• Commemorative 'Holidays' - let's follow our President's example

• Dignifying trash

Commemorative 'Holidays' - let's follow our President's example

The President, a practising Buddhist, spends a little over an hour on a Poya morning, listening to a Dhamma sermon, and thereafter engages in the usual administrative activities of the State.

It is well-known that this has been his routine since becoming Prime Minister. What a beautiful example of commemorating the special significance of the day, but not failing to fulfill his obligations to Mother Lanka, as her 'caretaker'.

It is an accepted fact that we Sri Lankans 'enjoy' too many holidays. In fact we have the largest number of holidays when compared with the rest of the world.

This of course affects adversely the smooth and efficient functioning of statecraft and the economy of the country. Successive Governments have made attempts to rectify this situation, but without an acceptable solution.

In the year 2007 the declared public holidays amount to 26, but as two events coincide on May 1st, viz. May Day and Vesak, the number is reduced to 25. As eight commemorative events fall on Saturdays or Sundays, effectively this is further reduced to 17 holidays, apart from the Saturdays and Sundays.

Since we have a five-day working week, we will be 'holidaying' for almost another three and a half weeks, in addition to all the Saturdays and Sundays. Can we, a developing nation afford such a large number of holidays, together with the 'holiday mentality' (preparation for the holiday and its aftermath) that goes with it?

Can the declaration of a National Holiday, in commemoration of an event, where the majority of the people will do nothing connected with the event, be justified!

A review of the list of holidays shows that there are only two days that are common to all sections of the society, i.e. the Independence Day and the May Day. To this may be added another eight days considered to be of the highest importance to all our ethnic and religious groups: Thai Pongal, Sinhala and Tamil New Year (2), Vesak (2), Poson, Ramazan and Christmas.

Apart from the Independence Day and May Day, on the days of Thai Pongal, Sinhla and Tamil New Year, Vesak, Poson, Ramazan and Christmas, there are large scale religious observances, social events and/or family reunions. This group of ten could form our 'National Holidays'.

The remaining Poyas, Hadji, Prophet Mohammed's birthday, Mahasivarathri, Deepavali and Good Friday could be working days, with the exception that the first two hours i.e. 8 to 10 be spent in an activity devoted to the significance of that particular day.

As an example, on Poya Days there could be a Bana preaching session; on Hadji and Prophet Mohammed's birthday, a programme on some aspects of Islam and the life of the Holy Prophet; on Deepavali and Maha Sivarathri Day a Hindu cultural programme, and on Good Friday a Prayer Service, talk and discussion on the life of Jesus Christ.

This will ensure that everyone will at least spend some time meaningfully, in observance of the particular event of the day.

It will also promote understanding of the different cultures and integration and harmony amongst the different religious and ethnic groups, as all separate groups will jointly arrange and participate in each other's function, and disperse after partaking in fellowship, and refreshments.

One should not forget the fact that comparatively only a small number of Buddhists observe Sil on most Poya Days. As Sil observance need not necessarily be on the Poya Day, arrangements could be made to hold such observances on the Sunday following or preceding the Poya. In fact most schools arrange their Sil observances on the school day preceding the Poya.

Thus it will be seen that this proposed system as well as taking a cue from our President, will curtail the number of holidays and increase the number of working days, thereby helping the country's smooth administration and economy, as well as promoting understanding and appreciation of each other's cultures, which is essential for ensuring harmony and oneness - particularly important in the coming days of nation rebuilding.

DR. L. A. W. SIRISENA - Colombo 8

Dignifying trash

A maverick Member of Parliament whilst paying tribute to the 'last Sinhala Bohemian' has said, en passant, that "although Ajith Samaranayake had his education at Trinity" he was attuned to the thoughts and needs of the masses. I have known Ajith at close quarters and if I have not written yet an appreciation it is because the scab still throbs.

He never travelled on the Kandy Road without meeting me for a 'wrap' and a hug and can therefore place the record in its proper perspective be stating categorically that it was not although but because Ajith had a rounded education which Trinity provides that he had his feet planted firmly on Terra Firma.

Trinity education is not all about book reading. As Derryck Aluvihare has said, "A Trinity education is what a boy gets when he is not attending class." The maverick MP's own father figure, Hector Kobbekaduwa, was home spun like so many other noble sons of Trinity, a provincial, even a rural, school.

