Citizens' Mail

Behaviour of politicians is not acceptable

We have very carefully analysed the statements made by our politicians after the recent terrorist attacks. They were blaming one another. The facts given in those statements were not accurate. Many of the statements were close to hate speech.

Very few politicians spoke with a love to the motherland. Most of them had a personal agenda. Many of them took advantage of the situation and tried to promote their political parties. Many of them tried to improve their image. Some were making contradictory statements.

Some were giving silly excuses. Some were shedding crocodile tears. Some politicians used this unfortunate incident as a weapon to attack their enemies. We saw how efficiently the politicians are playing the passing the ball game.

Usual silly and foolish excuses were given by very senior people. It was a real shame. Some said I was not aware. Some said no one told me. Some said they did not take things seriously. Some said it is not practically possible to protect all churches and hotels. Some said letters were sent. Some said they were not invited to the relevant meetings. All these excuses show how irresponsible our leaders are. How incompetent they are.

How foolish our politicians are. How selfish our politicians are. Our politicians do not have love our motherland. Our senior politicians did not delegate the work in the proper way. They were openly fighting with each other. This was a shame.

At the same time we are very happy about the way our religious leaders behaved. They talked very carefully. They wanted to maintain peace. They wanted to maintain religious harmony. They wanted to maintain ethnic harmony. All the religious leaders were appearing on the platform. Buddhist priests went to Christian religious ceremonies. Christian and Islam leaders went to Buddhist religious ceremonies. This was excellent. They never criticised others. Insulted others. There is a lot that our politicians have to learn from religious leaders.

We must thank the international community also for coming forward to help us. They had sent us many messages showing genuine support to the people of Sri Lanka. These messages did not support any political party or any community. They were supporting the people of Sri Lanka.

We must thank the people of the country for their very good behaviour after this unfortunate incident. Whole world is watching us.

The door is open again for us to get together and save country. The door was open twice earlier. After the tsunami and after the end of war. We lost both of those opportunities. Let us open our eyes at least now.

D. Weeratunga

Nugegoda

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Not really belligerent

Elmo Rodrigopulle attempts to perpetuate the myth that Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup victory was largely due to the partnerships for the first wicket between Kaluwitharana and Jayasuriya. He writes - 'Kaluvitharane was one of the star attractions with his belligerent belting of all new ball bowlers when Sri Lanka won the World Cup in the 1995/96 tournament.'

The scorecards do not justify this comment. In the six matches Kalu scored 0, 26, 33, 8, 0, 6. 33 was scored against Kenya, out of a total of 398 (Aravinda de Silva 145 and Gurusinha 84). Kalu did score 28 of his 33 runs in boundaries, and 24 in boundaries against India, but this could surely not be classed as 'belligerent belting of all new ball bowlers'.

Kalu and Jayasuriya did form a formidable opening partnership in the World Series just prior to the 1996 World Cup but did not produce that same form in the World Cup. Our victory was surely due to the de Silva Gurusinha partnerships that produced 566 (almost 35%) runs out of a total of 1,631; their total contribution being app 46%.

Paul Fernando

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Living in uncertainty

In my septuagenarian life amidst certain realities and unrealities I have gathered a vast wealth of experiences, I humbly believe worthy to be passed down to our treasured posterity for their existence, in the sphere of politics, education, university politics and academic pursuits, social coexistence, journalism, difficult area service in teaching, working overseas, globetrotting, conjugal life, child rearing and many more arts of living.

Let me state here that child rearing is the most competent art that I mastered through literature. Anyone would raise his eyebrows when I categorically say that it was English literature in particular and Sinhala literature in general that put me on a high pedestal in the art of child rearing and gifted two daughters to the field of engineering who have gained international acclaim. I did celebrate my 69th birthday as a proud father the other day and I think it is my bounden duty as a senior citizen to share my endeavour with the disgruntled lot of fathers and mothers and would be parents to leave a ray of hope in this uncertain world of human existence.

