people of this country; who are the victims of rape and murder. Neither the Buddha, nor Jesus Christ was against the death penalty. Madam President, do not give into these pressures. Implement the Death Penalty immediately. PRASANNA MALALASEKERA - Panadura |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
