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J. B. Muller’s response (Citizens’ Mail - 18.3.2008) to my letter on
the above subject which appeared on February 22 is full of irrelevant
material, in that it is based on matters which I never mentioned in my
original letter.
It appears to be an exercise in futility to lengthen his letter,
totally ignoring the subject under discussion, i.e. the suitability of
Galle Fort being declared a World Heritage site.
Nowhere, in my letter, did I state that the ‘only heritage worth
preserving is the Sinhala Buddhist Heritage and none else’, thus making
it possible for me to totally ignore the first paragraph and part of the
second paragraph of his letter.
He says that “The Dutch were invited by the Sinhala monarch, on
solemn promise of payment of expenses incurred to expel the Portuguese.”
If so, why didn’t the Dutch leave the country, immediately after
expelling the Portuguese, without remaining in the country for 150 long
years?
He refers at length to compensation payable by various other nations,
which has no relevance to the subject under discussion.
The lengthy last two paragraphs of his letter have absolutely no
bearing on my original letter.
He says that the Galle Fort represents part of the Sri Lankan Burgher
heritage. If so, let the Galle Fort be named as such.
My objection was to the Galle Fort being called a World Heritage
site. He has also not responded to my challenge to point a single World
Heritage site in any other country in the world where such site has been
constructed by an invading nation, using impounded labour of the
indigenous folk and forcibly occupying the country for nearly 150 years,
much against the wishes of the local inhabitants.
He has used the word ‘warped minds’, ‘load of bigoted crap’ et al and
it is not my desire to pay back in the same coin since the gentleman in
me prevents me from doing so.
My letter on the same subject appeared in another newspaper on
February 11 and D. G. A. Perera’s response to the said letter appeared
in the same newspaper on March 5 under the heading ‘Saving Galle Fort
and ignoring Vijitapura’ and I have no doubt that Perera will not object
to my quoting below from his aforesaid response, which is very relevant
in the current context.
“D. H. Gunadasa has raised a valid question about our sense of values
as a nation.
“He has suggested that Sri Lanka could enter the Guinness Book of
Records being the only country in the world to glorify foreign invaders.
The sarcasm involved here is quite appropriate for successive
Governments have not only neglected, but also allowed the desecration of
two of our most important ancient forts” The land on the Southern end of
the Polonnaruwa Fort and all along the road through the Eastern wall,
the land has been alienated to private owners.
It has become a haven for treasure hunters, some of whom have become
rich thereby. That is the treatment given to a fort build by our own
kings nearly eight centuries before the Dutch built their ugly fort at
Galle, using the impounded labour of the indigenous folk.
B. H. Hemapriya and Dennis Fernando had been crying out aloud to the
Government and the Department of Archaeology to recognise this ancient
site and conduct archaeological excavations there, for over a quarter of
a century now.
The legitimate plea of these two amateur archaelogists fell on deaf
ears of the JRJ Government that was pushing ahead with the preservation
of Dutch buildings.
D. H. Gunadasa’s parting shot should be modified to read as follows:
“We are the only country in the world to glorify foreign invaders and
preserve their left overs, while consigning the much older ruins of
greater value to our heritage, to be desecrated and passed down to total
oblivion.”
This writer is, of course, in total agreement with the views
expressed by D. G. A. Perera and is indeed grateful to him for such
views, which has enabled me to respond in totality to J. B. Muller’s
letter.
Muller, in his letter under reference, describes himself as ‘student
of history’.
Unfortunately, the ‘student’ has totally ignored, for reasons best
known to himself, the history in regard to forts, as described by Perera.
D. H. GUNADASA - Hikkaduwa
Having read your article about mobile phones, I just wondered where
they get all the money from to purchase the said number of mobile phones
in the first place.
Stealing of credit/debit card and personal details of people is on
the increase and as I am a victim of this crime.
When the hotel guests settle their bill, using their credit or debit
cards, even before they leave the hotel, the details of their
credit/debit cards will be stolen and used abroad for purchasing goods.
These goods then be sent to Sri Lanka and perhaps resold.
On May 19, Computers and Guitars and many other items were purchased
from Castlecrag and Cove Lane in Australia and using Australian post,
and further purchases were made in Canada using stolen credit card
details.
If anyone has any information of this serious crime, please inform
the authorities.
Concerned Citizen
Sri Lanka must be the only country where the traffic police directs
the drivers against the traffic lights, putting themselves in danger
too.
The traffic lights are to be obeyed by drivers and it becomes an
instinct to drive according to them. When at every junction, the traffic
police takes the liberty to re direct the traffic at their own whims and
fancies, even when there is no rush, the drivers lose this instinct.
