• Coconut cultivators dormant: Let us get up before it is too late

• The spectre of Sinhala nationalist terrorism

• Saving the Insurance industry

• SLMM statement
  
   

• Coconut cultivators dormant: Let us get up before it is too late

I attended a seminar held at the C. R. I. Lunuwila on April 29. What was conveyed at the discussions were alarming and will spell the death knell of the coconut industry in a few years time. We were told that the mite that is prevalent in the coconut growing areas has come to stay and we have to live with it.

They also say that the loss of crop due to the mite attack is around 15 per cent although the industry was of the opinion that it is well over 25 per cent. This has come to the stage of a severe national problem.

As we are aware, the coconut area is more drought prone with over 6 months dry weather. The drier the weather multiplication attains peaks. The danger is that the mite will take over large extents in prolonged droughts and crops will suffer heavily.

Today the grower is finding it very difficult to maintain the required cultivation practices in the lands and to increase the productivity. Application of inorganic fertilizer alone is not going to be very beneficial.

The soil is extremely poor and time has come for us to move very dynamically to improve the soil conditions by adding organics to the soil. A very attractive package of subsidy will have to be offered to achieve this.

The Government is offering valuable virgin lands to increase the extent of Coconut up to 100,000 acres, with a dose of heavy assistance like free planting material, fertilizer at reduced prices and other subsidies. Most of these lands will be located in the dry zones of Sri Lanka. Will it not be an economic failure, if we do not surmount the mite problem?

Conceding that the loss of crop is 15 per cent, what is the monetary impact on the industry and the country's economy? We have to see not only the loss that will be sustained by the industry in terms of nuts, but also from the coir to the D.C. and other exports.

What adverse effects will it have on the domestic consumable nuts? The consumer will have to pay more due to loss of production.

The problem is acute and multi-faceted. The research and industry will have to get together. A national policy has to be drawn up immediately. We welcome the minister to take cognizance of the acute situation, and to invite suggestions from the industry.

We always make plans on top to bottom basis. Let us now think of the new Mahinda Chinthana and draw our plans having studied what the actual grower has to say. Make it a Bottom to Top plan and it will definitely succeed.

PALITHA DE SILVA, (Planter and a former Director of J.E.D.B.) Colombo 4.

The spectre of Sinhala nationalist terrorism

Rohini Hensman's article 'The spectre of Sinhala nationalist terrorism' is a 'holier-than-thou' armchair analysis of a situation funded and fuelled by many foreign nations who don't have to be named.

She states that "Foreigners - including mediapersons who ought to know better - still associate Sri Lanka with the terrible human rights violations against Tamils that took place sometime ago".

This is true because it suits their long-term agenda of attacking the Sinhala people, Buddhism and showing the world that civil administration has broken down in our country. This is a pre-condition to calling in 'peace keeping forces' (as was attempted by Japan recently). If they still sing the praises of a terrorist outfit that has:-

1. Killed two heads-of-state,

2. Attempted assassination of another head-of-state.

3. Attempted assassination of the head of the country's Army

4. Murdered numerous Government Ministers elected democratically,

5. Murdered leaders of many political parties who oppose their views and

6. Murdered countless numbers of innocent civilians in their ethnic cleansing campaign.

Then any right-thinking person has to conclude that there is something very dark and sinister behind all this false reporting and in some cases downright lies.

The BBC in Britain, SBS in Australia, CNN in the USA and countless other radio stations in Western countries support these terrorists to the hilt. Their Governments only issue strong-worded statements but no punitive action has so far been taken against the LTTE for breaking the CFA even once.

Is the definition of terrorism limited to 'violence or the threat of violence against unarmed ANGL0-SAXON civilians in the pursuit of a political objective'? Do Asians and Africans fall into some sub-human category?

Gyan de Mel, via email.

Saving the Insurance industry

With reference to the letter by an Insurance Consultant S. I. Fernando (DN May 10), I am of the view that as appealed by him the newly appointed Board and the Insurance associations should take immediate action to save the Insurance Industry in Sri Lanka from ruination.

According to Mr. Fernando the premium on a Rs. 100 million risk is Rs. 10,000 and only taken the premium to settle S.R. & C.C./T.C. and underwritten the risk with zero premium.

The question is, are the Insurance Companies arranging re-insurance cover or taking a big risk by not re-insuring the risk covered? If it is so, how can the Insurance Companies settle a big claim to the client? The policy holder is unaware of these problems and hence will get duped at the end.

In an earlier letter published, I suggested the Insurance Board to make it compulsory to all the Insurance Companies to give all the re-insurance details, the names of re-insurers, amounts in the policy documents and the renewal endorsements, so that the policy holder will know where he/she stands.

With regard to Motor Insurance, a comprehensive policy covers the accidental damage to the vehicle with all the standard fittings.

The air-bags are standard fittings in all the new models of vehicles. But the insurance covers only 50 per cent of the cost of an air bag. An additional premium is charged to get 100 per cent cover, which is very unreasonable.

The undercutting is going in a very big way even in Motor Insurance by various companies. I appeal to the Insurance Board to keep a tab on all the Insurance Companies and regularise the tariff, so that the clients will get a better and reasonable deal.

NANDU FERNANDO, Ratmalana.

SLMM statement

It is very clear from the statement made by the SLMM that there is no right for the LTTE to use the sea and air space.

Hence, it is better for Weerawansa to understand the contents of SLMM statement before he commits blunders and misleads the general public.

Nandasena Samarasinghe, via email.