Uniformity in resource allocation

THE school uniform distribution for 2008 will commence today and the first such consignment worth Rs.62 million will be shipped to Jaffna to be distributed among 155,000 students in the peninsula.

The move will be appreciated by many as yet another exercise by the Government to ensure equal disbursement of resources to the North, which had been cut off from the national mainstream due to the protracted conflict over the years.

It is also a demonstration of the Government’s keenness to grant priority status to the North where distribution of state largesse is concerned and no doubt will be followed by more compelling assistance in time to come.

The attention shown by the Government towards the development of education in the North is a commendable move and shows that it wants to start its rebuilding efforts from scratch, since education forms the basis for any country to prosper.

The Government will no doubt have a Herculean task of transforming the education structure in the North, which was one of the victims of the vagaries of the protracted conflict.

There is much that needs to be done in this regard that go beyond providing education facilities and wherewithal.

There is the need for addressing the mental state of the students from the North and taking steps to relieve them of the stress and trauma that have been their staple all these years.

It should set about the task of burying the ghosts of the past in the minds of these students. It would help them rise from the shambles to enter the mainstream and help make them worthy citizens of Sri Lanka.

As stated in these columns before there should be more efforts to initiate a dialogue with our brethren in the North with programmes of interactions if we are to effectively wean them away from their sense of isolation.

The recent visit of a cricket team from the North should be followed by other similar bridge-building efforts.

We should also have exchange programmes in the sphere of arts and culture which would foster better understanding among the two communities.

The school uniform programme, we hope, will be followed by other modes of assistance that would underline the integration process that is gradually taking root alongside the hearts and minds operation that now been set in motion by the Government to win over the Tamil community.

A shining example

THE entire public, no doubt, will salute the team of Policemen from the Beliatta Police who foiled one of the most spectacular gem heists in the country’s history in Kamburupitiya last Friday.

The Police Department which has been at the receiving end of many a public brickbat recently no doubt would be in a position to ward off some of those arrows following the heroic deeds of its men who salvaged a haul of gems worth Rs. 140 million and Rs. 30 million belonging to a businessman in Kamburupitiya.

According to newspaper accounts the businessman who was relieved of the gems and cash by the armed robbers who posed off as buyers lost no time in alerting the Beliatta Police over his mobile.

Promptly getting into action the men at the Beliatta police alerted road blocks and in a high speed chase through the town pursued the two fleeing vans carrying the robbers firing at them while being fired at in return with automatic weapons in scenes reminiscent of an action blockbuster.

Within minutes the vehicles were immobilised and the gang arrested along with the loot.

Hopefully they would have set an example to the rest of Khakied brigade of gallantry in the face of dangerous odds.

Today the achievements of our police force have somewhat been eclipsed by the feats of our heroic military and in most instances the police has been called upon to act as an adjunct to the Forces in operations connected to combating the LTTE.

This factor had somewhat diluted the role of the police which is essentially an arm of the law set up to deal with local crime.

There is, therefore, a need to re-focus on the role of the police and its service to the general public appreciated. True, there are bad eggs in our police service.

It is however unfair to paint the entire police service with the same brush for the misconduct of some.

Friday’s incident goes to show that we still have dedicated policemen in our midst who would not hesitate to even risk life and limb in the course of enforcing the law.

These acts of valour of such men should be acknowledged and rewarded.

Let us hope this unique feat would be a catalyst for others in the service to deal with the monster of burgeoning crime in our midst in an effective manner.