Even though I would be dignifying trash it is my bounden duty to correct a wholly wrong impression that the maverick MP holds about Trinitians, perhaps by observing the textured decorum with which his colleagues in Parliament, Sarath Amunugama, Kabir Hashim and other Trinitians conduct affairs in the House.

They do not descend to vulgarity of speech. The late Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar couched in elegant terminology when he spoke of a fellow MP who 'spoke bull shit' and said, instead, "bovine excrement."

From 1947 when two Ministers and eight others were in the House of Representatives it would have been observed that Trinitians are a breed apart when it comes to inter-acting with their fellows but they do have their conceptual preferences.

When Rev. Wickramasinghe, the then Principal of Trinity, once said that Trinity was no longer exclusive, Gotabaya Dassanayake, a student then, corrected him by saying, "Trinity was never exclusive but the Trinity product is exclusive. "Yet withal, Trinitians remained home-spun and indigenous."

Therein lies, perhaps, the reason for boys to come to Trinity from far flung places like Matara and Jaffna, Trinco and Batti, Burma and Thailand, Uganda and India, Scotland and England. The concept of the Trinity fraternity has been the equality of social strata without a thought to class, creed, religion and ethnicity.

In the recent past Trinity has produced folk heroes like Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Parami Kulatunga and in every sphere of human activity a Trinitian has emerged in heroic stature whether it be Hector Kobbekaduwa who held dear to his heart the interests of the Kandyan peasantry, Neville Samarakoon who fearlessly upheld the Judiciary as inviolate, George Keyt, David Paynter, Donald Ramanayake, stanley Kirinde and Alfred Ratnayake in the realm of art and so many in the Defence Services, Legislature, Medicine, Engineering, Accountancy, Legal, Banking, Planting, Public and Mercantile sectors.

Trinity was the first school of Christian Denomination to introduce the Vernacular and Buddhism into the curriculum. The Sinhala Oratorical Society was founded as far back as 1913 with the initiative shown by the Principal, Rev. Fraser, himself, when he said, "A thorough knowledge of the mother tongue is indispensable to true culture or real thinking power.

Men who are isolated from the masses of their own people by ignorance of their language and thought can never fulfil the part of educated citizens or be true leaders of their race. "This volte face resulted in Buddhist Trinitians coming out better Buddhists than namesakes.

Trinity has produced two prelates in Madugalle Sri Sumana Siddhartha Dharmaiddi, Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter and Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Rathnapala, Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter, apart from countless Ministers of the Church.

That the school is one of two schools participating in the cordon blue. The Bradby encounter should not sway thoughts to take wing that Trinity is select. The Oriental Drum and Dance Troupe has won the 1st prize and accolades here and overseas including the prestigious Eisteddfod festival.

Even the College crest is indigenous with the Lion atop the three crowns that depict the Trinity. The Trinity Chapel is built in the vernacular and is the only one of its type in the whole world.

Although there was a period in which Trinity products did not have 'elaw' to cope with the trust and parry of the open market they quickly learnt from their brothers of other schools. This want was addressed and boys were fitted with an all-round composition to come to terms with life after schooling.

Trinity is one school that has given priority to social service. There has been a dispensary on the premises in which boys tended the sick of the poor and washed and medicated their wounds. Boys have taken mobile clinics to the slums of Mahiyawa and Kalukelle and have attended to janitorial work in the Bogambara prison.

Trinity afforded Vocational Training to her pupils in carpentry, printing, book binding and mat weaving. Kandyan dancing has been taught by the best in the world - Nittawela Gunaya Gurunnanse, his brother, Ukkuwa and several other accomplished teachers in the recent past. The Trinity Farm has been acknowledged by even Sirimavo Bandaranaike when she was Prime Minister, as the model farm of the country.

In an era when there were no earth-moving equipment, Trinity boys helped to mow down a mountain and make a playground and today the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium is commended enthusiastically by all foreign teams who have played on that turf.

Because a Trinitian, by virtue of a suave disposition, does not act in uncouth manner is not for any maverick MP who is more at home with the hustle and bustle of the hustings to conclude Ipso facto, that a Trinitian will be a fish out of water within or without Parliament whereas he will dignify proceedings by precept and example. In the same manner he will come off the paddy field and when the mud is washed off "he's fit to rule a kingdom."

Sharm de Alwis - Kiribathgoda