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In days gone by, radio was our only form of entertainment. It helped
us unwind and relax. People woke up to and went to bed with ‘the radio’.
It was an integral part of our daily routine. Time updates, current
news, water/power cuts, road closure were all intimated by radio.
Besides this, those who had the resources purchased gramophone.
However, the era in which we live, one could purchase the most
sophisticated equipment. Hi-Fi systems and ‘set-ups’ are within reach of
most people. It is now possible to listen to music that is totally
distortion free and assigned to suit one’s musical preferences. With all
this at our disposal, it is very sad and disappointing that it isn’t so
with what comes on State Radio.
We are now in the 21st Century. Technology has come a long way.
Information on current affairs could be reached at the touch of a
button.
We don’t live in the ‘Stone Age’ any more. Remember, there is also
TV, computers etc. to name a few, with detailed news.
SLBC on the other hand simply did not seem to ‘move with the times’.
Newer stations came up which offered greater variety, current affairs,
music etc. all packaged in a far more listenable manner. So along with
many others regular listeners of the SLBC English Channel, I too moved
away. We enjoyed the music on other channels, which gave us what we
wanted (the oldies) most of the time. Then came ‘Radio Sri Lanka’ with
the promise of ‘new programs’.
Today, if one tunes in to SLBC you could hear ‘the difference’. The
day starts brightly with very listenable music. Then as it proceeds,
from 8.30 am- 10.00 am its BBC World News. Then, again in the afternoon
and also in the evening! Almost six - eight hours of BBC. We have four
regular News Slots, along with the hourly news in brief. Must it also
include world news? Why rob listeners of our precious ‘air time’ for
separate slots of BBC news? What we now have are a lot of talk shows,
interviews and almost adding ‘insult to injury’ there is also a program
called ‘Namasthe India.’
Which caters to the Indian audience, all at the price of the English
Channel! No one seems to know what listeners want and how to give it to
them!
The Sunday night Greetings program which is the only program devoted
to greetings and very well presented, is now truncated to just one hour.
This is to accommodate ‘Namasthe India’. The ‘Station to the Nation’
simply doesn’t seem to know how to cater to the Nation anymore!
Music is a universal language. Enjoyed by any age, at any given time.
When one comes home after a tired day, music soothes and does wonders to
one’s mind. , but what we now get most of the day is talk shows,
interviews etc. There is hardly an ‘hour of music’ to listen to apart
from the mornings.
Apart from all this there are other lapses. Monday 16th evening from
10 pm to 10.27 pm wasn’t even manned by anyone! Does anyone ever
‘monitor’ the day’s program? I suggest they call for listener feed back
on what we think of the current trend and they would be shocked. The
presenters are doing a fantastic job besides the few new ones in
between, to make the English service enjoyable.
We understand the Corporation needs money. But must it be got at the
cost of the English Channel? The Radio Station which was, at one time,
Asia’s best. Has now become Asia’s Rest!
If this trend continues, we may as well ‘close’ the English Channel.
What a shock that will be when the President himself is gearing this
nation to learn and become more conversant in English!
Dalrine Wijesuriya
Pigeon Express mail service was established in Sri Lanka on September
24, 1850 to send messages from Galle to the Ceylon Observer newspaper
office in Colombo, by the British. It took only 45 minutes to receive
the message from Galle. The Pigeon mail service was short-lived mainly
due to the development of the telegraph service.
To mark this special occasion of the Sri Lankan postal history, a
postage stamp or at least some postal stationery (post cards, envelopes,
stamped envelopes, labels... etc) should be released for the pleasure of
all philatelic lovers.
I hope action will take by the Posts Minister, Post Master General,
Philatelic Bureau Director and the Philatelic Advisory Committee.
KANCHANA DE SILVA - Kiribathgoda
Let us consider the following statistical data
regarding child hunger:
Every six seconds a child of less than five years dies of hunger.
Every three minutes 30 children die from pauperization.
According to a report published by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), six million children of less
than five years suffer from malnutrition every year.
More than 180 million children of less than 10 years suffer from
hunger, because they do not have anything to eat.
Due to the poor health and malnutrition of their mothers during
pregnancy, 177 million children develop later than they naturally
should, while eight million newborns die annually. These statistics come
from countries where 15 million young girls between the ages of 15 and
19 are the ones to give birth.
The different analyses of progress indicates that the world is far
from reaching the goal that was established during the World Food Summit
of 1996. The goal was to reduce in half the amount of children suffering
from hunger by 2015. Where nutrition becomes difficult, a child has a
life expectancy of 38 years, while the 24 wealthiest countries have a
life expectancy of 70 years.
One out of seven children born in underdeveloped countries is
sentenced to die before reaching the age of five.
The annual estimate is of 250,000 children. The report asserts that
the majority of children from these countries die due to the lack of
vital nutrition; a state which weakens them, reduces their weight and
elevates their vulnerability. Furthermore, these children are exposed to
a high risk of infectious diseases.
