Letters
View(s):Rude awakening: Crackers after midnight for a perahera
This is following the letter published in the Sunday Times on November 8, titled ‘Blaring sounds kept us awake’ regarding the noise from a temple in Chakindarama Road, Ratmalana.
Just reading the first few lines of that article I couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘Oh my gosh! I am not alone.’
On Sunday, November 1, I had a traumatising experience caused by a temple. This is a temple located down Wakwella Road in Galle and they were having some ceremony with the usual bana the previous night – October 31.
This was going on towards night and it wasn’t a disturbance. So I went to bed a bit early as I had to work that Sunday morning.
At 2 a.m., I jumped out of bed, woken up by the sound of countless crackers. Lots and lots of crackers, along with a temple perahera.
It went on for a bit and obviously I couldn’t sleep. So I waited, assuming the sound would ‘go away’ as they proceeded. Was I wrong!
The sounds continued until about 4 a.m. They kept on lighting crackers with the perahera. I wasn’t sure if they were down my lane or nearby. Ultimately it stopped but by then I couldn’t fall asleep.
Sunday was an incredibly hard day at work for me as I had not slept. My eyes were burning and I had a splitting headache.
I have lived next to a temple in Moratuwa all my life.
On poya it’s the usual loud bana and songs. But it is one day of the month and they finish their activities long before 10 pm. Even during Vesak, it’s fine. In fact they play some sermons of Lord Buddha and music which I thoroughly enjoy.
But never in my life have I come across a temple that lights crackers at dead of night. Apparently this is an annual thing and they go to the Galle Fort between 2-5 a.m., wake people up and ask for anything from money to tea.
Buddhism as far as I know, is a peaceful way of life and not meant to harm others in any way, verbally or physically. But lighting crackers at 2 a.m., waking people up, including children and the sick… I really don’t think Lord Buddha would have appreciated that.
Besides with the crime rate rising, is there any point in playing bana loud and holding ceremonies causing so much grievance to others, when husbands are killing wives for wearing jeans, mothers dumping children over bridges and almost everyone is leaving newborn kittens and puppies on the road to die ?
Krishni Iresha
Via email
F and G depositors ignored, authorities silent
A board of four directors was appointed to Finance and Guarantee by the Supreme Court about seven months ago to expedite the repayment plan approved by the Central Bank and the Supreme Court but unfortunately nothing has been implemented to repay the long suffering depositors.
This Board of Directors got themselves appointed after many legal battles with other depositors organisations, on the promise that 100% of the deposits would be returned to the depositors in a year or two.
After the fall of the Ceylinco Group, except Ceylinco Insurance, in December 2008, many depositors’ associations mushroomed to take control of the assets and be the saviours of the depositors.
I have attended meetings of these depositors’ associations held at Vihara Maha Devi park under a tree and summer hut of the Public Library auditorium and Shalika Hall.
All of these organisations pleaded with the depositors for their support and donations to pay their lawyers. These saviours took each other to Courts, and finally this group was appointed.
About five years ago a permanent staff of about 20 personnel was appointed to compile all the data required to expedite repayment.
With them an Advisory Board was also appointed, with huge salaries, to plan and implement the repayment scheme. The first Chairman, a former well respected Auditor General, resigned as he was dissatisfied with the progress.
Up to now more than Rs. 100 million has been eaten into, to maintain all these staff. I do not know whether the present Board of Directors are drawing salaries for their dedicated work.
It is of interest to know whether the Monitoring Department in the Central Bank is monitoring the progress, and has given a report of the Board’s activities.
Has an audit ever been done? Should not the depositors be informed of the status of assets, both cash and properties owned etc.
This message is to call for the involvement of the monitoring bodies, and the Board. I must mention the members of the Board treat the depositors with disrespect and disdain, having occupied the seats of authority with the blessing of the depositors, whom they wooed with humility.
I hope the persons responsible will read this article and pray their conscience will prick, to do an honest job for the poor depositors.
A depositor
Via email
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