Letters
View(s):Traffic terror in Nuwara Eliya: Police in the cold
On April 16, a group of us visited Nuwara Eliya to show Hakgala Gardens to our children and some others who had never seen the beauty of “Little England”. We were aware that it was the “season” and we knew it would be crowded as some of us have been avid Nuwara Eliya visitors for years.
Stuck in a “Mother-of-All” traffic blocks in Nuwara Eliya
However, this visit was an utter nightmare. We went to Hakgala Gardens from Norton Bridge around noon. Since we had arranged for lunch in the Nuwara Eliya town, we left the gardens at 2.10 p.m. But, lo and behold, we were stuck in a “Mother-of-All” traffic blocks. It took us a little over seven hours to reach the Radella/Avissawella turn off from Hakgala Gardens (about 3-4 kms). We had to get the lunch transported to our vehicles by motorbike. It took our hosts an hour to get to the Nuwara Eliya sign board on the Badulla Road where we were stuck! And by the time we reached the Radella/Avissawella turn off it was 9 p.m.
From what we gathered along the way it was nothing but mismanagement of traffic that had caused this gigantic, unprecedented traffic block. The police know that every year in April, a large number of people descend on this beautiful town. Why is it then that they weren’t able to arrange a traffic plan that would, at least to some extent, enable them to manage the inflow of vehicles more efficiently?
The blame must be placed on the authorities. It was the worst experience we have ever had in our years of visiting this beautiful place.
On Hakgala Gardens: There is a sign at the entrance saying that people are not allowed to bring food into the premises. But there were many people eating and littering this beautiful garden with lunch wrappers, snack packets, and even plastic bottles and soda cans! If this goes on, this beautiful garden will end up a garbage dump and be ruined for future generations. There should be better policing of the area and a stiff fining system implemented to stop this carnage. It is our sincere hope that the relevant authorities will step in to remedy these problems soon.
A. Nihal Perera
Colombo
More on Buddhism without state patronage
I refer to Leelananda de Silva’s letter in the Sunday Times Plus of April 17 and write to briefly elaborate on the subject as it would be interesting to learn how Buddhism survived without state patronage during the British Colonial times 1802 – 1948.
Firstly, the bringing of the valid Upasampada (Higher Ordination for Buddhist monks) to establish the Siyam Nikaya in Kandy, the Amarapura Maha Nikaya at Balapitiya and the Ramanna Nikaya in Galle were landmark events.
Secondly, the holding of the Panadura Vadaya (Debate) followed by the visits and great support given by Col H.S. Olcott and Madame Blavatsky helped establish the fragrance of the Buddhist philosophy in leading schools such as Ananda College, Musaeus Girls School, Dharmaraja College Kandy, Mahinda College, Galle, Visakha Vidyalaya, Sri Sumangala Schools, Panadura, Devapathiraja College, Ratgama, Ananda Sastraalaya, Kotte, Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda, Dharma Asoka College, Ambalangoda, Moratu Vidyalaya, and Dharmadutha College, Badulla. These schools and several temples were founded by several Buddhist philanthropic men and women and powerful Mudaliyars namely, Mudaliyar Don Spater Senanayake, Mudaliyar Andiris Perera of Pandura, Mudaliyar Sri Chandrasekara of Moratuwa, the Dias and de Fonseka families of Panadura, Sir Bennet de Soysa of Kandy and his wife who founded Mahamaya Girls School, Kandy, Sir Arthur de Silva and his wife Katherine de Silva of Moratuwa, Mudaliyar Samson Rajapakshe of Balapitiya, Mrs. Jeremias Dias of Panadura, Mrs. Helena Wijewardene of Sedawatte, Henry Amarasuriya and Jeronis de Silva of Galle, Mudliyar Sudirukku Jayawickrema of Tangalle, Mudaliyar D.D. Weerasinghe of Wellawatte, Mudaliyar Senanayake of Madampe, Sir Ernest de Silva and Lady Evandalene de Silva, Sir Cyril de Zoysa, the D.D. Pedris family, E.S. Fernando of Wellawatte, and Sir Henry Kotalawela of Badulla,… to name a few.
Thirdly there were several scholar monks who taught at Pirivenas, Pali, Sinhala and Sanskrit. To name a few… Ven Pelene Vajiragnana Nayake Thera, Ven Polwatte Buddhadatta Nayake Thera, Ven Naradha Maha Thera, Ven Piyadassi Nayaka Thera, Ven Ananda Maitreya Maha Nayake Thera, Ven Pannaseeha Maha Nayake Thera, Ven Heeneyane Dhammaloka Tissa Maha Nayake Thera, and Ven Rerukane Chandavimala Nayake Thera.
Lastly, Buddhist cultural events took place at Anuradhapura and the holding of annual peraheras – the Esala Maha Perahera at Kandy, and the Duruthu Maha Perahera of the Kelani Raja Maha Vihare, gave a fillip to foster Buddhism.
Upali Salgado
Colombo 3
Rush to Panama for the mystery billions
On Monday, April 11, the Daily Mirror quoted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as saying, “Now, we all have to go to Panama City to find whether there is Sri Lankan owned money. That revelation was also made by another Fonseca wasn’t it?” The Premier made this remark when leaving a media conference at Temple Trees to explain the success of his China tour that was aimed at resuscitating the ailing economy in the hands of the new government of consensus. In a remarkable coincidence, 50 years ago in April 1966, the then Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake visited Britain in a desperate bid to rescue his year-old National Government from economic calamity. On his return, he summoned a media conference. This was reported in the then Daily Mirror.
Adding a somewhat amusing note, the Daily Mirror of April 12, 2016 carried a news item with the headline, ‘Central Bank probing Panama Papers – Mahendran.’ The report said: The Central Bank was investigating into the materials linked to the Panama Papers and the individuals, who are possessing offshore accounts, Governor Arjuna Mahendran said today. However, he said the authenticity of the so-called leaks was doubtful and therefore he couldn’t reveal any names of individuals, due to privacy laws. “We don’t want to jump to conclusions,” he said.
The 77km-long Panama Canal is an important waterway for international trade, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean across the isthmus. Media reports say the Government is awaiting information on the alleged involvement of Sri Lankans in offshore financial dealings as revealed in the Panama Papers of the law firm Mossack Fonseca. Sandwiched between Colombia and Costa Rica, Panamanians believe that word Panama means “abundance of fish, trees and butterflies”. One wouldn’t have imagined the word also meant an ‘abundance of black money’.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said at a media conference at Sirikotha a couple of months ago that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa siphoned off US $18 billion from the state. Further, he also claimed that the money was not in his name, but in the names of his family and cronies to cover-up, hide, misdirect investigations.
After a hectic search with the help of various agencies, local and international, thorough scrutiny of Swiss and other ‘secret account’ holding institutions in the global banking industry; finally, the investigators have apparently returned empty-handed. Are those allegations believable, especially the amount $18 billion? Our yearly revenue over the period averaged $13.4 billion. Could anyone rob us to the tune of $18 billion in five years?
K. K. S. Perera
Panadura
Our lunch packets’ link with diabetes
It is reported that diabetes, especially in the urban areas, is assuming serious proportions. I have observed that the normal lunch packet contains a large portion of rice and small quantities of vegetables. Do sedentary urbanites require such a lot of rice and is it the reason that many people are obese? If so, what can be done about it?
BPJ
Via email
| Letters to the Editor‘Letters to the Editor’ should be brief and to the point. Send them to: ‘Letters to the Editor or editor@sundaytimes.wnl.lk. |