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We are definitely heading towards the above, which is taking root
without knowledge, attributing same to our carelessness and unconcern.
Due to no effective measures taken in this regard, this vital factor
is not receiving the desired attention, thereby taking us towards global
warming and unaware, where there would be no turning back, which should
convince us of the seriousness of this situation.
It is not too late to take remedical action to prevent same, thereby
at least prolong same from happening, about which due consideration is
necessary, taking the seriousness of this very vital issue. If everyone
and every nation does this collectively and continuously, we could save
our own survival, which stands in danger right now.
Accordingly, let’s put our house in order and let others follow suit.
TOMMY WANIGESINGHE - Kurunegala
I have been reading an interesting series of letters on a Christian
God vs. an Islamic God in the letters section. Whatever the writers seem
to say, it is evident that the ultimate purpose is to insist their
ideology is the only one and is the only correct mono-theistic way for
all of us.
I respectfully disagree. We have monotheistic, polytheistic,
non-theistic, agnostic wonderful belief systems in Sri Lanka and all of
them have wonderful teachings. All religions require a leap of faith
beyond scientific rationale, logic and reasoning and we as lesser beings
all depend on that act of faith to believe what was taught or ingrained
into us growing up as faith is passed on to us from generation to
generation.
Most violent conflicts in the world are a result of the two
significant mono-theistic faiths clashing with each other because of
their insistence that theirs is the only way based on some book or the
other.
In Buddhism, there are some downright practical tenets and one such
says ‘hatred begets hatred, violence begets violence and it is only
through right understanding, tolerance and compassion, can we overcome
this ancient vicious cycle’.
I am pretty sure the basic tenets of all faiths say the same. So
there is no point in fighting or arguing about ‘my religion is better,
my religious text is better than yours and it is the only way to a true
god etc.’ when no one can even say, if there is a real physical entity
named God or its gender and whether it is just a state of mind.
Peace must be the key to all faiths and those who practise their
faiths must all respect others and their faiths or even lack of a
religion because being good and kind and being tolerant, honest and
non-violent are the essential ingredients of any civilised society: and
that is sorely missing despite protestations of piety by all of us.
MANO RATWATTE
Valentine Day is celebrated in many countries on February 14 every
year with young lovers playing the lead roles, either head over heels
with genuine feelings or pretending to be so.
By being genuine, they would become life partners when the
appropriate opportunity arises. But by pretending, they would engage in
cupboard love or calf love and at length lead a miserable life forever.
There are instances where true lovers have suddenly put a stop to
their affairs. Love-lorn lovers who go mad sometimes commit suicide too.
The strangest thing is that one does not commit suicide when one’s so
much loved parent or someone well attached to the family dies. But
because of love or for its sake one is quick in ending one’s valuable
life.
There may be inevitably certain reasons for lovers to get separated,
yet one will not have a heart of bearing it. Hence, ventures to depart
from this world pushing the loved one in a sea of tears. Love is blind
is an old belief. Now love leaps where beauty, wealth and other
requirements are available.
Following are some good and deep thoughts of great people who have
written about ‘love’. I think such thoughts would have merged from those
people through various experiences either by falling in love or by
seeing others experience it.
However, what they have left to us is worth absorbing into our minds.
The young boys and girls could act accordingly so as to lead a good life
in this impermanent world.
1. It is love that makes the world go round.
2. Love is the business of the idle, but the idleness of the busy.
3. Perhaps they were right in putting love into the books.... perhaps
it could not love anywhere else.
4. Love conquers all, let us too yield to love.
5. To say that you can love one person all of your life is just like
saying that one candle will continue burning as long as you love.
6. True live is like ghosts, which everyone talks about and few have
seen.
Last but not the least, a youngster or an octogenarian would like to
murmur the words ‘love is fine darling when you are mine’ when it
becomes the right choice.
NAZLY CASSIM - Colombo 13
The TV reduced the conversation, the computers minimised and now the
mobile phones seem to be abolishing face to face interaction.
If you watch today’s youngsters, you notice that even friends
standing next to each other are sending SMS to some others, playing
games on their mobiles or speaking to a far away friend rather than the
one standing next to him. Even husbands and wives are communicating
through e-mails and SMS.
We seem to be having too much of communication, paradoxically cutting
off communication. Smiles are rare, friendly banter is uncommon.
Everyone is busy on their mobiles.
The parents are on phone - more than one at some times, and have no
time to speak to children at a stretch and vice versa. Even doctors find
it irritating when patients start talking on their mobiles while being
examined.
Of course, the reverse happens too - the doctors are interrupted by
phone calls on their mobiles, which in turn irritates the patient.
How did we even survive without mobiles? Are we breeding a generation
which would not know how to face people in the long run?
I think it’s time we all learnt to minimise ‘virtual’ communication
and start responding to those who are (physically) near and dear to us.
Limit your calls on your mobiles to the minimum and enjoy life as it
should be.
DR. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI – Dehiwela
I fully endorse the views expressed by the reader (DN Feb. 6)
regarding the rescrutiny of the Adv/Level 2007 answer papers. As he
says, it is nothing but a farce, a practical joke perpetrated on the
innocent students, which has become a habit.
The applications for resrutiny were closed just two weeks back, but
the Commissioner of Exams has already called for applications for
University admissions, and this fact alone clearly illustrates the
farcical nature of the whole affair.
It is very difficult to understand that they have finished
recorrrecting thousands of answer papers in a matter of a few days. As
the reader stresses, the present procedure adopted in rescrutiny is
merely to recheck the marks already added by the previous examiner,
without going through the answer papers themselves.
This is very unfair by the students as their future depends on the
correct evaluation of their papers. These examiners had an axe to grind
as they resorted to strike action over their payments, so one cannot
expect them to do an honest job of it.
We as parents cannot be satisfied with the way the evaluation of
answer papers have been done, as very bright students for some
inexplicable reasons have got negative results.
At the same time, we cannot understand the mighty hurry in calling
for applications for admission to Universities, as we presume this
evaluation process is still to be completed.
In the event of any discrepancy in the marks already added,
invariably there will be canges in the Z score and ranking systems. What
we feel is the authorities are not bothered about the outcome.
We hope even at this late stage saner counsel will prevail and the
rescrutiny of the answer papers will be entrusted to a competent set of
examiners to go through all requested set of papers, so that no
injustice is done to the deserving students.
There will not be additional expenditure involved as we have already
paid for their labour.
UPALI NANAYAKKARA - Gampaha
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