Letters to the editor
View(s):If Westerners can turn to vegetarianism, why can’t Sri Lankans?
According to a recent radio programme, it was announced that a vegetarian week was held in Britain to help, support and encourage the general public to consume vegetarian diets. It was reported that several actors and actresses played a major role to create awareness among the people in this regard.
We are aware that Britain is a Western country where people consume meat and priority has been given for animal husbandry, a major sector in its economy. It is an accepted fact that Hinduism and Buddhism encourage people to refrain from meat eating. However, it is interesting to note that Western communities have also begun to think in terms of vegetarianism. If the people all over the world make a concerted effort to avoid meat eating, it will lead to the preservation of biodiversity which has become a major issue today. On the other hand, they can lead a healthy life also.
I have noted that some Western tourists who come here go in search of vegetarian hotels. These tourists not only partake of vegetarian food but also learn how to cook eastern dishes from local women by scraping coconut and slicing vegetables. This is a common sight in the Unawatuna area.
Should not Sri Lankans also avoid meat eating and begin to consume vegetarian diets for a healthy life?
R. Somasiri
No action on Moor Road’s ‘super garbage’
Moor Road, Wellawatte where I live has a supermarket at the top of the road. The open backyard of the supermarket building has now become a garbage dump. The supermarket and other offices in the same building dump their garbage including rotten vegetables and fruits there.
The place has now become a feeding ground for stray dogs, cats and crows and a breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes. It is an eyesore. Often a strong breeze scatters waste paper from the garbage dump all over the road. Although garbage is collected regularly, one can see torn bags of garbage and rotten fruits and vegetables at any time of the day.
There is a church and a nursery just opposite this garbage dump and a hospital not far from the spot. There is a drain which gets clogged often. I have brought this nuisance to the notice of the manager of the supermarket, the Colombo Municipal Council, the owner of the building, the Central Environmental Authority and also to the Environmental Pollution Unit of the Wellawatte police but to this date none of them has acted to stop this.
The road looks dirty and ugly as a result of this garbage dump. Will the authorities take action to see that this place is kept clean so that it will not be a breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes?
Sri Ranjan, Wellawatte
Realities behind reality shows
Reality shows of various kinds shown on almost all TV channels bring out the hidden talent of the contestants and some of them have become big stars. However, these shows have their ugly side also. People spend their precious weekend nights glued to the TV instead of spending the time with friends and relatives. Often, when a contestant is eliminated, the presenters do not announce the name straightaway. Instead, they keep the contestant and the viewers in suspense for some time and take a “break” where the money pumping advertisements come into play. Indeed, it is a mental torture.
The usual method of promoting the contestants to the next round is through SMS votes and again this is a money fountain for telecom companies and TV channels. The charge for such SMSs is much higher than a regular SMS.
Yet, the SMS voting system is not the best way to promote a contestant to the next round in singing competitions because music literacy in Sri Lanka is at a low level compared to other countries such as the United States where the concept of reality shows was born. Most of the Sri Lankans vote not for the musical talent of the participants but for their looks and personality. As a result, the contestants with real talent are being eliminated, sometimes at an early stage.
Additionally, watching TV till late night probably with a high volume will add to the already soaring electricity bill. The greatest cost of all is the valuable time lost. How about using this time to enhance our own skills rather than watching the skills of someone we do not even know? Everyone in this world is born with at least one kind of a talent. The talents we did not possess from birth can be learnt through practice. Let all the reality shows be as they are. Use that time to sharpen your own skills so that one day we can all become stars in our various fields of interest.
Sameera Abeyweera, Piliyandala
Well done, you have taught us how to live as a united family
Recently I happened to attend the funeral of a family member, a young 3rd year student of the Rajarata University. She was from a Tamil Christian family who are longstanding residents of Kahawatte. Personally, I was visiting the area after some 50 years as I started my estate clerical career on an estate in Rakwana way back in 1956. We, my family and I, travelled to Kahawatte in a van through Bogawantalawa. This was my first experience on this road though I had walked the distance from Maratenne which is the beginning of the jungle path from the Ratnapura end to Bogawantalawa in 1957 all alone late one evening when the present roadway did not exist.
When we arrived at Kahawatte town it was evening and we were greeted by the sight of young boys and girls putting up flags, banners and streamers along the road leading to the funeral house. At first I thought they were from the neighbourhood but later learnt that they were from Universities from far away, including the one the deceased had attended.
At the funeral house, there were hundreds of students far outnumbering the relatives. They were serving biscuits and coffee to all who came as if it was their own home. The deceased’s brother is a student at Ruhunu University and her cousin is at Peradeniya and it was heartening to see students from these universities, of all religions, backgrounds and ethnicity getting together to pay their last respects to their friend and colleague and consoling the grieving parents. I later heard that they had insisted that they be allowed to bear the cost of some of the meals.
The attitude of these students was simply exemplary and was food for thought for many at the funeral house. Their participation, sacrifice, conduct and attitude was an abject lesson to all of us.
Well done, children, you have taught your fellow countrymen how to live as a united family and build a healthy nation. My sincere appreciation also goes to the authorities of these universities for instilling in these young minds these values of unity and compassion. These young people are after all, the future leaders of this country.
Well done sirs, well done!
David Williams, Kotagala
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