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The article which appeared today (DN Nov. 01) by the reformist
appears to have missed the main point why university graduates specially
in the Arts and Social Sciences are unemployable.
The reasons given such as lack of creativity and required skills for
the private sector such as English and IT are absolutely correct.
However the major reason for this situation is the systematic and
organised ragging which is controlled by a particular political party
which does not promote such creativity. These student union leaders
propagate the view that English is not essential and is a sign coming
from our colonial past.
During ragging, student union thugs who often resort to violence to
control large student bodies are responsible for this trend while all
other factors mentioned in the above article are only marginal.
Student violence perpetrated in this manner keeps the private sector
away from recruiting them. If students cannot live peacefully with
social harmony how can they be expected to excel in their employment?
It is no secret that human resource managers feel shy of considering
employing those graduates from violence infested universities and would
employ anyone from Katubedda or Colombo (science) where ragging has been
totally eliminated.
The writer of the above article has completely missed the bus on this
count and while this matter gets exposed only when a student dies of
ragging, has not received the attention it deserves from the policy
makers.
The blame should lay squarely on those politicians who openly take
sides with these violent student groups supported by another political
party which supposedly has abhorred violence.
PROF. O. A. ILLEPERUMA
This refers to Date of Manufacture/ Expiry by Tissa Jayaweera
published recently.
We have to follow Sri Lanka Standards/ International Standards and
yyyy/mm/dd should be the practice.
The guideline is laid down in Ceylon Standards 104 of 1971 and
International Standards ISO 8601 of 1988.
Most of the products which display otherwise puzzles the consumer,
who is supposed to be the king/god.
Hence it is the duty of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution and
Consumer Affairs Authority to treat the King/ God by educating
producers, enlighten the public on this vital issue.
Otherwise innocent and ignorant consumers become pray at most of the
supermarkets. Especially scanned food, milk food, mushroom and
perishables must display clearly the date of manufacture and expiry.
Even some banks issue cheque leaves (Bank of Ceylon, Sampath etc. and
deposit slips (Sampath Bank) providing blank cages to enter the date as
DD/MM/YYYY.
This also should be corrected as YYYY/MM/DD as soon as possible.
KANCHANA PERERA
The recently held Superstar Contest is considered as an excellent
opportunity for budding young music artistes with inherent talent to
step into the limelight.
Apart from that I also noticed something more interesting and worth
mentioning regarding the same.
The Superstar turned medical student through his modesty, simplicity
and ingenuity displayed to both parents and young students, that merely
attending schools and following evening tutorial classes to gain
entrance to a university is not everything, but there is much more than
that to think about in life and the society in which we live.
Accordingly, it was quite obvious that the Superstar Pradeep Rangana,
with the same mindset and motive relying on his inborn talents, took
time off from his line of campus studies for a while and plunged into a
sea of some fifty thousand odd contestants, aspiring to be a superstar.
They were just ordinary people from all walks of life. While some
were poor and unemployed still others were even without proper
educational qualifications to claim for a decent job.
No other person of Pradeep Rangana’s calibre would have had the
gusts, perseverance and simplicity to compete in a contest with such a
crowd of people, spending more than six months under time consuming and
hazardous odds and ends.
Going through such an arduous and unimaginable mill of experience,
facing audition tests and training workshops, in the end not only he
realised his dream of achieving success to his heart’s content with a
superb jackpot, but also set an example to the whole student fraternity
the world over.
His dedication, confidence, modesty and success is something really
to appreciate and recognise by all apart from his musical talents.
I should also express my warmest greetings to the runner up in the
contest Surendra Perera, the ever melodious and lilting silver bell with
my sincerest wishes, for many more decades of happy go lucky times with
milling crowds.
P. RANATHUNGA
Colombo
The residents of Pothupitiya, a Circular Road, leading to Pelawatte
and the Pushparama Temple and connecting Katuwangoda Road in the Wadduwa
area, walk in fear of being electrocuted, especially during heavy rains.
The officials of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Panadura,
despite numerous complaints have turned a blind eye to the over-hanging
branches of tall trees which graze the three-phase and the high tension
transmission lines.
This not only poses a danger to human lives but also results in
frequent power failures.
On several occasions after gale force winds, disconnected power lines
lying along or across the roads are a common sight. This has not been
attended to for the past few years. S. A.
Tuan’s letter (DN Oct. 27) indicates that he is trying to see the
worldly events with blinkers on. Therefore, it will not be able for him
to comprehend certain events like the Tsunami, why humans have emotions,
and about many other things he has mentioned there.
To understand things, one must try to see with an open mind. Today
scientists have almost come to various conclusions how this world has
come into existence.
Those scientists could never have gone thus far if they adhered to
existing beliefs. It is a pity that some individuals are constrained to
think according to beliefs by enforcing rules religiously and regularly.
As we know, a race horse is blinkered so that it cannot have
peripheral vision.
It is of no use to discuss matters with such individuals. We are
aware what happen to scientists who tried to explain things differently
to age old beliefs.
If Sir Issac Newton accepted that it is just nature for an apple to
fall on to earth, or it is the natures way to propagate the same plant,
we would not have satellites today.
Tuan says that he cannot understand about emotions. Emotion being a
state of mind, that cannot be understood easily until one understands
the mind, which is a forerunner to all the states of mind.
However, today it is tried to show emotions through what is called
‘emoticons’ (graphic art). He says that Ariyatileka (DN Oct. 4) should
have explained Tsunami according to his faith, which I believe is
Buddhism. I quite agree.
Ordinary Buddhist laymen might say that it is ‘Karma’. Partly it is
so, but that is not the full explanation. Such an explanation is as good
as attributing it to God. This comes under one of the ‘Niyamas’
described in Buddhist texts and I suggest Tuan to read such texts as I
am not competent to discourse Dhamma. In regard to Astrology I may
comment as follows.
Today, astronomers observe, calculate, predicts events and even plan
visits to far distant planets. They use very advanced telescopes,
mathematical knowledge, computers etc.
Much before this, the Astrologers from the distant past predicted
these.
So one has to accept that there was some sort of systematised
knowledge which helped them to forecast future.
Therefore astrology cannot be set aside as mythology or theology.
D. P. Y. ABEYWARDHANA
NAWALA
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