Letters to the Editor
View(s):Playing ‘pandu’ with State money
A cricket team made up of UPFA politicos, headed by Sports Minister M. Aluthgamage and including Dilan Perera, Wimal Weerawansa, Dulles Alahapperuma and MPs Namal Rajapaksa, Uditha Lokubandara and Sanath Jayasooriya, played a match with the Veddhas in Binthenne.
A news report declared that “compared to the ongoing T20 cricket series, this was extravaganza unmatched.” Readers can guess the cost to the Government coffers, or can they? The team flew to Binthenne by Air Force helicopter; the Ministers’ team won the match, the Veddhas performed a traditional dance, and the event ended with a dinner party.
The Veddhas have been given a new name, Adi Vasis, and made a showpiece. They have been brought into the limelight to gain popularity, and as a result their culture is being gradually corrupted and eroded, and will very soon be a thing of the past. I don’t mean that the Veddhas should remain in a backward state for ever, but if they have to vanish as a tribe, it should be through a natural process, not through forced liquidation.
It is strange that the Government should throw away a couple of millions on a meaningless cricket extravaganza in distant Binthenne, and that for the pleasure of UPFA politicos. Don’t these Ministers realise that they are wasting State money, not their grandfathers’ money? This is called playing “pandu” with Government funds, but now we must change it to playing cricket with Government funds. This will give more status to the game – not cricket, but the game of playing “pandu” with State money.
Does President Mahinda Rajapaksa not realise how much his Ministers are wasting the tax payers’ money?
Had Wimal Weerawansa remained a JVPer, he would have shouted himself hoarse crying foul, but now that he has been silenced and tamed, he too has joined the bandwagon without a whimper of protest.
God save the poor masses from such people’s representatives. Before entering Parliament, they say their hearts bleed for the poor masses, but once they enter Parliament, the bleeding stops.
S. Abeywickrama, Nugegoda
Recalling Richard de Zoysa’s magnificent Peron in previous ‘Evita’
Reading the blurbs for the latest local production of the musical “Evita” brought home to me how short “cultural memory” in Colombo is. Am I the only person around who remembers Richard de Zoysa’s magnificent Peron in his production of “Evita”, also at the Lionel Wendt, in the 1980s. Alas, my memory cannot recall the identity of the ethereal maiden who sang the title role so hauntingly. A thousand apologies.
Richard was murdered by a philistine regime – but that is no reason for the thespians of today to bury his memory.
Am I expecting too much by pleading with Jerome and his troupe to dedicate a performance to Richard the Great ?
T.D.
Taken for a ride by meter taxis
A meter taxi can take you for a ride. It certainly took me, an 81-year-old, on several occasions. Let me share my experience with our readers.
There is a meter taxi down my road. I called the driver and got into his three-wheeler. As he took off, I looked at the meter. It was not working. The driver said it would cost Rs. 12,000 to repair the meter. I had no choice but to travel at the normal rate. Whenever I hire this drive, I find that the meter is not working.
The other day I got into a meter taxi on the Galle Road. The meter worked fine for 10 minutes, and then suddenly stopped. When I pointed this out to the driver, he said the meter had to be repaired, and that it would cost Rs. 13,000.
I am sure readers would have experienced similar situations and would like to share their thoughts on this matter.
Nihal, Mt. Lavinia
Condominium trouble for Dehiwela residents
This is to bring to the notice of the Condominium Management Authority, the Urban Development Authority, the Engineering Department of the Dehiwela Municipal Council, the Town Planning Department, and others involved in authorising condominium complexes, that the rights of residents of Initium Road, Dehiwela, are being trampled on with impunity.
The residents wonder how the relevant authorities could be negligent in implementing the UDA planning and building regulations. Even though the fundamental objective of town planning is assumedly economy and convenience to the general public, this does not seem to have been adhered to in this instance.
The loss of value of property belonging to residents and health hazards seem to be of no consequence to the authorities. The developers continue their work unchecked, contrary to UDA planning and building regulations.
In addition to the structures being erected without the required reservation from the centre line of Initium Road, the Telecom Tower erected on top of the building is a major health hazard. Common amenities, earlier catering to 45 families, now need to be shared by 200 families.
Who gave approval for these high-rise condominiums? Unauthorised cabanas for tourist activities contravene basic principles of town planning. Drains and the road are damaged by the movement of heavy vehicles.
The drain along Ramanathan Avenue connecting with the Initium Road drain is clogged with water and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The authorities have been alerted with numerous letters, but our complaints have fallen on deaf ears. We hope good sense will prevail and the authorities will intervene fast to prevent a catastrophe.
Indignant Dehiwela Resident
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