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The Anuradhapura airbase attack by the LTTE sacrificing 21 suicide
cadres in one go should have sent shockwaves throughout civilised world
and also to the Human Right Champions including the UN.
How come one megalomaniac sacrifices 21 young human lives without any
respect to human dignity and norms of decency and human civilisation?
This has been done after taking photo with their leader Prabakaran who
is wanted by many security organisations in the world and Interpol.
The way they have carried out this daring operation as a terrorist
outfit is the first and only incident of this type since man began
trespassing the planet earth I suppose.
But unfortunately the entire world is in sleep without knowing the
real dangers which will emanate from this type of terror activity,
especially copycat terrorism which can benefit and also danger to the
human existence and its democratic style of Governments.
When is the civilised world going to wake from its deep slumber
without masquerading the real terrorism?
NICKY KARUNARATNA
Australia
A company has been advertising a SUV vehicle in their showroom and
promised us to deliver a vehicle with similar displayed features (only
exception being the absence of audio player) for the price of US $
14,000. After considering their deal I have opened a LC and imported a
SUV.
However, I find the vehicle delivered to me is lacking some of the
agreed features.
When I inquired about it from the dealers they informed me that they
can’t do anything on that and if I want I can buy those missing parts.
The main features lacking includes;
1.Center console trim (metal grained parts).
2. Mud covers
3. Rear Cargo cover
4. Carpets
Apparently this company has been covering their tract in very cunning
manner from the outset. For instance, they signed Performa Invoice with
major features and a clause with all standard features and standard
features specification list is presented with our signatures.
Now what they say is they had not agreed to the standard
specification list.
It seems that the company is in the perception that these customers
are set of people who come for some subsidized project that they can be
taken for granted for any cheating.
What they do not understand is the subsidy is given by the Government
not by the companies.
As far as the company is concerned they get the profit similar to
what they get from any other customer. As far as I know more than 100
doctors (I do not know how many other categories of Government servants)
have fallen to the trap of this non- transparent deal and been cheated
by this company.
A victim
Much productive time and money is being spent by the media on the
subject mishaps at railway crossings. The railway is an important part
of life of any nation for transport of people and goods.
Why are there barriers or warning signs on approach to railway lines?
Because the railway has priority over road traffic and people.
A railway engine pulls hundreds of tons at speed and needs to go a
long distance to be brought to a halt. That is why warning signs are
there. There are many mishaps reported at rail crossings.
All the time it is the fault of those hit by the train. A train
cannot hit a vehicle, person or any other objet unless it or he/she is
in the path of an oncoming train. How often are there trains moving on
tracks of this country?
Hardly any, other than for peak hours. Most crossings are only across
one track. Yet so many mishaps. This shows how illiterate and
irresponsible our people are.
If someone or something is hit by a train a lot of noise is made
little realising the vehicle or person is to be blamed, but the Railway
authority is blamed for the mishap. All the time it is the fault of a
person, not the Railway Authority.
Even in G7 there are unprotected rail crossings. Warning will be a
bell or a flashing light. Sometimes there are only warning signs. If
people are hit by a train and survive, they should be charged for
attempted suicide.
Same with the drivers of vehicles, if they survive, they too should
be charged for attempt of suicide and homicide as their negligence
caused the mishap and a delay to 500 or more passengers travelling in
the train.
One shortcoming observed is, permanent structures are allowed to be
built at the approach to rail crossings obstructing the driver of the
vehicle from seeing an oncoming train.
Most of the time these structures are illegal as they are on railway
property. It is high time the Railway authority and politicians took
steps to get rid of illegal structures that obstruct the vision of the
track.
Then 50 per cent of the mishaps caused can be reduced. Having
barriers, guardsmen will help but it is the responsibility of those
crossing a rail line to ensure their own safety. It is not the
responsibility of the railway authority.
TISSA JAYAWEERA
With the Budget round the corner I sincerely hope that due
consideration would be given to the pathetic plight of the pensioners
who retired prior to January 01, 2005 with the implementation of the
salary revision granted to the public servants effective from 2006.
As a result of this circular, a huge disparity in wages has arisen
between the Government servants who retired during the period 1997 to
2005 and those who retired under the March 2006 circular. Due to this,
two retired Government employees in similar capacity draw two different
pensions.
This matter was discussed in Parliament (DN January 13, 2007) some
time back and the then Minister of Public Administration and Home
Affairs, Dr. Sarath Amunugama had stated “that this anomaly had arisen
due to the salary increases the Government provides to the State
employees from time to time and since, a person’s pension is determined
by the salary he receives at the date of retirement; accordingly, two
people in similar capacity could receive two different pensions
depending on the salary paid at their respective dates of retirement.
He had also promised to “discuss this matter with the Treasury and
provide relief to the pensioners who have been subjected to injustice
due to this anomaly”.
In my particular case I retired as a Supra Grade Officer in 2003 and
I receive a pittance of a pension of Rs. 13,000, per month whereas some
of my office mates who were quite junior to me, and who had not even
been promoted to my Grade, retired in 2006 and receive staggering
pensions of over Rs. 20,000 per month each. I have no ill will towards
them, but I may mention that pangs of hunger are common to all of us. I
think this is a grave injustice, totally unacceptable.
When I was first appointed to this Grade my starting salary was Rs.
9000 per month without allowances, but this had been increased to Rs.
21,000 per month in terms of the conditions of the March 2006 Circular,
more than the double of the earlier scale. While a senior hand gets a
paltry sum, another, junior by several years receives a thumping
pension. Anyone could see how unfair this is.
I may mention that no single salary revision was granted to the
public sector between 1998 and 2004, and UNP was the worst culprit. No
relief whatsoever was given during their regime apart from one ad hoc
allowance which created more anomalies.
There is no point in revising the pensions of those employees who
retired after January 01, 2005 as they were given the benefit of the
2006 Circular to compensate for any loss in the computation of their
pensions.
Most of the pensioners are old and feeble and constantly under
medical care and it would be a huge relief for them in their last
stages, if they (those who retired prior to January 01, 2005) too could
be given the benefits of the March 2006 Circular, as pledged by the then
Minister.
U. N. NANAYAKKARA
Gampaha
I think that it would be a wonderful idea if Ramona Fernando’s letter
regarding unemployed undergraduates in Sri Lanka is translated into
Sinhala and Tamil and then distributed among the students of every
university in the country.
It is high time the Government became strict with these students.
Wonder how they would feel, if they had to pay for their higher
education - would they learn to appreciate their education more? Food
for thought.
PATRICIA ARMSTRONG-CALDERA
Canada
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