No wonder we have maniac drivers whiffing through red lights.
At some junctions where the lighting is not good, these police
officers are putting their own lives at risk.
If the police think they should redirect the traffic, best to get the
traffic lights put off.
It is a common saying among the public, “if there is a traffic jam,
expect to see a self imposing traffic cop at the junction.”
It would be a fruitful exercise to check whether these good intending
police officers who direct the traffic against the lights are actually
making the traffic move faster or to move slower.
On the other hand, it should not be a difficult task to re-time the
lights at rush hours according to the need depending on the heavier
traffic in certain directions.
DR. MAREENA THAHA REFFAI - Dehiwela
Dr. Wickramasinghe’s letter in the Daily News on ‘Disciplining
three-wheeler drivers’ is most appropriate and should open the eyes of
the Traffic Police as their eyes are always closed with regard to the
umpteen traffic offences of three-wheeler drivers.
In addition to the traffic offences, they also fleece customers by
demanding unreasonable fares and if you try to bargain they turn
abusive.
Of course, we all know they are providing a service to the majority
of the common people, but at what price? We also know that there are
some honest and decent drivers amongst the three-wheeler fraternity.
Another problem is the absence of Taxi Meters in three-wheelers. The
writer made out a case for installation of these meters of few years
back but noting has happened so far.
Long years ago before three-wheelers came out, the mode of transport
was the ‘Morris Minor’ car with a taxi meter. At the end of the journey,
the customer paid the amount indicated in the meter.
Therefore, it is incumbent on the authorities to bring in legislation
to see that every three-wheeler installs a taxi meter certified and
sealed by the Motor Traffic Department. There should be a minimum rate
before the start of the journey.
These could be attended to by the Police and the Motor Traffic
Department.
Let us hope the Police will take the necessary steps to tame
three-wheeler drivers.
VERNIE
The above titled letter by Gamini Peiris published in the Daily News
provokes deep thought/contemplation.
I would like to express my own views/observations to some of the
questions posed by Mr. Peiris in his letter and hope it would provide
him with some answers.
The ‘non-killing’ or ‘Ahimsa’ policy, in my view, is out of context
in situations such as diseases caused to ‘man’ by some microbes,
viruses, parasites etc. which, if left untreated by not eliminating or
‘killing’ the organism concerned would result in the death of that human
being who is infected. The same would apply if we observed ‘Ahimsa’ when
confronted with a poisonous snake like the Cobra or an animal like the
Tiger or the Leopard.
Compassion ‘Ahimsa’ and/or loving kindness ‘Metta’ becomes a virtue
par excellence in both Hinduism and Buddhism only when an animal is not
killed or sacrificed for the consumption of its flesh to sustain one’s
own life or simply to satisfy one’s carnivorous appetite.
The statement made by Mr. Peiris ‘Can honest Buddhists get involved
in an industry where killings become mandatory? is in my view an
absolute truth. I would have been even more happier, if the statement
read ‘Can honest Buddhists and Hindus get involved.
There is nothing wrong in consuming ‘flesh’ (meat) obtained from
animals that die from natural causes or from accidental causes. The
reason given by many who relish meat is that they are not killing or
slaughtering the animals, but it is the butcher who is doing that job.
This cuts no ice, since the butcher slaughters the animal because ‘you
want its flesh’ verb sap!
There are situations where one has to temporarily abandon Ahimsa or
Metta in the pursuit of achieving a noble objective in life, as for
example to become a doctor and serve humanity in that capacity that is,
relieving the suffering of the ‘sick’.
In the training during the medical course it becomes necessary to
kill/slaughter animals such as for example the frog, cockroach, rat,
shark the earthworm etc. and this has to be considered a ‘necessary
evil’ even to those who otherwise observe Ahimsa and Metta to the very
letter.
This cannot under any circumstances be equated to killing or
slaughtering of innocent animals to satisfy one’s taste or sustenance.
To the query by the writer of the above letter ‘what is the solution
we humans have for being bitten by mosquitoes and bugs, I can only
comment that the annoyance/pain and transmission of some diseases like
Malaria, Chikungunya etc. caused by the ‘bites’ to the persons concerned
prompts them to destroy/kill the ‘offender’s and the motive for the
killing’ here cannot be equated to that of killing a cow, pig or sheep
for satisfying one’s craving for meat.
Anyway, there is a limit for anything and everything: No one can be
one hundred per cent ‘perfect’ or ‘correct’ in anything although we as
human beings should endeavour to achieve the maximum possible in this
regard.
PROFESSOR M. SIVASURIYA
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