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'Curse' the terroristsWhen horrendous acts of terrorists are publicised, we wonder whether the powerful world leaders hypocritically use the word 'condemn' (express complete disapproval) as a tradition, instead of the word 'condone' (accept or forgive the behaviour considered wrong or offensive) for their own survival, pretending to be not aware of the presence of most of the notorious terrorist leaders in their countries, raising funds for perpetuation of terrorism. Haven't they still realized it is purposeless in making such attractive, frivolous, deceitful utterance that have not a wee bit of effect on terrorist or terrorism? I suggest that the word 'Curse' (a solemn appeal to a supernatural power to inflict harm on someone or something) at least be replaced in the future, instead of the insensibly used word 'condemn' if world leaders sincerely feel that such acts should deserve some sort of punishment which they are not prepared or frightened to render themselves. SITHI ARAWINDA P. MUTUCUMARANA, ---- Stray dog menaceDr. L. Fernando of Moratuwa in his letter (DN Aug. 31) advocates the eradication of stray dogs instead of sterilisation. It is time that if a person gets rabies he is bound to suffer and the chances of survival are remote. Yet every living thing has a right to live. In my view, the sterilisation programme of dogs and cats can be successful only with genuine public participation. If the people have the will and the desire to get their animals sterilised, they can get this service free-of-charge from the MOH office of the area. Stray dogs are caused by people themselves since they abandon the puppies who are 3-4 weeks old on the road and they have no home. A man's best friend is a dog, so why eradicate your best friends? Rohana Soysa, ---- ULFFurther to S. L. Gunasekera's and Gomin Dayasiri's devastating piece on ULF, the following information would be relevant. All the victims had been shot in the head. This is precisely the method Prabhakaran used to kill the 600 policemen who were ordered by President Premadasa to surrender to the LTTE. There has been no recorded instance of our armed forces ever using this mode of operation. V. P. Vittachi, ---- Postgraduate courses and chargesIn Sri Lanka, postgraduate courses are conducted by the universities and institutes of postgraduate degrees. At present, there are 13 universities and 8 institutes offering postgraduate degrees in this country. In addition, some private institutes are provided postgraduate courses. Some government training institutes like the SLIDA and the NIBM also conducted postgraduate courses affiliated to the foreign universities. The postgraduate means the education obtaining after graduation. The basic degree or Diploma is required to qualify for the postgraduate education. This requirement is differed from courses to courses and university to university. The public universities provided postgraduate education free of charge in the early stages. In the recent past there is a trend to charge higher fees for the postgraduate courses conducted by various institutes and some universities. There was an advertisement published by a certain postgraduate institute calling for applications for postgraduate courses. The indicated course fee is from Rs. 40,000 to 200,000. When Dr. Kannangara, then Minister of Education introduced the education system to this country, his concept was education should be free of charge. But today education has become a merchandised and marketing business. The postgraduate recipient is an asset to the country. He has a special knowledge, skills and attitude by obtaining research activities. His service may be useful to the country. Most of the educated personnel in our country go to foreign countries for higher education and after obtaining postgraduate qualifications, they are reluctant to return to the motherland. They are compelled to retain there and serve to that country. The postgraduate recipient is an asset to the country. He is fulfilled with special knowledge and skills. He or she may be worked with efficiency and effectively. The postgraduate education may be helpful for the economic development of the country. In some countries, postgraduate education is provided free of charge or for lesser course fee. Sri Lanka is a developing country. The efficient, skilled and educated human capital is required for the development of any country. Therefore, it is not suitable to charge higher rates of fees for postgraduate courses from the candidates who are in this country. There is a need to expanding of postgraduate education for the economic development of the country. The attention of the authorities of the higher education sector must be drawn to this matter. K. D. DUMINDUSENA, ----- Please pay my pensionI am 76-years-old now. I am a heart patient who suffered a cerebro-vascular accident. I am virtually waiting for a call from God Almighty to join the ranks of the celestial beings. I have not been paid my pension for the period I have served in the Health Department as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. The Department has lost my personal file, so they say, which I believe is a ploy attempted by the powers that be. In 1973, I was declared unfit by a Medical Board at Batticaloa. Notwithstanding the decision of the Board, a superior officer who perhaps did not like my face appointed another Medical Board in Colombo. This Medical Board concluded that it did not wish to sit in judgement over the first Board. But on the insistence of the same superior, another Board was appointed subsequently. That was the last Medical Board that concluded that I was fit for service. All this took place in 1974. And so it happened that I did not assume duties as requested by the authorities. The obvious happened as I was served with a vacation of post notice. I appealed to the Public Service Commission in 1983 since all my efforts to get my pension has miserably failed. The Commission made an order that I be paid my pension on humanitarian grounds since I had rendered yeoman service for a period of 24 years. The one and only excuse the Health Department has to offer is that my personal file is lost for which I am not responsible. It is nonetheless the bounden duty to safeguard and protect the personal files of all Government employees regardless of the positions they may hold in Government Departments. This evidently is a calculated crime committed against me by one or more individuals. The Secretary, Widows and Orphans pension Scheme has in a letter certified that my date of first appointment is September 1, 1950 and that my W&O P number is 68932. What more is necessary to prove my period of service. All relevant documents have been submitted by me to the authorities who stubbornly stick to the matter regarding the loss of my personal file. I have written to the present Director of Health Services, to the Minister of Health and last but not least to the President but nothing has happened so far. We are living in a democratic set-up which apparently is good on paper. But nothing seems to stir the cockles of the heart to bring solace to persons like me. Procrastination nonetheless is a sign of unwillingness; an indication of insincerity. I wonder what would happen if the authorities would read this letter and I do sincerely hope that something would happen soon. FAZAL MAHMOOD, ----- Act of God or coincidence?I was a physician in Matara from 1965 to 1971. My aunt and uncle visited me there and I decided to take them to Kataragama - their maiden visit. I fixed four brand new tyres to my car and left Matara early morning with them to attend the 10 a.m. Pooja. At the entrance to the devale, people crack coconuts to fulfil vows to get god's favours. I showed this to my aunt and said "balanda ara nadagama, deiyanta kiya pol winasa karana hati etc." My aunt was flabbergasted. She said "Putha, kata waraddaganna epa etc." We were returning after lunch at Hambantota Rest House and at about 2.00 p.m., there was a tremendous blast and the car stalled. One tyre had cracked completely. My aunt immediately attributed this to the wrong speech of mine in god's presence earlier in the day. Several years later, my son and our servant boy Lionel, and I were climbing Adam's Peak. It was my ninth climb. Early morning somewhere close to the peak, Lionel said, "Hamu mahattaya, mudunata giya wita Siripathule nalalthalaya gahanta uwamanay". I responded "Mama gahana nalalak nehe oya simenthiye". Just then almost immediately my spectacles were thrown into the surrounding jungle by some mechanism, probably I thought a bat had struck against it. I never found it. I had to come down partially blind! Wrong speech again in god's territory. On another occasion we were visiting Kataragama and Yala with my sister's family. after the Kataragama Pooja my brother-in-law said now we can go to Yala and have a really good time! We booked into a Yala bungalow that night and from 12 midnight by brother-in-law's daughter was shivering with high fever, vomiting and was seriously ill and we had to forget Yala and rush her to Colombo that night itself. Again wrong speech! I leave it to the persons who read this letter to make their own judgements. I, however, make it a point to visit Kataragama every year and guard my tongue in the presence of god. Thank god I have had no more unpleasant episodes thereafter. Dr. W. B. Wijekoon, |
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