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The tragedy could have been avoided if precautions were taken. The
Navy diver involved in rescue operations was also drowned at the same
place.
If this diver was drowned, it is well understood beyond doubt that
water-rafting shouldn’t have taken place at all.
A leading newspaper reported that employees claimed, the life jackets
given to them were defective as they did not inflate up to the neck
level as normal life jackets do. The rafting session was included in the
hotel package.
This is frequently advertised in a midweek supplement in a leading
English newspaper. This particular place where the tragedy occurred was
very dangerous as it was 60 feet deep.
The people in this area mentioned that many people had suffered the
same fate in this area previously especially during the Sri-Pada season.
I was told that very recently three people had been drowned at the same
place.
Young Waruni was very well known to me, since her mother is from
Kandy. She was a very lively and a charming person, very energetic,
enjoyable and had a good sense of humour.
I simply cannot believe and understand how her parents, relatives and
especially her beloved husband can console their grief.
She was blessed with a child who was three years old. The authorities
should install sign boards in all three languages mentioning how
dangerous this area is.
I hope this will be done soon, so that many more lives could be
saved. I request that water rafting and canoeing should be totally
banned without any hesitation in this area.
LI KUANG SHU – Kandy
Public transport is an essential for each and everyone; it does not
matter where they live.
This is a public service for the people but when it comes to buses in
some parts of Sri Lanka, I am not sure how some operators consider it;
is it a service or an obligation?
The buses are fully loaded and sometimes rush through busy main roads
at an excessive speed. Sometimes there’s hardly any breathing space
although the shutters are wide open.
The driver says, Oya thawa passata yanna. Then the conductor shouts
from the back, Oya thawa issarahata yanna which he repeats several
times.
The seats are all full, the gang way is full as well but more and
more people are coming in. where is room?
Only recently I got into a bus at Dehiwala junction to go to
Maharagama, the price was just Rs 5 because I was going only for three
bus stops.
I could have easily walked that distance but it was wet and still
raining when I got in. I tried to stay near the front end as I was going
only a short distance but the driver kept on shouting to go back and the
conductor kept on shouting to go forward to make room for more people.
I quite understand there are lots of people using public transport
but if the bus is full like a packed sardine tin where do they expect to
make more room?
There should be a system where the buses are allowed a certain number
of standing passengers, no more. I’ll leave it to your imagination the
inconvenience faced by the fellow travellers when they squeeze through a
packed bus. It is not a good experience.
The authorities must try and carry some shopping and take a bus ride
in a busy time. then only will they realise the difficulties faced by
travellers.
The solution is to have some more buses and to have some rules on the
number of standing passengers. then carrying some shopping or going with
children in a bus would be a pleasant experience.
DR HECTOR – PERERA
The plight of a 92- year-old widowed pensioner , whose effort in her
feeble age getting her due arrears to live in peace till her demise from
the Divisional Secretary, Thimbirigasyaya and the Director General,
Pensions by sending innumerable registered letters and ended up her Rest
in Peace - RIP as per exposures in the media.
I am also a retired public servant, having a problem of infringement
of fundamental rights by the indolent bureaucrats - the Secretary and
the Director General, Health, for over 22 years who had deliberately
violated the Establishment Code Section 3:8, Chapter XXVIII for my
innumerable registered and ordinary letters.
On my appeal to the Ombudsman and the agreement reached between the
Ombudsman and the bureaucrats after three inquiries had been dishonoured.
My appeal to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and summons to
the Secretary and the Director General, Health who have defaulted in
appearing before the Commission on all three times which is a disrespect
to the Human Rights Commission Act No. 21 of 1996 and punishable under
Section 20(3) of the said Act. Over and above, the Presidents, Prime
Ministers and the concerned Ministers too have intervened and instructed
the bureaucrats to met out justice too have been ignored.
Who knows the plight and tragedy of senile pensioners like me and the
late 92-year-old widow who might have breathed their last unheard and
unsung deprived of their due promotions and pensions.
Are those indolent bureaucrats ignorant of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, Code of Conduct for public officials of the UN
Resolution 52/59, Protection of Elder’s Rights Act No. 9 of 2000 or do
they not feel that they too would fall into this category one day?
M. CHANDRAN
Dr. Thilak Fernando, in an article on Euthanasia, in the Op.
Editorial Page of the Daily News (May 21) mentions a case of a woman who
had lost consciousness after being deprived of oxygen to the brain for
four minutes after a caesarean birth of a child.
For sixteen years she is like a vegetable being kept alive by
artificial means. Her husband though still fond of her, is unable to
bear to see her suffering and has no way of terminating her life as the
law does not permit him to do so.
As one who follows the teachings of the Buddha, I would like to know
from knowledgeable monks or laymen;
(1) what would be the contents of her subconscious mind all these
years even though she is unconscious?
(2) What would likely be her last thought at her death?
(3) What would be her re-birth linking consciousness?
TISSA AMARASEKERA – Kandy
We often see luxury houses being built not only in the Colombo area
but even in the outskirts of Colombo and many other towns. When you look
at these projects, it is obvious that a large sum of money is spent on
these houses.
I raise the question from where do these builders get the money? Are
they spending their legitimate earnings or any money that they made
through illegal ways? There was a time when the floor area of a new
house was limited to 2000 sq ft.
I suggest that when a building application is presented for approval,
it must be made obligatory for all the applicants to provide their
Inland Revenue Tax File reference in the application when the floor area
of the proposed house is over 2000 sq ft and also attach a Bill of
Quantities with the cost estimate.
It must be made obligatory on the authority that accepts such
building applications for approval to advice the Inland Revenue of the
proposed project within a prescribed time, so that the Inland Revenue
could check with the builder how he is funding the project.
In the event of the proposed builder does not have a current file
with the Inland Revenue such persons should open a file before the
building application is tendered for approval. In the matters where the
applications have been already approved, the authority that issues the
Certificate of Conformity (COC) must be given the right to seek the
Inland Revenue file reference before issuing the COC.
This can be done by providing a separate cage in the relevant
application form. Since these forms are already printed same forms can
be used by making a rubber stamp impression at a suitable place seeking
Inland Revenue file information.
H. P.
In the eyes of the world, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayeke’s
apology to the Tamils is indeed truly a magnanimous gesture. (Reference
DN June 20).
I hope Sri Lanka can now draw a line under this nearly 30 year old
conflict, give the Tamils the dues and let Sri Lanka revert to the
Paradise of the Orient she once was.
SHAIK ANWAR AHAMATH |
