I was recently working as World Bank Adviser to the Ministry of
Education to refine the Education Sector Plan (Reference DN Jan. 16). It
was sad to note that it is the North and the East provinces are now
behind other provinces in school enrolment, passing of exams and all
aspects of education. Tamil teachers don't want to teach in the war-torn
areas. Schools are short of teachers.
The history will be written in a couple of decades and it will show
how the LTTE has contributed to the high rate of illiteracy among the
Tamils in the North and the East. They will be behind up-country Tamils
whereas it was the up-country Tamils and in general the Muslim
communities who were behind others in educational achievements. The LTTE
has reversed it.
Three decades back the Jaffna Tamils were the most educated. The LTTE
has reversed it and they will be at the bottom, if war continues for
another few more years. There is already a lost generation in the North
and the East due to the LTTE. The educated Tamils should say this
loudly.
We all want your children to be educated and become the world class
respected global citizens as they used to be a few decades back.
DR. UPALI SEDERE,
via email
We were very glad when our children have been selected to the
Moratuwa University for the NDT Course (2006/2007 batch). They came to
do their studies full of hope about their future. Actually they are
satisfied about English course as well as the academic course which was
started recently.
As in the other universities, we were aware of ragging before they
come in. Our children are suffering from ragging by their immediate
seniors since commencement of the English course. The number of students
in the new batch is getting less day by day due to ragging. Some of the
students in the new batch have given up the course and have found jobs.
The new students are afraid to report these things to the staff as it
can be dangerous.
As parents it is our responsibility to inform about these things at
this stage. We hope authorities will take action against ragging and
secure our children.
A.P.
This is a very worthy course. (Reference DN Jan. 18). All who are
behind this programme will be blessed for their meritorious deed.
Especially Buddhists in Sri Lanka would be happy to learn how to
meditate at any time without making a big fuss about it. May the triple
gem bless you!
YVONNE DE ALWIS,
via email
I am an old Johnian of the nineteen forties who happened to go pass
Panadura last week after a few years.
As my vehicle went pass the Police station junction I observed with
horror and to my utter disappointment that a new name board 'Siril Janz
Road' being displayed on the Police station Road.
St. John's College Panadura was founded by that great scholar,
educationalist and philanthropist who was also the principal. All old
Johnians and all people who knew him revered him and held him in high
esteem and respect. It is a pity that the name of this great scholar
could not be properly spelt by the authorities who prepared this name
board. Above all, I feel so sorry for the old Johnians of Panadura who
could not detect and correct this silly spelling.
I would very respectfully suggest to those responsible for the name
board to correctly name this road as 'Cyril A. Janz Mawatha' forthwith.
D. W. WIJEGOONAWARDENA,
Mawanella
I wish to thank the Daily News for enlightening the peace-loving
people of Sri Lanka, about the double standard of a UN staffer in
Colombo, twisting the tongue and the pen to please her 'Masters' in the
West.
As the Editor has correctly said, Mohan Samaranayake is a person
widely respected in Sri Lanka, and he knows exactly what is right and
what is true.
Does this UN staffer think that Mohan Samaranayake, should toe the
line with the 'Western band wagon'? Mr. Samaranayake has expressed what
most Sri Lankans believe and think right.
I call upon the media organisations to protest against this move of
harassing Mohan Samaranayake and also tell the UN staffers in Colombo
and elsewhere to practise what they preach.
RICHARD BASNAYAKE,
Matale
There is a public opinion that a certain private TV station is an
anti-Sinhala/Buddhist channel encouraging cultural programmes which are
targeting our rural youth and destroying the cultural fabric of Sri
Lanka.
The writer sincerely hopes that these opinions are wrong. However,
the 'Singlish' terminology and vocabulary used by the comperes and
programme directors of this private TV channel does leave a huge
question mark as to the intentions of this TV and Radio channels. Thanks
to the money they throw into their programmes, and the madness they
instill in the young minds, most of our rural youth are growing up
without a cultural identity.
The writer walked into BMICH premises on January 14, 2007 and noticed
groups of young people carrying musical instruments, practising songs in
every possible nook and corner on the BMICH grounds. One could easily
spot out the prospective contenders from their attire, gelled and eerie
looking hairstyles and the put on swing in their walks matched together
with the sankara culture.
Most of these youngsters were accompanied by their families and
friends and had travelled from all corners of the island to participate
in the singing competition which is one of the pre-requisites for
becoming a Super Star. The fiasco of the 2006 has just finished not so
many moons away!
To carry them into this artificial environment one could see a sea of
flags of this TV station together with those of other sponsors who also
aim at making money in the process by selling their commodities like
telephones!
This year's programme commenced exactly on the Duruthu Full Moon Day
which makes it obvious about a sinister agenda to drag Buddhist youth
away from their village temples. Two auditions are held daily for these
contenders once in the mornings commencing at 8.30-9.00 a.m. and once in
the afternoons commencing at 1.00 p.m. Per day, they invite 1,000-1,600
participants per session, into Colombo.
One can calculate how many young people converge during these 16 days
- 50,000 youth. Of these youth who are given auditions apparently only
10 are selected from which the final 3 are selected eventually! For
these young misled youth to travel to Colombo and spend an overnight
stop to be able to present themselves at the designated time, they come
accompanied by family or friends.
All expenses for transport, food and stop over expenses have to be
borne by themselves for this trip. what a waste of much needed money for
the upkeep of a family with absolutely no guarantee of being selected at
these auditions.
Most of them turn away to return to their homes utterly disappointed
at the manner in which they have been treated - of course, this
realization comes rather late to them and at great cost. By year end,
when the competition reaches its climax, the TV station finds itself has
become much richer in terms of income but left a band of youth in a
maniacal state unable to figure out what is right from wrong!
We do not expect the country to be in a state of mourning due to the
ongoing war with terrorists in the North and East. However, as a
responsible media channel we do expect them to act with a certain amount
of decorum and etiquette.
Why cannot these auditions be held on a district basis in those
districts thereby cutting the costs incurred by prospective contenders?
Why do they have to be so selfish and cause inconveniences to those
travelling from afar? Throughout the year, those hoping to hit the top
10 and then top 3 will have nothing else in their mind whether it be
studies or work but this show on their minds!
For a country to grow healthily, there needs to be a balance in
everything that is done whether it is the media or any other cultural
aspect and sadly, with the manner in which the authorities of this
station is setting about their business, one cannot but suspect that
their agenda is far more gory than we would like to think! Why do we Sri
Lankans need to ape the West and copy only the bad things they adopt?
The West has many things which we could learn but nay- we need to
exhibit the fact that as a nation we are suffering from a severe
inferiority complex to overcome which, we need to be whiter than the
whites! Just like in the recently held Sports Event in the Middle East
where our athletes thought they must be as naked as the Western athletes
to win a race, while female Muslim athletes dressed in their covered
track suites beat us handsomely and with pride!
It is high time the relevant authorities decided to monitor what is
going on and take measures to bring sanity into this country while
maintaining our own cultural heritage and values. What is wrong with
that?
Have fun - but with dignity and pride - the pride of our nation.
Ramani D. Wickramaratne,
KOTTE |