In ‘The Prince and the Pauper’ the universally acclaimed writer Mark Twain writes that he never believed in luck and happenings by chance. How he develops Tom Canty’s character as a pauper and Prince Edward’s character as the rightful heir to the throne has to be emulated in personality building of the posterity. Charles Dickens in his own Dickensian style develops PIP’s character by giving him arduous trials in his journey to be a gentleman. Havisham’s character epitomizes sadism to the letter. Jagger, the legal eagle of the Victorian judiciary takes us on a study tour of the rotten system that is akin to most of the jurisprudence around the world today. Many a writer’s path of life gives ample guidance for us to emulate our own path to tread on. They have sacrificed their lives for us to build up our lives. The journalists, playwrights of the calibre of Fedrico Garcia Lrca, the poets such as John Dryden underwent severe thug assaults and compose many a literary works to build up this world. They lived among many an uncertainty and burnt in the sacrificial fire themselves to pass down this legacy of living in uncertainty.

The epoch making constitutional architect the liberal trade pioneer JRJ once addressing the annual general meeting of the government accountants’ association made the audience spell bound by saying that he has an accountant. He dwelled on “Management in turbulent times.’’ He referred to the youths in arms during that time who brought the administrative machinery to a virtual standstill.

Piyadasa Rillagoda

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Bouquet to de Mel for hypothesizing a superlative squad for WC

The eagerly anticipated picking of 15-man squad for the forthcoming ICC World Cup in England and Wales was proclaimed with several astonishments. All passionate enthusiasts would no doubt be persuaded with gannets of Ashantha de Mel and his team of selectors in prudently picking four players who had not embodied in ODI’s since year 2017.

The yardstick had been obviously the experience and performances in the Super four Provincial limited-over tournament in Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardena and Jeffery Vandersay.

However the most surprising selection was 21-year-old promising opener Avishka Fernando who displayed incredible grit in South Africa effortlessly hitting and hoisting Rambada and Steyn for fours and sixes, All-rounders Jeevan Mendis, Miliinda Siriwardena are both batting all-rounders fetch a three-dimensional option. The long tail which succumb easily could be petite which were peanuts for opposing teams in the past. This was the justification of Ashantha de Mel at the press briefing. Thirimanne and Vandersay had performed admirably in the Provincial tournament. It was a pity that Thirimanne was omitted from the WC squad in 2015 when he had scored heavily scoring a one-day ton against the formidable Aussies.

The reason for dropping of regular off spinner Akila Dananjaya was attributed to the fact that after his bowling action was modified he had become ineffective with a strike rate of a wicket every 50 balls compared to Dhananjaya de Silva’s a wicket every 30 balls. It had been revealed that Dhanajaya deviates the ball wider. Moreover, Akila is erratic and is not certain in field placing, sets field for off spin and bowls googlies and legspin in an over. In this stand Jeevan and Vandersay could bowl genunie leg spin.

For dropping of Chandimal and Dickwella as wicket keeper batsmen Ashantha’s philosophy was that the duo had not performed adequately, allowing Kusal Perera to keep wickets also could keep him away from injuries to which he is prone evading him to make dives which he makes cumbersomely when in outfield.

Sri Lanka of course have a new captain in the one-day format with Dimuth Karunaratne being appointed to lead the country in the World Cup as two other contenders Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga had issues with the head coach and with senior players. Angelo had refused to captain under Hathurusinghe while Malinga has had issues in controlling the players who were not behind him although the selectors have had no issues with his captaincy skills.

Hence with all the surprises and omissions the selectors headed by Ashantha de Mel had focused predominantly on the balance of the team, including batting all rounders to give the much needed depth in equilibrium to the tail which was exposed profoundly in the past not been able to bat through the entire fifty overs.

In this environment the selectors led by Ashantha de Mel deserves to be commended.

Sunil Thenabadu

Brisbane