Letters
View(s):Burning of Jaffna library
Going deeper into the confessions of a police sergeant
This refers to the article relating to the burning of the Jaffna library by T. Seneviratne, retired S.S.P. that appeared in the Sunday Times of June 1.
According to the writer, a police sergeant decades after the crime, made an unsolicited confession. Perhaps, Mr. Seneviratna should have probed deeply to find out who was responsible for the planning of this despicable crime.
A subordinate police officer like a sergeant would not have stopped to set fire to the library unless encouraged and assured of protection by high ranking superiors.
However, the news is of no relevance in law. Arson, in any event, not being an act of treason or murder, is statutorily barred against prosecution after the lapse of 20 years. So that, problems in respect of proof for evidence or even a confession before a magistrate as stipulated in law will not arise.
As far as this writer remembers, at the time immediately after the fire, rumours spread on this side of the divide that two ministers were responsible. Even now many people believe the story. Incidentally, those personalities are dead, one died when a bomb went off at a meeting, the other of a terminal illness.
As readers will realise that there is no smoke without fire, the rumours were most probably reflections of the truth.
R.L.N. de Zoysa
Mount Lavinia
This old road has seen little repairs
The road from Elamulla to Kabaragala in the Hanguranketha Pradeshiya Sabawa of the Nuwara Eliya District is in an abominable 
state.This 7 ½ kilometre stretch of road constructed 52 years back has not seen a repair to-date except for the first two kms of the road.
The road leads to the village of a vegetable farming community with about 850 – 900 families. Hired vehicles and funeral hearses refuse to ply the road and if three wheelers are persuaded to do so, they charge an exorbitant Rs. 1,100 for the trip.
Children are unable to attend school daily and are unable to sit for exams due to being constantly absent from school.
Is there no solution for these poor people? Members of the Hanguranketha Pradeshiya Sabawa, this is over to you!
Neomal
Via email
Checking toilets, under fridges; but what about storm water drains?
There appears to be a feverish campaign to check the spread of dengue. It has received so much importance, that a Presidential Task Force comprising the Civil Defence Force, is visiting every house and inspecting every nook and corner including toilets and even 
under the fridges, to check whether there is an open drip pan. A good effort!
However, it is very strange that no one has looked into the situation of the storm water drains that are silted and full of stagnant water; a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes. The situation is worsened when open drains are clogged by debris by apartment developers.
When complaints are made, the relevant enforcement officials look the “other way” probably, they are “looked after” for doing so.
The million dollar question is, who is responsible for maintaining these storm water drains which are not cleaned for years? Isn’t it the responsibility of the Colombo Municipality? Are they not part of the Dengue Eradication Campaign?
Resident of Colombo-6
Road safety gimmicks won’t help to stop mayhem on our roads
Being a premier Buddhist country we have always shown much compassion towards animals used as sacrifices during certain religious rituals But there are “human sacrifices” taking place on our roads increasing in severity year after year. Innocent people young and old, men and women, children and even expectant mothers are the victims of this carnage taking place on our roads
There seems to be a failure on the part of the officials responsible. Briefly, some of the so called gimmicks existing or proposed that will have or have had little effect on the growing problems are 1) changing the colour of the number plates (2) replacing the driving licence from book to card (3) emission tests for some (4) loud horns for some (5) menace of wrong road markings and road signs (6) use of seat belts (7) wearing helmets (8) 100 proposed new road signs that will make all drivers including the disciplined and experienced ones back to the level of a “learner”. (9) writing books for profit.
One hopes that these chosen men who are supposed to make our roads safe will not finally recommend that we should change from left hand driving to right hand driving as in the US, France and Germany.
I recently had the misfortune to listen to a key official who announced that very soon the colour of the “yellow” pedestrian crossings will change to “white”
We, only hope the President will immediately order the cancellation of this tender to supply “white paint” not withstanding who the lucky paint supplier or the other beneficiaries would be, and use public funds to improve village roads, schools, hospitals, village tanks and canals and efforts to save the villagers from wild elephants and crocodiles.
Anton Nanayakkara
Battaramulla