In underdeveloped countries, diarrhoea, acute respiratory diseases,
malaria and measles are the ones to blame for most child deaths. This
crude reality is seen in all Hispanic countries, as well as in the
Caribbean.
St. Augustin asserted that, “that which remains to the rich is
patrimony of the poor”. (Translated by Gianna A Sanchez Moretti)
Clemente Ferrer
Many Sri Lankans residing in Victoria, Australia whom I met have
expressed their disappointment that they have made donations to several
charitable institutions in Sri Lanka - Elder’s Homes, Orphanages,
Handicapped children’s homes, schools etc., These institutions have
written to them to make donations to upkeep their institutions.
Having sent donations to these institutions, once they have received
these funds by money orders, bank drafts, cheques, food and clothes
etc., that is the end, they do not have the common courtesy to
acknowledge receipt of these donations sent promptly.
Several Sri Lankans living in Australia who had generously
contributed towards the rehabilitation of the 2004 tsunami disaster are
too disappointed and angry that their generosity did not reach the
needy.
They collected money, clothes, food items, medicines, building
materials, beds, tents etc., but have found to their horror that these
items did not reach the people they were really meant for. It is very
important that these charitable institutions should remember that to get
continued assistance from Sri Lankans in Australia, they should be in
close touch with the donors and forward their annual progress reports
etc, and acknowledge promptly any money or kind sent from abroad.
Ingratitude is an unpardonable crime in society. Now the war has been
won and Sri Lankans living in Australia are prepared to help the people
really affected and with the escalation Cost of Living, specially the
poorest of the poor, who are suffering in silence in Sri Lanka. We hope
and pray the people will now live in peace and harmony in Sri Lanka.
Fred Rodrigo-Sathianathen - Australia
We have been living with the Tamil community for many years. We
risked our lives and protected many fellow Tamil citizens during the
riots. We always maintained our stand that this is one country and that
it should not be divided. Tamils and Sinhalese should live as brothers
and sisters. We should not leave room for extremists. Not only Tamil
people, the Sinhala community has also suffered much. It was a time of
terror for both communities. We know the pain and agony as we have lived
through it unlike those that have lived in foreign lands and make a huge
noise. The true patriotic citizens from the Tamil community stayed
behind without running away to greener pastures taking advantage of the
situation. They have gone through a real tough time that words cannot
explain the trials, tribulations and untold sacrifices. We salute those
brave people.
Now the country is free from terror, both communities can live
without fear. Unfortunately those who have comfortable lives in foreign
countries are trying to paint a different picture. It is not because
they love the people who live in this country but rather it is to find
an excuse for them to stay back and continue to enjoy their life in a
developed country. If they are truly patriotic they should be here in
Sri Lanka living and working with and among the people. They should
invest their fortunes for the betterment of their own people instead of
making statements to build suspicion and division all over again. Their
actions will throw both communities into another chaotic situation and
suffering. Of course they do not mind it as they are living in greener
pastures. Their comfortable lives are not threatened.
It is rather unfortunate that the International Community goes by the
things that have happened in the past. Also they have double standards.
When the LTTE slaughtered surrendered soldiers and policemen no one was
interested to set up a Board of Inquiry or a Commission on Violence by
Terrorists? When they massacred Buddhist monks no one was pointing
fingers at the LTTE. But now just because someone has made a comment on
a circumstance during the height of war and fighting between Government
Forces and Armed Terrorists some with vested interest have got very
excited. The general public of this country now know that these
Communities are not interested in their welfare, but rather it is to
achieve their personal agendas. I believe people who love this country
and live here can find solutions to their problems. I would like to ask
these so called interested parties to leave the innocent and vulnerable
Tamil people alone without taking them as their scapegoat or bait.
Nandalal
Any rational reader would agree that the editorial captioned ‘Dons
and their grievances’ which appeared in Daily News on August 2 is a
well-balanced timely comment.
At a time the President is doing his best to improve the living
conditions of each and everyone in Sri Lanka, the country’s
intelligentsia in our respected universities should act in an honourable
manner so as to maintain their dignity and self-respect.
The editorial referred to above is perfectly an impartial observation
of the current situation in this country which should be read and
re-read by the Government authorities as well as the academic staff of
our universities.
D W Nandisena - Colombo 3
School donations is the topic discussed in every home during this
period of the year. Some schools charge donations exceeding rupees one
lakh. A certain class in society could afford this amount. But the lower
middle class parents are in the doldrums because they have to find ways
of getting this money in order to qualify their child to be admitted to
a particular school. I have heard that some parents have pawned their
jewellery to raise funds to meet the donation.
In addition to the cash donation some schools demand donation in kind
e.g. TVs, computers, calculators, plastic furniture etc.
Accepting donations is not allowed in Government schools, but it is
rampant in private schools.
I am not at all against granting a donation specially for the welfare
of the school. But such donations should have a limit affordable to any
parent rich or poor. Limit can be a lower five-figure amount. I hope
that this letter will receive the attention of President Mahinda
Rajapaksa who will definitely find a solution to the problem and
safeguard the parents from exploitation.
T J Victor Silva - Ja-ela
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